Basile cal it the Communion not withstandinge it were priuately receiued whiche is cleane contrary to M. Iuelles sense But neither S. Hierome nor S. Basile euer called it the Masse that litle furthereth M. Hardinge sense They cal it a Communion not for that he that receiued it communicated with others in other places as M. Hardinge gheasseth but for that it was a portion of the holy Communion ministred and diuided openly in the Congregation to be receiued of the faithful The reason that M. Hardinge hereof geathereth muste néedes be this The husbande and his wife receiued the Sacramente at home Ergo the Prieste saide Priuate Masse He muste néedes be very simple that wil be ledde by suche single proufes S. Hieromes plaine woordes necessarily importe the contrary For if this were the custome in Rome for the space of foure hundred yéeres that the people shoulde communicate euery day Then must it néedes follow that duringe that time there was no custome there of priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .20 Diuision Damasus Bishoppe of Rome in S. Hieromes times writeth in libro pontificali that Milciades Pope and Martyr ordeined that the Sacrament in sundry portions consecrated by a Bishop should be sent abroade amonge the Churches for cause of Heretiques that the Catholike people of the Churches whiche woorde here signifieth as the Greeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dothe so as it is not necessary to vnderstande that the Sacrament was directed onely to the material Churches but to the people of the Parishes mighte receiue the Catholike Communion and not communicate with Heretikes VVhiche doubtles must be vnderstanded of this priuate and single Communion in eache Catholike mans house and that where Heretikes bare the sway and Priestes might not be suffered to consecrate after the Catholike vsage Els if the Priestes might without let or disturbance haue so doone then what neede had it bene for Milciades to haue made such a prouision for sendinge abroade hostes sanctified for that purpose by the Consecration of a Bishop The place of Damasus hath thus Milciades fecit vt oblationes consecratae per Ecclesias ex consecratu Episcopi propter Haereticos dirigerentur Milciades ordeined that consecrated hostes shoulde be sente abroade amongst the Churches prepared by the consecration of a Bishop The two woordes propter haereticos for Heretikes added by Ado the writer of Martyrs liues openeth the meaninge and purporte of that Decree The B. of Sarisburie This gheasse is one of the weakest of al the reste and therefore M. Hardinge hath staied it vp on euery side with other gheasses that one gheasse mighte healpe an other The firste gheasse is what Damasus shoulde meane by these woordes propter Haereticos The next gheasse is that this order was taken by Milciades againste certaine Heretikes that in the holy Ministration keapte not the Catholike vsage The thirde gheasse is that this woorde Ecclesia muste néedes signifie the people of the parishes and not the material Churche The fourthe gheasse is that the Sacrament was then Consecrate in litle rounde Cakes as of late hath bene vsed The fifthe gheasse is that the Sacrament was sente to euery seueral house whiche must haue bene an infinite labour to the Deacon that caried it and wounderous paineful The sirt gheasse is that first euery husbande receiued the Sacrament in his house alone so the wife and so the seruantes so likewise the children euery one seuerally by him selfe alone Whiche thinge I recken M. Hardinge him selfe thinketh not very likely So many gheasses are here in a thronge heaped togeather Which if I denie altogeather M. Hardinge is hardely hable to proue If I graunte him altogeather without exception yet al are not hable to proue his priuate Masse Firste in this place of Damasus neither is there mention of any Masse nor any perfite sense or reason in the woordes For thus it is written Milciades fecit vt oblationes consecratae per Ecclesias ex consecratu Episcopi dirigerentur quod declaratur fermentum Milciades caused that th' oblations consecrate by the Churches by the Consecration of the Bishop shoulde be directed whiche is declared leauen Neither is there any kinde of thinge either goinge before or followinge after whereby we may gheasse the meaninge It is muche to sée so learned a man as M. Hardinge is so scanted of authorities that he is thus driuen to proue his Masse by suche places as be vtterly voide of sense reason But a man must vse such weapons as may be gotten The twoo woordes propter Haereticos that are patched in by Ado a man of late yeeres as they doo nothinge healpe the sense so haue they no healpe of the storie of that time For a man may wel demaunde of Ado this newe Doctour what were these straunge vnknowen Heretikes without name that you at the laste for a shifte haue espied out where beganne they where dwelte they what taught they howe longe continued they who mainteined them who confuted them what Councel condemned them For it séemeth somewhat straunge that there should be companies routes of Heretikes in the worlde that noman euer knew but Doctour Ado. And where as M. Hardinge putteth in of his owne bisides his booke for Damasus hath no suche thinge nor any other thinge like that these newe founde Heretikes in the Ministration keapte not the Catholique vsage he shoulde haue shewed for his credites sake what other vsage they keapte that was not Catholique for his woorde is not yet Canonized The worlde wil beleue neither him nor Ado without some proufe Further to increase absurdities he saithe by these woordes per Ecclesias is meante not the material Churche but the people of the Church that is to saie in plainer termes Ecclesia is not a Churche but a priuate house I graunte the Gréeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of whiche our Englishe woorde Parishe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 séemeth to haue bene taken signifieth a Congregation or méetinge of neighbours or a companie dwellinge within some space togeather whether it be in compasse more or lesse So saithe Eusebius Dionysius writeth vnto Basilides the Bishop of the diuisions of Pentapolis Athanasius saithe that Demetrius tooke vpon him the Bishoprike of Alexandria and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the diuisions in Egypte In these places and certaine others that might be alleged out of Basile Nazianzene and other Gréeke fathers this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 séemeth to signifie a Bishoprike or a Diocese and not a seueral parishe And therefore Irenaeus thus writeth vnto Uictor Bishop of Rome The Priestes of Rome meaninge thereby the Bishoppes there sent the Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that came out of other dioceses or diuisions And Eusebius thus writeth of Hippolytus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He beyng Bishop of an other diuision Thus much touchinge this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyng moued therto by the
euermore béen called Priuate and neuer Common And in this sense Thomas of Aquine thinketh that a Praier made in suche sorte by the Priest and in the Churche may be called Priuate He thinketh That the people vttered their Secrete Praiers in the tongue that they vnderstoode and so he saithe Christian people doo now for the most parte The former parte hereof is vndoubtedly true But for the seconde That Christian people doo so now Goddes name be blessed that hath brought it so to passe not by M. Hardinge or his Catholike Doctours but by suche as they haue withstanded for the same and called Heretiques Touchinge the Publique Seruice pronounced by the Priest wherevnto the people saide Amen some saithe M. Hardinge vnderstoode the language thereof and some vnderstoode it not Here vnawares he implieth a repugnance in reason a manifest contradiction For if some of the people vnderstoode it not how coulde al the people say Amen S. Paules woordes be plaine How shal the vnlâ—arned say Amen to thy thankes geuinge For he knoweth not what thou saiest This tenneth directly against M. Harding Al the people gaue their assent and saide Amen to the Common Praiers in the Churche Ergo al the people vnderstoode the Common Praiers The allegation of the Churche of Englande in the time of Augustine whereof M. Hardinge maketh him selfe so sure and saith with suche affiance It shal be proouâ—d when it shal hereafter come to prouâ—e in déede shal prooue nothinge As concerninge the distinction of Priuate and Common Praiers betwéene whiche M. Hardinge woulde also haue a difference of speache vndoubtedly the tongue that is godly and profitable and wil sturre the minde in Priuate deuotion is also godly and profitable and likewise hable to sturrey â— minde in the open Churche And I maruel what reason can leade any man to thinke the contrary M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision But to speake first of antiquitie and of the compasse of your sixe hundred yeeres it is euident by sundrie auncient recordes bothe of Doctours and of Councels specially of the Councel Laodicene in Phrygia Pacatiana holden by the Bishoppes of the lesser Asia aboute the yeere of our Lorde 364. that the Greeke Churches had solemne seruice in due order and forme set foorthe with exacte distinction of Psalmes and Lessons of Howers Daies Feastes and times of the yeere of Silence and open pronouncinge of geuinge the Kysse of Peace to the Bishop first by the Priestes then by the Lay people of offeringe the Sacrifice of the onely Ministers comminge to the Altare to receiue the Communion with diuers other seemely obseruations As for the Latine Churches they had their Praiers and Seruice also but in suche fixed order longe after the Greekes For Damasus the Pope firste ordeined that Psalmes should be Songe in the Churche of Rome Alternatim enterchaungeably or by course so as now wee singe them in the Quier and that in the â—nde of euery Psalme shoulde be saide Gloria patri filio spiritui sancto sicut erat â–ª c. Which he caused to be doone by Councel of S. Hierome that the faith of the 318. Bishops of the Nicene Councel might with like felowship be declared in the mouthes of the Latines To whome Damasus wrote by Bonifacius the Priest to Hierusalem that Hierome woulde sende vnto him Psallentiam Graecorum The manner of the singinge of the Greekes so as he had learned the same of Alexander the Bishop in the East In that Epistle complayninge of the simplicitie of the Romaine Churche he saithe that there was in the Sunday but one Epistle of the Apostle and one Chapter of the Gospel rehearsed and that there was no Singinge with the voice hearde nor the comelinesse of Hymnes knowen amonge them Aboute the same time S. Ambrose also tooke order for the Seruice of his Churche of Millane and made Holy Hymnes him selfe In whose time as S. Augustine writeth when Iustina the younge Emperour Valentâ—â—ians mother for cause of hir Heresie wherewith she was seduced by the Arrians persecuted the Catholike faithe and the people thereof occupied them selues in deuoute watches more then before time ready to die with their Bishop in that quarel it was ordeined that Hymnes and Psalmes should be songe in the Churche of Millane after the manner of the Eastparties that the good folke thereby might haue some comforte and spiritual reliefe in that lamentable state and continual sorowes Thereof the Churches of the West foorth with tooke example and in euery Countrie they followed the same In his seconde Booke of Retractations he sheweth that in his time suche manner of singinge beganne to be receiued in Aphrica Before this time had Hiâ—â—rius also the Bishop of Poyters in Fraunce made Hymnes for that purpose of whiche S. Hierome maketh mention The B. of Sarisburie Wée may wel suffer M. Hardinge to wander at large in maters that relieue him nothinge If it were lawful for others so to doo it were no greate Maisterie to write Bookes Many maters be here heapte togeather touchinge order of Seruice distinction of Psalmes Lessons Houres Daies Feastes the geuinge of Peace the forme of Communion Singinge in the Churche when it beganne in Grecia when in Rome when in Millane when in Aphrica when in FrauÌ„ce and when in other places These be none of the maters that lie in Question And therefore as they nothinge further M. Hardinge to this purpose so in other respectes they hinder him sundrie waies For in the same Councel of Laodicea it is decréed like as also in the Councel of Carthà ge That nothing be redde in the Church vnto the people sauinge onely the Canonical Scriptures Therefore the Lessons there mentioned were not taken out of the Festiual or Legenda aurea as hath béene vsed in the Churche of Rome but out of the Chapters of the Holy Bible as it is now vsed in the Churche of Englande The Peace geuen to the Bishop was not a litle Table of Siluer or somewhat els as hath beene vsed in the Churche of Rome but a very Cosse in déede in token of perfit peace and vnitie in Faithe and Religion So Iustinus Martyr saith speakinge of the time of the Holy Ministration Wee salute eche one an other with a Cosse So likewise Chrysostome and others Where he saithe that the Churche of Rome beinge as then plaine and simple learned the Psalmodie and other Ecclesiastical Musique and the singing of Gloria patri at the ende of euery Psalme of S. Hierome and the Bishoppes of the East he dooth vs wel to vnderstande that then Rome is not the Mother of al these thinges neither is so to be taken But where he further saithe Damasus ordeined that the Psalmes should be Songe Interchangeably and in sides and euen so as they be now Songe in the Quiere meaninge as it séemeth that onely the Priestes and Clerkes Songue and the people sate stil it is an open and a
If thou blisse with thy sprite howe shal the ignorant saie Amen vnto thy thankes geuinge For he knoweth not what thou saiest In the Chruche I had leuer to speake fiue woordes with my minde so that I may instructe others then tenne thousande woordes vvith my tongue Let al thinges be donne to the profite of the people These woordes be euident the exposition of Lyra of the Councel of Acon of Chrysostome and Iustinian is plaine And yet muste we vpon M. Hardinges warrant néedes beleue that al this maketh nothinge for the Englishe Seruice to be had in the Churche of Englande M. Hardinge The .26 Diuision And for as muche as al the people cannot heare the priestes prayers at the Aultare whiche hath from the Apostles time hitherto euer beene a place to celebrate the holy oblation at tourninge him selfe for the moste parte to the Easte accordinge to the Apostolike tradition in what tongue so euer they be vttred for distance of the place they remaine in it is no inconuenience suche admitted into the quiere as haue better vnderstandinge of that is saide or songe that the reste remaine in seemely wise in the neither parte of the Church and there make their humble praiers to God by them selues in silence in that language they beste vnderstande conforminge them selues to the Priestes blessinge and thankes geuinge through faithe and obedience with their bretherne in the quiere and geuinge assent to the same vnderstandinge some good parte of that is doone as declared by often preachinge and by holy outwarde Ceremonies perceiuable to the senses of the simplest The B. of Sarisburie There haue beene Aultares saith M. Hardinge euen from the Apostles time and that euen as it is vsed now farre of from the Body of the Church Neither coulde the people beneathe heare the Priest standinge aboue at the Aultar or vnderstande what he meante but onely were instructed by holy reuerende Ceremonies and gaue consent vnto al that was saide by the Priest and yet knew not what he saide This man coulde neuer vtter so many vntruthes togeather without some special Priuilege For first where he saith The Apostles in their time erected Aultares It is wel knowen that there was no Christian Churche yet builte in the Apostles time For the Faithful for feare of the Tyrannes were faine to méete togeather in Priuate Houses in Uacant places in Woodes and Forestes and in Caues vnder the grounde And may we thinke that Aultars were builte before the Church Uerily Origen that liued twoo hundred yeres after Christe hath these woordes against Celsus Obijcit nobis quòd non habeamus Imagines aut Aras aut Templa Celsus chargeth our Religion with this that wee haue neither Images nor Aultars nor Churches Likewise saithe Arnobius that liued somwhat after Origen writinge against the Heathens Accusatis nos quòd nec templa habeamus nec imagines nec aras ye accuse vs for that wee haue neither Churches nor Images nor Aultars And Uolaterranus and Uernerius testifie that Sixtus Bishop of Rome was the first that caused Aultars to be erected Therefore M. Hardinge was not wel aduised so confidently to say That Aultars haue euer beene euen sithence the Apostles time Neither afterwarde when Aultars were first vsed and so named were they streight way builte of stoane as Durandus and such others say they must néedes be and that Quia petra erat Christus Because Christe was the stoane For Gerson saith that Syluester Bishop of Rome firste caused stoane Aultars to be made and willed that no man should Consecrate at a woodden Aultar but him selfe onely and his Successours there And notwithstanding bothe for continuance and staidinesse suche Aultars were vsed in some places as it appeareth by Gregorius Nyssenus S. Basiles brother yet it is plaine by S. Augustine that in his time in Aphrica they were made of Tymber For he saith That the Donatistes in their rage wounded the Priest and brake a sundre the Aultare bourdes And againe he saith That the Deacons dewtie was to carry or remoue the Aultar Whiche thinge cannot be expounded of a heape of stoanes but onely of the Communion Table And therefore S. Chrysostome commonly calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy bourde And S. Augustine Mensa Domini The Lordes Table As other Fathers also do in infinite places And notwithstanding it were A Table yet was it also called An Aultar Not for that it was so in déede but onely by allusion vnto the Aultars of the olde law And so Ireneus calleth Christe our Aultar And Origen calleth Our harte our Aultar Not that either Christe or our hartes be Aultars in deede but onely by a Metaphore or a manner of speache Suche were the Aultars that were vsed by the olde Fathers immediatly after the Apostles time Nowe whether it may séeme likely that the same Aultars stoode so farre of from the hearinge of the people as M. Hardinge so constantly affirmeth I referre mée selfe to these authorities that here folow Eusebius thus describeth the forme and furniture of the Churche in his time Absoluto templo ac sedibus excelsissimis ad honorem praesidentium subsellijs ordine collocatis ornato post omnia Sancto Sanctorum videlicet Altari in medio constituto c. The Churche beinge ended and comely furnished with high Thrones for the honour of the rulers and with stalles beneathe set in order and last of al the Holy of Holies I meane The Aultar beinge placed in the middest Eusebius saith not the Aultar was set at the ende of the Qâ—ter But in the middest of the Churche amonge the people S. Augustine likewise saith thus Christus quotidiè pascit Mensa ipsius est illa in medio constituta Quid causae est ô audientes vt mensam videatis ad epulas non accedatis Christe feedeth vs daily and this is his table here set in the middest O my hearers what is the mater that ye see the table and yet come not to the meate In the Councel of Constantinople it is written thus Tempore DiptychoruÌ„ cucurrit omnis multitudo cum magno sileÌ„tio circumcirca Altare audiebant When the Lesson or the Chapter was a readinge the people with silence drew togeather rounde aboute the Aultar and gaue eare And to leaue others Durandus examining the cause why the Priest turneth him selfe aboute at the Aultar yeldeth this reason for the same In medio Ecclesiae aperui os meum In the middest of the Churche I opened my mouthe And Platyna noteth that Bonifacius Bishop of Rome was the first that in the time of the Ministration diuided the Priest from the people To leaue farther allegations wée sée by these few that the Quier was then in the Bodie of the Churche diuided with Rayles from the rest whereof it was called Cancelli a Chauncel and commonly of the Greekes Presbyterium for
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
M. Hardinge meaneth it is a vile subiection and seruitude it is no vnitie S. Hierome saithe Nomine vnitatis Fidei infidelitas scripâ—a est Nam illo tempore nihil tam pium nihil tam conueniens seruo Dei videbatur quà m vnitatem sequi à totius mundi communione non scindi Infidelitie hath beene written vnder the name of Faithe and Vnitie For at that time nothinge seemed either so godly or so meete for the Seruant of God as to folow vnitie and not to be diuided from the Communion of the whole worlde They séemed saithe S. Hierome to folowe vnitie and yet notwithstandinge they honge in infidelitie So likewise saithe the wise man In tanto viuentes ignorantiae bello â—ot tanta mala pacem appellabant Where as they liued in suche a warre of ignorance so many and so greate mischiefes they called Vnitie M. Hardinge The .20 Diuision But here perhappes some wil say it can not appeare by the euente of thinges and practise of the Churche that the Pope had this supreme power and Auctoritie ouer al Bishoppes and ouer al Christes flocke in matters touchinge Faithe and in causes Ecclesiastical Verily whosoeuer peruseth the Ecclesiastical stories and vie weth the state of the Church of al times and ages can not but confesse this to be most euident And here I might allege first certaine places of the New Testament declaring that Peter practised this preeminence amonge the Disciples at the beginninge and that they yelded the same as of right apperteininge vnto him As when he first and onely moued them to choose one in the steede of Iudas and demeaned him selfe as the chiefe auctour of al that was donne therein when he made answeare for al at what time they were gased and wondered at and of some moâ—kte as being dronken with new wine for that in the .50 day thei spake with tonges of so many Nations when hevsed that dreadful seueritie in punishing the falsehead and hypocrisie of Ananias and Saphira his wife when variance being risen about the obseruation of certaine pointes of Moyses lawe he as chiefe and head of the rest saide his minde before al others Amonge many other places lefte out for breuitie that is not of least weight that Paule beinge returned to Damasco out of Arabia after three yeeres wente to Ierusalem to see Peter and abode with him fiftene dayes 105. But because our aduersaries doo wreathe and wreaste the Scriptures be they neuer so plaine by their Priuate and strange constructions to an vnderstandinge quite contrary to the sense of the Catholike Churche I wil referre the reader for further proufe of this matter to the stories bearinge faithful witnesse of the whole state and condition of the Churche in al ages In whiche stories the practise of the Churche is plainely reported to haue ben suche as thereby the primacie of Peters Successour may seeme to al menne sufficiently declared For perusinge the Ecclesiastical stories with writinges of the Fathers beside many other thinges perteininge hereto we finde these practises for declaration of this special auctoritie and power Firste that Bishops 106 of euery Nation haue made their appeale in their weightie affaires to the Pope and alwaies haue sued to the see Apostolike as wel for succour and healpe against violence iniuries and oppressions as for redresse of other disorders Also that the malice of wicked persons hath beene repressed and chastised of that auctoritie by Excommunication Eiection and Expulsion out of their dignities and roomes and by other censures of the Churche Furthermore that the ordinances and elections of Bishoppes of al Prouinces haue beene confirmed by the Pope Beside this that the approuinge and disallowinge of Councelles haue perteined to him Item that Bishoppes wrongefully condemned and depriued by Councelles by him haue beene assotled and restored to their Churches againe Lastly that Bishoppes and Patriarkes after longe strifes and contentions haue at lengthe vpon better aduise beene reconciled vnto him againe The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge assaieth to prooue the Possession and Occupation of this Uniuersal Authoritie by the Practise bothe of S. Peter him selfe and also of other Bishoppes in Rome that folowed after him And touchinge S. Peter he thinketh it sufficient to saie thus Peter beinge amonge the rest shewed his aduise firste before al others and at the sounde of his woordes Ananias and Saphira fel downe deade Ergo Peter was the Heade and had an Vniuersal power ouer the whole Churche Here be very weake proufes to mainteine so greate a Title I thinke M. Hardinge him selfe doothe not beleue that who so euer firste vttreth his minde in any Councel or woorketh any strange miracle by the power of God is therefore the Heade of al the worlde For oftentimes in greate Councelles the yongest or lowest beginneth firste and the eldest and Heade of al speaketh laste Certainely in this assemblie of the Apostles after that S. Peter had opened his minde al the reast had donne last of al not S. Peter but S. Iames pronounced the Sentence whiche thinge belonged onely to the Heade and President of that Councel He must be very simple that wil be leadde with suche simple gheasses But who so euer wel and throughly considereth S. Peters whole dealinge at al times emonge his Brethren shal soone see that neither he bare him selfe nor the reast receiued or vsed him as the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche He calleth the reast of the Disciples his Brethren he calleth himselfe Compresbyterum Felowe elder He commaundeth not nor chargeth any man but heareth and intreateth others as his equalles and felowes Beinge sente into Samaria by his brethren he repined not as beinge their Heade gouernour but went his way as their Messenger And beinge reproued for goeinge to Cornelius and dealingâ— with Heathens he excused him selfe and came to his answeare The reast of the Apostles no doubte honoured S. Peter as the special member of Christes Bodie with al reuerence But it appeareth not that any of them euer tooke him or vsed him as their Heade or yelded him this Infinite or Uniuersal power S. Paule compareth him selfe with him in Apostleship and saithe Mihi concreditum est Euangelium Praeputij sicut Petro Circuncisionis â–ª To mee is committed the Gospel amonge the Heathens euen as vnto Peter emonge the Iewes And Iames Peter and Iohn which seemed to be the pillers gaue vnto me and Barnabas the right handes of felowship And afterwarde he saithe I withstoode Peter euen vnto the face for that he was woorthy to be rebuked And againe vnto the Corinthians Arbitror me nihil inferiorem esse eximijs Apostolis I take me selfe to be nothinge inferiour vnto the chiefe Apostles Hereby it plainely appeareth that Paule estéemed and tooke Peter as his Felowe and not as his Heade Where as it liketh M. Hardinge to say that we wreathe and wreast the
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
men and wemen to take some portion of the Sacrament home with them and to receiue it alone secretely and at their pleasures to make further doubte whether the partie so hauinge it might touche it and receiue it with his owne handes was a very nice question and méete for a Gentlewoman as Caesaria was to demaunde And so it séemed also to S. Basil as may appeare by his answeare For who so euer hath considered the olde Fathers shal finde this mater fully debated by the continual practise of the Churche S. Cyprian sheweth that in his time the people receiued the holy Mysteries of the Deacons with their handes and that one that had committed Idolatrie and afterwarde came to receiue the Communion amongst the faithful opened his hande and founde the Sacrament turned into Ashes The like manner of receiuinge is recorded also by Tertullian Dionysius Byshoppe of Alexandria hath these woordes in an Epistle vnto Sistus the Bishoppe of Rome touchinge the same speakinge of one that had receiued the Communion in the Churche After he had hearde the thankes geuinge and had sounded Amen with the reast and had been at the Table and had reached foorthe his hande to receiue the holy Foode c. Clemens of Alexandria thus vttereth the manner of the Churche there When certaine haue diuided the Sacrament as the order is they suffer euery of the people to take parte of it Nouatus the Heretike when he ministred the Communion to the people vsed to sweare them by that they had in their handes that is to say by the Sacrament that they woulde no more returne to Cornelius S. Augustine writinge against certayne letters of Petilian saithe thus I speake of him whose Cosse of peace ye receiued at the Ministration and in whose handes ye layde the Sacrament I leaue the storie betwéen S. Ambrose and the Emperour Theodosius and other sundry like authorities to the same purpose Yet bicause many haue béen superstitiously ledde and simply seduced herein by the doctrine of them that say O taste not this O touche not this whiche are nothinge els as S. Paule saithe but commaundementes and doctrines of menne hauinge a shew of wisdome in superstition and abasing of the minde I thinke it not amisse to note one special place out of the Councel of Constantinople concerninge the same The woordes of the Councel be these Wee doo in no wise admitte them that in steede of their hande make to them selues instrumentes of golde or of any other mater for the receiuinge of the holy Communion as men more regardinge a dead metal then the Image of God And if any Prieste receiue suche persons with suche instrumentes vnto the Communion sit him be Excommunicate and him likewise that bringeth them But if this gentlewomans doubte were not whether a lay man might safely touche the Sacrament but onely whether it were lawful for any suche one to minister the same vnto his owne mouthe S. Basil saithe it is no question custome already hath made it good For saithe he bothe the Eremites in the wildernesse and euery of the people in Egypte and Alexandria for the more parte haue the Sacrament at home and eche of them doothe minister it vnto him selfe Yea euen in the Churche after that the Priest hath distributed a portion of the Sacrament he that hath receiued it putteth it to his mouthe with his owne hande without any remorse or doubt of conscience and whether he receiue one portion of the Priest or moe the effecte and strength thereof is al one This is the very meaning of S. Basil al be it for plainnesse sake reseruing the sense I haue somwhat altered the woordes But muche I maruel how M. Hardinge can geather hereof his Priuate Masse Touchinge his fiue special notes if wée graunte them throughly euery one yet is he nothing the neare his purpose For his Masse is none of them The Eremites Sole receiuynge as it nothinge hindreth vs that denie not the facte so it nothing furthereth him vnlesse he will haue lay men and wemen to doo so stil. The reason that S. Basil maketh of custome and continuance being wel considered is very weake both for many other good and iust causes and also for that the same custome as it was neuer vniuersally receiued so vpon better aduise by order of the Churche it was cleane abolished For wyse men in Goddes causes haue euermore mistrusted the authoritie of Custome The Heretikes in olde time named Aquarij that in the Holy Ministration vsed water onely no Wyne notwithstanding they manifestly brake Christes Iustitution as our Aduersaries doo now yet they vphelde their doinges therein by longe Custome But S. Cyprian being then aliue wrote thus against them Victi ratione opponunt consuetudinem quasi consuetudo fit maior veritate c. Beynge ouercome with reason they defende them selfe by Custome as though Custome were better then the Truthe Wee may not prescribe of Custome but wee muste ouercome with reason Custome without trueth is the mother of erroure But be it that bothe the Reason were good and the Custome that longe sithence hath béen abolished had remained still Yet is not M. Hardinge hable out of this place precisely and vndoubtedly to proue his Priuate Masse For if a man shoulde say it may possibly be that these Eremites did not Minister seuerally eche man to him selfe alone but one of them vnto the reast of the Eremites dwellynge in the wildernesse as it appeareth diuersely they had times to méete and to pray togeather Or that the householders in Egypte and Alexandria Ministred not onely to them selues but also to their whole seueral families as it is written of Hippolytus Martyr that beinge a lay man he receiued the Communion of Iustinus beynge a Prieste and bare it home and Ministred the same to his Wife his Children and his Seruauntes If a man woulde thus say perhappes M. Hardinge woulde better bethinke him selfe of his Conclusions This sense may seeme to stande very wel with S. Basiles woordes notwithstandinge M. Hardinge in his Translation into Englishe hath openly falsified the same For whereas it is written in the Greeke and so likewise in the Latine They receiue of them selues Whiche may wel be vnderstanded that one of them receiued of an other for wante of a Prieste he hath otherwise wreasted it to come to his tune and hath turned it thus They doo Communicate with themselues alone Wherein al be it I wil not greately striue yet neither this woorde Alone nor these woordes with them selues can be founde either in the Gréeke or in the Latine This longe allegation of S. Basiles woordes with all the furniture thereof may shortely be geathered into this reason These Eremites beynge no Priestes receiued alone Ergo These Eremites beinge no Priestes saide Priuate Masse Further M. Hardinge saithe This Sole Receiuing was allowed by custome Ergo Priuate Masse likewise is
lawful by custome This reason goeth rounde against him selfe For it may be wel replied This Sole Receiuinge was an abuse and therefore was abolished by the Churche notwithstandinge custome Ergo Priuate Masse likewise is an abuse and ought to be abolished notwithstanding custome Now let vs see whether these very selfe woordes of S. Basil here alleged by M. Hardinge make any thinge for the Holy Communion And what authoritie can be against vs if M. Hardinges owne authorities yea as him selfe vaunteth The moste manifest and plainest of al his authorities be founde with vs For trial hereof wée muste resorte not into the wildernesse where as was neither Prieste nor Deacon as it is confessed but vnto the Churches that were in S. Basiles time So shal wée soone sée whether the Ministration then vsed were a Communion or a Priuate Masse S. Basil in the same place saithe thus Wee doo Communicate foure times in the weeke vpon the Sunday Wensday Friday and Saturday If wée may founde any thinge vpon woordes he saithe Wee Communicate he saith not we say Masse And thus saithe S. Basil wee doo foure times in the weeke Then had they not the Daily Sacrifice wherevpon Priuate Masse is grounded He muche missereckeneth him selfe that saithe that thinge is daily doone whiche is doone but foure times in seuen daies Moreouer S. Basil saith After the Priest hath once Consecrate and diuided the Sacrifice wee must thinke that we ought to receiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to be partakers of it accordingly For in the Church the Priest geueth porte and the Communicant receiueth it with al freedome of conscience and with his owne hande putteth it to his mouthe Therfore is the vertue al one whether it be one portion onely that he receiueth of the Priest or moe togeather Here marke wel good Reader how many waies S. Basil ouerthroweth M. Hardinges Masse S. Basil saith Wee doo Communicate M. Hardinge in his Masse dooth not Communicate S. Basil Diuideth and Distributeth M. Hardinge diuideth in déede but distributeth nothinge In S. Basils Masse The people receiueth In M. Hardinges Masse the people receiueth not In S. Basils Masse Eche man receiueth with his owne hande In M. Hardinges Masse no man Receiueth no not with the Priestes hande In S. Basils Masse the people besides that they receiued presently there Had portions also deliuered them to receiue at home In M. Hardinges Masse there is no portion deliuered vnto the people no not so muche as presently to be receiued in the Churche In S. Basils Masse Eche man receiueth and eateth for him selfe In M. Hardinges Masse the whole people eateth by the mouthe of the Priest O what meaneth M. Hardinge to bringe suche witnesses for his Masse as doo so openly witnesse against his Masse Who may truste him in the darke that thus dealeth in the light M. Hardinge The .19 Diuision It appeareth euidently by witnesse of S. Hierome also that this custome of receiuinge the Communion Priuately at home continued amonge Christian men at Rome not onely in time of persecution but also afterwarde when the Churche was at reast and peace so as the case of necessitie can not here serue them for mainteining of their straunge negatiue in this pointe These be his woordes Scio Romae hanc esse consuetudinem vt fideles semper Christi Corpus accipiant quod nec reprehendo nec probo Vnusquisque enim in suo sensu abundat Sed ipsorum conscientiam conuenio qui eodem die post coitum communicant iuxta Persium noctem flumine purgant Quare ad Martyres ire non audent quare non ingrediuntur Ecclesias An alius in publico alius in domo Christus est Quod in ecclesia non licet nec domi licet Nihil deo clausum est tenebrae quoque lucent apud Deum Probet se vnusquisque sic ad Corpus Christi accedat I knowe this custome is at Rome that Christian folke receiue the bodie of Christe daylie whiche I doo neither reproue nor allowe For euery man hath enough in his owne sense But I appose their conscience which doo Communicate that same day as they haue donne wedlocke woorke and as Persius saithe doo rince nightefilthe with runninge water VVhy dare not they goe to Martyrs shrynes why goe not they into the Churches what is there one Christe abroade and an other Christe within the house what so euer is not lawful in the Churche neither at home is it lawful To God nothinge is hidden ye darkenesse also shineth before God Let euery one examine himselfe and so come to the Bodie of Christe S. Hierome reproueth this in the Romaines that where as S. Paule ordeined that for cause of Praier maried folke shoulde at times forbeare their carnal imbracinges they not withstandinge that though they had dooynge with their wiues yet receiued their rightes neuerthelesse daylie And yet what day they had so donne they durst not goe to Churches where Martyrs toumbes were there to receiue our Lordes Bodie For it is to be vnderstanded for better knowlege hereof that suche as knewe them selues to haue done any vncleannesse were afraide in the olde time to come to Martyrs Sepulchers For there commonly by miracle suche thinges were be wraied and many times by open confession of the parties whether they woulde or no. Erasmus in his scholies vpon this place of S. Hierome saithe thus Of this place we gather that in the olde time euery one was wonte to receiue the body of Christe at home in his house that woulde He saithe further Idem videtur innuere Paulus cum ait an domos non habetis ad manducandum S. Paule saithe he seemeth to meane the same thing where he saithe haue ye not houses to eate in Thus Erasmus gathereth proofe of Priuate or as M. Iuel gesteth single Communion out of the Scriptures and he was as wel learned in them as M. Iuel is Yet herein I leaue Erasmus to his owne defence By this we may vnderstande that in the auncient times of the Churche the receiuing of the Communion of one by him selfe alone was wel allowed And though it was done but by one faithfull personne at once in one place yet was it called a Communion bothe of S. Basile and also of S. Hierome cleane contrary to M. Iuelles sense It is to be iudged that they knâ—we the institution of Christe so wel as he or any other of these newe Masters and that their conscience was suche as if Christes ordenance therein had bene broken they woulde not haue winked at it ne with their vngodly silence confirmed suche an vngodly custome Verely for excuse of this sole receiuinge necessitie cannot iustly be alleged The B. of Sarisburie How often wil M. Hardinge allege the olde Doctours against him selfe Here he bringeth in S. Hierome and the firste woordes that he coulde finde for his purpose were these I knowe the custome at Rome is this
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.
