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
and al the fiue Citties of Romandiola togeather with the Emperours Lieutenantes Territorie called Exarchatus and gaue al the same to the Pope Pope Steuin findinge him selfe wel contented with these benefites and séeinge the weakenesse of the Greeke Emperoure procured that the Empiere should be translated from the Greekes vnto the Frenche hauinge vtterly forgotten the benefites that he had receiued of the Emperoure to the intente that the Greekes beinge vtterly oppressed and the Frenche litle caringe for these thinges he alone might rule in Italie at his pleasure Touchinge Pope Leo the thirde whose Prouidence Policie ye so mutche commende the true reporte of the Storie is this The saide Leo beinge by violence depriued of his Bishoprike in Rome fledde for aide to Charles the Frenche Kinge and by him was restoared In consideration of whiche benefite he proclaimed Charles the Emperoure of the VVeaste Sithence whiche time the Empiere of Christendome hath benne diuided and weakened the Pope enriched and the Saracenes and Turkes aboue al measure encreased M. Hardinge If the Pope Zacharias deposed Childerike for so I finde him more commonly named the Kinge of Fraunce onely vpon his owne pleasure or displeasure as ye saie and placed Pipine for him can ye tell that storie and not see what a strength of auctoritie is in that See whiche is able with a woorde to place and displace the mightiest Kinge in Europe VVith a woorde I saie For I am sure ye can shewe vs of no Armie that he sente to execute that his will Is that the power of a man trowe ye to appointe Kingedomes Can the Deuill him selfe at his pleasure set vp and depose Kinges No surely And muche lesse can any member of his doo the same Remember ye what Christe saide when the Iewes obiected that he did caste out Deuils in the name of the Prince of Deuils Beware ye Sinne not against the Holy Ghoste who confesse that the Pope hath pulled downe and set vp Kinges VVhiche thinge vndoubtedly he coulde not do profitably and peaceably but by the greate Power of God And yet did that line of Pipine and Charles the greate whiche the Pope did set vp florishe aboue any other stocke that ye can name sence the inclination of the Romaine Empire VVhiche in that transposed state of greate a Kingedome maketh no obscure argument of Heauenly approbation and Diuine prouidence Neither did the Pope Zacharias depose Childerike because he fansied him not as ye slaunder but onely consented to loose his Subiectes from bonde of othe made to him at the generall and moste earnest request and sute of all the Nobilitie and Communaltie of the whole Realme of Fraunce findinge him very vnprofitable and vnmeete for the Kingedome as one who beinge of no witte and therefore commonly named Stupidus as muche to saie a dolte was altogeather besides like a Sardanapalus geuen wholly to belly chere and to filthy loue of VVomen Therefore in your owne woordes ye confesse a Diuine power in the Pope as by whome Cod directeth the willes of faithfull Princes on the Earthe The more suche examples ye bringe the woorse ye make your cause I woulde â—yer you to ease me of the labour of prouinge suche a notable facte The B. of Sarisburie Pope Zacharias deposed Childericus as you calle him or as somme other cal him Chilpericus the Frenche Kinge Therefore ye saie wée muste néedes acknowlege a Diuine Power in the Pope seinge him hable by his woorde to place and displace the mightiest Kinge in Europe For can the Diuel saie you at his pleasure sette vp and depose Kinges Verily M. Harding Christe him selfe calleth the Diuel the Prince of this worlde therefore woe maie imagine he maie doo somewhat in yâ— worlde And yâ— Diuel if ye wiâ—beleeue his woorde when he had sette Christe on highe vpoÌ„ a Mounte shewed him al the Kingedomes of the worlde he saide vnto him Al these thinges wil I geue thee if thou wilte falle downe and woorship me This is that power that S. Iohn saithe shoulde be geuen to Antichriste Reges terrae vires potestatem suam tradent Bestiac c. vt consentiant dentque Regnum suum Bestiae donec compleantur Verba Dei The Kinges of the Barthe shal geue their strength and power vnto the Beaste c. that they maie agree togeather and geue theire Kingedome vnto the Beaste vntil the Woordes of God be fulfilled Againe he saithe Mulier ea quam vidisti est vrbs illa Magna quae habet Regnum super Reges terrae The