seruantes vt in aliquo si nutauerit vacillauerit Veritas ad originem Dominicam Euangelicam atque Apostolicam Traditionem reuertamur inde surgat actus nostri ratio vnde Ordo Origo surrexit If the Pipes of yâ— Conduit which before ranne with abundance happen to faile doo wee not vse to searche to the Head c. The Priestes of God keepinge Goddes commaundementes must do the same that if the Truthe haue fainted or failed in any pointe vvee returne to the very Original of our Lorde and to the Tradition of the Gospel and of the Apostles that therâ—hence wee maie take the discretion of our dooinges from whence the Order it selfe and Original firste beganne The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 1. Moreouer wee saie that Christe hathe geuen to his Ministers power to binde to loose to open to shutte The B. of Sarisburie The difference that is bitweene vs and our Aduersaries in this whole mater is not great sauinge that it liketh wel M. Hardinge to buste him selfe with néedelesse quarrels without cause Three kindes of Confession are expressed vnto vs in the Scriptures The First made secretely vnto God alone The Seconde Openly before yâ— who le Congregation The Thirde Priuately vnto our Brother Of the twoo former kindes there is no question Touchinge the thirde if it be discretely vsed to the greatter comforte and satisfaction of the Penitente without superstition or other il it is not in any wise by vs reproued The Abuses and Errours sette aparte wée doo nomore mislike a Priuate Confession then a Priuate Sermon Thus mutche onely wée saie that Priuate Confession to be made vnto yâ— Minister is neither commaunded by Christe nor necessarie to Saluation And therefore Chrysostome saithe Non dico tibi vt te prodas in publicum neque vt te accuses apud alios Sed obedire te volo Propherae dicenti Reuela Domino viam tuam I wil thee not to bewraye thee selfe openly nor to accuse thee selfe before others But I counsel thee to obeie the Prophete saieinge Open thy waye vnto the Lorde And Gratian hauinge thorowly disputed and debated the whole mater of bothe sides in the ende leaueth it thus at large Cui harum sententiarum potiâ—sâ— adhaerenduÌ„ sit Lectoris iudicio reseruatur Vtraque enim fautores habet Sapientes Religiosos Viros Whether of these twoo opinions it were better to folowe it is leafte to the discretion of the Reader For either side is fauoured bothe by Wise and also by Godly menne Therefore the Glose there concludeth thus Meliâ—s dicitur Confessionem institutam fuisse à quadam Vniuersalis Ecclesiae Traditione potiùs quà m ex Noui vel Veteris Testamenti Authoritate It is better to saie that Confession was Ordeined by somme Tradition of the Vniuersal Churche then by the Authoritie of the Newe or Olde Testamente Likewise saithe Theodorus sometime Archebishop of Canturburie a Gréeke borne Quidam Deo solummodò confiteri debeâ—e peccata dicunt vt Graeci Some saie wee are bounde to confesse our sinnes onely to God as doo the Greciâ—â—s Whereupon the Glose noteth thus Apud Graecos Confessio non est Necessaria quia non emanauit ad illos Traditio talis Emonge the Grecians Confession is not Necessarie for that no sutche Tradition euer came emongest them But what neede many woordes M. Hardinge him selfe in the discourse hereof is forced to confesse that the Expresse Terme of Auriculare or Secrete Confession is Seldome mentioned in the Ancient Fathers His tale had benne truer if he had saide thus The Expresse terme of Auriculare or Secrete Confession is Neuer mentioned in the Ancient Fathers Nowe to passe ouer certaine other M. Hardinges vnnecessarie talkes hée groweth to the mater in this sorte M. Hardinge Concerninge the ministers of the Churche wee saie that they open and shutte by dispensinge the Sacramentes who haue theire vertue of the merites of Christe For where as the Sacramentes haue issued and flowed out of the side of our sauiour Christe sleepinge on the Crosse as by allusion wee maie vse the woordes of the olde figure wherewith the Churche is buylded therefore in the Sacramentes of the Churche the efficacie of the Passion remaineth And for that cause to the Ministers also of the Churche who be dispensours of the Sacramentes a certaine power is geeuen to remoue the barre that excludeth vs from Goddes fauour not through their owne but through Goddes vertue and power and merite of Christes Passion And this power is called by a metaphore the Keie of the Churche whiche is the Keie of Ministerie whereof we shal speake hereafter This power so muche as concerneth releasse of sinnes is exercised in the Sacramente of Penaunce to the benefite of them that after Baptisme be relapsed and fallen into sinne againe Of whiche power no Christen man doubteth onlesse he holde the Heresie of the Nouatians who were condemned for Heretikes by the Churche because they denied that Priestes in the Churche had authoritie to remitte sinnes and so denied the Sacramente of Penaunce The B. of Sarisburie That dewly receiuinge the Holy Sacramentes ordeined by Christe wée receiue also yâ— Remission of Sinnes it is not any way denied For the Substance of al Sacramentes is the Woorde of God whiche S. Paule calleth Verbum Reconciliationis The Woorde of atonemente This Woorde is the Instrumente of Remission of Sinne The Sacramentes are the Seales affixed vnto the same The Prieste is the meane S. Augustine saithe In Aqua Verbum mundat Detrahe Verbum quid est Aqua nisi Aqua In the Water it is the VVoorde of God that maketh cleane Take the VVoorde awaye and what is VVater els but VVater Hereof wée shal haue cause to saie more hereafter Al that is here brought in touchinge Nouatus it is vtterly from the purpose For Nouatus neuer denied but a sinner might Confesse his Sinnes either secretely to God alone or publiquely and openly before the whole Congregation As for Auriculare Confession to the Prieste for ought that maie appeare he neuer heard of it But herein stoode his whole erroure that he thought who so euer had committed any great notorious Sinne after Baptisme notwithstandinge any Submission or Satisfaction he was hable to make yet might he neuer be reconciled vnto his Brethren or be receiued againe into the Churche not that he would hereby driue the Penitent sorowful sinner to despaire of Goddes mercie but as somme Learned menne haue thought onely for example and terrour vnto others And therefore Beatus Rhenanus saithe In hac sententia Veterum permulti fuerunt in ijs etiam Augustinus S. Augustine saithe Cautâ— salubâ—â—terque prouisum est vt locus illius Humilimae Poenitentiae semel in Ecclesia concedatur ne medicina vilis minùs utilis esset aegrotis Iâ— hath benne discretely and wholesomely prouided that it should not be graunted to any man to
thinges he had donne should vse that good mannes Body to an occasion of VVickednesse or Idolatrie So saithe S. Augustine Nemo conscius erat Sepulchri Mosis ne populus si cognouisset vbi esset adoraret Noman was made priuie to Moses Graue leste if the people had knowen where his Body had benne they shoulde adoure it Your obiection of the Sacrifice is otherwhere answeared more at large S. Augustine saithe Nunc manibus non offerimus Carnem Sed Corde ore offerimus Laudem Nowe wee offer not vp fleashe with our handes but with Harte and mouth wee offer praise Againe he saithe Intùs habeo Sacrificium quo flectam Deum meum Within mee selfe I haue a Sacrifice where with I maie pacifie my God The Apologie Cap. 17. Diuision 1. 2. When Eldras went about to repaire the ruines of the Temple of God he sente not to Ephesus although the moste beautiful and gorgeous Temple of Diana were there and whē he purposed to restore the Sacrifices and ceremonies of God he sente not to Rome although peraduenture he had heard that there were the solemne Sacrifices called Hecatombae and other called Solitaurilia Lectisternia and Supplicationes and Numa Pompilius Ceremonial Bookes or Manuals or Portueses He thought it yenough for him to let before his eies and folowe the Paterne of the Olde Temple whiche Salomon at the beginninge builded according as God had appointed him and also those olde customes and ceremonies whiche God him selfe had written out by special woordes for Moses The Prophete Aggaeus after the Temple was repaired againe by Esdras and the people mighte thinke they had a very iuste cause to reioice on theire owne behalfe for so greate a benefite receiued of Almighty God yet made he thē al burst out into teares bicause that they whiche were yet aliue and had seene the former buildinge of the Temple before the Babylonians destroied it called to minde howe far of it was yet from that beautie and excellencie whiche it had in the olde times past before For then in deede would thei haue thought the Temple woorthily repaired if it had answeared to the Anciente Paterne and to the Maiestie of the firste Temple S. Paule bicause he woulde amende the abuse of the Lordes Supper whiche the corinthians euen then begonne to corrupt he set before them christes Institution to folowe saieinge I haue deliuered vnto you that thinge that I firste receiued of the Lorde And when Christe confuted the Errour of the Phariseis Ye muste saithe he retourne to the firste beginninge for from the beginninge it vvas not thus And when he found great fault with the Priestes for their vncleanenesse of life couetousnesse would cleanse the Temple from al euil Abuses This house saith he at the first beginning vvas a House of Praier wherein al the people might deuoutely and sincerely praie togeather And so it were your parte to vse it now also at this daie For it was not builded to the ende it should be a denne of theues Likewise al the good and commendable Princes mentioned of in the Scriptures were praised specially by these woordes that they had walked in the waies of theire Father Dauid That is bicause they had retourned to the Firste and Original Fundation and had restoared the Religion euen to the perfection wherein Dauid leaft it And therfore when we likewise saw that al thinges were quite troddē vnder foote by these men that nothing remained in the Temple of God but pitieful spoiles and decaies wee reckened it the wisest and the safeste waie to sette before our eies those Churches whiche we knewe for a suertie that they neuer had erred and yet neuer had neither Priuate Masse nor Praiers in a strange and Barbarous Language nor this Corruption of Sacramentes and other toies And for so mutche as our desire was to haue the Temple of the Lorde restored anew we would seeke none other Fundation thē the same which we knewe was longe agone laide by the Apostles that is to wite Our Saueour Iesus Christ And for so mutche as wee hearde God him selfe speakinge vnto vs in his VVoorde and sawe also the notable Examples of the Olde and Primitiue Churche againe how vncertaine a mater it was to waite for a General Councel and that the successe thereof woulde be mutche more vncertaine but specially for so mutche as we were moste ascertained of Goddes VVil and therefore counted it a wickednesse to be too careful and ouercumbred about the Iudgementes of Mortal Menne wee coulde no longer stande takinge aduise with fleashe and bloude but rather thought good to doo the same thinge that bothe might rightly be donne and hath many a time benne donne aswel of other good men as also of many Catholique Bishoppes that is to remedie our own Churches by a Prouincial Synode For thus wee knowe the Olde Fathers vsed to put maters in experience before thei came to the Publique Vniuersal Councel There remaine yet at this daie Canons written in Councelles of Free Citties as of Carthage vnder Cyprian as of Ancyra Neocesarea and Gangra whiche is in Paphlagonia as somme thinke before that the name of the General Councel at Nice was euer hearde of After this fashion in Olde time did they spedily meete with and cutte shorte those Heretiques the Pelagians and the Donatistes at home by Priuate Disputation without any General Councel Thus also when the Emperour Constantius euidently and earnestly tooke parte with Auxentius the Bishop of the Arians faction Ambrose the Bishop of the Christians appealed not vnto a General Councel where he sawe no good coulde be donne by reason of the Emperours might greate laboure but onely to his owne Cleregie and People that is to saie to a Prouincial Synode And thus it was decreed in the councel at Nice that the Bishoppes shoulde assemble twise euery yeere And in the councel at carthage it was decreed that the Bishoppes shoulde meete togeather in eche of their Prouinces at leaste once in the yeere whiche was donne as saithe the councel at chalcedon of pourpose that if any Errours or Abuses had happened to springe vp any where they might immediately at the firste entrie be destroied euen where they firste began So likewise when Secundus and Palladius reiected the councel at Aquileia bicause it was not a General and common councel S. Ambrose Bishop of Millaine made answeare that no man ought to take it for a newe or straunge mater that the Bishoppes of the VVeast Parte of the world did calle togeather Synodes make Priuate Assemblies in their Prouinces for that it was a thing before then vsed by the Weaste Bishoppes not seldome and by the Bishoppes of Graecia vsed oftentimes and commonly to be donne And so Charles the Greate beinge Emperoure helde a Prouincial coūcel in Germanie for puttinge awaie Images contrarie to the Seconde councel at Nice Neither pardy euen amongest vs is this so very a strange and new a trade For wee
Philip the French Kinge from his estate and vnder his Bulles or Letters Patentes had conueighed the same solemnely vnto Albertus the Kinge of Romaines M. Hardinge here telleth your Maiestie that al this was very wel donne to thintente thereby to fraie the Kinge and to keepe him in avve and to reclaime his minde from disobedience Now touchinge your Maiesties moste Noble Progenitours the Kinges of this Realme whereas wee as oure loialtie and allegiance bindeth vs iustely complaine that Pope Alexander 3. by violence and tyrannie forced Kinge Henrie the Seconde to surrender his Crowne Emperial into the handes of his Legate and afterwarde for a certaine space to contente him selfe in Priuate estate to the greate indignation and griefe of his louinge Subiectes And that likewise Pope Innocentius the thirde sturred vp the Nobles and Commons of this Realme against kinge Iohn and gaue the Enheritance and Possession of al his Dominions vnto Ludouicus the Frenche Kinge as for the misusinge of your Maiesties moste deere Father of moste Noble Memorie kinge Henrie the Eighth for as mutche as the smarte thereof is yet in freshe remembrance I wil saie nothinge To these and al other like Tyrannical iniuries and iuste causes of griefe M. Hardinge shortely and in lighte manner thinketh it sufficiente to answeare thus VVhat though Kinge Henrie the Seconde vvere il entreated of Pope Alexander 3 VVhat though Kinge Iohn vvere il entreated of that Zelous and Learned Pope Innocentius 3 VVhat though Kinge Henrie the Eighth vvere likevvise entreated of the Popes in our time If know right wel Moste Souer aine Lady the goodnesse of your Graceous Nature deliteth not in sutche rehearsalles Neither doo I make reporte hereof for that sutche thinges sommetimes haue benne donne but for that the same thinges euen nowe at this time either so lightely are excused or so boldely are defended Sutche humble affection and obedience these menne by their open and publique VVritinges teache your Maiesties true Subiectes to beare towardes their Natural Prince It shal mutche warrante the honoure and safetie of your Roial Estate if your Maiestie shal sommetimes remember the dishonours and dangers that other your Noble Progenitours haue felte before you But concerninge the Maiestie and right of Kinges and Emperours M. Hardinge telleth vs They haue their firste Authoritie by the Positiue Lavve of Nations and can haue nomore Povver then the people hath of vvhome they take their Temporal lurisdiction as if he woulde saie Emperours and Kinges haue none other righte of Gouernmente then it hath pleased theire Subiectes by composition to allowe vnto them Thus he saithe and saithe it boldely as if God him selfe had neuer saide Per me Reges Regnant By mee and my Authoritie Kinges beare rule ouer theire Subiectes Or as if Christe our Saueour had neuer saide vnto Pilate the Lorde Lieutenante Thou shouldest haue no Povver ouer mee vvere it not geeuen thee from aboue Or as if S. Paule had not saide Non est potestas nisi a Deo There is no povver but onely from God And yet further as if their whole studie were fully bente to deface the Authoritie and Maiestie of al Princes euen nowe one of the same companie doubteth not to teache the worlde That the Pope is the Heade and Kinges and Emperours are the feete Like as also an other of the same faction saithe The Emperoures Maiestie is so farre inferiour in dignitie to the Pope as a Creature is inferiour vnto God VVee diuise not these thinges of malice Moste Graceous Lady but reporte the same truely as wee finde them proclaimed and published this daie by theire vaine and dangerous writinges whiche notwithstandinge they woulde so faine haue to be taken as Catholique If this Doctrine maie once take roote and be freely receiued emongest the Subiectes it shal be harde for any Prince to holde his Righte As for your Maiestie for that it hath pleased Almighty God in his Mercie to make you an instrumente of his Glorie as in Olde times he made many other Godly and Noble Princes to refourme his Churche from that huge and lothesome heape of filthe and rubble that either b violence or by negligence had benne throwen into it therefore M. Hardinge euen in this selfe same Booke vnder certaine general threates chargeth you with disordred presumption by the example of Ozias the wicked Kinge vpon vvhom as he vntruely saithe God sente his vengeance for the like For be the Abuses and Errours of the Churche neuer so many be the falles and dangers neuer so greate be the Priestes and Bishoppes neuer so blinde yet by this Doctrine it maie neuer be lawful for the Prince be he neuer so learned or so wise or so Zelous in Goddes cause to attempte any manner of Reformation And therefore thus he saithe vnto your Maiestie and with al his skil and cunninge laboureth to perswade your Maiesties Subiectes if any one or other happily of simplicitie wil beleeue him that the Godly Lavves whiche your Maiestie hathe geeuen vs to liue vnder are no Lavves that your Parlamentes are no Parlamentes that your Cleregie is no Cleregie Our Sacramentes no Sacramentes Our Faithe no Faithe The Churche of Englande whereof your Maiestie is the moste Principal and Chiefe he calleth a Malignante Churche a Newe Churche erected by the Diuel a Babylonical Tower a Hearde of Antichriste a Temple of Lucifer a Synogoge and a Schoole of Sathan ful of Robberie Sacrilege Schisme and Heresie And al this he furnissheth with sutche libertie of other vncourteous and vnseemely talkes as if he had benne purposely hired to speake dishonour of your Maiesties most godly dooinges Of al these and other like Tragical fantasies for as mutche as he hathe so boldely aduentured to make a presente vnto your Maiestie wee haue great cause to reioise in God for that our controuersies are brought to be debated before sutche a personage as is hable so wel and so deepely to vnderstande them For I haue no doubte but as by your greate Learninge and marueilous VVisedome you shal soone see the difference of our Pleadinges so of your Maiesties graceous inclination vnto al Godlinesse you wil readily finde out the Falsehedde and geeue sentence with the Truthe Verily after that your Maiestie shal haue thorowly considered the manifest Vntruthes and corruptions togeather with the Abuses and Errours of the contrarie side the VVeakenesse of the Cause the Boldenesse of the Man and the immoderate Bitternesse of his speache I haue good hope the more aduisedly you shal beholde it the lesse cause you shal finde wherefore to like it For the discouerie hereof for my poore portion of Learninge I haue endeuoured to doo that I was hable And the same here I humbly presente vnto your Maiestie as vnto my most Graceous and Soueraine Liege Lady and as now the onely Nource and Mother of the Churche of God within these your Maiesties moste Noble Dominions It maie please your Maiestie graceously to weighe
abbridged in the Councel of Hippo as it maie appeare by my answeare in this Booke Fol. 519. Whereas contrariwise the Councel of Hippo was abbridged in the Councel of Carthage This in deede of my parte was an erroure And I thanke M. Dorman that hathe geeuen mée occasion better to consider the same Notwithstandinge as I saide before the woordes be plaine Praeter quas Scripturas alia non legantur The Apologie Par. 5. Cap. 11. Diui. â— The Canonistes this date vse to saie of the Pope that for so mutche as he is Lorde of al benefices though he sel Bishoprikes Monasteries Benefices and Spiritual promotions for monie yet he cannot committe Simonie though he would neuer so faine M. Hardinge 15. Vntruthe VVhereas it is written in Summa Angelica In Curia Romana titulus De Simonia non habet locum The selfe same Summe vseth this distinction saieinge Verum est in ijs quae sunt Simoniaca de Iure positiuo solùm sed non in ijs quae sunt Simoniaca de lure Diuino VVhereby he meaneth that concerninge Simonie whiche properly is so called the Pope is no lesse subiecte thereto then any other man Thus haue you shamefully belied Summa Angelica The Replie Hereby it appeareth that M. Hardinge vnderstaÌ„deth not his owne Summa For by Simonia de Iure positiuo is meante the sale of Bishoprikes and Benefices c. whiche as this Summa saithe the Pope maie freely selle for monie without empeachemente of any manner of Simonie For beter proufe whereof Theodoricus saithe Papa non potest committere Simoniam Sic tenent Iuristae Quia Simonia excusatur per Authoritatem Papae De Schismate inter Vrban Clemen lib. 2. cap. 32. An other saithe Papa non committit Simoniam recipiendo pecuniâ—m pro collatione Beneficiorum 〈◊〉 shamefully wee belie Summa â—â—gelica 16. Vntruthe In the fourthe parte 7. chapter and. 4. Diuision of this Booke touchinge that most vile and shameful abusing of Franciscus Dandalus Gentleman of Venice that was driuen to wallowe vnder the Popes table in a chaine like a Dogge reported as M. Hardinge saithe by Sabellicus in the first Booke of his Seconde Decade I haue answeared as then I thought accordinge to truthe that Sabellicus wrote no Decades but onely Enneades as it might appeare by his woorkes printed either at Basile by Heruagius or otherwhere by any other Sithence I vnderstande that there is nowe extante an other Booke of Sabellicus by the name of Decades set foorthe of late at Basile by Coelius Secundus Curio An. 1560. Vnderstande thou therefore good Reader that herein I folowed sutche Bookes of Sabellicus as had benne long abroade and were wel acquainted amoÌ„g the learned But that there should any other newe Booke of Sabellicus be printed afterwarde specially so longe after the Authours death I coulde not prophesie These and sutche other good Christian Reader be our Vntruthes so many in number and of sutche weighte that M. Hardinge thinketh him selfe wel hable easily with the same to lode a Carte To al these so many and so many so horrible and so blasphemous Lies Goddes Holy name be blessed wée maie truely saie with S. Paule Tanquam seductores ecce veraces Wee are called deceiuers and yet wee saie the Truthe How be it I doo not so warrante euery parcel of any my writinges as though there were nothinge therein conteined but might safely be iustified in al respectes and againste al quarrels Sutche reuerence by S. Augustines iudgemente wée ought to géeue onely to the VVoorde of God Nomans Learninge or memorie was euer infinite But of al others I acknowledge mine to be the weakeste If I haue at any time mistaken either Authoure for Authoure or Name for Name or Chapter for Chapter or Booke for Booke as whereas in the allegatioÌ„ of Pope Leo in stéede of these woordes Indiuiduam VnitateÌ„ I wrote Indiuiduam Trinitatem or whereas in stéede of these woordes Paulinus ad Romanianum I wrote Paulinus ad Augustinum the saide Epistle of Paulinus beinge mingled with a whole Booke of the Epistles of S. Augustine Or if vpon any other like 〈◊〉 I haue alleged either Liberius for Athanasius or the Arians for the Euty 〈◊〉 or any one Father or Doctoure for an other sutche errours beinge bolde of malice were neuer hitherto accoumpted damnable The beste Learned haue oftentimes fallen into them For prouse whereof it were easy to saie that Cicero notwithstanding otherwise a great Learned man alleged Aiax in stéede of Hector Agamemnon in stéede of Vlysses Eupolis in stéede of Aristophanes That Aristotle alleged Calypso in stéede of Circe That Gratian allegeth Aniceus for Anicetus Ambrosius for Augustinus Calixtus for Anacletus Greeke for Latine Nevve for Olde That Hippolytus allegeth the Apocalyps of S. Iohn in stéede of Daniel That S. Chrysostome nameth Abacuk for Sophonias and Agar for Sara If thou be desirous to sée these seueral errours further proued it maie please thee to sée mine Answeare to this s Fol. 362. That in the alleginge of Liberatus I leaste out this woorde Quodammodò it was onely an Erroure For why I should of pourpose doo it there was no cause specially that woorde bearinge in that place no greatter weight But M. Hardinge alleginge these woordes of S. Augustine Christus quodammodò ferebatur in manibus suis not of erroure but as it maie be thought of set pourpose leafte out Quodammodò as knowinge that in that one woorde reasted the meaninge of the whole Briefely what so euer other like erroure shal be found in any my writinges I wil discharge bothe my Clerke and the Compositoure the Printer of the same take the whole vpon mée self I speake not this for that I thinke my Booke can be printed without erroure for that in sutche a number varietie of allegations were scarcely possible But if any erroure what so euer shal escape as I doubte not but there wil many I proteste before him that séeth the harte it walbe wholy againste my wil. And yet maie not these menne so charge others as if they them selues onely were priuileged and exempted from al sutche dangers M. Hardinge maie remember that he him selfe in stéede of the Prophete Osee hath alleged vs the Noble Iosua and that by an other like ouersight he hath alleged the Eighth Booke of Socrates Scholasticus whereas Socrates neuer wrote but Seuen As likewise also M. Dorman allegeth the Seuenth Booke of the Storie of Theodoretus whereas Theodoretus him selfe neuer wrote but Fiue And againe he fraieth al Christian Princes with the horrible Examples of the Tvvoo Kinges as he saith Ozias and Oza Yet he might easily haue learned that Oza was a poore Priuate man and neuer knowen to be a Kinge Notwithstandinge in one of his late litlewoorthe Pamflettes confessinge his ouersight herein he stumbleth into an other Erroure as fowle as the first and bewraieth his ignorance more then before For nowe he telleth vs
to M. Hardinge Aerius the Arian Heretique the Breache of Vowes the Dissension of Iudgementes in Religion shal be answeared God willinge hereafter eche mater seuerally in his place Wee flatter not our Prince with any newe imagined extraordinarie power but onely geue him that Prerogatiue Chieftie that euermore hath benne dewe vnto him by the ordinance and Woorde of God that is to say to be the Nurce of Goddes Religion to make Lawes for the Churche to heare and take vp cases and questions of the Faithe if he be hable or otherwise to commit them ouer by his authoritie vnto the learned to commaunde the Bishoppes and Priestes to doo their dewties and to punishe sutche as be offenders Thus the godly Emperoure Constantinus sate in Iudgement in a cause Ecclesiastical bitwéene Caecilianus and Donatus à Casis Nigris and in the ende him selfe pronounced sentence Greater authoritie then Constantinus the Emperoure had and vsed our Princes require none This I truste hitherto is no greate Heresie S. Hierome reproued Vigilantius for that he founde faulte with the Vigils or night wakes that then were vsed with Praieing to Sainctes with Woorshippinge of Reliques with Lightes and other suche like weighty maters Touchinge which whole controuersie Erasmus geueth this iudgement in hunc ita conuitijs debacchatur Hieronymus vt plusculum in co modestiae cogar desiderare Vtinam argumentis tantùm egisset et à conuitijs temperasset Against this Vigilantius S. Hierome so raileth that I wante in him some peece of sobrietie I woulde rather he had dealte with argumentes and had spared his railinge Of praier to Sainctes Lightes we shal speake hereafter Night wakes afterward were condemned as I remembre in the Councel of Carthage so Sentence geuen by the Churche with this greate Heretique Vigilantius against S. Hierome Verily the Fathers in a former Councel holden at Eliberis in Spaine decréed thus Placuit prohiberi ne foeminae in coemiterio peruigilent quia saepé sub obtentu orationis scelera latenter committunt It liketh vs that women be forbidden to watche at the places of burial For often vnder pretense of prayer priuily they commit wickednesse To be shorte if Vigilantius were an Heretique for reprouinge of Night Watches why hath the Churche of Rome so longe sithence condemned abolished the same watches agreeably to Vigilantius and contrarie to the Iudgement of S Hierome Reliques were subiecte to muche villanie and are welneare worne out of them selfe The Manicheis emonge other their fantastical errours were wonte to say the the body of Man was made not by God but by the Angels of the Diuel whiche they called Gentem tenebratum and that in Man there be two soules of contrarie natures the one of the substance of God the other of the substance of the Diuel and that either soule contineweth stil as it is and cannot alter That is to say that the good soule can neuer be il and that the il soule can neuer be good And in this sense they saide that Man hath no Frée wil. Al these and other like errours wée abhorre and Detest as frantique furies Wée saie that the Soule of Man is not the substance but the Creature of God an that it maie be changed from good to il from il to good that Dauid maie fal that Paule maie rise that God geueth vs a newe hart and a newe Spirite within our breastes But as touchinge the fréedome of wil and power of our selues we saie with S. Augustine O malum Liberum Arbitrium sine Deo O euil is Free Wil without God Againe Libero Arbitrio malè vtens homo se perdidit Arbitrium Man misusinge his Free Wil spilte both him selfe and his wil. Againe Quid tantùm de Naturae postibilitate praesumitur Vulnerata saucia vexata perdita est Vera confessione non falsa defensione opus habet What doo men so mutche presume of the possibilitie of Nature It is woounded it is mangled it is troubled it is loste It behoueth vs rather truely to confesse it then folsly to defende it Againe Liberum Arbitrium captiuatum non nisi ad peccatum valet Free wil once made thralle auaileth now nothinge but to sinne Agayne Quòd bené viuimus quòd rectè intelligimus Deo debemus Nostrum nihil est nisi peccatum quod habemus That wee liue wel that wee vnderstande aright wee haue it of God Of our selues wee haue nothinge but onely sinne that is within vs. The better to cleare this whole case I thought it good to vse the moe woordes Thus may wée learne to knowe our selues and humbly to confesse our imperfection and to geue the whole glorie vnto God Therefore to conclude S. Augustine saithe Nos volumus Sed Deus in nobis operatur velle Nos operamur Sed Deus in nobis operatur operari pro bona sua volūtate Hoc nobis expedit credere dicere Hoc est pium hoc est verum vt sit humilis submissa Confessio detur totum Deo Tutiores viuimus si totum Deo damus non autem nos illi ex parte nobis ex parte committimus Wee wil but it is God that woorketh in vs to wil. VVee woorke but it is God that woorketh in vs to woorke accordinge to his good pleasure This is behooueful for vs bothe to beleeue and to Speake This is a Godly this is a True Doctrine that our Confession maye be humble and lowly and that God maye haue the whole VVee liue in more safetie if wee geue al vnto God rather then if wee commit our selues partely to our selues and partely to him The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 4. That wee be accursed Creatures like the Gyauntes doo warre against God him selfe and liue cleane without any regarde or Woorshippinge of God M. Hardinge VVhat ye bee God knoweth and your owne Conscience shoulde knowe Our Lorde amende bothe you and vs. But to saye some what to that your giltie minde imagineth the VVorlde to reporte of you if they which take away and abhorre the external Sacrifice wherein Christe accordinge to his owne institution is offered to his Father make no warre against God if they whiche make Christe a Minister of Shadowes Signes Tokens and Figures they whiche feare not to breake their solemne Vowes made to God and defende the same as wel done they whiche assure them selues of their Saluation and therefore liue dissolutely without due care and feare of God If I saye they be not cursed Creatures and like Gyantes that warre against God then are ye cleare of this charge The B. of Sarisburie To answeare Ifs with Ifs and Woordes with Woordes it were greate folie Therefore leauinge the answeare of Vowes assurance of Saluation to theire seueral places first wee denie not the Sacrifice of Christe Christe onely vpon his Crosse is our whole and onely Sacrifice for sinne biside him wée haue none other How
be it I haue spoken hereof more at large in my Former Replie to M. Hardinge Neither make wée Christe as it liketh M. Hardinge to saye a Minister of Signes Figures Wée knowe that Christe is the Fulfillinge Perfection of the Lawe and that Grace and Truthe are wrought by him Yet neuerthelesse wée saye that the Sacramentes of the Newe Testamente are Signes and Figures The olde Father Tertullian expoundeth Christes Woordes in this sorte Hoc est Corpus meum Hoc est Figura Corporis mei This is my Body that is to saye This is a Figure of my Body S. Augustine saithe Christus adhibuit Iudam ad conuiuium in quo Corporis Sanguinis sui Figuram Discipulis suis commendauit tradidit Christe receiue Iudas vnto his Banket whereat he deliuered to his Disciples the Figure of his Body and Bloude And againe Non dubitauit Dominus dicere Hoc est Corpus meum cùm daret Signum Corporis sui Christe doubted not to saye This is my Body whereas he gaue a Token of his Body I leaue other Holy Fathers of like Woordes and sense welneare innumerable Yet were they neither Giantes nor Rebelles against God nor accursed Creatures If they had neuer vsed these Woordes nor called the Sacramente the Figure or Token of Christes Body then might M. Hardinge haue â—enne bolde to saye somewhat and to leade awate his Reader with a Tragical exclamation of Signes and Figures How be it he him selfe as I haue shewed in my Former Answeare in the exposition of these woordes of Christe This is my Body and other like Phrases incident vnto the same to auoide one vsual and common Figure is forcâ—d to shifte him selfe into thirtie other vnnecessarie childishe Figures as knowinge that not so mutche as his open Untruthes can wel stande without Figures The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 6. That wee despise al good deedes that wee vse no discipline of Vertue no Lawes no Customes that wee esteeme neither righte nor order nor equitie nor Iustice that wee geue the brydel to al naughtinesse and prouoke the people to al licentiousnesse and â—ust M. Hardinge Ye teache men to Faste for policie not for Religion And by your Statute of Wednesdaies faste who so euer shal write or saye that forebearinge of Fleas he is a Seruice of God otherwise then as other polytike lawes are they shal be punished as spreaders of false Newes are and ought to be VVhen ye Preache onely Faithe not to remoue the merite of woorkes before Baptisme as S. Paule meante it but also after Baptisme VVhen ye take awaye the Sacrament of confession and Absolution geue ye not the brydel to al naughtinesse Do not some of your Gospelling maides of London refuse to serue except they maye haue libertie to heare a Sermon before noone and a playe at after noone The B. of Sarisburie I thought M. Hardinge had knowen a difference bitwéene Fastinge and Abstinence or choise of meates True Fastinge is a Religiouse woorke ordeined to testifie our humilitie to make the Fleashe the more obedient vnto the Sprite that wée maye be the quicker to Praier to al good Woorkes But Abstinence from this or that meate with opinion of Holinesse Superstitious it maye easily make a man but Holy it can not S. Paule saithe Cibus nos non commendat Deo it is not meate that maketh vs acceptable vnto God Againe It is good to confirme the harte with Grace and not with meates Wherein they that haue walked haue founde no profite The meate serueth for the Belly and the Belly for the meate The Lorde wil destroye them bothe And againe The Kingedome of God is not Meate and Drinke Likewise Christe saithe The thinge that entreth into the mouthe defileth not the man Hereby it is easie to see that Fastinge is one thinge Abstinence from Fleashe is an other The Nazareis in the old Testamente absteined not from Fleashe yet they Fasted Elias was sedde with Fleashe Iohn the Baptiste eate the Fleash of Locustes yet they both Fasted Socrates saithe That many Christians in the Lente season did eate Fishe Byrdes many absteined vntil thrée of the clocke in the after noone then receiued al kindes of meate either Fishe or Fleashe without difference Likewise Epiphanius saithe Some eate al kindes of Birdes or Fowle absteininge onely froÌ„ the Fleashe of fower footed beastes And yet they kepte their Lente truely fasted as wel as any others Wherfore Abstinence from any one certaine kinde of meate is not of it self a woorke of Religion to please God but onely a mere positiue Policie S. Augustine saithe Non quaeto quo Vescaris sed quo Delecteris I demounde not what thou Eatest but wherein thou haste Pleasure And S. Hierome saithe of the Manicheis Ieiunant illi quidem Sed illorum leiunium est saturitate deterius They Foste in deede but theire Fastinge is woorse then if they filled theire Bellies Of onely Faithe and Confession wée shal speake hereafter The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 7. That wee labour and seeke to ouerthrowe the state of Monarchies and Kingdomes and to bringe al thinges vnder the rule of the rashe inconstante People and vnlearned multitude M. Hardinge Can Monarkes and Princes seeme to be mainteined by your sectes who teache the people to rebel for pretensed Religion Allow ye the Monarchie of the Romaine Empire Who so muche complaine in your Apologie that the Pope made Charlemaigne Emperour of the VVeste Hathe the Queene of Scotland cause to praise the procedinges of your Gospel through occasion whereof she ruleth not her subiectes but is rather ruled of her subiectes The B. of Sarisburie Here is an other greate Vntruthe emonge the reste For M. Hardinge right wel knoweth that wée neuer armed the people nor taught them to rebel for Religion against the Prince If any thinge haue at any time happened otherwise it was either some wilful rage or some fatal furie It was not our Counsel it was not our Doctrine Wée teache the people as S. Paule doothe to be subiecte to the higher powers not onely for feare but also for conscience Wée teache them that who so striketh with the Swerde by Priuate authoritie shal perish with the Swerd Yf the Prince happen to be wicked or cruel or burthenous wée teache them to saye with S. Ambrose Arma nostra sunt Preces Lachrymae Teares and Praiers be our Weapons Notwithstandinge what Rebellion hathe benne moued in Englande by some of your side in the late Raignes of Kinge Henrie the eight Kinge Edward the sixte in defence of your Religion ye maie wel remember The displacinge of the Emperour of Constantinople and the placinge of Charlemaigne the Frenche Kinge serueth M. Hardinge to smal purpose onlesse it be to disclose the Popes conspiracie against the Emperour Certainely as any man maye sensibly see it was the aduauncinge of the