retinuit Ecclesia temerè condeÌ„nandi aut inuicem iudicaÌ„di That the controuersie for the one or both kindes may be taken away it shal be very wel done that holie Churche made it free to receiue this Sacrament in one or both kindes yet vnder suche condition as hereby no occasion be geuen to any bodie rashely to condemne the vse whiche the Churche hath so longe time keapte nor to iudge one an other Soothly he whiche would haue it free and at libertie to receiue the Sacrament vnder one or bothe kindes and holdeth opinion that the olde custome of the one kinde onely is not to be condemned seemeth plainely yenough to confesse that nothinge hath beene instituted or commaunded of Christ toutchinge this mater as necessarie to saluation Thus we may see plainely that they whiche haue diuided them selues from the Mystical bodie of Christe that is his Churche who were of greatest learninge and iudgement make it a mater indifferent as it is in deede of it selfe lefte to the libertie of the Churche whether the Sacrament be ministred vnder one kinde or bothe And thus much hath ben confessed against M. Iuel and his secte not onely by the learned aduersaries of the Churche in our time but also by a learned maÌ„ of Bohemia aboue sixe score yeeres past His name is Iohn Przyxsam of whose writinges some are set foorth in printe This learned man where as he endeuoured to proue the vse of bothe kindes of the woordes of Christe writen by S. Iohn Excepte ye eate the fleashe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shal not haue life in you at length vttereth these woordes accordinge to the eloquence of his time Veruntamen hic Deum timens mores impios aliorum praecauens fateor quòd quaslibet personas de Ecclesia Communioni fidelium sub utraque specie repugnantes damnare aut haerericare non intendo But here hauinge the feare of God before mine eyes and beinge wel ware I followe not the wicked conditions of others I graunte that what personnes so euer of the Churche repine against the Communion of the faithful people vnder bothe kindes I intende not to condemne them nor to holde them for Heretiques But if it be the commaundement of God that the Sacrament be receiued of al vnder bothe kindes why shoulde he be forbidden by the feare of God to condemne those that withstande that order of Communion Seeinge that who so euer gooeth against Gods coÌ„maundement is woorthie to be condeÌ„ned Therfore by his testimonie the vse of one or both kindes is indifferent Thus we are hable to allege Luther Melancthon Bucer and that learned Bohemian for the indifferencie of the Communion to be ministred either vnder one kinde or bothe Whereby I meane nor that the vse of the SacrameÌ„t is so lefte to euery mans libertie as he that listeth may require both kindes and an other may content him selfe with one kinde Not so euery man is bounde to follow the ordâ—r of the Churche but the Churche is not bounde of necessitie by â—oddes commaundement to minister it vnder both kindes to the Laitie The B. of Sarisburie To proue that the halfe Communion is a thing indifferent he bringeth foorth thauthoritie of Melancthon Bucer a certaine learned man of Bohemia some of them falsely alleged some without any allegation at al. Neither doth he bringe them to thintent to take them for his authours to folow them for they neither in their bookes nor in the order of their Churches euer consented to the breache of Christes Institution But herein he bewrayeth his wante of olde Doctours for hauinge thauthoritie of them he woulde neuer haue alleged any of these In Melancthon he misseliketh much the manner of his speache in that he calleth the Sacrament a Signe whiche woorde as he saithe is straunge and not the accustomed woorde of the Churche Sauinge that he seeketh occasions and quarels without cause as his woonte is otherwise he knoweth that a Sacrament hath beene called a Signe in al times and ages of the Churche Petrus Lumbardus thus defineth a Sacrament Sacramentum est Signum rei Sacrae A Sacrament is the Signe of a holy thinge And as it is thought the very substance and nature of a thinge cannot be better knowen thâ—n by the Definition S. Augustine saith Signa cùm ad res diuinas adhibentur sacramenta vocantur Signes when they be applied to godly thinges be called Sacramentes And againe writinge of the difference that is betwéene the Sacramentes of the Olde Lawe and of the Newe he saithe thus In Signis diuersis eadem fides The Signes beinge diuerse the faithe is one And writinge againste one Adimantus he saithe Non dubitauit Dominus dicere Hoc est corpus meum cùm daret Signum Corporis sui The Lorde doubted not to say this is my Bodie when he gaue the Signe of his Bodie Likewise saithe Chrysostome Si mortuus Iesus non est cuius symbolum ac Signum hoc Sacrificium est If Iesus died not whose token and whose Signe is this Sacrifice And lest any man shoulde be deceiued in the meaninge of this woorde Signe S. Augustine him selfe hath expounded it thus Signum est res praeter speciem quam ingerit sensibus aliud quiddam faciens ex se in cognitionem venire A Signe is a thinge that biâ—ides the sight it selfe whiche it offreth vnto the senses causeth of it selfe some other certaine thinge to come into knowlege Hereby it may appeare that this woorde Signe is not so strange as M. Hardinge would haue it séeme nor so vnaccustomed vnto the Churche Although it misselike him that we should doo as the olde Fathers did yet he might geue vs leaue to vse suche woordes and phrases as the olde Fathers vsed But he saithe Melancthon and Bucer accompted it as a thinge indifferent In deede these godly learned men when they saw that through the malice of their aduersaries they coulde not obteine that Christes Institution might vniuersally be receiued yet they desired at the least it might be leafte free without restrainte for euery Churche to doo therein as they shoulde thinke good and that without murmure or offence of others And thus farre foorthe their desire was it might be iudged free not that they thought Christe had not ordeined the Sacrament to be ministred vnto the people in bothe kindes or that in it selfe it is indifferent but that the faithful of God might indifferently and freely vse it without controlement and that it should not be iudged Heresie to doo as Christe had commaunded So the godly Fathers at the beginninge when they coulde not perswade the Princes of the worlde with their people to receiue the Gospel yet they thought they were gainers and gaue God thankes when they might haue place and libertie for them selues freely and with quiet conscience to meete togeather and to preache the Gospell This libertie M. Hardinge cannot like
libertie and is not of the substance of Baptisme Neither dooth it follow Wee may breake a Ceremonie Ergo wee may breake the substance of Christes Institution This reason rather maketh against M. Harding and his fellowes For if Ceremonies should be vsed freely and without rigour as S. Cyprian saith why then be they so precise in their Oyle their Balme their Lightes and other thinges of like value that be the abuse thereof neuer so greate yet they wil remitte nothinge And if they be so precise and so earnest in Ceremonies diuises of their owne how muche more ought wée to be earnest in maters touching the essential forme of the Institution of Christe M. Hardinge The .10 Diuision I trust no man wil geather of that I haue saide here that it is none offence to doo against Goddes commaundement My meaning is farre otherwise Neither say I that this sayeinge of Christe in Matthew Drinke ye al of this or that in Iohn Excepte ye eate the fleashe of the sonne of man and drinke his Bloud ye shal not haue life in you Or other commaundementes of Christ be not to be keapte but this is that I say and that euery Catholike man saithe that the vniuersal Churche dooth better vnderstande whiche are the commaundementes of Christe and how they ought to be keapte then Berengarius VViclefe Hus Luther Zuinglius Caluine Cranmere Peter Martyr or any their scholars and followers which now be sundrie sectes As for example God hath thus commaunded Thou shalt not sweare and Thou shalt not kil and if thine eye cause thee to offende pul him out and cast him away from thee Whereas certaine sectes of Heretiques as namely they whiche be called VValdenses and Picardi by their construction hereof haue mainteined opinion that no othe ought to be geuen or made in no case or respecte likewise that in no case or respecte a man may doo an other to death and also that after the outwarde letter of the Gospel sometime a man is bounde to pul out his eye and cast it from him whiche thinge hath been doone by some of the Picardes as it is reported as though els Gods commaundement were not keapte this hath so beene vnderstanded by the Catholyke Churche confessing neuerthelesse these to be Gods commaundementes as in time in place and in certaine cases a man might and ought without breache of Commaundement bothe sweare and kil and likewise keape his eye in his head ▪ and therein offende God nothinge at al. So the Catholike Churche vnderstandeth Drinke ye al of this to be Christes Commaundement and of necessitie to be obserued but of Priestes onely I meane of necessitie and that when in the Sacrifice of the Churche is celebrated the memory of Christes deathe whiche in that degree be the successours of the Apostles to whom that commaundement was specially geuen when they were consecrated priestes of the Newe Testament who so did drinke in deede as S. Marke witnesseth Et biberunt ex eo omnes and they dranke al of it To these onely and to none other the 55 Catholike Church hathe euer referred the necessitie of that commaundement Els if the necessitie of it shoulde perteine to al and because Christe sayde Drinke ye al of this if al of euery state and condition ought to drinke of this Cuppe of necessitie howe is it come to passe that our aduersaries them selues who pretende so streighte a conscience herein keepe from it infantes and yonge children vntil they come to good yeeres of discretion specially where as the Custome of the Primitiue Churche was that they also shoulde be partakers of this Sacrament as it may plainely be seene in S. Dionyse Cyprian Augustine Innocentius Zosimus and other auncient Fathers what better reason haue they to keepe the infantes from the Cuppe then the Anabaptistes haue to keepe them from their Baptisme If they allege their impotencie of remembringe the Lordes deathe the Anabaptistes wil likewise allege their impotencie of receiuinge and vnderstandinge doctrine that Christes Institution in this behalfe seemeth to require Thus the aduersaries of the Churche them selues doo agnise that the vse of the Cuppe in the Sacrament perteineth not to al of necessitie So haue they neither godly charitie to ioyne with the Churche neither sufficient reason to impugne the Churche The B. of Sarisburie The best defence to colour disobedience is to improue Goddes Commaundement Therefore saithe M. Hardinge The halfe Communion is no breache of Christes Institution For Christe neuer commaunded that the whole Communion shoulde be ministred vnto the people in bothe kindes And that saith he the Churche knoweth better then Luther or Cranmere or suche others What so euer ordinary lighte the Churche hath she hathe it not of hir selfe but of Goddes holy Woorde that is a lanterne vnto hir feete And it is no Christian modestie to make suche boastes of the gyftes of God Goddes holy Spirite bloweth where it thinketh good Daniel alone sawe the innocencie of Susanna the Iudges and Elders sawe it not Paphnutius alone was hearde againste al the rest of the Nicene Councel S. Hierome alone is receiued against al the whole Councel of Chalcedon And for as muche as M. Hardinge deliteth him selfe with odious comparisons without cause why might not a man likewise saye The Primitiue Church in the time of the Apostles and other Catholike Doctours and olde Councels that ministred the whole Sacrament vnto the people in Bothe kindes vnderstoode Christes Institution as wel as did afterwarde the Councel of Constance in whiche Councel holden fouretéene hundred yéeres after Christe and more it was determined that the Laitie shoulde contente them selues onely with the halfe Communion in One Kinde But therefore hath God geuen his holy Scriptures that the Churche shoulde be directed and neuer erre And S. Augustine saithe Dominus semper veraciter iudicat Ecclesiastici autem Iudices sicut homines plaerunque falluntur The Lorde alwaies iudgeth truely but the Ecclesiastical Iudges for that they be men are oftentimes deceiued The examples of killinge swearinge pullinge out of eyes eatinge of bloude and strangled thinges that are here brought in stande more for a countenance then for proufe of the mater Touchinge the firste God saithe vnto the priuate man Thou shalt not kil but vnto the Magistrate he saithe Thine eye shal not spare Thou shalt not suffer the wicked sorcerer to liue This case was neuer doubteful or if it were let M. Hardinge shewe in what Councel it was determined Touchinge Oathes it is forbidden that any shal sweare vnaduisedly or without iust cause so to abuse the name of God But otherwise to sweare before a Iudge in the way of Iudgement Iustice and Trueth God him selfe hath commaunded The pullinge out of the eye is an allegorie wherein by a figure or manner of speache one thinge is conceiued of an other and Christes meaninge is that who so wil followe him
Communion as he him selfe seeth may be easely answeared and William Wideford a Doctour of his owne learning saith is foolishely and falsely brought in to serue this turne Yet he woulde not passe it ouer without some brauerie But now wil he bringe in suche authorities so cleare so forcible and so inuincible as can not possibly be auoyded How be it God be thanked these authorities be neither so weighty nor so strange I knew them al and had weighed them wel before I spake any thinge in that behalfe Here he doubleth a greate many thinges before by him alleged for his Priuate Masse in déede seruinge as wel to the one purpose as to the other M. Hardinge The .17 Diuision Melciades that Constant Martyr of Christe and Bishop of Rome ordeined that sundrie hostes prepared by the consecratinge of a Bishop shoulde be sent abroade amonge the Churches and Parishes that Christian folke who remained in the Catholike faithe might not through heretiques be defrauded of the holy Sacrament Whiche can none otherwise be taken then for the forme of Breade onely bicause the wine cannot so conueniently be caried abroade from place to place in smal quantitie for suche vse muche lesse any longe time be kepte without corruption The B. of Sarisburie This argument hangeth onely vpon lacke of carriage For if it were possible to diuise a way that the Sacrament might be caried aboute in bothe kindes then were this gheasse soone answeared For otherwise Melciades speaketh not one woorde of the Communion in One Kinde Now that the carriage of bothe kindes is not impossible the examples of antiquitie doo wel declare S. Hierome writeth thus of Exuperius the Bishop of Tholouse in Fraunce Nihil illo diâ—ius qui Corpus Domini in canistro vimineo sanguinem portabat in vitro There was no man richer thâ—n he that carried the Lordes Body in a wickeâ— Basket and his Bloud in a Glasse Likewise Iustinus Martyr declaring the order of the Churche in his time saithe thus Illis quae cum gratiarum actione consecrata sunt vnusquisque participat Eadem ad eos qui absunt Diaconis dantur perferenda Of the thinges that be consecrate that is the Breade Water and Wine euery man taketh parte The same thinges are deliuered to the Deacons to be carried vnto them that be away Here haue we founde not onely a possibilitie but also a common vsage practise of carrieyng the Sacrament in Bothe Kindes This is the first inuincible argument that al the worlde cannot answeare M. Hardinge The .18 Diuision The Councel of Nice decreed that in Churches where neither Bishop nor Priest were present the Deacons them selues bringe foorthe and eate the holy Communion VVhiche likewise can not be referred to the forme of wine for cause of sowringe and corruption if it be longe keapte The B. of Sarisburie This later clause Ipsi proferant edant Let them bringe it foorth them selues and eate neither is in the Gréeke nor in the Decrées nor in the former edition of the Councels Certaine woordes somewhat like are founde in Rufinus in this sorte Praesentibus Praesbyteris Diacoâ—â— ne diuidant Eucharistiam sed illis agentibus Solùm ministrent Si verò praesbiter nullus sit in praesenti tunc demum etiam ipsis liceat diuidere In the presence of the Priestes let not the Deacons diuide or minister the Sacrament but onely serue the Priestes in their office But if there be no Priest present then let it be lawful for the Deacons to minister Here is very smal healpe for M. Hardinges purpose onlesse perhappes he wil say that Proferre or diuidere Is to minister in One Kinde But if he thinke this a very fonde Translation as it is in déede then this authoritie might haue béene spared M. Hardinge vpon occasion of these woordes would haue men beléeue that the Deacon in the absence of the Priest wente to the Pyx and tooke out the Sacrament and receiued it But Rufinus speaketh not one woorde neither of takings foorthe of the Sacrament nor of the receiuing of the Deacon but of Diuidinge or Ministringe to the people And his meaning séemeth to be this that in the absence of the Priest the Deacon might Consecrate and so serue the people Whiche thinge notwithstanding it séeme in some parte contrary to an other Canon of the same Councel namely in the presence of a Priest yet that it was so vsed in the primitiue Churche it appeareth by most manifest and certaine prouâ—es S. Ambrose imagineth S. Laurence beinge a Deacon thus to say vnto Sixtus the Bishoppe when he saw him ledde to his Martyrdome Experire vtrum idoneum ministrum elegeris cui commiseris Dominici sanguinis Consecrationem O â—ather trie whether thou haue chosen a â—itte minister vnto whom thou hast committed the Consecration of the Lordes Bloud By these woordes wée sée that Deacons then vsed to Consecrate Therefore Eutropius was not wel aduised when he without cause corrupted and altered S. Ambroses woordes and for Dominici sanguinis Consecrationem redde Dominici sanguinis dispensationem For it followeth immediatly in S. Ambrose Et consummandorum consortium Sacramentorum That is The fellowship of perfiting the Sacraments And the Emperour Iustinian in his Authentiques De ecclesiasticis diuersis capitulis Let the Bishop appoint vnto the wemen that be vnder his gouernement suche Priest or Deacon as they shal choose to make answears vnto them or to minister vnto them the holy Oblation The same also may euidently be geathered by the seconde Canon of the Councel Ancyrane the woordes be Diaconi similiter qui immolauerunt honorem quidem habeant cessare verò debent ab omni Sacro ministerio â—iue a Pane â—iue a Calice offerendo vel praedicaÌ„do Let the Deacons that haue offered vnto Idoles keepe their estate stil. But they must geue ouer al holy Ministerie both of offring the Bread and Wine and also of preachinge This parte of the Deacons office was afterward in sundrie decrées abrogated First Bergomensis in the life of Honorius saith It was Decreed by Zosimus Bishop of Rome that the Deacon shoulde not minister in the presence of the Bishop or Priest And longe before that time order was taken in the Councel holden at Arle in Fraunce that Deacons should not minister the Sacrament at al. The woordes be De Diaconis quos cognouimus multis locis offerre placuit id minimé fieri debere Touchinge Deacons of whom we heare say that they make the oblation in many places we haue thought it good that they doo so no more M. Hardinge wil not denie but these be proufes sufficient that the Deacons in those daies vsed to minister the holy Communion Therefore the meaninge of the Councel of Nice is not that the Deacon should goe to the Pix and take the Sacrament reserued as M. Hardinge séemeth to geather vpon a false texte being neither in the Gréeke nor in the former
of the people Gelasius of the Priestes He complaineth that the reste of Gelasius is not to be founde as though it were suppreste by some of vs and yet it is thought the Pope hath it whole in his Librarie He diuiseth newe causes of vnitie of the Mysterie suche as Gelasius neuer knewe He concludeth at the laste that this breache of Christes Institution and Ministration vnder One Kinde that is nowe vniuersally vsed in the Churche of Rome was firste brought in and practised by the Manichees whiche were in olde time wicked and horrible Heretiques He saithe I haue guilefully alleged Gelasius and to the intent it mighte the sooner appeare he hath noted it specially in the Margin But if M. Hardinge himselfe had meante no guile he woulde haue shewed plainely wherein I haue béene guileful or what I might haue gotten by this guile or what aduantage I mighte haue loste by plainer dealinge For guile without cause is meere â—olie and no guile But I recited the woordes in Latine and had forgotten to Englishe them Nowe surely that is but a simple guile and might wel haue béene spared out of the Margin But my woordes be these Gelasius saithe that to Minister the Sacrament in one Kinde is open Sacrilege And what guile canne he finde herein This woorde Sacrilege and the refusinge of the Cuppe are bothe specially named by Gelasius There remaine onely these woordes To minister the Sacrament and there saithe M. Hardinge lieth the guile How be it therein as it shal wel appeare I say nothinge but that Gelasius saithe and M. Hardinge him selfe woulde haue him say For thus saithe Gelasius The diuision of the Mysterie whereby he meaneth the Sacrament is Sacrilege But the Priest that Ministreth in One Kinde diuideth the Mysterie Ergo the Priest that Ministreth in One Kinde committeth Sacrilege This argument is perfite and formal founded vpon Gelasius woordes I trowe this is no guileful dealinge The vnitie of the Mysterie that M. Hardinge hath here fantasied that either parte is in other and therefore harpeth so often as it were by reportes vpon these woordes Vnum idem is but his owne voluntarie He is not hable to allege either Gelasius or any other olde Father that euer expounded Vnum and Idem in that sorte He calleth it one Mysterie as Hugo Cardinalâ—s saith although otherwise a very grosse writer Propter vnitatem Institutionis For the vnitie of the Institution and for that the Breade and Wine beinge sundrie portions haue bothe relation vnto one Christe and for that cause by S. Hieromes iudgement S. Paule saithe vna fides vnum Baptisma one Faithe one Baptisme And for that also that beinge as I saide two sundrie portions yet they make not two sundrie Sacramentes but one onely Sacrament And therefore Durandus a late writer seemeth to say wel In multis locis communicatur cum Pane Vino id est cum toto Sacramento In many places they Communicate with Breade and Wine that is saith he with the whole Sacrament Of whiche woordes the Reader be he neuer so simple may easely geather that the Communion in One Kinde is but the Halfe Sacrament and so the diuision of one Mysterie and so further the selfe same thinge that Gelasius calleth Sacrilege M. Hardinge The .30 Diuision But for auoidinge that our aduersaries woulde hereof conclude it is to be vnderstanded that this Canon speaketh against the Heretiques named Manichaei who in the time of Leo the first abouâ—â— fourtie yeeres before Gelasius wente aboute to spreade their Heresie in Rome and in the partes of Italy Their Heretical opinion was that Christe tooke not our fleashe and Bloude but that he had a phantastical bodie and died not ne rose againe truely and in deede but by way of phantasie And therefore at the Communion they absteined from the Cuppe and the better to cloke their Heresie came to receiue the Sacrament in the forme of Breade with other Catholike people Against whome Leo saithe thus Abdicant enim se Sacramento salutis nostrae c. They driue them selues away from the Sacrament of our Saluation And as they denie that Christe our Lorde was borne in trueth of our fleashe so they beleue not that he died and rose againe truly And for this cause they condemne the day of our Saluation and gladnes that is the Sonneday to be their sadde fastinge day And where as to cloke their infidelitie they dare to be at our mysteries they temper them selues so in the Communion of the Sacramentes as in the meane time they may the more safely keepe them priuie VVith vnwoorthie mouthe they receiue Christes Bodie but to drinke the Bloude of our Redemption vtterly they wil none of it VVhiche thinge we woulde aduertise your holines of that bothe such men may be manifested by these tokens vnto you and also that they whose Diuilishe simulation and faininge is founde beinge brought to light and bewraied of the felowship of Saintes may be thrust out of the Churche by Priestly authoritie Thus farre be Leo his woordes Gelasius that succeded fourtie yeeres after Leo imployed no lesse diligence then he did vtterly to vanquishe and abolishe that horrible Heresie Of whome Platina writeth that he banished so many Manichees as were founde at Rome and there openly burned their bookes And bicause this heresie should none els where take roote and springe he wrote an Epistle to Maioricus and Ioannes two Bishoppes amongst other thinges warninge them of the same Out of whiche Epistle this fragment onely is taken whereby he dothe bothe briefely shew what the Manichees did for clokinge of their infidelitie as Leo saithe and also in as muche as their opinion was that Christes Bodie had not very Bloude as beinge phantastical onely and therefore superstitiously absteined from the Cuppe of that holy Bloude geueth charge and commaundement that either forsakinge their Heresie they receiue the whole Sacramentes to witte vnder Bothe Kindes or that they be keapte from them wholy Here the woordes of Leo afore mentioned and this Canon of Gelasius conferred together specially the storie of that time knowen it may soone appeare to any man of iudgement against whome this fragment of Gelasius was written Verely not against the Church for ministringe the Communion vnder one Kinde but against the detestable Manichees who goeinge aboute to diuide the Mysterie of the Bodie and Bloud of Christe denieynge him to haue taken very fleashe and Bloude so much as in them laye loosed Christ whereof S. Iohn speaketh and woulde haue made frustrate the whole woorke of our Redemption The B. of Sarisburie To auoide the inconuenience growinge of this authoritie M. Hardinge is driuen to auoide the companie of Pigghius Hosius Tapper D. Cole and al others his fellowes of that side and to say that Gelasius wrote this decrée againste the Manichées notwithstandinge al they say he wrote it againste certaine superstitious Priestes D. Cole referreth him selfe vnto
Nations biside with many other authorities to like purpose to auoutche the thinge that M. Harding so earnestly prooueth and no man denieth that the Nations of the East parte of the worlde had seueral tongues and spake not al one onely tongue Let M. Hardinge therefore consider better who they be that as he saithe denie the Maiestie Vtilitie and necessitie of the gifte of tongues For we confesse that the knowlege thereof is necessary not onely for the furtherance but also for the continuance of the Gospel neither doo we doubte but by what tongues the Heathens were conuerted vnto God by the same tongues they made their petitions vnto God the contrary whereof M. Hardinge by his silence confesseth he can not prooue Which not withstandinge he passeth ouer the mater by these woordes Hitherto of the Greeke and of the Seruice in that language and so endeth this péece of his treatie with a pretie vntruethe hauinge in deede prooued somewhat of the tongue but of the Seruice whereupon his whole cause resteth not one woorde at al. Whiche thinge that it may the better appeare let vs lay togeather the partes and members of his argument His Maior is this Al Asia the Lesse had the Seruice in the Greeke tongue The Minor But many Countries of the saide Asia vnderstoode not the Greeke tongue The Conclusion Ergo many Countries had their Seruice in an vnknowen tongue The Minor he warranteth but by gheasse onely and none otherwise although bothe S. Luke in the nientienth of the Actes and also the very storie of the times followinge be to the contrary The Maior he toucheth not at al. Therefore his Syllogismus halteth downe right of one side and concludeth onely vpon the Minor And thus M. Hardinge shoareth vp his straunge doctrine with a strange Maior a strange Minor and a strange Conclusion M. Hardinge The .11 Diuision Nowe concerninge the Latine tongue whiche is the learned tongue of the VVeast That the Latine Churche or the VVeast Churche for so it is called had the Seruice in Latine I graunte The chiefe Regions and Countries of the Latine Churche within the foresaide sixe hundred yeeres were these Italie Aphrike Illyrike bothe Pannonies nowe called Hungarie and Austria Gallia nowe Fraunce and Spaine The Countries of Germanie Pole and Swethen and those Northe partes receiued the faithe longe sithence The Countries of Britaine here had receiued the Faithe in moste places but were driuen from the open profession of it againe by the cruel persecution of Diocletian the Emperour at whiche persecution S. Albane with many others suffered Martyrdome After that these Countries had beene instructed in the Faithe as thinges grewe to perfection they had their Seruice accordingely no doubte suche as was vsed in the Churches from whence their firste Apostles and Preachers were sent And bicause .73 the first Preachers of the Faithe came to these VVeast parties from Rome directed some from S. Peter some from Clement some others afterwarde from other Bishoppes of that See Apostolike they planted and set vp in the Countries by them conuerted the Seruice of the Churche of Rome or some other very like and that .74 in the Latine tongue onely for ought that can be shewed to the contrary VVherein I referre me onely to the firste sixe hundred yeeres Nowe that suche Seruice was vnderstanded of those peoples that spake and vnderstoode Latine no man denieth For to some Nations that was a natiue and a Mother tongue as the Greeke was to the Graecians The B. of Sarisburie I finde no faulte with M. Hardinges Cosmographie but I trowe Cosmographie in this case maketh smal proufe His proufe for the Latine Seruice hangeth vpon twoo pointes The first is that al the faithe of the Weast parte of the world came onely from the Bishoppes of Rome The seconde is that the planters of the same Faithe ministred the Common Seruice euery where in the Latine Tongue He knoweth wel that either of these pointes is vntrue and wil neuer be prooued And somewhat to touche hereof by the way S. Paule saith that he him selfe had filled al places with the Gospel of Christe euen as farre as Illyricum and that not from Rome but from Hierusalem and promiseth that he woulde passe by Rome into Spaine as by reporte of some afterwarde he did and Theodoretus saithe that Paule came into this Ilelande nowe called Englande and here planted the Gospel The like is commonly surmised by the writers of the Brittishe Chronicles of Ioseph of Arimathaea And although Coniectures in suche Antiquities be often vncertaine and darke yet it may séeme very likely that the Religion of Christe came first into this Ilelande not from Rome but from the Greekes both for that in the kéepinge of Easter day we folowed the Churche of Graecia not the Church of Rome and also for that when Augustine was sente in hither by Gregorie we woulde in no wise acknowlege or receiue the Bishop of Rome As for Lazarus Nathanael Saturninus that preached firste in Fraunce I haue saide before Auentinus saithe Lucius S. Paules companion wente into Germanie and S. Paule saithe Titus wente into Dalmatia It is knowen that the Churche of Rome for certaine other causes and namely for the greate state and renoume of that Citie euen from the beginninge was notable aboue al others and was careful in enlarginge the Glorie of Christe and yelded many Martyrs vnto God Yet may we not thinke that al thinges therefore came from Rome For Tertullian calleth Hierusalem Matrem Fontem Religionis The Mother and the Springe of Religion And S. Augustine saithe Fides orta est à Graecis The Faithe sprange firste from the Greekes Nowe that he further saithe The planters of the Faithe in al these Weaste Countries made the Common Praiers euery where in the Latine Tongue bisides that it is manifestly false as God willinge hereafter shal wel appeare it hath not no not so muche as any likelihoode or shewe of truethe For Good Reader consider this reason The planters of the Faithe came from Rome Ergo they keapte euery where the order of Rome If this argument woulde holde then woulde I likewise reason thus The Churche of Rome was firste planted by them that came from Graecia or from Hierusalem Ergo Rome keepeth the order of Graecia or of Hierusalem But M. Hardinge presuminge this of him selfe without other proufe that the Churches of these Countries followed the order of the Churche of Rome concludeth further Ergo they had their Seruice in Latine as had the Church of Rome Euery Childe séeth that this is a Fallax or a deceitful argument called A secundū quid ad simpliciter He might as wel haue saide thus They folowed the order of the Churche of Rome Ergo they had their Exhortations and Sermons in Latine for so had the Churche of Rome But is M. Hardinge so vnaduised or so negligent in his maters that he seethe
not preuaile against it And vnto thee I wil geue the Keies of the kingedome of Heauen And what so euer thou bindest vpon earth shal be bounde also in Heauen and what so euer thou lowsest on earth shal be lowsed also in Heauen Beholde he receiueth the keyes of the heauenly Kingdome the power of bindinge and lowsing is geuen to him the charge of the whole Church and principalitie is coÌ„mitted to him Thus farre Gregorie But biâ—ause our aduâ—rsaries though without iust cause refuse the witnesse of the Bishoppes of Rome in this Article as vnlawful witnesses in their owne cause vvere they neuer so holy Martyrs or learned Confessâ—urs they may vnderstande vvee are hable to allege sundrie other authorities to the confirmation hereof that be aboue al exception The B. of Sarisburie If S. Gregorie were now aliue he woulde charge M. Hardinge with open iniurie not onely for alteringe his whole meaninge but also for manglinge and maiming his very woordes M. Harding to prooue that the Bishop of Rome was called the Uniuersal Bishop allegeth these woordes of S. Gregorie Ecce Petrus claues Regni Coelorum accipit Et potestas ei ligandi soluendique tribuitur Cura ei totius Ecclesiae principatus committitur Beholde Peter receiueth the keyes of the Kingedome of Heauen To him is geuen power bothe to binde and to loose The charge and chiefe rule of the Churche is committed vnto him Thus farre Gregorie saith M. Hardinge And why no farther was he staied with the Choynecough and forced to breake of his tale in the middest But marke wel gentle Reader and thou shalt see S. Gregorie set to Schoole and keapte in awe and not suffred to vtter one woorde more then M. Hardinge wil geue him leaue The next woordes that immediatly folow in the same sentence are these Tamen Petrus Vniuersalis Apostolus non vocatur Yet Peter is not called the Vniuersal Apostle M. Hardinge saith The Bishoppe of Rome was called the Vniuersal Bishop But S. Gregorie euen in the selfe same sentence that M. Hardinge hath here so hastily broaken of saithe Peter him selfe beinge the Apostle of Christe yet was not called the Vniuersal Apostle And woulde M. Hardinge haue the worlde beléeue that the Popes power is greater and more vniuersal then S. Peters These woordes M. Hardinge thought good to nippe of in the middes Suche is his dealing in the allegation of the Auncient Fathers If I liste to vse his owne termes I might wel cal this Foystinge or Cogging or I know not what Certainely the holy Fathers in the Councel of Constantinople saie thus Non conuenit orthodoxis ita circumtruncatas Sanctorum Patrum voces deflorare Haereticorum potiùs hoc proprium est It is nâ—t meete for Catholique men thus to choppe and to pare the sâ—â—einges of the holy Fâ—thers It is rather the very propertie of Heretiques M. Hardinge wil say Gregorie misâ—iked this name of Uniuersal Bishop onely in Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople that so ambitiousely so greadily sought for it and yet neuerthelesse claimed the same vnto him selfe as a title onely belonginge to the Sée of Rome and that wee therefore doo wrongefully racke S. Gregorie forcinge his woordes otherwise then he euer meante For answeare hereunto it shal behooue vs to consider bothe what S. Gregorie hath written in general of this title and also what special claime he hath layde vnto it for him selfe Thus therefore generally he writeth of it Ego fidenter dico quisquis se vniuersalem sacerdotem vocat vel vocari desiderat in elatione sua Antichristum praecurrit quia superbiendo se coereris praeponit I speake it boldely who so euer calleth him selfe Vniueâ—sâ—l Bishop or desireth so to be called is in his pride the Forerâ—nnâ—r of Antichriste bicause in his pride he setteth him selfe before others Hac in re à fratre Conâ—acerdoâ—e meo contra EuangelicaÌ„ sententiam c. Herein my Brother and felow Bishop dooth against the meaning of the Gospel against S. Peter the Aposâ—le against al Châ—rches and againste the ordinance of the Canons In this pride of his what other thinge is there tokened but that the time of Antichrist is euen at hande For he foloweth him that despisinge the equalitie of ioye amonge the Angels laboured to breake vp to the toppe of singularitie saieing thus I wil auance my throne aboue the starres of Heauen I wil sit in the Mounte of the Testament euen in the corners of the Northe I wil geate me vp aboue the light of the cloudes and wil be like vnto the highest Againe Rex superbiae in foribus est c. The kinge of pride is euen in the Gates and a horrible thinge to speake an armie of Priâ—stes is made ready For now they play the Souldiers and beare then heades on high that were ordeined to be Captaines of humilitie Againe I woulde haue al men to be greate and honorable so that there honour be no de derogation to the honour of God For who so wil be honoured against God shal not be honourable vnto me Againe Neither may you say that the vsinge of this Title is nothinge For if wee beare this mater quietly wee ouerthrow the Faith of the whole Church The agreeing vnto this wicked Title is the loosinge of the Faith Thus therfore S. Gregorie iudgeth generally of the name of Vniuersal Bishop whiche name not withstanding the Bishoppes of Rome haue sithence chosen and taken to them selues that is to say That it is Vaine and Hurteful the Confusion the poyson and Vtter and Vniuersal destruction of the Churche The corruption and loosinge of the Faithe against the holy Canons against S. Peter the Apostle against the very sense and meaninge of the Gospel against al the Churches of God and against God him selfe that neuer good or holy man woulde vse suche titles that who so euer vseth them in so dooinge foloweth Lucifer and is the very Forerennâ—r and Messinger of Antichriste Perhappes M. Hardinge wil say This name belonged peculiarly and onely to the Bishop of Rome and therefore Gregorie reprooued Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople for that he so presumptuousely and by way of intrusion claimed the same as a right and interest that was not his But S. Gregorie calleth the same title of Uniuersal Bishop Typhum superbiae Nomen nouum Vocabulum Temerarium Stultum Superbum Pompaticum peruersum Superstitiosum ProfanuÌ„ Scelestum Nomen erroris Nomen singularitatis Nomen vanitatis Nomen Hypocriseos Nomen Blasphemiae That is to say A puffe of Arrogancie A new name a Râ—she a Poolishe a Proude a Pompouse a Peruerse a Superstitious an Vngodly and a Wicked title A name of Erroure a name of Singularitie a name of Vanitie a name of Hyprocrisie and a name of Blasphemie And doothe M. Harding thinke or woulde he
haue the worlde beléeue that S. Gregorie woulde euer take these names and titles from Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople to the intent to lay them vpon his owne Sée of Rome Or is it likely that M. Harding knoweth S. Gregories minde better then euer S. Gregorie knew it him selfe Uâ—rily S. Gregorie not onely misliketh these titles in others but also disclaimeth the same from him selfe and from his Sée of Rome for euer For thus he writeth and his woordes be plaine Nullus Romanorum Pontificum hoc Singularitatis nomen assumpsit None of the Bishoppes of Rome â—uer receiued this name of singularitie Nullus decessorum meorum hoc tam profano vocabulo vti consensit None of my predicessours euer consented to vse this vngodly name Nos hunc honorem nolumus oblatum sucipere Wee beinge Bishoppes of Rome wil not take this honour beinge offered Vnto Vs. And the reason that he forceth against the Bishoppe of Constantinople may serue as wel against the Bishop of Rome For thus he saith Quid tu Christo Vniuersalis Ecclesiae Capiti in extremi Iudiâ—ij dicturus es examine qui cuncta eius membraâ—â—bimet conaris Vniuersalis appellatione supponere what answeare wilt thou make vnto Christe that in deede is the Head of the Vniuersal Church at the trial of the last Iudgement that thus goest about vnder the name of Vniuersal Bishop to subdue al his members vnto thee This is the very definition of an Uniuersal Bishop Thus the Bishop of Rome attempteth to subdue the whole Churche of God al the members of Christ vnto him selfe Therefore by S. Gregories iudgement he is the Forerenner of Antichriste And writing vnto Eulogius the Patriake of Alexandria he vseth these woordes Sanctitas vestra mihi sic loquitur Sicut iussistis Quod verbum Iussionis Peâ—o a meo auditu remouete Quia scio quis sim qui sitis Loco mihi fratres estis moribus patres Your holinesse writeth thus vnto me As you commaunded This woorde of Commaunding I beseeche you take away from my hearing For I know bothe what I am and also what you are In place or dignitie ye are my brethren in life and manners ye are my Fathers Againe he saith Ecce in praefatione Epistolae c. Beholde euen in the very preface of the Epistle that you sent vnto me you haue written the name of that Presumptuous title calling me the vniuersal Pope notwithstandinge I haue forbidden it I beseche your holinesse to doo it no more For you doo defraude your selfe when you geue an other more then reason woulde The selfe same meaninge M. Hardinge might haue founde twise written euen in the same place of S. Gregorie that he here allegeth if it had pleased him to consider either what went before or els what folowed immediatly after Before he writeth thus Non mea causa sed Dei est Nec solus ego sed toâ—a turbatur Ecclesia Quia piae Leges quia venerandae Synodi quia ipsa Domini nostri Iesu Christi mandaâ—a Superbi atque Pompatici cuiusdam sermonis inuentione turbantur It is Gods cause it is not mine Neither onely I but also the whole Churche is troubled For both the godly Lawes and the Reuerende Councels and the very coÌ„mâ—undementes of our Lorde Iesus Christe are comâ—red with the diuise of this proude pompous Title Immediatly after it foloweth thus Nunquid ego in hac re pijssime Domine propriaÌ„ cauâ—am defendo O my most Gratious Souâ—raine doo I herein defende mine owne right By these it may appeare that S. Gregorie being Bishop of Rome woulde not suffer the name of vniuersal Bishop to be geuen neither to any other Bishop nor to him selfe And where as S. Gregorie saithe The charge and chieftie of the whole Churche is committed vnto Peter in the sense it is spoken in wée denie it not S. Paule likewise saith of him selfe in like sense Incumbit mihi quotidiana cura omniuÌ„ EcclesiaruÌ„ There lieth vpon me the daily charge of al Churches And further saith I recken me selfe to be nothing inferiour in trauaile to the highest Apostles And wil M. Harding hereof reason thus Peter had the charge of the whole Churche Ergo The Pope is an vniuersal Bishop Certainely S. Gregorie saith Peter him selfe notwithstandinge he receiued the whole charge yet is he not called the vniuersal Apostle And can the Pope be that thinge that S. Peter him sâ—lfe coulde not be S. Gregorie driueth his reason thus If this title of vniuersalitie might belonge to any man it should chiefely belonge vnto S. Peter But it belongeth not vnto S. Peter Therefore it can belonge to no man Hereby it is plaine that the Bishop of Rome challengeth this day a title that S. Peter neuer had that no holy nor godly man woulde euer take vpon him that S. Gregorie vtterly refused and detested and called blasphemie And yet wil he séeme to mainteine his estate by the authoritie of this holy Father If S. Gregorie werâ— now aliue he woulde crie out as he did to the Emperour Mauritius O tempora O Mores O what a time is this O what manners are these Thus muche is M. Hardinge furthered by the authoritie of S. Gregorie M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision S. Cyprian declaringe the contempte of the 93 High Priest Christes Vicar in earthe to be cause of Schiâ—mes and Heresies writeth thus to Cornelius Pope and Martyr Neque enim aliunde Haereses obortae sunt c. Neither haue Haeresies or Schismes risen of any other occasion then of that the Prieste of God is not obeied and that one Priest for the time in the Churche and one Iudge for the time in steede of Christe is not thought vpon To whom if the whole brotherhead 95 that is the whole number of Christian people whiche be brethren togeather and were so called in the Primitiue Churche woulde be obedient accordinge to Goddes teachinges then no man woulde make a doo against the Colledge of Priesâ—es no man woulde make him selfe Iudge not of the Bishop nowe but of God after Goddes iudgement after the fauour of the people declared by their voices at the election after the consent of his felow bishoppes No man through breache of vnitie and strife woulde diuide the Churche of Christe No man standinge in his owne conceite and swelling with pride woulde set vp by him selfe abroade without the Churche a new Heresie The B. of Sarisburie Iâ— M. Hardinges cause were true he woulde not auouche it with suche vntrueth and so often corruption of the holy fathers If S. Cyprian writing this Epistle to Cornelius the Bishop of Rome once name him either the Highe Priâ—ste Or Christes Vicar General in earth Or Vniuersal Bishop Or Head of the Vniuersal Churche Or say that the vvhole Brotherhoode of al Christian people ought to be obedient vnto him As M. Hardinge vntruely and contrary to his ownâ—