Woman that thou sawest is that Greate Cittie that hath a Kingedome ouer the Kinges of the Worlde And againe he saith Data est illi Potestas in omneÌ„ Tribum Gentem adorabunt eam Bestiam omnes incolae terrae quorum nomina non sunt scripta in Libro Vitae Agni Power is geuen vnto that Beaste ouer euery Tribe and Language and Nation and al the dwellers of the Earth shal woorship the same Beaste whiche is Antichriste whose names be not written in the Lambes Booke of Life S. Augustine saithe Quia Antichristus ad tantum culmen inanis gloriae venturus creditur tanta ei licebit facere in omnes homines in Sanctos Dei vt nonnulli infirmi arbitrentur Deum res humanas negligere For that wee beleue that Antichriste shal comme vnto sutche a higth of vaine Glorie it shal be lawful for him to doo sutche thinges bothe towardes al menne Princes and others and also towardes the Sainctes of God that many weake menne shal thinke God hath foresaken the care of the worlde Againe he saithe Ita traditur de Antichristo quod omnes Reges superaturus sit solus Regnum obtenturus Thus it is written of Antichriste that he shal conquere al Kinges and obteine the Kingedome him selfe alone So saith S. Gregorie Antichristus veniens ipsas etiam summas huius Saeculi Potestates obtinebit Antichriste when he shal comme shal conquere the highest Estates and Powers of this worlde And al this shal comme to passe as Chrysostome saithe by the Dissolution of the Empiere whereof wee haue spoken before These be his woordes Donec Imprij illius timor fuerit nemo Antichristo statim subdetur Quando verò istud Imperium destructum fuerit vacantem Imperij Principatum inuadet tentabit ad se rapere hominum Dei Imperium As longe as the Empiere shal be had in awe noman shal streightwaie submitte him selfe to Antichriste But after that the Empiere shal be dissolued Antichriste shal inuade the state of the Empiere standinge voide and shal laboure to pulle vnto him selfe the Empiere bothe of Man and God This I trowe it is that the Pope proclaimeth him selfe the Heire Apparente of al Kingedomes This it is that Pope Nicolas saithe Christus Beato Petro Aeternae vitae Clauigero Terreni simul Coelestis imperij
theire Miracles Touchinge the Conuersion of the Easte India Vesputius writeth there were many Godly Bishoppes there and sundrie whole countries Conuerted and Christened longe before that either the Portugales or the Iesuites came thither and yet had neuer heard of the name of the Bishop of Rome As for the rest of the Weast Spanishe Indies the People there liued not onely without al manner knowledge of God but also wilde and naked without any Ciuile gouernmente offeringe vp mennes bodies in Sacrifice â–ª drinkinge mens bloud and eatinge mennes fleash Some of them woorshipped the Sonne and the Moone some an ancient olde Trée some what so euer they sawe first in the morninge they thought the same for that day to be theire God Some woorshipped certaine familiar Diuels and vnto them Sacrificed yonge boies and girles Beinge in this miserable state and naturally by the very sense and iudgement of common reason abhorringe and lothinge theire owne blindnesse what marueile is it if they were easie to be leadde into any Religion specially carrieingâ— sutche a shewe of apparel and Holy Ceremonies So the greate Kinge of Tartarie of late findinge him selfe and his people without any manner Religion was contented to borrowe some Religion of the Tuâ—kes For men would rather clothe them selues with leaues and barkes then to goe quite naked and rather eate Akecornes then die for hunger And what if God would vse this meane for the time after warde the better to leade the saide nations to the cleare Light of the Gospel as â— Augustine saith the shoomaker vseth his bristle not to sewe withal but to drawe 〈◊〉 his threede No doubte M. Hardinge if your Doctrine and ours were laide togeather the verie Indians them selues be they neuer so rude woulde be able to sée a great difference But let the Bishop of Rome winne abroade and lose at home You remember the olde Prouerbe Dionysius Corinthi Dionysius when he had lost his Kingdome at home at Syracusae he gotte him selfe to Corinthe and there became a Schoolemaister and so séemed to continue a Kingedome stil Wée make no boaste M. Hardinge nor gâ—ate vs to rowste as ye say nor â—lappe our winges in the behalfe of theise Princes and Countries so many and so many as it pleaseth you to