Habitu victu instructu sensu ipso denique sermone Proauis renuÌ„tiastis Laudatis semper Antiquitatem nouè de die viuitis Per quod ostenditur dum à bonis Maiorum institutis deceditis ea vos retinere custodire quae non debuistis cùm quae debuistis non custoditis Where is your Religion where is the reuerence dewe to your forefathers You haue forsaken them in your apparel in your diet in your order in your meaning and in your speeche Ye change your life daily yet ye praise Antiquitie Whereby it appeareth while ye seaue the good orders of your Elders that yee keepe the thinges yee should not keepe seeinge ye keepe not the thinges ye should keepe The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 10. And that this mater should not seeme to be donne but vpon priuie sclaunder and to be tossed to and fro in a corner onely to spite vs there haue benne besides wilily procured by the Bishop of Rome certaine persons of eloquence yenough and not vnlearned neither whiche should put theire healpe to this cause nowe almost despaired of and shoulde polishe and set foorthe the same bothe in bookes and withe longe tales to the ende that when the mater was trimly and eloquently handled ignorant and vnskilful persons might suspecte there was somme greate thinge in it In deede they perceiued that theire owne cause did euery where goe to wracke that their steightes were now espied and lesse esteemed and that theire healpes did dayly faile them and that theire mater stoode altogeather in greate neede of a cunninge spokesman M. Hardinge VVee cannot despaire of this cause onlesse wee would forsake our Faithe as ye haue For beleuinge Christe whiche our faithe leadeth vs vnto wee cannot mistruste the continuance of this cause Heauen and Earthe shal passe but my woordes shal not passe saithe Truthe it selfe And his woordes tel vs that he wil be with his Churche al daies to the worlds ende And that he hath besought his Father to geue to it the Sprite of Truthe to remaine with it for euer Then be wee moste assured of this cause VVee tel you therefore it standeth and shal stande by Christes presence and by the Holy Ghostes assistance to the ende Your cause yet standeth not but wauereth and tottereth as that whiche S. Paule termeth a puffe of doctrine and doubtlesse shortely fall it shall as all Heresies haue fallen The authours and professours of them be dead and rotten in Helfire with weepinge and grintinge of teeth The like iudgement lookeye and your folowers to haue if ye repent not and reuoke your Heresies by time The B. of Sarisburie Wee cannot despaire saithe M. Hardinge of the continuance of our cause For Heauen and Earthe shal passe but Christes VVoorde shal not passe He wil be with vs al daies to the worlds ende c. These Woordes M. Hardinge be true and certaine and therefore our hope is the firmer Christe hath promised that the Sprite of Truthe shal remaine for euer but not in the Pope and his Cardinalles For thereof he made no promise Nay rather the Prophete Esai saithe The Sprite of God shal rest vpon the poore and méeke harted that trembleth at the Woorde of the Lorde The Churche of God shal stande stil yea though Rome were possessed with Antichriste It is true that Christe saithe Euery plante whiche my Heauenly Father hath not planted shal be rooted vp Vpon whiche woordes S. Hilarie saithe Significat Traditionem hominum cruendam esse cuius fauore transgressi sunt Praecepta Legis He meaneth that the Tradition of man for whiche Traditions sake they haue broken the Lawe of God shal be taken vp by the rootes Heauen and Earthe shal passe and your fantastes and diuises M. Hardinge shal passe the Lorde hath spoken it But the Woorde of God and his Churche shal endure for euer But M. Hardinges Almanake saithe Our Doctrine shal fal and that very shortly Herein I professe I haue no skil Goddes wil be donne It is his cause what so euer shal happen his name be blessed for euer In like sorte the Heathens in olde times as S. Augustine saithe vaunted them selues against the Faithe of Christe Ad certum tempus sunt Christiani postea peribunt redibunt Idola redibit quod erat anteà Verùm tu cùm expectas miser Infidelis vt transtant Christiani transis ipse sine Christianis These Christians are but for a while â—al they shal and that shortly Then shal our Idols come againe and it shal be as it was before But O thou miserable Infidel while thou lookest that the Christians should passe thou possest awaie thee selfe without the Christians Againe be saithe Ecce veniet tempus vt finiantur non sint Christiani Sicut coeperunt ad aliquo tempore ita vsque ad certum tempus erunt Sed cùm ista dicunt sine fine moriuntur permanet Ecclesia praedicans brachium Domini omni generationi venturae They saie behold the daie wil come when al these Christians shal haue an ende As they had a time to beginne so shal they haue a time to continewe But while they make these crakes they them selues die without ende But the Churche contineweth stil praisinge the almighty arme of God to euery generation that is to come But ye saie The Authours and Professours of our Doctrine be damned in Hel fiere and crie Peccaui This is a very terrible kinde of talke But it is a rashe parte for you M. Harding so suddainely to skip into Goddes Chaire and there to pronounce your Sentence Definitiue like a Iudge But God wil iudge of your iudgemente S. Augustine saithe Alia est sella terrena aliud Tribunal Coelorum Ab inferiori Sententia accipitur à superiori Corona The earthly Chaier is one thinge the Iudgemente seate in Heauen is an other From the one wee receiue Sentence from the other we receiue a Crowne O M. Hardinge God graunte you maie once crie Peccaui lest the time come that ye shal crie out as it is written in the Booke of Wisedome These are they whom wee sometime had in derision and in a parable of reproche VVee fooles thoughte theire life madnesse and theire ende without honoure But nowe are they coumpted emonge the Children of God and theire portion is emonge the Sainctes The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 2. Nowe as for those thinges whiche by them haue benne laide againste vs in parte they be manifestly false condemned so by theire owne iudgementes which spake them partly againe though they be as false too in deede yet beare they a certaine shewe and coolour of truthe so as the Reader if he take not good heede maie easily be tripped and brought into errour by them specially when theire fine and cunninge tale is added thereunto And parte of them be of sutche sorte as we ought not to shunne them as crimes or faultes but to acknowledge and confesse them as
Donatistes Hanc formam ne ab ipsis quidem Iudaeis persecutoribus accepistis Illi enim persequuti sunt Carnem ambulantis in terra Vos Euangelium sedentis in Coelo Ye learned not this fourme of persequution no not of the Iewes For they persequuted the Fleashe of Christe walkinge in the Earthe You persequute the Gospel of Christe sittinge in Heauen Robert Holcote emonge other his doubtes moueth this question An Amor sit odium VVhether Loue be hatred or no. Yf he were nowe aliue sawe your dealinge and the kindnesse of your Loue I beleue he woulde put the mater out of question saye vndoubtedly your Loue is hatred it is no Loue. So Moses saithe Ismael plaied or sported with Isaac But S Paule saithe The same plaieinge and sportinge was persecution For thus he writeth He that was after the Fleashe persequuted him was after the Sprite I doubte not but you thinke of your parte it is wel donne For so Christe saithe VVho so euer shal Murder you shal thinke be offereth a Sacrifice vnto God And your selues haue sette to this note in greate Letters in the Margine of your Decrees Iudaei mortaliter peccassent si ChristuÌ„ noÌ„ Crucifixissent The Iewes had Sinned deadly if they had not hinged Christe vpon the Crosse Benedictus Deus qui non dedit nos in captionem Dentibus eorum Blessed be God that hath not geuen vs to be a Praie vnto their Teeth To al the reste it is sufficient for M. Hardinge to saye They be Blasphemous Heresies wicked Actes Lutheres Heresies and villanies Robbinge of Churches Breaches of Vowes Pleasâ—ely pleasures Abandoninge of the Holy Sacramentes Malices Sclaunders and Lies And bisides these thinges in effecte he answeareth nothinge Nowe to answeare nothinge with some thinge it were woorthe nothinge The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 5. Nowe therefore if it be leeful for these folkes to be eloquent and finetongued in speakinge euil surely it becommeth not vs in our cause beinge so very good to be doumbe in answearinge truely For menne to bee carelesse what is spoken by them and theite owne mater be it neuer do falsely and sclaunderousely spoken especialy when it is sutche that the Maiestie of God and the cause of Religion maye thereby be dammaged is the parte doubtlesse of dissolute and retchelesse persons and of them whiche wickedly winke at the iniuries donne vnto the Name of God For although other wronges ye oftentimes greate maye be borne and dissembled of a milde and Christian man yet he that goeth smoothely awaye and dissembleth the mater when he is noted of Heresie Ruffinus was woont to denie that man to be a Christian Wee therefore wil doo the same thinge whiche al Lawes whiche natures owne voice doothe commaunde to be donne and whiche Christe him selfe did in like case when he was checked and reuiled to the inâ—â—â—t wee maye put of from vs these mennes sclaunderous accusations and maye defende soberly and truely our owne cause and innocencie M. Hardinge Yee haue not proued the Truthe to be of your side nor euer shal be able to proue mainteininge the Doctrine of the Lutheras Zwinglians and Caluinistes as ye doo Nowe al dependeth of that pointe And bicause yee haue not the Truthe what so euer ye saye it is soone confuted and what so euer ye bringe it is to no purpose The B. of Sarisburie This is the very issue of the case Whether the Doctrine that wée professe be the Truethe or no. Whiche thinge through Goddes Grace by this our conference in parte maye appare I beseeche God the Authour of al Truthe and the Father of Light so to open our hartes that the thinge that is the Truthe in déede maye appeare to vs to be the Truthe The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 2. For Christe verily when the Phariseis charged him with Sorcery as one that had some familiare Sprites and wrought many thinges by theire helpe I saide he haue not the Diuel but doo glorifie my Father but it is you that haue dishonoured me and put me to rebuke and shame And S. Paule when Festus the Lieutenaunt scorned him as a mad man I saide he moste deer Festus am not mad as thou thinkest but I speake the Woordes of Truth sobrenesse And the ancient Christians when they were sclaundered to the people for mankillers for Adulterers for committers of incest for disturbers of the common Weales and did perceiue that by sutche sclaunderous accusations the Religion whiche they professed mighte be brought in question namely if they should seeme to holde their peace in manner confesse the faulte lest this might hinder the free course of the Gospel they made Orations they put vp Supplications and made meanes to Emperours and Princes that they mighte defende them selues and theire Felowes in open Audience M. Hardinge When ye prooue that ye haue the Truthe then maye ye be admitted in your Defence to alleage the example of Christe of S. Paule and of the firste Christians But nowe wee tel you beinge as you are these examples serue you to no purpose And for ought ye haue saide â—itherto the Anabaptistes Libertines Zwenkfeldians Nestorians Eunomians Arians and al other pestiferous Heretikes might saye the same aswel as ye Christe was charged of the Iewes with vsinge the power of impure Sprites blasphemously Paule was scorned of Festus as a mad man without cause the Ancient Christians were accused by the Infidels of hainous crimes falsely But ye are accused of Heresies and sundrie Impieties by Godly VVise and Faithful men vpon Zeale by good aduise and truely And as for those Auncient Christians when they made Apologies or Orations in the Defence of the Christen Faithe they did it so as became Christen men plainely and openly Either they offered them to the Emperours with thei owne handes or put to their names and signified to whome they gaue the same As S. Hilary deliuered a Booke in Defence of the Catholique Faithe against the Arians to Constantius Melito and Apollinaris wrote their Apologies to the Emperours S. Iustine the Philosopher and Martyr gaue his firste Apologie for the Christians to the Senate of the Romaines the seconde to Autonius Pius Emperour Tertullian to the Romaines S. Apollonius the Romaine Senatour and Martyr did Reade his Booke openly in the Senate house whiche he had made in Defence of the Christian Faithe But yee doo your thinges that ought to be done openly in Hucker Mucker Ye set foorth your Apologie in the name of the Churche of Englande before any meane parte of the Churche were priuie to it and so as though either ye were ashamed of it or afraide to abide by it The inscription of it is directed neither to Pope nor Emperour nor to any Prince nor to the Churche nor to the general Councel then beinge when ye wrote it as it was moste conuenient There is no mans name set to it It is Printed without Priuilege of the Prince contrary
Sanctuarie to turne light into darkenesse and darkenesse into light and yet neuerthelesse to binde him to his promisse Al menne be liers but God onely is true and preuailethe when he is iudged God knoweth his owne Christe wil be euermore with his Churche yea although the whole Churche of Rome conspire against him But why doo you so mutche abate your rekeninge Why make you not vp your ful accoumpte of fiftéene hundred thréescoare and sixe yéeres as ye were woonte to doo Ye haue here liberally and of your selfe quite striken of fiue hundred thréescoare and sixe yeeres that is to saye the whole time wherein the Apostles of Christe and Holy Martyrs and other Learned Fathers and Doctours liued in whiche whole time it appeareth by your owne secrete Confession the Churche of God might wel stande bothe without youre Priuate Masse for then was there none and also without many other your like fantasies Neither ought you M. Hardinge so déepely to be greeued and to calle vs Apostates and Heretiques for that wee haue reformed either our Churches to the Paterne of that Churche or our selues to the example of those Fathers Verily in the iudgement of the godly fiue hundred of those firste yeeres are more woorthe then the whole thousande yeeres that folowed afterward Therefore I wil aunsweare you with the woordes of S. Hierome Quisquis es assertor â—ouorum Dogmatum quaeso te vt parcas Romanis â—uribus parcas Fidei quae Apostolico ore laudatur Cur post quadringentos annos docere nos niteris quod anteà nesciuimus Cur profers in medium quod Petrus Paulus edere noluerunt Vsque ad hunc diem sine ista Doctrina Mundus Christianus fuit Thou that art a Mainteiner of newe Doctine what so euer thou be I praie thee spare the Romaine eares spare the Faithe that is commended by the Apostles mouthe Why goest thou aboute nowe after foure hundred yeeres to teach vs that Faithe which before wee neuer knewe Why bringest thou vs foorthe that thinge that Peter and Paule neuer vttered Euermore vntil this daye the Christian world hathe benne without this Doctrine The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 7. For yf the Popes woulde or els if they could weigh with theire owne selues the whole mater and also the beginninges and procedinges of our Religion howe in a manner al theire trauaile hathe come to nought no body driuinge it forewarde and without any worldly healpe and howe on the other side our cause againste the wil of Emperours from the beginninge againste the willes of so many Kinges in spite of the Popes and almoste maugre the head of al menne hathe taken encrease and by little and little spredde ouer into al Countreis and is come at length euen into Kinges Courtes and Palaces Theise same thinges me thinke the might be tokens greate yenough to them that God him selfe doth strongly fight in our quarrel and dothe from Heauen laughe at theire enterprises and that the force of the Truethe is sutche as neither Mans Power nor yet Helle gates are able to roote it out M. Hardinge It is wel that ye vse the terme of the beginninge and procedinges of your Religion For in deede of late yeres it beganne not at Ierusalem but at Wittenberg Neither was it first deliuered vnto you by an Apostle but by an Apostata Stil it procedeth and the farther of from the end And wel may ye name it your Procedinges for there is no staie in it VVhat likethe to day mislike the tomorowe The seely begiled soules that folowe it be as S. Paule saithe ouer learninge and neuer reachinge to the knowledge of the Truthe Did not your Religion beginne firste of Coâ—etise and grew it not afterward of rancour and malice whiche Martin Luther conceiued against the Dominican Friers in Saxonie because Albert the Archebishop of Mentz and Electour of the Empire had admitted them to be Preachers of the Pardon of a Croisade against the Turkes coÌ„trary to an Ancient custome whereby the Augustine Friers of whom Luther was one had of longe time ben in possession of that preserment Is it not wel knowen what afstirre Frier Luther made against Iohn Tetzet the Frier of S. Dominikes order for that the said Tetzet was made chiefe preacher of a Pardon wherein was greate gaine and thereby him selfe was bereft of that sweete Morsel whiche in hope he had almost swallowed downe Where you saie your Religion is spred abroade and hath taken so mutche encrease against the willes of Princes and almost maugre the head of al men that is as false as your Religion is Did not the greate slaughter of your hundred thousand Boures of Germanie signifie to the world your cause to haue had the helpe of man VVhat maie weindge of the great League of Germaine Princes made at the diere of Smalcald for defence of your Lutheran Gospel The troubles and tumultes of Fraunce raised by your Brethren the Huguenots and the lament able outrages committed there for your Gospels sake be they not a witnes of fresh memorie that your Religion is maintained set forthe and defended with power and helpe of men That it is nowe at length come euen into Kinges Courtes and Palaices it mouethe wise men no lesse to suspect it then to praise it The B. of Sarisburie Ye make your selfe game M. Hardinge for that the Preachinge of the Gospel issued first out of Wittenberg and not from Rome Notwithstandinge Wittenberg is a noble and a famous Vniuersitie so generally frequented out of al foreine Countreis and so mutche commended for al kindes of tongues and liberal knowledge as not many the like this day in Christendome But be it that Wittenberg were so simple a burrough as M. Hardinge imagineth Yet were it not more simple then was the Towne of Nazareth in whiche poore Towne notwithstandinge firste appeared the most glorious and greattest Light of the world Christian modestie would not disdeigne the Truthe of God in respecte of place That rather becommethe the Proude lookes of the Scribes and Phariseis They despised Christe and his Disciples and called them Nazarenes in despite of his Countrie And there hence it is likely first grewe that scorneful question vsed by Nathanael Nunquid ex Nazareth potest aliquid esse boni Can any good thinge come from Nazareth so poore a Towne So Celsus the Heathen despised the Religion of Christe bicause it came not from Rome or Athens but from the Barbarous Iewes For thus Origen reportethe of him Dogma Christianuns affirmat à Barbaris cepisse ortum hoc est à Iudaeis He saithe the Doctorue of the Christians had his beginninge onely from a Barbarous Nation that is to say from the Iewes But this is the mighty hande and power of God He chusethe the weake thinges of the world to confounde the strong and the foolishe thinges of the world to confounde the wise He ouerthrowethe the greate Goliath with a seely
that is a good Light answeare Euen in sutche Light sorte Iulianus the Apostata wrote sometime vnto the Christian Bishoppes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue readde your reasons I know them wel yenough and therefore I haue condemned them But the same Christian Bishoppes answeared him againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It may be ye haue readde our reasons but ye vnderstoode them not For if ye vnderstoode them ye would not condemne them As S. Paule also likewise saithe Nam si cognouissent nunquam DominuÌ„ Gloriae crucifixissent Yf they had knowen they would neuer haue Crucified the Lord of Glorie But vnto many of your side M. Hardinge I feare me wée may ouer truely say as S. Hilarie saithe vnto the Arian Heretiques Verè Deum nesciunt atque vtinam nâ—scirent Cum procliuiori enim venia ignorarent In deede they know not God and would God they knâ—w him not Then theire ignorance were the easier to be pardoned You saie There is no Disputation to be had with Heretiques Yet your Fathers in the Councel of Basile and your Frendes in the last Councel of Trident I wil not say had Disputations but certainely yelded and gaue place vnto the Bohemiens vnto sutche others as you cal Heretiques But ye haue reason ye can foresée your best aduantage It were the readiest way to disclose your shame You neuer yet cà me to Disputation but some of your companie shranke away from you As I before haue reported out of Tertullian Veritas nihil veretur nisi abscondi Truthe feareth nothing but lest shee be hid If the God of Israel come into the Temple the Idole of Dagon must needes fal downe The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 1. But bicause he hath already so noted vs openly lest by holdinge our peace we should seeme to graunt a fault and specially bicause we can by no meanes haue audience in the Publike assemblie of the General Councel wherin he would no creature should haue power to geue his voice or to declare his opinion excepte he were sworne and straightly bounde to mainteine his Authoritie For we haue had good experience hereof in the last Conference at the Councel of Irident where the Embassadours Diuines of the Princes of Germanie and of the free Cities were quite shut out from theire companie Neither can we yet forgeate how Iulius the thirde aboue tenne yeres past prouided warely by his write that none of our fort shoul be suffered to speake in the Councel excepte that there were some man peraduenture that would recante chaunge his opinion For this cause chiefly we thought it good to yelde vp an accoumpte of our Faith in writtinge truely and openly to make answeare to those thinges wherewith we haue ben openly charged to the end the worlde maye see the partes fundations of that Doctrine in the behalfe wherof so many good men haue litle regarded theire owne liues And that al men may vnderstand what manner of people they be what opinion they haue of God of Religion whom the Bishop of Rome before they were called to tel theire tale hath condemned for Heretiques without any good consideration without any example and vtterly without Lawe or right onely bicause he heard tel that they did dissente from him and his in some pointe of Religion M. Hardinge Ye alleage t'woo causes The first is lest by holding your peace ye should seeme to graunte a fault The second which ye make more specialie because by no meanes ye could haue audience in the late general Councel Your second cause is false as hereafter it shal be shewed Your first is naught as that which sheweth youre pride vaine glorie and pertinacie VVel ye do but as Heretikes before you haue euer done It must not be looked for at your handes that ye acknowlege any fault For that were Humilitie which vertue al Heretikes be farre from c. To geue a voice or suffrage and vtter Sentence definitiue it perteineth onely to Bishops Now ye be no Bishops but some of you mere laie men and most of you Apostates VVhether the Ambassadours and Diuines of the Princes of Getmanie and of the free Citties there were at any time vpon any consideration of their misliked demeanour or for any other iust cause restrained from the companie of the Fathers in the late general Councel at Trenâ— Againe whether Pope Iulius the third prouided by any write that none of your sort should be suffred to speake in the Councel the cause of recantation excepted what ye say touching this mater because ye say it without proufe We haue found you in so many other pointes of greater importance so farre to steppe aside from truth that for this we cannot beleue you But that your selues by no meanes could haue audience in the Councel at Trent and that the Ambassadours and Diuines of the Princes and free Citties of Germanie were from thence quite shutte out how true that is I reporte me to the three safe conductes whiche the three Popes vnder whom that Councel was holden graunted forth and confirmed in that behalfe VVherfore belie the councel nomore complaining that ye coulde not there haue audience and be heard Ye yeld vp an accoumpt of your faithe in writing ye say But to whom doe ye yeld it vp and by whom is it yelded from whom commeth the same Do ye acknowlege no lauful â—udge no lauful consiliorie in the whole world Committe ye your whole mater to the temeritie of the people VVhy haue ye not set your names to the Booke that conteineth the profession of your faithe and of your whole conscience The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge thought it answeare sufficient to vpbraide vs with suspicion of Untruthe How be it I haue no doubte but both the Truthe and the Untruthe by the particulares wil soone appeare First that al Bishoppes hauing voice Definitiue and interest in Councelles are solemnely sworne in al theire Decrées Canons to vphold the Authoritie of the Pope he thought it the wisest way to dissemble it For it had ben great wante of modestie to denie it The fourme of the othe recorded in the Popes owne Decretalles is this Ego N. c. Papaâ—um Romanae Ecclesiae regulas Sanctorum Patrum adiutor no ad defendendum retinenduÌ„ saluo ordine meo contra omnes homines IN. sweare that I wil be an helper to defende and mainteine the Papacie of the Churche of Rome and the Rules of the Holy Fathers the Popes mine owne order saueds against ol men aliue But these Rules Priuileges of the Holy Fathers the Popes are these That the Pope is aboue al General CouÌ„celles That his bare wil must be holden as a lawe That what so euer he doo noman may say vnto him why doo you thus That his iudgement is more certaine then the iudgement of al the worlde That if the whole world
Supreme aboue al other auctoritie in Earthe touchinge the gouernement of the Churche yet was it neuer saide ne thought by the Catholiques that al Religion depended onely thereon as your sclaunderous reporte beareth menne in hande The B. of Sarisburie Lanfrancus Euimondus Abbas Cluniacensis Thomas Waldensis Iohn Fisher and other your like Doctours M. Hardinge are ouer yonge al within the space of this laste fiue hundred yéeres far vnlike S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Ambrose S. Chrysostome and others the Ancient Learned Fathers Doctours of the Churche Neither is there any sufficient cause to the contrarie but that Berengarius Iohn Wicklefe Iohn Hus Doctour Luther Zwinglius Oecolampadius others either for Learninge or for Truthe or for Iudgement in the Scriptures or for Antiquitie maye wel safely be compared with them At the least I hope wée maye saie of them as S. Augustine once saide of the Doctours Fathers of his time Neque quorumliber Disputationes quamuis Catholicorum laudatorum hominum velut Scripturas Canonicas habere debemus vt nobis non liceat salua honorificentia quae illis debetur aliquid in eorum Scriptis improbare aut respuere si fortè inuenerimus quòd aliter selfserint quà m Veritas habet Neither weigh wee the writinges of al meane be they neuer so woorthy and Catholique as wee weighe the Canonical Scriptures but that sauinge the reuerence that is dewe vnto them we maye wislike and refuse somewhat in their writinges if we happen to finde that they haue thought otherwise then the Truthe maye beare Likewise the Councelles ye meane are very Newe therefore beare the lesse authoritie for that they be so many waies contrary to the Olde Hereof hereafter more at large Certainely there is none of your errours so grosse and palpable but by some of your late Councelles it hath benne confirmed Therefore wee maye iustly saie to you as S. Augustine sometime saide to Mariminus the Arian Heretique Nec ego Nicenam Synodum tibi nec tu mihi Ariminensem debes tanquam praeiudicaturus obijcere Scripturarum Authoritatibus res cum re causa cum causa ratio cuÌ„ ratione conceuer Neither maye I saye to thee the Councel of Nice nor maiste thou laye to mee the Councel of Ariminum either of vs thinkinge thereby to finde preuidice against the other But let vs laye mater to mater cause to cause and reason to reason by the Authoritie of the Scriptures Ye graunte there is more lighte and knowledge nowe then was before The greatter is either your faulte or your folie M. Hardinge that in the broade daye open Lighte so busily set foorthe the woorkes of darkenesse S. Chrysostome saithe Hic est multò impudentior Ex furibus enim leges eos grauiùs puniunt qui interdiu furantur He is very shamelesse that woorketh deceite in the open Lighte For of al Theeues the Lawe moste sharpely punisheth them that robbe in the daye time Therefore S. Cyprian saithe vnto you Ignosci poruit simpliciter erranti Post inspirationem verò reuelationem factam qui in eo quod errauerat perseuerat prudens sciens sine venia ignorantiae peccat Praesumptione enim atque obstinatione superatur He that is deceiued and erieth of simplicitie maye be pordoned But after that the Truthe is once reueled who so continueth neuerthelesse in his former errour witingly and willingly sinneth without pardonne of ignorance as beinge ouercome by presumption and wilfulnesse You saie not withstandinge al this greate Light wée talke of yet our liues are nothinge comparable to the liues of them that haue benne before vs. This M. Hardinge hathe euer benne an olde complainte in al ages as maye appeare by S. Cyprian S. Augustine and other Ancient Fathers It was a common Prouerbe in olde times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thinges a yéere paste are euermore better then thinges presente For euery thinge to vs séemeth the greatter as it séemeth nearest to touche our senses And bicause wée féele not our Fathers euilles therefore wée imagine they had no euil at al. The wise man saithe Ne dixeris quae causa est quòd priora tempora meliora fuerint quà m praesentia Stulta enim est huiusmodi interrogatio Neuer demaunde wherefore the times paste were better then the times presente For in deede it is a foolishe question But M. Hardinge wherefore doo you thus condemne our liues in respecte of our Fathers Certainely you must néedes confesse there are fewer blasphemies fewer Othes fewer breaches of Matrimonie fewer Stewes fewer Concubines fewer Fraies fewer Murthers emongst vs this daie then commonly were at any time emonge our Fathers How be it to let our Fathers passe if it shal please you to laye our liues to your liues although we acknowledge many our imperfections yet Goddes name be blessed wee haue no cause to flee the comparison The Popes woordes you saie were neuer taken for Gospel Yes M. Hardinge and somewhat also aboue the Gospel For proufe whereof it maye please you to remember the woordes of certaine your late Doctours Syluester Prieriâs late Maâ—sâ—ter of Pope Leoes Palaice writeth thus Indulgentiae authoritate Scripturae non innotuere nobis sed authoritate Ecclesiae Romanae Romanorumque Pontificum quae maior est Pardonnes are not warrented vnto vs by the authoritie of Goddes Woorde but by the authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishoppes of Rome whiche is more then Goddes VVoorde Yf this be not sufficient he addeth farther A doctrina Romanae Ecclesiae Romani Pontificis Sacra Scriptura robur authbritatem trahit The Hosy Scripture taketh strength and authoritie of the Doctrine of the Bishop and Churche of Rome Cardinal Cusanus entituleth his Booke De authoritate Ecclesiae Councilij supra contra Scripturam Of the Authoritie of the Churche and Councel aboue and against the Scripture Your greatest Doctour Albertus Pigghius saithe Apostoli quaedam conscripserunt non vt scripta illa praessene Fidei Religioni nostrae sed potius vt subessent The Apostles wrote certaine thinges not to the ende that sutche willinges shoulde he ouer our Faithe and Religion but rather that they shoulde be vnder Your Canonistes saie a Papa potest dispensare coÌ„ira ius Diuinum The Pope maye dispense against the Lawe of God Papa potest dispensare contra Ius Naturae The Pope maye dispense against the Lawe of Nature Papa potest dispensare contra Apostolum The Pope maye dispense against S. Pause the Apostle Papa porest dispensare contra Nouum Testamentum The Pope maye dispense againste the Newe Testamente Papa potest dispensare de omnibus praeceptis veteris Noui Testamenti The Pope maye dispense with al the CommauÌ„dementes bothe of the Olde and also of the Newe Testamente Hereof more hereafter as farther occasion shal be offered These be your owne Doctours woordes M. Hardinge they be truely reported they be