knowledge expoundeth it or if either his woordes or his purpose of writinge may seeme any way to leade to that ende then may M. Hardinge séeme to haue some honest colour for his defence Otherwise wée may iustly say He racketh the Doctours and forceth them to speake what him listeth to sâ—rue his tâ—rne First it is certaine that in al that Epistle S. Cyprian neuer gaue vnto Câ—rnelius any suche ambitious Title but onely calleth him by the name of Brother For thus he saluteth him Cyprian vnto his Brother Cornelius sendeth greetinge And maketh his entrie in this wise Deere Brother I haue readde your letters Thus S. Cyprian beinge Bishop of Carthage claimeth brotherhoode and equalitie with the Pope One special occasion of his writinge vnto Cornelius was this emongst others Cornelius being Bishop of Rome and hauinge Excommunicate certaine notorious wicked men and afterwarde beinge threatened and il vsed at their handes began to fainte and to be weary of his office S. Cyprian hearinge thereof wrote comfortably vnto him willed him in any wise to procéede and to deale boldly not to yéelde consideringe it was Gods cause and not his awâ—e Amonge other woordes he saith thus Christiani non vltrà aut durare aut esse possumus si ad hoc ventum est vt perditorum minas insidias pertimescamus Wee can no lenger continue or be Christian men if wee beinge Bishoppes once beginne to shrinke at the threates and fetches of the â—icked Upon occasion hereof he sheweth what hurte and confusion of Sectes Schismes insueth in any Prouince or Diocesse wâ—ere as the Bishops Authoritie and Ecclesiastical Discipline is despised For euery Bishop saith S. Cyprian within his owne Diocese is the Priest of God and for his time is a Iudge appointed in the place of Christe and as the Churche is one so ought he likewise to be but one And thus he writeth generally of the authoritie of al Bishops not onely of the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome And notwithstandinge he directeth his Epistle onely to Cornelius yet are al his reasons general and touche bothe him selfe beinge Bishop of Carthage and also al other Bishoppes what so euer Now therefore to drawe that thinge by violence to one onely Bishop that is generally spoken of al Bishops it is a guileful fetche to misâ—eade the Reader and no simple or plaine dealinge But M. Hardinge séemeth to grounde his errour vpon the mistakinge of these woordes of S. Cyprian Vnus Sacerdos and Fraternitas vniuersa That is One Bishop and The whole Brotherhoode For where as S. Cyprian saith There must be one Bishop in a Churche he imagineth there must be one Bishop to rule ouer the whole vniuersal Church And where as againe S. Cyprian saith The whole Brotherhoode must obey one Bishop He geathereth that al Christian people throughout the whole worlde which he vntruely calleth The whole Brotherhoode must be obedient vnto one vniuersal Bishop And thus he buildeth one errour vpon an other But mistakinge of the Doctour maketh no sufficient prouâ—e It maye soone appeare S. Cyprian meante that for the auoiding of Schismes and diuisions there ought to be onely one Bishop within one Diocese and not one Bishop to rule ouer al the worlde For thus he expoundeth his owne meaninge Cùm post primum esse non possit quisquam qui post vnum qui solus esse debet factus est iam non secundus ille sed nullus est Seeing that after the first Bishop is chosen there can be none other who so is made Bishop after that one whiche must needes be alone is nowe not the seconde Bishop but in deede is no Bishop So likewise when the Heretique Nouatus had by wicked practise diuided the people of Rome into Sectes and had solemnely sworne them that gaue eare vnto him that they should no more returne vnto Cornelius the Bishop there and so had rent one Bishoprike into twoo and made twoo Bishoppes in one Citie Cornelius complaining thereof vnto Fabius the Bishop of Antioche and informinge him of the same writeth thus vnto him Nouatus nescit vnum Episcopum in Catholica Ecclesia esse debere Nouatus knoweth not that there oughte to be but one Bishop in a Catholique Churche not meaning thereby the whole vniuersal Churche throughout the worlde but onely his owne particular Churche of Rome So when Chrysostome the Bishop of Constantinople sawe Sisinius beare him self as Bishop within the same Citie he saide vnto him One Citie may not haue twoo Bishoppes So likewise S. Hierome saithe that notwithstanding the power of al priestes by the authoritie of Goddes woorde be one and equal yet menne by policie to auoide contention appointed one prieste in euery Citie to order and to directe his brethren Thus was the vnitie of the whole Churche preserued Thus were al Churches as one Churche And all Bishoppes as one Bishop For who so dissented from one dissented from al. So saithe S. Cyprian Ecclesia cohaerentium sibi inuicem Sacerdotum glutino copulatur The churche is coupled and ioined in one by consent of Bishops agreeing togeather Likewise againe he saithe Hanc vnitatem firmiter tenere vendicare debemus maximè Episcopi qui in Ecclesia praesidemus vt Episcopatum quoque ipsum vnum indiuisum probemus This vnitie must we keepe and defende specially that be Bishoppes and beare rule in the Churche that we may declare in deede that our Bishoprike is one and not diuided And therefore S. Hierome saithe Episcopi nouerint in commune debere se Ecclesiam regere Let Bishoppes vnderstande that they ought to gouerne the Church in common â–ª or as al in one In this sense is euery Bishop for his time as S. Cyprian saithe in the steede of Christe to euery suche Christe saithe He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And therefore Ignatius saithe The Bishop in his Churche is the forme of God the Father of al And so muche as is possible resembleth in his office Christe our God For this cause S. Cyprian saithe Hereof spring Schismes and Heresies for thaâ— the priest of God in euery seueral Diocese is not obeied As likewise againe he saithe to like purpose Qui cum Episcopo non sunt in Ecclesia non sunt They that be not with the Bishop be not in the Churche So likewise Ignatius They that be of Christe are with the Bishop Thus S. Cyprian spake these woordes generally of the authoritie of al Bishops in their seueral dioceses and not of any special authoritie of the Bishop of Rome as â—t is here vntruely affirmed by M. Hardinge But he wil replie S. Cyprian saith Vniuersa fraterniâ—as That is The whole Brotherhoode ought to be obedient to that one Bishop And that whole brotherhoode must needes be the whole companie of al Christian people Notwithstanding this
vnto them aboue al others Noli altum sapere sed time Be not highe minded but stande in awe Wherefore it is the lesse to be marueled if they haue so ambitiousely at al times attempted dominion ouer others But M. Hardinge saithe the preeminence of power and authoritie of the Bishop of Rome is commended to the worlde by many and sundrie Councelles Wherein I maruel he allegeth not the Councel of Carthage of Hippo Regius and of Aphrica in whiche it was decreed thus Vt primae sedis Episcopus non appelletur Princeps sacerdoâ—um aut Summus sacerdos aut aliquid huiusmodi sed tantùm primae Sedis Episcopus That the Bishop of the firste See be not called the chiefe of Priestes or the highest Prieste or by any other like name but onely the Bishop of the firste See Or the Councel of Aphrica where toutchinge appeale to Rome it was specially prouided thus Si prouocandum putauerint non prouocent nisi ad Aphricana Concilia vel ad primates prouinciarum suarum Ad transmarina qui putauerit appellandum à nullo intra Aphricam in CoÌ„munionem suscipiatur If they thinke it needeful to appeale from their owne Bishoppes let them not appeale but onely vnto Councelles to be holden within the countrie of Aphrica But who so euer shal thinke it needeful to appeale to the iudgement of any beyonde the Sea that is to the Bishop of Rome let no man within Aphrica receiue him to his Communion Why doothe M. Hardinge so warily leaue these Councelles that be ertant and to be séene the authoritie whereof was neuer doubted of and allege onely a patche of the Councel of Nice whiche he him selfe confesseth was burnte and al the Bishoppes of the East parte who are supposed to haue made it protest openly vnder their handes and seales it was neuer made But M. Hardinge herein doothe muche like vnto the Arrians that accused Athanastus who were not ashamed to bringe in the names of certaine menne as beinge aliue to witnesse againste him and yet not withstandinge charged Athanasius with the same menne that he had slaine them Neither doo I sée wherefore M. Hardinge shoulde néede in this case to leane to the authoritie of any Councel For his Anacletus thought it better to make men beleeue he had his superioritie Not from the Apostles but from Christe him selfe And Faustinus Episcopus Potentinus claiminge for the Bishop of Rome in the Councel of Carthage and findinge him selfe to haue smal holde in this Canon of the Nicene Councel alleged rather Custome and prescription These be his woordes Tractandum est cum vestra beatitudine de Nicenis Canonibus vt conseruentur constituta eoruÌ„ Consuetudo Quia aliqua ordine Canone tenentur aliqua Consuetudine firmata sunt â–ª We must deale with your holines of the Canons of the Councel of Nice that thei maie be keapte both the Constitutions thereof and also the Custome For certaine thinges are holden by order and by Canon and certaine thinges are made good by Custome But Pope Nicolas the first vtterly refuseth not onely the Councel of Nice and al other Councelles in this behalfe but also the authoritie of Prescription and Custome For thus he saithe Animaduertendum est quia non Nicena non denique vlla Synodus quicquam Romanae contulit Ecclesiae priuâ—legij quae in Petro nouerat eam totius iura potestatis pleniter meruisse cunctarum Christi ouium regimen accepisse Ye muste consider that neither the Councel of Nice nor any other Councel euer gaue any priuilege to this Churche of Rome For this Churche knoweth that in Peter she hath fully deserued the right of al power and hath atteined the gouernement of al the sheepe of Christe But touchinge the forgerie of this Councel of Nice the very beginninge of the quarel and the whole storie standeth thus One Apiarius a Priest of the Churche of Sicca in Aphrica as it appeareth a very il man beinge iustly excommunicate bothe by his owne Bishop and also by a great number of other Bishoppes togeather in the Councel there appealed from them al vnto Zosimus then Bishop of Rome Zosimus without further knowlege of the cause neuer hearinge the other partie pronounced Apiarius to be innocent restoared him to the CoÌ„munion And vnderstandinge there was a Councel geathered in Aphrica touchinge the same sent thither Faustinus the Bishop of Potentia with twoo other priestes of Rome Philippus Asellus not onely to sée that the saide Apâ—arius without any further trial might be restoared vnto his right but also to make plea in the open Councel that it should be lawful for any prieste to appeale from his owne ordinarie or Metropolitane or Councel vnto the Apostolique See of Rome The Bishoppes of Aphrica answeared there was no law it shoulde be so Faustinus laide foorth this Canon of the Councel of Nice not made by the authoritie of the Bishops there but onely diuised by the Bishop of Rome The Bishops there emonge whome was S. Augustine that famous learned Father thought it was a forged mater therfore saide they woulde sende vnto Alexandria Antioche Constantinople for the very Original copies of the saide Councel and desired the Bishop of Rome to doo the same and saide that in the meane while they woulde doo as they had done before Upon this Message and returne of the answeare with the true Authentique copies from Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople it appeared plainely vnto the worlde that the Canons were corrupted that the Pope had falsified the holy Councel and to thintent to auaunce his Apostolique Sée of Rome had diuised Priuileges and Prerogatiues of his owne Here mightâ— M. Hardinge wel bestowe his termes Here mighte he truely say The Pope coggeth and foisteth the die The Pope bombasteth the Canons of Councelles and the Decrees of holy Fathers vvith his counterfeite stuffinge The Bishoppes in the Councel of Aphrica hauinge thus throughly examined the trueth hereof wrote vnto Coelestinus beinge then Bishop of Rome in this wise Decreta Nicena c. The Decrees of the Councel of Nice haue committed both the inferior Clerkes and also the Bishopes vnto their Metropolitanes For it was discreetely and rightly considered that al maters are to be determined in the places where they began and that no Prouince canne lacke the Holy Goste whereby the Bishoppes of Christe may be hable bothe wisely to see and also constantely to mainteine the right and specially for that it is lawful for euery man that shal mislike the discretioÌ„ of his Iudges to appeale either to a Particular Councel within the same Realme or elles to the vniuersal Councel of the whole worlde Onles perchaunce some man wil saie God is hable to inspire the trial of Iustice into one man alone bicause he is Bishop of Rome and vvil not inspire the same into a
ruleth ouer them And Pope Nicolas hath straitely commaunded vpon paine of Excommunication that no man shoulde be present to heare Masse saide by a Priest that he knoweth vndoubtedly to liue in aduoutrie How be it in déede it is not their life onely that the Churche of God is offended withal but also and specially the filthe and corruption of their Religion the oppressinge of Gods Woorde the open deceiuinge of the people and the manifest maintenance of Idolatrie And what if the Syluer of Rome be turned into Drosse What if the Citie that was Faithful be become an Harlot What if they can abide no sounde Doctrine What i◠they haue made the House of God a Caue of Theeues What if Rome be become the greate Babylon the Mother of Fornication imbrewed and dronken with the Bloud of the Sainctes of God And what if Abomination sit in the holy Place euen in the Temple of God Yet may wee not departe from thence Yet must that be the Rule and Standarde of Gods Religion Truely Christe saithe Take heede of the leauen of the Scribes and Phariseis And God him selfe saith Exite de illa populus meus ne participes sitis delictorum eius de plagis eius ne accipiatis O my people come away from her least yee be partakers of her sinnes and so receiue parte of her plagues Irenaeus saith Presbyteris illis qui sunt in Ecclesia obaudire oporter qui successionem habentab Apostolis qui cum Episcopatus successione charisma Veritatis certum secundum placitum Patris acceperunt Wee ought to obey the Bishoppes in the Churche that haue their Succession from the Apostles which togeather with the Succession of the Bishoprike haue receiued the certaine gifte of the Truthe accordinge to the wil of the Father This holy Father saith Bishops must be heard and obeied with a limitation that is not al what so euer they be or what so euer they say but that haue the vndoubted gifte of Goddes Truthe And for that M. Hardinge séemeth to claime by the Authoritie of the Scribes and Phariseis sayeinge They sit in Moses Chayre and that therefore wee ought to doo that they say S. Augustine expoundeth the same place in this sorte Sedendo in Cathedra Legem Dei docent Ergo per illos Deus docet Sua verò si illi docere velint nolite audire nolite facere By sittinge in the Chayre is meante they teache the law of God Therefore it is God that teacheth by them But if they wil teache any thinge of their owne as the Churche of Rome hath doone and yet doothe aboue number then saith S. Augustine heare it not then doo it not M. Hardinge The .23 Diuision Now that the Bishop of Rome had alwaies cure and rule ouer al other Bishops 109. speacially of them of the East for touchinge them of the weast Churche it is generally confessed beside a hundred other euident argumentes this is one very sufficient that he had in the East to doo his steede three Delegates or Vicares now commonly they be named Legates And this for the commoditie of the Bishoppes there whose Churches were farre distant from Rome The one was the Bishop of Constantinople as wee finde it mentioned In Epistola Simplicij ad Achatium Constantinopolitanum The Seconde was the Bishop of Alexandria as the Epistle of Bonifacius the Seconde to Eulalius recordeth The thirde was the Bishop of Thessalonica as it is at large declared in the 82. Epistle of Leo ad Anastasium Thessalonicensem By perusinge these Epistles euery man may see that al the Bishoppes of Grece Asia Syria Egypte and to be shorte of al the Orient rendred and exhibited their humble obedience to the Bishop of Rome and to his arbitrement referred their doubtes complaintes and causes and to him onely made their appellations The B. of Sarisburie What wée may thinke of the other Hundred proufes whiche M. Hardinge as he saith hath leafte vntouched it may the sooner appeare for that this one proufe that is here brought foorth in stéede of al is not onely vntrue but also vtterly without any shadow or coloure of truthe These authorities of Leo Symmachus and Bonifacius for as muche as they are alleged without woordes may likewise be past ouer without answeare Howbeit this Bonifacius the seconde in defence of this quarel is forced to saye that S. Augustine that Godly Father and al other the Bishops of Aphrica Numidia Pentapolis and other countreis adioyninge that withstoode the proude attempte of the Bishops of Rome and founde out their open forgerie in falsifieinge the Nicene Councel were altogeather inflamed and leadde by the Diuel But howe doothe this appeare to M. Hardinge that the Bishop of Rome had al the Bishops of the East in Subiection to vse and commaunde them as his Seruantes In what Councel was it euer Decréed it shoulde be so who subscribed it who recorded it who euer sawe suche Canons The best Plea that Pope Nicolas can make in this behalfe is that Peter was firste Bishop of Antioche and after of Rome and S. Marke his Scholar Bishop of Alexandria Hereof he thinketh it may verie wel and substantially be geathered that the Bishops of Rome ought to haue al the worlde in Subiection In déede in the counterfaite Chartar ▪ or Donation of the Emperour Constantine authoritie is geuen to the Bishop of Rome ouer the other foure Patriarkes of Antioche of Alexandria of Constantinople and of Hierusalem But the Bishops of Rome them selues and of them selues diuised and forged this Chartar and that so fondely that a verie Childe maye easily espie the folie For biside a greate number of other vntruethes at that very time when it is imagined that Chartar was drawen there was neither Patriarke nor Bishop nor Priest nor Churche in Constantinople nor the Citie it selfe yet builte nor knowen to the worlde by that name This notwithstandinge the Bishop of Rome vpon this simple title hathe besette his Miter with thrée Crownes in token that he hath the Uniuersal power ouer the thrée Diuisions of the worlde Europa Asia and Aphrica And so as the Kinge of Persia in olde tymes intitled him selfe Frater Solis Lunae euen so Pope Nicolas calleth him selfe The Prince of al Landes and Countreis But what dutie the Bishops of the East partes owed to the Bishops of Rome whosoeuer hath read and considered the storie and practise of the times may soone perceiue Firste the Councel of Nice appointed euery of the thrée Patriarkes to his seueral charge none of them to interrupte or trouble other and willed the Bishoppe of Rome as Rufinus reporteth the storie to ouersee Ecclesias Suburbanas which were the Churches within his Prouince and therefore Athanasius calleth Rome the Chiefe or Mother Citie of the Romaine Iurisdiction And for that cause the Bishops of the East in their Epistle vnto Iulius calle him their Felowe Seruante and
of the Catholique or Uniuersal Churche like as also euery Godly man is a member of the same Thus writeth Calixtus Calixtus Archiepiscopus Ecclesiae Catholicae Vâ—bis Romae Thus Marcellus Marcellus Episcopus Sanctae Apostolicae Catholicae Vrbis Romae In these places Rome is called â–ª a Catholique that is to saye an Vniuesal Cittie partely to exclude the Churches of Heretiques whiche were méere Particular and partely also to signifie that the Churche there was then a Churche of the Catholique and Uniuersal Doctrine So likewise it is written in the Councel of Constantinople Clerici Monachi Apostolici Throni Antiochenae magnae Ciuitatis Catholicae Sanctae Ecclesiae Dei The Clerkes and Monkes of the Apostolique Throne of the greate Cittie of Antioche of the Catholique or Uniuersal Holy Churche of God Againe euery Bishop maye be called the Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche for that it is his duetie to care not onely for his owne flocke but also for al others of the whole Churche of God So saithe Origen Qui vocatur ad Episcoparum vocatur ad Seruitutem totius Ecclesiae Who so is called to a Bishoprike is called to the seruice of the whole Churche So Chrysostome exhortinge the whole people togeather saithe vnto them Vniâ—ersae Ecclesiae curam geramus Let euery one of vs take the care of the Vniâ—ersal Churche So likewise Pope Eleutherius writeth vnto the Bishops of Fraunce Huius rei gratia Vniuersalis vobis a Christo commissa est Ecclesia vt pro omnibus laboretis cunctis opem ferre non negligatis For that cause the whole Vniuersal Churche is committed vnto you that you shoulde trauayle for al and not be negligent to healpe al. Thus many wayes the Bishops both of Rome and of Antioche and of France were called the Bishops of the Uniuersal Churche But the Uniuersal Bishop none of them al was euer called Of Iohn of Constantinople that firste began to vsurpe that name Gregorie the Bishop of Rome writeth thus Despectis omnibus solus conatur appellari Episcopus Despisinge al other Bishoppes he woulde onely be called a Bishop So likewise saithe Pope Pelagius If the chiefe Patriarke be called Vniuersal then the reast haue lost the name of Patriarkes This is the meaninge of an Uniuersal Bishop and the very selfe same Infinite and Immoderate Power that M. Hardinge claimeth for the Bishop of Rome For so he hath already saide That the other three Patriarkes are no Patriarkes in deede but onely his Delegates and Seruauntes to doo that shal please him to commaunde them In stéede hereof M. Hardinge hath founde out a Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche and so leauinge the thinge that is demaunded he answeareth to that is not in question and priuily confesseth by his silence that hitherto he hathe not founde nor can finde his Uniuersal Bishop This answeare maye serue to that is here alleged of the Councel of Aphrica and the Epistle of Athanasius sauing that the Epistle bearinge that holy Fathers name as it is already prooued is nothinge elles but apparante forgerie The Bishoppes in the Councel of Aphrica bisides that they vtterly denied the Popes Uniuersal Power forbiddinge their Clerkes vpon payne of Excommunication to appeale to him sundrie times in the same Councel writinge vnto him they vse the name of Familiaritie and equalitie and cal him their Brother Now for a surplussage for as much as M. Harding with al his studie and conference with his frendes cannot yet â—inde out his Uniuersal Bishop in the Churche of Rome let vs see whether we may finde him in some other place and that not by the witnesse of a simple Priest or a Deacon but by the authoritie of Catholique Emperours and Councels and of the Bishop of Rome him selfe and that not by shiftinge of termes one for an other as M. Hardinge is driuen for wante in stéede of an Uniuersal Bishop to bringe in a Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche but in plaine manifest expresse woordes and such as in no wise may be denied In the Councel of Constantinople the Bishop there is scarcely saluted or intitled by other name For this is his common stile Oecumenico Patriarchae Iohanni To Iohn the Vniuersal Patriarke To Iohn the Father of Fathers and Vniuersal Bishop The holy Vniuersal Archebishop and Patriarke Mennas Nicephorus saithe The Bishoppe of Alexandria was intitled Iudex vniuersi orbis The Iudge of the whole worlde Clement vnto S. Iames the Bishop of Hierusalem writeth thus Clemens Iacobo Fratri Domini Episcopo Episcoporum regenti Hebraeorum Sanctam Ecclesiam Hierosolymis sed omnes Ecclesias quae vbique Die prouidentia fundatae sunt Clement vnto Imaes the Brother of our Lorde the Bishop of Bishops gouerning the holy Churche of the Iewes at Hierusalem and bisides that al the Churches that be founded euerywhere by Gods prouidence The Emperour Iustinian writeth thus Vnto Epiphanius the Archebishop of this Emperial Cittie Constantinople and Vniuersal Patriarke To conclude The Bishop of Rome him selfe thus saluteth the Bishop of Constantinople Therasio Generali Patriarchae Adrianus Seruus Seruorum Dei Vnto Therasius the General Patriarke Adrian the Seruant of Gods Seruantes And in the last Councel holden at Florence Ioseph the Bishop of Constantinople beinge there vsed the same title and wrote him selfe The Archebishop of New Rome and the Vniuersal Patriarke If M. Hardinge had so good euidence for the Bishoppe of Rome I beléeue he woulde not thus passe it away in silence M. Hardinge The .31 Diuision Concerninge the other name Heade of the Churche I meruaile not a litle that M. Iuel denieth that the Bishop of Rome was then so called Either he dooth contrary to his owne knowledge wherein he must needes be condemned in his owne iudgement and of his owne conscience or he is not so wel learned as of that side he is thought to be For who so euer trauaileth in the Readinge of the auncient Fathers findeth that name almost euery where attributed to Peter the firste Bishop of Rome 121 and consequently to the Successoure of Peter that name I saye either in termes equiualent or expressely Firste the Scripture calleth Peter Primum The first amonge the Apostles The names of the twelue Apostles saithe Matthewe are these Primus Simon qui dicitur Petrus First Simon who is called Peter And yet was not Peter first called of Christe but his brother Androwe before him as is before saide Dionysius that auncient writer calleth Peter sometyme Supremum decus The highest honoure for that he was most honourable of al the Apostles sometime Summum Sometime verticalem the chiefest and the highest apostle Origen vpon the beginninge of Iohn saith Let no man thinke that we set Iohn before Peter VVho maie so doo for who shoulde be higher of the Apostles then he who is and is called the toppe of them Cyprian calleth the Churche of
Iohn beinge a younge man and in manner a Childe shoulde be placed before men of yeeres This therfore is S. Hieromes meaninge that Christe to auoide confusion whiche lightly happeneth in al companies where as is none order appointed S. Peter for that he was the eldest man to speake to deale for the reaste as the Chiefe Heade of al his brethren Which order also was afterwarde vniuersally taken throughout the worlde that in euery congregation of Priestes one shoulde haue a special preeminence aboue others and be called Episcopus the Bishop This was thought a good politique way to avoide contention in the Churche and not as M. Hardinge imagineth To make one man the Vniuersal Ruler ouer al the worlde But touchinge this whole mater I haue answeared more at large in the .15 Diuision of this Article In the allegation of S. Augustines woordes M. Hardinge for his pleasure hath vttered manifest corruption in the stéede of this woorde Eorum purposely vsinge this woorde Omnium For where as S. Augustine saith Ipsum constituit Caput eorum Christe appointed him to be the Head of them M. Hardinge thought it better to allege it thus Ipsum constituit Caput Omnium Christe appointed him to be Head of al. He saw right wel that corrupte Doctrine woulde not stande without some corruption Further I doubt not but M. Harding dooth wel remember that the question that lieth betwéen vs riseth not of any extraordinarie name once or twise geuen vpon some special affection but of the vsual and knowen stile of the Bishoppes of Rome For Theophrastus saith Quae semel aut bis accidunt contemnuÌ„t Legislatores The law makers haue no regarde to suche thinges as neuer happen but once or twise Neither what so euer name is geuen to any man of fauour or admiration of his vertue is therefore to be reckened as his ordinarie title S. Chrysostome writeth thus of the Emperour Theodosius Laesus est qui non habet parem vllum super terram Summitas Caput omnium super terram hominum He is offeÌ„ded that in the Earth hath no peere the Toppe and the Head of al men in the worlde Eleutherius the Bishop of Rome gaue this title vnto Lucius the Kinge of this Ilelande Vos estis Vicarius Christi You beinge the King are Gods Vicar Chrysostome speakinge of Elias calleth him Prophetarum Caput The Head of the Prophetes The Councel of Ephesus writing vnto the Emperours Theodosius and Ualentinianus expresseth Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria by this title Caput Episcoporum coÌ„gregatorum Cyrillus Cyrillus the Heade of the Bishops there assembled Likewise Gregorie intitleth S. Paule in this wise Paulus ad Christum conuersus Caput effectus est nationum Paule beinge conuerted vnto Christ was made the Head of Nations And to take nearer view of the Bishop of Romes owne special titles Pope Nicolas thereof writeth thus Constat Pontificem a Pio Principe Constantino Deum appellatum It is wel knowen that the Pope of that Godly Prince Constantinus was called God And further they say Papa est in primatu Abel in zelo Elias in mansuetudine Dauid in potestate Petrus in vnctione Christus The Pope in Primacie is Abel in zeale is Elias in mildenesse is Dauid in power is Peter in anointinge is Christe These names as I haue saide of Affection and fauour haue been geuen yet wil not M. Hardinge therefore say that either the Emperour ought to be called the Head of al men vpon earth Or the Kinge Christes Uicare Or Elias the Head of the Prophetes Or Cyrillus the Head of the Councel Or S. Paule the Head of Nations Or the Bishop of Rome God or Christe as by an vsual and ordinarie Title And although as I haue saide S. Peters titles be nothinge incident to this Question yet wée may examine M. Hardinges argument touchinge the same Peter saith he was Head of the Apostles Ergo He was Head of other inferiour people And so Head of the Vniuersal Churche This is a deceiteful kinde of argument and riseth by degrees and steppes and in the Schooles is called Sorites In like sorte M. Harding might conclude thus Elias as Chrysostome saith was Head of the Prophetes Ergo He was Head of the inferiour people And so of the whole Vniuersal Church But the errour hereof wil better appeare by that argument that The mistocles the gouernour of Athens sometimes made of him selfe his wife his childe Thus he saide The people of Athens is ruled by mee I am ruled by my wife My wife is ruled by my childe Ergo The people of Athens is ruled by my Childe In this Reason this one woorde Rule hath thrée significations For Themistocles ruled as a Gouernour His wife as a Shrew his Childe as a wanton And therein standeth the errour of the argument So likewise this woorde Head signifieth sometime the chiefe in learninge sometime the chiefe in dignitie sometime the chiefe in Gouernement And hereof also in reasoning riseth great errour For it were greate folie to reason thus Paule in learninge and dignitie was the Head of al others Ergo He was the Head in Gouernment ouer al others Touching Uictor that wrote the Storie of the Uandales he is neither Scripture nor Councel nor Doctour nor writeth the Order or Practise of the primitiue Churche nor is it wel knowen either of what credite he was or when he liued nor dooth he cal the Bishop of Rome the Head of the Uniuersal Churche Onely he saith Rome is the Chiefe or Head Churche of al others Whiche thinge of our parte for that time is not denied as may better appeare by that is written before in sundrie places of this Article So dooth Prudentius cal Bethleem the Head of the World Sancta Bethlem Caput est Orbis So likewise Chrysostome geuing instructions vnto Flauianus touchinge the Citie of Antioche saith vnto him Cogita de totius Orbis Capite Thinke thou of Antioche that is the Heade of al the Worlde Hereby is meante a Head of Dignitie or Honour and not of Rule M. Hardinge findinge not one of the whole number of the Bishops of Rome once named the Heade of the whole Churche therfore thought it best to founde his proufe vpon S. Peter And for that cause others of his side haue auanced S. Peter aboue al Creatures Boniâ—acius saith That God tooke Peter in Consortium Indiuiduae Trinitatis into the Felowship euen of the Indiuisible Trinitie and that from him as from the Heade he powreth al his giftes into the Bodie Hereof M. Hardinge forceth his argument thus Peter was the Heade of the Apostles and so of al other inferiours Ergo The Bishop of Rome is the Heade of the Vniuersal Churche Thus as Iulianus the Emperour in his phrenesie sometimes imagined that the Great Aleranders Soule was come by Succession to dwel in him euen so now the Bishops of Rome imagine by like fantasie or phrenesie
that most Reuerende Father D. Cranmere at Rome in a mummerie before he euer sawe him or hearde him speake and yet that notwithstandinge they arreigned him in Oxforde and iudged him afterwarde to be burnte They firste tooke and imprisoned the innocent that had broken no lawe and afterwarde diuised a lawe to condemne him With such courtesie Cyrillus saithe Christ was intreated of the Iewes Primùm ligant deinde causas in eum quaerunt Firste they binde him and afterwarde they imagine mater against him And to passe by many other like disorders and horrible extremities of that time firste they scattered and forced their Masses through the Realme againste the Lawes afterwarde they stablished the same by a Lawe laste of al the nexte yéere folowinge they summoned and had a solemne Disputation in Oxforde to trie whether their lawe were good or no. Uerily this séemeth muche like the Lawe of Lydforde For in order of Nature the Disputation should haue béene firste and theÌ„ the Lawe laste of al the Execution of the same amonge the people But Tertullian saithe Haeretici ex conscienâ—ia infirmitatis suae nihil vnquam tractant ordinariè Heretiques for feare of their owne weakenes neuer proceede in dewe order M. Hardinge The .4 Diuision Nowe touchinge the number and iteration of the Masse firste we haue good and auncient auctoritee for 197 two Masses in one Churche in one daye That eloquent and Holie Father Leo the firste writeth thus to Dioscorus the Bishoppe of Alexandria Volumus illud quoque custodiri vt cum solennior Festiuitas conuentum populi numerosioris indixerit ad eam â—anta multitudo conuenit quae recipi Basilica simul vna non possit Sacrificij Oblatio indubitanter iteretur ne ijs tantùm admiâ—sis ad hanc Deuotionem qui primi aduenerint videantur ij qui postmodum confluxerint non recepti Cùm plenum pieâ—atis atque rationis sit vt quoties Basilicam in qua agitur praesentia nouae plebis implâ—uerit totiâ—s Sacrificium subsequens offeratur This order we wil to be kepte that when a number of people commeth to Churche togeather at a solemne feaste if the multitude be so greate as maye not wel be receiued in one Churche at once that the Oblation of the Sacrifice hardely be doone againe leste if they onely shoulde be admitted to this Deuotion who came firste they that come afterwarde maye seeme not to be receiued For as muche as it is a thinge ful of Godlinesse and reason â—hat howe oftentimes the Churche where the seruice is doone is filled with a newe companie of people so oftentimes the Sacrifice there efâ—soones be offred By this Father whom the greate 198 General Councel of Chalcedon agnised for Supreame Gouernour of the Churche of Christe and honoured with the singular title of Vniuersal Bishoppe it is ordeined that if anywhere one Churche coulde not conueniently holde al the people togeather at one time they that came after the firste companie shoulde haue their Deuotion serued by hauinge an other Masse celebrated againe And least perhaps some might doubte whether that were lawful so to be doone or no or because then some doubted thereof as nowe likewise some seeme to doubte of it to put the mater out of doubte he saithe assuredly Sacrificij Oblatio indubitanter iteretur Let them not sticke to iterate or doo againe the Oblation of the Sacrifice that is to saye Let the Masse be celebrated againe indubitanter without castinge peril without stickinge staggeringe or doubtinge In that epistle he sheweth two greate causes why more Masses then one maye be doone in one Churche in one daye The one is leaste the aftercommers shoulde seeme reiâ—cted non recepti not receiued The other is that the one parte of the people be not defrauded of the benefite of their Deuotion as himselfe saithe Necesse est autem vt quaedam pars populi sua deuotione priuetur si vniâ—s tantum Missae more seâ—uaâ—o Sacrificium offeâ—â—e non possint nisi qui prima diei parte conuenerint It must needes be that a parte of the people be beâ—efie of their deuotion if the custome of hauinge one Masse onely kepte none maye offer the Sacrifice but such as came to Churche togeather in the morninge or firste parte of the daie Nowe the people maye neither be reiected whom God hath chosen nor sparckled abroade whom our Lorde hath gathered togeather neither ought they to be defrauded of their Deuotion by withdrawinge the Masse from them but rather to be styrred thereunto by their deuoute presence at the celebration of the same where the Deathe and Passion of our Lorde is liuely represented before their eies the very same Bodie that suffered on the Crosse of theÌ„ by the Ministerie of the Priest offered to the Father in a Mysterie but truely not to be a newe redemption but in CoÌ„memoration of the RedeÌ„ption alreadie perfourmed By this testimonie we finde that it was lawful within sixe hundred yeeres after Christe for Leo liued aboute the yeere of our Lorde 450. to haue two Masses in one Churche in one daie for so muche the woorde iteretur doothe importe at leaste and if there were moe the case so requiringe the woorde wil beare it wel inough Nowe by this Holie Bishoppes Godly wil the custome of hauinge one Masse onely in one daye was abrogated and this decreed that in time of two sundrie resortes of people to Churche two sundrie Masses shoulde be celebrated for the auoidinge of these two inconueniences leaste the aftercommers shoulde seeme not receiued but reiected like excommunicate personnes and that a parte of the faithful people shoulde not be put beside their Deuotion VVhereupon I make this reason The causes standinge the effectes folowe But the danger of the peoples seeminge to be reiected and the defraudinge of their Deuotion whiche are causes of iteratinge the Masse in one daye did in that age in some Holy daies of likelihoode thrise yea fower or fiue times happen and in our time certainely dooth commonly so often or oftener happen wherefore the Masse maye so many times be saide in a daye in one Churche VVhere great multitude of Christen people is as in townes wee see some resorte to Church earely in the morninge making their spiritual oblations to the intent to serue Godâ— er they serue man in their worldely affaires al cannot come so earely Others come at their conuenient opportunitie some at sixe some at seuen some at eight some at nine or tenne of the Clocke If they which through lawful lettes cannot come at the firste houres comminge afterwarde be roundely tolde by the Priest come ye at suche or at suche houres or els ye get no Masse here shal not they accordinge to Leo his sayeinge seeme to be reiected and defrauded of their deuotion Al wel disposed people aboute Powles cannot come to Postels Masse at foure or fiue of the Clocke in the