sporte that haue submitted them selues to the Gospel of Christ Neither are the same so many and so many so sewe as you would séeme to make them The Kingedome of England the Kingedome of Scotland the Kingedome of Denmarke the Kingedome of Sweden the Dukes of Saxonie the Duke of Brunswike the Palsgraue of Rhene the Duke of Wirtenberg the Landtgraue of Hessia the Marques of Brandeburg the Prince of Russia al other the Earles and noble men and greate Citties throwgh the whole countrie of Germanie the mighty common weales of Heluetia Rhetia Vallis Tellina with so many hundred thousandes bisides in Fraunce Italie Spaine Hungarie and in the Kingedome of Poole Certainely al these wel reckened cannot séeme so â—ewe as ye would haue it Yewisse M. Hardinge it gréeueth you ful â—ore they are so many Yf God of his mercy blesse those thinges that he hath mercifully begonne it wil be high time for you shortly to séeke a newe refuge We boaste not our selues of these thinges There is no cause It is not the woorke of man it is the onely hand of God Dauid saith Let the Heauens reioice let the Earth be glad The voice of the Apostles is sounded abroade into al the world The Angels of God sange Glorie be to God on high The Angel in the Apocalyps crieth amaine Cecidit cecidit Babylon illa magna Down down is fallen that greate Babylon Tertullian saithe Parthi Medi Elamitae c. The Pâ—rthians the Medians the Elamites the people of Mesopotamia of Armenia of Phrygia of Cappadocia of Pontus of Asia of Pamphilia of Aegypte of Aphrica of Rome of Hâ—â—rusalem of Getusia of Mauritania of Spaine of Fraunce of Britannie of Sarmatia of Dâ—cia of Germanie of Scythia and many other nations and Prouinces knowen â–ª and vnknowen hâ—ue receiued the Gospel of Christe Thus saide they the Angels Prophetes of God Holy Fathers and yet without boastinge or fléeinge to rowste or clappinge of whinges Geue vs leaue therefore M. Hardinge in the like case to solace our selues with the consition of Goddes mighty and merciful woorkes and humbly to reioice at the triumphe of the Crosse of Christe Arnobius saithe vnto the Heathens Ne nobis de nostra frequentia blandiamut Multi nobis uidemur sed Deo admodùm pauci sumus Nos gentes nationesque distinguimus Deo vna Domus est mundus hic totus Let vs not flatter our selues of our greate multitudes Vnto our selues wee seeme many but vnto God wee are but fewe VVee put difference bitweene Nation and Nation But vnto God this whole worlde is but one house This counsel M. Hardinge is wholesome for either parte to folowe that who so wil reioice may reioice in the Lorde The Apologie Cap. 5. Diuision 4. And although the Popes had neuer hitherunto leasure to consider diligently and earnestly of these maters or though some other cares doo now let them and diuers waies pulle them or thoughe they coumpt these to be but common and trieflinge studies and nothinge to appertaine to the Popes worthinesse this maketh not why our mater ought to seeme the woorse Or if they perchaunce wil not see that whiche they see in deede but rather wil withstande the knowen Cruthe ought wee therefore by and by to be coumpted Heretiques bicause wee obey not theire wil and pleasure M. Hardinge Sith Christe hath geuen to the Pope in Peter whose laufull successour hè is commission to feede his Sheepe Holesome feedinge beinge th end of that commission it is not to be doubted but he that ordeined thend hath also ordeined meanes belonginge to th end Therefore it is not the dutie of a good and humble sheepe to geue foorthe a malicious surmise that the shepheard wil not see that he seeth in deede but rather wil withstand the knowen Truthe And what so euer sheepe be disobedient and refuse to heare the voice of their sheepeheard whom Christe hath made ouer them the same be not of Christes folde And mainteininge contrary Doctrine to their shepeheardes true Doctrine iustly may they be accoumpted Heretikes The B. of Sarisburie To be Peters lauful Successour it is not sufficient to leape into Peters stalle Lauful Succession standeth not onely in possession of place but also and mutche rather in Doctrine and Diligence Yet the Bishoppes of Rome as if there were nothinge els required euermore put vs in minde and tel vs many gaye tales of theire Succession Pope Symmachus saithe In Papa si desint bona acquisita per meritum sùfficiunt quae à loci Praedecessore praestantur If the Pope wante vertuÌ„es and goodnesse of his owne yet the vertues that are geuen him