Christes Body is in many places but the Fourme of the same Body can be onely in one place not in many If I should demaund M. Hardinge this question by the way wherfore Christes Body in Fourme maye not as wel be in many places togeather as the same in Substance or how he knoweth it or what Doctour or Father euer taught it or how wée may be wel assured of it perhappes he would take a daie to consider it better For thus a man might put him in minde of the groundes of his Religion Sir ye know God is Omnipotent and his power Infinite Ye maie not make him thral subiect to your senses That were Natural Reason that were Infidelitie Christe is as wel â—able to dispose of the Fourme of his Body as of the substance and can as wel present the one in many places as the other How be it thus mutche onely by the way But now what iâ— al this great imagined Difference be no Difference â–ª What if these two woordes Fourme and Substance as they be vsed by Fulgentius be al one What then wil M. Hardinge doo with his prety Glose Verily Athanalius saithe thus Naâ—â—ura Essentia Genus Forma VnuÌ„ sunt Nature Substance Kinde and Fourme be al One thing Leo saithe Quid est In Forma Dei in Natura Dei What is it To be in the Fourme of God He answeareth It is To be in the Nature of God Chrysostome saith Forma Dei Natura Dei est The Fourme of God is yâ— Nature of God S. Augustine saithe SecuÌ„dum Formam Dei Christus ipse de se loquitur â–ª Ego Pater Vnum sumus As concerning the Former of God Christe him selfe saithe of him selfe I and my Father are bothe One. Likewise againe he saithe Vna est Forma quia vna est Diuinitas The Fourme is one bicause the Godhed is One. In like sorte of the Fourme of a Seruant Leo saithe Quaero quid sit Formam Serui accipere Sine dubio Perfectionem Naturae Conditionis Humanae What is it To take the Fourme of a Seruant He answeareth Doubtlesse it is To take the perfection of Nature and state of man Chrysostome saithe Forma Serui Omnino est Natura Serui The Fourme of a Seruant verily is the Nature of a Seruant S. Augustine saithe Quando de Forma Serui in Christo cogitas Humanam Effigiem cogita si est in te Fides Wheâ—â— thou thinkest of the Fourme of a Seruant in Christ thinke of the Shape of a man if there be any Faithe in thee Againe Christum secundum Humanitatem Visibilem Corporeum Localem atque omnia membra Humana veraciter habentem credere conuenit confiteri VVee must beleue and confesse that Christ according to his Humanitie is Visible hath the Substance and Properties of a Body is conteined in Place and verily hath al the members and the whole Proportion of a man To leaue al others Haimo saithe Forman Serui accepit id est in Veritate Hominem accepit He tooke the Fourme of a Seruant that is to saye In very Truthe he tooke Man Ye sée M. Hardinge by these Testimonies of the Ancient Learned Fathers farre contrarie to your vaine Distinction yâ— the Fourme of God is nothing els but God the Fourme of Man is nothing els but Man Wherfore then haue you thus diuised vs this new Difference Wherfore saie you of your owne head yâ— Fourme Substance be so contrarie seing the Catholique Fathers saie they be both One Or wherefore be you so busy to trouble the Penneman without cause Certainely S. Augustine ioineth Fourme and Substance both togeather by the one expoundeth the other In eadem Forma atque Substantia In the same Fourme and Substance and againe expoundeth the same Fourme Veritatem Corporis The Truthe of a Body By these it is plaine that when Fulgentius saith the Fourme of God he meaneth therby the Substance the Nature the Diuinitie of God And when he saith the Fourme of a Seruant he meaneth likewise the Nature â–ª the Substance the Truthe the Perfection the Very Manhoode of a Man And the whole drifte of his discourse is this that Christe being bothe God and Man by the Nature and Substance of his Godhed is euerywhere but by the Nature and Substance of his Manhoode Truth of his Body is onely in one place and not in moe agreing therein with these woordes of S. Augustine before rehearsed Corpus in quo Resurrexit in vno Loco esse Oportet The Body wherin he rose againe must nedes be in oue Place Here are wée terribly charged with guileful dealing with a speciall note also in the Margine Fulgentius fo why falsified Wée haue shifted in this woorde Manhed in stéede of the Fourme of a Seruante and this woorde Godhed in stéede of the Fourme of God And therefore both the Penneman and the Prelates of our Newe Cleregie must néedes be brought foorth before the barre I wil not here tel you M. Hardinge how lewdely ye haue demeaned your selfe towardes her whom it liketh you so often and so scornefully to cal the Lady Interpreter a Lady I wil not saie of what Learning vertue and grauitie but certainly as far from al vnwoomanly Presumption whâ—rwith ye so rudely touch her as you are from al manly modestie and for ought that maie appeare by these toies and trifles ye haue sent vs ouer as ful of wisedome as you of folie I beséeche you cal your woordes againe to minde if you can without blushing So roughly to handle so softe a Creature This Phrase of speeche your very frendes haue mutche misliked and as it is in déede so in plaine woordes they cal it Ruffianrie a vertue although mutche agreable to your Profession yet vnméete for a man either of learning or of sober wisedome But this faulte â—mong many others as I haue saide I wil dissemble Although your whole Booke be vtterly voide of Diuinitie yet at the least some sense of Humanitie had benne commendable But the Prelates of this Newe Cleregie you saie haue fouly falsified both the woordes the sense of Fulgentius And wherin M. Harding Forsooth in stéede of these woordes The Fourme of Man The Fourme of God for yâ— better vnderstanding of the vnlearned they haue vsed these woordes as more commonly knowen Godhed and Manhed If this be so faulte wherefore then is the Olde Father Martyr Vigilius suffered thus to saie Dei Filius secundum Humanitatem suam recessit à nobis Secundum Diuinitatem suam semper est nobiscum The Sonne of God according to his Manhed is departed from vs according to his Godhed is euer with vs Or againe Christus est vbique secundum Naturam Diuinitatis suae loco continetur secundum Naturam Humanitatis suae Christe is in al places according to the Nature of his Godhed and is conteined in
and aduise of this Defender hath altered the Sense of the Latine as the Authour of the Latine hath altered the woordes of S. Hierome For neither speaketh S. Hierome of Bishoppes in the plural number neither saithe the Latine Apologie that the Bishoppes be al of like Preeminence whiche this Translation hath but of the same Merite and of the same Priesthood VVith the woorde Preeminence guilefully shifted into the sentence in place of this woorde Merite these false players thought to winne the Game That is that al Bishoppes after the minde of S. Hierome be of like Preeminence and so that al be of like Power and auctoritie â–ª and none aboue other Concerninge the place alleged S. Hierome in an Epistle to Euagrius speakinge against that a particular custome of the Churche of Rome shoulde Preiudicate the Auctoritie of the whole worlde in preferringe Deacons before Priestes compareth Bishoppes of great Cities and litle Townes togeather and saithe that as touchinge the Honour Dignitie and Power of Bishoply Order and Office and of Priesthood as good and as greate a Bishop in that respect is the One as the other and that the Bishop of Eugubium and Rhegium two litle Townes in Italie and of Thebes an other litle Towne in Egypte are Bishoppes and Priestes and haue as greate Merite in regarde of any their Vertues and as greate Power concerninge the order of Priesthood as the Bishoppes of Rome of Constantinople of Alexandria Yet as touchinge Power and Auctoritie of regiment the Patriarkes of Constantinople Alexandria and Antiochia be aboue Bishoppes of other Dioceses and the Bishop of Rome Peters Successour is aboue al. For we beinge many are one Body in Christe and euery man amonge our selues one an others members This knotte requireth a mutual consent of the whole Bodâ—e but chiefly the concorde of Priestes amonge whome although dignitie be not common to them al yet order is general as Leo writeth For euen among the moste Blessed Apostles saithe he in likenesse of Honour there was oddes of Power And whereas the Election of them al was equal yet to One was it geuen to be ouer the reste Out of whiche platte rose the distinction also of Bishoppes and with greate Prouidence it hath benne disposed that al shoulde not take al vpon them but that in euery prouince there shoulde be one who might firste geue his sentence amonge his brethren and againe that in the greate Citties some shoulde be ordeined for takinge vpon them matters of greater care through whome the charge of the vniuersal Churche shoulde haue course to the one see of Peter and that nothinge shoulde euer dissent from the Head Howe greate and Honorable so euer the roume is that any Bishop is placed in be he Archbishop Metropolitane Primat Patriarke or Pope himselfe He is nomore a Bishop then any other of those who occupie the lowest roume The diuersitie consisteth in this that they are called to parte of charge in sundry proportions as the Bishoprikes are greater or lesser the Pope hath committed vnto him the charge of the whole Folde of Christe and hath the fulnes of Power For if al were of like Power as these Defenders teache Vnitie coulde not be mainteined VVherefore by very order of Christe himselfe it hath benne ordeined that maters touchinge Faith and Religion at least sutche as be weighty be referred to that one Prince of Pastours who sitteth in the chaire of Peter the Highest Bishop whiche hath alwaies benne done and obserued from the Apostles time to our daies by Catholikes and not seldom also by Heretikes The sentence that this Defender alleageth out of S. Cyprian it seemeth he vnderstoode it not Ye saie that a piece of that one Bishoprike is perfitly and wholy holden of euery particular Bishop But what meane ye by that If by this woorde In solidum perfitly and wholy holden ye meane that euery particular Bishop without is a Bishop dependinge of any other then ye speake against the woordes yee bringe out of S. Cyprian VVho saithe that as there are many beames of one Sunne many boughes of one roote â–ª many Riuers of one Fountaine so there are many Bishoppes of one Bishoprike Therefore this Bishoprike is vnto particular Bishoppes as the Sunne as the Roote as the Fountaine VVhat the Fountaine roote and Sunne of this Bishoprike is S. Cyprian declareth a litle before she winge that it was saide to Peter To thee I wil geue the ketes of the Kingdome of Heauen And Feede my sheepe The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge chargeth vs with twoo of his owne common faultes First with Corruption nexte with Ignorance With Corruption in the woordes and sense of S. Hierome with Ignorance in the place of S. Cyprian But if wee be hable sufficiently and truely to answeare bothe I truste M. Hardinge shal haue no great cause mutche to vaunte him selfe either of his plaine dealinge herein or of his knowledge And here to dissemble these childishe causilatiâ—ns of the altering of Numbers the Singulare into the Plural and of the changinge of this woorde Merite into this woorde Preeminence whiche greate faulte if it were any by M. Hardinges owne Confession proceeded onely from the Interpreter and not from the Authour I saie to dissemble and to passe by al these séely quarrels what S. Hierome meante hereby Erasmus a man of great Learninge and iudgement expoundeth thus Hieronymus aequare videtur omnes Episcopos inter se perinde quasi omnes ex aequo Apostolis successerint Nec putat vllum Episcopum alio minorem esse quód sit humilior aut Maiorem quód sit Opulentior Nam aequat Eugubiensem Episcopum cum Romano Deinde non putat Episcopum quouis Presbytero praestantiorem esse nisi quód ius habeat Ordinandi Hierome seemeth to matche al Bishoppes togeather as if they were al equally the Apostles Successours And he thinketh not any Bishop to be sesse then other for that he is poorer or greatter then other for that he is richer For he maketh the Bishop of Eugubium a poore towne equal with the Bishop of Rome And farther he thinketh that a Bishop is no better then any Prieste sauinge that the Bishop hath Authoritie to Order Ministers But S. Hieromes woordes are plaine of them selfe and haue no neede of other Expositour Thus he writeth Quid facit excepta Ordinatione Episcopus quod Presbyter non faciat Nec altera Romanae Vibis Ecclesia altera totius Orbis existimanda est Et Galliae Britannia Aphrica Persis Oriens India Omnes Barbarae Nationes Vnum Christum adorant vnam obseruant regulam Veritatis Si Authoritas quaeritur Orbis maior est Vrbe Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus siue Eugubij siue Constantinopoli siue Alexendriae siue Tanai eiusdem Meriti eiusdem est Sacerdotij Potentia diuitiarum paupertatis humilitas vel sublimiorem vel Inferiorem Episcopum non facit
Coeterùm omnes Apostolorum Successores sunt Quid mihi profers Vnius Vrbis consuetudinem What doothe a Bishop sauâ—nge onely the Orderinge of Ministers but a Prieste maye doo the same Neither maye wee thinke that the Churche of Rome is one and the Churche of al the worlde biside is another Fraunce Englande Aphrica Persia Leuâ—nte India and al the Barbarous Nations woorship one Christe and keepe one rule of the Truthe If vvee seeke for Authoritie The whole worlde is greater then the Cittie of Rome Where so euer there be a Bishop be it at Eugubium be it at Rome be it at Constantinople be it at Rhegium be it at Alexandria be it at Tanais they are al of one woorthinesse they are al of one Bishoprike The Power of the Richesse and the basenesse of Pouertie maketh not a Bishop either Higher or Lower For they are al the Apostles Successours What bringe you me the Custome of Rome beinge but one Cittie Nowe if M. Hardinge wil steale awaie in the darke as his manner is and saie that S. Hierome spake onely of the Merite of Life or of the Office of Priesthoode sette some man telle him that this was no parte neither of the question mooued nor of the answeare of S. Hierome And S. Hierome in plaine and expresse woordes saithe Si Authoritas quaeritur If vvee seeke not for Merite of Life but for Authoritie in gouernmente therein the whole worlde is greatte then the Cittie of Rome M. Hardinge imagineth S. Hierome spake onely of I knowe no what but S. Hierome him selfe saithe he speaketh namely of Authoritie And whereas M. Hardinge is so highly offended with the chaunginge of this woorde Merite into this woorde Preeminence and saithe farther that these False Platers thought thereby to winne the game it maye please him to remember that howe so euer the game goe S. Hierome him selfe plainely plaide the selfe same game I meane that S. Hierome vsinge this woorde Merite without question meante Preeminence For thus he saithe Potentia Diuitiarum Paupertatis humilitas vel Sublimiorem vel Inferiorem Episcopum non facit The Power of Richesse and the basenesse of Pouertie maketh not a Bishop either Higher or Lower M. Hardinge mighte easily hauè seene that Higher and Lower perteine not to Merite of Life but to Preeminence Therefore lette him looke better vpon his Booke before he thus lightly condemne others for corruption I graunt it is true as M. Hardinge saithe This quarrel first beganne aboute a particulare Custome of the Churche of Rome where as the Draâ—ons Vaunted them selues and would be placed aboue the Priestes But here M. Hardinge as his manner is willingly dissembleth and suppresseth somewhat S. Augustine more liuely and fully expresseth the same For thereof he writeth thus Quidam qui nomen liabet Falcidij Duce stultitia Romanae Ciuitatis Iactantia Leuîtas Sacerdotibus Diaconos Presbyteris coaequare contendit One Falcidius Foolishnesse and the Pride of the Cittie of Rome leadinge him thereto laboureth to make the Deacons Equal with the Priestes This lewde disorder S. Hierome controlleth by the Examples of other Churches and saithe that therein the Authoritie of the whole worlde is greatter then the Authoritie of the Churche of Rome Of whiche also he seemeth to speake scornefully and with some disdeigne For thus he saithe Quid mihi profers Vnius Vrbis Consuerudinem What bringe you me the Custome of Rome beinge but One Cittie By whiche woordes it seemeth he made smal accoumpte of the Cittie of Rome But M. Hardinge saithe The Primates had Authoritie ouer other Inferiour Bishops I graunte they had so How be it thei had it by agreemente Custome But neither by Christe nor by Peter or Paule nor by any Kighte of Goddes Woorde S. Hierome saith Nouerint Episcopi se magis Consuetudine quà m Dispofitionis Dominicae Veritate Presbyteris esse Maiotes in coÌ„mune debere Ecclesiam â—egere Let Bishoppes vnderstande that they are aboue the Priestes rather of Custome theâ— of any Truthe or Right of Christes Institution and that they ought to rule the Churche al togeather And againe Idem ergo est Presbyter qui Episcopus Etantequam Diaboli instinctustudia in Religione fierent diceretur in populis Ego sum Pauli Ego Apollo Ego Cephae CoÌ„muni Presbyterorum Consilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur Therefore a Prieste and a Bishop are bothe one thinge And before that by the inflaiminge of the Diuel partes were taken in Religion and these woordes were vttered emonge the people I holde of Paule I holde of Apollo I holde of Peter the Churches were gouerned by the Common Aduise of the Priestes S. Augustine saithe Secundum honorum vocabula quae iam Ecclesiae vsus obtinuit Episcopatus Presbyterio maior est The office of a Bishop is aboue the office of a Prieste not by Authoritie of the Scriptuces but after the Names of Honour whiche the Custome of the Churche hath nowe obteined As for Pope Leo his owne Authoritie in his owne cause cannot be greate The Emperoure saithe Nemo debet sibiius dicere Noman maie minister Lowe vnto him selfe And it is noted thus in the Decrées Papa non debet esse Iudex in causa propria The Pope maie not be iudge in his owne cause It is wel knowen that the Pope hath sought for and claimed this Vniuersal Authoritie these many hundred yeeres Pope Innocentius was therefore reprooued of Pride and worldly Lordlinesse by the whole Councel of Aphrica Pope Bonifacius 2. condemned â— Augustine al the saide whole Councel of Aphrica called them al Heretiques and Schismatiques for the same and said they were al leadde by the Diuel Pope Zosimus to mainteine this claime corrupted the Holy Councel of Nice S. Hilarie and other Learned Bishoppes of France for vsurpinge sutche vnlawful Authoritie charged this same Pape Leo of whom we speake with Pride and Ambition But gentle Reader that thou maâ—ste the better vnderstande what credite thou oughtest to geue to this Pope Leo specially settinge foorthe his owne Authoritie I beséethe thée consider with what Maiestie of woordes and howe far aboue measure he auanceth the Authoritie of S. Peter These be his woordes Christus Petrum in Consortium Indiuiduae Vnitatis assumpsit Christe receiued Peter into the Companie of the Indiuisible Vnitie Authoritate Domini mei Petri Apostoli By the Authoritie not of Christe but of my Lorde Peter the Apostle Deo Inspirante Beatissimo Petro Apostolo By the Inspiration of God and of S. Peter the Apostle Deus à Petro velut à quodam Capite dona sua velut in Corpus omne diffudit God froÌ„ Peter as from the Heade hath powred cut his giftes into al the Body Nihil erit ligatum aut solutum nisi quod Petrus ligauerit aut soluerit There shal be nothinge bounde or loosed but that Peter shal binde or loose Nunc quoque Petrus pascit Oues
False sleight False Dise False Plaie and al False Yet Christe saithe of him selfe I am the Truthe God geue you grace to credite him For the errour of quotation in the margin wherin you spende so many woordes it maye please you to knowe that I neither was the Printer nor coulde be presente at the Printinge For the reste if there can be any one pointe of Falsehed founde in me touchinge the allegation of this Councel of Carthage I wil not refuse to stande charged with the whole But if euery of these horrible Falseheddes be found an euident and plaine Truthe then it maye please you to take home al these prety Titles to your selfe againe as in euery of these woordes so often doubled and so heapte togeather hauing your selfe committed a seueral Falsehedde And herein for trial of your courteous dealinge I am contente your selfe shal fit and be the Iudge For notwithstanding it be thought of many that ye dissemble déepely and wil not bestowe your voice to saie the Truthe Yet I doubte not but in this mater if ye haue eles ye maye easily looke vp and sée the Truthe You saye Sir Defender hathe falsely alleged the Councel of Carthage And why so For that he saithe The Councel Decréed by expresse woordes that the Bishop of Rome should not be called the Vniuersal Bishop This you saie is Forged and Falsified and is no parte of that Councel For indifferent trial bothe of the Truthe and of the Falsehed herein I beseche you beholde the very woordes of the Councel euen as thei are alleged by your own Doctour Gratiā These thei are Primae Sedis Episcopus non appelletur Princeps Sacerdotum vel Summus Sacerdos vel aliquid huiusmodi Sed tantùm Primae Sedis Episcopus Vniuersalis autem nec etiam Romanus Pontifex appelletur Let not the Bishop of any of the Firste Sees be called the Prince of Priestes Or the Highest Prieste or by any other like name but Onely the Bishop of the Firste see But let not the Bishop of Rome him selfe be called the Vniuersal Bishop And in the Glose thereupon it is noted thus In hac Distinctione dicitur quod Papa non debet dici Vniuersalis In this Distinction it is saide that the Pope ought not to be called the Vniuersal Bishop Nowe M. Hardinge compare our woordes and the Councelles wordes bothe togeather Wée saie none otherwise but as the Councel saithe The Bishop of Rome him selfe ought not to be called the Vniuersal Bishop Herein wée doo neither adde nor minishe but reporte the woordes playnely as wée finde them If you had lookte better on your Booke and would haue tried this mater as you saye by your Learninge ye might wel haue reserued these Vnciuile reproches of Falsehedde to your selfe and haue spared your Crieinge of Shame vpon this Defender Touchinge that you so pleasantly cheare your selfe with these woordes You doo as like to M. Iewel as if you were his Fathers Sonne ▪ I muste answeare you as S. Augustine sometime did the Heretique Cresconius Serua potius Puerilia Pueris Keepe sutche Childishe toies to plaie with your Children God make vs bothe like vnto our Father that is in Heauen Where you saie of your selfe onely without farther witnesse that this Title is the Popes Auncient right euer géeuen to him by al the world I doubte not but the vntruthe hereof by my Former Replie touching the same maie soone appeare Certainely when the same Title was offered to S. Gregorie he refused it vtterly as none of his In déede this Councel of Carthage notwithstanding the Title of Highest Bishop was sometimes geuen not onely to the Bishop of Rome other Patriarkes but also vnto al other Bishoppes M. Hardinges owne Amphilochius calleth S. Bastle Principem Sacerdotum The Prince or Chiefe of Bishoppes Rufinus calleth Athanasius Pontificem Maximum The Highest Bishop Nazianzenus calleth the same Athanasius Archisacerdotem Sacerdotum The Chiefe Bishop of Bishoppes Lactantius calleth euery Bishoprike Summum Sacerdotiū Likewise S. Hierome saith Ecclesiae Salus in Summi Sacerdotis dignitate pendet The safetie of the Churche standeth in the dignitie of the Highest Priest By whiche Highest Prieste M. Hardinge him selfe saithe is meante euery seueral Bishop within his owne Diocese S. Augustine saithe Quid est Episcopus nisi Primus Presbyter hoc est Summus Sacerdos What is a Bishop but the First or Chiefe Prieste that is to saie the Highest Prieste Therefore wée may safely spare the Pope this Title of Highest Bishop not as Peculiar to him alone as M. Hardinge imagineth but as Common and General to al Bishoppes Al that ye haue here alleged of the Iurisdiction of the Flamines is a mere fantasie ▪ grounded onely vpō an vnsauery Fable of Anacletus and Clemens Neither are you hable to finde either these names Archiflamines or Protoflamines whiche here are imagined in any Ancient allowed Writer or any sutche Vniuersal Iurisdiction to them belonginge The Firste or Principal or Mother Sees were limited not by the Flamines but by the Prince So it is written in the Councel of Chalcedon Quascunque Ciuitates per Literas Regias Metropolitico nomine honorarunt VVhat Citties so euer by the Princes Charter they honoured with the name of the Mother See And therefore the Emperour Theodosius vpon displeasure conceiued tooke that Name of Honoure from the Cittie of Antioche mindinge it shoulde be so called nomore And for that cause was the Cittie of Rome chosen emongest others to be a Primate or a Principal Mother Sée not for that either Christe or Peter had so appointed as M. Hardinge telleth vs but for that it was the moste Noble Cittie and of greattest renoume in al the world The woordes be plaine Sedi Veteris Romae Patres meritò dederunt Primatum Quòd illa Ciuitas aliis Imperaret The Fathers woorthily gaue the Chiefetie to the See of the Olde Rome Bicause that Cittie had the Princehood ouer others Nowe concerninge this Decrée of the Councel of Carthage it touched as wel the Bishop of Rome as other Primates And therefore Pope Adriane afterward alleging and corrupting the same added thereto this special Prouiso for him selfe Nullus Archiepiscoporum nisi qui Primas Sedes renent appelletur Primas aut Princeps Sacerdotum aut Summus Sacerdos aut aliquid huiusmodi c. Salua semper in omnibus Authoritate Beati Petri Apostoli Let no Archebishop sauinge sutche as heue the Principal or Firste Sees he called either the Primate or the Prince of Priestes or the Highest Prieste or by any other like name c. Sauinge alwaies and in al thinges the Authoritie of Blessed S. Peter the Apostle The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 3. And therefore sithence the Bishop of Rome wil nowe a daies so be called chalengeth vnto him selfe an Authoritie that is none of his bisides that he dothe plainely contrarie to the Ancient Councelles and contrarie to the Olde
in thinges necessarie That sinnes can not either be remitted or reteined excepte the Prieste knowe them we are bolde so to saye with the Fathers and specially with S. Hierome who so vnderstoode the woordes of Christe where he promised the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen to Peter Sacerdos pro officio suo cùm peccatorum audierit Varietates scit qui ligandus sit qui Soluendus The Prieste saithe he when as accordinge to his office he hath hearde the diuersities of sinnes knoweth who is to be bounde who is to be loosed Right so as in the time of Moses lawe he pronounced not who was cleane of Lepre who was not before that he had vewed the colour the bunches and al other tokens of that disease And thus it foloweth of the woordes of Christe that Confession of al Sinnes at leaste deadly muste be made to the Prieste before they can be remitted VVhiche Prieste is the Minister of this Sacramente and hath auctoritie to absolue either Ordinarie or by Commission of the Superiour Againe for proufe that Confession is necessarie wee sate that to remitte and reteine sinnes committed againste God as to binde and to loose be iudicial actes And therefore by these woordes Christe ordeined a Courte a Consistorie a seate of Iudgemente in the Churche and appointed the Apostles and their Successours to be Iudges And that this maye appeare not to be a fantasie of our owne heades S. Augustine so expoundeth those woordes of S. Iohn in his Reuelation Et vidi ledes c. And I sawe seates and some sittinge on them and iudgement was geuen VVe muste not thinke â—aithe he this to be spoken of the laste iudgement but we muste vnderstande the Seates of the Rulers and the Rulers themselues by whome nowe the Churche is gouerned And as for the Iudgement geuen it semeth not to be taken for any other then for that whereof it was saide VVhat thinges yee binde in Earthe they shal be bouÌ„de also in Heauen and what thinges ye loose on Earthe they shal be loosed also in Heauen Sundrie other Fathers haue vttered in their writinges the same Doctrine Hilarius vpon the sixtenth Chapter of Matthewe saithe Beatus Coeli ianitor c. Blessed is the Porter of Heauen whose earthly iudgement that is to saie whiche is geuen here on Earthe is a foreiudged auctoritie in Heauen that what thinges be bounde or loosed in Earthe they haue the condition of the same Statute also in Heauen S. Cyprian hath the like sayinge in an Epistle to Cornelius Chrysostome saithe that Christe hath translated al iudgemente whiche he receiued of the Father vnto the Apostles and Priestes Gregorie Nazianzene in an Oration to the Emperour and his Princes saithe to the Emperour Ouis mea es nos habemus Tribunalia Thou arte my Sheepe and we haue our seates of iudgement S. Gregorie the Pope compareth the Sacrament of Penaunce with a courte of Iustice in which causes be first examined and tried and afterwarde Iudged That the same is to be donne by the Prieste S. Bernarde sheweth VVho as also the learned Father Hugo de S. Victore be not afraide to saie after S. Cyprian Hilarie and Chrysostome that the sentence of Peter remittinge Sinnes goeth before the sentence of Heauen This Ordinance of Christe requireth that al. Trespasses Offences Disorders Transgressions and Sinnes committed against him and his Lawes be referred to this Consistorie VVhether these Defenders allowe Publike Confession or no we knowe not but whereas they inueigh against Priuate Confession and saie in spiteful woordes which they haue learned in the Schole of Satan beinge lothe the Sinnes of the People whereby he holdeth his Kingdome shoulde be remitted that Christes Disciples receiued not the auctoritie of the Keies that they shoulde heare priuate Confessions of the People and listen to their whisperinges VVe tel them that Confession of al deadly Sinnes is of the Institution of God not of Man But concerninge the maner of confessinge secretely to a Prieste alone it is moste agreable to Natural Reason that secrete Sinnes be confessed secretely Clement amongest those thinges that he acknowledgeth him selfe to haue receiued of Peter this is One as he writeth in his firste Epistle translated by Rufine the Prieste That if it fortune either enuie or Infidelitie priuely to crepe into any mans harte or any other like euil he whiche regardeth his Soule be not ashamed to confesse those thinges to him that is in Office ouer him to the ende that by him through the woorde of God and holesome counsel he maye be healed So as by perfite Faithe and good woorkes he maye escape the paines of euerlastinge fire and come to the rewardes of Life that endureth for euer No man speaketh more plainely of Secrete Confession then Origen and that in sundry places to whiche for Breuities sake I remitte the Reader In. 2. Ca. Leuitici Homil. 2. De Principijs Lib. 3. In Psal 37. Homil. 2. VVhere he compareth the state of a sinner to a man that hath euil and vndigested humours in his Stomake And saithe that as by remaininge of suche euil matter the man feleth him selfe very sicke and by vomitinge of it foorthe he is eased so the sinner by keepinge his sinnes secrete is the more greuousely charged in his owne conscience and standeth in daunger to be choked with the Fleume and humour of his sinnes But if he accuse him selfe and confesse his faultes he bothe vomiteth foorthe his sinnes and digesteth the cause of the same S. Cyprian as in many other places so moste plainely speaketh of Secrete Confession Sermone 5. de lapsis Although saithe he of certaine deuoute persons they be entangled with no greate Sinne yet because at leaste they thought of it the same vnto the Priestes of God Confesse they sorowfully and simply They make Confession of their Conscience they laie foorthe the burthen of their minde c. S. Augustine treatinge of the Power of the Keies in many places but specially of Confession in Psal 60. VVhere speakinge muche of the necessitie of Confession he saithe thus VVhy fearest thou to be Confessed If not beinge Confessed thou remaine hidden not beinge Confessed thou shalt be damned And afterwardes thus To this ende God requireth Confession to deliuer the humble to this ende he damneth him that confesseth not to punishe the Proude Therefore be thou sorie before thou be Confessed beinge Confessed Reioyse thou shalt be hole By these and many other Holy Fathers of whome there is no doubte but they had the Holy Ghoste for their Teacher and prompter of al Truthe the Catholike Churche hath benne persuaded that the recital and rehersinge of al sinnes before the Prieste is necessarie to Saluation onlesse necessitie for lacke of a Prieste or other wise exclude vs from it and that a General Confession in no wise suffiseth True Faithe acknowlegeth that Confession is to be made of al â— Sinnes
vtter vvhat these Bishoppes doo in Secrete Againe he saithe Abstinentes à Remedio Coniugali posteà in omne flagitium effluunt Absteininge from the remedie of Marriage afterwarde they flowe ouer into al kinde of wickednesse He that wrote the litle Booke called Opus Tripartitum ioined with the Councel of Laterane saithe thus Tanta immunditia luxuriae notoria est in multis partibus mundi non solùm in Clericis sed etiam in Sacerdotibus imo quod horribile est audire in Praelatis Maioribus c. Sutche Notorious filthinesse of Lecherie there is in many partes of the Worlde not onely in the inferiour Clerkes but also in Priestes yea in the greatter Prelates whiche thinge is horrible to be hearde c. And in the Glose vpon the Constitutions Legantine of Englande it is written thus Clerici huiusmodi Concubinas tenent CoÌ„muniter apparatu honesto nomine appellationis Sororiae Clerkes commonly holde and haue sutche Concubines in honeste haueour vnder the name of their Sisters Nicolaus de Clauengijs complaininge hereof saithe thus Capellani Canonici similes Episcopis Indocti Ebrij Scortatores The Chaplaines and Canons are like to the Bishoppes Vnlearned Dronken and Fornicatours Robert Holcote saithe Sacerdotes moderni sunt Daemones Incubi per luxuriam Sacerdotes Priapi vel Beelphegor Angeli Abyssi The Priestes of our time by their Lecherie are like the Sprites called Incubi the Priestes of Priapâ—â— or Beelphegor and the Angels of the pitte of Helle. Hulderichus in Olde times the Bishop of Augusta in Germanie wrote sharpely hereof against Pope Nicolas in this wise Decreta tua super Clericorum continentia à discretione inueni aliena Multos confilij tui assentatores hominibus non Deo sub falsa specie continentiae placere volentes grauiora vides committere I haue founde thy Decrees touchinge the Single life of Priestes to be voide of discretion Thou seest that many folowers of thy counsel willinge vnder â— fained colour of Continente life rather to please Man then God commit hainous actes In the ende be concludeth thus Qua nosti discretionis disciplina Pharisaicam ab Ouili Dei extirpa Doctrinam By sutche discipline of discretion as you knowe beste roote this Pharisaical Doctrine out of Goddes Folde But for as mutche as M. Hardinge hath no skil in this Epistle of Hulderichus he maie vnderstande that his owne Pope Pius otherwise called Aeneas Syluius maketh euident mention of the same Further Mantuanus the Poete saithe Petriue domus polluta fluenti Marcescit luxu Nulla hîc arcana reuelo Sanctus ager Scurris venerabilis Ara Cynaedis Seruit Honorandae Diuûm Ganymedibus Aedes The matter hereof is sutche as is not woorthy to be Englished But what pleasure can it be to stande so longe in so vnsauery a place They themselues saie thus Fornicatio Simplex non est digna depositione Sâ—â—ple Fornication in a Prieste is no iuste cause of Depriuation The cause thereof in an other Glose is alleged thus Quia pauci sine illo vitio inueniuntur Bicause there be fevve Priestes founde vvithout that faulte To be shorte Polydorus Vergilius saithe Nullius delicti crimen maius Ordini dedeâ—us plùs mali Religioni plus doloris bonis attulit No kinde of crime euer brought either more shame to the Order of Priesthoode or more hinderance to Religion or more griefe to the Godly then the life of Single Priestes These these M. Hardinge vvere the causes that moued Pope Pius commonly to saie as it is before alleged As Marriage vpon good and greate considerations vvas taken from Priestes so novve vpon better and greatter considerations it vvere to be restoared to them againe And therefore he saithe in his discourse of the Councel of Basile Fortasse non esset peius Sacerdotes complures vxorari Quoniam multi saluarentur in Sacerdotio Coniugato qui nunc in sterili Presbyterio damnantur Perhaps it were not woorste that many Priestes vvere Married For many might be saued in Married Priesthoode whiche nowe in barren Priesthoode are condemned If the former of these twoo Saieinges be so doubteful yet this later is plaine and cleare and voide of doubte In like sense and sorte he writeth vpon good aduise and deliberation to his frende Quoniam huc ventum est vt Legi Carnis resistere nequeas meliùs est Nubere quà m Vri For as mutche as the mater is growen so far that ye cannot withstande the Lawe of the Fleashe Better it is to Marrie then to burne So saithe Panormitane Credo pro bono salute animarum quòd esset salubre statutum vt non valentes continere possint contrahere Quia experientia docente contrarius prorsus effectus sequitur ex illa Lege Continentiae cùm hodiè non viuant spiritualiter nec sint mundi Sed maculentur illicito coitu cum ipsorum grauissimo peccato Vbi cum propria vxore esset Castitas Vnde deberet Ecclesia facere sicut bonus medicus vt si medicina experientia docente potitis officiat quà m profit eam tollat Et vtinam idem esset in omnibus Constitutionibus positiuis I beleeue it vvere a good Lavve and for the wealthe and safetie of Soules that sutche as cannot liue Chaste maie contracte Matrimonie For wee learne by experience that of the Lawe of Continente or Single Life the contrarie effecte hath folovved For as mutche as nowe a daies they liue not spiritually nor be cleane and chaste but with their greate Sinne are defiled with vnlawful Copulation vvhereas vvith theire ovvne vviues they should liue Chastely Therefore the Churche ought to doo as the skilful Physician vseth to doo Who if he see by experience that his Medicine hurteth rather then doothe good taketh it cleane awaie And woulde God the same waie were taken with al positiue Constitutions So saithe Durandus Vtile esset vt in Concilio Matrimonium Sacerdotibus romittatur Frustrà enim hactenus coacti sunt ad Castitatem It vvere good that in a Councel Priestes Marriage were set at libertie For hitherto it hath benne in vaine to force them to Chastitie So saithe Martinus Peresius Multis pijs visum est vt Leges de Coelibatu tollerentur propter scandala Many godly menne haue thought it good that the Lavves of Single Life should be abolished for auoidinge the offence of the people M. Hardinge wil saie The Prieste hathe Vowed and muste kéepe his Vowe But Pope Pius as it is saide before gaue counsel of Marriage vnto a Prieste that had made a Vowe It appeareth right wel bothe by that hath benne already alleged also by the common experience practise of the world that a Vowe importeth not alwaies a Chaste life Optatus Mileuitanus saithe In Mirella signum est voluntatis non Castitatis auxilium In the apparel there is a token of the Wil not a healpe towardes Chastitie S.