whiche thinge is not denied he might also as wel haue noted that the same woorde Iteretur importeth likewise one and the selfe same Minister and none other For if the Seconde Communion be Ministred by an other Priest and not by the same it cannot rightly be saide Iteratur And further the same woorde necessarily signifieth that one Communion was then in suche cases ministred successiuely and in order after an other and not twoo Masses or thrée or foure or sixe or tenne togeather al at once as the manner is now in the Churche of Rome Hereof M. Hardinge frameth vs this formal Syllogismus The cause that mooued Leo to take this order was that al and euery of the deuoute people might heare Masse But it is likely the people resorted to the Churche at sundrie times some rather some later and not al at once Ergo It is likely that to satisfie the peoples deuotion there were sundrie Masses saide in one day It is likely that M. Hardinge neuer examined the partes and likelyhoode of this Argument For first the Maior or Head Proposition is apparent false grounded as it is termed in Logique A non causa vt causa Presuming that thing to be the cause whiche in déede is no cause For the cause that mooued Leo was not the hearinge of Masse as it is already prooued but the receiuinge of the Holy Communion The Minor or Seconde Proposition notwithstandinge in some parte it may seeme true yet it is nothinge agréeable to Leoes meaning For Leo speaketh not of one man or twoo nor of the ordinarie course of euery daye but onely of greate Solemne Feastes and of suche resorte of people as might fil vp the whole Churche His woordes be plaine Cùm solennior Festiuitas conuentum populi numerosioris indixerit And Quoties Basilicam praesentia nouae plebis impleuerit Therefore to beare vs thus in hande that Leo had suche a special care either for the Terme time in London or for the people aboute Paules or for hearinge the Postels masse it is a very vaine and a childishe fantasie like as this also is that he addeth The people should be denied that Spiritual Comforte For alas what Comforte can the people receiue where as they can neither see nor heare nor vnderstande nor know nor learne but stande onely as men amased vtterly berefte of al their senses Let M. Hardinge once lay aparte dissimulation and tel vs by what waies or meanes the people at his Masse can possibly receiue this Spiritual Comforte If he woulde speake truely and that he knoweth as he seldome dooth he shoulde rather cal it Spiritual Blindenesse And where as he pleadeth his toâ—ies quoties and thereby woulde erecte a whole totquot of Masses sans number if he had aduisedly considered out the whole sentence he shoulde better haue espied out his owne folâ—e and haue had lesse occasion to deceiue the people For Leo saithe not as M. Hardinge woulde force him to say As often as any deuoute people cometh to Churche but as it is saide before Quoties Basilicam praesentia nouae plebis impleuerit As often as the presence of â— newe companie shal haue filled vp the whole Churche In suche cases it was lawful to beginne againe the whole Communion and not otherwise By these woordes M. Hardinges Totquot is muche abbridged In the ende he concludeth not onely against Leo his Authour but also against the very expresse order of his owne Churche That one Priest for Leo speaketh onely of one and of no moe may say Masse boldely without stickinge or staggeringe as often as any people resorteth to him For now it is thought sufficient for one Priest to saie one Masse vpon one day and no moe So it is determined by Pope Alexander Sufficit Sacerdoti vnam Missam in vno die celebrare It is sufficient for a Prieste to say one Masse vpon a day Onlesse it be in case of great necessitie whiche the Glose as it is before alleged wel expoundeth Causa Honestatis vel vtilitatis In case of Honestie or of Profite as if some greate personage happen vpon the suddaine to come to Churche Likewise the Councel of Salesgunstadium hath straitely charged that no Priest presume to say more then three Masses vpon one daie the one in course Of the Day Present the other For the Deade the third to pleasure some noble personage whiche also is a great stopple to M. Hardinges Totquot In these prouisoes there is no manner consideration had to the Deuotion of the people but contrary to M. Hardinges Newe Canon they are vtterly leafte without their Spiritual Comforte And therefore Pope Clement the seuenth caused one Frier Stuppino in Rome to be whipte naked through the streates for that he had saide v. or vi or moe Masses in one day to satisfie the Deuotion of the people Thus good Reader thou maiest see bothe the partes and the force of M. Hardinges Syllogismus The Maior is false The Minor farre from Leoes purpose The Conclusion contrary to him selfe Certainely if it had then beene thought lawful to saie so many Corner Masses as sithence that time haue béene vsed in the Churche of Rome it had béene greate folie either for Dioscorus to moue this question or for Leo to take this order M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision VVherefore they that reprooue the pluralitie of Masses in one Churche in one daie after the iudgement of this woorthy Father be reiectours of the Faithful people and robbers of their deuotion But they that haue vtterly abrogated the Masse whiche is the outwarde and euer enduringe Sacrifice of the Newe Testamente 199 by verdite of Scripture be no lesse then the forerenners of Antichriste The B. of Sarisburie The former parte of this Conclusion is already answeared But for the Seconde parte If they that haue refourmed the horrible Abuses of the Masse be the Forerenners of Antichriste what then may we thinke of them that haue wilfully and of purpose inuented and erected al those Abuses That haue taken from the people of God not onely the Holy Communion but also the vnderstandinge and swéetenes and comforte of the same That haue spoiled Goddes Children of the Breade of Lyfe and haue feadde them with the Breade of Confusion that is with Ignorance Superstition and Idolatrie That haue mangled and corrupted Christes Blissed Mysteries and haue wickedly defiled the Campe of the Lorde And hauinge thus donne yet notwithstandinge haue faces to mainteine and vpholde al their wilful doinges What maie Goddes people thinke of them And before whome doo they renne Uerily Gerardus Lorichius M. Hardinges owne Doctour saithe thus Missae priuatae quae absente populo Catholico fiunt abominatio veriùs quà m Oblatio dicendae sunt Priuate Masses whiche are saide without presence of the people are rather an Abomination then a Sacrifice And S. Augustine saith Si Iohannes ita diceret Si quis peccauerit me habetis Mediarorem apud Patrem
Eusebius Absoluto Templo Altari in medio constituto The Churche beinge finished and the Aultar or Communion Table placed in the middest S. Augustine likewise saithe thus Mensa Domini est illa in medio constituta That is the Lordes Table that standeth here in the middest In like manner it is written in the Councel of Constantinople Tempore Diptychorum cucurrit omnis multitudo cum magno silentio circum Altare audiebant When the Lesson or Chapter was in reading al the people drew togeather with silence rounde aboute the Aultar and gaue attendance If M. Hardinge wil contende for that hitherto there is no mention made of one Aultar alone and therefore wil say there might be many he may also remember that Eusebius saithe in the place before alleged Augustum Magnum Vnicum Altare The Reuerende the Greate and the One Onely Aultar So Ignatius Vnum est Altare â—oâ—i Ecclesiae There is but one Aultare for the whole Churche So S. Chrysostome Baptismus vnus est Mensa vna There is one Baptisme and one Table So likewise Gentianus Heruettus describing the manner of the Greeke Churche as it is vsed at this day faithe thus In Graeâ—oruÌ„ templis vnuÌ„ tantùm est Altare idque in medio Choro aut Presbyterio In the Greeke Churche there is but one Altar and the same standinge in the middest of the Queere And the Queere also was in the middest of al the people By these it may appeare that M. Hardinge is not hable to finde his pluralitie of Masses before the Councel of Antiâ—â—odorum whiche was without the listes of the first sixe hundred yéeres and therfore can stande him in litle steede As for these principles of the law that are here brought in as a surcharge vnto the reast they may be safely receiued without danger I graunte the law that forbiddeth in special case generally graunteth al that is not specially forbidden Thiâ— I saye may wel be graunted It is commonly called in Schooles ArgumeÌ„tum a contrario sensu Notwithstandinge this Rule beinge so general may receiuâ— exception although perhaps not in Law yet in some cases of Diuinitie For example God saith Thou shalt not commit Vsurie to thy Brother Let there be no Harlot of the daughters of Israel Thou shalt not marrie thy wiues Syster whiles thy wife liueth Thou shalt not commit Aduouterie S. Paule saith Be ye not dronken with wine Of these special Prohibitions by M. Hardings Rule or Principle wée may reason thus These cases are specially forbidden and what so euer is not excepted in special prohibition as vnlawful is permitted as lawful Ergo ex contrario sensu by the contrary sense It is leafte as lawful To commit Vsurie to a stranger It is leafte as lawful To haue a Harlot so that she be not of the daughters of Israel It is leafte as lawful To marrie thy wiues syster if thy wife be deade It is leafte as lawful To commit Fornication For Fornication in this special prohibition is not forbidden but onely Aduoutrie It is leafte as lawful To be Dronken with Ale or Beere for onely Wine is excepted And why so for M. Hardinges Principle must needes stande That a prohibition forbiddinge special cases permitteth al the reaste and generally leaueth al that as lawful that is not specially forbidden I speake not this to the intente to reprooue the Principle of the Lawe that here is alleged but onely to shewe that General Rules muste sometimes and in some cases be taken with exception M. Hardinge The .7 Diuision But I wil not bringe M. Iuel out of his professed studie to farre to seeke Lawes For in deede wee neede not goe to law for these maters wherein the Churche hath geuen sentence for vs but that our Aduersaries refuse the iudge after sentence VVhiche if they had doone when order permitteth it at the beginninge and had plainely as I feare me some of them thinke denied them selues to be Christians or at leaste of Christes Courte in his Catholique Churche wee shoulde not haue striued so longe aboute these maters VVee woulde haue imbraced the trueth of God in his Churche quietly whiles they sought another Iudge accordinge to their appetites and fantasies as Turkes aud Infidelles doo The B. of Sarisburie It were more for M. Hardinges purpose for proufe of these maters to goe rather to Diuinitie then to Law How be it the state of his case beinge so féeble and so deadly diseased it were good Counsel for him to leaue bothe Professions to goe to Phisicke But here once againe in his impatient heates he vttereth his inordinate and vnaduised Choler thinketh to prooue him selfe a good Catholike man onely by comparinge others with Turkes and Infidelles Notwithstandinge herein wée shal neede no longe defence For Goddes Holy Name be blissed it is nowe open to the hartes and consciences of al men that bothe in life and Doctrine wée professe the same Gospel of Iesus Christe that they of M. Hardinges side haue of longe time oppressed and burnte for Heresie Neither doo wée refuse the Iudge either after Sentence or before Him onely wée refuse as no competent Iudge in these cases that teacheth the Commaundementes and Doctrines of men and hath infected the Worlde with the Lcauen of the Scribes and Pharisies and wee appeale vnto Christe the onely Iudge of al Iudges vnto whom God the Father straitely bade vs to geue eare Ipsum audite Harken vnto him Vnus est Magister noster Christus Christe is our onely Maister and onely Iudge As for the Determinations of the Churche they are sundrie and variable and vncertaine and therefore sometimes vntrue and for that cause may not alwaies stande of necessitie as mater of iudgement The Greeke Churche neuer vsed the Priuate Masse but onely the Communion The Latine Churche hath vtterly abolished the Holy Communion sauinge onely at one time in the yéere when also shée vseth it with foule disorder and as Gelasius saith with open Sacrilege and vseth onely the Priuate Masse The same Latine Churche for the space of sixe hundred yeeres and more from the beginninge onlesse it had benne vpon greate occasion of many Communicantes vsed onely one Communion or as M. Hardinge rather deliteth to cal it one Masse in one Daie But the Latine Churche that nowe is hath in euery Corner of the Temple erected Aultars and therefore nowe is ful of Corner Masses In the Olde Latine Churche it was not lawful to saie the Seconde Communion but onely when the Churche was ful of people In M. Hardinges Newe Latine Churche there be oftentimes moe Masses saide togeather then there be hearers of the people to gase vpon them Thus the iudgement of the Latine Churche disagreeth from the Greeke the Newe Latine Churche likewise disagreeth in iudgement from the Olde Touchinge this Newe Latine Churche S. Bernarde mourneth and complaineth thus Nunc ipsi
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
at Rome 51. 53. The Communion is better then the Masse by M. Hardinges ovvne confession 60. No Priuate Masse in good tovvnes and Citties 71. Priuate Masse is an Abomination and not an Oblation Lorichius 378. No Priuate Masse in the Primitiue Churche 14. Priuate Masse neuer ordeined in any Councel 22. Priuate Masse grâ—vve of lacke of deuotion 14. Masse abused to vvitchecrafte and poisoninges 2. To heare Masse to see Masse 70. One man may say three Masses in one daie 479. The sale of Masses 481. Errours in the Masse 3. 532. The Prieste receiueth the Sacramente for others as the mouthe of the people 588. The Prieste presumeth to applie the merites of Christe by his Masse 591. M. Hardinges proufes for Priuate Masse 93. Matrimonie honourable 52. Matrimonie misliked of certaine learned Fathers 52. Miracle in Baptisme 355. Fained miracles 515. The first Fathers of idle Monkes 85. Monasteries dennes of Theeues 85. N. In the name of Christe onely 115. Nature is that God vvil 367. Nestorius â—â—â—â— Nobody taken for a â—evve 88. O. Opus Operatum 594. Against Opus Operatum 600. Othe 119. P. Paulinus historicus 133. The people not so il as the Prieste 16. The people compared to svvine and dogges 518. M. Hardinges Iudgemente of the people 527. 534. 550. M. Harding calleth the people Curious buâ—ie bodies of the Vulgare sorte 531. The people better instructed in Religion then the Priestes 619. Poison ministred in the Sacramente 2. Praiers Common and Priuate 215. CommoÌ„ Praiers more effectual then Priuate 215. M. Harding liketh vvel the Praiers in the knovveÌ„ Vulgare tongue 152. 206. Examples of praiers in the Common tongue 156. 158. 168. 169. 175. 176. 196. 219. The people singinge Psalmes togeather 153. 168. Byrdes speake they knovve not vvhat 170. A Popiniaie taught to saie the Creede 170. The Emperour Iustinians Constitution for the CoÌ„mon Praiers to be pronounced alovvde 171. Praiers conceiued vvith the minde 171. Praiers vttered vvith the voice 171. Praiers in an vnknovven tongue vtterly vnprofitable 212. 215. The Prieste and the people in the Common Praiers speake togeather 178. The people ought to ansvveare Amen 172. The Common Praiers in Englande in the English tongue 188. 190. 191. The Common Praiers in Fraunce in the Frenche tongue 184. The VVoordes of S. Paule 1. Corin. 14. make for Praiers in the Common tongue 198. 199. M. Hardinge saithe that vnderstandinge of the vvoordes vvithdravveth the minde 214. Preparation to the Communion 15. Priestes vvicked treen vvoorse then the people VVoulues Diuels 16. Number of Priestes 17. 89. Priestes and Ecclesiastical Iudges often deceiued 118. Real Presence 316. Christes Body not Corporally presente 406. Spiritual presence 357. 358. 404. 430. 449. 471. 585. 607. Christe presente in Baptisme 352. 353. Christe presente by Grace 347. Spiritual Eatinge 320. 322. 324. 335. 389. 391. 392. 401. 430. 601. 627. Carnal vnderstandinge 322. The Fathers of the olde Testamente receiued the Body of Christe 321. The cause of the Capernaites offense 323. 324. The Omnipotente povver of God 324. 35â— Berengarius Recantation 327. 328. Christes Body Deified 331. Christes Fleas he tvvo vvaies taken 330. Iouisible and Inuifibly 335. Christe our Spiritual Breade 389. Very and verily 337. Christe laide on the table In vvhat sense 336. VVee are made one vvith Christe 339. Christe is iâ— vs Corporally Carnally Naturally 339. Christe mingled vvith vs. 340. Christe Corporally in vs by Faithe 344. VVee are Naturally in Christe 344. Christe Corporally and Naturally in vs by Faithe by Raptisme c. 345. 346. VVee are incorporate into Christe 345. Pope The Pope holdeth his authoritie not by the Scriptures but by custome 221. 235. Childis he AllegatioÌ„s of the Scriptures to prooue the Popes Supremacie 221. Vpon this Rocke I vvil builde my Church 221. 233. The Churche builte equally vpon al the Apostles 309. The keies geuen to the reste as vnto Peter 229. Christe Heade of the Churche 256. Christes Vicare 256. 257. Peter vvas not Vniuersal Bishop 227. Peter vvas not Heade of the Churche 261. 262. 311. The places of S. Cyprian fully ansvveared Vnus Episcopus Vniuersa â—raternitas Hinc Schismata oriuntur 228. 229. 230. 231. Anacletus countrâ—â—â—â—ited 223. Anacletus corrupteth the Scriptures 224. The B. of Rome firste of Bishoppes expounded 241. The principalitie of the Citie of Rome The principal Churche 243. 244. 247. The Noblenesse of the Citie of Rome 304. The Chieferie the Heade 249. 306. 307. 309. 310. The Highest Prieste 251. Paule vvente vp to Hierusalem to visite Peter 253. The Supremacie prooued by Aristotle and Homere and by drifte of reason 254. To seeke to Rome for Counsel 259. 294. To take vp and compounde maters 259. Appeales to Rome condemned 265. 266. Appeales from equal to equal 272. Appeales in Ecclesiastical causes to the Prince 272. The Prince calleth Bishops in Ecclesiastical causes before him selfe 268. The Pope had no Iurisdiction ouer the Easte 278. 279. The Pope excommunicated others and vvas excommunicate by others 280. The Pope dâ—posed by the Bishoppes of the Easte 281. The Pope CoÌ„firmeth Bishoppes vvithin his ovvne Prouince 282. The Pope had neither povver nor authoritie to calle Councelles 284. 285. 259. The Pope confirmeth Councelles as also doo others 286. Councelles allovved against the Pope 287. The Emperours confirmed Councelles 286. The Pope coulde not restoare Bishoppes 289. Reconciliation to the Churche of Rome 290. 291. Damasus ruler of the house of God 305. The Pope saluted by the name of Brother 228. 263. No Bishop but Ambrose 241. The Primacie Common to many Bishoppes 245. Paule equal vnto Peter 252. 253. 303. Al Bishoppes rule the Churche togeather 260. Paule Heade of al nations 303. Iohn greatter then Peter 309. The meaning of this name Vniuersal Bishop 220. The Bishoppe of Rome is not the Vniuersal Bishop 298. The Bishop of the Vniuersal Churche 299. The Bishop of Constantinople the Vniuersal Bishop 242. 300. The Pride of the see of Rome 224. 234. 235. 247. 251. 252. The Authoritie of the Pope more then the Authoritie of the Scriptures 107. The visitinge of the Pope 254. The Pope equal vvith Christe 258. Flateringe of the Pope 262. Seruus seruorum Dei 297. The intolerable tyrannie and pride of the See of Rome 314. The Pope cannot erre 274. Many Popes haue erred 275. The Pope Doctour of bothe Lavves by Authoritie not by knovvledge 259. M. Hardinge compareth the Pope vvith Balaam and Caiphas 274. The Pope sometimes no member of the Church 220. The Pope hath his holinesse of his Chaire 276. The Pope a forger 221. The Pope a Cogger a Foister taken in manifeste forgerie 236. The Supremacie of Rome condemned by Councelles 235. 238. 240. 263. The vniuersal Bishoppe is the forerâ—nner of Antichriste 2â—0 S. Gregories ful iudgemente of the name of Vniuersal Bishop 225. S. Gregorie refused to be called Vniuersal 227. The Supremacie of Rome the destruction of the Churche 255. The Bishop of Constantinople enioiâ—th the Pâ—erogatiue of olde Rome 241. Phocas a Traitour
that one man saithe a Priuate Masse and receiueth the Sacrament alone but in this that the people prayeth and receiueth the holy Communion togeather thereby dothe openly testifie that they be al one in Christe Iesus and al one emongst them selues And therefore Chrysostome saieth Proptereà in Mysterijs alter alâ—erum amplectimur vt vnum multi fiamus For that cause in the time of the Mysteries we embrace one an other that beyng many we may become one How be it in plaine speache it is not the receiuinge of the Sacrament that woorketh our ioyninge with God For who so euer is not ioyned to God before he receiue the Sacramentes he eateth and drinketh his owne iudgement The Sacramentes be Seales and witnesses not properly the causes of this coniunction Otherwise our children that departe this life before they receiue the Communion and al the godly Fathers of the olde Testament should haue no coâ—â—unction with God Wherefore S. Augustine saithe No man may any wise doubte but euery faithful creature is then made partaker of Christes Bodie and Bloude when in Baptisme he is made the membre of Christe and that he is not put of from the felowship of that Breade and that Cuppe although before either he eate that Breade or drinke of that Cuppe he depart this worlde beyng in the vnitie of Christes Bodie For he is not depriued from the partakinge and benefite of the Sacrament so longe as he findeth in him selfe that thinge that the Sacrament signifieth Likewise S. Cyprian Nos ipsi Corpus Christi effecti Sacramento re Sacramenti Capiti nostro coniungimur vnimur We our selues beyng made the Bodie of Christe bothe by the meane of the Sacrament and also by the thinge it self of the SacrameÌ„t or represented by the Sacrament are ioyned and vnited vnto our Heade But S. Cyprian saithe The whole Churche is but one house in whiche the Lamme is eaten And S. Hierome not withstandinge he dwelte in Bethlehem so many Miles of from S. Augustine beyng then at Hippo in Aphrica yet he calleth him a Bisshop of his Communion Ergo saithe M. Hardinge the Prieste that saithe Masse alone in Rome communicateth togeather with an other Prieste that saithe Masse alone in India Here S. Cyprian and S. Hierome are violently drawen in forced to witnesse the thinge that they neuer knewe and so M. Hardinge as his manner is concludeth a falseheade The holy Communion was so often and so generally frequented amongst al Christians in the Primitiue Churche in al their assemblies and Congregations that at length the very companie and felowship of them was called Communio takinge name of that action that was most solemnely vsed emonge them at their méetinges And therfore to geue somewhat more credite to M. Hardinges woordes S. Augustine saithe Mulier illa est Communionis nostrae That Woman is of our Communion Likewise againe Donatus non nisi in sua Communione Baptismum esse credit Donatus thinketh there is no Baptisme but onely in his Communion And S. Hierome writinge vnto Damasus Bishop of Rome hath these woordes Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudini tuae id est Cathedrae Petri Communione consocior I followyng no chiefe but onely Christ am ioyned by Communion to thy holinesse that is to say to Peters Chaire In these places this woorde Communio signifieth not the Ministration of Sacramentes but a side a parte or a felowship or consent in Articles of Religion And in this sense S. Hierome called S. Augustine a Bishop of his Communion that is of his Faithe of his Minde of his Doctrine of his Religion Here may be noted by the way that S. Hierome saithe not S. Augustine is a Bishop of my Masse but of my Communion For M. Hardinge knoweth that neither of them bothe euer sayd Priuate Masse and therefore coulde not communicate the one with the other in saieyng Masse But for clearer answeare to the woordes of S. Hierome the Communion or felowship of the Church standeth in sundrie respectes For wée coÌ„municate togeather either in consent of minde as it is written of the Apostles They had al one Harte and one Minde Or in knowlege of God as Christe prayeth for his Apostles vnto his Father that they may be one as thou and I be one And S. Paule to the Philippiens I thanke my God alway that ye are come to the Communion of the Gospel Or in one Christe as Paule saith there is now no bondeman there is now no free man but al are one in Christe Iesus To be shorte we communicate in Spirite in Prayers in Loue we are al washed with one Bloud we are al â—edde with one Bodie we haue al one hope of our vocation and altogeather with one harte and one voice be we neuer so farre a sunder doo glorifie God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe And this is that onely house wherein the Lamme is eaten grounded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes In this house we dwel M. Hardinge here we walke togeather with consent here we eate that Lamme of God beyng al brothers and members of one Bodie and al one in Christe Iesu. God restore you once againe into the same house that you may open the eyes of your harte and sée from whence you are fallen Where you say twoo diuerse Priestes sayeinge Masse may Communicate togeather not withstandinge they be in sundrie countries it may soone be graunted For they Communicate togeather in wickednesse in breakinge of Goddes commaundement and in deceiuinge of the people euen in like sorte as the wicked Children Communicate in wickednesse with their wicked Fathers As Christe séemeth to say to the Phariseis At your handes shal be sought for al the iuste Bloude that hath benne spilte from the Bloud of Abel the iuste vnto the Bloude of Zacharie Fil ye vp the measure of your Fathers Now these thinges noted we may the better take the viewe of M. Hardinges argumentes The whole Churche saith he through the worlde is but one house Ergo the Prieste may say Priuate Masse The faitheful that be farre a sunder doo Communicate togeather in consente of minde Ergo they doo Communicate in receiuinge the Sacramentes S. Augustine and S. Hierome did Communicate in Faithe and Doctrine Ergo they did Communicate togeather in sayeinge Masse If S. Paule might haue had some conference with M. Hardinge and haue founde out these reasons he would neuer haue found such faulte with the Corinthians neither would he haue written thus vnto them Inuicem expectate waite ye al One for an other Whiche woordes euen Hugo Cardinalis expoundeth thus vt vna sit mensa non habeat quilibet mensam suam Let there be one table for al and let not euery man haue his sundry table But who can better expounde S. Hieromes woordes then S. Hierome him selfe Thus he writeth vnto
grannted the Sacrament or the Ministration of the Sacrament vnto Polycarpus Here marke good Christian Reader then thei Communicated saith Irenaeus when they mette in the Churche and not before they mette togeather as M. Hardinge saithe Anicetus as Irenaeus saithe receiued the Sacrament with Polycarpus in the Churche and not as M. Hardinge séemeth to say in his Inne or Hosterie Now the truthe of the mater standinge thus what hath M. Hardinge here founde for his Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .16 Diuision Iustinus the Martyr likewise describing the manner and order of Christian Religion of his time touchinge the vse of the Sacrament saith thus Finitis ab â—o qui praefectus est gratijs orationibus ab vniuerso populo facta acclamatione Diaconi quos ita vocamus vnicuique tunc temporis praesenti Panis aquae vini consecrati dant participationem ad eos qui non adsunt deferunt When the Priest hath made an ende of thankes and Praiers and al the people therto haue saide Amen They whiche wee cal Deacons geue to euery one then present Breade and water and wyne Consecrated to take parte of it for their housel and for those that be not present they beare it home to them Thus in that time they that serued God togeather in the common place of Praier and some others that were absent letted from comming to their companie by sickenesse businesse or otherwise 26 Communicated togeather though not in one place and no man cried out of breakinge the Institution of Christe And bicause M. Iuel is so vehement against Priuate Masse for that the Priest receiueth the Sacrament alone and triumpheth so much as though he had woonne the fielde makinge himselfe mery with these woordes in deede without cause vvhere then vvas the Priuate Masse vvhere then vvas the Single Communion al this vvhile He meaneth for the space of sixe hundred yeres after Christe as there he expresseth I wil bringe in good euidence and witnesse that longe before S. Gregories time that he speaketh of ye from the beginning of the Churche faithful persons bothe men and vvomen receiued the Sacrament alone and were neuer therefore reproued as breakers of Christes Institution And er I enter into the rehersal of the places whiche I am hable to shew for this purpose one question I demaunde of M. Iuel If they whiche remained at home of whom Iustinus Martyr writeth receiued the Communion by them selues alone lawfully why may not the Priest doo the same in the Churche seruinge God in moste deuoute wise in the holy Sacrifice of the Masse lacking compartners without any his defaulte Haue the Sacramentarâ—es any Religion to condemne it in the Priest and to allow it in lay folke what is in the Priest that shoulde make it vnlawful to him more then to the people Or may a lay man or woman receiue it kepte a longe time and may not a Priest receiue it forthwith so soone as he hath consecrated and offered And if case of necessitie be alleged for the lay the same may no lesse be alleged for the Priestes also wanting compartners without their defaulte For otherwise the memorie and recordinge of our Lordes death should not according to his commaundement be celebrated and doone wel now to these places The B. of Sarisburie Good reader behâ—lde not the names of these Fathers here alleged but rather weighe their sayinges M. Harding hath brought them for his Masse but they witnesse clearely and fully against his Masse and of al others none more pregnant or plaine then Iustinus Martyr wherof thou hast good occasion to consider how faithfully these men demeane them selues in the allegation of the Doctours Iustinus touchinge this mater writeth thus Towardes the ende of the Praiers eche of vs with a kisse saluteth other Afterwarde vnto him that is the chiefe emonge the brethren is deliuered Breade and a Cuppe mingled with wine and water whiche he hauinge receiued rendreth praise and glorie vnto the Father of al thinges in the name of the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and yeeldeth thankes a greate space for that he is thought woorthy of these thinges Whiche beinge orderly doone the people blesseth or confirmeth his Praier and thankesgeuing sayinge Amen c. This ended they that emonge vs be called Deacons deliuer to euery of them that be present the Breade Wine and Water whiche are Consecrate with thankesgeuinge and cary of the same to them that be absent Here is set foorthe the whole and plaine order of the holy Ministration vsed in the Churche at that time The Priest praieth and geueth thankes in the Uulgare tongue the whole Congregation heareth his woordes and confirmeth the same sayinge Amen The holy Communion is Ministred to the people in bothe kindes and al the whole Churche receiuâ—th togeather I maruel muche wherein M. Harding can liken any parte hereof to his Priuate Masse Onlesse it be for that as he saide before euery Priuate Masse is common so â—e wil now say euery Communion is Priuate Let vs a litle compare Iustines Masse and M. Hardinges Masse bothe togeather And to passe by al other circumstances of difference in Iustines Masse al the people did receiue in M. Hardinges Masse none of the people doo receiue In Iustines Masse none absteined in M. Hardinges Masse al absteine In Iustines Masse a portion was sente to the absent in M. Hardinges Masse there is no portion deliuered no not vnto the present Withwhat countenaunce then can any man allege the authoritie of Iustine to proue the antiquitie of Priuate Masse M. Iuel triumpheth saithe M. Hardinge and maketh him selfe mery as if he had wonne the fielde No no M. Iuel triumpheth not but geueth al triumphe victorie and glory vnto God that wil subdue al them that withstande his truthe and make his enemies his foote stoole I wil bringe good euidence and witnesse saithe M. Hardinge that from the beginninge of the Churche faithful persons bothe men and women receiued the Sacrament alone I haue no greate cause to doubte these witnesses for excepting onely the Fable of Amphilochius and Iohn the Almonare whiche were not woorthe the reckening I alleged al the rest in mine owne Sermon I knew them had weighed them and therefore I alleged them That certeine godly persons both men and women in time of persecution or of sickenesse or of other necessitie receiued the Sacrament in their howses it is not denied neither is it any parcel of this question But if M. Hardinge coulde haue proued that any man or woman in the Primitiue Churche euer saide Priuate Masse then had he answeared somwhat to the purpose He séemeth to reason thus Some receiued the Sacrament alone Ergo there was Priuate Masse The foly of this argument wil the better appeare by the like Wemen receiued the Sacrament alone Ergo wemen saide Priuate Masse But saâ—the M. Harding it was lawful for lay men to receiue alone why
where he saithe Some of the people withdrew themselfe Ergo no man did receiue Or Many absteined Ergo the Priest receiued alone these reasons be of no value neither are woorthy of any answeare For of the same premisses the contrary wil rather folowe S. Augustine saithe Many in the East parte absteined Hereof wée may wel geather Ergo Some absteined not Otherwise he shoulde haue saide Al absteined and not some Then further Some absteined not Ergo some receiued with the Prieste So did not the Prieste receiue alone and so hath not M. Hardinge yet founde his Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .27 Diuision S. Chrysostomâ— many times exhortinge his people to prepare themselues to receiue their rightes at least at Easter in one place saith thus what meaneth this The moste parte of you be partakers of this Sacrifice but once in the yeere some twise some oftener Therefore this that I speake is to al not to them onely that be here present but to those also that liue in wildernesse For they receiue the Sacrament but once in the yere and peraduenture but once in two yeres VVel what then whome shal wee receiue those that come but once or that come often or that come seldome Soothely wee receiue them that come with a pure and a cleane conscience with a cleane harte and to be shorte with a blamelesse life They that be suâ—he let them come alwaies and they that be not suche let them not come not so muche as once VVhy so bicause they receiue to them selues iudgement damnation and punishement The auncient doctoures specially Chrysostome and Augustine be ful of such sentences The B. of Sarisburie It is néedelesse to answeare suche places as make no shew of proufe Chrysostome as M. Hardinge wel knoweth hath neither here nor els where either the name or the sense of Priuate Masse Onely he exhorteth the people to examine and prepare themselues and so to come woorthily to the Lordes Supper Nowe if M. Hardinge thinke he may founde his Masse vpon this place he may also presume the like of S. Paule that where he saide Probeâ— se ipsum homo â–ª Let a man examine him selfe he meante to erecte Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .28 Diuision Now to this ende I driue these allegations leauinge out a greate number of the same sense Although many times the people forbare to come to the CoÌ„munion so as many times 36 none at al were founde disposed to receiue yet the holy Fathers Bishoppes and Priestes thought not that a cause why they shoulde not daily offer the blessed Sacrifice and celebrate Masse VVhiche thinge may sufficiently be prooued whether M. Iuel that maketh himselfe so sure of the contrary wil yeelde and subscribe accordinge to his promisse or no. Of the daily Sacrifice these woordes of Chrysostome be plaine Quid ergo nos Nonne per singulos dies offerimus offerimus quidem sed ad recordationem facientes morâ—â—s eius vna est hostia non multae c. Then what doo wee doo wee not offer euery day Yes verely wee doo so But wee doo it for recordinge of his death And it is one hoste not many Here I heare M. Iuel say though against his wil I graunte the daily Sacrifice but I stande stil in my negatiue that it can not be shewed there was euer any suche Sacrifice celebrated without a Communion that is as they wilhaue it without some conuenient number to receiue the Sacrament in the same place with the Prieste For proufe of this these be suche places as I am perswaded withal The better learned men that be of more readinge then I am haue other I doubte not The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge notably betrayeth him selfe laiynge foorth for a countenaunce a fewe of Chrysostomes woordes and the same nothing to the mater hewinge and manglinge them as him listeth best requiringe also subscription as vpon sufficient proufe and yet in the same place and with one breath him selfe secretly confessinge the insufficiencie and weaknesse of his proufe These woordes of S. Chrysostome as they make nothinge for Priuate Masse so doo they very wel declare what the Olde Fatâ—â—â—s meante by these woordes Oblation and Sacrifice in the Holy Ministration Chrysostome compareth the Sacrifices of the Iewes in the Lawe with the Sacrifice of Christe in the Gospel He saithe the Sacrifices of the Lawe were many and vnperfite and therefore dayly renewed This of the Gospel is one and perfite and therefore euerlastinge And resembleth the same vnto a soueraine salue whiche beinge once layde on the wounde healeth it vp throughly and needeth no more laieynge on He saithe further that we of the Gospell haue a Saâ—rifice also and that dayly but in remembrance of that Sacrifice once made vpon the Crosse. And although we Sacrifice in sundry places yet saith he the Sacrifice is but one bicause it hath relation vnto that one Sacrifice of Christe And therefore he addeth Quomodo vna est hostia non multae Quia semel oblata est oblata est in sancta sanctorum Hoc autem Sacrificium exemplar illius est How is it one oblation and not many Bicause it was once offred it was offred into the holy place but this Sacrifice meanynge the Ministration of the Sacrament is an example of that And what he meaneth by this woord Exemplar he sheweth a fewe lynes before Quae formam tantùm alicuius habent Exemplar ostendunt non autem virtuâ—em Sâ—cut in Imaginibus exemplar hominis habet imago non etiam virtutem The thinges that beare onely a likenes shewe the samplar of some other thinge but not the power of the same as an Image sheweth the patterne of a man but not the power of a man Hereof S. Chrysostome concludeth thus The thinge that wee doo is doone in remembrâ—unce of that thinge that was done before For Christe saide doo this in my remembrance Hereby it appeareth in what sense the olde Fathers vsed these woordes Oblation and Sacrifice But what dooth al this fâ—rther M. Hardinges Priuate Masse Or if it further it not what dooth it here It is but a faynte Conclusion to saye Chrysostome had the daily Sacrifice Ergo Chrysostome had Priuate Masse Soothely good reader if it had lyked M. Hardinge to haue geuen thée leaue to reade the nâ—â—te lynes folowinge in Chrysostome thou mightest easily haue seene the whole order of the holy Ministration in his time For thus he saithe vnto the people Per singulos dies intras in Ecclesiam Thou commest daily to the Churche Whereby wée sée the Priest was not in the Churche alone Then touchinge the receiuinge he saith The Deacon at that houre calleth the holy and by that voice as it were beholdeth the peoples spottes For like as in a flocke where as be many sounde sheepe and many infected the one must needes be sundred from the other euen so fâ—rethâ—t in the Church For some are sounde and
Pope Calixtus Peracta Consecratione omnes Communicent qui noluerint Ecclesiasticis carere liminibus Sic enim Apostoli statueruÌ„t Sancta Romana tenet Ecclesia The Consecration beinge doone set al Communicate onlesse they wil be remoued from the Churche For so the Apostles appointed and so holdeth the holy Churche of Rome By this Decrée these two were bounde either to Communicate with the priest or to departe foorth of the Churche If they did Communicate then hath M. Hardinge here no Priuate Masse If they departed foorthe then coulde the prieste saye no Masse at al for Soter at least requireth the presence of two Againe the argument that M. Hardinge geathereth out of this Decrée Three persons were present Ergo Two of them did not receiue is vtterly vnsensible and voyde of reason Rather he might haue concluded thus Soter willeth that two be present Ergo muche more he willeth that the same two doo Communicate It may also stande with reason and with the common practise of the Churche at that time that these two whose presence Soter requireth were Priestes or Deacons or otherwise of the Cleargie and that ouer and beside the companie of the people as in déede it is determined by the Glose And so this Decrée of Soter agreeth with an other Decrée of Anacletus made to the like purpose that is That the Bishop at the ministration haue aboute him a certaine number of Deacons Subdeacons and other Ministers bisides the common multitude of the laye people And likewise with an other Decrée of the same Soter that is That euery Priest makinge the Sacrifice haue by him an other Priest to assist him and to make an ende of the Ministration if any quame or sicknesse happen to fal vpon him And this assistance of the priest is required notwithstandinge the presence of others either of the Clerkes or of the Laitie Nowe beinge Priestes or Clerkes and beynge present at the Ministration the lawe specially constrained them to receiue the holy Communion with the Minister as it appeareth by this Decrée written in the Canons of the Apostles If any Bishop or Priest or Deacon or any other of the Clerkes after the Oblation is made doo not Communicate eyther let him shewe cause thereof that if it be founde reasonable he maye be excused or if he shewe no cause let him be excommunicate Thus who so euer these two were whose presence Soter required whether they were of the Laitie or of the Clergie the lawe constrained them to receiue togeather with the Priest And therefore M. Hardinge hath hitherto founde a Communion and no manner â—oken or inklinge of the Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .30 Diuision In a Councel holden at Agatha a Citie of fraunce then called Gallia aboute the time of Chrysostome an olde Decree of Fabianus Bishop of Rome and Martyr and also of the Councel Elibertine in the time of S. Syluester Anno Domini .314 was renewed that al secular Christen folke shoulde be houseled three times euery yere at Easter Witsontide and Christmas It was there also Decreed that they shoulde heare the whole Masse euery Sonneday and not departe before the Priest had geuen blessinge So they were bounde to heare Masse euery Sonneday and to receiue the Communion but thrise in the yere The selfe same order was decreed in the Councel of Orleance Then of like specially in smal Townes and Villages they had Masse without the Communion of many togeather sometimes The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge knoweth wel that these Decrées whiche he here allegeth coulde neuer be founde writen neither in the Councel holden at Agatha in Fraunce nor at the other Councel holden at Eliberis now called Granado in Spaine but were set foorthe many hundred yeres after in the name of those Councels by one Gratian a man of great diligence as may appeare by his geathering but of no great iudgement as wée may sée by his choise Yet here M. Hardinge shuffleth a greate many of them togeather that the one may the better countenance the other But let vs receiue the authoritie of these Decrees and graunte there was no errour committed by Gratian in his geathering Yet wil they stande M. Harding in smal stéedâ— For as in many other maters they vtterly cast him so they nothing reléeue him for his Masse For thus it is concluded by bothe these Councels Qui in naâ—ali Domini Paschate Penâ—ecoste non Communicant Catholici non credantur neâ— inter Catholicos habeantur They that receiue not the Communion at Christmas Easter and Witsonnetide let them not be taken nor reckened for Catholike people It appeareth by these general Councels that in the whole Churche of Rome sauinge onely a few Massinge Priestes there is not one man woorthy to be accompted Catholique And to drawe neare to the purpose who so wil narrowly vewe the poinctes of these Decrées shal soone sée they cannot stande with the very forme and order of the Churche of those daies For bisides that I haue alreadie prooued by the authoritie of S. Hierome and S. Augustine that the holy Communion was then ministred vnto the people in Rome euery day Fabianus also Bishop of Rome whiche is likewise brought foorthe here for a witnesse hath plainâ—ly Decréed not that the people should heare Masse euery Sonneday as it is soothely warranted by M. Harding but that they should receiue the Communion euery Sonneday His woordes be plaine Dercernimus vt in omnibus Dominicis diebus altaris oblatio ab omnibus viris mulieribus fiat tam Panis quà m Vini Wee Decree that euery Sonneday the oblation of the Aultare be made of al men and wemen bothe of Breade and of wine Here besides that in these woordes is included the receiuinge of the Communion euery Sonneday may be noted also by the way that by this authoritie of Fabian men and wemen made the Sacrifice of the Aultare and that of Breade and Wyne and therefore after the order of Melchisedech Therefore S. Bernarde saith Non solus Sacerdoâ— sacrificat sed totus conuentus fidelium Not onely the Priest sacrificeth but also the whole companie of the faithful These thinges wel considered the sense that M. Harding woulde so faine wringe out of these Decrees wil séeme vnlikely Moreouer when did S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome or any other learned Father or Doctour of that age euer vse this manner of speache Audire Missas To heare Masse Certainely this phrase was so farre vnacquainted and vnknowen in that worlde that the very Originals of these Decrees haue it not but onely haue these woordes Tenere Missas To holde Masse as may be seen in the booke of Councels noted purposely in the Margine The Italians this day séeme to speake farre better For of them that heare Masse and vnderstande not what they heare they say Videre Missas That is not to