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
be confounded Of Abailard and Almarik and certaine other your strange names wée haue no skil They are none of ours Of Iohn Hus Hierome of Prage and Berengarius and other like vertuous Learned men wée haue no cause to be ashamed Theire Doctrine standeth stil and encreaseth daily bicause it is of God But as for yours bicause it is onely of your selues therefore it falleth daily and is now forsaken the worlde through You saie that the simple namè of Secte or Heresie wherewith S. Paule was charged was not so infamous or odious in those daies and that Tertullian called the Religion of Christe a Secte or Heresie without any manner blemmishe or note of euil It was néedelesse for M. Harding to auouche Vntruthe so earnestly without cause I graunte the name of Heresie or Secte emonge the Philosophers was not infamous Cicero saithe Cato in ea Haeresi est quae nullum sequitur florem Orationis But in case of Religion it was euermore emongst al men taken in il parte and condemned and coumpted odious Touchinge S. Paule in howe good parte the Iewes called him Heretique it may easily appeare by these woordes of Tertullus his accuser Inuenimus hunc virum pestilentem mouentem seditionem omnibus Iudaeis per vniuersum orbem ac Principem Sectae Nazaraeorum We haue founde this man to be a Pestilent and a wicked felowe mouinge sedition emonge the Jewes throughout the whole worlde and a Captaine of the Heresie of the Nazareines In sutche good parte they saide vnto Christe Arte thou greater then was our Father Abraham Thou arte a false Prophete and deceiuest the People Thou arte a Samaritane and hast the Diuel The like good parte Christ promised afore hande to his Disciples They shal caste you out of theire Synagoges Ye shal be hated of al men for my names sake In sutche good parte and meaninge was S. Paule called an Heretique And so M. Hardinge bisides others your owne Doctour Nicolaus Lyra would soone haue tolde you But muche more I marueile ye should so vnaduisedly saye that Tertullian called the Christian people a Secte or Heresie in good parte and as you saye without any blemishe or note of euil For the same Tertullian in the same Apologie saithe the Heathens commonly called the Christians Incestos Homicidas Infanticidas Sacrilegos Pessimos Nocentissimos Publicum odium Hostes humani generis Omnium Scelerum reos Deorum Imporatorum Legum Morum Naturae totius inimicos Aduouterours against kinde Mankillers killers of Children Churcherobbers moste wicked moste husteful the publique hatred the enemies of Mankinde guiltie of al kinde of wickednesse Enimies against the Goddes against the Emperours against the Lawes against good order against Nature it selfe Where so euer they sawe them they made an outcrie vpon them Christianos ad Leonem Non licet esse Christianos Haue these Christians to the Lion It is not lawful these Christians shoulde liue So S. Augustine saithe Factum est vulgi Prouerbium Pluuia defecit cause Christianorum It is nowe become a common Prouerbe emonge the people our raine faileth vs bicause of these Christians So Eusebius saithe the Religion of Christe was called Impiorum Christianorum Haeresis The Heresie of the Godlesse Christians These woordes M. Hardinge I trowe were neuer vttered without al manner blemishe and note of euil S. Hierome saithe Quod magis mirum sit etiam illud de Actibus Apostolorum videtur esse relegendum Fidem nostram in Christum Ecclesiasticā Disciplinā iam tunc à peruersis hominibus Haeresim nuncupatam And that wee maye the more marueile wee maye once againe reade this place of the Actes of the Apostles where we finde that the Christian Faithe and Ecclesiastical Discipline was euen then of wicked menne called on Heresie Euen as rightly M. Hardinge and vpon as good groundes you haue againe this daye condemned the same Gospel of Christe and in ans good parte meaninge haue called it Heresie But wée maye truely and simply saye with S. Paule Accordinge to this Secte whiche you calle Heresie wee woorship the God of our Fathers whiche is the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe The Apologie Cap. 8. Diuision 1. But the more sore and outragious a crime Heresie is the more it ought to be proued by plaine stronge argumentes especially in this time when menne beginne to geue lesse credite to theire woordes to make more diligent