it meaneth the Sacramente of how great a thinge it conteineth as yet ye haue not heard That then whiche ye sawe is Breade and Chalice whiche euen your eyes tel you But that whiche your Faithe requireth to be instructed of Breade is the Body of Christe the Chalice his Bloude If the Substance of Breade remained as before Consecration what neede had they to learne what it were For of them selues they might know we the thinges proponed to be Breade and VVine But S. Augustine ye saie calleth that they sawe Breade and VVine Yea Sir so it was so farre as theire eies tolde them But what their faithe ought to tel them he instructeth them saieinge Breade to witte is the Holy Body of Christe To this Construction muste wee stande by S. Augustine him selfe so set foorthe The B. of Sarisburie S. Augustines woordes are plaine yenough howe so euer it like you to shaowe them with your Gloses Thus he saithe Quod vidistis Panis est Calix quod vobis etiam Oculi vestri renuntiant The thinge that you sawe is the Breade and the Cuppe whiche thinge your eies doo reporte vnto you Where also maie be noted as by the waie that S. Augustine contrarie to your Doctrine M. Hardinge referreth the Iudgmente hereof to the reporte and trial of the senses And againe he saithe of him selfe in the like case Vereor ne ipsis sensibus nostris facere videamur iniuriam quando id loquendo suademus vbi omnes Vires officiumque Sermonis facillimè superat euidentia Veritatis I feare me wee shoulde doo wronge vnto our Senses if wee would goe about to proue that thinge by speakinge wherein the euidence of the Truthe it selfe passeth al dewtie and power of Speache How be it S. Augustine saithe further Quod autem Fides vestra postulat instruenda Panis est Corpus Christi Calix Sanguis This Obiection maie be answeared by that is saide before These twoo saieinges are bothe true Hesychius saithe Mysterium nostrum simul Panis Caro est Our Mysterie is bothe Breade and Fleashe It is Breade in Substance in deede It is also the Body of Christe not in Substance but in a Mysterie Your owne Glose saithe as it is before alleged Dicitur Corpus Christi sed impropriè Vt sit sensus Vocatur Corpus Christi id est Significat Corpus Christi It is called the Body of Christe but vnproperly or not in dowe and vsual fourme of speache The meaninge thereof maie be this It is called Christes Body that is to saie It Signifiethe Christes Body In a Sacramente wee muste beholde not onely the outwarde Elemente but also the thinge it selfe whereof it is a Sacramente S. Augustine saithe Si ad ipsas res visibiles quibus Sacramenta tractantur animum conferamus quis nesciat eas esse corruptibiles Si autem ad id quod per illas res agitur quis non videat non posse corrumpi If wee consider the visible Creatures wherein the Sacramentes are ministred who knoweth not they be thinges corruptible But if wee consider the thinge that is wrought thereby who seeth not It cannot be corrupted And in the same place before alleged S. Augustine fully expoundeth his owne meaninge in what sense the Breade maie be called the Body of Christe These be his woordes Christus leuauit Corpus suum in Coelum vnde venturus est vt iudicet viuos mortuos Ibi est modò sedens ad Dextram Patris Quomodò est Panis Corpus eius Et Calix vel quod habet Calix quomodò est Sanguis eius Ista Fratres ideò dicuntur Sacramenta quia in eis aliud videtur aliud intelligitur Christe hathe lifted vp his Body into Heauen from whence hee shal comme to iudge the quicke and the deade There is hee nowe sittinge at the Right Hande of the Father Hovve then is the Breade his Body And the Cuppe or that is in the Cuppe howe is it his Bloude His answeare is this O my Brethren these be called Sacramentes for that in them one thinge is seene and an other thinge is vnderstanded Thus therefore the thinge that wée sée with our Bodily eies is the very Nature and Substance of Breade but the thinge that wee see with our Faithe is the very Natural Body of Christe sittinge in Heauen and represented vnto vs in the Mysteries Nowe I beseeche thée good Christian Reader marke what Discante M. Hardinge plaieth vpon these woordes S. Augustine saithe Beleeue the Iudgemente of your eies M. Hardinge saithe Senses be deceiteful Beleeue not the Iudgemente of your eies S. Augustine saithe The thinge that you see is Breade M. Hardinge saithe It is not so it is no Breade So handsomely this Glose groweth to the Texte The Apologie Or that whiche Origen saithe The Breade whiche is Sanctified by the Woorde of GOD as touchinge the Material Substance thereof goeth into the Belly and is caste out into the priuie M. Hardinge In alleginge Origen Sir Defender ye plaie your accustomed false plaie corruptinge his sentence and falsifieinge his woordes For they be not as you recite them but thus Ille cibus qui sanctificatur per Verbum Dei pèrque obsecrationem iuxta id quod habet materiale in ventrem abit in secessum eijcitur That meate whiche is Consecrated by the VVoorde of God and by Praier accordinge to that Material whiche it hathe it goeth into the belly and is voided foorthe into the Priuie Here neither nameth he Breade as you doo to cause the people to thinke it is but very Breade but meate And that you haue in your Latine ▪ Quod quidem ad Materiam attinet whiche is by your Interpreter As touchinge the Material Substance thereof it is not Origens but your owne forged stuffe to deceiue the ignorante withal to th ende they might be moued by your false handlinge of that Doctour to beleeue the mater and Substance of very Breade to remaine He speakethe not of the mater of Breade but of that whiche is Material in this Sacramente meaninge the Accidentes or Qualities remaininge after Consecration whiche be Material but not the mater it selfe of Breade as Mater is taken for the one parte of a perfect Substance and the same Accidentes be voided foorthe as Origen had good cause by occasion of Christes woorde to declare you had none to recorde the same But it liked your filthy sprite withe vile woordes to bringe that Holy Mysterie and Blessed Sacramente into contempte VVherein ye do the Deuil Authour of al Herisies the greatest seruice that maie be deuised The B. of Sarisburie Heresies false plaie Falsehed Falsifieinge Vile vvoordes Filthy Spirites are nowe becomme M. Hardinges ordinarie and vsual Eloquence Here haue we corrupted as he saithe and belied Origen for that wee place this woorde Panis in steede of Cibus And for that wee saie Panis quod ad Materiam attinet in steede of these
woordes Cibus iuxta id quod habet materiale This is Forges stuffe This is Homble and shameful corruption to deceiue the ignorante He that knâ—we not M. Hardinges modestie and manner of writinge woulde thinke these Tragical termes shoulde beare somme weight For sober menne seldome vse thus to crie without somme cause Touchinge these woordes Cibus Panis Materiale Materia if there be any thinge that maie mislike him it shal be laweful for him to refourme the same to vse either the one woorde or the other at his pleasure Wee stande onely vpon the Substance of mater and seeke no sutche wanton aduantages by shifte of woordes Neuerthelesse Origen him selfe as it appeareth was not so dangerous in the case For whereas M. Hardinge so sharply ouerlooketh vs for once vsinge this woorde Panis in steede of Cibus Origen him selfe vseth the same woorde Panis Seuen times togeather in the selfe same place without reproufe Like as S. Paule also fiue times in one place calleth it Panis And S. Cyril calleth the portions thereof fragmenta Panis peeces of Breade And yet were none of these euer condemned therefore as Corrupters and Falsifiers But I beséeche you M. Hardinge if this woorde Cibus Meate whiche Origen vseth and you séeme to allowe were not Breade what kinde of Meate then wil you cal it Pleashe Fishe or Fruite I trowe it was not You safe Origen meante thereby your Fourmes and Accidentes and Shevves of Breade Nowe verily this was but a quaisy Meate and I marueil that euer any wise man woulde cal it Meate Irenaeus saithe Of the same Meate is increased and consisteth the Substance of Our Fleashe And Rabanus saithe Sacramentum in alimentum Corporis redigitur The Sacramente whiche is the Breade is turned into Our Bodily nourishemente Touchinge the other fowle faulte M. Hardinge saithe his Accidentes and Qualities be thinges Material but the Mater it selfe he saithe they be not But where learned he this strange Doctrine What Diuine what Philosopher what Logician what Sophister what wise man euer taught him thus to saie Certainely Accidentes and Qualities be Accidentales Formae and in the Scholes are called thinges Formal whiche are as farre from thinges Material as Fire from Water Notwithstanding these menne haue power to make of Accidentes Substance Of Fourmes Maters Of thinges Formal thinges Material and of one contrarie to make another al this onely of them selues without any manner other Authoritie M. Hardinge saithe that the Meate whereof Origen speaketh is a Material for this is the Light and clearenesse of his Eloquence but not Materia and by this pretie distinction he thinketh the whole mater is fully discharged And emongste the ignorante that cannot iudge perhaps he maie seeme to saie somewhat But Origen him selfe that beste vnderstoode his owne meaninge calleth the same Meate in the same place by expresse and plaine woordes not onely a thinge Material but also the very Mater of Breade it selfe His woordes be these Nec Materia Panis sed super illum dictus sermo est qui prodest non indignè Domino comedenti It is not the Mater of the Breade but the woorde spoken ouer it that profiteth him that Eateth not vnwoorthily for the Lorde Nowe Iudge thou indifferently Gentle Reader how iust causes M. Hardinge had to moue these Tragedies Further he saithe It liked our filthy Sprite with vile woordes to bringe the Holy Mysteries into contempte and therein doo the Diuel great seruice O M. Hardinge some other speache would better become a man of your grauitie Sutche liquoure seldome floweth from the Sprite of God We neither encrease or diminishe nor any waie alter the woordes of Origen but laie them foorth plainely and simply as we finde them For thus he writeth Ille Cibus qui sanctificatur per VerbuÌ„ Dei per Obsecrationem iuxta id quod habet Materiale in Ventram abit in secessum eijcitur Coeterùm iuxta precationeÌ„ quae illi accessit pro portione Fidei fit vtilis The Meate that is Sanctified by the Woord of God and by Praier according to that Material parte that is in it passeth into the belly and so foorth into the Priuie c. If there be any Filthinesse or Villanie herein it is this Ancient Fathers whom ye ought not so vncourteously to reuile for Vncleanenesse of Sprite it is not ours Howe be it this is not Origens onely Iudgemente but the general and agréeable Doctrine of al others the Catholique Fathers And to allege one in stéede of many S. Augustine saithe as he is before alleged Si ad res ipsas quibus Sacramenta tractantur animum conferamus quis nesciat eas esse corruptibiles Si ad id quod per illas res agitur quis non videat non posse corrumpi If wee consider the thinges them selues wherein the Sacramentes be Ministred who knoweth not that they be thinges corruptible But if wee consider the thinge that is wrought thereby who seethe not that it cannot be corrupted The Holy Fathers speake not thus of Christes Body but of the Breade whiche is the Sacramente of Christes Body So saithe S. Ambrose Non iste Panis qui vadit in Corpus sed Panis Vitae Aeternae qui animae nostra Substantiam fulcit The Breade that I meane is not this Breade of the Sacramente that passeth into the Body but the Breade of Euerlastinge Life that maineteineth the Substance of the Soule Nowe if there were sutche filthinesse as you haue imagined in the Holy Learned Bishoppes and Doctours of the Churche for vtteringe these and other like woordes of the corruptible Creatures of Breade and Wine what cleane Sprite then is there in them that speake so filthily of Christes Body it selfe beinge nowe Vncorruptible and Glorious at the Right Hande of the Father Hereof I had occasion to speake sommewhat in my Former Replie Alexander of Hales saithe Quidam dicunt vbicunque ponantur Species siue in mundo loco siue in immundo siue in Ventre Muris ibi est Corpus Christi Somme saie where so euer the Fourmes or Accidentes be laide whether the place be cleane or vncleane yea though it be in the Mouses belly yet there is the Body of christe Againe he saithe Si Canis vel Porcus deglutiret Hostiam Consecratam integram non video quare Corpus Domini non simul traijceretur in ventrem Canis vel Porci If a Dogge or Hogge shoulde swallowe downe the Hoste Consecrate beinge whole I see no cause to the contrarie but the Body of Christe maie passe withal into the belly of the Dogge or of the Hogge Likewise your owne Clemens whom ye so often cal the Apostles Felowe writeth thus Ne Murium stercora inter fragmenta Dominicae Portionis appareant Let not Mise dounge be founde emong the fragmentes or peecces of the Lordes Portion Hée meaneth the Sacramente Your owne Catholique allowed Glose saith Corpus Christi potest euomi The Body
Bernardes iudgemente of your Churche that it woulde heare no sounde Doctrine and that it for that cause seemed vtterly paste recouerie Therefore so certainely to assure your selfe of a thinge vncertaine it was no wisedome Wee maie saie of your Popes and Bishoppes whome onely ye meane by the name of your Churche as S. Hierome saide sometime of certaine others your Fathers longe agoe Non tam indignentur â—obis haec exponentibus Prophetis vaticinantibus quà m Dominum deprecentur studiosâ— agant ne de Sacerdoâ—ibus qui violant Sancta Domini esse mereantur Let them not take stomake againste vs that expounde these thinges nor againste the Prophetes that foretolde these thinges But let them praie vnto God and take good heede that they be not of those Priestes that defile the Holy thinges of the Lorde Churches ye saie not without profane malice ye cal Temples Malice comme vnto him M. Hardinge that Malice meaneth The Prophete Dauid saithe The Lorde in his Holy Temple S. Paule saithe Your Bodies be the Temples of the Holy Ghoste Know ye not that ye be the Temple of God If any man defile the Temple of God the Lorde wil destroie him Ye are the Temple of the Liuinge God What agreemente is there bitweene the Temple of God and an Idole So many times S. Paule nameth Temples togeather in one place and yet I thinke without any greate profane Malice But it shal be lawful for you M. Hardinge to make newe Sinnes and to saie The Apostles of Christe were malicious wicked onely for that they called the Churche of God by the name of Temple Would God ye had not turned Goddes Temple into the Synagoge of Sathan Wée sée by your practise it is true that S. Chrysostome saithe Sicut de Templo omne bonum egreditur ita etiam de Templo omne Malum procedit As euery good thinge proceedeth from the Temple so euery il thinge proceedeth likewise from the Temple In defence of your Halfe Communion ye saie For good causes ye teache the people to be contente with one Kinde And thus ye force the poore people contrarie to the expresse Woorde of Christe contrarie to the example of the Apostles and al the Holy Fathers in the Primitiue Churche and contrarie to the general vse and order of a whole thousande yéeres to geeue care to your good causes But these causes no doubte are greate and woorthy Otherwise yée would not weigh them againste God But wherefore are they dissembled Why are they not tolde vs Your owne Doctours Alphonsus de Castro and Iohn Gerson haue laide them out in this wise Particularely and at large The daunger of sheaddinge The carrieiâ—ge from place to place The fowlinge of the Cuppes The trouble of Mennes Beardes The Reseruinge for the Sicke The turninge of the VVine into Vineger The engendringe of Plees The Corruption or Putrefaction The Lothesomenesse that maie happen for so many to Drinke of one Cuppe The impossibilitie of prouidinge one Cuppe that maie be sufficiente to serue al the People In somme places VVine is deare in somme other places the VVine wil be frorne These M. Hardinge be the fairest and greattest of your good causes And yet haue you thus concluded in your late Chapter at Tridente Si quis dixerit â–ª Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam non iustis causis rationibus adductam fuisse vt Laicos atque etiam Clericos non conficientes sub Panis tantummodâ— specie Communicaret aut in eo errasse Anathema sit If any man shal saie that the Holy Catholique Churche without iuste Causes and reasons her mouinge doothe Communicate bothe the Laitie and also Priestes onlesse they Minister vnder the onely Fourme of Breade or that the Churche hath erred in the same Accursed be he Therefore Tertullian saithe rightly of you Credunt sine Scripturis vt Credant Contra Scripturas They Beleeue vvithout the Scriptures that they maie Beleeue againste the Scriptures But specially I beseche you M. Hardinge consider wel these woordes of S. Hierome and sée whether ye maie applie them to your selues or no In Consummatione Mundi scrutabitur Dominus Hierusalem id est Ecclesiam suam cum Lucerna vlciscetur super viros Contemptores qui noluerunt Seruare Custodias suas id est Mandata Domini Contempserunt insuper Ratione se peccare dicentes blasphemauerunt in Cordibus suis In the ende of the VVorlde our Lorde shal searche Hierusalem that is to saie his Churche with a Candel and shal wreake him selfe vpon the despisers that woulde not keepe their watches that is to saie that despised the Commaundementes of God and ouer and bisides this saieinge they hadde good Causes and Reasons vvherefore they shoulde offende breake Goddes Commaundementes they blasphemed in their Hartes That ye surmise of Gelasius is moste vntrue He speaketh not one Woorde there of the diuidinge of Christe as you imagine nor had he any cause so to speake But he saithe in moste plaine wise It is Sacrilege to doo the same thinge that you doo that is to saie to diuide the Sacramente to Minister the One parte as ye doo without the other Looke better on your Bookes and Confesse the Truthe as ye shal finde it The woordes be these Aut integra Sacramenta percipiant aut ab integris arceantur Quia diuisio vnius eiusdemque Mysterij sine grandi Sacrilegio non potest peruenire Either lette them receiue the vvhole Sacramentes or els let them be driuen from the vvhole For the Diuision ofone and the same Mysterie or Sacramente cannot happen without greate Sacrilege He speaketh not of the diuision of One Christe as you tel vs but of the diuision of One Mysterie Otherwise touchinge Christe wée saie with S. Paule Vnus Dominus Iesus Christus There is One Lorde Iesus Christe And wée proteste with the Bishoppes of the Easte in the Councel of Chalcedon Accursed be he that parteth Christe Accursed be he that diuideth him That you saie The order of your Latine Seruice hath euermore benne vsed in the Latine Churche from the beginning it is vtterly vntrue For proufe whereof I remitte you to my Former Replie in the thirde Article the fiftéenth Diuision The reste that ye allege is not woorthe the answearinge The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 2. Al these thinges muste they of necessitie saie onlesse perchaunce thei had rather saie thus That al Lavve and Right is locked vp in the treasurie of the Popes breaste and that as once one of his soothinge Pages and Clawbackes did not sticke to saie the Pope is hable to dispense againste the Apostles againste a Councel and againste the Canons and Rules of the Apostles and that he is not bounde to â–ª stande neither to the examples nor to the ordinaunces nor to the Lawes of Christe M. Hardinge To saie that al Lawe and right your Latine terme is Fas is locked vp in the
planè impossibile est Quis enim vnquam audiuit contradictoria posse redigi in concordiam VVhiche is impossible for who euer hearde that contradictions maye be accorded But the Maisters of the Apologie make no doubte at all but they wil shortly be aggreed Suche childishe and impossible thinges they sticke not to set foorthe who would be compted the teachers of the worlde as though we were but blockes and Asses But as for the heresies and errours of Zuinglius and Osiander with a quiet conscience we can not embrace Neither can we subscribe and yelde to their departinge away and newe guegawes whiche haue diuided them selues from Luther Thus far Amsdorffius and muche more there to the same purpose which here I leaue to blot the paper withall To conclude thus all men may plainely see how the maisters of this defence be conuinced of foule lyinge by their owne Doctours and scholefelowes beside the thinge it selfe that geueth manifest euidence againste them But such stuffe in their writinges and Preachinges is not geason Leauinge others I reporte me to M. Iuelles late sermon made at Paules Crosse on the Sondaie before Ascension daye laste in whiche if vniforme reporte made by sundry there present be true he abused certaine Honorable and woorshipfull personages and of common people a greate multitude with lies woorthy rather to be chastised by lawes then to be confuted with woordes But be it as it is written Qui in sordibus est sordescat adhuc The B. of Sarisburie It pitieth me M. Hardinge to see your triflingâ—e If ye thought it so good skil for aduantage of your cause to compare vs to scoldes wherefore then did not you although not through your whole Booke yet at leaste in this selfe same place where ye so deepely charge vs with scoldinge refraine better from sutche wilde speaches as might seeme to proue your selfe a scolde For I beseche you cal your woordes a litle to remembrance and consider indifferently what weemen they be that commonly vse the like Thus ye saie Euen so good Sirs proudely wickedly and fondely yee obiecte yee shewe your Clerkely prowes yee Bragge yee boaste Now haue you tolde your scoldinge tale Yee ioine in wicked amitie againste the Churche of Christe The founders of your Churche The Apostles of your Gospel Yee are conuinced of foule lieinge Al menne doo espie your lieinge lie on so longe as yee liste He that is filthy let him be filthy stil These be your woordes M. Hardinge altogeather in one place If you can finde so many the like in al our whole Apologie condemne vs hardly and cal vs Scoldes Vnitie wée loue Honoure it as the greatest comforte of Christian hartes But if Vnitie be the onely and vndoubted token of the Churche of God woe then be to you and to your felowes For by that token agreeinge so il emongest your selues yee shoulde seeme to haue no Churche But as wee haue saide Al thei that agree togeather are not therefore euermore of the Churche Herode and Pilate were made frendes and agreed togeather Dauid saithe The Kinges and Princes of the earthe haue mette agreed togeather againste the Lorde and againste his Christe S. Iohn saithe of the frendes and fauourers of Antichriste Hi vnum Consilium habent vires ac potestatem suam tradent Bestiae hi pugnabunt cum Agno These shal haue al one Counsel and one Minde and shal deliuer ouer their strength and their power vnto the Beaste and shal fight against the Lambe Chrysostome saithe Expedit ipsis Daemonibus obaudire sibi inuicem in Schismate It is good euen for the Diuels them selues to be obediente one of them vnto an other in their Diuision Symmachus and other like maineteiners of the Heathenishe Idolatrie saide Aequum est quicquid omnes colunt vnum putari It is meete that what so euer al menne woorship be counted One. And thus woulde they seeme to holde by Vnitie If your Vnitie M. Hardinge be so sounde and so certaine as ye woulde séeme to make it why then doo you condemne your selues one an other of Heresie Certainely Heresie importeth Diuision and no greate Vnitie The whole shewe and Substance of your Vnitie standeth in this To geeue eare to your selues to put Christe to silence But the true and Christian vnitie is this That the whole Flocke of Christe heare the voice of the onely Shephearde and folowe him The bande of Vnitie is simple Veritie Whiche M. Hardinge for as mutche as yee haue forsaken ye haue no greate cause to talke mutche of Vnitie As for Sampsons Foxetailes it seemeth ye lackte somewhat to plaie withal Otherwise they serue you here to no greate purpose For if there be any dissension emongest vs it is not in any Article of the Faithe but onely in somme particulare pointe of learninge The like whereof hath benne bitwéene S. Augustine and S. Hierome and others the Learned Godly and Catholique Fathers of the Churche And thus contrarie to Sampsons Foxes notwithstandinge one or other haue benne diuided in somme certaine Conclusion as it were in the tailes yet wée ioine thorowly al togeather in one Heade in one Gospel in one waie of Saluation and in one summe of Religion and al togeather with one Mouthe and one Sprite glorifie God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe Concerninge the disagreemente that is bitwéene the Lutherans the Zuinglians touchinge the Beeinge of the Body of Christe in one onely place or in many wée saie that in respecte either of Saluation or of other Article of God the Father or of the Sonne or of the Holy Ghoste or of any other the Groundes Principles of the Christian Faithe it is not weighty In that respecte wee speake it onely Otherwise wee saie the erroure is weighty Sutche errours in sundrie the Anciente Fathers haue benne dissembled and paste in silence S. Hilarie séemeth to saie that Christe receiued not Fleashe of the Blessed Virgin And that the same Fleashe of Christe was impassible and coulde feele no griefe Origen saithe Quidam putant ChristuÌ„ in Futuro Saeculo iterum pati oportere c. Somme menne thinke that in the worlde to comme Christe muste suffer in his Body or be Crucified againe Brentius seemeth to holde that Christes Body is infinite and in al places as is the Godhedde whiche erroure it seemeth was defended by somme in S. Augustines time And therefore he saithe Cauendum est ne ita Diuinitatem astruamus Hominis vt VeritateÌ„ Corporis auferamus We must take heede wee doo not so maineteine yâ— Diuine Nature of Christe beinge man that vvee take avvaie the Truthe of his Body These errours notwithstandinge they were greate in them selues yet in respecte of other greater errours haue benne dissembled And therefore Iacobus Andreas al be it he coulde not be ignorant of this dissension beinge him selfe a partie yet he saithe Quâ—d vociferantur nostros de
summa Euangelij nondum consentire mendacium est Whereas they crie out that wee cannot agree emonge our selues aboute the Substance of the Gospel it is a very greate Vntruthe But you saie The Maisters of the Apologie telle vs They doubte not but these parties wil be reconciled And yet Nicolaus Amsdorfius with whose woordes ye are ashamed to blotte your paper taketh the matter to be impossible And here ye thinke ye haue driuen vs neare the wal specially findinge vs so far disagreeinge in Iudgemente from a Doctoure as you cal him of our owne But â–ª M. Hardinge ye might better haue considered that Amsdorfius and wee speake of sundrie maters and therefore our saieinges maie wel stande togeather Amsdorfius saithe the Doctrine and Termes standinge stil as they doo it is not possible by any manner of Construction to make the parties agree But our truste in God is that they that are deceiued shal finde their owne erroure and alter their Termes and correcte their iudgementes and submit them selues vnto the Truthe and so ioine togeather al in one So S. Augustine saithe Recte dicitur Glacialem niuem calidam esse non posse Nullo enim pacto quà m diu nix est calida esse potest It is wel saide snowe frorne â—r congcled can neuer be hote For as longe as it is Snowe it is not possible to make it hote So likewise he saithe of the Heretiques named the Manichees Sic delirant Manichaei sed resipiscant non sint Manichaei Thus fonde are the Manichees But let them amende their errours and no more be Manichees What is there so contrarie in iudgemente as a Ievve and a Christian Yet God hath promised that he wil turne the hartes of the Fathers the Iewes vnto their Children and the hartes of the Children the Christians vnto their Fathers And S. Paule saithe Iudaei si non permanserint in incredulitate inserentur Potens enim est Deus iterum inserere eos The Iewes shal be graffed into the Tree if they abide not in Vnbeliefe For God is able to graffe them in againe What is there so contrarie as Light and Darkenesse Yet the Prophete saithe Illumina tenebras meas O Lorde sighten thou my darkenesse To conclude what is so contrarie as the Kingedome of the Pope and the Kingedome of Christe And yet wée truste it is not impossible but the Pope him selfe maie once turne to God confesse his errours and professe the Gospel of Christe that he nowe oppresseth These thinges considered M. Hardinge it was no deadly Sinne to saie wée truste that these maters of variance bitweene the Lutherans and the Zuinglians wil once be accorded and that al causes and séedes of dissension shal be thorowly pulled vp by the rootes and be buried and quite foregotten for euer This change God hath already begonne to woorke not onely in sundrie learned menne but also in greate Citties in good Vniuersities and in whole Countries Therefore wee truste our hope is not in Vaine As for the Lies whiche it liketh you wel to saie M. Ievvel made openly at Poules Crosse I doubte not of your modestie but ye woulde haue blased them better if ye had thought them woorthe your colours Sutche general and so greate exclamations vpon so simple reportes stande not alwaies with greatest wisedome He is to rasshe to be a Iudge that pronounceth before he knowe the cause What I saide there for as mutche as ye touche nothinge in particulare it is néedelesse to make rehearsal But wel I remember I might truely haue saide M. Hardinge commonly Misallegeth misreporteth misconstrueth corrupteth vvreasteth and Falsifieth the Anciente Councels and Holy Fathers I coulde haue saide M. Hardinge is oftentimes directely contrarie to him selfe I coulde haue saide M. Hardinge in one Booke hath vttered twoo hundred fiue and fiftie greate Vntruthes These M. Hardinge your Conscience knoweth had benne no Lies and therefore not méete to be chastifed by an Lawes The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 1. 2. But this is the heauiest and moste greeuous parte of their sclaunders that they cal vs wicked and vngodly men and saie wee haue throwne awaie al care of Religion Though this ought not to trouble vs mutche whiles they them selues that thus haue charged vs knowe ful wel howe spiteful and vntrue theire sclaunder is Iustine the Martyr is a witnesse that al Christians were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Godlesse as soone as the Gospel firste beganne to bee published and the name of Christe to be openly declared And when Polycarpus stoode to be iudged the people stirred vp the President to slea murder al them whiche professed the Gospel with these woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to saie Ridde out of the waie these wicked and Godlesse creatures And this was not bicause it was true that the Christians were Godlesse in deede but bicause they woulde not worship stones and stockes whiche were then honoured as God The whole worlde seeth plainely yenough already what wee and oures haue endured at these mennes handes for Religion and our onely Goddes cause They haue throwne vs into Prison into Water into Fier and haue embrued them selues in our bloude not bicause wee were either adulterers or Robbers or Murtherers but onely for that we confessed the Gospel of Iesus Christe and put our confidence in the liuinge God And for that wee complained too iustly and truely Lorde thou knowest that they did breake the Lawe of God for theire owne most vaine Traditions And that our aduersaries were the very foes to the Gospel and enimies to Christes Crosse so witingly and willingly and obstinately despisinge Goddes Commaundementes Wherefore when these menne sawe they coulde not rightly finde faulte with our Doctrine they woulde needes pike a quarrel and inueigh and raile against our manners surmising that wee doo condemne al wel doinges that wee settte open the doore to al licentiousnesse and luste and leade awaie the people from al loue of vertue And in very deede the life of al men euen of the deuoutest and moste Christian bothe is and euermore hath been sutche as one maie alwaies finde somme lacke euen in the very beste and purest conuersation And sutche is the inclination of al creatures vnto euil and the readinesse of al menne to suspecte that the thinges whiche neither haue been donne nor once were meant to be donne yet maie be easily bothe hearde and credited to be true And like as a smal spotte is soone espied in the neatest and whitest garmente euen so the leaste staine of dishonestie is easily founde out in the purest and sincerest life Neither take we al them which haue at this daie embraced the Doctrine of the Gospel to be Angels and to liue clearely without any more or wrinkle nor yet thinke wee these menne neither so blinde that if any thinge maie be noted in vs they are not able to perceiue the same euen through the leaste creuie nor so frendly
your behalfe to sée you a man of wisedome and Learninge to warrante sutche folies without blusshinge This whole Donation of Constantine wherevpon ye builde the Popes vvhole Kingdome hath not shewe sufficient to mocke a childe The effecte sense thereof is this that Constantinus the Emperoure the thirde daie after he was Christened in the honoure of S. Peter willingly leafte al the Weaste parte of the Empiere and departed to Byzantium which is nowe called Constantinople to dwel in the Easte yâ— he gaue the whole Emperial and Ciuile Dominion not onely of the Cittie of Rome but also of Italie France Spaine Arragone Portugal Englande Germanie Scotlande Irelande Pole Denmarke Sueden and Hungarie to the Pope This doubtelesse being true had ben a toily liberal and a Princely gifte And one of your frendes saithe Volunt aliqui quòd ratione huius Doni Summus Pontifex Imperator est quòd potest instituere destituere Reges sicut Imperator Somme saie that by meane of this gifte the Pope is an Emperoure and maie set vp and pulle downe Kinges as an Emperoure But Pius Secundus beinge him selfe afterwarde Bishop of Rome saithe Dicta Palea Constantinus falsa est The saide Decree named Constantinus conteining Constantine the Emperours Donation or Chartar is vtterly false So saith Antoninus the Archebishop of Florence Valla Volaterrane Hieronymus Cathalanus Otho Frisingensis and others moe Of this Fable wee shal haue occasion to speake hereafter Constantius the Heretique sonne vnto Constantinus as you saie mutche misliked his Fathers dooinge Nai M. Hardinge if Constantius were aliue he would rather finde faulte in your discretion that reporte sutche Folies of his Fathers dooinges Where ye saie God suffered him not to returne and to dwel in Rome it palleth the déepthe of your Diuinitie to searche vp the causes and secretes of Goddes sufferance Althoughe Constantius beinge encumbred with dangerous warres greate affaires were forced to staie in other Countries and could not haue leasure to returne to Rome yet he stil continued the Lorde of Rome as also did a greate number of other Emperours that folovved after him Therefore Pope Bonifacius thus wrote vnto the Emperoure Honorius Roma est Vrbs vestrae mansuetudinis Rome is your Maiesties Cittie Likewise Pope Agatho writeth vnto the Emperoure Constantinus Haec est Vrbs Seruilis Maiestatis vestrae This is your Maiesties bonde Cittie And Constantinus the Emperour him selfe saithe Dono Archiepiscopo Antiquae nostrae Romae To Donus the Arche bishop of our Cittie of Olde Rome But what néede moe woordes The case is so cleare â— that no man of learninge can cal it in question Briefely touchinge this fonde Fable of Constantines Donation Cardinal Cusanus saithe thus Donationem diligenter expendens reperi in ipsamet Scriptura manifesta argumenta Confictionis Falsitatis Diligently weighinge this Donation of Constantine I haue founde in the very penninge thereof manifeste argumentes of for ginge and falshedde These M. Hardinge be the Recordes and Presidentes of moste certaine and most ancient memorie that ye would haue publisshed vnto the world By sutche Monumentes your Pope claimeth the right and possession of the Empiere And your frendes marueile that ye can defende sutche falshedde and forgerie so wel knowen and so manifeste for very shame M. Hardinge The Being of the Popes Legates and Ambassadours in Princes Courtes is a thing nolesse conuenient then it is meete for him that hath cure of many flockes of Shepe to set his seruauntes as watchmen in euery part where sutcheflockes do feede The B. of Sarisburie In what stéede these Legates stande the Churche of God it maie appeare by these fewe vttered thereof by Camotensis Legati Papae ita debacchantur in Prouincijs acsi ad flagellandum Ecclesiam Satan egressus esset à facie Domini The Popes Legates doo so rage in al Countries as if Satan were gonne oute before the face of god to scourge the Churche And Machiauel saithe There haue benne fewe warres or Commotions enflamed these many late yéeres but by the meane and whisperinge of these Legates What other Doctrine they teache or what other good they doo it were harde to saie And therefore the Fathers in the Councel of Aphrica refused vtterly to haue any sutche Legates sente emongest them For thus they write vnto the Pope Vt aliqui tanquam à tuae Sanctitatis latere mittantur nulla inuenimus Patrum Synodo constitutuÌ„ That any Legates shoulde be sente vnto vs as froÌ„ your holinesse side we finde it not appointed by any Councel of our Fathers Againe they saie Executores Clericos Vestros quibusque Pontentibus nolite mittere ne fumosum seâ—culi typhuÌ„ in Ecclesiam Christi videamur inducere Send not your Clerkes or Cardinalles to put maters in execution to any Noble man or Mighty Prince Leste wee seeme to bringe the smoky pride of the vvorlde into the Churche of Christe M. Hardinge His indulgences and pardons depend vpon the power of bindinge and loosinge whiche Christe gaue to Peter and his successours Ye muste demaunde of Christe why he gaue that Power and not be angry with his vicare for vsinge the same The B. of Sarisburie O M. Hardinge what shoulde you meane with al these Uanities Are ye so fully bente to graunte no kinde of erroure neither in your Purgatories nor in your Pardons nor in your Stewes God geue you Humilitie of harte leste ye be an vnfitte vessel to receiue Goddes Pardonne M. Hardinge Ye finde faulte with Leo the thirde for makinge an Emperour in the VVest I dare saie it greueth you For if there had benne none in the VVest the Turke might haue ben our Emperour er this and to his Barbarous and wicked tyrannie might haue subdued this parte of the worlde specially Germanie as he hath subdued Grece Asia Egypte Syria and al the Easte Churche Against whiche mischefe the Vicare of Christe by his maisters merciful warninge with the Princes of the VVest made prouision â–ª and at the length planted the Empire in this order we see it nowe in The B. of Sarisburie This policie practised by the Pope loosed the whole power of Christendome For as the Empiere before beinge vnited and ioined in one was stronge and mighty so beinge afterwarde diuided into twoo and the Easte parte beinge sundred for the Weaste it became lame and weake and not hable to healpe it selfe By meane whereof a gate was opened to receiue the Turke into al these ChristiaÌ„ Dominions whiche nowe he holdeth without resistance who otherwise the Empiere beinge one and whole in it selfe as it was before coulde neuer haue growen to sutche Power Al this was wrought by the Practise and Policie of the Pope Notwithstandinge the Pope him selfe by this bargaine loste nothinge Thereof Marsilius Patauinus writeth thus Pipinus Sonne vnto Charles the Frenche Kinge after he had conquered Aristulphus the Kinge of Lumbardie tooke Rauenna