these and suche other lyke Decrees were made not for the greattest parte of the people that in those daies vsed to Communicate in al their assemblies but for a fewe that were negligent and haled backe For otherwise the general order dooth wel appeare by al the Ecclesiastical recordes of that time And whereas M. Harding hath taken exception of smal townes and villages which he gheasseth had then the Priuate Masse it was decreed and straitely ordred in a Councel holden at Gerunda in Spaine that al litle Churches in the Countrie should confourme them selues vnto the greate Cathedral Churches that were in Cities and Townes as wel for order of the communion as also for Singinge and other Ministration But by M. Hardinges owne graunte there was no Priuate Masse then in Cathedral Churches It followeth therefore necessarily this Councel of Gerunda standing in force that there was no Priuate Masse then in Townes or Uillages And that the people did then commonly receiue the Sacrament euery Sonneday it appearetâ— by most certaine and vndoubted proufes The Councel holden at Matiscona in Italie hath this Canon Decreâ—imus vt omnibus Dominicis diebus alâ—aris oblatio ab omnibus viris mulieribus offeratur Wee haue decreed that euery Sonday the Oblation of the Aultar be offred of al bothe men and wemen Likewise the Councel holden at Antisiodorum Decernimus vt vnaquaéque mulier quando Communicat Dominicalem suum habeat Quod si non habuerit vsque in alium dieÌ„ DominicuÌ„ non Communicet Wee decree that euery woman when she dooth Communicate haue her Dominical if she haue it not let her not Communicate vntil the next Sonneday Likewise Carolus Magnus a longe while after Emonge other his â—cclesiastical lawes writeth thus Vt populi oblationes sacerdotibus in Ecclesia offerant in die Dominico Communicent That the people offer their Oblations vnto the Priestes in the Churche and receiue the Communion vpon the Sonneday By these Councels and Decrees it appeareth plainely without Gheasse or Glose that the people vsed commonly in al that time and longe after to Communicate the holy Mysteries euery Sonneday Therefore M. Hardinge must yet séeke further for his Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .31 Diuision In that Councel of Agatha wee finde a Decree made by the Fathers assembled there whereof 38 it appeareth that Priestes oftentimes saide Masse without others receiuing with them And this much it is in Englishe If any man wil haue an Oratorie or Chapel abroade in the countrie biside the parishe Churches in whiche lawful and ordinarie assemblie is for the rest of the Holy daies that he haue Masses there in consideration of weerinesse of the householde with iust ordinance wee doo permit But at Easter Christes birthe Epiphanie the Ascension of our Lorde Witsonneday and the Natiuitie of S. Iohn Baptist and if there be any other special feastes let them not keepe their Masses but in the Cities and Parishes And as for the Clerkes if any wil doo or haue their Masses at the aforesaide feastes in Chapels onlesse the Bishop so commaunde or permit let them be thrust out from Communion By this Decree wee learne that then Masses were commonly saide in Priuate Chapels at home at suche times as the people were not accustomed to be houseled For when by commaundement and common order they receiued their rightes as in the afore named feastes then were the Priestes prohibited to saye Masses in Priuate Oratories or Chapels without the Parishe Churches And hereof wee may plainely vnderstande that in suche places Priestes customably saide Masses of their owne and of the householders deuotion when none of the householde were disposed to receiue with them The like Decree is to be founde Concilij Aruernensis cap. 14. Concil Constantinopol generalis in Trullo ca. 31. The B. of Sarisburie This obiection beinge al one with the former may the sooner be discharged by the former answeare Notwithstandinge here wée may learne by the way that the olde Fathers when they vse this woorde â–ª Missa meane not thereby a Priuate Masse as M. Hardinge woulde faine haue it taken but a Communion These be the woordes At Easter Christemas Epiphanie the Ascension of our Lorde Witsonneday and at the Natiuitie of S. Iohn the Baptist let them holde their Masses Teneant Missas in Cities or Parishes Now it is knowen and confessed by M. Hardinge that in greate Parishes and Cities at their Solemne Feastes they vsed to haue general Communions for al the whole people and no Priuate Masse Notwithstanding for auoidinge of errour it is also further to be marked that this same woorde Missa in the olde writers sometime signifieth no Masse at al neither Priuate nor Common but onely a resorte and méeting of the people togeather in place and time of Praier as it may sundrie waies appeare and namely by olde Translations out of the Gréeke into Latin touchinge the same For that the Gréeke Writer vttereth by the woorde that signifieth an assemblie or méetinge of the people the same doothe the Latine Interpreter oftentimes Translate by this woorde Missa For example Sozomenus in Gréeke writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is when the people came togeather that dooth Epiphanius Translate into Latine thus Cum populus congregaretur ad Missas When the people came to Masse Likewise Socrates writeth thus in the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to saye To haue a Congregation or assemblie by them selues That doothe Epiphanius translate into Latine thus Apud se ipsos Missarum celebrare solennia that is Emonge them selues to celebrate the solemnâ—ties of the Masse In these and many other like places whiche I purposely passe by it must néedes be confessed that Missa can not any way be taken for the Masse but onely for an assemblie of the people For which cause al manner of common praiers many times are called Missa as may be seene in Cassianus an auncient writer and sometime Scholar to S. Chrysostome In Canone diuinarum orationum and in Honorius and others sufficient onely to be touched But emongst al other significations it can not be founde that this woorde Missa in any olde writer was euer taken for the Priuate Masse notwithstandinge any thinge by M. Hardinge yet alleged Now if a man woulde say that this Councel of Agatha that is here brought in by this woorde Missa meante nothinge els but ordinary praiers in whiche signification the olde writers as I haue proued haue often taken it and so dispensed with them that dwelt farre from the Church onely to haue suche ordinary Praiers at home and for the holy Communion to resorte to the parish Churches perhaps M. Harding shoulde not finde muche to replie against it If he wil say I force and racke this exposition onely of mée selfe without president it may please him to remember that the same practise is yet continued
longe wil you thus wilfully peruerte the waies of the Lorde You knowe this is neither the Doctrine nor the practise of our Churche How be it the auncient Doctours haue bothe taught so and also practised the same Anaclerus saithe Alter the Consecration is ended let al receiue onlesse they wil be thrust from the Churche And Calixtus saithe further For so is it appointed by the Apostles and so is it obserued in the Churche of Rome Nowe saithe M. Hardinge the place was priuate Ergo there was a Priuate Masse A Childe may soone sée that this reason hath no holde For touchinge that the place was priuate S. Gregorie saithe thus of one Cassius the Bishop of Narnium He saide Masse which is he ministred the Communion in an Oratorie within his Palace and with his owne hande he gaue the Bodie of the Lorde and peace vnto them al. The like hereof wée may sée in the preface before the Councel of Gangra And in the Tripartite Storie it is writen thus Gregorie Nazianzene at Constantinople in a litle Oraâ—orie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made assemblies of the people Here we sée The action was common and a ful Communion ministred notwithstandinge the place were priuate Againe he saithe There were but thrée Ergo but one did receiue This reason holdeth as the former Consider now gentle Reader how aptely M. Hardinge answeareth to the purpose I demaunde the authoritie of S. Augustine S. Hierome or some other Catholike auncient Father he answeareth me with a childishe Fable I demaunde of the vsage of the open Churche he answeareth me with a priuate Oratorie as though at that time there had béene no Churches builte I demaunde what was doone in the face and sight of the people He answeareth me what he supposeth was doone in a Corner I demaunde of him vndoubted truthe and certaintie he answeareth me by coniecture and blinde gheasse I beleeue he woulde not willingly haue hindred his owne cause If he coulde haue founde better mater doubtlesse he woulde haue brought it foorthe Is this the Antiquitie is this the Uniuersalitie that they so much talke and glorie of Is this the common consente of al the worlde Thus then gentle Reader standeth my answeare to this tale Firste that it was forbidden by many decrées to minister the Sacrament in priuate houses and therefore vnlikely that Iohn Almonar beinge a godly man woulde presume to doo the contrary Secondly that this woorde Missa vsed here by the rude and vtterly vnlearned Interpreter dothe not necessarily importe the Masse Thirdly that M. Hardinge the better to furnishe out the mater hath violently and of purpose falsified the Translation Fourthely that notwithstandinge here were graunted the Celebration of the Sacrament yet it cannot be forced thereof that the Prieste receiued alone Fifthly that although this were proued a priuate Masse yet hath M. Harding vtterly missereckened him selfe and so gotten nothinge For it was without the compasse of sixe hundred yéeres Laste of al hereunto I adde that the place where these thinges are imagined to be doone was il chosen and very vnlikely to serue this purpose For M. Hardinge is not hable to proue that in the Citie of Alexandria was euer any one priuate Masse saide either before that time or euer sithence M. Hardinge The .33 Diuision Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium the heade Citie of Lyâ—aoniaâ— to whome S. Basile dedicated his booke De spiritu sancto and another booke intituled Ascetica writinge the life of S. Basile or rather the miracles through goddes power by him wrought whiche he calleth woorthie of recorde true and great miracles specially suche as were not by the three most woorthie men Gregorie Nazianzene Gregorie Nyssene and Holy Effrem in their Epitaphical or funeral treatises before mentioned amongst other thinges reporteth a notable storie wherein we haue a cleare testimonie of a Priuate Masse And for the thinge that the storie sheweth as muche as for any other of the same Amphilochius he is called Coâ—lestium virtutum collocutor angelicorum ordinum comminister A talker togeather with the heauenly powers and a fellowe seruaunte with orders of Angels The storie is this This holy Bishop Basile besought God in his praiers he woulde geue him grace wisedome and vnderstandinge so as he might offer the sacrifice of Christes bloude shedinge proprijs sermonibus with prayers and seruice of his owne makinge and that the better to atchieue that purpose the holy ghost might come vpon him After sixt dayes he was in a traunce for cause of the holy ghostes comminge VVhen the seuenth day was come he beganne to minister vnto God that is to witte he saide Masse euery day After a certaine time thus spent through faithe and prayer he beganne to write with his owne hande Mysteria ministrationis the Masse or the seruice of the Masse On a night our lorde came vnto him in a vision with the Apostles and layde breade to be consecrated on the holy altare and stirringe vp Basile saide vnto him Secundum postulationem tuam repleatur os tuum loude c. Accordinge to thy request let thy mouthe be filled with praise that with thine owne woordes thou maiste offer vp to me sacrifice He not hable to abide the vision with his eyes rose vp with tremblinge and goeinge to the holy Altare beganne to say â–ª that he had writen in paper thus Repleatur os meum laude hymnum dicat gloriae tuae domine Deus qui creasti nos adduxisti in vitam hanc caeteras orationes sancti ministerij Let my mouthe be filled with praise to vtter an hymne to thy glorie Lorde God which hast created vs and brought vs into this life and so foorthe the other prayers of the Masse It followeth in the storie Et post finem orationum exaltauit panem sine intermissione orans dicens Respice Domine Iesu Christe c. After that he had donne the prayers of Consecration he lifted vp the breade prayeinge continually and sayeinge Looke vpon vs Lorde Iesus Christe out of thy holy tabernacle and come to sanctifie vs that sittesâ—e aboue with thy Father and arte here present inuisibly with vs vouchesafe with thy mightie hande to deliuer to vs and by vs to al thy people Sancta sanctis thy holy thinges to the holie The people answeared one holie one our Lorde Iesus Christe with the holy Ghost in glorie of God the Father Amen Nowe let vs consider what followeth perteininge moste to our purpose Et diuidens panem in tres partes vnam quidem communicauit timore multo alteram autem reseruauit consepelire secuÌ„ tertiam verò imposuit Columbae aureae quae pependit super altare He diuided the breade into three partes of whiche he receiued one at his Communion with greate feare and reuerence the other he reserued that it might be buried with him and the thirde parte he caused to be put in a golden pixe that was
Subdeacons one hundred and tenne Readers and fiue twentie Singers Hereby wée may sée that Chrysostome beinge at Antioche in so Populous a Citie although he had none of the Lay people with him yet coulde not be vtterly lefte alone Now if wée say that some of these Priestes Deacons or other Communicated with the Bishop I tel them saithe M. Hardinge boldely and with a solemne countenaunce whiche must needes make good proufe This is but a poore shifte and wil not serue their purpose But if it be true it is ritche yenough if it agrée with Chrysostomes owne meaning it is no shifte therefore sufficiently serueth our purpose And bicause he sitteth so fast vpon the bare woordes and reposeth al his hope in Nemo if wée liste to cauil in like sorte wée might soone finde warrant sufficient to answeare this mater euen in the very plaine woordes of Chrysostome For thus they lie Frustra assistimus Altari In vaine wee stande at the Aultare Wee stande saith he and not I stande and therefore includeth a number not one alone How be it our shiftes are not so poore wée néede not to take holde of so smal aduantages It is prouided by the Canons of the Apostles That if any Bishop or Priest or Deacon or any other of the Quiere after the Oblation is made doo not receiue onlesse he shew some reasonable cause of his so dooinge that he stande Excommunicate There was then neither suche number of Aultares nor suche cheuisance of Masses as hath beene sithence Al the Priestes receiued togeather at one Communion The like law in the Churche of Rome was afterwarde renewed by Pope Anacletus The Councel of Nice decréeth thus Accipiant Diaconi secundum ordinem post Presbyteros ab Episcopis vel a Presbytero Communionem Let the Deacons in order after the Priestes receiue of the Bishops or of the Priest the holy Communion Likewise the Councel of Carthage Accipiant Diaconi ex ordine Eucharistiam post Presbyteros eis dante Episcopo vel Presbytero Let the Deacons receiue the Communion in order after the Priestes either the Bishop or the Priest ministring it So the Councel of Laodicea It is lawful onely for the Priestes of the Churche to enter into the place where the Aultare standeth and there to Communicate So the Councel of Toledo Let the Priestes and Deacons Communicate before the Aultare the Clerkes in the Quiere and the people without the Quiere Nicolaus Cusanus writinge vnto the Clergie and Learned of Bohemia hath these woordes Hoc est singulariter attendeÌ„dum quod Sacerdotes nunquaÌ„ sine Diacono celebrabant in omni Missa Diaconus de manu Sacerdotis accepit Eucharistiam sub specie Panis Sacerdos de manu Diaconi Calicem This thinge is specially to be noted that the Priest did neuer Celebrate without a Deacon and that in euery Masse the Deacon receiued the Sacrament in the kinde of Breade at the Priestes hande and the Priest the Cuppe at the Deacons hande But what néedeth muche proufe in a case that is so playne Chrysostome him selfe in the Liturgie that commonly beareth his name followeth the same order After that the Priestes haue receiued saith he the Archedeacon commaundeth the Deacons to come foorthe and they so comminge receiue as the Priestes did before This was the very order of Chrysostomes Masse touchinge the Clergie and that by the witnesse of Chrysostome him selfe Now let M. Hardinge iudge vprightly whether these shiftes be so poore as he woulde make them But if the whole Clergie had béene so negligent that not one of them al being so many and so straitely charged woulde haue Communicated with the Priest as M. Hardinge séemeth to condemne them al onely vpon his owne woorde without any euidence Yet let vs sée whether M. Hardingâ—s Nemo were hable of necessitie to shutte out al the rest of the people Chrysostome in diuers places séemeth to diuide the whole multitude into three sortes whereof some were Penitent some Negligent and some Deuoute The Penitent were commaunded away and might not Communicate The Negligent sometime departed of them selues and woulde not Communicate The Deuoute remained and receiued togeather Now that the Deuoute remained stil with Chrysostome the whole time of the holy Mysteries it is plaine by the very fame place that M. Hardinge here allegeth for his purpose For thus Chrysostome saith vnto the people Thou art come into the Churche and hast songe praises vnto God with the rest and hast confessed thee selfe to be one of the woorthy in that thou departedste not foorth with the vnwoorthy By these woordes he sheweth that some were woorthy and some vnwoorthy that the vnwoorthy departed and the woorthy remained And againe in the same Homily he saithe The Deacon standinge on high calleth some to the Communion and putteth of some thrusteth out some and bringeth in some Chrysostome saith Some are called and some are brought in to Receiue with the Priest Where then is now M. Hardinges Nemo Uerely if there were some people with the Priest then was there no place for No body If No body receiued then is it not true that Chrysostome saithe that Some Receiued Here of a false Principle M. Hardinge as his wonte is gheasseth out the like Conclusion If there were so few Communicantes in that populous Citie of Antioche where the Scriptures were daily expouÌ„ded and preached then it is likely in Countrie Churches there were none at al. This argument hangeth onely by likelyhoode as doo the reast of his makinge and beinge set in order it standeth thus There was no Priuate Masse in the greate Citie of Antioche Ergo there was Priuate Masse in the Countrie Surely â–ª Good Reader this is a very Countrie Argument what so euer it seeme to M. Hardinge And further where as to aduance the Citie and to abase the Countrie he saithe The people in Cities were duly taught by opèn Sermons herein he must nâ—â—des be content that his gheasse geue place vnto the truethe For Chrysostome hâ—â— selfe saithe farre otherwise Thus he speaketh vnto the people in the Citie Dum per Hebdomadam semel vocamus vos ignaui estis alij quidem non aduenitis alâ— aâ—tem praesentes sine â—ucro disceditis quid non faceretis si nos hoc continuâ—â—â—â—â—remus Where as beynge called by vs but once in the weeke yet yee be slothful and some of you come not at al and other some beynge present departe without profite what would yee not doo if wee should cal you euery daye I note not this for that I misselyke with daily preachinge but for that vntrueth so boldly presumed shoulde not passe vntouched Yet saithe M. Hardinge In smal Countrie Churches either the priest let cease the daily Sacrifice or els he receiued alone But the daily Sacrifice ceassed not for then that had beene leafte vndoone that Christe commaunded to be doone Ergo there was
the construction of the Glose there written The woordes thereof be these There were certaine Priestes that consecrated the Bodie and Bloude of Christe in due order and receiued the Bodie but absteined from the Bloude Against them Gelasius writeth This gheasse of that Gloser for many good causes séemeth vnlikely for first it cannot be shewed by any storie neither where nor when any suche Priestes were that so absteined againe Gelasius séemeth to write of them that should be taught not of them that should teache of them that should be remoued from the Sacramentes not of the Priestes that should remoue them of the sacrilege wickednes of the facte not of the difference of any persones But the Glose saithe notwithstandinge These Priestes Consecrated bothe the Bodie and the Bloude and receiued the Bodie and absteined from the Bloude Here would I â—aine learne of D. Cole what then became of the Cuppe The Prieste dranke it not That is certaine for the Glose saithe so Againe the people dranke it not for so saithe the Glose also and be it true or false it must be defended Then must it needes follow that Christes Bloud was Consecrate to be cast awaye D. Cole might haue foreséene that this Glose woulde soone be taken against him selfe Now let vs see of this very selfe Glose what may be concluded of our side The Sacrament of Christes Bloud was not throwen away The Priest receiued it not Ergo It followeth of very fine force it was receiued by the people Thus D. Cole seeking to prooue that the people receiued not in Both Kindes him selfe vnawares necessarily prooueth that the people receiued in Both Kindes Wherefore M. Hardinges coniecture carrieth more substance of truth For the very story and conference of time wil soone geue the aduised Reader to vnderstande that Gelasius wrote this decrée against the Manichees Thus muche therefore hath M. Hardyng gotten hereby that now it appeareth that the first authours of his halfe Communion were a sorte of Heretiques They helde that Christe neuer receiued Fleshe of the Blessed Uirgin neither was borne nor suffred nor died nor arose againe Which errours are manifestly conuinced by the Sacramentes For they are Sacramentes of Christes Body Bloude therefore who so receiueth the same confesseth thereby that Christe of the Uirgin receiued bothe Body and Bloud So saithe S. Chrysostome Si mortuus Christus noÌ„ est â—uius Symbolum signum hoc SacramentuÌ„ est If Christe died not in deede tel me then whose token or whose signe is this Sacrament Tertullian also by a like argument taken of the Sacrament reproueth Marcion that helde that Christe had no Body but onely a shew and a phantasie of a Body Christus acceptum Panem distributum Discipulis Corpus suum illum fecit dicendo Hoc est Corpus meum hoc est figura Corporis mei Figura autem non esset nisi veritatis esset Corpus Caeterum vacua res quod est phantasma figuram capere non potest Christe hauinge receiued the Breade and geuinge the same to his Disciples made it his Body saieing This is my Body that is to say a figure of my Body But it coulde not be a figure onlesse there were a Body of a truth For a voide thing as is a phantasie can receiue no figure at al. Thus the Sacramentes doo plainely testify that Christe receiued not a phantasie or shew of a Body but a very Body in déede Therefore the Manichees absteined from the holy Cuppe as it appeareth by Leo notwithstanding S. Augustine in one place writinge namely against the Manichees seemeth to signifie the contrary These be his woordes Sacramentum Panis Calicis ita laudatis vt in â—o nobis pares esse volueritis Ye so commende the Sacrament of the Breade and of the Cuppe that therein you woulde make your selues equal with vs. Neither were they in deede hable to shew any simple cause why they should more shunne the one portion then the other For the Sacrament of the Breade no lesse consounded their errour then the Sacrament of the Cuppe And as they thought that Christes Body was no Body but onely a phantasie so they likewise thought that Christes Bloud was no natural Bloud but onely a phantasie But if they woulde not beléeue Leo or Augustine that Christe had one Body how muche lesse woulde they beléeue M. Hardinge that Christe hath twoo Bodies the one in the Brâ—ade the other in the Cuppe and eche wholy in the other M. Hardinge The .31 Diuision And therefore M. Iuel dooth vs greate wronge in wresting this Canon against vs for as muche as wee doo not diuide this diuine Mysterie but beleeue stedfastly with harte and confesse openly with mouthe that vnder eache kinde the very fleashe and Bloud of Christe and whole Christe himselfe is present in the Sacrament 63 euen as Gelasius beleeued Vpon this occasion in the parties of Italy where the Manichees vttered their poyson the Communion vnder Bothe Kindes was restoared and coÌ„maunded to be vsed againe whereas before 64 of some the SacrameÌ„t was receiued vnder one kinde and of some vnder Bothe Kindes Els if the Communion vnder Bothe Kindes had beene taken for a necessarie Institution and commaundement of Christe and so generally and inuiolably obserued euery where and alwaies without exception what needed Gelasius to make suche an ordinance of receiuinge the whole Sacramentes the cause whereof by this Parenthesis quoniam nescio qua superstitione docentur adstringi plainely expresseth Againe if it had beene so inuiolably obserued of al vntil that time then the Manichees coulde not haue couered and cloked their infâ—lclitie as Leo saith by the receiuinge the Communion with other Catholike people vnder One Kinde For whiles the Catholikes wente from Churche contented with the onely forme of Breade it was vncertaine whither he that came to receiue were a Manichee or a Catholike But after that for discrieinge of them it was Decreed that the people should not forbeare the Communion of the Cuppe any more the good Catholike folke so receiued and the Manichees by their refusal of the Cuppe bewraied them selues Whereby it appeareth that the Communion vnder One Kinde vsed before by the commaundementes of Leo and Gelasius was forbidden to th â–ª intente thereby the Manichees heresie might the better be espied rooted out and cleane abolished Thus bicause wee doo not diuide the Mysterie of the Lordes Body and Bloude but acknowlege confesse and teache that Christe tooke of the Virgin Mary very Fleashe and very Bloud in deede and was a whole and perfit man as also God and deliuered the same whole Fleashe to deathe for our redemption and rose againe in the same for our Iustification and geueth the same to vs to be partakers of it in the Blessed Sacrament to life euerlasting that Decree of Gelasius can not seeme against vs iustly to be alleged muche lesse may he seeme to say or meane that to minister the Communion
Inâ—er blandimenta nuâ—ricum As he was plaieinge vnder his Nâ—rce Signiâ—ieing thereby that his Nurces vnderstoode and spake Latine In his Booke De Catechizandis rudibus He writeth thus Let them know there is no voice that soundeth in Goddes eares but the deuotion of the minde So shal they not scorne at the head Priestes and Ministers of the Churche if they happen in makinge their praiers vnto God to speake false Latine or not to vnderstande the woordes that they speake or to speake them out of order He addeth â—urther Non quâ—d ista corrigenda non sint vt populus ad id quòd planè intelligit dicaâ— Amen Not for that suche faultes shoulde not be amended â–ª to the ende that the people to the thinge that they plainely perceiue may say Amen Here S. Augustine willeth that the Priestes vtter their Latine Seruice distinctely and truely that the people may vnderstande them Againe he saithe thus Volens etiam causam Donatistarum ad ipsius humilimi vulgi omninâ— imperitorum atque idiotarum notitiam peruenire eorum quantum fieri posset per nos inhaerere memorià e psalmum qui eis cantaretur per Latinas literas fâ—ci Beinge desirous that the cause of the Donatistes shoulde come to the knowlege of the lowest sorte and of them that be vtterly ignorant and voide of learninge and as muche as in vs lay might be fixed in their memorie I wrote a Psalme for them to singe in the Latine tongue And Possidonius writynge S. Augustines life saithe that Ualerius that was Bishop of Hippo before S. Augustine for that he was a Greeke borne and had smal skil in the Latine tongue was the lesse hable to Preache vnto the people and to discharge his dewtie there I doubte not but by these fewe woordes it may wel appeare that the people of Hippo vnderstoode the Latine al be it not in suche good order as they that had learned it at the Schoole and therefore would oftentimes speake amisse placing one woorde for an other and Gender for Gender and Case for Case as for example Dolus for Dolor S. Augustine saith Multi fratres imperiâ—iores Laâ—initaâ—is loquuÌ„tur fâ—c vt dicant Dolus illum torquet pro eo quod est Dolor And for that cause in his Sermons vnto the people he submitteth oftetimes him selfe vnto their capacitie For thus he speaketh vnto the people Saepe verba non Latina dico vt vos intelligatis Many times I vtter woordes that be no Latine that yee may vnderstande mee And againe he saith Ego dicam Ossum sic enim potius loquamur Melius est vt nos reprehendant Grammatici quà m non intelligant populi I wil saye Ossum for your better vnderstandinge although it be no Latine woorde And so hardely set vs speake For better is it that the Grammariens finde faulte with vs then the people should not vnderstande vs. Hereby it is plaine that at the Citie of Hippo whereof I specially spake the Common Seruice of the Churche was pronounced and Ministred in the Latine tongue for that the whole people there vniuersally vnderstoode and spake Latine M. Hardinge The .18 Diuisioâ— And where as S. Augustine as you allege him without shewing the place as your manner is whereby you may easely deceiue the Reader hath these woordes in his Sermons to the common people diuers times Nâ—nc loquar Laâ—iné vt omnes intelligaâ—is Novv vvil I speake Latine that you may al vnderstande mee of that saiâ—ing if any suche be may be gathered that sometimes he spake in the Punical tongue to the Punical Christians not vnderstandinge the Latine but now amonge the Latine Aphricanes that were of the Romaine kinde and vnderstoode not the Punike he woulde speake Latine that al suche should vnderstande him Who so dâ—sireth further to be perswaded that the people of Aphrica called Poeni spake and vnderstoode their owne Punical tongue and not the Latine tongue as likewise the people of Spaine named Iberi spake that language whiche was proper to them let him reade Titus Liuius De Bello Macedonico For there he recordâ—th that when those of Aphrica or of Spaine and the Romaines came togeather for parle and talke they vsed an Interpreter And Vlpianus the Lawer a greate Officer about Alexander Seuerus the Emperour at the beginninge of Christian Religion writeth that Fidei commissa may be leafte in al Vulgare tongues and putteth for examples the Punical and the Frenche or rather Gallical tongue The B. of Sarisburie I sée there is no pardon to be hoped for at M. Hardinges handes Bicause I noted not in what Booke and Chapter this place is to be founde therfore he beareth men in hande I séeke meanes to deceiue the Reader If this poore quarel may stande for proufe then is it no harde mater by the same Logique to conclude the like against him For M. Harding oftâ—times vseth the authoritie of S. Augustine and other Fathers without any noting of the places as his owne Booke is best witnesse Ergo M. Harding séeketh meanes to deceiue his Reader But in my iudgement better it is not to note the places at al then falsely to note them as M. Hardinges manner is to doo as where he vntruely allegeth the Decrée of the Councel of Ephesus against Nestorius for the Communion in One â—inde whiche Decrée neither is to be founde in that Councel nor euer was recorded or mentioned by any olde Father Or where he allegeth the Decrée of the first Councel of Nice for the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome him selfe confessinge that the same Decrée was burnte I know not how and coulde neuer yet be séene vntil this day Uerily this is a ready way to deceiue the Reader I passe by other petite faultes as that he allegeth the sixth booke of Ambrose De Sacramentis in stéede of the fifth or the .xxxiiij. Chapter of the sixth booke of Eusebius in stéede of the .xliiij Or that Steuen Gardiner allegeth Theophilus Alexandrinus in stéede of Theophylactus Or the thirde booke of S. Augustine De. Sermone Domini in Monte where as S. Augustine neuer wrote but twoo The place wherewith M. Hardinge findeth him selfe greeued is to be founde in S. Augustine De Verbis Apostoli the woordes be these Prouerbium notum est Punicum quod quidem Latinè vobis dicam quia Punicè non omnes nostis There is a Common Prouerbe in the Punike tongue whiche I wil reporte vnto you in Latine bicause ye doo not al vnderstande the Punike Here it is plaine that the Latine tongue was knowen to al the hearers and the Punike tongue onely vnto some And therefore in an other Sermon vnto the people he saithe thus Omnes nouimus Latinè non dici sanguines aut sanguina Wee doo al know reckeninge him selfe with the people that these woordes Sanguines or Sanguina are no Latine and againe as I haue before reported touchinge a Latine
vnfruiteful speaking with strange and vnknowen tongues without interpretation to the let and hinderance of Gods Woorde to be declared and to the keping of the people onely in gasinge and wondering from saieing Amen and geuinge their assent to the Godly Blessinge and thankes geuinge But the order of the Churche nowe is farre otherwise We haue not those miraculouse giftes and right wel may wee doo without them For the speakinge with tongues was insteede of a signe or wonder not to them that beleued but to the vnbeleuers And signes be for the vnfaithful the faithful haue no neede of them In Churches I meane where auncient order is kepte whiles the Seruice is songe or saide the ministers doo not speake with tongues or with a tongue in suche sorte as S. Paule vnderstoode but they doo reade and rehearse thinges set foorthe and appoincted to them S. Paule rebuketh them who speakinge with tongues letted the Preachers so as the people present might not be edified The Latine Seruice is not so done in the Churche as the exposition of the Scriptures be thereby excluded In the Apostles time they came to Churche to thintent they might profitably exercise the giftes God gaue them and by the same specially by the gifte of prophecieinge edifie one an other and teache one an other Nowe a daies they come not togeather to Churche one to teache an other and to expounde the Scriptures in common but to praye and to heare the opening of Goddes Woorde not one of an other without order but of some one to witte the Bishop Priest Curate or other spiritual gouernour and teacher The B. of Sarisburie We may safely graunte some parte of M. Hardinge longe talke without preiudice of our cause In deede S. Paule in the place alleged spake of the gifte of tongues as it was a special miracle enduringe onely for a while not gotten by labour or studie but fréely inspired by the spirite of God But the Latine tongue saith M. Hardinge as it is nowe commonly vsed in the Romaine Seruice is not geuen by any suche promptinge of the Holie Ghoste nor is nowe any Miracle at al. Therfore the place of S. Paule cannot be applied vnto it We graunte wel it is no miracle as it is now vsed nor any way sauoureth of the Spirite of God But this is a great miracle to sée either any man so wicked that so wil vse it or so impudent that so wil defende it or so patient that so wil suffer it This verily is a merueilous miracle M. Hardinge séemeth hereof to reason of this sorte S. Paule forbade the Corinthians to vse the special miracle and gifte of God without profitinge the Congregation Ergo Nowe hauinge the Latine tongue without miracle we maye minister the â—â—ruice therein although the Congregation haue no Profite by it This reason is straunge and holdeth as simply as the reaste Yet hath he geuen special aduertisement in the Margin that this place of S. Paule serueth nothinge to our purpose If this note be so certaine and so authentical as he woulde séeme to make it then were the Doctours bothe newe and olde that tooke it otherwise not wel aduised For Lyra writinge vpon the same saith thus Si populus intelligat orationem Sacerdotis meliùs reducitur in Deum deuotiùs respondet Amen Ideò dicit Paulus Si tu Sacerdos benedixeris Spiritu populus non intelligat quid proficit populus simplex non intelligens Quapropter in Primitiua Ecclesia benedictiones coetera omnia fiebant in vulgari If the people vnderstande the praier of the Priest they are the better brought vnto God and with greater deuotion they answeare Amen Therfore S. Paule saith If thou being a Priest Blisse with thy Spirite and the people vnderstande thee not what profit then hath the people being simple and not vnderstanding thee Therefore in the Primitiue Churche bothe the Blissinges and al other thinges were done in the vulgare tongue The vulgare tongue saith Lyra was vsed in the primitiue Church vpon occasion of these woordes of S. Paule In the Councel of Aâ—on it is writen thus Psallentium in Ecclesia Domino mens concordare debet cum voce vt impleatur illud Apostoli Psallam spiritu psallaÌ„ mente The voice and minde of them that singe vnto the Lorde in the Churche muste agree togeather The reason thereof is taken out of this place of S. Paule I wil singe with my sprite I wil singe with my minde Chrysostome saithe S. Paule driueth the whole tenoure of this mater vnto the profite of the hearers These be his woordes Est autem quod Paulus dicit huiusmodi Nisi dixero quod percipi facilè claréque à vobis possit sed linguarum munere praedirum me esse tantùm ostendam nullum ex his quae non intelligetis fructum facientes abibitis Nam quae vtilitas esse possit ex voce non intellecta S. Paules sayinge standeth thus Onlesse I vtter my woordes so as they maie clearely and plainely be perceiued of you but onely shewe me selfe to haue the gifte of tongues ye shal haue no fruite of those thinges that ye knowe not For what profite can ye geate of a voice that ye cannot vnderstande And againe the same Chrysostome saithe farther Sic vos nisi significantem vocem dederitis verba quod dicitur vento hoc est nemini facietis Euen so you onlesse you geue a sounde that may be knowen as the Prouerbe is ye shal throwe foorthe your woordes into the winde that is to say ye shal speake to noman So likewise the Emperour Iustinian where he commaundeth al Bishoppes and Priestes to minister the Sacramentes and other Praiers alowde and with open voice he auoutcheth the same by this place of S. Paule For thus he saithe Sic enim Diuinus Apostolus docet dicens Si solum spiritu benedixeris qui implâ—t locum idiotae quomodo dicet Amen super tuam benedictionem NoÌ„ enim intelligit quid dicas So the holy Apostle saithe If thou onely blisse or praie with thy Sprite how shal he that supplieth the roume of the vnlearned say Amen vnto thy blissinge for he knoweth not what thou sayest It appeareth by these authorities not withstandinge M. Hardinges note that S. Paule maketh somewhat for our purpose How be it we builde not our proufes vpon the Miracle and Gifte of tongues that lasted but for a while but vpon these expresse plaine woordes of S. Paule whiche noman can denie He that speaketh with tongue speaketh not vnto menne but vnto God for no man heareth him If the Trumpet geue an vncertaine voice who shal prepare him selfe vnto the warre Euen so you onlesse yee vtter suche woordes as haue signification howe shal it be knowen what ye saie For ye shal speake into the winde I wil praie with my sprite I wil praie with my minde I wil singe with my sprite I wil singe with my minde
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