searche of their Doctrine then thei were wonte to doo For the people of God are otherwise instructed nowe then they were in times paste when al the Bishoppes of Romes Saieinges were allowed for Gospel and when al Religion did depende onely vpon theire Authoritie Nowe a dayes the Holy Scripture is abroade the writinges of the Apostles and Prophetes are in Printe whereby al Truthe and Catholique Doctrine maye be prooued and al Heresie maye be disproued and confuted M. Hardinge VVhere ye require your Heresie for so muche as it is so hainous a crime by plaine and stronge are gumentes to be prooued it is not vnfoowen how sufficiently and substantially that is perfoormed already by men of excellent learninge as wel of this age as of times paste VVas not Berengarius the first Author of your Sacramentarie Heresie by most plaine and stronge argumentes confuted of Lanfrancus B. of Canturbury and Guinundus B. of Auersa VVere not the Peterbrusians so whose Heresie ye holde against the Blessed Sacrifice of the Masse of the learned Abbot Petrus Cluniaccensis VVas not VVicklef so of Thomas VValden a learned man of Englande hathe not Luther and Oeclampadius benne so confuted in our time of that Holy and learned Father Bishop Fisher But whatshal I speake of particular men were they newer so excellent by whome they haue benne confuted sithe by Publike sentence of the Churche they haue bene condemned bothe in General and Prouincial Councels Therefore we thinke it not noede no we againe to prooue your doctrine so sufficiently condemnèd to be Heresie That the people be no we otherwise instructed then they were in times paste we confesse But whether better nowe then in our Forefathers dayes they that can consider the liues of them no we and of them that were then maye easily Indge The saieinges of the Bishop of Rome were neuer allowed for the Gospel His priuate sayinges and common talke might be erroneous notesse then other mennes But what he saith by waie of iudgement and sentence definitiue in doubteful pointes touchinge Religion suche saieinges of Peters successour for whome Christe prayed that his Faithe might not faile and who was commaunded by Christe to strengthen his Brethren we take for Truthe and the same obediently receiue So the Fathers assembled in Councel at Chalcedon receiued and agreed to the sayinge and writinge of Pope Leo nolesse then if Peter the Apostle and firste Bishop of Rome him selfe had spoken The Popes auctoritie we acknowledge
no scalunders And therefore Franciscus Zarabelia a Cardinal of Rome saithe thus Persuaserunt Pontificibus quòd omnia possent sic quòd facerent quicquid liberet etiam illicita sint plusquam Deus They haue made the Popes beleeue that they might doo al thinges what so euer they sisted yea notwithstandinge they were thinges vnlawful and thus haue they made them more then God You saye The Pope in his common talke maye be deceiued and erre as other menue maye but in his Iudgemente Seate and Sentence Definitiue of Religion be cannot erre as if ye would saye The Pope hath one Sprite in the Consistorie an other at home mutche like as one saide sometimes vnto Cicero in reproche of his inconstancie Aliud stans aliud sedens de Republica loqueris Touchinge the Common Wease ye haue one minde sittinge and an other standinge But Christe saide vnto Peter I haue praied for thee that thy Faithe should not faile Therefore saye you Wée receiue obediently what so euer the Pope speaketh in place of Iudgemente Hereby ye séeme to geue vs secretely to vnderstande that Christes Praiers were auailable for the Pope to kéepe him from errour not in the Churche or Pulpite or Closet or any other common or Priuate place but onely in the Consistorie and Councel in debatinge doubteful cases of Religion But how holdeth this arguments Christe praied for Peter that his Faithe should not faile Ergo the Pope cannot erre Verily S. Augustine saithe Nunquid pro Petro rogabat pro Iohanne lacobo non rogabat Vt de coeteris taceamus VVhat did Christe praie for Peter and did be not praie for Iohn and Iames I wil not speake of the reste Neither did Christe praie for Peter onely or for the Apostles but for al the Faithful that euer should be as him selfe saithe I praie not onely for them but also for al them that through theire preachinge shal beleue in mée How be it what saithe M. Hardinge he so obediently receiueth the Popes Decrees Yewis the Popes them selues wil not