Pope Bonifacius and that Kinge that if he did not onely excommunicate him but also offered gifte of his Kingedome to Albert the Emperour as Platina your Authour herein writeth he maie seeme therein to haue done not altogeather so euill as ye pretende For as bothe AEmilius and Platine doo witnesse the cause of their fallinge out was that whereas the Pope being first sued vnto by Cassanus a Christian Prince and a greate Conquerour in the Easte to ioine with him for the recouery of the Holy lande sente the Bishop of Apamea to the Frenche Kinge for his necessary aide in that so common a quarell of al Christendome he beinge offended either that the sute was not firste made to him either for that the saide Bishop had done his Ambassade with she we of more Auctoritie then the Kinge thought it became him or vpon some other priuate grudge did not onely vtterly refuse to sende any healpe towarde the voiage but also contemptuously beside common order and cruelly committed the Popes Legate to Prison and there kepte him vntill suche time as through the Popes interdict the Kinge was compelled to set him at libertie Nowe of geuinge awaie his Kingedome this chiefe Frenche Historiographer maketh no mention And if the Pope so did why maie he not seme to haue done it rather to feare him and to reclaime his minde from disobedience Verely Platina writinge it declareth howe before the Pope proceded to that extremitie the Frenche Kinge did what in him laie to withdrawe the people of Fraunce from the obedience of the Churche and See Apostolike The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge ye stammer in your tale and knowe not wel what to saie If the Pope gaue awaie the Kingedome of France from the Prince he did it ye saie to the intent to feare him A prety diuise to fraie a Kinge to pulle the Crowne Emperial from his heade Firste this Pope Bonifacius is he of whom it was saide Intrauit vt Vulpes Regnauit vt Lupus Mortuus est vt Canis He entred into the Popedome as a Foxe He reigned as a Woulfe he died in prison as a Dogge In Solemne Procession he wente attired with the Crovvne Emperial and Robe of Maiestie as an Emperoure and commaunded the Naked svverde to be borne before him In the Storie of his Life ioined with his owne Booke named Sextus Bonifacij 8. it is written thus Moritur hoc modo Bonifacius qui Imperatoribus Regibus Principibus Nationibus Populis terrorem potiùs quà m Religionem inijcere conabatur Thus died Pope Bonifacius a man that sought more to strike terroure into Emperours Kinges Princes People and Nations then true Religion This Bonifacius saithe Sabellicus sente to the Frenche Kinge for monie as he pretended towardes the recouerie of Hierusalem The Bishop of Apamea beinge his Legate in that behalfe vttered certaine greate woordes in the presence of the Kinge and threatened him onlesse he woulde graunte it The Kinge not quietly bearinge sutche presumptuous boldenesse commaunded the Apostolique Legate vnto warde This iniurie so inflamed the Popes choler that immediately he sente the Archebishop of Narbon to the Kinge to require him to set his Legate at libertie otherwise to tel him that for his wickednesse the righte of his Kingedome was fallen to the Churche of Rome Thus Sabellicus in fauoure of the Pope thought it good somewhat to shadowe the mater But others thereof haue written thus Bonifacius 8. mandat Regi se esse Dominum in Spiritualibus temporalibus in vniuerso Mundo Vtque Rex recognoscat Regnum Franciae à se Contrarium enim sentire tenere Haereticum esse Bonifacius 8. sente vnto the Frenche Kinge and tolde him that he was Lorde bothe in Spiritual and also in Temporal maters throughout the worlde and therefore that the Kinge shoulde holde his Kingedome at his hande For otherwise to thinke and holde he saide it was Heresie This is it that in the name of the Pope is noted in your Glose Quicunque praeceptis nostris non obedierit peccatum Idololatriae Paganitatis incurrit Who so euer obeieth not our commaundementes falleth into the Sinne of Idolatrie and Infidelitie Hereof Vrspergensis writeth thus Habes Roma quod sitisti decanta Canticum quia per malitiam non per Religionem orbem vicisti O Rome thou haste nowe that thou haste so longe thirsted after Nowe singe menly For by thy malice not by Religion thou haste conquered the worlde The Kinge beinge moued herewith commaunded that none of his Cleregie shoulde comme to the Popes Councel He openly burnte the Popes vvrites He commaunded the Popes Legate to departe out of his Realme He forebade that any monie shoulde be made thence to the Pope He gaue out Proclamations that none of his Subiectes shoulde goe to Rome And in the Synode at Parise he charged the Pope with Pride Ambition Murder Simonie and Heresie Thus mutche of the dealinge of the Crowne of France vnto a stranger that is to saie of the Faithe and Reuerence that the Pope beareth to Kinges and Princes Here folowed sommewhat of the spoilinge of the Duke of Sauoie and of the alteringe of the state of Florence whiche thinges I thought it beste to passe ouer as not woorthy of any Answeare The Apologie Cap. 5. Diuision 4. Wee are accloied with Examples in this behalfe and it should be very tedious to reckē vp al the notorious practises of the Bishoppes of Rome But of whiche side were they I beseche you that poisoned Henrie the Emperoure euen in the receiuinge of the Sacramente Whiche poisoned Victor the Pope euen in the receiuinge of the Chalice Whiche poisoned our Kinge Iohn Kinge of England in a Drinkinge Cuppe Whoe so euer at least they were and of what secte so euer I am sure they were neither Lutherans nor Zvvinglians M. Hardinge The Findes of Hell were not yet let loose that begate Lutherans Zwinglians and Caluinistes And hereof we vnderstande the youthe of your Churche whiche hauinge diuided it selfe from the olde and Catholike Churche is no other but the malignante Churche and Synagoge of Satan To answeare your demaundes VVho so euer they were that poisoned these greate personages if they were poisoned at all good men were they not neither the doers nor the counsailours Henry of Luxenburg it was who was poisoned by reporte VVhome your Latine Booke printed amonge the Huguenots calleth Henry the seuenth M. Doctor Haddon in his answeare to Osorius accompteth him the fourthe in bothe your Englishe translations that I haue seene he is called onely Henry As he laide siege to the Citie of Florence and had now brought the Citizens to despaire of their safetie when manly courage might not serue they betooke them to cowardly malice Firste they poysoned as it is saide the minde of a frier Dominican with Golde that afterwarde he shoulde aduentere to poison the Emperours body with Venime Paulus Aemilius saith that
he died of a sickenesse whiche he fell into at BonconueÌ„to as he iournied from Pisa thither Onuphrius writing of his Death saith that he died at Bonconuento a town in the territorie of Siena and maketh no meÌ„tion of his Poisoning Cornelius Cornepolita writing this storie semeth to geue litle credite vnto it For he addeth an heare saie Vt aiunt as they saie as though it were a matter auouched by no certainetie but by Hearesaie Nauclerus reporteth that the order of those religius men is saide to haue a testimoniall in writinge witnessinge the foresaide Friere to haue benne Innocent and that the whole was but a fained tale Victor the thirde Pope is mentioned by Martinus Polonus to haue benne poisoned by the malicious procurement of the Emperoure Henry the thirde bicause he stoode in defence of Gregory the seuenth whom the Emperour so muche hated and persecuted Vincentius holdeth contrary opinion that he died of a dysentery â–ª as Platina reciteth Touchinge Kinge Iohn of Englande they that write that he was poisoned in a drinkinge cuppe by Monkes them selues make no better then a fable of it and who so euer write it referre them selues to hearesaie and to the popular fame The Author of your Actes and Monumentes reporteth that many opinions are amonge the Chronicle writers of his Deathe As ye procede in your malicious railinge against the Pope ye spitte out your poison demauÌ„dinge certaine question shorte in Woordes â–ª but full stuffed with false and cankered slaunders The B. of Sarisburie The Poisoninge of that Noble Emperoure Henrie of Lucenburg in the Sacramente whereby it appeareth how farre foorthe the States of the worlde ought to truste you ye would haue vs to passe lightly ouer as a Fable Of your Onuphrius and Cornelius and other like Parasites wée make no reckeninge The truthe of the storie is reported by many Vrspergensis saithe Quidam Religiosus porrexit Imperatori intoxicatam Eucharistiam c. A certaine Religious man ministred vnto the Emperoure the Sacramente poisoned The Emperoure hauinge receiued it and returninge againe vnto his place thought that a peece of colde Ise was paste alonge through his body Baptista Egnatius saithe it was wrought by the policie of Robertus Kinge of Sicilia moued therto as Auentinus saithe by Pope Clemente 5. The same ye shal finde recorded in Carion in Supplemento Chronicorum in Rauisius Textor and sundrie others The like recorde there is founde of poisoninge of Victor 3. in the Chalice For the more credite whereof it maie please you to reade Martinus Polonus the Popes Penitentiarie Volaterranus Matthaeus Palmerius the Supplie of Chronicles Fasciculus Temporum Textor and others Touchinge the deathe of Kinge Iohn whether he were poisoned by a Monke or no I wil not striue referringe mée selfe therein to the credite of our Chronicles the common reporte whereof togeather with the general opinion of the people is this that he was destroied with poison But what so euer were the cause of his death Matthias Parisiensis saithe thus Papa Innocentius sententionaliter definiuit c. Pope Innocentius determined by sentence that Kinge Iohn should be deposed from his estate And he enioined the execution thereof to the Frenche Kinge for Remission of his Sinnes promisinge him also faithfully that if he so did he and his Successours should enioie the Kingedome of Englande for euer So mutche is Englande bounde to reuerence and obeie the Pope The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 2. What is he at this daie whiche alloweth the mightiest Kinges and Monarches of the worlde to kisse his blessed Feete M. Hardinge It is he saie we that humbly for his owne persone refuseth suche honour that calleth and thinketh him selfe Seruum Seruorum Dei the seruant of the seruantes of God But when he seeth the greate powers and Princes of the worlde humble them selues to Christe Lorde of all Lordes and Kinge of all Kinges in the person of him whose Vicare on Earthe he is and chiefe deputie in those thinges that be to God warde not vnmindefull what he is of him selfe for the roomes sake that he beareth and for his honour whose vicegerent he is the rather also for example of Humilitie and Obedience so to be taken and learned of others of inferiour degree he suffereth that honour to be done whiche is more then a mere man can require Neither is this the pride of Popes at these daies onely as ye obiect but the example of suche humilitie in Princes we can proue to be auncient The greate Kinge Charlemaigne who afterwarde was create Emperoure coulde not be withholden by the Pope Adrian the firste but at the firste meetinge he woulde kisse his feete Many other Emperours and Kinges haue of olde time done likewise And lest the Soueraintie of suche Honour exhibited vnto him shoulde in his owne conceite lifte him higher then for the degree of humaine condition to that purpose serueth the stoole of naturall easement at his creation whereof your surmise is very vile to temper the highnesse of that vocation with the base consideration of humaine infirmities and necessities The B. of Sarisburie What thinge is there either so vile or so horrible but by sutche proper excuses maie soone be smoothed Chrysostome saithe Haec etsi minima esse videantur tamen magnorum sunt causae malorum Nam Ciuitates Ecclesias saepe numerò euerterunt Propterea nec à lachrymis abstinere possum cùm primos istos consessus salutationes audiam ac in mentem veniat quot quantá hinc mala in Ecclesia Die orta sint These thinges notwithstandinge they seeme smal yet are they the causes of greate euils For oftentimes haue they ouerthrowen bothe Citties and Churches Therefore I cannot absteine from weepinge when I heare of these Superiorities and Salutations and consider how many and howe greate euils haue growen thereof in the Churche of God S. Hierome mutche mislikinge the state of his time saithe thus Episcopi velut in aliqua sublimi specula constituti vix dignantur videre mortales alloqui conserous suos The Bishoppes as if thei were placed in somme high Castle scarceâ—y vouchesaue to looke vpon poore mortal menne and to speake vnto their felowe seruantes Touchinge the Bishop of Rome it is not for nought that S. Gregorie saith Rex Superbiae in foribus est The Kinge of Pride is euen at hande In the Popes ovvne Booke of the Ceremonies of Rome it is written thus Electus Imperator cum suis omnibus seruato ordine per gradus ascendit suggestum Et vt primùm videt Pontificem detecto capite illum genu terram contingens veneratur iterum cùm appropinquat ad gradus Sedis genuflectit demum vbi ad Pontificis pedes peruenit illos in reuerentiam Saluatoris Deuotè osculatur The Emperoure Electe goeinge in arraie with al his traine passeth vp the staires into the Scaffolde And as soone
he neither Kinge of Creta nor of Cypres nor Duke of Venis as it pleaseth this liinge Defender to write of him and that in the Defence of their Englishe Churche written to all the worlde Iohannes Superantius then was Duke and this Frauncys Dandalus was but a Priuate man for that time as others there were This Ambassadour Frauncys Dandalus findinge the Pope at his firste comminge not well inclined to graunte his petition as he wished the qualitie of the offence deseruinge the same to moue him to clemencie and pitie aduised with him selfe to plaie this Pagent He caused an yron chaine to be tied aboute his necke Therewith he came to the Pope as he sâ—te at dinner put him selfe to crepe on all foure and like a Dogge laide him downe vnder the Table so longe vntill the Popes displeasure beinge assuaged he obteined Pardone for his Countrie VVhereof they saie he had afterwarde the surname of Dogge geuen him as Iustinianus writeth VVho desireth to see the whole Storie he shal finde it well written by the saide Petrus Iustinianus Historiae rerum Venetarum libro quarto Nowe let vs see Syr Defender howe many lyes ye make in one sentence That Frauncys Dandalus was by the Pope hurled vnder his Table this is one lie That he was then Duke of Venis Kinge of Creta and Cipres there be two lies beside the Notable lie you seeme to be very ignorant of the state of Venis in that you make the Duke an Ambassadour who beinge once created Duke goeth not out of the Citie Neither is euer any of their state Kinge of Candy and Cipres For their state admitteth none to be a Kinge amonge them how be it at the time of Frauncys Dandalus Candy rebelled and Cipres was not yet come to be vnder the gouernement of the Venetians as you might haue learned in the eloquent Historie that Petrus Bembus wrote of Venis his Countrie That he was faste bounde with Chaines there be three Lies For he was not fast bounde onely he had caste a chaine aboute his owne necke whiche he mighte haue taken of at his pleasure That he was so throwen vnder the Table to gnawe boanes amonge the Popes Dogges there be foure lies And that the Pope had Dogges feedinge of boanes vnder his Table * I doubte not but it is other lie VVhether these fiue lies be not ynough for one litle sentence of three lines I reporte me to whosoeuer of your owne fellowes lieth for the best game I thinke verely this Defender if he be not very shamelesse wisheth he had a thicker bearde to hide his slike chekes from blusshinge Suche false causes must be defended by lyinge proctours If they belied stories onely and taught not also false Doctrine in the chiefe pointes of our Faith their lying were lesse hurtfull The B. of Sarisburie So many lies M. Hardinge and as ye saie so farre paste shame and sutche hote Tragedies and the cause no greatter What sturre woulde ye haue keapte if it had benne mater woorthy the hearinge what if the Authoure of the Apologie had benne ouerséene in the reporte of one yeere or twoo or in somme other like Circumstance the Substance of the Storie neuerthelesse stil reserued If yée had remembred somme of your owne often ouersightes ye coulde not for shame haue benne so terrible againste others For it appeareth wel by al that yee haue hitherto sente vs ouer your insighte in matters is not so deepe but yee maie often and fouly be deceiued You your selfe M. Hardinge bothe in this selfe same place and in this selfe same storie and in the reporte of one poore note haue committed foure foule and grosse errours with one breathe altogeather You your selfe I saie M. Hardinge I speake of none other but of your selfe If ye thinke the beames of your knowledge shine so cleare that it can neuer be ouercaste with clowde of erroure then I beseche you consider wel your Note specially marked in your Margine Thus ye directe vs to the Authour of your Storie Sabellicus Decadis 2. li. 1. 1220. In this one litle shorte note I saie ye haue sente vs foure errours For firste euery childe knoweth that Sabellicus neuer wrote Decades but onely Enneades And therefore if I were not better acquainted with your Learninge I might seeme to haue iuste cause to saie either yee neuer sawe Sabellicus Bookes or els yee neuer readde them I wil not here keepe an Audite as you doo nor saie as you saie This is one lie Further ye saie it is written in the Seconde Decade But Sabellicus the Authoure him selfe saith It is writteÌ„ in the nienth Enneade I wil not saie as you saie There be tvvoo Lies Againe you saie It is in the Firste Booke But Sabellicus him selfe saithe It is in the Seuenthe Booke Yet wil not I folowe you nor saie There be three Lies For a surplussage and more likelihoode of your tale ye note also the yeere of our Lorde 1220. with as good discretion as the reste For at that time neither Pope Clemens nor Francise Dandalus was yet borne For this thinge happened as it moste plainely appeareth by al stories aboute the yéere of our Lorde 1310. Al this notwithstandinge I wil not hunte so gréedily for aduantages nor saie as you saie There is the Foruthe Lie Neither wil I saie as you saie not withstandinge somme man perhaps might happen to saie it M. Hardinge the Defender hereof is either an Vnhoneste man or paste shame or a Lier or a foole These woordes of yours M. Hardinge are neither mannerly nor manly notwithstandinge they séeme wel to contente your pleasante humoure S. Hierome saithe Non aequè inimici audiunt amici Qui inimicus est etiam in scirpo nodum quaerit An Enimie and a Frende heare not bothe of one sorte An Enimie wil cauil and quarrel and seeke a knotte in a russhe The Substance of Goddes Religion standeth not in the reportinge of a storie S. Hierome saithe of sutche Captious quarrellers Audiant à me non periclitari Ecclesiarum statum si ego celeritate dictandi verba aliqua dimiserim Let them vnderstande that al be it I in haste of penninge haue let escape a woorde or twoo yet that shal not hazarde the state of the Churche of God But Francise Dandalus ye saie was not at that time Duke of Venice He him selfe tied the chaine aboute his owne necke He came of his owne accorde vpon al foure as if he had benne a Dogge and laie downe willingly vnder the Popes Table He laie not there to gnawe boanes He founde no Dogge there to lie with him Therefore ye saie this Defender is an Vnhoneste man paste al shame a Lier and a foole Sutche Cholerique Conclusions M. Hardinge maie wel beseeme a Doctoure of your Diuinitie Howe be it the faireste coloure ye can laie vpon the matter is this That the Embassadoure of
greatter crueltie and shewe them selues miserable to behold But thou wilt saie we sticke not these nailes in theire heades Woulde God thou stickedst them in For then theire miserie were not so greeuous For he that with his owne hand killeth an other committeth a greate deale lesse faulte then he that forceth a man to kil him selfe So saie wée it was far greatter gréefe vnto that Noble Gentleman so vilely to dishonoure and abase him selfe then if he had benne driuen thereto through the force and violence of his enimie In this sorte was the Emperoure Henrie the fourthe wel contente willingly to waite vpon Pope Hildebrande at Canusium and three daies togeather to stande batcheaded and barefoote in the harde froste at his gate as one saith to be a gastinge stocke bothe to menne and Angels before he might haue licence to comme neare So was the Emperoure Frederichus Aenobarbus contented willingely to laie his necke vnder the Popes foote as wee shal declare more hereafter So was the poore Gentlevvoman contente to caste a halter aboute her owne Sonnes necke and so to presente him before Pope Hildebrand whom he had offended by sutche humble Subiection to craue his pardon In respecte wereof the Pope pardoned him his life but commaunded his foote to be striken of of whiche woounde the poore yonge Gentleman soone after died Ye saie It is a lie that Francise Dandalus so Noble a Gentleman was driuen to gnawe boanes I thinke it wel M. Hardinge and therefore we wil rather saie He laie there togeather vp the crummes that fel from his Lordes Table But vnder yâ— Popes table ye saie there were no Dogges And this ye saie is an other lie Notwithstanding this Negatiue were very harde for you to proue How be it hereat I wil not greatly striue And yet had it benne a more séemely sight in my iudgemente to sée a Dogge lieinge there then a man and specially a Noble Gentleman the Embassadoure of so Noble a Cittie To conclude this was the same Pope Clemens the fifthe that thus pronounced of him selfe and proclaimed the same vnto the whole worlde by a Lawe Nos superioritatem habemus ad Imperium Nos vacante Imperio Imperatori succedimus VVee haue the Soueraintie ouer the Empiere The Empiere beinge voide we are heires apparente to the Emperoure The Venetians had geuen aide to restoare one Friscus a bannished man vnto the Dukedome of Ferrara Therefore Pope Clemens interdited them and al that they had and further signified his pleasure vnto al the worlde that whither so euer they or any of them came it shoulde be lawful for any man not onely to take theire bodies and to selle them for slaues to spoile theire goodes but also to kille them whether it were by right or by wroÌ„g For so Sabellicus writeth Vt eos fas esset vnicuique iure iniuria interficere This was the cause of al this greate a doo And this highe indignation has neuer benne slaked had not so Noble a personage abased him selfe to be tied by the necke in a chaine and to créepe vnder the Popes Table vpon al foure like a Dogge Laste of al where it liketh you in the ende to refreashe your wittes with this Defenders thinne chéekes and blusshinge verily M. Hardinge he blussheth in deede and is mutche ashamed in your behalfe to sée your folies God geue you Grace that you maie blusshe at your misusing of Goddes people lesse ye haue that face that the Prophete saith is paste blusshing I trust this Defender shal neuer blusshe to saie either with S. Paule Non pudet me Euangelij Christi Est enim virtus Dei ad Salutem I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christe For it is the Power of God vnto Saluation Or with S. Hierome Non me pudet nescire quod nescio I am not ashamed in that thinge that I knowe not to graunte mine ignorance The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 5. Who set the Emperial Crowne vpon the Emeroure Henry the siâ—thes heade not with his hande but with his foote and with the same foote againe caste the same Crowne of saieinge withal Hee had Povver to make Emperours and to vnmake them againe at his pleasure â–ª M. Hardinge VVe denie that Celestinus whom you note in your bokes margent or any other Pope did this It is a varne fable deuised rather of malice then witte Ye should haue done wel to shew vs with which fooâ—e the Pope did set on the Crowne vpon Henrâ—es heade the rigit or the lefte standinge sittinge leninge or lieinge barefooted and vsinge the healpe of his greate toe â–ª or shodde whether he had some iymme iamme made for him to take it vp holde it and put it on handsomly or conueied it on by a vice or howe it was donne The B. of Sarisburie What nimblenesse or cunninge the Pope hath in his féete more then other menne I haue not hearde What other sleightes he hath nowe or hath had in times paste to woorke sutche feates it behoueth his Magister Ceremoniarum to consider The storie is recorded by Ranulphus Rogerus Cestrensis and Rogerus Houedenus that liued at the same time The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 6. Who put in armes Henrie the Sonne againste the Emperoure his Father Henrie the Fourthe and wrought so that the Father was taken prisoner of his owne Sonne and beinge shorne and shamefully handeled was thruste into a Monasterie where with hunger and sorowe he pined awaie to deathe M. Hardinge It was not the Pope that armed Henry the seconde againste Henry the fourthe who by thâ—â—â— compte of some is Henry the thirde â—â—ories declare other causes of theire fallinge out and the more parte of the writers impute it to the iudgemente of God for punishement of his greate wickednes After that he was ouercome with al his power by the Saxons in seuentin daies he durste not to appeare abroade In the meane time his sonne tooke vpon him foorthwith the administration of the Empiere went into Italie with an armie â–ª would not surrender the state which he liked wel his father beinge therewith offended he tooke prisoner without any motion of the Pope with whom he was also at variance and committed him to straight custody Concerninge Gregorie the seuenth Pope who before was called Hildebrandus whom that Emperoure with endles malice persecuted because he would not ratifie his Simoniacal makinge of Bishops and geuing of Ecclesiastical benefices and defended the Church against his wicked attemptes biside sundrie writers of Histories in that time as Lambertus Schafnaburgensis Leo HostieÌ„sis and afterwarde Otho Frisingensis who so mutche commend him for sundrie excellent vertues no man hath so largely and so diligently set foorthe his worthines as Onuphrâ—us Panuinius who hath written of him fiue Bookes The B. of Sarisburie Wée maie easily beléeue you M. Hardinge that the Pope armed not Henrie the Seconde as you saie
againste his Father Henrie the Fourth It had benne a marueilous Monster in Nature that the Fourth should goe before the Seconde or that the Neuevve should be borne before his Grandfather But that the Pope raised vp Henrie the Fifth against Henrie the Fourth that is to saie the Sonne againste the Father that ye might haue easily founde in your owne Recordes Gregorius Heimbur◠〈…〉 thus Paschalis Papa Principes contra Henricum 4. concitauit imò 〈◊〉 â—roprium Filium quem etiam contra Patrem fecit per multos Episcopos Rhemâ—â—â—egeÌ„ Coronari vocari Henricum Quintum Pope Paschalis raised vp the Princes of Germanie againste Henrie the Fourthe nai rather he raised vp his ovvne Sonne whoÌ„ also he caused by many Bishoppes adioining to the Rhiene to be crowned Emperoure againste his owne Father and to be called Henrie the Fifthe The case beinge cleare this one Authoritie maie stand in stéede of many Hereof Henrie the Father pitieously complaineth in his Letters written to the French Kinge Carion saithe Hunc Henricum Filium solicitarunt Episcopi vt aduersus Patrem insurgeret eumque Imperio pelleret The Bishoppes entised this yonge Gentilman Henrie the Sonne that he shoulde rise against his Father and put him from the Empiere But these Bishoppes as Vrspergensis saithe were Responsales Paschalis Papae Pope Paschalis Agentes or dooers in those Countries And Henrie the Sonne him selfe when he stoode in the fielde neuer pretended any other coloure againste his Father but onely the obedience of the Sée of Rome And leste any man shoulde doubte of the Truthe hereof the Pope not longe before had likewise raised vp Rodolphus the Duke of Sueuia againste the same Emperoure Henrie the Fourth and the better to encourrage his Ambitious heade and to traine him to his pourpose had sent him a Crowne with this Poisée Petra dedit Petro Petrus Diadema Rodolpho Whereby he meante that as Christe had geuen the state and right of the Empiere vnto the Pope so would the Pope now bestowe the same vpon Rodolphus Likewise he had written to the Princes of Germanie as Carion saithe Vt Imperatorem alium designarent That they shoulde procede to the Election of an other Emperoure Thus the Pope thought it but a plaie to place displace the States of the world at his pleasure Of this Emperours Vertues I wil saie nothinge As he is despraised by somme so by others he is mutche commended Auentinus saith In Pauperes Monachos Sacerdotes munificentissimum c. His very enimies confesse that he was moste Liberal vnto poore folkes Monkes and Priestes that he was Constant in aduersitie Faithful to his Prisoners Gentle to his foes Deuoute towardes God vvise and Politique in Ciuile and Martial affaires of a Princely Maiestie of counenance wherein he excelled al others and was moste vvoorthy of the Empiere Vrspergensis saithe He was Noble doughty and Venterous was séene thrée score and twoo sundrie times in fought fielde wherein he passed bothe Marcellus and Iulius Caesar al other Kinges and Emperours that had benne before him The greatteste cause of falling out bitwéene him and the Pope was this Order was taken before and had stil benne keapte from the beginninge that the Election of the Pope should be ratified by the Emperoure otherwise not to stand And Platyna saith The Pope Elected vvithout the Emperours letters pateÌ„tes vvas no Pope An other Aunciente order was this that the Emperoure might bestowe al the Bishoprikes and Abbles of the Empiere when so euer they should happeÌ„ to be voide These Ancient Orders Pope Hildebrand presumed to breake For neither would he suffer his owne Election to be ratified by yâ— Emperoure nor yâ— Emperoure to bestow yâ— Bishoprikes or Abbies within his dominions In these attemptes yâ— Emperoure withstoode him claiminge vnto him selfe the same right of enheritance that al other Emperours his Predecessours had lawfully and peaceably enioied before him Therefore the Pope Excommunicated him interdited his Lande called him Archepirate Archeheretique and Apostata Therefore he deposed him raised vp the Duke of Sueuia and al the worlde againste him and armed the Sonne againste the Father and wilfully disquieted the whole State of al Christendome Auentinus saithe Multi tum priuatim tum pub licè c. Many there were that bothe priuately and openly cursed Pope Hildebrande and saide that with his hatred and ambition he troubled the worlde and that vnder the coloure of Christe he wrought the seates of Antichriste The Emperoure tooke a longe iourney into Italie to submit him selfe vnto the Pope and beinge at Canusium as it is saide before in the deapthe of winter and In the harde froste he waited patiently thrée daies togeather with bare heade and bare foote before the Popes gates to winne his fauoure In the end Pope Hildebrande beinge sicke and findinge him selfe in case not to liue sente vnto the Emperoure and besoughte him Pardonne for al his Iniuries After that the Popes that succeded neuerthelesse continewed this quarrel stil And thus by the Popes entisemente The Sonne raised a power and deposed his Father The Bishoppes discobed him of his wéede of State pulled the Crovvne Emperial from his head The Auncient Reuerende Prince hauing nowe continewed in his Empiere fiftie whole yeeres bare al these thinges quietly and saide vnto them Videat Deus iudicet Let God see and Judge your dooings At the laste beinge leaste naked and out of al he turned him selfe to the Bishop of Spira and saide vnto him Novve I beseeche you for Goddes sake geue me a prebeude in your Churche For I am hable to reade and can doo somme good in the quiere But he was keapte stil in close prison at Leodium vntil he died And beinge deade he was keapte fiue whole yeeres togeather aboue grounde at the Popes Commaundemente might not be buried Sutche courtesie founde that woorthy Emperoure at the Popes hande onely for claiminge of his right Pope Hildebrande is commended by many for sundrie vertues But no man saie you hathe more set foorth his woorthinesse then Onuphrius a man yet aliue and one of al menne that would be right lothe in any pointe to displease the Pope Perhaps he thought to winne somme credite by aduenturinge his wittes in a desperate cause as did he that bestowed so mutche eloquence in the praise of Baldenesse or he that praised the Feuer quartane or Erasmus that of late yeeres wrote so mutche in the praise of Folie The Heretique Ebion sommetime praised Iudas aboue al the Apostles And Libanius the Sophiste bestowed great praises vpon Iulianus the Renegate Certainely sundrie Olde VVriters of whom somme knewe Pope Hildebrande and liued with him haue not géeuen him sutche woorthy praises Beno Cardinalis saith Hildebrande being as yet but a Cardinal beatte Pope Alexander with his fist and keapte him prisoner Poisoned sixe Popes Was a Coniurer and raised vp