great number of Bishoppes meetinge togeather in Councel And howe may suche beyondesea Iudgement be thought good whereunto the personnes of the witnesses which in trial of trueth are thought necessary either for that thei be wemen or for the infirmitie of their age or for many other incident lettes cannot be brought Now that any should be sente abroade as it were from your holmes side we finde it not decreed in any Councel As for that you sent vs lately by our Brother Faustmus as parte of the Councel of Nice we must doo you to wite that in the true Councelles whiche we haue receiued from our Holy Felowbishop Cyrillus of Alexandria and the Reuerende Father Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople taken out of the very Originalles it cannot be founde And sende you not any your Clerkes hither to execute Iustice at any mannes request leaste we seeme to bringe the smokie puffe of the worlde into the Churche of Christe Thus farre the woordes of the Councel The Bishop of Rome when he sawe he was taken with the manner and found an open falsarie for that the Canons of his makinge disagreed from the very Originalles thought it good policie to saye the Originalles were burnte by the Arians and so no true copie nowe remaininge but his onely And therefore he imagined a letter to be written in the name of Athanasius and other Bishops of Aegypte vnto Marcus the Bishop of Rome wherein they besought him a copie of the Nicene Councel for that al their Bookes were vtterly destroyed But this shifte was to simple For it were harde for M. Hardinge to shewe what helpe Athanasius coulde haue founde in any of those Canons that are nowe presumed to be burnte wherewith either to relieue him selfe in that case or els to molest and greeue his aduersaries But bothe Iulius the Bishop of Rome and also Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria make mention hereof Therefore there is no cause saith M. Hardinge why this mater shoulde be suspected of any vntruethe This remouinge of suspition I know not howe séemeth somwhat to increase suspicion If there were not a soare what shoulde it thus neede to be salued In deede Iulius allegeth a Canon of the Councel of Nice But M. Hardinges Canon he allegeth not And the compiler of the Councelles gaue this note in the Margine touchinge the same Hoc Statutum solùm reducibile est ad quintum sextum Caput Niceni Concilij Verùm apertè non inuenitur This Decree maye onely be reduced to the fifth and sixth Chapter of the Councel of Nice But expressely it is not founde Suche credite is to be geuen to this Iulius in his allegations As for M. Hardinges Athanasius his tale is so simple that it wil soone bewray it selfe For as I noted before he writeth vnto Marcus the Bishop of Rome of the burninge of the Bookes and yet Athanasius him selfe certainely knewe that Marcus was deade at the least nine yéeres before that burninge happened Euen so the vaine forger of the Emperour Constantines greate Dotation imagineth him to Decrée that the Bishop of Constantinople shoulde be subiecte vnto the See of Rome And yet neither was the Citie of Constantinople at that time builte nor any suche name yet knowen in the worlde nor any Bishoprike there erected A man might saye Non satis commodè diuisa sunt temporibus tibi Daue haec Againe the same Athanasius writinge vnto Foelix saithe The Arianes had falsified the Nicene Councel but writinge vnto Marcus of the same mater as a man that had vtterly forgotten him selfe he saith The Arrianes had burnte the Councel of Nice But if it were burnte howe was it falsified If it were falsified how was it burnte These tales hange not wel together But for as much as M. Harding woulde so faine haue the Pope to holde by burnte euidence if it may please thée gentle Reader discretely to weigh the whole circumstance of the mater thou shalte soone finde that al this great adoo was nothinge els but a greate fable For firste it appéereth by Theodoretus that the whole Actes and Copies of the Councel of Nice were sente abroade vnto al Bishops that were awaye And Marius Uictorinus writinge against Arius saith that the same Actes were sente abroade into the whole worlde that many thousande Bishops subscribed and agréed vnto them Whiche thing being vndoubtedly true it were very muche for M. Hardinge to saye that al these copies in al partes of the worlde coulde be destroyed vpon the suddayne and that altogeather in one place and with one fyer and at one commaundement The Arianes neither were so mightie to atchieue it nor so foolishe to attempte it Cetainely the like neuer happened to any other Councel But what néedeth woordes where the mater is plaine The Bishoppes of Aphrica had the very copies of these Canons Alypius the Bishop of Tagasta in this conference with Faustinus saide Adhuc tamen me mouet quoniam cùm inspiceremus Graeca exemplaria huius Synodi Nicenae ista ibi nescio qua ratione minimè inuenimus But this one thinge muche moueth me that conferringe and examininge the Greeke examples of this Nicene Councel these maters of the superioritie of the See of Rome that is alleged I know not how we founde not there And Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria beinge desired for trial of this mater to sende the true Original of this Councel made answeare in this sorte Necesse habui fidelissima exemplaria ex authētica Synodo vestrae charitati dirigere I thought it needeful to sende vnto you the true examples of the very authentique Councel Likewise Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople to the same request answeareth thus Canones sicut statuti sunt in Nicaea Ciuitate à Patribus in integro ad vos direxi I haue sente vnto you the Canons in the whole euen as they were made and ratified by the Fathers in the Citie of Nice Nowe if these Canons were quite burnte as M. Hardinge saith how were they afterwarde founde whole as the godly Father Atticus and the learned Bishop Cyrillus saithe And if they were afterwarde founde whole how then were they quite burnte before Or howe is it that no man neither in Aphrica nor in Europa nor in Asia neither in the East Churche nor in the Weast was euer hable to sée these Canons but onely the Bishop of Rome that so ambitiously claimeth by them And if he haue them in déede and that of suche authentique recorde vnder the handes of the thrée hundred and eightéene Bishops as it is boldely auouched why are they not shewed Why haue they béene for the space of these thertéene hundred yeeres still kepte inuisible Uerily the Councel of Nice were wel woorthe the shewinge Al these thinges rightly weighed may seeme sufficient to discrie a Forger Yet gentle Reader the better to satisfie thy minde marke how earnestly with what cunninge M. Hardinges Athanasius forceth on
of the Heretique Abbate Eutychâ—s vseth these woordes Deâ—â—â—imus eum extraneum esse ab omni officio 〈◊〉 a nostra Communione a Primatu Monasterij Wee decree that he shal be remooued from his office of Priesthoode and from our 〈◊〉 and from the Primacie of 〈◊〉 Abbie So the Councel of Toledo Primâ—â—◠〈◊〉 honorabiles habâ—ntur in palatio They are counted honoâ—able in the Courte 〈…〉 Primacie of their dignitie In these places I recken wée néede not to take 〈◊〉 for an Uniuersal or infinite Gouernement Likewise the same woorde Primatus is often taken for the Superioritie of euery 〈…〉 and not onely for the dominion that is claimed by the Byâ—â—â—p of Rome In the Councel of Constantinople it is written thus Alexandâ—â—â— Episcopi solius Orientiâ— curaÌ„ gerant seruatis honoribus Primatus Ecclesiae Anâ—â—â—â—â— Let the Bishops of Alexandria haue the charge onely of the East the honour of 〈…〉 to the Churche of Antioche In like manner it is written in the 〈…〉 Chalcedon Episcopus qui in Aâ—â—iochia coÌ„stitutus est qui in â—â—â—â—eris prouincijs 〈…〉 ampliorum The Bishop that is appointed for Antioche 〈…〉 Prouinces let them haue the Pâ—â—â—acies of the greater Cities So the Empâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 and Ualentinian wrote vnto â—â—â—â—â—rus the Bishop of Alexandria 〈…〉 reported in the Councel of Chalcedon Authoritatem Primatum tuae praebemus Beaâ—â—â—â—â— Now if this woorde Primatus must néedes signifie that power â–ª and gouâ—â—â—â—ment that M. Harding fantasieth then must it folow of 〈◊〉 that Esau Euâ—â—â—â— the Bishop of Antioche and the Bishop of Alexandriâ— â–ª had the Uniuersal Power and gouernâ—ment of the whole worlde But if it may wel be taken for any manner preferâ—ement or preeminence or prioritie before others then is M. Hardinges argument muche acraâ—ed and concludeth not so much as is pretended Uerily Tertullian saith 〈…〉 Eccleâ—â—â— vna est illa ab Apostolis prima ex qâ—â— omnes Sic omnes primae omnes Apostoâ—â—â—â—â— dum vnam omnes probant vnitatem So many and so greate Churches are al that Fâ—â—â—â— one Châ—â—che erected by the Apostles frâ—â— whence came al. And so are al Churches bothe the first and also the Apostolique Churches for as muche as they al allow one truthe As touchinge S. Peters preeminence Cyprian saith Hoc erant alij quod Petrus pari consortio praediti Honoris Potestatis The reast of the Disciples were euen the same that Peter was al endewed with like felowship bothe of honoure and also of power Euen so saith S. Ambrose too and that in the very same place that M. Hardinge hath alleged Inter Petrum Paulum quis cui praeponatur incerâ—um est Of Peter and Paule whether ought to be preferred before other it is not knowen Certainely if Peter had had the Uniuersal soueraintie ouer al the Apostles he shoulde haue had the like ouer S. Paule And so perhaps M. Hardinge wil say notwithstandinge S. Ambrose by plaine woordes denieth it and although S. Gregorie saye Petrus Vniuersalis Apostolus non vocatur Peter is not called an Vniuersal Apostle Of S. Ambrose woordes M. Harding reasoneth thus Peter was the chiefest of the Apostles Ergo The Pope is Head of the Uniuersal Churche This argument woulde be better considered for as it is it holdeth but weakely M. Hardinge The .11 Diuision In the Epistle of Athanasius and the Bishoppes of Egypte to Liberius the Pope in whiche they sue for healpe against the oppressions of the Arianes wee finde these woordes Huius rei gratia vniuersalis vobis a Christo Iesu commissa est Ecclesia c. Euen for this cause the Vniuersal Churche hath been committed to you of Christe Iesus that you should trauaile for al and not be negligent to healpe euery one For whiles the stronge man beinge armed keepeth his howse al thinges that he possesseth are in peace The B. of Sarisburie This Epistle vnder the name of Athanasius bisides that it is vaine and childishe and ful of needelesse and idle talke hath also euident tokens of manifest forgerie For further answeare hereunto I referre me selfe vnto that is before answeared vnto the Epistle written vnder the name of Athanasius vnto Felix M. Hardinge The .12 Diuision Hilarius speakinge muche to the extollinge of Peter and his 100 Successour in that See saithe Supeâ— eminentem bearae fidei suae confessione locum promeruit that for the Confession of his blessed faithe â—e deserueâ— a place of preeminence 101. aboue al other The B. of Sarisburie Hilarius by M. Hardinges reporte speaketh muche to the extollinge of S. Peter and his successour in that See Here is firste a great vntrueth For Hilarius in that whole place speaketh not one woorde neither of Rome nor of the See nor of the Successour of Peter Onely he commendeth S. Peters faith wherein 〈◊〉 confessed that Christe is the sonne of the liuinge God and saith Haec fides est fundamentum Ecclesiae Super haâ—e Confessionis Petram Ecclesiae aedificatio est This faiâ—h is the fundation of the Churche Vpon this Rocke of Confession the Churche is builte And â—â—deth further By the Confession of his blessed Faithe he obteined a place of preeminencâ— as M. Harding addeth of his owne aboue al other Wherein also he committeth an other vntrueth For Hilarius saithe onely He obteined a special place and speaketh not one woorde of any other S. Augustine saith Petrus pro omnibus dixit cum omnibus accepit Peter spake for al the reast and receiued promise with al the reâ—st As the Confession was one so the place of preeminence was al one The preeminence was that they shoulde be the first fruites of Goddes Sainctes The vessels of Election The Fathers of the people The Light of the worlde The pillers of the Churche and the Angels of God That they shoulde sit vpon twelue seates and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel This was the special préeminence of the Apostles of Christe and was equally geuen vnto them al. But M. Hardinge cannot beléeue there is any place of Preeminence but onely in Rome and therefore imagineth that vpon this confession Christe saide vnto Peter Blissed arte thou Simon Bariona for thou shalt be Pope and shalt be exalted aboue thy Bretherne and shalt be fournished with al worldely power and al the Princes of the worlde shal stoope vnto thee This is the preeminence that by M. Hardinges fantasie Christ promised vnto S. Peter Of these woordes of Hillarie M. Hardinge seemeth to reason thus Peter obteyned a place of Preeminence Ergo The Bishop of Rome is heade of the Uniuersal Churche This argument is open and sheweth it selfe M. Hardinge The .13 Diuision S. Ambrose confessinge him selfe to beleue that the largenes of the Romaine Empire was by Goddes prouidence prepared that the Gospel might haue his course and be spreadde abrode the better saith thus
the Councel of Carthage and gaue his consente That the Bishop of the first See should not be called neither the Prince or Chiefe of Priestes nor the Highest Priest nor by any other like title He knoweth also that S. Augustine afterward confirmed the same in a Councel holden at Hippo Regius in his owne Diocesse Likewise he knoweth that the same S. Augustine Decréed amonge other Bishoppes to the number of 217. in the Councel of Aphrica that it shoulde not be lawful for any man of those countreis to seeke for ayde ouer the Seas and to appeale to the Bishop of Rome and that whosoeuer so appealed shoulde stande Excommunicate and so vtterly condemned that Infinite Dominion and Uniuersal Power that so many haue sithence dreamed of Againe writinge vpon the Gospel of S. Iohn he saith Petrus erat oculus in Capite Peter was an eye in the Heade He saith not Peter was the Heade In these woordes appeareth plainely S. Augustines certaine and vndoubted iudgemente touchinge this mater The reast that is here brought in standeth onely vpon M. Hardinges geatheringe It is true that as wel S. Augustine as also other Godly Fathers rightly and wel in olde times yelded greate reuerence to the See of Rome bothe for the Antiquitie of the Churche and for the honour and memorie of S Peter and for the constancie of the Holie Martyrs that there had suffred and also for the puritie of Religion whiche was preserued there a longe tyme without spotte and might be a standerde vnto others But the greatest increase of outwarde estimation in the worlde vnto that See was the Imperial Seate and Presence of the Prince as notably appeareth by the firste Councel of Constantinople For these causes S. Augustine saith The See of Rome had the highest place and chiefe preeminence aboue others Perhaps M. Hardinge wil presse me further with this woorde Principatus whiche he expoundeth The Principalitie Howbeit I beleue he wil not saye Pâ—incipatus signifieth an Uniuersal power or Supreme gouernement and so his aduauntage of this woorde is not so greate Uerily Princeps in the Latine tongue is often vsed for a man that for his vertue or roome or any singular qualitie is to be had in estimation aboue others So Cicero saith Socrates princeps Philosophorum Grauitate dicendi princeps Plato princeps orbis terrarum Pompeius Like as also Chrysostome saithe Caput Prophetarum Elias Elias the Heade of the Prophetes In these places Princeps is taken not for a Prince or Gouernour but onely for a man that for his qualities is to be estéemed aboue the reaste And in this sense S. Augustine calleth the See of Rome as it was in his time Principatum Sedis Apostolicae and not in respecte of any Supreme gouernement for that he himselfe in the Councel of Aphrica as it is alreadie prooued vtterly denied him I graunte as S. Augustine saith The Bishop of Rome truely and diligently dooinge the parte of a Bishop he that then woulde haue denied him the chiefe preeminence for the respectes aboue touched had béene wicked or arrogant But the same Bishop of Rome nowe claiming to him selfe the title of Uniuersal Bishop as S. Gregorie saithe Is the Forerenner of Antichriste and the consenting to the same as the same Gregorie saithe Is the renouncinge and forsaking of the faithe I coulde further saye that M. Hardinge in these authorities of S. Augustine hath leafte out and transposed what he thought good and so hath shewed no simple dealinge In the first place S. Augustines woordes be these Episcopus videbat se Romanae Ecclesiae in qua semper Apostolicae Cathedrae viguit principatus per Communicatorias literas esse coniunctum He sawe him selfe by Letters of Conference to be ioyned with the Churche of Rome in which Churche the chiefe preeminence of the Apostolique See had euer flourished S. Augustine saith The Bishop there was ioyned with the Churche of Rome not by waye of Obedience or Subiection but by Letters of CoÌ„ference wherin is implied an equalitie or a felowship And afterwarde in the same Epistle S. Augustine saith That Meltiades the Bishop of Rome with certaine other Bishops hearde the mater betwéen Caecilianus and Donatus A casis nigris not by any his Uniuersal or Supreme Power as M. Harding imagineth but by special Commission from the Emperour And so was the Bishop of Rome the Emperours Delegate and that not in any Soueraine Authoritie but felowlike and equally ioyned with other Bishops and That afterwarde the same cause vpon complainte and mislikinge of Donatus was by the Emperour taken out of the Bishop of Romes handes and by a new Commission was put ouer to the hearing of the Bishop of Arle in Fraunce But where was then the Bishop of Romes supreme gouernement In the seconde place M. Hardinge hath notably falsified bothe S. Augustines woordes in the Latine and also his owne Translation in the Englishe S. Augustines woordes be these CoÌ„munis est nobis omnibus qui fungimur Episcopatus officio quamuis ipse in eo praeemineas celsiore fastigio Specula pastoralis Which woordes M. Hardinge by wilful deprauation hath altered thus Celsiore fastigio speculae pastoralis And so hath leafte the Adiectiue Communis without a Substantiue and the principal Uerbe Est without a Nominatiue Case And to serue his turne hath caused S. Augustine to speake false Latine This place of S. Augustine may be Englished thus The pastoral Watche Tower is common to vs al that beare the office of Bishops albeit thy preeminence is greater as sittinge in the higher roome M. Hardinges Translation is thus Thou thy selfe hast the preeminence ouer al being in the toppe of the pastoral Tower Wherein these woordes Ouer al are not sounde in S. Augustine but onely diuised at pleasure by M. Hardinge In the thirde place bisides other corruption he dissembleth the woordes that S. Augustine in the very same place allegeth out of S. Cyprian very wel seruing to this purpose The woords be these Nec Petrus vindicauit sibi aliquid aut arroganter assumpsit vt diceret se primatum tenere obtemperari sibi a nouellis posteris potius debere Neither did Peter chalenge any thinge or proudely presume of him selfe to say that he had the primacie and that therefore others as Nouices and vnderlinges should be obedient vnto him Al these thinges M. Harding dissembleth and so to fournishe out his mater and to smouthe his Reader he leaueth out what he listeth M. Hardinge The .15 Diuision The notable saieing of S. Hierome may not be let passe Ecclesiae salus a summi Sacerdotis dignitate pendet cui si non exors quaedam ab omnibus eminens detur potestas tot in Ecclesiis efficientur schismata quot Sacerdotes The safetie of the Churche hangeth of the worship of the high Priest 103 he meaneth the Pope Peters successour
Spayne ordeined thus Presbyteri Clerici ne appellent nisi ad Aphricana Concilia Let it not be lawful for Priestes or Clerkes to Appeale to Rome but onely to the Councelles holden in Aphrica So in the Mileuitane Councel Si ab Episcopis appellandum putauerint non prouocent nisi ad Aphricana Concilia vel ad Primates Prouinciarum suarum Ad transmarina autem qui putauerint appellandum à nullo intra Aphricam in Communionem recipiantur If they thinke it meete to Appeale from their Bishops let them not Appeale but onely to the Councelles of Aphrica or vnto the Primates of their owne Prouinces But if they shal make their Appeale beyonde the Seas that is to Rome let no man in Aphrica receiue them to the Communion So likewise in the Councel of Aphrica Si fuerit prouocatum eligat is qui prouocauerit Iudices cum eo ille contra quem prouocauerit vt ab ipsis deinceps nulli liceat prouocare If Appeale be made let him that shal Appeale choose other Iudges of his side and likewise letthe other doo the same against whom he Appealeth that from them afterwarde it be lawful for neither of them to Appeale And agayne in the same Councel Non prouoceÌ„t nisi ad Aphricana Concilia Let them not appeale but onely vnto the Councelles holden within Aphrica and so foorthe woorde by woorde as is alleged out of the Councel of Mileuita But here I may not wel passe ouer Gratians Glose touchinge this mater For where as the Councel hath determined that if any man appeale beyonde the Seas he stande Excommunicate Gratian hath expounded salued it with this preatie exception Nisi forte Romanam Sedem appellauerint Onlesse they appeale to the See of Rome And so by his construction he excepteth that onely thinge out of the lawe for whiche onely thing the whole lawe was made For it is plaine and without al question that the Councel of Aphrica specially and namely meante to cut of al appeales to the See of Rome And yet those onely appeales Gratian by his Construction woulde haue to be saued But what can be so plaine as the Epistle of the twoo hundred seuentéene Bishoppes in the Councel of Aphrica sent vnto Coelestinus Bishop of Rome declaringe at length bothe the state and conueyance of the cause and also their griefe and misâ—iking of the whole mater The woordes lie thus Decreta Nicena siue inferioris gradus Clericos c. The Decrees of the Councel of Nice haue euidently committed bothe the Clerkes of inferiour roumes and also the Bishoppes them selues vnto their Metropolitanes For bothe iustly and discretely they prouided that al manner actions should be determined in the same places where they beganne and likewise thought that no Prouince should wante the Grace of the Holy Ghoste whereby Christian Bishops might be hable bothe wisely to consider and also constantly to mainteine the right And specially seeinge that libertie is geuen that if either partie mislike his Iudges order he may lawfully appeale either to a Conuocation of Bishoppes within the same Countrie or els to a General Councel Onlesse any man wil thinke that God is hable to inspire the Iustice of trial into one man alone meaning thereby the Bishop of Rome and wil denie the same to a greate number of Bishoppes beinge in Councel altogeather And how can your beyonde sea iudgement appeare good seeinge that the witnesses whiche be parties necessarie either for that they be wemen or for that they be aged and weake or for many other incident impedimentes cannot come vnto it As for any Delegates that should be sent as from your side wee finde no suche mater determined in any Councel And touchinge that you sent vs of late by Faustinus our felowbishop as parte of the Nicene Councel in the very true Councelles of Nice whiche wee haue receiued from holy Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria and from Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople c. wee finde no suche mater Neither sende yee nor graunte yee your Clerkes to execute causes at any mannes request least wee seeme to bringe a smokie puffe of worldly pride into the Churche of Christe whiche vnto them that desire to see God sheweth the light of simplicitie and humilitie c. The Byshoppes of the East parte of the worlde beinge Arians writinge vnto Iulius the Bishop of Rome tooke it gréeuousely that he woulde presume to ouer rule them and shewed him It was not lawful for him by any sleight or colour of appeale to vndoo that thinge that they had doone S. Cyprian findinge faulte with suche renninge to Rome and defeatinge of Iustice writeth vnto Cornelius the Bishop there in this sorte Cum aequum iustumque sit vt vniuscuiusque causa illic audiatur vbi crimen est admissum singulis pastoribus portio gregis sit adscripta quam regat vnusquisque gubernet rationem sui actus Domino redditurus oporteâ— vtique cos quibus praesumus non circumcursare nec EpiscoporuÌ„ concordiam cohaerentem sua subdola fallaci temeritate collidere sed agere illic causam suam vbi accusatores habere testes sui criminis possint nisi paucis desperatis perditis minor videtur esse authoritas Episcoporum in Aphrica constitutorum qui iam de illis iudicauerunt c. Seeinge it is meete and right that euery mans cause be hearde there where the faulte was committed and seeinge that euery Bishop hath a portion of the flocke allotted vnto him whiche he must rule and gouerne and yelde accompte vnto the Lorde for the same therfore it is not meete that they whom wee are appointed to ouersee doo thus ren aboute with their appeales and so with their suttle and deceiteful rashenesse breake that concorde and consent of Bishoppes But there ought they to pleade their cause where they may haue bothe accusers and witnesses of the faulte Onlesse perhaps a few desperate and lewde fellowes thinke the authoritie of the Bishoppes of Aphrica whiche haue already iudged and condemned them to be lesse then is the authoritie of other Byshoppes Hereby it is cleare that the godly Fathers and Bishoppes in olde times misliked muche this shiftinge of maters to Rome for that they saw it was the hinderance of right the increase of ambition the open breache of the holy Canons And therefore the Emperour Iustinian foreséeinge the disorders that hereof might grow to bridle this ambitious oultrage thought it necessary for his subâ—â—â—â—es to prouide a straite Law in this wise to the contrary Si quis Sanctissimorum Episcoporum eiusdem Synodi dubitationem aliquam adinuicer â—habeat siue pro Ecclesiastico iure siue pro alijs quibusdam rebus prius Metropolita eorum cum alijs de sua Synodo Episcopis causam examiner iudicet Quod si vtraque pars rata non habuerit ea quae
iudicata sunt tunc beatissimus Paâ—riarcha Dioceseos illius inter eos audiat illa determinet quae Ecclesiasticis Canonibus Legibus consonant Nulla parte eius sententiae coÌ„tradicere valente If any of the moste holy Bishoppes â—einge of one Synode haue any mater of doubte or question amonge them selues whether it be for Ecclesiastical right or any other maters First let their Metropolitane with other Bishoppes of the same Synode examine and iudge the cause But if bothe the parties stande not to his and their iudgementes then let the moste holy Patriarke of the same Prouince heare and determine their matter accordinge to the Ecclesiastical lawes and Canons And neither of the parties may vvithstande his determination And immediatly after Patriarcha secundum Canones Leges Praebeat finem Let the Patriake accordinge to the Lawes and Canons make an ende By these woordes al Appeales be quite cutte of from the Sée of Rome Likewise the Emperours Honorius and Theodosius haue taken Appeales away from the Bishoppes of Rome and haue commaunded the same to be entred before the Bishop and Synode of Constantinople The Lawe is written thus Omni innouatione cessante vetustatem Canones pristinos Ecclesiasticos qui vsque tunc tenuerunâ— per omnes Illyrici prouincias seruari praecipimus vt si quid dubietatis emerserit id oportear non absque sententia viri Reuerendissimi Sacrosanctae Legis Antistitis Ecclesiae vibis Constantinopolitanae quae Romae veteris praerogatiua laetatur Conuentui Sacerdotali Sancto iudicio reseruari Al innouation set aparte wee commaunde that the olde order and the auncient Ecclesiastical Canons whiche hitherto haue holden be keapte stil through al the Prouinces of â—llyricum that if any mater of doubte happen to arise it be put ouer to be determined by the holy iudgement and assemblie of Bishoppes not without the discretion of the most Reuerende the Bishop of the Citie of Constantinople which Citie now inioieth the Prerogatiue of Olde Rome Here M. Hardinge may not forgeate that the Churche of Constantinople had as greate prerogatiue in al respectes of Preeminence Superioritie and Uniuersalitie of charge as euer had the Churche of Rome Wherfore if the Bishop of Rome were Head of the Uniuersal Churche it must néedes folow that the Bishop of ConstaÌ„tinople was likewise Head of the Uniuersal Churche And againe the Emperour Leo in plainer woordes Omnes qui vbicunque sunt vel post hac fuerint Orthodoxae Fidei Sacerdotes Clerici cuiuscuÌ„que gradus sint Monachi quoque in causis ciuilibus ex nullius penitus maioris minorisue sententia Iudicis commonitoria ad extraneaiudicia perirahaÌ„tur aut prouinciam vel locum vel regionem quam habitant exire cogantur Al that be or hereafter shal be Priestes or Clerkes of the Catholique Faith of what degree so euer they be Monkes also let them not in any Ciuile Actions be drawen foorth to fâ—ren Iudgement by the summone or commaundement of any Iudge more or lesse neither let them be driuen to come foorthe of either the Prouince or the place or the Countrie where they dwel Thus whether the Action were Ecclestastical or Ciuile the partie was to be hearde within his owne Prouince and coulde not be forced to appeare abroade Certainely what good likinge S. Bernarde had herein it appeareth hy his woordes For thus he writeth to Eugenius the Bishop of Rome Quousque non euigilat consideratio tua ad tantam Appellationum confusionem Ambitio in Ecclesia per te regnare molitur praeter ius fas praeter morem ordinem fiunt Repertum ad remedium reperitur ad mortem Antidotum versum est in venenum â–ª Murmur loquor querimoniam Communem Ecclesiarum Truncari se clamant demembrari Vel nullae vel paucae admodum sunt quae plagam istam aut non doleant aut non timeant When wil thy consideration â—wake to beholde this so greate confusion of Appeales Ambition and pride striueth through thee to reigne in the Churche These Appeales be made biside al Lawe and Right biside al manner and good order It was diuised for a remedie it is founde turned to deathe That was Triakle is chaunged into poison I speake of the murmuringe and common complainte of the Churches They complaine they be maimed and dismembred There be either no Churches or very fewe but either smarte at this plague or stande in feare of it This is that woorthy grounde wherevpon M. Hardinge hath layde the firste fundation of his Supremacie A Confusion a Death a Poyson a Terrour and Dismembringe of the Churches practised against Lawe against right against manner and against good order misliked by the Holie Fathers disallowed by godly Councelles and vtterly abrogated and abolished by sundrie woorthie and noble Princes This is M. Hardinges principall fundation of his Primacie But yet these men wil saye Chrysostome Athanasius and Theodoretus beinge Godly Fathers and holie Bishops appealed to Rome and acknowleged the Popes authoritie and besought him to vse the same For the true vnderstandinge hereof it shal be necessarie to consider the state that these godly Fathers then stoode in and the miserable confusion of the East parte of the worlde in those daies Chrysostome thereof writeth thus Certamen est totius orbis Ecclesiae vsque ad genua humiliatae sunt populi dispersi Clerus diuexatus Episcopi exules constitutiones Patrum violatae It is the contention of the whole worlde The Churches are brought vpon their knees the people is scatered the ministerie is oppressed the Bishops are banished the constitutions of our Fathers are broken The Emperours Captaine with a bande of souldiours besette the Churche where Athanasius was prayeing Of the people that was with him some were spoiled and bannished some trodden vnder the souldiours féete some slaine where they went Paulus the Bishop of Constantinople was hanged Marcellus the Bishop of Ancyra was depriued Lucius the Bishop of Adrianopolis died in prison Theodulus and Olympius two Bishops of Thracia were commaunded to be murthered The Emperour had commaunded Athanasius to be brought vnto him either deade or aliue These Godly Fathers beinge thus in extreme miserie and séeinge their whole Church in the East parte so desolate were forced to séeke for comforte whersoeuer they had hope to fynde any and specially they sought to the Churche of Rome whiche then bothe for multitude of people and for puritie of Religion and Constancie in the same and also for healping of the afflicted and intreatinge for them was moste famous aboue al others In like sorte sometimes they fledde for healpe vnto the Emperour So Athanasius beinge condemned in the Councel at Tyrus fleadde to Constantinus the Emperour Flauianus vnto the Emperours Theodosius and Ualentinianus Donatus à Casis Nigris vnto Constantinus And the Emperours sometimes called the parties and hearde the mater them selues Sometimes they wrote fauourable
letters in their behalfe The Emperour Constans wrote vnto his brother Constantius to cal before him the Bishops of the Easte parte to yelde a reckeninge of their dooinges against Athanasius The Emperour Honorius gaue his endeuour that Athanasius might be restoared Constantinus the Emperour vpon Athanasius complainte commaunded the Bishops of the Councel of Tyrus to appeare before him The woords of his Summon be these Quotquot Synodum Tyri habitam compleuistis sine mora ad pietatis nostrae Castra properetis ac re ipsa quà m sincerè ac rectè iudicaueritis ostendatis idque Coram me quem sincerum esse Dei ministrum ne vos quidem ipsi negabitis As many of you as were at the Councel of Tyrus high you vnto our Campe or Courte without delaie and shewe vs howe sincerely and vprightly ye hâ—ue dealt and that euen before me whom you your selues can not denâ—e to be the sincere Seruaunte of God Thus Holie men beinge in distresse sought healpe wheresoeuer they had hope to finde it This seekinge of remedy by waye of Complainte as it declareth their miserie so is it not sufficient to proue an ordinarie Appâ—ale But it is moste certaine and out of al question that Chrysostome Appealed vnto Innocentius for M. Hardinge hath here alleged his owne woordes I graunte M. Hardinge hath here alleged Chrysostome but in suche faithful and trustie sorte as Pope Zosimus sometimes alleged the Councel of Nice Good Christian Reader if thou haue Chrysostome peruse this place and weigh wel his woordes if thou haue him not yet be not ouerhastie of beliefe M. Hardinges dealinge with thée herein is not plaine The very woordes of Chrysostome in Latine stande thus Ne confusio haec omnem quae sub Coelo est nationem inuadat obsecro vt scribas quod haec tam inique facta absentibus nobis non declinantibus iudicium non habeant robur Sicut neque natura sua habent Illi autem qui iniquè egerunt poenae Ecclesiasticarum LeguÌ„ subiaceant Nobis verò qui nec conuicti nec redarguti nec habiti vt rei sumus literis vestris charitate vestra aliorumque omnium quorum anâ—èsocietate fruebamur frui concedite Whiche woordes into Englishe maye truely be translated thus Lest this confusion ouerrenne al nations vnder heauen I pray thee write or signifie vnto them that these thinges so vniustely doone I beinge absent and yet not fleeynge iudgement be of no force as in deede of their owne nature they be of none and write that they that haue doone these thinges so wrongfully be punished by the Lawes of the Churche and graunt you that we that are neither conuicted nor reproued nor founde giltie may inioy your letters and your loue and likewise the letters and loue of al others whose felowship we inioyed before In these fewe woords M. Hardinge hath notably falsified thrée places quite alteringe the woordes that he founde shufflinge in and interlacinge other woordes of his owne For these woordes in M. Hardinges translation that séeme to signifie authoritie in the Bishop of Rome and to importe the Appeale VVrite and determine by your authoritie Put you them vnder the Censure of the Church Geue commaundement that we be restoared to our Churches These woorde I saye are not to be founde in Chrysostome neither in the Gréeke nor in the Latine but onely are pretily conueied in by M. Hardinge the better to furnishe and fashion vp his Appeale He séeth wel this mater wil not stande vpright without the manifest corruption and falsifieinge of the Doctours This therefore is M. Hardinges Appeale and not Chrysostomes For that Chrysostome made no suche Appeale to the Bishop of Rome it may sufficiently appeare bothe by Chrysostomes owne Epistles and by the Bishop of Romes dealinge herein and by the ende and Conclusion of the cause Touching Chrysostome him selfe he maketh no mention of any Appeale nor desireth the parties to be cited to Rome nor taketh Innocentius for the Bishop of the whole Churche or for the vniuersal Iudge of al the worlde but onely saluteth him thus Innocentio Episcopo Romae Iohannes Iohn to Innocentius Bishop of Rome sendeth greetinge And againe in the same Epistle he vtterly auoideth al such foren Iudgementes accordinge to the determinations of the Councelles of Carthage Mileuitum and Aphrica These be his woordes Neque congruum est vt hi qui in Aegypto sunt iudicent eos qui sunt in Thracia It is not meete that they that be in Egypte should be Iudges ouer them that be in Thracia Neither doo the Bishop of Romes owne woordes importe any appeale but rather the contrary for he vseth not his familiar woordes of biddinge or commaundinge but onely in gentle and frendely manner exhorteth them to appeare and that not before him selfe but onely before the Councel of sundrie Bishoppes summoned specially for that purpose For thus Iulius writeth vnto the Bishops of the East Quae est causa offensionis An quia adhortati vos sumus vt ad Synodum occurreretis What is the cause of your displeasure Is it bicause wee exhorted you to come to the Councel Here he exhorteth and intreateth them he commaundeth them not he calleth them to come not before him selfe but before the Councel Againe he saith Legati vestri Macarius Presbyter Hesychius Diaconus Concilium indici postulauerunt Your owne embassadours Macarius beinge a Priest and Hesychius beinge a Deacon required that a Councel might be summoned And againe Vellem vos magis ad iam dictam Canonicam conuenire vocationem vt coram vniuersali Synodo reddatis rationem I woulde you rather to come to this Canonical callinge that ye may yelde your accompte of your dooinges before the General Councel So likewise S. Basile writeth to Athanasius by way of counsel in that heauie time of trouble Viros igitur Ecclesiae tuae potentes ad Occidentales Episcopos mitte qui quibus calamitatibus premamur illis exponant Sende some worthy men of your Churches not vnto the Bishop of Rome but vnto the Bishopppes of the Weaste that may let them vnderstande with what miseries wee are besette Likewise againe he saith Visum mihi est consentaneum vt scribatur Episcopo Romae vt ea quae hic geruntur consideret detque Concilium I thinke it good yee write to the Bishop of Rome that he may consider that is here doone and may appointe vs a Councel Neither did the Bishop of Rome by his owne authoritie summon the Bishops of the East but by the counsel and conference of other Bishoppes For so Athanasius saith Misit omnium Italicorum EpiscoporuÌ„ consilio Iulius ad Episcopos Orientales certum illis Synodi diem denuntians Iulius sent vnto the Bishops of the East by the counsel of al the Bishops of Italie geuing them to vnderstande the certaine day of the Councel Which thinge Iulius also him selfe
shal afterwarde be shewed more at large Donatus a Casis nigris was by the Emperour lawfully remooued from the Bishop of Rome to the Bishop of Arle in Fraunce Ostiensis woordes be these Non nocebit error si appelletur ad Maiorem quà m debuerit vel ad parem The errour shal not hurte if the appeale be made either to a higher Iudge then was meete or to an equal Where also it is thus noted in the Margin Appellari potest ad parem si de hoc sit consuetudo Appeale may be made vnto the equal if there be a custome of it Hereby it is plaine that the right of appeale by fine force of Law concludeth not any necessarie superioritie muche lesse this infinite power ouer the whole Uniuersal Churche But M. Harding might soone haue foreséene that this his first principle of Appeales woulde easily be turned against him selfe First for that it is wel knowen that Appeales then euen in the Ecclestastical causes were made vnto the Emperours and Ciuile Princes Secondely for that the Bishop of Rome determined suche cases of Appeale by warrant and Commission from the Emperour Thirdly for that maters beinge once hearde and determined by the Bishop of Rome haue béene by appeale from him remooued further vnto others As touchinge the first that appeales in Ecclesiastical causes were lawfully made vnto the Prince it is cleare by Eusebius by Socrates by Nicephorus and by S. Augustine in sundrie places Donatus beinge condemned by thréescore and tenne Bishops in Aphrica appealed vnto the Emperour Constantinus was receiued S. Augustine saith Parmenianus vltrò passus est suos adire CoÌ„stantinuÌ„ Parmenianus willingly suffered his felowes to goe vnto Themperour Constantinus Againe he saith Infero adhuc verba Constantini ex literis eius vbi se inter partes cognouisse innocenteÌ„ CaecilianuÌ„ comperisse restatur Here I bringe in the woordes of Constantine out of his owne letters wherein he confesseth that he hearde the parties and founde Caecilianus to be innocent Likewise he saith An fortè de Religione fas non est vt dicat Imperator vel quos miserit Imperator Cur ergo ad ImperatoreÌ„ legati vestri venerunt What is it not lawful for the Emperour or for such as shal be sent by the Emperour to pronounce sentence of Religion Wherefore then came your Embassadours vnto the Emperour And so likewise againe Si nihil debent in his causis Imperatores iubere Si ad Imperatores Christianos haec cura pertinere noÌ„ debet quis vrgebat maiores vestros causam Caeciliani ad lmperatoreÌ„ mittere If Emperours haue nothing to commaunde in these cases or if this mater nothing touche a Christian Emperours charge who then forced your predecessours to remoue Caecilianus mater vnto the Emperour Therefore the Emperour Constantinus summoned the Bishops of the East that had béene in the Councel of Tyrus to appeare before him to rendre accompte of their dooinges His woordes be these Vt re ipsa quà m sincerè ac rectè iudicaueritis oftendatis idque Coram me I wil you to make your appearance and to shew in deede how sincerely and iustly ye haue dealte And that euen before me By these few examples it may wel appeare that appeales in Ecclesiastical causes in those daies were made vnto the Prince and that it was thought lawful then for the Prince to haue the hearinge of the same Yet was not the Prince therefore the Head of the Uniuersal Churche Certainely S. Gregorie thought it not amisse to commit a Spiritual mater touching the purgation of a Bishop to Brunichilda the Frenche Quéene Notwithstanding it be noted thus in the Glose Fuit tamen hic nimiuÌ„ papaliter dispensaâ—um As touching the Bishop of Romes power herein it is certaine he hearde suche maters of appeale by warrant of the Emperours Commission and not as hauiâ—ge authoritie of him sâ—lfe S. Augustine openinge the contention betweene Caecilianus and Donatus a Casis nigris vttereth this mater at large in this wise An forte non debuit Romanae Ecclesiae Episcopus Milâ—iades cum Collegis transmarinis Episcopis illud sibi vsurpare iudicium quod ab Aphris septuaginta vbi Primas Tigisiâ—anus praesedit fueâ—at terminaâ—um Quid quòd nec ipse vsurpauiâ— Rogatus quippe Imperator Iudices misit Episcopos qui cum eo sederent But shoulde not the Bishop of Rome Miâ—â—icdes with otâ—er hâ—s fellowes Bishopâ—es beyonde the seas ioined togeatâ—er in Commission take vpon him tâ—e iudgeâ—ent of that thinâ—e that was determined before by threâ—score and tenne Bishoppes of Aâ—hrica emongest whom the Primate of Tigiâ—ita sâ—te as President And what if he never tooke it vpon him as of him selfe For the Emperour beinge intreâ—ted by the partie sente other Bishoppes to sitte with him The very copie of this Commission is yet to be seene bothe in Eusebius and also in Nicephorus Neither was the Bishop of Rome alone in that Commission but ioined togeather with Rheticius Maternus Marinus and Marcus whom the Emperour calleth his Commission fellowes The woordes of the Commission be these Constantinus Imperator Miâ—tiadi Episcopo Romano Marco c. Constantâ—nus the Emâ—erour vnto Miltiades the Bishoppe of Rome and vnto Marcus For as muche as sundrie letters haue beene sente vnto mee from Amlâ—inus â—ur moste Noble President of Aâ—hrica whâ—â—ein Caecilianus the Bishoppe of Carthage is â—ccused of many mateâ—s by ceâ—taine his fâ—lowes of the same Countrie c. Therefore I haue thought it good thâ—t the â—aide Caeciliâ—nus togeather with tenne Bishoppes his accusers and other tenne such as he shâ—l thâ—nke meete saâ—le to Rome that there in your presence togeather with Rheticius and Mâ—ternus and Marâ—nus your Felow Commissioners whom for that cause I haue wâ—lled to trâ—vel to â—ome he may be heâ—rde c. Here it is euident to be seene that the Bishop of Rome was the Emperours Delegate and in Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction had his authoritie and power not from S. Peter but from the Emperour Whereby it is easie to be geathered that the Bishoppe of Romes power was not so Uniuersal then as M. Hardings woulde séeme now to make it and that the worlde then vnderstoode not this Decrée of Pope Clemens the fifth whiche as it is reported he afterwarde published in the Councel of Uienna Omne ius Regum pendet a Papa Al the right of the Prince is 〈◊〉 frâ—m thâ— Pope Neither was the Bishop of Romes determination of suche force but that it was lawful then for the partie greeued to refuse his Iudgement and to appeale further And therefore Donatus beinge condemned before Miltiades appealed from him and vpon his complaint vnto the Emperour was put ouer vnto the Bishop of Arle in Fraunce and to certaine others And in conclusion vnderstandinge that iudgement there woulde passe against him last of al he appealed to the Emperours owne pâ—rson And the Emperour him selfe confesseth by