so receiue them Platyna saithe Acta Priorum Pontificum sequentes Pontifices aut infringunt aut omninò tollunt Nihil enim aliud isti Pontificuli cogitabant quà m vt nomen dignitatem maiorum suorum extinguerent The nexte Pope either breaketh or vtterly repeaseth his Predecessours Decrees For these litle petie Popes had none other studie to busie them selues withal but onely to deface the name and dignitie of the former Popes Where you saye The whole Councel of Chalcedon so estéemed the voice of Pope Leo as if it had benne the voice of Peter him selfe this M. Hardinge is a manifest Vntruthe as it shal soone appeare I graunte the name of Leo for his greate learninge and granitie was mutche regarded So. S. Ambrose for the like cause was called Orbis terrarum oculus Sacerdotum Archisacerdos Fundamentum Fidei The Eie of the worlde the Head Prieste of al Priestes and the Fundation of the Faithe So Paphnutius beinge no Pope was hearde against al the reste of the Councel of Nice So S. Hierome beinge neither Pope nor Bishop was receiued against this whole Councel of Chalcedon Neither did the Councel folowe Leo alone as the Vniuersal Bishop and Head of the Churche but ioined him together with others as estéeminge them of equal Authoritie For thus they made theire general shoote Omnes ita credimus Leo Papa ita credit Gyrillus ita credit Leo Anatolius ita credunt Thus wee al beleeue Thus Pope Leo beleueth Cyrillus thus beseueth Leo and Anatolius thus beleeue And with what credite can M. Hardinge saie The whole Councel of Chalcedon yelded vnto Pope Leo as if it had benne vnto Peter him selfe For it is certaine that the same whole Councel decreed against Leo and likewise Leo against the Councel For the Councel decreed contrary to the olde Canons that the Bishop of Constantinople emonge the foure Patriarches shoulde be the seconde in dignitie and that the same Bishop of Constantinople should haue and enioie one authoritie and like Priuileges with the Bishop of Rome The woordes be these Acqua Sāctisissmae Sedi Nouae Romae Priuilegia tribuerunt rationabile iudicantes vrbem eam ornatam iam Imperio Senaru aequis Senioris Regiae Romae Priuilegijs frui in Ecclesiasticis sicut illa habet Maiestatem habere negotijs The Fathers gane equal Priuileges vnto the Holy See of Newe Rome whiche was Constantinople thinkinge it to be reasonable that the same Cittie of Constantinople beinge now furnished with Empire and Councel should enioie equal Priuileges with the Princely Cittie of the olde Rome and in al Ecclesiastical affaires shoulde beare the same Maiestie that Rome beareth This thinge Pope Leo mutche misliked and founde greate faulte with the Councel and would in no wise consente vnto it Thus he writeth Quae per occasionem Synodi malè sunt attentata reprehenderam I reproued those thinges that were euil attempted by the Councel of Chascedon And againe Nullum vnquà m potuerunt nostrum obtinere consensum They were neuer hable to geate our consente And when these maters were paste by the consente of al the Bishoppes Lucentius Pope Leoes Legate came whininge in and besought the Councel that the whole mater might be repealed The woordes written in the Councel be these Lucentius dixit Sedes Apostolica quae nobis praecepit praesentibus humiliati non debet Et ideò quaecunque in praeiudicium Canonum hesterna die gesta sunt nob ◠absentibus sublimitatem vestram petimus vt circunduci iubeatis Viri Illustrissimi ludices dixerunt Quod interloquuri sumus tòta Synodus approbauit Lucentius the Popes Legate saide The Apostolique See of Rome whose commission wee haue maye not by any these dooinges be defaced Therefore wee beseche your honours that what so euer was concluded here yesterday in our absence in preiudice of the Canons ye wil commaunde the same to be blotted out The Honorable Iudges made him aunsweare That we haue talkte of the same the whole Councel hath allowed Thus many waies M. Hardinge the Vntruthe of your tale plainely appeareth For the Councel of Chalcedon estéemed not the voice of Leo as if it had benne the voice of Peter as you saye but rather contrariewise made lighte of it and weighed it none otherwise then they same cause Therefore Liberatus saithe thus touchinge the same Cùm Anatolius consentiente Concilio Primatum obtinuisset Legati verò Romani Episcopi contradicerent à ludicibus Episcopis omnibus illa contradictio suscepta non est Et licet Sedes Apostolica nune vsque contradicat tamen quod à Synodo firmatum est Imperatorio Patrocinio permanet When Anatolius the Bishop of Constantinople by consente of the Councel had obteined the Primacie notwithstandinge the Bishop of Roomes Legates stoode against it yet theire gainesaieinge coulde not be receiued neither of the