the Councel greater then yâ— Pope And your owne Panormitane saithe as it is alleged before Papa tenetur confiteri in illo actu Sacerdos est Maior illo The Pope is bound to make his Confession and in so dooinge the Prieste is aboue the Pope Againe he saithe Papa non potest cogere Sacerdotem vt reuelet CoÌ„fessionem quia in illo actu Sacerdos est Maior quà m Papa Children knowe that Faithe and Confession are Spiritual Causes and not Temporal Ye sée therefore M. Hardinge by the Iudgemente of your owne Doctoures that the Pope maie haue a Superioure euen in Spiritual causes Nowe let vs weighe the greate force of your Reason Thus you saie The Pope sitteth in Peters Chaire Ergo in Spiritual Causes he can haue no Superioure Who taught you thus to piece your Arguments What Childe what Sophister woulde so reason Who euer gaue sutche Power and Vertue to Peters Chaire In Temporal maters ye saie it maie be that in one age the Pope hath acknowledged the Emperoure as Lorde of that Prouince where he liued Graceously considered It was the Popes Courtesie Humilitie no doubte but not his duetie Now be it Aaron the Highe Bishop in Israel was contented to submit him selfe to Moses and of duetie to calle him Lorde Tertullian saith thus Colimus Imperatorem vt hominem à Deo secundum Solo Deo Minorem Sic enim Imperator Omnibus Maior est dum Solo vero Deo Minor est Wee honoure the Emperours Maiestie as a man nexte vnto God For so is the Emperoure greater then Al menne while he is leasse then onely the True God Origen saithe Petrus Iohannes nihil habebant quod Caesari redderent Dixit enim Petrus Aurum Argenium non habeo Qui hoc non habet nec Caesari habet quod reddat nec vnde Sublimioribus Potestatibus subiaceat Qui verò habet PecuniaÌ„ aut Possessiones aut aliquid in hoc saeculo audiat Omnis anima Potestatibus Sublimioribus subiaceat Peter and Iohn had nothing to geue vnto the Emperoure For Peter saide Golde and Siluer I haue none whiche who so hath not hath nothing to geeue to Caesar not wherein he shoulde be subiecte to the Higher Powers But who so euer hath either Monie or Landes or any thinge in this worlde let him heare what S. Paule saith Let euery soule submit it selfe to the Higher Powers And for proufe of the practise hereof Pope Leo thus submitteth him selfe humbly vnto Levves the Emperoure Nos si incomperenter aliquid egimus in Subditis iustae Legis tramitem non conseruauimus vestro admissorum nostroruÌ„ cuncta volumus emendare iudicio If wee haue donne any thinge disorderly and ouer our Subiectes haue not keapte the dewe trade and course of Lawe by your Maiesties Iudgemente vve vvil redresse al our faultes So likewise long before Pope Leo Pope Gregorie wrote vnto the Emperoure Mauritius Ecce per me Seruum vltimum suum vestrum respondebit Christus Sacerdotes meos manui tuae commisi c. Ego quidem vestrae iussioni subiectus Legem vestraÌ„ per diuersas terrarum partes traÌ„smitti feci Behold thus wil Christe answeare you by me beinge both his and your most humble Seruante I haue committed my Priestes vnto thy hand As for my parte I being subiecte vnto youre Maiesties Commaundemente haue caused your Order to be proclaimed through diuers partes of the worlde Againe he saithe Christus dominari Imperatorem non solùm Militibus sed etiam Sacerdotibus concessit Christe hath geuen power vnto the Emperoure to beare rule not onely ouer souldiers but also ouer Priestes Againe he saithe Et Imperatori obedientiam praebui pro Deo quod sensi minimè tacni I haue shewed my duetie towardes my Lorde the Emperoure and touchinge God I haue not conceled what I thought And this is it that S. Paule saithe â—et euery soule be subiecte to the Higher Powers Vpon whiche woordes S. Chrysostome saithe Etiamsi sis Apostolus etiamsi Euangelista etiamsi Propheta fiue quisquis taÌ„dem fueris Neque enim Pietatem subuertit ista Subiectio Thoughe thou be an Apostle though thou be an Euangelist though thou be a Prophete or what one so euer els thou be yet be thou subiecte to the Heigher Powers For this Subiection is no hinderance to Godlinesse But afterwarde the Popes beganne to looke alofte bothe to saie them selues also to cause others theire parasites to saie Romanus pontifex supra Reges in Temporalibus The Bishop of Rome is aboue Kinges euen in thinges Temporal Againe Papa totius orbis obtinet potestatem The Pope hath the power of al the worlde Againe Solus Papa est verus Dominus Temporalium Onely the Pope is the very true Lorde of Temporal thinges And againe Omnis potestes secularis immediatè data est Papae Al manner Temporal Povver is geuen immediately to the Pope Ye saie Pope Gregorie might cal the Emperoure Mauritius his Lorde not of deutie but either of Custome or of Courtesie Yet saie you further our holy Father Pope Pius the Fourth shal not now be bound to do the like Here I beseech you M. Hardinge What strange kinde of Spiritual Povver hath Pope Pius nowe gâ—tteÌ„ that was not before in Pope Gregorie what Learninge what Vertue what Woorthinesse what Holynesse What good reason caÌ„ ye allege wherefore Christe and his Apostles and al other Holy Fathers and Martyrs shoulde be Subiectâ— to the Prince and onely your late Popes and Cardinales shoulde stande so frèe Ye saie This Custome hath longe sithence benne discontinewed And in one age the Pope maie acknowledge the Emperour as the Lorde of the Land where he dwelleth and in an other age he maie be Lorde thereof him selfe That is to saie In one age the Pope maie be subiecte to the Emperoure and in an other age the Emperoure maie be subiecte to the Pope This is your whole and onely reason Thus wée see your obedience towardes your Prince goeth not by Goddes VVoorde but onely by Ages Therefore wée maie saie to you as S. Hilarie sommetime saide to yâ— Arian Heretiques Fides temporum est non Euangeliorum Your Faithe passeth by Ages and not by Gospels And yet it is written Veritas Domini manet in Aeternum The Truth of our Lorde endureth not for one age or other but for Euer It were a highe pointe of Learning for an Astronomer skilfully to Prognosticate betwéene yâ— Emperour and the Pope whether of them shoulde be Dominus Anni How be it here maie I wel and iustly answeare you with these woordes of S. Bernarde Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit Si omnis vestra Quis vos excepit ab vniuersitate Si quis tentat Excipere conatur Decipere Noli illorum acquiescere consilijs qui cùm sint Christiani Christi tamen vel sequi facta vel
we saie Councelles are often against Councelles And if wee make rekening of number the Arian Heretiques haue had moe Councelles then the Christians S. Hierome saithe Spiritus Sancti Doctrina est quae Canonicis literis prodita est Contra quam si quid statuant Concilia nefas duco That is the Doctrine of the Holy Goste that is set abroade in the Canonical Scriptures Againste whiche Doctrine if Councelles determine any thing I thinke it vvicked S. Chrysostome saithe further in more earneste sorte Plus aliquid dicam Ne Paulo quidem obedire oportet si quid dixerit proprium si quid humanum I wil saie more Wee ought not to beleeue no not Paule him selfe if he speake any thinge of his owne or if he speake onely as a man And to encrease the vncertaintie hereof the whole weighte and iudgemente of Councelles hangeth nowe euermore vpon the Pope as it maie appeare by these woordes of the Conclusion of the late Chapter at Trident Salua semper in omnibus Sedis Apostolicae Authoritate The Authoritie of the Apostolique See in al thinges euermore reserued But Platyna saithe as it is alleged before Acta priorum Pontificum sequentes Pontifices semper aut infringunt aut omninò tollunt The Popes that folowe doo euermore either breake or wholy abrogate the Decrees of the Popes that were before Whether the Scripture bee wel alleged or otherwise thereof ye saie the people maie not Iudge For Christe saithe The Scholar is not aboue his Maister Certainely M. Hardinge the simplest of al the people notwithstandinge by youre restrainte he maie not iudge of the Scriptures yet he maie easily iudge of you either that ye vnderstande not or that ye vnaduifedly abuse the Scriptures Whether it be the Woorde of God or no the people ye saie maie not Iudge And that ye proue euen by the Scriptures God knoweth ful handsomely and ful discretely applied For the Scholar ye saie is not aboue his Maister Thus we maie learne by the Logique of Louaine that Populus is Latine for a Scholar that Scripture is Latine for a Maister And thus by youre vaine premisses without sense ye proceede vainely and conclude nothinge O M. Hardinge haue some regarde to that ye write The simpleste maie soone espie your dooinges Ye can no longer thus mocke the worlde with shewes of woordes Christe spake not these woordes of the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures but of persequution for the Scriptures For thus the woordes lie togeather When they shal persecute you in one Cittie flee into an other c. The Scholar is not aboue his Maister Nor the Seruant aboue his Lorde If they haue called the Maister of the house Beelzebub howe mutche more wil they so cal his housholde seruountes Alas where learned you to frame sutche Argumentes The Apostles beeing the Scholars can nomore escape persecutiō then could Christe that vvas the Maister Ergo The people cannot vnderstande vvhat they reade in the Scriptures Here is neither Antecedente nor Consequente nor Sequele in Reason For the honour of y V Uniuersitie haue better regarde vnto your Logique Ye bewraie the weakenesse of youre cause when yee so sclenderly abuse the Scriptures The Apologie Cap. 22. Diuision 4. Chrysostome saithe There be many oftentimes vvhiche boaste them selues of the Holy Ghoste but truely vvho so speake of their ovvn head do falsely boast that thei haue the sprite of God For like as saith he Christe denied he spake of him selfe vvhen he spake out of the Lavve and Prophetes euen so novve if any thinge be pressed vpon vs in the name of the Holy Ghost saue the Gospel vve ought not to beleue it For as Christe is the fulfillinge of the Lavve and Prophetes so is the Holy Ghost the fulfillinge of the Gospel Thus farre goeth Chrysostome M. Hardinge They alleage out of Chrysostome that who so euer speake of their owne doo vntruely attribute to them selues the Spirite of God But they remember not howe they who are gathered together in the name of Christe doo not speake of their owne because Christe who is the truthe hath promised to be in the middest of them Nowe if they tel vs that the Fathers at Trent were not gathered together in the name of Christe howe mutche more truly maie wee reply to them that the temporal menne assembled together at Auspurg at Marpurg at VVormes at Smalcald at Baden at VVestminster or any where els came not together in the name of Christe I require but a man of common sense to sitte Iudge in this cause They can not possibly bringe any thinge out of the Scriptures or auncient Fathers for maintenance of this their great case The B. of Sarisburie Ye builde ouer boldely M. Hardinge on Christes promises God is true what so euer he promise But oftentimes menne are false Christe hath promised to be present where so euer twoo or three be geathered togeather in his name But it appeareth by the woordes of the Prophete Dauid that Councelles oftentimes meete togeather againste God and againste his Christe The Prophete Michaeas saithe Sic dicit Dominus de Prophetis qui errare faciunt populum meum Abominantur iudicium omne rectum peruertunt Super Dominum requiescebant dicentes Nunquid non est Dominus in medio nostri Thus saithe our Lorde of the Prophetes that deceiue my people They abborre Iudgement they ouerthrowe al that is right And yet they reaste them sēlues vpon oure Lorde saienge Is not oure Lorde in the middest emongest vs This is youre defence M. Hardinge Whether the VVorde of God be with you or againste you yet ye saie ye haue stil the Sprite of God and oure Lorde him selfe is in the middest emongest you But this boldnesse by Chrysostomes Iudgement is presumptuous and daungerous And therefore his counsel is that if any thing be pressed vpon vs by the name of the Holy Ghoste sauinge onely the Gospel of Christe wee shoulde not beleeue it In like sense S. Augustine saithe Sua illi si docere veliut nolite audire nolite facere If they bringe any Decree or Fantasie of theire owne heare it not Doo it not Thus the Olde Frenetique and Fanatical Heretiques when they founde them selues conuinced by the euident testimonies of Goddes VVoorde they appealed to the Spirite of God whiche they saide euen as you saie euermore assisted them and coulde not faile them Hereof S. Augustine writeth thus Videris ergo id vos agere vt omnis de medio Scripturarum authoritas auferatur suus cuique animus author sit quid in quaque Scriptura probet quid improbet id est vt non Authorirati Scripturarum subijciatur ad Fidem sed sibi Scripturas ipse subijciat Non vt ideò illi placeat aliquid quia hoc in sublimi Authoritate scriptum legitur sed ideo rectè scriptum videatur quia hoc illi placuit Ye see therefore this is youre drifte that al
Mellitus Iustus Mellitus to be Bishop of London and Iustus to be Bishop of Rochester Which thinges thus declared it foloweth orderly in the storie Then these Warres being ended these Bishoppes Consecrated aftervvarde died the beloued Father Augustine After the Warre he died he saithe and not Before as they haue sithence altered it in the Latine I trwo M. Harding yée are not so mutch amazed with the admiration of your Augustine that yée wil saie he had power to Consecrate Bishoppes and to vse his Archiepiscopal Authoritie beinge deade As for these woordes that wée find reported by the Parenthesis in the Latine as written by Beda Quamuis Augustino iam mùlto anté tempore ad coelestia Regna sublato For as mutche as they are quite contrarie to the very course and order of the storie and specially for that they are not once touched in the Aunciente Saxon Translation sundrie Copies whereof at this presente are extante and to be séene of sutche Reuerende Antiquitie as maie not iustely be called in question therefore wée haue good cause to iudge that the saide woordes haue benne sithence forced and shifted in by somme good skille and policie leste Augustine so holy a man should be founde guiltie of so greate a Crueltie 596 August commeth into Englande 597 598 599 600 601 August receiueth his Palle 602 603 604 August consecrateth Mellitus and Iustus 605 Gregorie dieth The vvarre against the Britaines The Saxon Chronicle of Peterburrough 606 607 608 August dieth Flores Historiar Verily in the Olde Englishe Chronicle it is recorded not onely that this Augustine the Italian Monke by his complainte caused the King of Kente to arme his people against the true and Faithful Christians of this Countrie then beinge in Wales or that he was aliue at the time of the battaile but also that he was him self presente in personne goeinge towarde the same The woordes be these Augustine came againe and tolde kinge Ethelberte that the Britaines woulde not obeie him Wherefore the Kinge was wrothe and sente to Elfrede the king of Northumberland to comme to healpe him to distresse the Britaines of VVales And Augustine the Archebishop of Canturburie mette vvith them at Leicester The King of Leicester at that time was called Brocuale He beinge afraide of the twoo Kinges fledde out of the Lande and came neuer againe And the twoo kinges seised al his landes and departed them bitweene them selues And afterward thei went to wardes Wales The Britaines heard of them and sente menne to them in their shirtes and harefoote to aske mercie But they were so cruel that they had of them no pitie c. Hereby it appeareth that this Augustine not onely enkendled this cruel Warre but also was aliue and present in the Armie Therefore M. Hardinge it shal hencefoorth be good bothe for you and for your Felowes not to aduenture so rasshely in iudgemente before yée knowe Thus mutche briefely as anweare vnto them that so faine woulde haue their Augustine acquited of Pride and Crueltie The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 2. Wherein thei doo mutche like to the Coniurers Sorcerers now a daies whiche woorkinge with Diuels vse to saie they haue theire Bookes and al theire Holy and hid Mysteries from Athanasius Cyprian Moses Abel Adam and from the Archangel Raphael to the ende that their conninge being thought to comme from sutche Patrones and Founders might be iudged the more high and Holy After the same manner these menne bicause they woulde haue theire owne Religion whiche they themselues and that not longe sithence haue brought foorth into the world to be the more easily and rather accepted of foolishe personnes or of sutche as cast little whereabout they or others doo goe they are woonte to saie they had it from Augustine Hierome Chrysostome from the Apostles and from Christe him selfe Ful wel knowe they that nothinge is more in the peoples fauoure or better liketh the common sorte then these names M. Hardinge Nay Sirs your selues maie with more reason be likened to Enchaunters Necromancers and VVitches For as they saie that they haue their Bookes and their mysteries from those Doctours and firste Fathers and from Raphael the Archangel but cannot shewe the deliuery thereof by any succession from hand to hande as for example who receiued the same from Raphael from Adam from Abel c. and who kept them from time to time so ye saie also that ye haue your Gospel and euery part of your Doctrine from the Apostles from Christe from the Prophetes from the Patriarkes from heauen from Gods owne bosome who is Father of lightes But ye cannot shewes vs your lauful succession by whom and by whose preachinge as by handes it came downe alonge from Christe and his Apostles vnto you VVhere laie your sacramentary Doctrine hidden bitwene the time of your Prophete Zuinglius and your Patriarke Berengarius Howe and by what deliuery from hande to hand continewed the same those fiue hundred yeeres She we vs your succession VVhere be your Bishops where be your Churches The Doctrine whiche the Catholikes of our Countrie holde and professe as wel touchinge the blessed sacramente as al other pointes of our faithe they haue receiued it of theire Bishops and they of their Predecessours by order vntil they reache to S. Augustine S. Augustine receiued it of S. Gregorie * he of others before him * and they al one of an other by continual aescente vnto S. Peter who receiued it of Christe Christ of God his Father * And this Doctrine we finde taught and plainely set forth in the bookes that S. Augustine Hierome Chrysostome Ambrose Basile Cyprian Dionyse and the other holy Fathers haue leafte to the Posteritie And so they be witnesses of the truth of the Doctrine which our Bishops haue taught vs. Preache ye and crie ye out neuer so mutche make so many Lawes in your Parlamentes as ye liste imbrue your swordes in the Bloude of the Catholike Christians as ye crie for it in your pulpites yet shal that rocke whereon we staie be too harde for you Neither shal ye euer be able to ouerthrowe the Catholike Churche builded thereupon For certaine we are that neither al your power nor Hel gates shal preuaile againste it The B. of Sarisburie Marcus Varro was woonte to saie Vtile est Ciuitatibus vt se viri fortes etiamsi falsum fit Dijs genitos esse credant It is very behoueful for Cities and Common Weales that menne of Valiante courage beleue thē selues to be the Children of the Goddes yea although in deede it be vntrue Vnto whiche woordes S. Augustine addeth these Haec Sententia cernis quà m latum locum aperiat falsitati Ye see howe large a scope this saieing dooth open to the Mainteinance of Falsehedde Many vaine menne to auance the Nobilitie of theire bloud haue fette their petite degrées somme frō Achilles somme frō Aeneas somme from Hercules and somme from the
thereof but to Monkes onely If in our time the people mighte be induced to reade the Holy Scriptures with suche mindes for suche causes to suche intents and purposes onely as Chrysostome requireth God forbid we shoulde by any meanes staie them therefrom But consideringe the maner of our time and callinge to due examination the curiositie the temeritie the vnreuerence the contempte of all holy thinges that now all men may espie in the people if we thinke it not good they be admitted to the readinge of the Scriptures freely and without any limitation how so euer you and your fellowes iudge of vs we doubt not of the accompt we haue to make of that our meaninge before our Lordes dredfull seate of iudgemente Now to conclude we tell you that you haue misreported bothe Chrysostome and specially Origen For how so euer they speake of the readinge and meditation of the Scriptures for amendement of life verely in the places by you quoted they exhorte not the people to reason and dispute of diuine matters amonge them selues specially the husbandes with their wiues the parentes with their children as you saie they doo The B. of Sarisburie For as mutche as ye saie parte hereof is true and parte false I truste ye wil géeue us leaue fréely to vse the Truthe vntil ye shal finde your selfe better hable to proue the Falshedde It séemeth not greatly to mislike you that the people haue somme little libertie to reade somme sutche parte of the Scriptures as you maie beste spare them for the orderinge of their liues Whereby it appeareth that for quietinge of their Consciences in maters of Religion and causes of Truthe yée thinke it beste they reade nothinge And this ye saie ye are hable to answeare before the dreadful seate of Goddes Iudgemente Touchinge the Truthe hereof to saie so mutche as might be saide it woulde require greate waste of time S. Augustine saithe Si desit aut ignoretur quà eundum fit quid prodest nosse quò eundum fit If ye haue not or know not what waie to goe what shal it profite you to knowe whither to goe S. Hierome saithe Vt maius est voluntatem Domini facere quà m nosse ita prius est nosse quà m facere Illud Merito praecedit Hoc ordine As it is more to doo the wil of our Lorde then to knowe it so the Knowlege of the same goeth before the Dooinge In goodnesse Dooinge goeth before in order Knowinge Againe S. Augustine saithe Si Scripturas Diuinas aut non legimus ipsi aut legentes alios non libenter audimus ipsa nobis medicamenta conuertuntur in vulnera inde habebimus Iudicium vnde potuimus habere remedium If we either reade not the Scriptures our selues or be not desirous to heare others reade them then are our Medicines turned into vvoundes and then vvhere vvee mighte haue had remedie vvee shal haue Iudgemente Sutche saieinges are common and ordinarie in S. Chrysostome Thus he saithe Librum Diuinum accipiat aliquis in manum conuocatisque proxìmìs per Diuina eloquia riget suam mentem conuenientium vt sic Diabolicas insidias effugere valeamus Let one of you take in hande the Holy Booke and let him cal his Neighbours aboute him and by the Heauenly vvoordes let him water and refreashe bothe theire mindes and also his owne Againe he saithe Poterimus domi versantes ante post Conuiuium acceptis in manus Diuinis Libris vtilitatem inde capere Spiritualem Cibum animae praebere Beinge at home we maie bothe before and after Meate take the Holy Bookes in hande and thereof receiue greate profite and Minister spiritual foode vnto our soule And againe Etiam domi vacemus Diuinarum Scripturarum Lectioni Euen when wee be at home let vs bestowe our time in readinge the Scriptures Origen saithe Vtinam omnes faceremus illud quod Scriptum est Scrutamini Scripturas VVoulde God wee woulde al doo accordingely as it is written Searche the Scriptures But ye saie wee haue misreported bothe Chrysostome and Origen For they exhorte not the people as you saie to reason of Diuine maters emonge them selues specially the Husbandes with their VViues c. Whether of vs bothe maketh truer reporte let vs be tried by Chrysostome Thus he saithe Neque in hoc tantùm consessu sed domi quoque Vir cum Vxore Pater cum Filio inuicem de his frequenter loquantur vltrò citroque suam ferant inquirant sententiam Velintque hanc probarissimam inducere consuetudinem Hearken not hereto onely here in the Churche but also at home let the Husbande with the Wife let the Father with the Childe talke togeather of these Maters and bothe to and fro let them bothe enquire and geeue theire Iudgementes And woulde God they woulde beginne this good Custome Here haue you M. Hardinge the Husbande communinge of Diuine maters with his VVife and the Father with his Childe Therefore so vnaduisedly to saie wée haue misreported this Holy Father it was of your parte a misreporte Likewise S. Hierome saithe Hic ostenditur verbum Christi non suffieleâ—ter sed abundanter etiam Laicos habere debere docere se inuicem vel monere Here wee are ought that euen the Laie menue oughte to haue the VVoorde of God not onely sufficiently but also obundantly and one to instructe and to warne an other Againe he saithe Solent Viri solent Monachi solent Mulierculae hoc inter se habere certamen vt plures ediscant Scripturas Bothe Maried menne and Monkes and Wiues commonly haue this contention emonge themselues vvho maie learne moste Scriptures To conclude Theodoretus saithe thus Passim videas nostra dogmata non ab ijs solùm tenèri c. Ye maie commonly see that our Doctrine is knowen not onely of them that are the Doctours of the Churche and the Maisters of the people but also euen of the Tailers and Smithes and VVeauers and of al Artificers Yea and further also of VVeemen and that not onely of them that be Learned but also of Labouringe VVeemen and Sevvsters and Seruantes and Handemaìdes Neither onely the Citizens but also the Countriefolkes doo very wel vnderstande the same Yee maie finde yea euen the very Dichers and Deluers and Covvheardes and Gardiners Disputinge of the Holy Trinitie and of the Creation of al thinges The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 4. 5. The Auncient Fathers Cyprian Epiphanius and Hierome saie for one who perchaunce hathe made a Vovve to leade a sole life and afterwarde liueth vnchastely and cannot quenche the flames of luste it is better to marrie a Wife and to liue honestly in wedlocke And the Olde Father Augustine iudgeth the selfe same Mariage to be good perfite that it ought not to be broken againe These menne if a man haue once bounde him selfe by a Vovve though afterwarde he
Behold by the Varietie wee vnderstande the Diuersitie of Tongues and by the Apparel wee vnderstande the Vnitie of y◠Churche Againe he saith Distant inter se Linguae Sed Linguarum distantiae non sunt schismata Tongues are diuided one from an other But the Diuision of Tongues is no Schisme or Diuision in Religion The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 10. The olde Councel at Carthage commaunded that nothing should be read in Christes Congregation but the Canonical Scriptures these menne reade sutche thinges in their Churches as them selues knowe for a Truthe to be starke Lies and fonde Fables M. Hardinge A man were better I assure thee good Reader to make two newe Bookes then to correcte one so ful of lies and falsefied places as this Apologie is This olde Councel of Carthage is newely falsefied by our new Cleregie The wordes of the Councel are these Palcuit vt praeter scripturas Canonicas nihil in Ecclesia legatur sub nomine Diuinarum Scripturatum It hath semed good vnto vs that besides the Canonical Scriptures nothinge be read in the Churche vnder the name of the holy Scriptures They leauinge out these foure woordes sub nomine Diuinarum Scripturarum Vnder the name of Diuine Scriptures woulde beare men in hande the Councel willed nothinge to be read in the Churche besides the holy Scriptures Are not these trusty men to whom ye may committe the charge of your soules for your faith and saluation It foloweth in the same decree Liceat etiam Legi passiones Martyrum cùm anniuersarij dies celebrantur Let it be lawful also for the Martyrdomes of Martyrs to be read when theire yerely festes are kept And yet dare they not onely to saie nothing must be read besides the Scriptures but also to alleage that very place for that special lie whiche saithe the contrary Looke in the Booke thy selfe good reader and see how falsely they handle so holy matters An other lie is when they saie we reade those thinges in the Churche whiche our selues knowe to be starke lies and funde fables VVhen they cannot them selues shewe that we haue any sutche it is a vaine lieing rhetorike to saie we doubt not of it or knowe it our selues for a truthe I wonder not if they blushe not in belieng vs who haue belied so many Scriptures Councels and fathers The B. of Sarisburie It standeth wel with your Truthe M. Hardinge so often to charge vs with Lies Falsehedde I truste it wil appeare ye had no great cause to keepe so great reuel vpon so poore a Conqueste In deede these woordes be not founde in the thirde Councel of Carthage Yet are they founde in the Councel of Hippo whiche is the Abbridgemente of the thirde Councel of Carthage as it appeareth by the Title of the same Concilij Hipponensis Abbreuiationes factae in concilio carthaginensi Tertio The woordes of the Councel of Hippo and for so mutche also of the thirde Councel of Carthage be these Scripturae Canonicae in Ecclesia legendae quae sunt praeter quas alia non legantur The Scriptures Canonical whiche are to read in the Churche and besides whiche nothinge els maie be read Here haue you M. Hardinge the plaine woordes of the Councel of Hippo abberidged out of the thirde Councel of Carthage That nothinge maie be read in the Churche but onely the Canonical Scriptures Iudge you therefore howe iuste cause ye had so vnaduisedly for I vate not to saie so vnlearnedly to charge the Apologie with Lies and Falsehedde Hereto maie wée adde the like Decrée of the Councel holden at Laodicea Sabbatjs Euangelia cum alijs Scripturis legenda esse censemus Wee agree that the Gospel with others Scriptures be read vpon the Saboth daie If these woordes séeme not sufficiente it foloweth further in the same Councel Non oportet Libros qui sunt extra Canonem legere nisi solos Canonicos Veteris Noui Testamenti We maie not reade any Bookes that be without the Canon but onely the Canonical Bookes of the Olde and Nevve Testamente To like effecte Chrysostome saith Ideò Christus meusas nummulariorum euertit Significans quòd in Templo Dei nō debent esse nummi nisi Spirituales id est qui Dei imaginem habent Therefore Christe ouerthrewe the Exchangers bakes Meaninge thereby that there maie be no Come in the Churche but onely Spiritual that is to saie that beareth the Image of God Againe he saithe Lectorum officium erat in Ecclesia Sacra Legere ex Scriptis vel Prophetarum vel Apostolorum It was the Readers office to pronounce holy thinges vnto the people out of either the Apostles or Prophetes Erasmus saithe Apparet non nisi Apostolicas Literas olim Legi solitas in Templis aut certè Vitorum Apostolicae Authoritatis It appeareth that in olde time nothinge was vsed to be read in the Churches but onely the Apostles Writinges or at leaste the Writinges of sutche others as were of Apostolical Authoritie Likewise saithe Abbas Ansigisus reportinge the Ecclesiastical Decrees of the Frenche Kinges Levves Charles In Templis tantùm Canonici Libri id est Sacrae Literae legantur Let there he read in the Churches onely the Canonical Bookes that is to saie the Holy Scriptures An other lie Ye saie is this when they saie wee reade those thinges in the Churche whiche our selues knowe to be starke lies and fonde Fables For trial hereof wee shal not néede to trauaile far Your owne Bookes and Legendes are prouse sufficiente Erasmus thereof saithe thus Hodiè quorumlibet somnia imò mulietcularum Deliramenta leguntur inter diuinas Scripturas Nowe a daies euery fooles Dreames yea very wee mennes doctinge fansies are read with the Holy Scriptures Likewise saithe Polydore Vergil Multorum Diuorum vitas recitant tametsi parùm ad Fidem Scriptas They reade many Sainctes Liues although not written accordinge to Truthe Ludouicus Viues writtinge of your Legenda Aurea whiche was the Mother of al your deuoute Ecclesiastical stories or Fables saithe thus Nescio cur Aurea dici debeat cùm scripta sit ab homine ferrei oris plumbei Cordis plenissima sit impudentissimis Mendacijs I see no cause why it shoulde be called the Goulden Legende seeinge it was written by a man of an iron face and a ledden harte and is freight ful of most shamelesse lies If ye knewe not these thinges M. Hardinge your frendes wil thinke ye knowe nothinge Sutche Truthes yée reade and publishe deuoutly and solemnely in your Churches Yet maie wée neither saie nor thinke yée mocke the people The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 1. But if there be any that thinke these aboue rehersed Authorities be but weake and selender bicause thei were decreed by Emperours certaine petite Bishoppes and not by so ful perfite Councelles takinge pleasure rather in the Authoritie and name of the Pope let
nouellis posteris oportere Peter being thus checked openly by S. Paule neither reuenged him selfe nor tooke any thinge proudely vpon him as to saie that he had the Primacie or that others that were but Nouices and aftercommers as Paule was ought be obediente vnto him Mena the Bishop of Constantinople iudged and Excommunicated Pope Vigilius The Bishoppes of the Easte Churche Iudged and Excommunicated and deposed Pope Iulius One of youre Doctoures saithe Si Papa committat crimen Depositione dignum debet puniri ac si esset vnus rusticus If the Pope committe an offence where fore he shoulde iustly be deposed he ought to be pounished as if he were a Clowne of the Countrie Your neighbours of Leodium in their Epistle againste Pope Paschalis write thus Remoto Romanae Ambitionis typho cur de grauibus manifestis non reprehendantur corrigantur Romani Episcopi Qui reprehendi corrigi non vult pseudo est siue Episcopus siue Clericus Settinge aparte the Pride of Romishe Ambition the Crimes beinge greate and manifeste why maie not the Bishoppes of Rome bothe be reproued and also corrected He that fleeth rebuke and correction is a false man whether he be Prieste or Bishop The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 8. Whiche of the Ancient Fathers euer saide that Kinges and Emperours by Christes wil and Commaundemente receiue their Authoritie at your handes M. Hardinge VVhat is to be answered hereto you maie gather of that is alleaged before out of S. Bernard speaking of bothe swordes The B. of Sarisburie It is euident by the recorde and general consente of al Ancient Writers that the Pope hath neither possession nor foote of Landes nor House to dwel in nor the name of Vniuersal Bishop nor Chartar nor Libertie nor Iurisdictiō but that he hath receiued either of the French kinges or of the Emperours Yet would he now beare y◠world in hande that the Emperoure hath nothing neither Landes nor Honour nor Power nor Right nor Swerd nor Iurisdiction but onely from him If any man doubte hereof bisides other testimonies of Antiquitie lette him reade that moste vaine and Childishe Donation that the Pope him selfe hathe forged vnder the name of the Emperoure Constantine S. Ambrose saithe Si non vis esse obnoxius Caesari noli habere quae sunt Mundi Si habes diuitias obnoxius es Caesari If thou wilte not be subiecte to the Prince then possesse not the thinges that be of the worlde If thou have worldly riches then arte thou subiecte vnto the Prince Likewise S. Augustine Dices Quid mihi Regi Quid tibi ergo possessioni Per Iura Regum possessiones possidentur Thou wilt saie what haue I to doo with the Prince What then haste thou to doo with Landes For possessions are holden not by the Popes righte but by the right of Kinges and Princes Charles the Frenche kinge Neuewe to Charles the Greate wrote thus vnto Pope Adrian Imperatores ius distinguendorum negotiorum Episcopis Sanctis iuxta Diualia Constituta permiserunt non autem Episcoporum Villici extiterunt Emperoures by their Commissions vnder their greate Seales haue graunted vnto Bishoppes Authoritie to heare causes but they them selues were neuer Stewardes or Bailifes vnto Bishoppes One of your owne late Doctours saithe Papa habet gladium Ciuilem ex Commissione permissione Principis The Pope hathe the Temporal Svverde or Ciuile Iurisdiction by the Commission and Sufferance of the Prince Therfore it seemeth greate folie to saie The Prince hath his svverde or Iurisdiction onely by the Commission of the Pope You re owne Barbarous Glose saithe Imperator in temporalibus habet Potestatem à solo Deo Et imperium fuit antequam Apostolatus esset The Emperoure in Temporal thinges hath his Authoritie not from the Pope but from God onely And the Empiere was before the Apostles were Againe Imperator non habet gladium à Papa Sed Imperium est à solo Deo The Emperoure hath not his Swerde of the Pope but the Empiere is onely from God Againe Ex sola electione Principum dico verum esse Imperatorem antequam confirmetur à Papa I saie that the Emperoure is a very righte and perfite Emperoure by the onely Election of the Princes yea before he be confirmed by the Pope What shal we neede moe witnesses You re very Ceremoniarie of Rome saithe thus Hoc affirmamus ante Carolum Magnum neminem Imperij Romani Coronam ex Manu Romani Pontificis Romae suscepisse Thus we saie that before the Emperoure Charles the greate that is for the space of eight hundred yeeres after Christe no man euer receiued the Crowne of the Romaine Empiere at Rome by the Handes of the Bishop of Rome S. Bernarde hereof thus writeth vnto the Pope Esto vt alia quacunque ratione hoc tibi vendices non tamen Apostolico iure Nec illud tibi dare quod non habuit Petrus potuit Be it that ye claime this right by somme other meanes Yet by the Apostles right ye cannot claime it Neither coulde Peter geeue you that right that he himselfe neuer badde The Emperoure Ludouicus the fourth saithe thus Mea Potestas non pendet à Papa sed à Deo immediatè Et vanum est quod dici solet Papam non habere Superiorem My Power hangeth not of the Pope but immediatly of God alone And it is but a peeuishe vaine tale that they saie the Pope hath no Superioure Iohannes Maior saith Bonifacius Octauus multùm apparenter definiuit quòd Romanus Pontifex est supra Reges in Temporalibus quod tamē oculatissimi Theologi dicunt esse falsum Pope Bonifacius 8. hath concluded with greate shewe of reason that euen in Temporal Causes the Pope is aboue Kinges But I maie tel you the VVisest Diuines saie it is but a false tale Iohannes de Parisijs saithe In Temporalibus Potestas Saecularis maior est Potestare Spirituali nec quoadista est ei subiecta in aliquo In Temporal Causes the Temporal Power is greater then the Spiritual Power and touchinge the same is not subiecte to it in any pointe Herueus saithe Si Imperator habet Potestatem suam immediatè à Papa Ergo Imperator est Minister Papae If the Emperoure receiue his Power immediately from the Pope then is the Emperoure the Popes Seruante Al these Authorities notwithstandinge the Pope him selfe saithe The Emperoure hath no right nor Authoritie but onely of him And touchinge the laste Obiection of Herueus that the Emperoure should be the Popes Seruant he thinketh it maie be wel admitted without any greate inconuenience For thus saithe one of his Priuie Counsel Iste Romanus Imperator est Procurator Defensor Romanae Ecclesiae This Romaine Emperoure is nothinge els but the Proctoure and Steward of the Churche of Rome Likewise saithe Iohannes de Parisijs Dicunt quòd solus Papa est