his letters that he sate in iudgement and hearde bothe parties Now if receiuing of appeales necessarily importe this Uuiuersal power then was the Emperours power Uniuersal for he receiued al appeales out of al Countries without exception and that euen in Causes Ecclesiastical Againe then was the Bishop of Romes power not Uniuersal for it was lawful then to refuse him and to appeale to some other And thus M. Hardinges reasons renne roundely against him selfe M. Hardinge The .22 Diuision For whiche cause â–ª that See hath euer hitherto of al Christian Nations and now also ought to be hearde and obeied in al pointes of Faith For that See though it hath failed sometimes in Charitie and hath beene in case as it might truely say the woordes of the Gospel spoken by the foolishe Virgins Our Lampes be vvithout lighte Yet it neuer failed in faithe as Theodoretus witnesseth and S. Augustine affirmeth the same VVhiche special Grace and singular Priuilege is to be imputed vnto the praier of Christe by whiche he obteined of God for Peter and his successoues 108 that their Faith should not faile Therefore the euil life of the Bishops of Rome ought not to withdrawe vs from beleeuinge and folowinge the Doctrine preached and taught in the holie Church of Rome For better credite hereof that is earnestly to be considered whiche S. Augustine writeth Epistola 165. where after that he hath rehearsed in order al the Popes that Succeeded Peter euen to him that was Pope in his time he saithe thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum c. In to that rewe of Bishops that reacheth from Peter him selfe to Anastasius which now sitteth in the same Chayre if any traitour had creapte in it shoulde nothinge hurte the Churche and the innocent Christen folke ouer whom our Lorde hauinge prouidence saithe of euil rulers VVhat they saye vnto you doo ye but what they doo doo ye not For they saye and doo not to thintent the hope of a faithful person may be certaine and suche as beinge set not in man but in our Lorde be neuer scattered abroade with tempest of wicked Schisme And in his 166. Epistle he satthe Our Heauenly Maister hath so farre forewarned vs to be ware of al euil of dissension that he assured the people also of euil rulers that for their sakes the seate of holsome doctrine should not be forsaken in whiche seate euen the very euil men be compelled to saye good thinges For the thinges whiche they saye be not theirs but Goddes who in the seate of vnitie hath put the doctrine of veritie By this we are plainely taught that al be it the successours of Peter Christes Vicares in earthe be found blame woorthy for their euil life yet we ought not to dissent from them in Doctrine nor seuer our selues from them in Faithe For as muche as notwithstandinge they be euil by Gods prouidence for the suretie of his people they be compelled to saye the thinges that be good and to teache the truthe the thinges they speake not beinge theirs but Gods who hath put the doctrine of veritie in the seate or chayer of vnitie whiche singular Grace commeth specially to the See of Peter eyther of the force of Christes prayer as is saide before or in respecte of place and dignitie whiche the Bishops of that See holde for Christe as Balaam coulde be brought by no meanes to curse that people whom God woulde haue to be blessed And Caiphas also prophesied bicause he was high Bishop of that yeere and prophesied truely beinge a man otherwise most wicked And therefore the euil dooinges of Bishops of Rome make no argument of discreditinge their Doctrine To this purpose the example of Gregorie Nazianzene maye very fittely be applied of the Golden Siluerne and Leaden Seale As touchinge the value of Metalles Golde and Siluer are better but for the goodnesse of the Seale as wel dooth Leade imprinte a figure in waxe as Siluer or Golde For this cause that the See of Rome hathe neuer ben defiled with stinkinge Heresies as Theodoretus saithe and God hath alwaies keapte in that Chaire of Vnitie the doctrine of Veritie as Augustine writeth For this cause I saye it sitteth at the sterne and gouerneth the Churches of the whole worlde For this cause Bishops haue made their Appellations thither iudgement in doubtes of Doctrine and determination in al controuersies and strifes hath bene from thence alwaies demaunded The B. of Sarisburie This is a very poore healpe in déede M. Hardinge here is faine to resemble the Bishops of Rome touchinge their Doctrine to Balaam to Caiphas and to a Leaden Seale and touchinge their liues to confesse they are Lampes without light Yet saithe he al this notwithstandinge we may not therefore departe from them For Christe saith The Scribes and Phariseis sitte in Moses Charie Doo ye that they saye but that they doo doo ye not for they saye and doo not For as muche as it liketh M. Hardinge to vse these comparisons it may not muche mislike him if some man vpon occasion hereof happen to say as Christe sayde in the like case Wo be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis ye blinde Guides ye painted Graues Ye shutte vp the Kingedome of Heauen before men ye neither enter your selues nor suffer others that woulde enter Ye haue made the House of God a Caue of Theeues Certainely Balaam not withstandinge he were a False Prophete yet he opened his mouthe and blissed the people of God Caiphas although he were a wicked Bishop yet he prophesied and spake the trueth A seale although it be cast in leade yet it geueth a perfit printe The Scribes and Phariseis although they were Hypocrites and liued not wel yet they instructed the Congregation and saide wel The Manichées although they were Heretiques and taught not wel yet outwardly in the conuersation and sight of the worlde as S. Augustine saith they liued wel But these vnto whom M. Hardinge claimeth the Uniuersal power ouer al the worlde neither blisse the people of God nor preache Goddes Trueth nor geue any printe of good life or Doctrine nor instructe the Congregation nor say wel as the Scribes and Phariseis did nor by M. Hardinges owne Confession liue wel as the Manichees did S. Augustine saith Qui nec regiminis in se rationem habet nec sua crimina detersit nec filiorum culpam correxit Canis impudicus dicendus est magis quà m Episcopus He that neither regardeth to rule him selfe nor hath washte of his owne sinnes nor corrected the faâ—ltes of his Children may rather be called a filthy dogge then a Bishop Yet al this corruption of life notwithstandinge M. Hardinge saithe The Sée of Rome can neuer faile in Faithe For Christe saide vnto Peter I haue praied for thee that thy Faithe may not faile The like confidence and trust in them selues the Priestes had in the olde times as it may appeare by
folowe any other Gospel accursed be he Yet was neither S. Ambrose nor Anastasius the Bishop of Rome As for the Execution of Sentence and Depriuinge or Deposinge of Bishops M. Hardinge knoweth the Bishop of Romes authoritie was to weake And therfore Innocentius saithe of Pelagius Quibus acceptis literis aut quando committer se nostro Iudicio Vpon what letters or when wil he yelde him selfe to my iudgemente For this cause Felix the Bishop of Rome praied ayde of the Emperour Zeno And the Emperour answeared Admisimus depositionem Anthymi We haue admitted the Deposition of Anthymus Otherwise the Popes sentence had béene in vayne And therefore the Emperour Constantinus saith of him selfe Si quis Episcoporum inconsultè tumultuatus sir Ministri Dei hoc est mea executione illius audacia coercebitur If any Bishop vndiscretely reare tumulte his rashenesse shal be repressed by the handes of Goddes Minister that is By my Execution And likewise the Emperour Iustinian hath set out a lawe in this sorte Si quis Episcopus definitum tempus emanserit c. If any Bishop tarie out his time appointed and beinge called home refuse to come let him be depriued and put from his Churche and an other better chosen in his roome he addeth by the vertue of this present Lavve By the force of this Lawe Bishops were deposed For without it the Pope was not hable to put his sentence in execution Nowe if M. Hardinge wil reason thus The Pope excommunicated other Bishoppes Ergo He was Heade of the Churche Then of the same principle we may wel to the contrary reason thus The Pope him selfe was Excommunicate by other Bishoppes Ergo The Pope was not the Heade of the Churche For the Antecedent That the Pope was pronounced Excommunicate by other Bishoppes it is out of question For it is recorded in the Ecclesiastical storie that Iulius beinge Bishoppe of Rome was Excommunicate by the Bishoppes of the Easte Pope Leo was excommunicate by Dioscorus Pope Uigilius was Excommunicate by Menna the Bishop of Constantinople And Pope Honorius was Excommunicate by the sixthe Councel holden at Constantinople Or if M. Hardinge repose more force in deposinge of Bishoppes then in Excommunication then let him likewise remember That Pope Iulius was deposed by the Bishoppes of the East as it is recorded by Sozomenus Pope Hildebrande by the Councel of Brixia Pope Iohn by the Councel of Constance Pope Eugenius by the Councel of Basile and two Popes togeather Syluerius and Uigilius by the Emperour Iustinian Thus M. Hardinges owne groundes ouerthrowe his whole buildinge and conclude plainely against him selfe M. Hardinge The .25 Diuision For the Popes auctoritie concerninge Confirmation of the Ordinations and Elections of 110 al Bishoppes many examples might easely be alleged as the request made to Iulius by the .90 Ariane Bishoppes assembled in Councel at Antioche against Athanasius that he woulde voutchsafe to ratifie and confirme those that they had chosen in place of Athanasius Paulus Marcellus and others whome they had condemned and depriued Also the earnest sute whiche Theodosius the Emperour made to Leo for confirmation of Anatolius and likewise that Martianus the Emperour made to him for confirmation of Proterius bothe Bishoppes of Alexandria as it appeareth by their letters written to Leo in their fauour And as for Anatolius Leo woulde not in any wise order and confirme him onlesse he woulde firste professe that he beleeued and helde the doctrine whiche was conteined in Leo his Epistle to Flauianus and woulde further by writinge witnesse that he agreed with Cyrillus and the other Catholike Fathers againste Nestorius For this if nothinge elles coulde be alleged the testimonie of holy Gregory were sufficient to make good credite Who vnderstandinge that Maximus was ordred Bishop of Salonae a Citie in Illyrico without the auctoritie and confirmation of the See Apostolike standinge in doubte least perhappes that had beene donne by commaundement of Mauritius the Emperour who did many other thinges wickedly thereof writeth to Constantina the Empresse thus Salonitanae ciuitatis Episcopus me ac responsali meo nesciente ordinatus est Et facta est res quae sub nullis anterioribus Principibus euenit The Bishop of the Citie of Salonae saith he is ordred neither I nor my deputie made priuie to it And herein that thinge hath beene done which neuer happened in the time of any Princes before our daies Thus it appeareth that before a thousande yeeres pasâ—e Bishoppes had their Ordination and Election confirmed by the See Apostolike The B. of Sarisburie If this reason may stande for good and who so euer hath the allowinge of the Election or Consecration of Bishoppes muste therefore be taken as Heade of the Churche then must the Church of necessitie haue many Heades For it is certaine the allowance hereof perteineth to many S. Ambrose saithe that al the Bishoppes bothe of the East and of the Weast gaue their Consent and Allowance to his Election Theodosius the Emperour standinge in the defence of Flauianus the Bishop of Constantinople saith That al the Bishops of the East of Asia Pontus Thracia and Illyricum had allowed his Election Eudoxius entred into the Bishoprike of Antioche without the allowance and Consent of Georgius the Bishop of Laodicea and of Marcus the Bishop of Arethusa and of other Bishoppes that had interest therein and is reproued for the same Gregorius Presbyter saithe for that the Election and Installation of Gregorie Nazianzene was paste before the Bishoppes of Egipte and Macedonia were come and so made without their consent that therefore they vtterly refused to allowe him or to admitte him as Bishop there not for any mislikinge in the partie but for that they thought them selues defrauded of their voices Anacletus decreeth thus Episcopus non minus quam à tribus Episcopis reliquisque omnibus assensum praebentibus vllatenus ordinetur Let a Bishop in no wise be ordred of lesse then three Bishoppes al the rest geuinge their assent to the same Hereby it appeareth that to the ratifieinge of the Election of any one Bishop the consent of al other Bishoppes within that Prouince was thought necessary Whiche Consent they testified emonge them selues by writinge letters of conference one to an other And therefore when Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople had intitled him selfe the Uniuersal Bishop Gregorie counselled Eulogius the Bishop of Alexandria and other Bishoppes of the East neither to write to him nor to receiue letters from him by that title Likewise the Bishoppes of the East when they had Excommunicate Iulius the Bishop of Rome gaue commaundement that no man shoulde either receiue his letters or write vnto him in token they helde him for no Bishop Neither did onely Bishoppes allowe such Elections but also bothe the Prince and the people When S. Ambrose beinge once chosen and appointed Bishop of Millane beganne
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
answeare The storie beinge truely knowen is sufficient to answeare it selfe It is certaine as wée haue before declared more at large and as it plainely appeareth by the Actes of the Councel of Aphrica that Zosimus the Bishop of Rome to the intente to auance him selfe ouer al other Bishoppes manifestly falsified the Nicene Councel This forgerie in the Councel of Aphrica was disclosed laide abroade to the eyes of al the worlde The Bishoppes there beinge in number twoo hundred and seuentiene saw that one Apiarius a Priest whom they for his open oultrage and wickednesse had Excommunicate was without any further examininge of the mater onely vpon his bare complainte admitted againe vnto the Communion and receiued into fauour in despite of al their dooinges by the Bishoppe of Rome They saw that the accusers and witnesses without whom no ordinarie iudgement can procéede either for age or for sickenesse other causes coulde not wel trauel so farre Therefore they desired the Bishop of Rome by their letters that he woulde bringe no suche ambitious puffe of vanitie into the Churche and made a straite Decrée in the Councel emonge them selues that it should not be lawful for any man to appeale out of Aphrica to any foren Bishop An hundred yéeres after that this Eulalius the Bishop of Carthage if it be true that is reported of him and not forged at Rome as were many thinges moe reconciled him selfe to the Churche of Rome in the time of Bonifacius the Seconde as it is recorded in the Pontifical for other recorde therof to my remembrance there is none The woordes of the Reconciliation be these Hanc professionem meam manu mea subscripsi c. This profession I haue subscribed with mine owne hande and haue directed the same to Bonifacius the holy and Reuerende Pope of the Cittie of Rome vtterly condemninge my Predecessours and Successours and al others that shal goe aboute to frustrate the Priuileges of the Apostolike See of Rome Likewise Bonifacius writeth hereof vnto Eulalius the Bishoppe of Alexandria in this wise Aurelius Carthaginensis Ecclesiac olim Episcopus cùm Collegis suis instigante Diabolo superbire temporibus praedecessorum nostrorum contra Romanam Ecclesiam coepit Aurelius sometime Bishop of Carthage togeather with his felowes his felowes were S. Augustine Alypius and twoo hundred and fifteene other Bishoppes beinge set on by the Diuel in the time of my predecessours beganne to beare him selfe disdainefully against the Churche of Rome The one of these by a publique instrumente vnder his hande and seale vtterly condemneth and accurseth S. Augustine with twoo hundred and sixtéene other godly Bishoppes togeather with foure General Councelles of Aphrica Carthage Mileuitum and Hippo the other saithe they were al sette a woorke and prickte foorthe by the Diuel and liued out of the Churche of God and died in Schisme If this be true then ought S. Augustine no longer to be holden for a Saincte neither to haue any roome in the Calendar But if al these godly Fathers that iustly and truely defended the holy Councel of Nice were leadde with the Diuel with what sprite then was he leadde that openly and in the sight of al the worlde durste to corrupte and falsifie the same Councel Uerily Dionysius the Bishop of Corinthe complaineth thus Rogatu fraâ—rum meorum scripsi Epistolas sed illas Apostoli Diaboli alia eximentes alia interserentes impleuerunt Zizanijs quibus vae reponitur At the request of my brethren I wrote certaine Epistles but the Diuels Apostles by puttinge to and takinge fro haue filled them ful of Tares and Cockle But woe be vnto them But in the meane while saith M. Hardinge the Countrie of Aphrica euen by the punishment of God was Brought into subiection and spoiled by the Vandales Here M. Hardinge entreth into Goddes Iudgementes and pronounceth that al this Miserie happened vnto that Countrie for leauinge the See of Rome whiche thinge he reckeneth al one with the leauinge and forsakinge of God him selfe Howbeit M. Hardinge might soone knowe that aboute the very same time while Aphrica was thus afflicted the Citie of Rome it selfe was sixe times taken by wilde and Barbarous enimies the Visigotthi Ostrogotthi Heruli Vandali Hunni and Longobardi within the space of an hundred fourtie yéeres The Walles were rased the Towers throwen downe the Howses burnte the Nobilitie taken captiue the People spoiled and banished the Citie it selfe a longe time leafte waste and desolate without inhabiter If M. Hardinge can gheasse so rightly of the miseries of Aphrica howe happeneth it that he can gheasse nothinge of sixefolde greater miseries that at the same time befel vpon Rome If the Bishoppes and people of Aphrica were thus plagued for their Schisme wherefore then were the Bishops and people of Rome plagued that as it is supposed continued stil without Schisme Notwithstandinge Possidonius saithe That God of special mercie graunted S. Augustine who then was beséeged by the enimies that duringe his life his Cittie of Hippo shoulde not be taken And yet was the same S. Augustine the greatest discloaser of the forgerie and pride of the Bishop of Rome that is to saye the greattest authour and mainteiner of al this Schisme Touchinge the Reconciliation of Alexander the Bishop of Antioche M. Hardinge for the better furniture of the tale hathe wouen in and interlaced many woordes of his owne For in al that is written thereof by Innocentius there is no manner mention neither of Solemne Instrument of Repentance nor of acceptinge of Penance nor of Subiection or humble Submission In déede this Alerander at his firste entrie into the Bishoprike of Antioche findinge his Churche ful of Diuision by meane of one Eustathius by his wisedome and Godly exhortations brought the whole people there vnto vnitie and afterwarde wrought the like Godly policie in other Churches and ceased al the strife that had longe continued for the condemnation of Chrysostome and caused his name that his enimies had rased out to be inrolled againe amonge other Catholique Bishops and likewise wrote vnto the Emperour Theodosius the yonger and to the Bishoppes of other Countries to doo the like In the ende hauinge appeased al contentions in token not of subiection as M. Hardinge surmiseth but of ful consent and agréement he desired that his Churche might be ioyned in Communion and felowship with the Churche of Rome and other Churches of the Weast from whence before by reason of their Dissentions they had béene diuided Whiche thinge also appéereth by the woordes of Innocentius him selfe vnto Alexander touchinge the same Gratias agens Domino Communionem Ecclesiae vestrae ita recepi vt prae me feram Apostolicae Sedis Condiscipulos primos dedisse caeteris viam pacis I geuinâ—e God thankes so receiued the Communion and felowship of your Churche that I professe that you beynge our Schoolefelowes of the Apostolique See haue firste opened vnto others
they wil in no wise be called for that the name of a Kinge emonge them then was odious How be it he saith in deede thei are very Kinges So Augustus Caesar notwithstanding he were a Tyran had oppressed the people yet the chose to be called Tribunus plebis The Defender and Patrone of the people And Uerres notwithstanding he had miserably wasted and consumed the whole Ilelande of Sicilie yet in his title he woulde be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Keper and Saueour of that Ilelande Thus they dissemble openly and as one saith With faire names they couer foule faultes But it was not any suche Dissimulation or countenaunce of Humilitie that moued Leo Gregorie or any other Godly Bishop of Rome to refuse this name as M. Hardinge imagineth but the very iniquitie and iniurie therein conteined For thus saith S. Gregorie Si vnus Patriarcha Vniuersalis dicitur Patriarcharum nomen cocteris derogatur c. If one be called the Vniuersal Patriarke then is the name of Paâ—riatkes taken from others But God keepe it farreâ—from any Christian minde that any man should take so muche vpon him The consenting vnto this wicked name is the loosinge of the Faith Therefore in the Councel of Carthage it is decréed thus Primae sedis Episcopus ne appelletur Princeps SacerdotuÌ„ vel Summus Sacerdos vel aliquid huiusmodâ— â–ª sed tantùm Primae Sedis Episcopus Vniuersalis autem nec etiam Romanus pontifex appelletur Let not the Bishop of the first See be called the chiefe of Bishoppes or the Highest Bishop or by any other like name But the Bishop of Rome him selfe may not be called the Vniuersal Bishop This later clause of that Canon Vniuersalis autem Episcopus nec etiam Romanus pontifex appelletur one Peter Crabbe the setter foorth of the Councels of purpose and contrary to good Faith dissembled least out How be it the fraude is soone discouered For yâ— same Clause is to be founde whole bothe in written examples of the Councels and also in Gratian that compiled the Decrées and in the very Barbarous Glose vpon the same by these woordes Hîc dicitur quòd Papa non debet vocari Vniuersalis Here it is saide that the Pope may not be called The Vniuersal Bishop M. Harding saith The Pope was called by that name and for prouse thereof allegeth a Councel without a Canon But the whole General Councel of Carthage saith The Bishop of Rome may not in any wise be so called and the Canon therof is apparent and may be seene Now let the Christian Reader iudge to whether he wil geue greater credite This Councel saith M. Harding woulde not haue offered this name vnto Leo onlesse it had beene lawful Yet he knoweth al is not law that is mooued in Councel Leo Gelasius as it is before said condemned certaine Decrées of this same CouÌ„cel of Chalcedon as Unlawful notwithstanding the Determination of .630 Bishops The Fathers in the Councel of Nice attempted contrary to Gods commaundements to breake the lawful Matrimonie of Priestes Bishops But their attempte bicause it was vnlawful was reprooued staied by Paphnutius M. Harding therefore might better conclude thus Leo Gregorie other holy Fathers Bishops of Rome refused the name of Uniuersal Bishop as it appeareth by their woordes for that it was iniurious vnto other Bishops a corruption of the Faith and for the same cause the General Councel of Carthage determined that the Bishop of Rome should not ne might not so be called Therefore that name was not lawful Al this notwithstanding true it is that M. Harding saith Leo in that Councel of Chalcedon was thus called The places be knowen and may not be denied He is so saluted in thrée sundrie Epistles the one sent by one Athanasius a Priest the other by one Ischyrion a Deacon the thirde by one Theodorus likewise a Deacon But of that whole number of sixe hundred and thirtie Bishoppes there assembled I trow M. Hardinge is not wel hable to shew that any one euer saluted or called him so Therefore whereas M. Hardinge the better to put his Reader in remembrance hath sette this note in the Margine that the Bishop of Rome was called the Uniuersal Bishop and Heade of the Churche aboue a thousand yéeres sithence he mighte with more truethe and muche better haue noted his booke thus S. Gregories vvoordes misalleged The Councel falsified This onely Canon lost al the reast vvhole and safe A straunge Priest and tvvo poore Deacons in their Priuate suites for their goodes and Legacies named Leo the Vniuersal Bishop â–ª But of the sixe hundred and thirtie Bishops that had voices in the Councel not one euer named him so Thus muche M. Hardinge mighte truely haue noted in the Margine Yet saithe M. Hardinge the Bishops of Rome â–ª that were godly Fathers and holy 〈◊〉 vsed this name as it appeareth by their Epistles And here are brought in the titles of letters vnder the names of Sixtus Pontianus and certaine others written as it is before declared a longe time after the writers were deade Suche ruinous fundations M. Hardinge hath chosen to builde vpon But what are these Olde Fathers taught to saye Or howe is M. Hardinge relieued by their woordes In the Salutation before their letters they write thus Sixtus Pontianus Victor Bishop of the Vniuersal Churche This saithe M. Hardinge is euen alone thinge with Vniuersalis Episcopus â–ª there is no manner difference O what ranginge and huntinge here is to beate vp that thinge that wil not be founde M. Hardinge bicause he can not finde the Uniuersal Bishop that he sought for therefore he hath sought out the nexte of kinne that is The Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche and these two he saithe be both one Howbeit this mater néedeâ— no greate séekinge euery Childe might soone haue founde it But if an Uniuersal Bishop and a Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche be al one thinge howe then is it true that S. Gregorie saithe Nemo decessorum c. None of my Predâ—cessours woulde euer consent to this name Or how can he finde suche faulte with the name of Uniuersal Bishop and beare so easily with the name of Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche which he knew his Predecessours had vsed if he tooke them bothe for one thinge without difference To be shorte if these names as M. Hardinge assureth him selfe be bothe one howe is the one Godly the other Ungodly the one Arrogant the other not Arrogant the one blasphemous the other not blasphemous This errour riseth of misvnderstandinge these woordes Vniuersalis Ecclesia For the Churche Uniuersal and the Churche Catholique the one beinge Gréeke the other Latine are bothe one and are commonly vsed of the learned Fathers as contrary to a Particular Churche as be the Churches of Heretiques Schismatiques In this sence euery Godly Bishop is a Bishop
as the Fathers say Manna was made Christes Bodie or the Water in the Wildernesse was made his Bloud euen so they say The Breade and Wine are likewise made Christes Bodie and Bloud Now that it may throughly appeare euen vnto the Simple what the godly Fathers meante by suche extraordinarie vse of speache it shal not be from the purpose to reporte certaine woordes of Gregorius Nyssenus touchinge the same and that in suche order as they are written Thus therefore he saithe Nam hoc Altare c. This Aultar whereat wee stande is by Nature a Common stoane nothing differinge from other stâ—anes whereof our walles be builte and our pauementes laied but after that it is once dedicate to the honour of God and hath receiued Blessinge it is a holy Table and an vndefiled Aultar afterwarde not to be touched of al men but onely of the Priestes and that with reuerence Likewise the Breade that first was common after that the Mysterie hath halowed it is both called and is Christes Bodie likewise also the wine Christes Bloude And where as before they were thinges of smal valewe after the Blissinge that commeth from the Holy Ghost either of them both worketh mightily The like Power also maketh the Priest to be Reuerende and Honorable beinge by meane of a newe Benediction diuided from the common sorte of the people Hereby we see as the Aultare whiche in some places both for steadines and continewanâ—e was made of stoane was changed from the former state and yet remained stoane stil and as the Priest or Bishop was changed from that he was before and yet remained in Substance one man stil so by the iudgement of this Ancient Father the Breade and Wine are changed into Christes Bodie and Bloude and yet remaine Breade and Wine in Nature stil. And for as muche as M. Hardinge to make good and to mainteine this his Newe Erroure hath here alleged togeather niene Doctours of the Gréeke Churche as subscribinge and wel agreeinge thereto vnderstande thou good Christian Reader for the better information and direction of they iudgement that the Grecians neuer consented to the same from the first preachinge of the Gospel there vntil this daie as it is easy to be seene in the last action of the General Councel holden at Florence And Duns him self hauinge occasion to intreate hereof writeth thus Ad hanc sententiam principaliter videtur mouere quod de Sacramentis tenendum est sicut tenet sancta Romana Ecclesia Ipsa autem tenet Panem Transubstantiari in Corpus Vinum in Sanguinem To this determination this thinge seemeth specially to leade that we must holde of the SacrameÌ„tes as the holy Churche of Rome holdeth c. For Confirmation hereof he allegeth not the Greeke Churche as knowinge it had euermore holden the contrary but onely the Particular DeterminatioÌ„ of the Churche of Rome concluded first in the Councel of Lateran in the yeere of our Lorde a Thousande two hundred and fifteene and neuer before And Isidorus the Bishop of Russia for that after his returne home from the Councel of Florence he beganne to practise both for vnitie herein and also in al other causes to be concluded bytwéene his Churches and the Churche of Rome was therefore deposed from his office and vtterly forsaken of al his Cleregie So wel they liked this Newe diuise of Transubstantiation M. Hardinge wil replie Cyrillus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche he expoundeth In specie vel Figura Panis In the Forme or Figure of Breade And this as he imagineth is as muche as Accidentes without Subiecte What manner consideration leadeth him hereto I cannot tel But it is most certaine that by this very waye the Olde Heretiques were leadde into their Errours Marcion the Heretique helde that Christe appeared not in the very Natural Bodie of a Man but onely in a fantasie or shewe of a mannes Bodie And to prooue the same he vsed M. Hardinges reason For it is written saide he In Similitu dinem hominum factus est Figura inuentus ut homo He was made after the Likenes of menne and founde in Figure whiche M. Hardinge expoundeth in Shewes and Accidentes as a man And S. Ambrose saith Nec sibi blandiatur virus Apollinare quia ita legitur Et Specie inueÌ„tus vt homo Let not that Heretique Apollinaris flatter him self for that it is thus written He was founde in Figure and Forme as a man Here we sée M. Hardinge is driuen to fight with Olde Heretiques Weapens otherwise his frendes woulde not iudge him Catholique S. Ambrose saith Christe appeared In Figura humana In the Figure of a Man Origen saith Câ—â—ristus est expressa Imago Figura Patris Christe is the expresse Image and Figure of his Father Againe S. Ambrose saith Grauior est ferri species quà m Aquarum Natura The Forme of yâ—on is heauier then the Nature of the Water And Gregorie Nyssene saith Sacerdos quod ad speciem externam attinet idem est qui suit The priest as touchinge his appearance or outwarde Forme is the same that he was before And wil M. Hardinge geather hereof that Christe or a Peece of yron or a Priest is nothinge els but an Accident or a Shewe without Substance Bysides al this M. Hardinge is faine to falsifie Cyrillus his owne Doctoure and to allege his woordes otheâ—wise then he founde them For where as in the common Latine Translation it is writen thus Sciens panem hunc qui videtur à nobis non esse Panem etiamsi gustus Panem esse sentiat Knowinge that this Breade that is seene of vs is no Breade al be it our taste doo perceiue it to be Breade M. Hardinge hath chosen rather to turne it thus Cum scias qui videtur esse Panis non esse sed Corpus Christi Knowinge that the thing that seemeth to be Breade is no Breade but the Bodâ—e of Christe Wherein he hath bothe skipte ouer one whole clause and also corrupted the woordes and meaninge of his Authour For Cyrillus saith With our outwarde eies wee see Breade M. Hardinge saith It appeareth or seemeth onely to be Breade Cyrillus saith Our tast perceiueth or knoweth it to be Breade This clause M. Hardinge hath leaft out both in his Latine Translation and also in the Englishe But speakinge of the Cuppe he turneth it thus Al be it the sense make that accoumpte of it Corrupte Doctrine must needes holde by Corruption For it is certaine Cyrillus meante thus That as we haue two sortes of eies Corporal of the Bodie and Spiritual of the Minde so in the Sacramentes we haue two sundrie thinges to beholde With our Bodily Eyes the Material Breade With our Spiritual Eyes the verye Bodye of Christe And thus the Woordes of Cyril agrée directly with these Woordes of S. Augustine Quod videtis Panis est quod etiam oculi vestri renuntiant Quod
name any Figure in these cases it is lawful for M. Hardinge to heape Figure vpon Figure and that not suche Figures as haue beene vsed by any the Ancient Fathers but suche as he him selfe for a shift can best diuise Tertullian saith M. Harding supposeth that Christe when he had the Breade in his hande and saide Hoc This shewed onely the Uisible Accidentes and Formes of Breade as if Christe had saide This Whitenesse this Roundenesse this Breadth this Lightnesse c. is my Bodye By whiche skilful construction it must néedes folow that Christe had a Bodie made of Accidentes How be it saith M. Hardinge this Interpretation of Tertullian in deede is not according to the right sense of Christes woordes Hereby it appeareth what affiance M. Hardinge hath in the iudgement of this learned Father After so many faire woordes he beginneth vtterly to mislike him and concludeth in the ende that he wrote he knew not what and tooke vpon him to expounde Christes woordes and yet vnderstoode not what Christe meante and that not in any deepe Allegorie or other Spiritual or secrete meaning but euen in the very Literal Sense and outwarde sounde of Christes woordes And thus Tertullian is charged not onely with Ignorance but also with Presumption But if as M. Hardinge saith Tertullian vnderstoode not Christes meaning what if some man woulde likewise say M. Hardinge vnderstandeth not Tertullians meaninge And what if the simple Reader vnderstande not M. Hardinges meaninge It were to muche to say further M. Hardinge vnderstandeth not his owne meaninge Uerily Tertullian not once nameth any one of al these M. Hardinges strange Fantasies neither Forme nor Accident nor Uisible nor Inuisible nor Outwarde Element nor Secrete Presence nor Really nor Substantially nor I know not what He wrote and meante plainely in these cases as others the learned Fathers wrote and meante And touchinge the woordes of Christe This is my Bodie he saithe not These Shewes or Accidentes of Breade as M. Hardinge ful vnaduisedly expoundeth him but this Breade is my Bodie Wherein he hath the consent bothe of the Scriptures and also of the Ancient Doctours of the Churche S. Paule saith Not the outwarde Fourme or Accident but The Breade that wee Breake is the Participation of Christes Bodie Irenaeus saithe Panis in quo Gratiae actae sunt est Corpus Domini The Breade wherein thankes are geuen is the Bodie of the Lorde Origen saithe Dominus Panem Discipulis dabat dicens Hoc est Corpus meum Our Lorde gaue Breade vnto his Disciples saieinge This is my Bodie So S. Cyprian Vinum fuit quod Sanguinem suum dixit It was Wine that he called his Bloud So Chrysostome Christus cùm hoc Mysterium tradidit Vinum tradidit Christe when he gaue this Mysterie he gaue wine Likewise Cyrillus Christus Fragmenta Panis dedit Discipulis Christe gaue Fragmentes or peeces of Breade to his Disciples Thus Tertullian vnderstoode and expounded the woordes of Christe Wherfore it is greate folie to charge him with this new imagination of Accidentes and so vnaduisedly and without cause to reprooue him for speakinge that he neuer spake By these wée may the better iudge of M. Hardinges owne Exposition For thus he saith VVhen Christe saide Hoc This he shewed not foorth the Visible Accident or Forme of Breade but his very Natural Bodie It appeareth that M. Hardinge either litle considereth or not muche regardeth his owne woordes For al the reast of his side holde for most certainâ— that their Transubstantiation is not wrought before the vttering of the last Syllable Whiche thinge notwithstanding M. Harding contrary to aâ— his felowes I wil not say contrary to him selfe saith that the Breade is turned into Christes Bodie onely at the vtterance of the first Syllable And so by this Newe Diuinitie Christes Bodie is made Present and the Sacrament is a Sacrament before Consecration al is ended before it be begonne whiche in M. Hardinges Schooles not longe sithence was counted an errour aboue al errours whiche to shifte they were faine to diuise Indiuiduum Vagum Againe if this Pronowne Hoc haue relation to Christes Bodie then must wee of force by M. Hardinges Fantasie thus expounde the woordes of Christe This is my Bodie that is to say My Bodie is my Bodie Whiche Exposition of M. Hardinges D. Holcote saith is vaine and peeuish and to no purpose And where as M. Harding saith None of al the Olde Fathers euer expounded these woordes of Christe by a Figure I maruel he canne so boldely vtter and publishe so greate vntrueth without blusshinge For he knoweth right wel that scarcely any one of al the Olde Fathers euer expounded it otherwise Damascene and Theophylacte are very Younge Doctours in comparison of them that wee may iustly cal Olde as standinge farre without the compasse of the first sixe hundred yéeres and otherwise freight with greate errours and sundrie folies Therefore I thinke it not amisse for shortenesse of time to passe them by Yet by the way let vs a litle viewe M. Hardinges Logique Thus he teacheth vs to reason Tertullian by this Pronowne Hoc vnderstoode the outwarde Accident or Fourme of Breade Ergo Christes Bodie it selfe is a Figure M. Hardinge The .10 Diuision And the cause why Tertullian so expounded these woordes of Christe was that thereby he â—ight take aduantage against Marcion the heretique as many times the fathers in heate of disputation doo handle some places not after the exacte signification of the woordes but rather folow such way as serueth them best to confute their aduersarie VVhiche manner not reporting any vntrueth S. Basile dooth excuse in the settinge foorth of a disputation not in prescribinge of a Doctrine As he defendeth Gregorius Neocaesariensis against the Sabellians for that in a contention he had with Aelianus an Ethnike to declare the Mysteries of the Trinitie he vsed the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in steede of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the learned men that be wel seene in the Fathers know they must vse a discreation and a sundrie iudge betweene the thinges they write Agonisti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say by way of contention or disputation and the thinges they vtter Dogmatic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by way of settinge foorth a doctrine or mater of Faith Neither in that contention did Tertullian so muche regarde the exacte vse of woordes as how he might winne his purpose and driue his aduersarie denieing that Christe tooke the true Bodie of man and that he suffered death in deede to confesse the trueth which he thought to bringe to passe by deducing of an argument from the Figure of his Bodie whiche consisteth in that whiche is visible in the Sacrament to prooue the veritie of his Bodie And therefore in framing his reason by way of illation he saith Figura autem non esset nisi veritatis esset Corpus There were not a Figure onlesse