alone For Head and Spouse alone he is in one respect not alone in an other respect According to the in ward influence of Grace Christe properly and onely is Head of his Mystical Body the Churche But as touching the outwarde Gouernment the being of a Head is common to Christe with others For in this respect certaine others maie be called Heads of the Churche as in Amos the Prophete the great States be called the Heads of the People So the Scripture speaketh of Kinge Saule VVhen thou were a litle one in thine owne eies thou wastinade Head emong the Tribes of Israel So Dauid saithe of him selfe he hath made me Head of Nations Men be called Heads in as muche as they be in stede of Christe and vnder Christe after which meaning S. Paule saith to the Corinthians For if I forgaue any thing to whom I forgaue it for your sakes forgaue I it In persona Christi In the Person of Christe And in an other place VVee are Ambassadours in the stede of Christe as though God did exhort you through vs. To conclude in fewe according to inwarde influence of grace into euery faithful member Christe onely is Head of the Churche according to outward gourning the Pope vnde Christ and in sted of Christ is hed of y◠same As touching the Bridegromesbip we saie and beleeue that if we would speake properly Christ is the onely Bridegrome of the Church his spouse of whom it is said he that hath a spouse is a Bridegrome For from one of the Churche he begetteth children to himselfe But others are called Bridegromes Working together with Christe outwardly to the begetting of spiritual children whom neuerthelesse they begette not to them selues but to Christe And suche are called the ministers of the Bridegrome in as muche as they done his stede And therefore the Pope who is instede of Christe the Bridegrome of the whole Churche is called also the Bridegrome of the vniuersal Churche a man maie terme him the vicegerent Bridegrome The B. of Sarisburie I trust Gentle Reader thou wilt not looke I should answeare al M. Hardinges ordinarie idle talke So should I lose good time without cause and be ouer troublesome to thine eates O saithe he VVhat a world it is to see these Defenders They whiche haue not keapt the vnitie of the Sprite in the band of Charitie whiche S. Paule requireth but haue seuered them selues from the Body of the Churche tel vs nowe for soothe that they beleeue that there is one Churche of God O M. Hardinge if wée haue herein saide il then beare witnesse of the il If wée haue saide wel wherefore make you these vitter outcries What so euer ye haue conceiued vs to be yet might ye suffer vs quietly to saie the Truthe specially sutche Truthe as you imagine maketh so mutche for your selfe Ye say wée confesse that our Churche beganne onely about fourtie yeeres sithence and was neuer before No M. Hardinge wée confesse it not and you your selfe wel knowe wée confesse it not It is your tale it is not ours Wée saie and haue sufficiently proued and you knowe it right wel if ye would be knowen of that ye know y◠our Doctrine is y◠Olde yours is y◠Newe Yf ye wil néedes force your selfe to the denial it may easily be proued that by sutch Authoritie as your selfe may not wel denie onlesse ye wil once againe do now as ye haue twise done before Wée saie that our Doctrine the order of our Churches is older then yours by fiue hundred whole yeeres and more If ye wil not beleeue vs yet beleeue M. Hardinge he wil tel you euen the same Marke wel his woordes These they be It standeth not with Christe his promises made to the Churche that he should suffer his Church to continue in darkenesse these thousand yeeres past And thus by secrete confession he leaueth vs fiuehundred three score and sixe whole yeeres at the least that is to saie the whole time of Christe of his Apostles and of al the Godly Learned Doctours and Fathers of the Primitiue Churche Whiche time notwithstanding is thought a great deale better and purer then al the time that hath folowed afterwarde In this Diuision M. hardinge being attente and eger vpon his cause and claiming as mutche as he thought with any modestie he might be hable hath