Sedis Et si diceres Requiritur in talibus apparens causa dico hîc esse causam apparentem Nam cessante tali redditu qui maximus est attenta hodierna Tyrannide Sedes Apostolica contemneretur This Glose seemeth to saie that the Pope committeth not Simonie receiuinge monie for the bestowinge of Benefices for as mutche as the Pope is not bounde to his owne Constitutions Yet nowe adaies the Lawiers holde without any sutche Distinctiō of Lavve Positiue and Lavve of God that the Pope cannot in any wise comme within the daunger of Simonie And so I mee selfe doo holde and so the cōmon opinion must be holden Therefore notwithstandinge the Lawe that forebiddeth Simonie take place in the whole Vniuersal Churche yet in respecte of the Apostolique See of Rome it maie be restrained But thou wilte saie In sutch cases there ought to be some apparente cause I telle the that there is a cause apparente For this reuene we of Simonie whiche is very greate beinge once cutte of consideringe the Tyrannie that nowe is the Apostolique See woulde be despised By this authoritie it appeareth The Pope is not able to mainteine his Estate and Countenance nor to saue al thinges vpright without Simonie Panormitane saithe Etsi Papa accipiat pecuniam pro collatione alicuius Praelaturae aut Beneficij tamen Dominus Cardinalis ait Non committitur Simonia Notwithstandinge the Pope take monie for the bestoweinge of a Bishoprike or of a Benefice yet my Lorde Cardinal saithe there is committed no Simonie Archidiaconus Florentinus saithe Papa recipiendo pecuniam non praesumitur animo vendendi recipere Sed vt illa pecunia ad vsum suum conuertatur cùm Papa sit Dominus Rerum Temporalium per illud dictum Petri Dabo tibi Omnia Regna Mundi The Pope receiuing monie for Bishoprikes or Benefices is not thought to take it by waie of sale but onely to turne the same monie to his owne vse For the Pope is Lorde of al vvorldly goodes as it appeareth by the woordes of Peter whiche woo◠des notwithstandinge Peter neuer spake for they were spoken by Sathan Vnto thee wil I geeue al the Kingedomes of the VVorlde Againe Felinus saith Quod datur Papae datur Sacrario Petri nec est proprium Papae Sed prodest danti tanquam facienti opus pijssimum What so euer is geeuen to the Pope for Bishoprike or Benefce by waie of Simonie it is geeuen to S. Peters Treasurie Neither is it the Popes owne seueral goodes But it is auaileable to the geeuer as vnto one that doothe a moste Godly deede Sutche a special grace hath the Pope Of moste Diuelishe Vice he is hable to make moste godly Vertue Hostiensis saithe Papa potest vendere Titulum Ecclesiasticum vt Episcopatum Abbatiam c. The Pope maie selle any Ecclesiastical Title or Dignitie as a Bishoprike or an Abbie without danger of Simonie But what speake wee of the Pope Your Cardinalles them selues by your fauourable Constructions and godly orders are likewise Priuileged to committe Simonie safely and freely without blame Panormitane saith Cardinalis pro Palafreno à nobili viro recepto non praesumitur committere Simoniam A Cardinal for receiuinge a Palfraie of a Noble Man for a Benefice or a Bishoprike is not thought to commit Simonie Thus whereas Christe draue Buiers and Sellers out of the Churche you by your proper Distinctions haue receiued in Buiers and Sellers and thruste oute Christe S. Hierome saithe Per Nummularios significantur Beneficij Ecclesiastici venditores qui Domum Dei faciunt Speluncam Latronum By the Exchangers are signified the Sellers of Ecclesiastical Benefices whiche make the House of God a Denne of Theeues In your owne Decrees it is written hus Tolerabilior est Macedonij Haeresis qui asserit Spiritum Sanctum esse Seruum Patris Filij Nam isti faciunt Spiritum Sanctum Seruum suum The Heresie of Macedonius that saide the Holy Ghoste is Seruante and sclaue to the Father and to the Sonne is more tolerable then is the Heresie of these simonistes For these menne make the Holy Ghoste their owne Seruante Yet yée saie yee are wel assured that the Truthe is in the Churche of Rome and shal neuer departe from thence notwithstandinge any disorder or faulte whatsoeuer there committed And for proufe thereof yee allege as yée saie the Woordes of God him selfe in y◠Prophete Esaie Al be it in that whole Prophete there is not one woorde expressely mentioned of the Churche of Rome Sutche a fantasie as it appeareth was sommetimes in the Heretiques called the Manichees For thus thei saide A Principibus Gentis Tenebrarum Lumen ne ab ijs aufugeret tenebatur The Princes of the Nation of Darkenesse helde faste y◠Light leaste it shoulde flee from them For euen so doothe the Pope and his Cardinalles holde the Truthe as the Princes or Powers of Darkenesse helde the Lighte It was harde dealinge for you to binde Christe in Recognisance not to departe from the Pope yee should rather haue bounde the Pope not to departe from Christe S. Hierome saithe Prophetae Hierusalem non habent in ore Prophetiam Et in Domino requiescunt dicunt Non venient super nos mala Quorum causa Speculatoriū Dei hostili aratro diuiditur Et locus quondam pacis ruinis plenus fit Templum Domini in vepres spinasque conuertitur est Habitaculum bestiarum The Prophetes of Hierusalem haue neuer a woorde of Prophesie in their mouthes Yet they reaste them selues vpon the Lorde and saie There shal no euil comme vpon vs. For thene sakes the Watche Tower of the Lorde is turned vp with the enimies Pleughe the place of peace is ful of ruine the Temple of the Lorde is turned into Breeres and Thornes and is becomme a stable of wilde beastes The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 2. But what if Ieremie telle them as is afore rehearsed that these be Lies What if the same Prophete saie in an other place that the selfe same menne whoe ought to be Keepers of the Vineyarde haue brought to nought and destroied the Lordes Vineyarde Howe if Christe saie that the same persones whoe chiefely ought to haue a care ouer the Temple haue made the Lordes Temple a denne of Theeues The B. of Sarisburie Here come you in with your whatiffes whiche commonly you vse when other Rhetorike faileth you VVee tell you plainely without any iffes that Ieremie meante of you and suche as you be and calleth your whole newe fangled Doctrine Verba mendacij the woordes of lieinge earnestly geuinge warninge that menne geue no credite to them His other rebuke perteineth also to you VVhen were euer suche Theeues in the Churche of God as yee are The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 1. If it be so that the Churche of Rome cannot erre it muste needes folowe that the good lucke thereof is farre
Gospell to knowe thee God alone and whom thou haste sente Iesus Christe So farre as God lightneth our vnderstandinge with the Supernaturall light of his grace this muche wee know For which Peter the Sonne of Iona was accompted blessed of Christe the same we sinne full Papistes through Gods grace also knowe and confesse The Commaundementes of God we knowe what is good what is euill whiche be sinnes whiche be Vertues what is to be folowed what is to be shunned so farre as is behoofull we be not ignorant VVhat is the darkenesse then for whiche ye would needes be gonne from vs And what is that woorthy knowledge ye haue wonne by your departure Tell vs that we maie bte the Bookes and goe to scoole with you Truly without ye haue some hidden and secrete knowledge which ye haue not vttered to the worlde hitherto as we beleue ye haue not beinge suche boasters as ye are we see litle cause ye should twite vs of ignorance and bragge of your owne knowledge This we see full well they that runne away from vs to your side be they Monkes or Friers Tinkers or Tapsters Coblers or Bodgers white or blacke by and by in your Synagoges they be great Rabbins And ye the superintendentes admitte them to be your Ministers and Preachers of the woorde and tell them they can doo well and they beleue no lesse themselues But the people take them for suche as they knewe them before they tooke suche degree and many times for their good behauiour they foregete their Holy Ministerie and Christen them by their common name whiche was not geuen them at the Fonte Yet all this proueth not either our ignorance or your maruelous and rare knowledge Neither shall ye euer be able to proue to any man of learninge and iudgement that in any liberall sciences or righte knowledge of the Scriptures ye are comparable to the learned menne of the Catholike Churche Though about fifty yeeres paste and vpwarde for a space the studies of eloquence and of tonges were intermitted yet then and before those times was there no smal number of men who had profounde knowledge of all good Artes and specially of the Holy Letters I reporte me to Thomas VValden who very learnedly confuted the Heresies of your greate Graundfather Iohn VVicklef to Alcuinus in the great Charles time to Beda before that all three English men to Anselme and Lanckfrancke Bishops of Englande though strangers borne to S. Thomas of Aquine S. Bernarde Rupertus and hundreds moe whiche here is no place to recken VVere not they by confession of all greate Clerkes doo not the beste learned of our time in obscure matters fetche light of them To saie the Truthe in comparison of their cleare light your ill sauoringe snoffes maie scantly seeme to yeelde a darke smoke Many talke of your painted sheath who were they learned in dede woulde soone perceiue neither that to be very freshe and gaie for as for your sworde what rusty and beggerly met all it is the wiser parte of the worlde seeth Therefore ye shall do well Syrs to speake no more of the darkenesse and ignorance of the Catholike Churche and to boast lesse of your greate cunninge and knowledge The B. of Sarisburie Your heade was very idle M. Hardinge when it coulde so easily yeelde vs sutche idle talke If yée thinke it in no case to be lawful to departe from them what so euer thei be that beare the shewe and countenance of the Churche then muste yée néedes condemne the Apostles and Prophetes and moste specially Christe him selfe But let vs consider from what companie wée are departed So maie the causes of our departure the better appeare For the Pope him selfe saithe not nay but vpon iuste considerations any Churche maie leaue the Churche of Rome His owne woordes be these Nulli agere licet sine discretione Iustitiae contra Disciplinam Romanae Ecclesiae VVithout discretion of Justice it is lawful for no man to doo any thinge contrarie to the order of the Churche of Rome By this the Popes owne Decree vvith discretion of Iustice it is lawfull to doo contrarie to the Orders of the Churche of Rome But for a shorte and general viewe of that whole Churche in this behalfe S. Bernarde saithe thus Parum est nostris Pastoribus quòd non seruant nos nisi perdant Non parcunt suis qui non parcunt sibi Perimentes pariter Pereuntes It is not sufficient for our Bishoppes that they saue vs not onlesse they also doo destroie vs Sparinge not them selues they spare not their people They doo bothe perishe them selues and kille others Againe he saithe Non custodiunt hoc tempore Sponsam sed perdunt Non custodiunt Gregem Domini sed mactant deuorant They keepe not this daie the Spouse of God that is his Churche but they destroie her They keepe not this Flocke but they kille and deuoure He that writeth Paralipomena Vrspergensis in the storie of the Councel of Constance saithe thus Spiritum extinguebant Prophetias aspernabantur Christum in Membris suis persequebantur Eratque planè Persequutrix Ecclesia They oppressed the Sprite of God they defied the Voices of the Prophetes they persequuted Christe in his Members And in deede the Churche was geeuen to woorke persequution Aeneas Siluius that afterwarde was Pope Pius 2. saithe Refriguit Charitas Fides omnis interijt Charitie is waxen colde and al Faithe is deade In the life of Pope Clemens 5. it is written thus Hic fuit Publicus Fornicator Ab eo tempore defecit omnis Disciplina Religio in Cardinalibus tres Radices vitiorum Superbia Auaritia Luxuria validissimè dominaÌ„tur This Pope was an open VVhoore maister From that time forewarde al kinde of Discipline and Religion decaied in the Cardinalles and three rootes of vices Pride Auarice and Lecherie mightily bare the swaie Antonius Marinarius at your late Chapter at Tridente saithe thus of the Churche of Rome Si Euangelica Fides nostrae vitae Regula esset re ipsa Christiani essemus Nunc Titulo Ceremonijs vocamur Christiani If the Faithe of the Gospel were a Rule vnto our life then shoulde wee be Christians in very deede As nowe by Titles and Ceremonies wee beare onely the name of Christians At the same Chapter the Bishop of Bitonto saide thus as I haue reported before Quibus turpitudinum Monstris qua sordium Collâ—ute qua Peste non sunt foedati non corrupti in Ecclesia Sancta populus Sacerdos A Sanctuario Dei incipite si vllus iam pudor si vlla pudicitia si vlla superest bene viuendi vel spes vel ratio VVith what Monsters of Filthinesse with what Vilenesse with what Pestilence be they not corrupted and defiled in the Holy Churche of Rome as wel the Prieste as the People Beginne euen with the Sanctuarie of God if there be any Shame if
de Ecclesia qui Spirituales Christiani fuerunt relicta Corporali Ecclesia quam perfidi occupauerant violentia exierunt ab illis Magis autem illi exierunt à nobis sicut Iohannes exponit Non enim ille de Ecclesia exire videtur qui corporaliter exit sed qui Spiritualiter Veritatis Ecclesiasticae Fundamenta reliquit Nos enim ab illis exâ—uimus Corpore illi à nobis animo Nos enim ab illis extuimus Loco Illi à nobis Fide Nos apud illos reliquimus Fundamenta parietum Illi apud nos reliquerunt Fundamenta Scripturarum Nos ab illis egressi sumus secundum aspectum Hominum Illi autem à nobis secundum Iudicium Dei. Relicta est autem deserta ex quo de illa Corporali Ecclesia Spiritualis exiuit Id est de populo suo qui videbatur Christianus non erat Populus iste exiuit qui non videbatur erat Magis autem secundumquod diximus illi à nobis exierunt quà m nos ab illis Euen so touchinge this Nevve Hierusalem whiche is the Câ—urche they that were Spiritu Christian menne lecuinge the Bodily Churche whiche the wicked by violence had inuaded departed out from them Or as s S. Iohn expoundeth it they rather departed out from vs. For he seemeth not in deede to departe from the Churche that Bodily departeth but he that Spiritually leaueth the Fundations of the Ecclesiastical Truthe VVe haue departed from them in Body they haue departed from vs in Minde VVe from them by Place they from vs by Faithe VVee haue leafte with them the Fundations of the VValles They haue leafte with vs the Fundations of the Scriptures VVee are departed foorthe from them in the sighte of Man They are departed from vs in the Iudgemente of God But nowe after that the Spiritual Churche is gonne foorthe the Bodily Churche is leafte foresaken That is to saie from that people that seemed to be a Christian people and was not this people is gonne foorthe that seemed not out wardely but was so in dede Notwithstandinge as wee haue saide before they haue rather departed from vs then we from them Ye saie your Churche of Rome that nowe is and the Primitiue Churche is al One Churche Euen so the Moone bothe in the ful and in the wane is al One Moone Euen so Hierusalem as wel vnder Dauid as vnder Manass es was al one Cittie The Holy place whether the Maiestie of God or the Abomination of Desolation stande in it is al one place The Primitiue Churche saie you and the Churche of Rome that novv is is al one Churche Therefore wée saie the Churche of Rome that now is in Truthe and Religion ought to agrée with the Primitiue Churche Whether the Churche maie be brought to a fevve in number or no wée had occasion sommewhat to saie before The Anciente Father Irenaeus saithe Quemadmodum ibi in plurimis eorum qui peccauerunt non bene sensit Deus Sic hîc multi sunt vocati pauci verò electi As in the Olde Testamente in many of them that offended God was not pleased Euen so now in the Nevve Testamente many are called and fewe are Chosen In Consideration whereof S. Hierome crieth out in an Agonie within him selfe Tanta erit Sanctorum paucitas So smal shal be the number of holy menne One of your owne Doctours saithe as it is alleged once before Licet in hoc bello Daemonum cadaÌ„t Religiosi Principes Milites Praelati Ecclesiastici Subditi semper tamen manent aliqui in quibus seruatur Veritas Fidei Iustificatio bonae Conscientiae Et si non nisi duo viri Fideles remanerent in mundo tamen in illis saluaretur Ecclesia quae est Vnitas Fidelium Notwithstandinge in this warre of Diuelles bothe the Godly Princes and Souldiers and Ecclesiastical Prelates and Subiectes be ouer throwne yet euermore there remaine somme in whome the Truthe of Faithe and the Righteousnesse of good Conscience is preserued And notwithstandinge there vvere but tv voo Faithful menne remaininge in the worlde yet euen in them the Churche of God whiche is the Vnitie of the Faithful should be saued But for that wée saie vvee vvere brought vp emonge you in Darkenesse and Ignorance Yée enter out of season into a needelesse discourse of coÌ„parison of Learninge In the Liberal Sciences ye saie we are not comparable to the Learned menne of your side It was not our meaninge M. Hardinge to cal the Bright beames of your Liberal Learninge into question It appeareth yee woulde faine haue it blased and magnified to the vttermoste and no waie to be disgraced Wee meante onely the knowledge of God and the open ProfessioÌ„ of his Holy Woorde In comparison of whiche knowledge al other knowledge what so euer is meere darknesse How be it touchinge any kinde of the Liberal and Learned Sciences there was no great cause why ye shoulde either so highly rowse your selfe in your owne opinion or so greately disdeigne others Ye maie remember that your Prouincial Constitutions beginne with these woordes Ignorantia Sacerdotum It were no greate Maisterie to charge the Chiefe Doctoures of your side with somme want of Learning Ludouicus Viues saith Vt quidque Ius superioribus saeculis minùs tittum fuit studentium manibus ita purius ad nos peruenit For the space of certaine hundred yeeres paste the lesse any Booke came into your Learned studentes handes the purer and better it came to vs. Meaninge thereby that euery thinge was the woorse for your Learned handelinge Of Thomas Scotus Hugo and others of whom yée seeme to make so greate accoumpte your owne frende Catharinus saithe Scholastici multa ineruditè Comminiscuntur These Schole Doctoures imagine many mâ—ters vnlearnedly Erasmus saithe Portenta quae nunc passim legimus in Commentarijs Recention Interpretum tam impudentia insulsa sunt vt videaÌ„tur suibus ea scripsisse non Hominibus The monstrous folies that wee commonly reade in the Commentaries of the late Interpreters whereby he meaneth the very croppe and the woorthieste of al your Scholastical Learned Doctoures are so far without shame and so peeuishe as if they had benne vvritten for Svvine and not for menne One of your Doctoures saithe Apostolus dicitur ab Apos quod est Argumentum vel praeeminentia Stolon quod est Missio quasi praeeminenter Missus An other saithe Apocrisarij dicuntur Nuntij Domini Papae Nam crisis dicitur Secretum Apos dicitur Nuntius An other saithe Cathedra est nomen Graecum componitur à Cathos quod est Fides edra quod est Sponda An other saithe Eleemosyna dicitur ab Eleis quod est Misereri Mois quod est Aqua Peter Crab in his late Scholies vpon the Councelles saith thus Mulieres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Cohabitantes Sacculos Likewise againe he saithe Phrygium
the same to littel babes But ye wil saie The Scriptures are harde and aboue the reache of the people Euen so saide the Pelagian Heretique Iulianus And therefore S. Augustine thus reproueth him for the same Exaggeras quà m sit difficilis paucisque conueniens erudiris Sanctarum cognitio Literarum Yee enlarge and laie out with many wordes how harde a mater the knowledge of the Scriptures is and meete onely for a fewe learned men S. Chrysostome saith Scripturae Seruo Rustico Viduae Puero illi qui valdè imprudens esse videatur faciles sunt ad intelligendum The Scriptures are easy to the Sclaue to the Husbandeman to the Widovve to the Childe and to him that maie seeme to be very simple of vnderstandinge S. Augustine saithe Modus ipse dicendi quo Sacra Scriptura coÌ„texitur c. quasi amicus familiaris sine fuco ad cor loquitur indoctorum atque doctoruÌ„ The phrase or maÌ„ner of speache wherein the Scriptures are writteÌ„ c. speaketh wtout coloure as a familiare frend vnto the hart as wel of the Vnlearned as of the Learned S. Cyril saithe Scripturae vt omnibus essent notae paruis magnis Vtiliter familiari sermone commendatae sunt ita vt nullius captum traÌ„scendant The Scriptures that they might be easy to al menne as wel smal as greate are profitably set abroade in familiare speache so that they ouerreache no mannes capacitie S. Augustine saith Sunt quidam homines qui cùm audierint quo'd debent esse humiles nihil volunt discere putantes quo'd si aliquid didicerint Superbi erunt c. Hos reprehendit Scriptura Somme menne when they heare saie they muste be lowly wil learne nothing thinking that if they learne any thinge they shal be prowde But these are reproued by the Scriptures Likewise againe S. Augustine saithe Ipsa ignorantia in illis qui intelligere noluerunt sine dubitarione peccatum est In eis autem qui non potuerunt est poena peccati Ergo in vtrisque non est excusatio sed iusta damnatio Ignorance in them that woulde not vnderstande without doubte is sinne But in them that coulde not vnderstande it is the punishement of sinne Therefore neither of them bothe hath good excuse but either of them hath iuste damnation The Apologie Cap. 16. Diuision 4. We desire to haue our cause knowen to al the worlde they flee to comme to any trial M. Hardinge Then why came ye not to the chiefe and moste lauful consistorie of the worlde the late general Councel at Trent VVhat trial shoulde we come vnto Our Doctrine hath had too high a teacher to be tried by men nowe It hath ben approued too longe to be put in daieinge in these daies at the later ende of the worlde The B. of Sarisburie That wée made not our appearance at your late Chapter at Tridente ye haue already made our excuse The Iourney was too loÌ„ge to be taken in vaine Ye saie your Doctrine be it right be it wronge maie not nowe be tried nor put in daieinge So saide sommetimes the Olde Donatiane Heretiques vnto S. Augustine Disputare nolumus Baptizare volumus Dispute wee wil not But continewe in our erroure and Baptize wee wil. The Apologie Cap. 16. Diuision 5. We leane vnto Knowledge they vnto Ignorance We truste vnto Light they vnto Darkenesse M. Hardinge Ye leane to the fauoure of secular Princes whom by flattery and Heresie ye may deceiue Crake not of your greate knowledge nor of your light O be to them crieth our Lorde in Esaie that saie good is euil and euil is good that put light for darkenes and darkenes for light Your demeanour is so euil your Doctrine so false your tongue so railinge that we take your worde for no slaunder The B. of Sarisburie Wée flatter our Princes M. Hardinge as Nathan flattered Kinge Dauid as Iohn Baptiste flattered Herode as S. Ambrose flattered Theodosius and as salte flattereth the gréene soare In déede wée despise not the Minister of God as sundrie of your felowes haue vsed to doe of whom one doubteth not to saie The Pope is the Heade and Kinges and Emperours are the Feete An other saithe The Prieste is so farre aboue the Kinge as a Man is aboue a Beaste Sutche woordes of contempt and villanie we haue not vsed Wée yelde to the Kinge that is dewe to the Kinge wée yelde to God that is dewe to God Wée saie to the Prince as S. Ambrose sommetime saide to the Emperoure Valentinian Noli te grauare Imperator vt putes te in ea quae Diuina sunt Imperiale aliquod ius habere Trouble not your selfe my Lorde to thinke that you haue any Princely Power ouer those thinges that perteine to God But if they be flatterers that humbly aduertise directe theire Liege Princes by the Woorde of God what are they then that saie as you saie Totus Mundus non potest accusare Papam Nemo potest dicere Papae Domine cur ita facis Sacrilegij instar esset disputare de facto Papae Dominus Deus noster Papa papapotest quicquid Deus ipse Potest The whole world maie not accuse the Pope No maâ— maie saie to the Pope Sir why doo yee thus It were a sinne as bodde as Sacrilege to dispute of any the Popes doinges Our Lorde God the Pope The Pope maie doo what so euer God him selfe maie doo These these M. Hardinge and a thousand other your like speaches maie séeme sommewhat to smel of flatterie The Apologie Cap. 16. Diuision 6. 7. We reuerence as it becommeth vs the Writinges of the Apostles and Prophetes and they burne them Finally we in Goddes cause desire to stande to Goddes onely iudgemente they wil stande onely to theire owne M. Hardinge VVhat so euer ye pretende the cause ye haue taken in hande to defende is not Gods cause neither is this stirre whiche ye make in the worlde for Christes sake â—uther himselfe when at a disputation with doctor Eckius inflamed with anger and passinge the boundes of modestie was admonished of certaine for as mutche as it was Gods cause that was treated to handle the matter more soberly and with the spirite of softenes he brake out into these wordes Non propter DeuÌ„ haecres caepta est nec propter Deum finietur This mater is not begoÌ„ne for Gods sake neither for Gods sake shal iâ— be ended Therefore speake no more to vs of Gods cause There be other causes the moue you to doo as ye doo The B. of Sarisburie Luther yée saie in disputation was enflamed with anger and passed the boundes of modestie No doubte M. Hardinge if he had had somme parte of your sobrietie and modestie he might haue donne a greate deale better Touchinge the mater being zelously moued with the iniquitie and wicked wilfulnesse of his Aduersaries he vttered these wordes not
of the charges of so greate a iourney For then neither was the Bishop of Rome nor other Bishoppes endewed with so large possessions as they were afterwarde Now to retourne to the Councell of Nice The Emperour was in deede the cause of their comming togeather aswel for that him selfe persuaded that meane of concorde as also for that liberally he defraied the charges Yet called he not the Bishoppes of his owne head And that these men might haue seene in the Ecclesiasticall Historie where Rufinus writeth Tum ille ex Sacerdotum sententia apud vrbem Nicaeam Episcopale concilium conuocat Then the Emperour calleth together a Councell of Bishoppes accordinge to the determination of the Priestes He did it accordinge as it seemed good to the Bishoppes ‡ And shall we thinke the Bishop of Rome was none of them that consented to the callinge ‡ Ye as verely he was the chiefest of al. How can it otherwise seeme For when all the decrees were made Placuit vt haec omnia mitterentur ad EpiscopuÌ„ vrbis Romae Syluestrum It was thought good that all those actes and decrees should be sente to Syluester Bishop of the Cittie of Rome If he were the last that had the vewe and confirminge of all thinges there is no doubte but he had a voice and great auctoritie in callinge the Councell VVhat other is that which Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall Historie witnesseth sayinge Cum vtique regula Ecclesiastica iubeat non oportere praeter sententiam Romani Pontisicis ‡ concilia celebrari VVhereas the Ecclesiasticall rule commaundeth ‡ that no councels ought to be kepte besides the determinate consente of the Bishop of Rome VVe knowe saithe Athanasius and the Bishoppes of Aegypte assembled in Councell at Alexandria that in the greate councell of Nice of 318 Bishoppes it was with one accorde by all confirmed there that without the determination of the Bishop of Rome neither councels should be kept nor Bishoppes condemned I omitte here as a thinge well knowen how Constantine the Emperour refused in expresse woordes to be iudge ouer Bishoppes saying that God had geuen them power to iudge of him much lesse did he arrogate to him selfe onely and chiefly auctoritie to summon councels or to iudge Bishoply affaires As for me saithe Valentinian the Emperour in asmuch as I am but one of the people it is not lawful to search suche matters he speaketh of the Heretikes Doctrines but let the Priestes to whome this charge belongeth be gathered together within them selues where they will c. Concerninge the seconde Councell whiche was the firste of those that were kept at Constantinople it may be that Theodosius called it as Constantine called the firste at Nice But what auctoritie Damasus bare in the same it appeareth partely by that he had his Legates there partly also by that Photius Patriarke of Constantinople writeth in his Epistle to Michael Prince of Bulgaria VVhere hauinge declared the comminge together of the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Ierusalem he saithe thus Quibus haud multâ— post Damasus Episcopus Romae eadem confirmans atque idem sentiens accessit To whiche Patriarkes of Alexandria and Ierusalem not longe after Damasus the Bishop of Rome ioyned him selfe confirminge and determininge the same matter This much saithe Photius of the seconde Councell the confirmation whereof he dothe attribute not to Theodosius the Emperoure but to Damasus the Pope But what did Theodosius then will some man saie Did he nothinge yeas verely he did very muche as in the saide Epistle Photâ—us recordeth Then did greate Theodosius saithe he in deede woorthy of great praise rule the Empire who was him selfe also a defender and a mainteiner of Godlinesse Beholde what the Emperours parte was not to sitte in iudgement of matters of Religion and determine whiche was the true Faithe but to defende it and mainteine it And that thou maist see reader plainely what Theodosius thought of Religion whome these Defenders woulde make a iudge in causes of Religion I aduise thee to reade the ninth Booke of the Tripartite Historie where appeare many greate argumentes of his owne Faithe VVhiche he publisheth to the worlde from Thessalonica in a publike lawe to be suche as Peter had taught the Romaines and as Damasus who succeded Peter taught at that daie requiringe all his subiectes to beleue the same He required not them to folow his owne Priuate Faithe but Peters Faith and the Popes Faithe And whereas there were two Bishoppes of Alexandria at that time the one whose name was Peter holdinge with the Bishop of Rome the other named Lucius not so Theodosius commaunded his subiectes to beleue as Peter did who folowed the firste Peter and Damasus the Bishop of Rome Touchinge the thirde generall Councell it was kepte in deede vnder Theodosius the yonger at Ephesus But he was not supreme head there Yea rather who knoweth not that Cyrillus being him selfe Patriarke of Alexandria yet was president at Ephesus bearinge the steede and person of Pope Celestine If Cyrill was in steede of the Bishop of Rome there president who maie doubt but that he was Supreme Head of the Churche in whose name the President sate Dothe the President of the Queenes Maiesties Counsell vse to sitte at her counsell in the name of any other inferiour person If Theodosius were supreme and chiefe why sate not Cyrill in his name as president But seinge that Photius writeth and Nicephorus also that Cyrill Archebishop of Alexandria sate in the steede of Celestine Pope of Rome ouer that Councel kepte at Ephesus vndoubtedly it can not be denied but that Celestine was supreme head as well of the Churche as of the Generall Councell It is not therefore onely to be considered that Theodosius sente abroade his messengers to summon the Fathers to the Generall Councell but also it is to be considered by whose auctoritie it was donne If in our time it had pleased the Emperoure Ferdinande of Famouse Memorie to haue sente his Messengers to the Kinges and Princes of Spaine Fraunce Englande Hungarie Bemelande Pole and to the Estates and Dukes of Italie and Germanie to summon them to the Councell whiche the Pope thought good to indict at Trente I thinke verely the Pope woulde haue thanked the Emperoure for it and him selfe should haue saued so muche charges as men of experience know suche an enterprise to require But now sith the Pope hath of his owne sufficient to beare the charges of suche affaires he asketh not any more of the Emperoure suche expenses as in olde time to that necessarie pourpose by the Emperours were allowed Laste of all Martian saie you called the fourthe Generall Councell at Chalcedon VVe answeare He called it not in suche sorte as ye meane to witte as supreme Head and ruler thereof but as one hable to sende messengers for the Bishoppes about the worlde and to susteine the charges also willinge