hodiè inde accidisse arbitror quòd olim omnes tum Sacerdotes tum Laici quicunque intererant Sacrificio Missae peracta oblatione cum Sacrificante communicabant sicut ex Canonibus Apostolorum ex Libris atque Epistolis antiquissimorum Ecclesiae Doctorum perspicuè cognoscitur That in olde times there were not so many Masses nor so many Priestes as be nowe I recken the cause thereof to be this for that in olde times al that were present at the Sacrifice of the Masse as wel Priestes as Laye men did Communicate togeather with the Minister as it is plaine to be seene by the Canons of the Apostles and by the Bookes and Letters of the most Ancient Doctours of the Church He addeth further Nunc verò c. But now seeinge the order of Communion is no more obserued emongst vs and that through the negligence and slouthfulnes as wel of the Laye people as of the Priestes the Holy Ghost by the often saieinge of Priuate Masses hath founde out â— godly remedie for this wante Here wée sée that Negligence and Slouthfulnesse Lacke of Deuotion bothe in the people and in the Priest is a good leare to bréede Masses And that the Priestes as many as were present did then Communicate with the Priest that Ministred it is plaine by the Canons of the Apostles and by sundrie other good Authorities which now I purposely passe by And to this purpose it is written thus in a litle booke set abroade vnder the name of S. Hierome Non debet Episcopus repudiare Eucharistiam Presbyteri The Bishop ought not to refuse the Sacrament of a Prieste But M. Hardinges Priestes vtterly refuse to Communicate one with an other and be they neuer so many in one Churche togeather yet wil they saie seueral Masses at sundrie Aultars And not onely thus but also as it appeareth by the Councel of Toledo in Spaine one Priest hath sometimes said foure fiue or moe Masses in one day Pope Leo saide some daies .vij. some daies eight Masses and some daies moe The excesse and oultrage whereof was so greate that they haue benne forced to prouide Lawes and Canons to the contrary For thus they haue decreed Presbyter in die non amplius quà m tres Missas celebrare praesumat Let not any one Priest presume to saie more then three Masses in one daie We maie wel thinke that priestes then saide good stoare of Masses when it was thought sufficient to stinte them at thrée The cause that mooued Leo and other Ancient Fathers to appoint twoo Communions to be Ministred in one daie was as it shal wel appeare that the whole people might Communicate al togeather quietly and without disturbance Whiche thing of it self vtterly ouerthroweth the whole abuse of Priuate Masses But the causes that haue increased the number of M. Hardinges Priuate Masses as they are alleged by Innocentius the .3 and others are these That there maie be one Masse saide Of the Daie and an other For the Deade and That there maie be regarde had to honestie and Profite For so they saie Causa Honestatis vel Vtilitatis vt si dicta Missa de die superueniat aliqua magna persona quae velit audire Missam As if any notable personage happen to come to Churche after that Masse is donne and be disposed to heare Masse These be very easy causes Upon the same the Priest maie saie twentie Masses as wel as thrée M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision Nowe if that rekeninge coulde duely be made of our parte M. Iuel perhaps woulde then saie as commonly they saie that confesse their erroure in numbringe that he had mystolde him self Al be it here it is to be marueiled that he appointeth vs to prooue a number of Masses in one Churche in one daie that vtterly denieth the Masse and woulde haue no Masse in any Churche any daie at al. And standinge in the denial of the whole so peremptorely as he dooth it maie seeme strange that he shoulde thus frame this Article For what reason is it to chalenge vs for proufe of so greate a number sith he taketh awaie altogeather The B. of Sarisburie I haue keapte my rekeninge wel yenough as I trust it wil wel appeare But if M. Hardinge of so greate a number of his Masses be hable to proue no more but two and the same two in the ende be founde Publique Communions and no Priuate Masses at al then maie we iustly saie That he hath both muche misrekened the people and also shamefully mistolde him self As before I vtterly denied that any Priuate Masse was euer vsed within sixe hundred yeeres after Christe so in this Article that the simple that so longe haue benne deceiued might the better vnderstande both the greate disorder that M. Hardinge mainteineth and also howe farre the Churche of Rome is growen from the primitiue Churche of God I thought it not amisse to sette out the mater by partes in suche plaine diuision Therefore the marueil that M. Hardinge raiseth hereof is not so greate The mater considered his Reader wil rather marueil at his marueil M. Hardinge The .3 Diuision It appeareth that beinge not vnwittinge howe good proufes we haue for the Masse it self he thinketh to blanke vs by puttinge vs to the proufe of his number of xxx.xx.xv.x or .v. Verily this kinde of men fareth with the Churche muche like vnto stronge Theeues who hauinge robbed an honest wealthy man of al his money saie afterwardes vnto him vncourtuously ah Carle howe camest thou by so muche Olde Golde Or if it like not them to be compared with Theeues in regarde of the roume they haue shuffled them selues into they may not vnfittely be likened to a Iudge of the Stemerie at Lâ—dforde in Deuonshire who as I haue hearde it commonly reported hanged a felone amonge the tinners in the forenoone and sate vpon him in iudgement at afternoone And thereof to this daie suche wrongeful dealinge in a common Prouerbe is in that Countrie called Lydforde Lawe Sithe that you M. Iuel and your felowes that nowe sitte on the benche require of vs the proufe of moe Masses in one Churche in one day as it were a verdite of twelue men of equitie and right ye shoulde haue hearde our verdite er ye had geuen sentence and condemned the Masse The B. of Sarisburie Howe good cause M. Hardinge hath to make these vauntes of his proufes for his Priuate Masse it may soone appeare vnto the discrete Reader vpon the viewe But here he thought it proufe sufficient for the multitude of his Masses to cal vs Théeues and wicked Iudges and to charge vs with the Lawe of Lydforde and so to solace him selfe with an olde Wiues tale and to make holy day out of season How be it this comparison of his Théeues is not so greately agréeable to his purpose For the coyne that is taken from him was neither Golde nor so Olde as he maketh it nor was
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
Image or Figure of the Crosse in the time of the Newe Testament God seemeth by his Prouidence and by special warninges in sundry reuelations and secrete declarations of his will to haue commended the same to menne that they should haue it in good regard and remembrance VVhen Constantine the Emperour had prepared him selfe to warre against Maxentius the Tyrant castinge in his minde the greate daungers that might thereof ensue and calling to God for helpe as he lookte vp beheld as it were in a vision the Signe of the Crosse appearinge vnto him in Heauen as bright as fier and as he was astonied with that straunge sight he harde a voice speakinge thus vnto him Constantine in this ouercomme After that Iulian the Emperour had forsaken the Profession of Christen Religion and had done Sacrifice at the temples of Painyms mouing his subiectes to doo the like as he marched forward with his armie on a daie the droppes of rayne that fell downe out of the â—yer in a shewer formed and made tokens and signes of the Crosse bothe in his and also in the souldiers garmentes Rufinus hauinge declared the straunge and horrible plagues of God whereby the Iewes were fraied and letted from their vaine attempte of buildinge vp againe the temple at Hierusalem leaue thereto of the Emperour Iulian in despite of the Christians obteined in the ende saithe that least those earthquakes and terrible fiers whiche he speaketh of raised by God whereby as well the woorkehouses and preparations towarde the buildinge as also greate multitudes of the Iewes were throwen downe caste abroade and destroied shoulde be thought to happen by chaunce the nighte folowinge these plagues the signe of the Crosse appeared in euery one of their garmentes so euidently as none to cloke their infidelitie was hable by any kinde of thinge to scowre it out and put it awaye VVhen the temples of the Painims were destroied by Christians in Alexandria aboute the yere of our Lorde .390 in the chiefe temple of al whiche was of the Idolâ— Serapis the holy and mystical letters called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Gods prouidence were founde grauen in stones representing the Figure of the Crosse the Signification whereof after their interpretation was life to come VVhiche thinge espied by the Christians and by the Painims present at the spoile serued maruelously to furtheraunce of the Christen Faith no lesse then the inscription of the Aultar at Athens Ignoto Deo vnto the vnknowen God serued to the same purpose through S. Paules preaching VVhich altogether was before wrought by Gods holy Prouidence as Socrates one of the writers of the Ecclesiastical stories reporteth Thus it appeareth plainely how Gods Prouidence hath commended vnto true beleuers the Signe of the Crosse. For whiche cause and for Remembrance of oure Redemption it hath ben in olde time and alwaies sithens muche frequented and honoured For beside that we reade hereof in Tertullian who was neare the Apostles time in Apologetico we finde in the writers of the Ecclesiastical stories â–ª that the Christen people of Alexandria after they had pulled downe and taken away the armes and monumentes of Serapis the Idol euery man caused the signe of our Lordes Crosse in place of them to be painted and set vp in their postes entries windowes walles and pillours that where so euer the eye was tourned it should light on the Holy signe of the Crosse. Constantine the Emperour loued and honoured this Signe so muche that he caused the same to be painted in al his flagges and banners of warre to be stroken in his coines and moneis to be purtraited in his armes scutchins and targets Of this Aurelius Prudentius maketh mention Christus purpureum gemmanti textus in Auro Signabat labarum Clypeorum insignia Christus Scripserat ardebat summis Crux addita cristis The sense whereof is thus muche in Englishe The chiefe baÌ„ner which was of purple had the Image of Christe in it wrought in Golde and stoanes The targets were painted al ouer with Christe The Crosse shined firebright in the creastes of their Helmettes That the banner commonly borne before the Emperour in warre in Latine called Labarum was of this sorte it appeareth by an Epistle that S. Ambrose wrote to Theodosius the Emperour Neither was the Figure of the Crosse then onely in Flagges and Banners painted wouen embrodered or otherwise wrought in Golde or pretious stoanes But also made in whole golde and set vpon a longe staffe or pole and borne before men 202 as the maner is nowe in processions as it seemeth plainely by these verses of Prudentius Agnoscas Regina lubens mea signa necesse est In quibus effigies Crucis aut Gemmata refulget Aut longis solido ex Auro praefertur in hastis It houeth you Madame that gladly you acknowlege mine ensignes in whiche the Figure of the Crosse is either glitteringe in stoanes or of whole Golde is borne on longe slaues before vs. This much haue I gathered out of the auncient Fathers writinges concerninge the Signe of our Lordes Crosse the sight whereof the professours of this Newe Gospel can not abide to the entente the diuersitie of our time and of olde time may appeare to the manners of whiche for a perfecte reformation these preachers woulde seeme to bringe the worlde againe The B. of Sarisburie The Signe of the Crosse I graunt emonge the Christians was had in greate regarde that the more bothe for the publique reproache and shame that by the common iudgement of al the worlde was conceiued against it also for that most woorthy price of our Redemption that was offered vpon it It is written Accursed be al they that are hanged vpon the Tree And Chrysostome saithe The Infidelles vsed commonly to vpbraide the Christians with these woordes Tu adoras CrucifixuÌ„ Wilt thou woorship a man that was hanged vpon a Crosse Thei thought great vilanie in that kinde of Deathe for it was most odious and shameful of al others also they thought it greate folie to thinke wel of it Therefore S. Paule saithe VerbuÌ„ Crucis pereuntibus stultitia est The Woorde of the Crosse vnto them that perishe is but a folie Againe Praedicamus Christum Crucifixum Iudaeis quidem scandalum Gentibus auteÌ„ Stultitiam VVee preache Christe Crucified a great offence vnto the Iewes And vnto the Heathens a greate Folie Likewise S. Augustine calleth the Crosse Ipsam ignominiam quà m Pagani derident That very shame that the Heathens laughe to scorne Likewise also Chrysostome Mors Christi apud Iudaeos maledicta apud Gentiles abominanda The Deathe of Christe emonge the Iewes is holden accursed emonge the Heathens it is holden abominable Therefore the Faithful that beléeued in Christe in al their talkes in their whole life conuersation vsed so much the more to extolle magnifie the same in reproche of the enemies of the Crosse
to be taken downe assueringe our Subiectes that we will most streitely pounishe al suche as shal presume to attempte any thinge contrary to our Decree and Commaundement The same Decree was afterwarde put in execution and practised by Philippicus Leo Constantinus the Father Constantinus the Soone Nicephorus Stauratius Michael Leo Armenius and other Christian and godly Emperours These Authorities as they be Olde and Ancient so be they also plaine and euident and wel acquainted and knowen vnto the World and therefore wil soone ouerpoâ—se al these Fables of the Image of Nicodemus of Simeon Metaphrastes of this yonge S. Basile of newe Athanasius and of other like blinde Authorities that haue benne lately sought vp out of Corners and brought to light Uerily Amphilochius vnder whose cloke M. Hardinge hath so often hidde him selfe maie in no wise be refused His woordes be plaine Non est nobis curae Sanctorum vâ—lâ—us corporales in tabulis coloribus effigiare quoniam his opus non habemus We haue no care to drawe owt the bodily countenances of Sainctes in colours and tables For we haue no neede of them M. Hardinge The .10 Diuision Nowe that there hath benne inough alleged for the antiquitie original and approbation of Images it remaineth it be declared for what causes they haue benne vsed in the Churche VVe finde that the vse of Images hath benne brought into the Churche for three causes The firsté is the benefite of knowledge For the simple and vnlearned people whiche be vtterly ignorant of letters in Pictureâ— doo as it were reade and see no lesse then others doo in bookes the mysteries of Christian Religion the actes and worthy deedes of Christe and of his Sainctes VVhat writinge perfourmeth to the that reade the same dooth a picture to the simple beholdinge it saith S. Gregorie For in the same the â—gnorant see what they ought to folowe in the same they reade whiche can no lâ—tters Therefore Imagerie serueth specially the rude Nations in steede of writinge saithe he Tâ— this S. Basile agreeth in his Homilie vpon the fourty Martyrs Bothe the writers of stories saith he and also painters dooe shewe and sette foorthe noble deedes of armâ—s and victories the one garnishinge the mater with eloquence the other drawinge it liuely in â—ables and bothe haue stirred many to valiaunt courage For what thinges the vtterance of the storie expresseth through hearinge the same dooth the still Picture set foorth through imitation In the like â—especte in olde time the woorke of excellent Poëtes was called a speakinge Picture and the woorke of Painters a stille Poetrie And thus the vse and profite of writinge and of Pictures is one For thinges that be read when as they come to our eares then we conueigh them ouer to the minde And the thinges that we beholde in pictures with our eies the same also doo we imbrace in our minde And so by these twoo Readinge and Paintinge wee atchiue one like benefite of Knowledge The B. of Sarisburie The first and chiefe cause and ende of Images is as it is here pretended that the People by the sight thereof may atteine knowledge And therefore S. Gregorie calleth them the Lay mennes Bookes And the Fathers in a late Councel saye Wee may learne more in a shorte while by an Image then by longe studie and trauaile in the Scriptures And for the same cause S. Basile compareth an Image painted with a Storie written But the comparison that M. Hardinge vseth betweene Imagerie and Poetrie seemeth nearest to expresse the trueth For Painters and Poetes for libertie of lyeinge haue of longe time beene coupled bothe togeather One writeth of them in this sorte Pictoribus atque Poetis Quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas Painters and Poetes had euer like chartar to aduenture al thinges And Atheneus blasinge abroade the libertie of Poetes writteth of them thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnto whom onely it is lawful to say and doo what they liste And therefore Cicero seemeth to say Nihil negotij est haec Poetarum Pictorum portenta conuincere It is no greate maisterie to reprooue these monstrous Miracles of Painters and Poetes And therefore like as Plato commaunded al Poetes for their lyeinge to be banished out of his Common Wealthe So likewise Almighty God for like libertie banished al Painters out of Israel For these causes M. Hardinges comparison of Painters and Poetes may wel be allowed How be it this séemeth to be no very handsome way to teache the people Of their Priestes they haue made Images and of their Images they haue made Priestes For their Priestes for the more parte haue Eies and sée not haue Eares and heare not Hartes and vnderstande not Mouthes and speake not in al respectes euen like vnto their Images Their Images haue no Eies and yet are made to see haue no Eares and yet are made to heare haue no Mouthes and yet are set vp to speake and so in these respectes doo the Dewties that perteine to Priestes Thus they barre the People from the hearinge of Goddes holy Woorde and bid them goe and looke vpon their Images to talke with their Images to heare their Images and to learne of their Images And although perhaps the people may happily learne somewhat by these meanes yet is not this the ordinary way whereby God hath appointed the people to atteine knowledge S. Paule saithe Fides ex auditu Faith commeth not by séeing or gasinge but by hearinge There were many simple rude and vnlearned lay men emonge the Iewes Yet God neuer set vp any suche Bookes for them to reade but contrarywise euermore forebade them and cried against them and woulde not suffer them If this be so speedy and so ready a way to teache the People how happeneth it that where as is greatest stoare of suche Schoolemaisters there the people is euermore most Ignorant most Superstitious and moste subiecte to Idolatrie But to conclude The Prophetes Habacuch and Hieremie say Conflatile est demonstratio mendacij Lignum est Doctrina Vanitatis A molton Idol is a Lesson of Lies And M. Hardinges woodden Image is a doctrine of Vanitie M. Hardinge The .11 Diuision The seconde cause of the vse of Images is the stirringe of our mindes to al godlynesse For where as the affecte and desire of man is heauy and dul in Diuine and spiritual thinges because the Bodie that is corruptible weigheth downe the minde when it is set foorthe before our eies by Images what Christe hath doone for vs and what the Sainctes haue doone for Christe then it is quickned and moued to the like will of dooinge and sufferinge and to al endeuour of holy and vertuouse life As when we heare apte and fitte woordes vttered in a Sermon or an Oration so when we beholde lookes and gestures liuely expressed in Images we are mooued to pitie to weepinge to ioye and to other affectes VVherein
visite him who comminge vnto him with pretence to bringe conforte through his heauenly knowledge receiued confort But amonge the people how greate number is there of lewde Losels Gluttons and Dronkerdes whose bealy is their God who folow their vnruly lustes Is it to be thought this sorte of persones may without meditation and exercise of praier pearse the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures and of those holy Mysteries whiche God hath hidden as Christe confesseth from the Learned and wise man and opened vnto litle ones The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge alloweth these whom he calleth Curious Busy Bodies of the Uulgare sorte to atteine to the vnderstandinge of Gods Woorde not by readinge but onely by Special ReuelatioÌ„ and Miracle and none otherwise and that within the space of a thousande yéeres one or twoo onely and no moe For so S. Antonie atteined vnto the knowledge therof vtterly without any booke or Reading or any other healpe of vnderstandinge So that sicke man lieinge bedreade of whom S. Gregorie maketh that woorthy mention So that Barbarous and vtterly vnlearned sclaue that suddainely by Reuelation was taught to Reade And so like wise perhaps M. Hardinge him selfe beinge so longe a time and so earnest a Preacher of the same Gospel and Trueth of God that he now so wilfully condemneth without either Booke or Readinge or other conference onely vpon the Change of the Prince and none otherwise vnderstoode that thinge that before he coulde not vnderstande and by Miracle and Reuelation vpon the suddaine was wholy altered vnto the contrary True it is Fleashe Bloud is not hable to vnderstande the holy wil of God without special Reuelation Therefore Christe gaue thankes vnto his Father For that he had reueled his secretes vnto the little ones And likewise opened the hartes of his Disciples that they might vnderstande the Scriptures Without this special healpe and promptinge of Goddes holy Sprite the Woorde of God is vnto the Reader be he neuer so wise or wel learned as the Uision of a sealed Booke Buâ—â—â—â—s Reuelation is not special vnto one or twoo but general to al them that 〈◊〉 members of Christe and are endewed with the Sprite of God Therefore 〈◊〉 â—hrysostome saithe generally vnto al the people Audite quotquot estis mundani â—â—xoribus praeestis ac liberis quemadmodum vobis Apostolus Paulus Praecipiat legere â—cripturas idque non simpliciter neque obiter sed magna cum diligentia Herken al yee men of the worlde that haue wiues and Children how S. Paule the Apostle of Christe coÌ„maundeth you to Reade the Scriptures and that not sleightly or as by the way but with greate diligence Againe he saithe Domi Biblia in manus sumite Domi vacemus diuinarum Scripturarum lectioni Take the Bible into your handes in your houses at home At home in our houses let vs applie the Readinge of the Holy Scriptures So likewise saithe S. Hierome Hîc ostenditur verbum Christi non sufficienter sed abundanter etiaÌ„ Laicos habere debere docere se inuiceÌ„ vel monere Here wee are taught that the Lay people ought to haue the Woorde of God not onely sufficiently but also with abundance and to teache and counsel others But emongest these Busy Bodies of the Uulgare sorte M. Hardinge findeth a greate number of Losels Gluttons and Dronkardes whose belly is their God Thus he nameth the parte but he meaneth the whole For euen so writeth Hosius one of the Chiefe of that Companie Non est Consilium in vulgo non ratio non discrimen In this Vulgare sorte there is neither Counsel nor reason nor discretion And farther he calleth the flocke of Christe Beluam multorum Capitum A Wilde beaste of many heades As M. Hardinge also a litle before calleth them Swyne and others calle them Filthy Dogges Euen so the Phariseis iudged and spake of the simple People that folowed Christe Turbauista quae non nouit Legem maledicti sunt These rabbles of rascalles that are Unlearned and know not the Lawe are accursed In suche regarde they haue theÌ„ whom S. Paule calleth Ciues Sanctorum domesticos Dei Cittizens with the Sainctes and of the Householde of God If loosenesse of life be a iust cause to baÌ„nishe the people from the Woorde of God it is commonly thought that the Cardinalles and Priestes in Rome liue as loosely as any others S. Bernarde of the Priestes of his time writeth thus Non est iam dicere vt Populus sic Sacerdos quia nec sic Populus vt Sacerdos Wee mayâ— not nowe saye As is the People so is the Prieste For the people is not so wicked as is the Priest Therefore by M. Hardinges iudgemente the Priestes ought no lesse to be banished from Goddes Woorde then the rest of the People M. Hardinge The .12 Diuision And where as learned men of our time be diuided into contrary sectes and write bitterly one againste an other eche one imputinge to other mistakinge of the Scriptures if emongest them who woulde seeme to be the leadars of the people be controuersies and debates aboute the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures howe maye the common people be thought to be in safe case out of al daunger of errours if by readinge the Bible in their owne tongue they take the mater in hande If any man thinke I sclaunder them for that I saie they be diuided into contrary sectes let him vnderstande their owne Countriemenne I meane them of Germanie and special setters foorthe of this newe doctrine reporte it in their bookes and complaine lamentably of it Namely Nicolaus Amsdorffius in his booke intituled Publica Confessio purae doctrinae Euangelij c. Also Nicolaus Gallus in his booke of Theses and Hypotyposes who acknowledgeth the strifes and debates that be emongst them to be not of lighte matters but of high Articles of Christian doctrine For euen so be his woordes in Latine Non sunt leues inter nos concertationes de rebus leuibus sed de sublimibus doctrinae Christianae Articulis de lege EuaÌ„gelio c. The same man in the last leafe of his foresaide booke with greate vehemencie reporteth Haereses permultas esse prae manibus plerasque etiamnùm haerere in calamo That very many Heresies be already in hande and many as yet sticke in the penne as though he meante they were ready to be set foorthe Of late there haue beene put foorthe in printe twoo greate bookes one by the princes of Saxonie the â—ther by the Erles of Mansfeld chiefe mainteiners of the Lutheranes in whiche be recited eleuen sectes and the same as detestable Heresies condemned they are conteined in this cataloge or rol Anabaptistae Seruetiani Stancariani Antinomi Iesuitae Osiandriani Melancâ—thonici Maioristae Adiaphoristae Suencfeldiani Sacramentarij Albeit the Iesuites haue wronge to be numbred amonge them This muche is confessed of the sectes and controuersies of our newe Gospellers by their
euen so the Sacrifice that Christ once made vpon the Crosse remaineth stil in ful force effectual and perfite and endureth for euer Therefore S. Paule saithe Christe hath an euerlastinge Priesthoode and liueth stil that he may stil pray for vs. And therefore God the Father saithe vnto him and to none other either Man or Angel or Archangel Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum Thou art a Priest for euer And therefore S. Chrysostome compareth this Sacrifice to a moste soueraine salue that beinge once laide to the wounde healeth it cleane and needeth no more laieinge on Likewise S. Cyprian saithe Nec Sacerdotij eius paenituit Deum quoniam Sacrificium quod in Cruce obtulit sic in beneplacito Dei constat acceptabile perpetua virture confistit vt non minùs hodiè in conspectu Patris Oblatio illa sit efficax quà m ea die qua de saucio latere Sanguis Aqua exiuit semper reseruatae in Corpore plagae Salutis Humanae exigant pretium It neuer repented God of Christes Priesthoode For the Sacrifice that he offered vpon the Crosse is so acceptable in the good wil of God and so standeth in continual strength and Vertue that the same Oblation is no lesse acceptable this daie in the sight of God the Father then it was that day when Blould and Water ranne out of his Wounded side The Skarres reserued stil in his Bodie doo weighe the price of the Saluation of Man But M. Hardinge condemneth vs al for Foolishe and Wicked people For Foolishe I know not why Neither is it thought a wisemannes parte either greately to mislike other mennes wittes or ouermuche to like his owne How be it who so speaketh as neuer wiseman spake and yet him selfe vnderstandeth not what he speaketh as in this case it is thought M. Harding dooth hath no greate cause in this behalfe to charge others with folie Of the other side what so euer Mortal man presumeth to offer vp Christe in Sacrifice and dareth to desire God the Father so fauourably to beholde his owne onely Sonne as in olde times he behelde the Oblation of Abel or of Melchisedek and is not afraide therewith to beguile the simple and to mocke the worlde as M. Hardinge doothe daily at his Masse he can not wel excuse him selfe of open wickednesse Notwithstandinge this matter is easily answeared For saith he wee Sacrifice not Christe againe The Oblation that Christe made vpon the Crosse and ours in the Masse is al one And this Sacrifice Christe hath commaunded vs to continew vntil his comminge If M. Harding make the selfe same Sacrifice that Christe made vpon the Crosse then is he A Prieste after the order of Melchisedek And so The Kinge of Iustice The Prince of Peace and a Prieste for euer without Successour For these titles be incident to the Priesthoode of Melchisedek whiche neuerthelesse I thinke M. Hardinge of his modestie wil not acknowledge And without the same he cannot offer vp to God the same Sacrifice that Christe offered vpon the Crosse. And where he saithe Christe hath commaunded him and his Felowes to make and continew this Sacrifice vntil his comminge If he had meante simply and plainely he would haue shewed either when or where or by what woordes Christe gaue him this Commaundement For so large a Commission is woorthy the shewinge And it were greate boldenesse to attempte suche a mater without Commission M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision Now for further proufe of the offeringe and Sacrificinge of Christe of those woordes of our Lorde Doo this is my remembraunce to recite some Testimonies of the Fathers First Dionysius S. Paules Scholar and Bishop of Athenes writeth thus Quocirca reuerenter simul ex Pontificali officio post sacras diuinorum operum laudes quòd hostiam salutarem quae super ipsum est litet se excusat ad ipsum primò decenter exclamans Tu dixisti Hoc facite in meam commemorationem VVherefore the Bishop saith he reuerently and accordinge to his Bishoply office after the holy prayses of Goddes workes he excuseth him selfe that he taketh vpon him to offer that healthful Sacrifice whiche is aboue his degree and worthinesse crieinge out first vnto him in seemely wise Lorde thou hast commaunded thus saieinge Doo this in my remembrance By these woordes he confesseth that he coulde not be so hardy 225 as to offer vp Christe vnto his father had not Christe him selfe so commaunded when he saide Doo this in my remembrance This is the Doctrine touchinge this Article that Saincte Paule taught his Scholars whiche M. Iuel denieth The B. of Sarisburie Here maiste thou gentle Reader easily see that M. Hardinge either had not that abundance of Stoare whereof notwithstandinge he hath made vs so large a promise or els had no greate regarde vnto his choise For Dionysius hath no token or inkling of any suche Sacrificinge of the Sonne of God vnto his Father But clearely in moste plaine wise he sheweth the difference that is bitweene the Sacrifice of the Crosse and the Sacrifice of the Holy Communion Thesâ— be his woordes The Priest extolleth those thinges that Christe wrought in his Fleashe vpon the Crosse for the Saluation of Mankinde and with Spiritual eies beholdinge the Spiritual vnderstandinge thereof draweth neâ—re to the Figuratiue Sacrifice of the same Here Dionysius calleth not the Ministration of the Holy Mysteries the Sacrificingâ— of Christe vnto his Father as M. Hardinge woulde force vs to beleeue but a Figuratiue Sacrifice that is a Figure or a Signe of that greate Sacrifice And Pachymeres the Paraphrast expoundeth the same woordes in this wise â–ª 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He commeth to the Breade and the Cuppe Then the Prieste saith Dionysius after certaine Praiers and Holy Songes excuseth him selfe as not woorthy to make that Sacrifice and pronounceth these woordes out with a lowde voice Tu dixisti c. Thow hast saide Doo this in my Remembrance Hereof M. Hardinge concludeth thus The Priest excuseth him selfe Ergo He Offereth vp the Sonne of God vnto his Father A yonge Sophister woulde neuer so vnskilfully frame his argumentes Otherwise the Respondent might easily saie Nego Consequentiam Consequens For what order or sequele is there in this Reason Howe maie this Antecedente and this Consequente agrée togeather M. Hardinge knoweth there be other sundrie causes wherefore the Prieste shoulde excuse his vnwoorthinesse and not this onely that he imagineth The Prieste in the Liturgie or Communion that beareth the name of S. Basile praieth thus Fac nos idoneos vt tibi Offeramus SacrificiuÌ„ Laudis Make vs meete to offer vnto thee not Christe thine onely Sonne but the Sacrifice of praise In like manner Nazianzene saithe Howe can they or dare they offer vnto God he saith not The Bodie of Christe Really and in deede but the Figure of these greate Mysteries But M. Hardinge beinge vtterly voide of other reasons prooueth his imagined
more expressely calleth the Sacrament by the name of God then S. Bernarde in his godly SermoÌ„ de coena Dâ—Ì„i ad PetruÌ„ presbyteruÌ„ VVhere he saith thus Comedunt Angeli verbum de Deo naâ—uÌ„ Comedunt homines verbuÌ„ foenuÌ„ factuÌ„ The Angels eate the woorde borne of God men eate the woorde made haie meaninge hereby the Sacrament whiche he calleth the woorde made haye that is to witte the woorde incarnate And in an other place there he saithe Haec est verè indulgentia coelestis haec est verè cumulata gratia haec est verè superexcelleÌ„s gloria sacerdotem DeuÌ„ suum tenere alijs dando porrigere This is verily an heauenly gifte this is verely a bountiful grace this is verely a passing excellent glorie the Prieste to holde his God and in geuinge to reache him foorthe to others In the same sermon speaking of the merueilouse sweetenes that good Bishops and holy religiouse men haue experience of by receauinge this blessed Sacrament he saithe thus Ideo ad mensam altaris frequentiùs accedunt omni tempore candida facientes vestimenta sua id est corpora prout possunt melius vtpote Deum suum manu ore contrectaturi For this cause they come the oftener vnto the bourde of the Aulter at al times makinge their garmentes that is to say their Bodies so white as they can possible as they who shal handle their God with hande and mouth An other place of the same sermon for that it conteineth a holesome instructioÌ„ beside the affirming of our purpose I can not omitte I remitte the learned to the Latine the English of it is this They are merueilouse thinges brethren that be spoken of this Sacrament Faith is necessarie Knowledge of reason is here superfluous This let Faith beleeue let not vnderstandinge require least that either not being founde it thinke it incredible or beinge founde out it beleeue it not to be singuler and alone And therefore it behoueth it to be beleeued simply that can not be searched out profitably VVherefore searche not searche not how it may bee doubt not whether it bee Come not vnto it vnreuerently least it be to you to death Deus enim est quanquà m Panis Mysteria habeat mutatur tamen in earnem For it is God and though it haue mysteries of Breade yet is it chaunged into Fleashe God and man it is that witnesseth Breade truly to be made his Fleashe The vessel of election it is that threatneth Iudgement to him that putteth no difference in iudginge of that so holy Fleash The selfe same thinge thinke thou O Christen man of the VVine giue that honour to the VVine The Creatour of VVine it is that promoteth the VVine to be the Bloud of Christ. This far holy Bernard The B. of Sarisburie Bernarde was a Monke liued at Clara Uallis aboute the same time yâ— Thomas Becket liued here in Englande at whiche time as it appeareth by his often complaintes the Churche of God was miserably defaced For thus he writeth namely touchinge the Cleregie of Rome Nihil integri est in Clero c. In the whole Cleregie wherein he includeth the Pope the Cardinalles the Bishoppes al the reste there is no parte leafte sounde It remaineth now that the man of Sinne that is Antichriste be reueled From the toppe to the toe there is no health The Seruantes of Christe now serue Antichriste Therefore Bernarde liuinge in a time of suche corruption and beinge carried away with the tempeste violence of the same muste néedes in these cases beare the lesse credite How be it in other places he séemeth somewhat to rectifie his owne meaninge For thus he writeth Quasi verò Christus cùm iam ascenderit in Coelum tangi a Maria aut velit aut possit Et vtique poterit sed affectu non manu Voto non oculo Fide non sensibus As though Christe after he is Ascended into Heauen either can or wil be touched of Mâ—rie And verily he may be touched but with loue not with hande with desire not with eie with Faithe not with senses If M. Hardinge wil presse vs further with that S. Bernarde saithe The Priest holdeth God in his handes it may please him to consider that the rigour thereof may be qualified by a conuenient exposition So S. Chrysostome saithe Adest Sacerdos gestans Spiritum Sanctum The Priest is present bearinge the holy Ghoste And S. Gregorie saithe Paulus praedicando Deum infundebat audientibus Paule by his Preachinge powred God into his hearers And againe Latens in Pauli pectore quasi sub tentorio ibat Deus God wente in Paules harte as vnder a tente S. Hierome saithe His qui baptizandi sunt publicè tradimus Sanctam Adorandam Trinitatem Vnto them that are to receiue Baptisme wee openly deliuer the Holy Trinitie The meaninge hereof is this That he receiueth the Trinitie that receiueth the Faithe and Doctrine of the Trinitie Now as S. Chrysostome saithe The Priest beareth the Holy Ghoste As S. Gregorie saithe S. Paule powred God into his hearers And as S. Hierome saithe Wee deliuer the Holy Trinitie Euen so it may séeme Bernarde saith The Priest holdeth God in his hande that is to say not Really or in déede but in a certaine peculiar manner and fourme of speache For by a Rhetorical amplification of woordes he holdeth God that holdeth any thinge specially perteining vnto God Thus must these and other like woordes be salued namely these of Bernard for that they seeme expressely to require the same For thus they stande far otherwise then M. Hardinge hath reported them Deum suum manu ore contrectaturi colloquentem â—ibi ipsis audituri To touche God with their hande and with their mouthe and to beare him speakinge vnto them Which later clause M. Hardinge as his manner is hath purposely dissembled As the Priest heareth Christe speake vnto him so he holdeth Christ in his hande But the Priest heareth not Christ speake Uerily and in deede but by a Figure Therefore it seemeth it may reasonably be geathered of the same that he holdeth not Christe in his hande Really and in déede but onely by way of a Figure Thus muche touchinge Bernarde Notwithstanding it is likely and thought of many that as wel herein as in other cases of Religion He was leaddâ— awaye with the errours and ignorance of his time M. Hardinge The .9 Diuision Here let our aduersaries touchinge this Article consider and weigh with them selues whether they be Lutherans Zuinglians or Geneuians what Englishe they can make of these woordes vsed by the Fathers 247 and applied to the Sacrament in the places before alleged Dominus Christus Diuina essentia Deus Seipsum verbum Dei Ego verbum foenum factum Deum suum The number of the like places that might be alleaged to this purpose be in manner infinite Yet M.
that S. Peters Soule commeth by Succession to dwell in them that therefore they ought to haue what so euer Title or Interest Peter had And for that cause they say We are Peters Successours euen as the Phariseis sometime saide We be the Children of Abraham But S. Iohn the Baptist saide vnto them Put not your affiance in suche Succession For God is hable euen of the stones to raise vp Children vnto Abraham And when the Children of Scaeua beinge Sorcerers and Infidelles beganne to practise in the name of Christe and Paule the man possest made them answeare â–ª Christe I know and Paule I knowe But what are you Surely Peter was not the Heade of the Apostles bicause he was Bishop of Rome For he was so appointed by Christe in consideration of age and boldenes of Sprite longe before he came to Rome Yea and had so béene and so had continued although he had neuer come to Rome Therefore M. Hardinges argument is a Fallax and in the Schooles is called Fallacia accidentis Thus notwithstandinge S. Peter were Heade of the Church yet cannot the B. of Rome therefore of right claime the same title And albeit S. Peter of special reuerence and admiration of his Sprite and vertues were sometimes so called as S. Paule sometimes vpon like consideration also was yet vnderstandinge this Chieftie for Uniuersal Power and Gouernment Authoritie to commaunde S. Peter neither was the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche in déede nor was so estéemed or taken emonge his bretherne as many waies it may wel appeare And therefore S. Gregorie saithe Paulus membra Dominici Corporis certis extra DominuÌ„ quasi Capitibus ipsis quidem Apostolis subijci particulariter euitauit S. Pâ—ule forbade that the members of Christes Bodiè shoulde not be subiecte particulâ—rely vnto any certaine Heades bysides the Lorde no not vnto the Apostles themselues So saithe S. Augustine as it is before alleged Nec Apostolus Paulus Caput est Origo eorum quos plantauerat Neither is Paule him selfe the Heade of them whome he planted Likewise againe he saithe Paulus Apostolus quanquam sub Capite praecipuum Membrum tamen MeÌ„bruÌ„ est Corporis Christi Paule the Apostle although he be a special member vnder Christ the Heade yet is he a member not the Head of Christes Bodie To conclude S. Gregorie saithe Cerâ—è Petrus Apostolus primum membrum Sanctae Vniuersalis Ecclesiae est Paulus Andreas Iohannes quid aliud quà m singularium sunt plebium Capita Et tamen sub vno Capite omnes membra sunt Ecclesiae Atque vt cuncta breui cingulo locutionis astringam Sancti ante Legem Sancti in Lege Sancti sub Gratia Omnes hi perficieÌ„tes Corpus Domini in membris sunt Ecclesiae constituti Et nemo se vnquam Vniuersalem vocari voluit In deede Peter the Apostle is the Chiefe Member of the holy Vniuersal Churche Paule Andrewe and Iohn what are they els but the Heades of seueral peoples Yet notwithstandinge vnder one Heade they are al members of the Churche To be shorte The Sainctes before the Lawe The Sainctes in the Lawe the Sainctes vnder Grace al accomplishinge the Lordes Bodie are placed emonge the members of the Churche And there was neuer yet none that woulde cal him selfe Vniuersal Hereof we may wel conclude thus S. Peter touchinge gouernement Ordinary Rule was not the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche Ergo Muche lesse is the Pope the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche M. Hardinge The .33 Diuision I wil adde to al that hath ben hitherto saide of this matter a saieinge of Martin Luther that suche as doo litle regarde the grauitie of auncient Fathers of the olde Churche maie yet some what be moued with the lightnes of the younge Father Luther Patriarke and founder of theire newe Churche Lightnes I maie wel cal it for in this sayinge which I shal here rehearse he dothe not so soberly allowe the Popes primacie as in sundrie other treatises he dothe rashly and furiousely inueigh against the same In a litle treatise intituled Resolutio Lutheriana super propositione sua 13. De poâ—estate Papae His wordes be these Primum quod me mouet Romanum Pontificem esse alijs omnibus quos saltem nouerimus se Pontifices gerere Superiorem est ipsa voluntas Dei quà m in ipso facto videmus Neque n. sine voluntate Dei in hanc Monarchiam vnquam venire potnisset Rom. Pontifex At voluntas Dei quoquo modo notÌ„a fuerit cum reuerentia suscipienda est ideoque non licer temerâ— Romano Pontifici in suo primatu resistere Haec autem ratio tanta est vt si etiaÌ„ nulla scriptura nulla alia causa esset haec tamen satis esset ad compescendam temeritatem resistentium Et hac sola ratione gloriosissimus Martyr Cyprianus per multas Epistolas confidentissimè gloriatur contra omnes Episcoporum quorumcunque aduersarios Sicut 3. Regum legimus quâ—d decem Tribus Israel discesserunt à Roboam filio Salomonis tamen quia voluntate Dei siue auctoritate factum est ratum apud Deum fuit Nam apud Theologos omnes voluntas Signi quam vocant operationem Dei non minus quà m alia signa voluntatis Dei vt praecepta prohibitiua c. metuenda est Ideo non video quomodo sint excusati à Schismatis reatu qui huic voluntati contrauenientes sese à Romani Pontificis auctoritate subtrahunt Ecce haec est vna prima mihi insuperabilis ratio quae me subijcit Romano Pontifici primatum eius confiteri cogir. The first thinge that moueth me to thinke the Bishop of Rome to be ouer al other that we knowe to be Bishoppes is the very wil of God which we see in the facte or deede it selfe For without the wil of God the Bishop of Rome coulde neuer haue ben commen vnto this Monarchie But the wil of God by what meane so euer it be knowen is to be receiued reuerently And therefor it is not lawful rashely to resiste the Bishop of Rome in his primacie And this is so greate a reason for the same that if there were no Scripture at al nor other reason Yet this were inough to sâ—aie the rashenes of them that resiste And through this onely reason the most glorious Martyr Cyprian in many of his Epistles vaunteth him self very boldly against al the aduersaries of Bishoppes what so euer they were As in the thirde booke of the Kinges we reade that the tenne Tribes of Israel departed from Roboam Salomons sonne Yet bicause it was doone by the wil or auctoritie of God it stoode in effecte with God For amonge al the Diuines the wil of the Signe whiche they cal the workinge of God is to be feared no lesse then other Signes of Goddes wil as commandementes prohibitiue c. Therefore I see not howe they maie be excused of the gilte of schisme whiche