your Popes Holinesse so entitled wee finde neuer Onlesse it be in somme certaine late Decrees and Gloses of his owne Al be it you of late haue mutche abated the Emperoures Honoure and haue made him onely the Popes man For thus yee saie Imperator Occidentis est Procurator siue Defensor Romanae Ecclesiae The Emperoure of the Weaste is the Proctoure or Stewarde of the Churche of Rome Yet Chrysostome saithe Imperator est Summitas Caput omnium super terram hominuÌ„ The Emperoure is the Toppe and Heade of al menne vpon the Earthe In the Councel of Chalcedon the Emperoure is called Dominus Vniuersi Mundi The Lorde of the Whole Worlde Perhaps ye wil saie The State of the Empiere is nowe empouerished And therefore the Emperoure hathe loste his Title Yet your owne Doctours Glosers coulde haue tolde you Iura communia dicunt quòd Imperator est Dominus Mundi NotwithstaÌ„ding the decaie of yâ— Empiere The Common Lawes saie that the Emperoure is the Lorde of the Worlde Rob. Holâ—ote speakinge of the Emperoure of Germanie saithe thus Hic est Rex Regum cui omnes subditae sunt Nationes Populi c. The Emperoure is the Kinge of Kinges vnto whom al Nations and Countries be in subiection The Romaines of late yeeres wrote thus vnto the Emperoure Conradus Excellentissimo Praeclarissimo Vrbis Oibis totius Oâ—mino c. Vnto the moste excellente and moste Noble Emperoure the Lorde bothe of the Cittie and also of al the whole Worlde Therefore M. Hardinge to moue this vaine quarrel without somme cause it was great folie Councelles ye saie In olde times were holden by Authoritie of the Pope For proufe whereof yee allege Socrates in the eight booke and the seconde Chapter But Woorde or Sentence yee allege none Howe be it it was a great ouersight to allege the Eighth Booke of Socrates whereas Socrates him selfe neuer wrote but Seuen and so far to ouerleape your Authoure Notwithstandinge this smal Erroure maie wel be dissembled emongest so many How be it touchinge the thing it selfe yee maie as easily finde it in the Eighth Booke of Socrates that neuer was written as els where For in deede emongeste al that euer he wrote this thinge certainely that you allege he wrote neuer The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 5. Ca. 13. Diui. 1. And although the modestie and mildenesse of the Emperoure Ferdinando be so greate that he can beare this wronge bicause peraduenture he vnderstandeth not wel the Popes packinge yet ought not the Pope of his holinesse to offer him that wronge nor to claime an other mans right as his owne But hereto somme wil replie The Emperoure in deede called Councelles at that time yee speake of bicause the Bishop of Rome was not yet growen so greate as he is nowe but yet the Emperour did not then sitte togeather with the Bishoppes in Councel or once bare any stroke with his Authoritie in theire consultations I answeare nay that it is not so For as witnesseth Theodorete the Emperoure Constantine sate not onely togeather with them in the councel at Nice but gaue also aduise to the Bishoppes howe it was best to trie out the mater by the Apostles and Prophetes vvritinges as appeareth by these his owne woordes In disputation saithe he of maters of Diuinitie vvee haue set before vs to folovve the Doctrine of the Holy Ghoste For the Euangelistes and the Apostles vvoorkes and the Prophetes saieinges shevve vs sufficiently vvhat opinioÌ„ vve ought to haue of the vvil of God M. Hardinge For the sittinge of Emperoures in Councelles you treate a common place not necessarie No man euer denied but Emperoures maie sitte in them we acknowledge two sortes of settinge one for the assessours an other for the Iudge No Emperoure euer sate as a Iudge in Councel but many both Emperoures in person and their Lieutenauntes for them haue sitten as being ready to assiste and defende that whiche the Bishoppes had Iudged and decreed VVhat maner a seate greate Constantine had in the firste Councel at Nice Eusebius in his life and Theodoritus doth declare After that al the Bishoppes were sette in their seates to the number of 318 in came the Emperoure last with a smal companie A lowe litle chaire beinge sette for him in the middest he would not sitte downe before the Bishoppes had reuerently signified so mutche vnto him and as Theodoritus writeth not before he had desired the Bishoppes to permitte him so to doo Nowe thinke you that the Supreme head of the Churche should haue comme in last and hane sitten beneath his subiectes and haue staied to sitte vntil thei had as it were geuen him leaue Neither consulted he with the Bishoppes but required them to consult of the maters thei came for as Theodorite witnesseth Neither spake he there so generally as you reporte nor framed his tale in that sorte as you faine vniuersally of the wil of God ‡ but of the Godhed saieinge that the bookes of the Gospels and of the Apostles and the Oracles of the Prophetes doo plainely teache vs what we ought to thinke of the Godhed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the coÌ„trouersie about whiche the Arians made so mutche adoo was touchinge the equalitie of Godhed in Christe and his consubstantialitie with God the Father And by those wordes and other whiche there he vttered he tooke not vpon him to define or Iudge but onely to exhorte them to agree together in one Faithe For amonge those Bishops certaine there were that fauoured the Heresie of Arius Suche examples you bringe for defence of your parte as make mutche against you Not that you delight in making a rodde for your selfe but bicause you haue no better and somwhat must you needes saie lest the stage you plaie your parte on shoulde stande stil The B. of Sarisburie Emperoures ye saie sate in Councelles as Assessours onely but not as Iudges That is to saie thei sate by the Bishoppes helde theirpeace tolde the clocke saide nothinge Yet youre Doctours saie Assessor Episcopi non potest esse Laicus The Assessoure of a Bishop maie not be a Laieman But touchinge the mater it selfe Eusebius that was alwaies neare aboute the Emperoure Constantine wrote his life and was presente at the Councel saithe thus Constantinus quasi Communis quidam Episcopus à Deo constitutus Ministrorum Dei Synodos conuocauit Nec dedignatus est adesse considere in medio illorum consorsque fieri ipsorum c. Constantine as if he had benne a Common Bishop appoited by God called togeather Councelles of Goddes Ministers and disdeigned not him selfe to sitte in the middes emongest them and to be partetaker of theire dooinges Againe Constantinus him selfe saithe thus Ego intereram Concilio tanquam vnus ex vobis I was presente at the Councel emongeste you as one of you Againe Eusebius saithe Vnus Vnicus
Gospel euen as the owle doothe at the sonne risinge And albeit their trumperie be builte vp and reared as highe as the Skie yet euen in a momente and as it were of it selfe falleth it downe againe to the grounde and commeth to naught For you muste not thinke that al these thinges haue comme to passe by chauÌ„ce or at aduenture It hath benne Gods pleasure that againste al mennes willes wel nigh the Gospel of Iesus Christe should be spread abroade throughout yâ— who le worlde at these daies And therefore menne folowinge Goddes commaundemente haue of theire owne free wil resorted vnto the Doctrine of Iesus Christe And for our partes truely wee haue sought hereby neither glorie nor wealthe nor pleasure nor ease For there is plentie of al these thinges with our Aduersaries And when wee were of theire side we enioied sutche worldly commodities mutche more liberally and bountifully then wee doo now Neither doo wee esche we Concorde and Peace But to haue peace with man wee wil not be at warre with God The name of Peace is a sweete and pleasante thinge saith Hilarius But yet beware saithe he Peace is one thinge and bondage is an other For if it shoulde so be as they seeke to haue it that Christe shoulde be commaunded to keepe silence that the Truthe of the Gospel shoulde be betraied that horrible errours shoulde be cloked that Christian mennes eies shoulde be bleared and that they might be suffred to conspire openly againste God this were not a Peace but a most vngodly couenaunt of seruitude There is a Peace saithe Nazianzene that is vnprofitable againe there is a Discorde saithe he that is profitable For we muste conditionally desire Peace so far as is lawful before God and so far as we maie conueniently For otherwise Christe him selfe brought not Peace into the worlde but a swerde Wherefore if the Pope wil haue vs reconciled to him his duetie is first to be reconciled to God For from thence saithe Cyprian springe Schismes and Sectes bicause menne seeke not the Heade and haue not their recourse to the Fountaine of the Scriptures and keepe not the Rules geuen by the Heauenly Teacher For saithe he that is not Peace but vvarre neither is he ioined vnto the Churche vvhiche is seuered from the Gospel As for these menne thei vse to make a marchendise of the name of Peace For that Peace whiche they so â—aine would haue is onely a reast of idle bellies They wee might easily be brought to atonemente touchinge al these maters were it not that Ambition Gluttonie and excesse doothe let it Hence commeth theire whyninge theire harte is on their Halfepennie Out of doubte theire clamours and stirres be to none other ende but to mainteine more shamefully and naughtily il gotten goodes Nowe a daies the Pardoners complaine of vs the Dataries the Popes Collectours the Bawdes others whiche thinke gaine to be godlinesse and serue not Iesus Christe but theire owne bellies Many a daie agoe and in the olde worlde a woonderful greate aduantage grewe hereby to these kinde of people But now they recken al is loste vnto theÌ„ that Christe gaineth The Pope him selfe maketh a greate complaint at this present that Charitie in people is waxen colde And why so trow yee Forsoothe bicause his profites decaie more and more And for this cause dooth he hale vs into hatred al that euer he maie laieinge lode vpon vs with despiteful railinges condemning vs for Heretiques to the ende they that vnderstand not the meter maie thinke there be no woorse menne vpon earthe then wee be Notwithstanding we in the meane season are neuer the more ashamed for al this neither ought we to be ashamed of the Gospel For we sette more by the Glorie of God then wee doo by the estimation of menne Wee are sure al is true that wee teache and wee maie not either goe againste our owne conscience or beare any witnesse againste God For if we denie any parte of the Gospel of Iesus Christe before menne he on the other side wil denie vs before his Father And if there be any that wil stil be offended and cannot endure Christes Doctrine sutche saie wee be blinde and Leaders of the blinde the Truthe neuerthelesse muste be preached and preferred aboue al and wee muste with patience waite for Goddes Iudgemente Let these folke in the meane time take good heede what thei doo and let them be wel aduised of theire owne Saluation and cease to hate and persecute the Gospel of the Sonne of God for feare lest they feele him once a redresser and reuenger of his owne cause God wil not suffer him selfe to be made a mockinge stocke The world espieth a good while agoe what there is adooinge abroade This flame the more it is keapte downe so mutche the more with greater force and strengthe doothe it breake out and flie abroade The vnfaithfulnesse shal not disapointe Goddes faithful promisse And if they shal refuse to laie awaie this theire hardenesse of hart and to receiue the Gospel of Christe then shal Publicanes and sinners goe before them into the Kingedome of Heauen God and the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe open the eies of them al that they maie be hable to see that blessed hope whereunto thei haue benne called so as we maie altogeather in one glorifie him alone who is the true God and also that same Iesus Christe whom he sente downe to vs from Heauen vnto whom with the Father and the Holy Ghoste be geeuen al Honoure and Glorie Euerlastingly So be it FINIS To Maister Hardinge IT appeareth M. Hardinge by that yee haue lately sente vs ouer and specially by the vnpleasante verdure of your speache that my late Replie hath sommewhat disordered your quiete minde VVhiche thinge notwithstandinge I mighte easily haue gheassed was not vnlikely to comme to passe specially beinge before not vtterly vnskilful of your affections Yet as I neuer sought to write any thinge that of pourpose and iustely mighte offende you the righte of the cause and the Defence of the Truthe euermore foreprised euen so am I nowe righte soary to see you so vnhable to maister your passions and so vnaduisedly to make them open vnto so many If it greeue you in respecte of your credite for that I haue thus discouered your errours that was your faulte it was not mine If yee had not made your errours knowen they shoulde neuer of my parte haue benne discouered If you knewe how soary I am in your behalfe yee would not so impatientely be offended It misliketh you that I haue alleged so many Doctours and Councelles and as you saie haue so ambitiously painted my Margine with so many Authorities bothe Greeke and Latine Yet you for your parte haue not spared ouer and bisides these twoo tongues to painte your Margine for a surcharge with woordes in Hebrewe bisides other sutche rankes of your Englishe Scholies so many so thicke and so close togeather that it
were a harde mater to force in one woorde of Truthe to stande emongest them It is no courteous dealinge M. Hardinge to reproue that in others that you so commonly doo your selfe If the Number of Doctours haue offended you I doo not marueile A cowardely Chalenger woulde alwaies wisshe the Defendente to comme vnarmed vnto the fighte If I had alleged either no Doctours at al or nothinge to pourpose as your woonte commonly is to doo yee would haue borne it a greate deale better How be it my Authorities of Doctours and Councelles be they neuer so many yet as you haue vsed them are fewe yenough For of the whole number by your good skil more then three partes are leafte vntouched And in deede this was the wiseste waie Children where they cannot reade thinke it beste to skippe ouer VVhereas I examine and laie abroade al the partes and branches of your Argumentes and shewe how directly yee growe to your Conclusions that your Reader maie see by what weapons yee seeke to maister him this you saie is a kinde of scoffinge Yee telle me I racke and alter and abuse your Argumentes and plaie with shadowes of mine owne But M. Hardinge if yee wil haue your Argumentes to passe smoothely without controlment then learne hencefoorthe to make them better Yee are ouer tender if yee looke to speake what yee liste and yet to heare nothinge but to your likinge and to sende abroade sutche simple wares to serue the people and yet maie suffer noman to telle you of it Verily where yee saie I haue of pourpose Changed your Argumentes if yee make them otherwise then I haue made them hauinge alwaies an eie vnto your Conclusion yee shal be forced to make them woorse Touchinge the Scoffes wherewith yee finde your selfe so mutche agreeued doubtelesse who so had that grace that is in you as maie wel appeare throughout al your Bookes might soone deserue to be called a scoffer VVhere yee saie you and your Felowes haue espied a thousande fowle greate Lies in my writinges had not one of you benne a greate Father of Lies ye coulde neuer haue hitte so readily vpon the number Sutche an Auditoure I trowe was he that founde vs oute eleuen thousande Lies in Sleidans storie The very multitude hereof and the hugenesse of the heape as it be wraieth wel your stomake so in any indifferent iudgemente it decaieth the credite of your reckeninge A man maie reasonably thinke it is as possible to finde twoo hundred and fiftie Vntruthes in your Booke as in mine to finde a thousande Verily as I neuer minded to defende any thinge what so euer that in any my writinges shal be founde amisse so I see by the viewe of your accomptes it were no harde mater with your eies to finde Vntruthes in the Gospel For what so euer I saie be it neuer so true yet if it like not your taste it is a Lie VVhatsoeuer I allege or translate it is corrupted So euil is my lucke I can touche nothinge but it is either too mutche or too litle or too shorte or too longe or too blacke or too white or one waie or other it standeth awry If I translate Nonnulli Sacerdotes Sundrie Priestes yee crie oute A corrupter a falsarie I shoulde haue saide Certaine Priestes or Somme Priestes but I shoulde not in any wise haue saide Sundrie If I translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnà nutritos Fedde togeather yee telle the worlde It is Falsehedde it is fowle corruption Thus yee saie I shoulde haue translated it Eodem cibo alitos Fedde vvith one kinde of meate as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke were not Vnà in Latine or had not Relation to the Place Deale herein with your frendes M. Hardinge as you maie The Greeke Reader wil allow you no sutch Translations If I happen to saie M. Hard saithe The thing that vvee receiue in the Sacramente is no Breade Yee crie Alarma Looke yee saie in my Booke Reader M. Ievvel is an vntrue man Here he is taken vvith a lie Marke vvel I saie It is not Breade I saie not It is No Breade Not Breade yee saie No Breade yee saie not As if there were so many miles distance bitweene No and Nor. These and sutche like be the shameful Vntruthes and horrible Lies that you and your Felowes with greate seekinge and diligence haue espied And thus if a man happen to vse Ensis for Gladius or Nam for Enim or Que for Et yee thinke it cause sufficiente to make a Tragedie How be it I doubte not but in my Replie beinge so longe and so ful of necessarie allegations yee maie happen to finde somme ouer sightes of greatter importance And in acknowledginge and refourminge of the same yee shal finde me as sharpe and eger as your selfe But these fewe examples I haue touched by the waie that it mighte appeare howe inquisitiue and fierce yee are to seeke occasions and that your Reader maie see yee hunte wantonly and renne riote and open oftetimes without a cause Yet notwithstandinge if yee can telle vs sadly as your manner is that M. Iewel bringeth triflinge obiections and trasshe and pelfe and nothinge to pourpose without learninge without reason without witte that he racketh that he stretcheth that he wringeth that he wreasteth that he nippeth and clippeth the Doctours and Councelles for these be the woordes whereby yee thought yee mighte beste vtter your preaty fansies If yee can crie oute False partes False reportes False dealinges False Marchantes False Ballance False Dise and al is False If yee can saie Loe Sir Defender yee vvrangle yee trifle yee are taken tardee yee haue proued nothinge yee haue nothinge to ansvveare If yee can thus saie and saie it boldely it shal be sufficiente al is safe your frendes wil thinke yee haue saide sommewhat and that yee woulde neuer haue framed sutche a countenance to saie nothinge Yee telle vs ful often wee are no Bishoppes I trowe for that wee haue not sworne our obedience to the Pope And therefore yee geeue the worlde to vnderstande wee can consecrate no Ministers wee can holde no Synodes we canne doo nothinge Euen so certaine your Forefathers in Olde times tolde S. Paule He was no Apostle and others afterwarde by like authoritie tolde S. Basile and S. Hilarie they were no Bishoppes But M. Hardinge they were False Apostles they were Arian Heretiques that so tolde them It booteth not to trie our titles before you VVee wil onely saie with S. Paule By the Grace of God vvee are that vvee are And wee truste wee haue not his Grace in vaine But specially and aboue al other thinges and that throughout al your three Bookes yee saie that Sir Defender is vnlearned that his beste skil is in a fewe Figures of Rhetorique that he hath neither Greeke nor Logique nor Philosophie nor Diuinitie that he hath readde no kinde of Doctours nor Newe nor Olde nor of his owne nor of
Councel of your Priuate Masse VVhiche thinge thus of your parte confessed to our pourpose is sufficiente Now touchinge the Authoritie of your Amphilochius not long sithence yee thought his force had benne inuincible And therefore yee stoode vp alofte and braied alowde Novve M Ievvel and his Consacramentaries doo stagger I doubte not And for that cause as if it had benne somme greate woorthy Authoure yee alleged him seuen times with special reuerence in one Booke And yet nowe at the laste yee are contente for shame to turne him ouer and to let him goe Perhaps yee thought for the while a weake threede was sufficient to leade the people and that as folkes vse sommetimes to please children yee might quenche their thirste with an emptie cuppe Thus mutche hitherto touchinge somme partes of your Reioinder Concerninge your Former Booke whiche yee haue intitled a Confutation I neede to saie nothinge By the iudgemente of the wise it saithe sufficiently of it selfe But what meante you M. Hardinge therein to make so large discourse I wil not saie in the Defence for that woorde your frendes maie not beare but at the leaste in the fauoure of Open Stevves and to calle the same Malum necessarium that is to saie although an il thinge yet sutche a thinge as no good Common weale maie be without it VVhat meante you to that purpose to shewe vs the name and Authoritie of S. Augustine and thus to vpbraide vs in the ende In good soothe Maisters ye are too yonge to cōtrolle the Cittie of Rome in her doinges VVhat needed you to bestowe so fine eloquence in so fowle a cause Is vice growen so colde in Louaine that it muste be enflamed and authorized by open VVritinge VVhat meante you to allege the Prophete Dauid the Euangeliste S. Mathevve and S. Paule the Apostle for proufe of your Pardonnes VVil yee telle vs that Dauid Matthevve and Paule were Pardoners Or if yee dare to telle vs so must wee beleeue it If yee so manifestly mocke vs with open folies howe maie wee truste you in higher Mysteries S. Paule saithe Though our outwarde man be corrupted yet our inwarde man is renewed daie by daie Here yee telle vs in greate soothe that these woordes vndoubtedly serue to proue Purgatorie Christe saithe vnto Peter I haue praied for thee c. Therefore yee saie Christe novve requireth vs not to be obediente to Peter or Paule but to the Pope that sitteth in theire Chaire Christe saithe The Sonne of Man came not to destroie but to saue Ergo saie you The Breade and VVine in the Sacramente lose no parte of their former vertues but remaine in Fourmes and Accidentes euen as they vvere before as if the Sonne of God had come downe from Heauen to saue Accidentes Thus yee nippe of the sense and meaninge of the Holy Scriptures and feede vs onely with emptie woordes as if yee woulde pike awaie the corne and geeue vs the chaffe or conueigh awaie the iewels and throwe vs the bagge O M. Hardinge be not wilful let your owne conscience leade you VVas this the meaninge of S. Paule was this the comminge of Christe into the worlde was this the sense of the Holy Ghoste I wil not saie what Olde Doctour or Anciente Father but what Summiste what Canoniste what Childe what Heretique euer either so vndiscretely or so vnreuerently vsed the VVoorde of God I leaue the misconstrueinge and falsifieinge of so many Fathers the allowinge and soothinge of manifest Forgeries the vpholdinge of Abuses and open Erroures your weake Proufes your seely Coniectures your simple Gheasses your greate Ouersightes your bolde Affirmations your heapes of Vntruthes your disdeigneful Scornes your immoderate Scoffes your vngentile and vnciuile woordes as for example Villanes Theeues Fooles Disardes Lourdaines c. I leaue other your vnmannerly and vncleanely speaches Hungry Dogges eate dirty puddinges As common as life vvith beggers They serue the belly and the thinges beneath the belly VVas this a presente M. Hardinge meete either for the Modestie of a Virgine or for the Maiestie of a Prince specially sutche a Virgine and sutche a Prince so Chaste so Graue so Learned so VVise so Vertuous so Godly as Christendome seldome hath seene the like VVhat thought you that either her wisedome coulde not espie your fraudes and mockeries or that her chaste eares coulde quietly beare your lothesome talke Or thought you by the weight of sutche reasons to mooue Mountaines and to woorke woonders and to force her Maiestie to leaue christe and his Gospel and comme to Louaine to folowe you Yee threape her Maiestie fondely with kindenesse and as yee woulde haue the worlde imagine with good likinge and fauouringe of your side as if her Maiestie hauing benne brought vp from her cradle in the knowledge and feare of God and through Goddes greate Mercie and accordinge to his knowen VVil by the good aduise and counsel of the states of her Realme hauinge refourmed the House of God from the filthe and soile of your diuises shee stoode nowe in a mammeringe and were not hable to discerne either Falsehedde from Truthe or Darkenesse from Light or as if your Errours were not so grosse that a blinde man maie groape them with his Fingers Yee telle her Maiestie shee hath neither Parlamente nor Lavve nor Churche nor Cleregie The Churche of Englande yee commonly calle the Tovver of Babylon the Synagog of Antichriste and the Schoole of Sathan ye charge her Maiestie with disordered proceedinges with mainteinance of Infidelitie of Sacrilege of Schisme of Heresie For your possible power ye dishonour her Maiestie bothe abroade and at home where yee maie geate credite to your folies yee sclaunder the gouernmente yee disquiete her Maiesties louinge Subiectes yee breede Seditions yee procure Rebellions yee hazarde her estate And yet dare yee to pouder al this poison with a fewe dissembled and sugred woordes and to offer the same vnto her Maiestie for a presente VVel M. Hardinge if yee had foreseene the thankes that her Maiestie moste iustely yeelded you for your trauailes yee woulde not haue benne so bolde so rudely to presse into her presence It behooued you to be aduised not onely what yee wrote but also what Personage shoulde viewe your writinges If yee shal happen to write hereafter sende vs fewer woordes and more Learninge If yee shal diuise to talke any more of your Priuate Masse leaue your vagaries and goe directly to the pourpose Telle vs no moe sutche longe tales either of the Sacrifice or of other maters so farre from the question It is no good Logique to shifte of the thinge yee haue in hande and to mocke your poore Reader with an other Treade not so nicely and so gingerly M. Hardinge Saie not your Masse is a Circumstance and a mater of Facte and standeth onely vpon supposalles and gheasses and therefore needeth no further proufe VVhy soulde yee so trifle with the simple This is the Issue
that falleth out bitweene vs VVhether any one of al the Anciente Learned Fathers c. euer saide your Priuate Masse c. This is it that is denied If yee proue not this what so euer ye proue yee proue nothinge Bringe out somme Learned Father shewe somme Catholique Doctoure keepe them no lenger foorthe comminge The worlde looketh yee shoulde deale plainely Denie nomore the manifeste Truthe auouche nomore the open Falsehedde Let there be somme probabilitie and likelihoode in your saieinges Leaue your immoderate and vncourteous talkes They are tokens of stomake and not of Learninge Therein yee haue deserued the honoure aboue al others In sutche kinde of Eloquence noman can matche you but your selfe A good cause mighte haue benne pleaded with better woordes The more vntemperate and firy yee shewe your selfe without cause the more in the ende wil appeare your folie If yee haue hitherto taken any pleasure in speakinge il at my hande by hearinge il yee shal not lose it If yee bringe vs moe Fables of your Pardonnes and Purgatories If yee feede vs as yee haue donne with Vntruthes If yee depraue the Scriptures If yee falsifie the Doctoures If yee Conclude without Premisses If yee place your Antecedente at Rome and your Consequente at Louaine If yee stuffe so mutche paper and blotte so many leaues and shewe vs nothinge briefely if yee write none otherwise then yee haue donne hitherto no wise man wilgreately feare your force Deceiue not the simple They are bought with price They are the people of God for whome Christe hath sheadde his Bloude Your shiftes be miserable Yee trouble your selfe as a birde the lime The more yee sturre the faster yee cleaue the longer yee striue the weaker yee are Yee cannot bridle the flowinge Seas yee cannot blinde the Sonnebeames Kicke not stil againste the spurre Geeue place vnto the Glorie of God VVil yee nil yee the Truthe wil conquere God geeue vs bothe humble hartes and the people eies to see that al fleashe maie be obediente to his wil. Amen From London 27. Octobris 1567. Iohn Sarisburie ¶ A Table of the principal maters Conteined in this Booke A ABsolutioÌ„ of madde men 139. Absolution standeth not in the vvil of the Prieste 139. The Abomination of desolation 446. Abuses in the masse confessed by Pigghius 456. Refourminge of Abuses 133. Accidentes vvithout subiecte 253. Adoration of the SacrameÌ„t 269. VVee neede no Aduocates vnto God 316. Agreement in Religion 194. Altars or Communion Tables 333. S. Ambrose refused the Emperours iudgement in Ecclesiastical causes 689. Ambition in the Cleargie the cause of greate euil 409. Anacletus fondely misconstrued by M. Hardinge 226. 227. Antichriste 446. Antichriste in the Churche of God 447. 448. Antichriste shal couÌ„terfaite Chastitie 482. Antichriste in the Temple of God and vvhat Antichriste shal be 434. Antonius learned in the Scriptures 195. VVeemen dissemblinge themselues in mens Apparrel 376. Choise of Apparrel for Religions sake 346. 347. No difference in Apparrel 346. 347 348. Superstitious holinesse in Apparrel 344 345. Ecclesiastical brauerie in Apparrel 641. The Apostles equal vvith Peter 106 107 108. The Apostles aboue Kinges and Princes 397. The Apologie authorized 17. Athenes standinge 376 â–ª 377. S. Augustines iudgement refused â—98 Augustine the Italian Monke 11. Augustine the ItaliaÌ„ MoÌ„ke aliue at the time of the vvarre 493. Augustine the Italian Monke inflamer of the vvarre ibidem Augustine the Italian monke Bishop in Englande 492. The authoritie of the Doctours and Fathers 18. 19. Pretence of Antiquitie 495. 496. B. Bacon 454. Baptisme 203. Baptisme of Infantes 150. By Biptisme vvee are vnited vnto Christe 241. VVee are partakers of Christes Body and Bloude in the Sacramente of Baptisme 271. Christe is he that Baptiseth 215. The Povver of Baptisme 217. Baptisme is the Povver of Resurrection 221. Baptisme receiued vvithout Faith 216. Beleeue them not spoken of Antichrist and his follovvers 208. To Beleeue in God 84. The recantation of Berengarius 348. The Bernates lavvful vvarre against the Duke of Sauoye 389. Binding standeth in vvilful refusing of the VVoord of God 142. Bishoppes called and conuented before the Prince 637. 638. 639. A Bishop maie not put avvaie his vvise vnder pretence of holinesse 185. Bishoppes svvorne vnto the Pope and the fourme of the Othe expressed 43. Difference bitvveene Bishop and Prieste 198. Bishoppes vvithin the Princes checke 398. A Bishop bearing ciuile office 512. Bishoppes proude and disdeigneful in olde times 409. Bishoppes no Bishoppes 117. The substance of Breade remaineth in the Sacramente 231. The Bread is the body of Christ in vvhat sense 246. 255. 257. 479. 480. The Bread of the Sacrament passeth by natural digestioÌ„ by the Iudgement of Origen 258. 261. The Bread remaineth in substance as it vvas before 247. 248. 249. 251. 252. 257. The Bread chaÌ„ged in vvhat sense 247 248. 249. The Breade not annihilate 248. The Breade hath a certaine likenesse of Christes Body 254. The Buildinge and repairinge of Goddes Churche 716. Burninge of the Scriptures 477. C. Calixtus for Anacletus 226. The Calendar of Bishops names 374. 375. Carnal libertie 335. 336. Cathechumeni or Beginners in the Faâ—the 139. Catholike in many or in fevv 93 Catholike Churche and vvhat is meant thereby 49. Ceremonies 308. S. Augustine founde faulte vvith the multitude of Ceremonies 308. 309. Ceremonies more estemed then the commaundementes of God 308. 310. Vaine Ceremonies ought to be remoued vvith al speed conuenient 309. Ceremonies haue povver to quiet the conscience and to remitte sinne 554. Diuersitie of Ceremonies 309. Vovve of Chastitie and lavvful to breake the same 168. 169. 170. Counterfaite Chastitie a marke of Antichriste 183. Chastitie the gifte of God may not be commaunded by any man 167. No one Chiefe but Christe 340. Christes humanitie in one place 85 87 88. 89. Christe and the Pope haue one place of Iudgemente 95. Christes Body neuer promised to our bodily mouth 274. To touche or to holde Christ 288 Christe the onely Pope 106. Christes Bloude not in the holy Cuppes 265. Christes Body in one place 276. 277. Christians hated sclaundered 49. To approche vnto Christe 288. To receiue or beare Christe 285. 286. The spiritual receiuing of Christs Body 348. Christes Body crusshed torne vvith teeth 349. Christes Body geeueth life 241. Christes Body in Heauen 233. Christes Body verily presente in the holy supper in vvhat sense 271. 273. 276. The Christians in Graeciae and Asia abhorre the Pope and his Cleregie 457. The Churche of Rome is departed froÌ„ the primitiue Churche of God 566. The deformities of the Churche of Rome 568. The Churche in fevve 571. The Churche knovven by Gods vvoorde 3. The Churche of Rome can neuer erre true or false 430. 436. 437. 439. 440. 444. 445. Readinge of Chapters in the Churche 552. 553. The Churche is aboue the vvorde of God 557. 558. 559. 560. The Churche of Rome can not faile 565. The miserable state of the Churche of Rome 462. 463. The
not wel calle her the Holy Father In déede thus ye haue it prouidentely noted vpon your Decre talles Est quaedam Spiritualitas secundum statum quando est in statu Sanctissimo Spiritualissimo in hoc statu est Solus Summus Pontifex There is a certaine Spiritual Holinesse according to the state moste Holy and moste Spiritual and in this state is onely the Highest Bishop that is the Pope And a Special Statute of premunire in the Popes behalfe is written thus Papa de Homicidio vel Adulterio accusari non potest Vnde Sacrilegij instar esset disputare de facto suo Nam facta Papae excusantur vt Homicidia Samsonis Furta Hebraeorū Adulteria Iacob The Pope maie neuer be accused neither of Aduouterie nor of Murther Therefore it were as badde as Churcherobbinge to reason or moue mater of any his dooinges For what so euer he doo it is excused as are the Murthers committed by Samson the Robberies in Egypte by the Jewes and y◠Aduouteries of Iacob And againe In Papa si defint bona acquisita per meritum sufficiunt quae à loci praedecessore praestantut In the Pope if there want good deedes gotten by his own inerites yet the good deedes donne by S. Peter that was his Predecessoure in that place are sufficiente But S. Hierome saithe far otherwise Non Sanctorum Filij sunt qui tenent loca Sanctorum Sed qui exercent opera eorum They are not alwaies the children of Holy menne that fitte in the places of Holy menne but they that doo the woorkes of Holy menne Therefore I maie saie to you M. Harding as S. Augustine saith to Emeritus y◠Heretique Noli Frater noli obsecro nō te decet eisi aliquē fortè deceat si tamē quicquā deceat malos Emeritum certè non decet defendere Optatum Doo not my Brother doo not I praie you It be commeth you not Although happily it maie becomme somme other man If any thing maie becomme the wicked Yet verily it becommeth not Emeritus to defende Optatus in open wickenesse S. Hierome saith Si quis hominem qui Sanctus non est Sanctum esse crediderit Dei eum iunxerit socierari Christum violat cuius Corporis omnes membra sumus Qui dicit inquit Iustum Iniustum Iniustum Iustum abominabilis est vterque apud Deum Et rursus qui dicit Sanctum non esse Sanctum rursus non Sanctum esse Sanctum est abominabilis apud Deum Who so beleeuèth that man to be Holy that is not Holy and ioineth the same man to the felowship of God dooth villanie to Christe For al we are members of his Body It is written Bothe he that calleth a Iuste man Wicked and he that calleth a Wicked man Iuste are bothe abominable before God Likewise who so saith a Holy man is not Holy or An Vnholy man is Holy is abominable before God The Apologie Cap. 8. Diuision 2. 3. Yf we be counted Traitours whiche doo honoure our Princes which geue them al obedience as mutche as is due to them by Gods woorde and doo praie for them what kinde of men then bee these whiche haue not onely donne al the thinges before saide but also allowe the same for specially wel donne Doo they then either this waie instructe the people as wee doo to reuerence theire Magistrate or can thei with honestie appeach vs as seditious personnes breakers of the common quiete and despisers of Princes Maiestie Truely we neither put of the yoke of obedience from vs neither doo we disorder Realmes nor doo we set vp or pulle downe Kinges nor doo wee translate gouernementes nor geeue wee our Kinges poison to drinke nor yet holde foorth to them our feete to kisse nor opprobriously triumphe ouer thē nor leape into theire neckes with our feete This rather is our Profession this is our Doctrine that euery soule of what callinge so euer it bee bee it Monke bee it Preacher be it Prophete be it Apostle ought to be Subiecte to Kinges and Magistrates yea and that the Bishop of Rome him selfe onlesse he wil seeme greater then the Euangelistes then the Prophetes or the Apostles ought bothe to acknoweledge and to cal the Emperour his Lorde and Maister as the Olde Bishoppes of Rome who liued in times of more grace euer did Our common teachinge also is that we ought so to obeie Princes as menne sent of God and that who so withstandeth them withstandeth Goddes ordinance This is our Doctrine this is wel to be seene both in our Bookes and Preachinges and also in the manners and modeste behaueour of our people M. Hardinge The Doctrine of obedience apperteineth specially to subiectes The Bishop of Rome sittinge by due succession in the chaire of Peter in spiritual causes can haue no Superiour In temporal matters it maie be that in one age he hath acknowledged the Emperoure as the Lorde of that prouince where he liued as before Constantine al the Popes did liue in subiection and in an other age he maie be Lorde thereof him selfe Likewise S. Gregorie might cal Mauritius his Lorde either of courtesie or of custome and yet our Holy Father Pius the fourth shal not be bounde to do the like in consideration that the custome hath longe sence ben discontinewed Neither did S. Gregorie by that title of honour preiudicate vnto him selfe in any spiritual iurisdiction For that name notwithstandinge he gouerned the whole Churche and complained that Maximus was made Bishop of Salonae a Cittie in Illyrico without his Auctoritie not regarding that Mauritius the Emperoure was thought to haue willed it so to be donne And therefore he writeth to Constantia the Empresse that for as mutche as neither he nor his depute was made priuie to it that the thinge had benne donne whiche neuer was donne before by any of the Princes that were the Emperours Predecessours The B. of Sarisburie What néede you to speake so precisely and so nicely of your Causes Spiritual M. Harding Ye knowe that your Pope hath claimed and yet claimeth his Souerainetie not onely in Spiritual Causes but also in Tēporal as it shal appeare He wil saie ye are an il Proctoure and doo him wronge and goe aboute to abridge his right that wil so lightly exclude that thinge that he so gréedily wil haue included You saie The Pope can haue no Superioure in Spiritual Causes And yet by the Iudgement of sundrie your Doctours euen in Causes Spiritual the Councel is Superioure to the Pope and maie summone him and Iudge him and geeue Sentence againste him and depose him As hereafter it shal be declared more at large Thus is it noted of pourpose vpon your owne Decrees Cùm agitur de Fide tunc Synodus Maior est quà m Papa When the case is mooued in a mater of Faithe that is to saie in a cause Spiritual then is