claimed to him selfe onely a thousand yeeres of the night and hath leafte vs welneare sixe hundred yeeres of the daie This is your owne witnesse M. Harding Consider wel of it It is your owne Therefore ye doo your selfe great wronge and mutche deface your owne credite so suddainely to saie our Doctrine is Newe Gods name be blessed it hath the Testimonie not onely of Christe and his Apostles but also of the olde Learned Catholique Fathers of the Churche And this is it that so mutche greeueth you that wee refourme our Churches nowe according to the paterne and samplar of Christes and his Apostles firste Institution For thereby the disorder and deformitie of your Churches the more appeareth Lirinensis saithe That thing must be holden for Catholique that euerywhere euermore and of al menne hath benne beleeued These general notes must be limited with this special restrainte VVhere as the Churches vvere not corrupted For otherwise there was neuer any Doctrine so Catholique ne not the Confessed Doctrine of Christe him selfe that hath benne receiued Euermore Eueryvvhere and of al menne without any exception But M. Hardinge these selfe same notes of Lirinests vtterly euerthrowe the greatest part of that whole Doctrine that you would so saine haue counted Catholique For neither reacheth to within fiue hundred yeeres of the Apostles time nor hath it that Antiquitte indeed that in face and countenance is pretended as it is plaine by your owne former Confession nor was it euer vniuersally receiued as herafter by Particulares it shal be proued It had neuer that vniuersalitie neither of al times and ages nor of al places and countries nor was it euer vniuersally receiued allowed of al men Therefore what so euer ye cal it ye cannot by your owne Definition cal it Catholique The Catholique Churche of God standeth not in multitude of Persones but in weight of Truthe Otherwise Christe him selfe and his Apostles had not ben Catholique For his flocke was very litle the Catholique or Vniuersal consent of the World stoode against it The Churche of God is compared to the Moone for that she waxethe and waneth as the Moone dothe sometime is ful sometime is emptie and therefore as S. Augustine saith is called Catholica quia Vniuersaliter perfecta est in nullo claudicat per totum Orbem diffusa est Bicause she is Vniuersally perfite and halteth in nothing and is not now shut vp in one onely Countrie as was the Churche of the Iewes but powred throughout the whole World Though the hartes of men haue often changes yet Gods
thereof are plaine yenough The sense is this The whole Body of Christendome was diuided into foure Patriarkshippes wherof the First was Rome the Seconde Alexandria the Thirde Antioche the Fourthe Hierusalem And eche of these was limited and bounded within it selfe Alexandria to haue the ouersight ouer Egypte Pentapolis Antioche ouer Syria Hierusalem ouer Iurie Rome ouer Italie and other Churches of the Weaste And herein wée haue the Exposition of Theodorus Balsamon that liued fiue hundred yeeres agoe and was Patriarke of Antioche and as somme of M. Hardinges trendes haue thought a man of greate Learninge Yet for as mutche as M. Hardinge here vtterly refuseth him not onely as a Schismatique but also as a man bothe of Learninge and Reason let vs therefore sée somme others Nilus a Gréeke Authour hereof writeth thus Sed vt etiam liquidiùs appareat Papam non imperare alijs omnibus Episcopis legatur Sextus Canon Synodi Nicenae quo Disertè praecipitur vt alijs Ecclesijs alexandrinus alijs Romanus alijs Antiochenus praesit vt non liceat alteri alterius prouinciam inuadere That it maie the more plainely appeare that the Pope hathe no Gouernment ouer al other Bishoppes reade the Six the Canon of the Councel of Nice There it is expressely Commaunded that the Bishop of Alexandria shal haue the rule ouer certaine Churches and the Bishop of Rome ouer certaine and the Bishop of Antioche likewise ouer certaine and that it be not lawful for any one of them to inuade an others Iurisdiction Farther he saithe Quòd si quis suis non contentus aliena appetit ille sanâ— meritò Consuetudinis Sanctorum Canonum violator haberi debet Yf any one of these Patriarkes not contented with his owne craue Dominion ouer others as doothe the Pope he ought of right to be called a breaker bothe of the Custome and also of the Holy Canons If M. Hardinge wil yet saie this Exposition is sottishe let vs sée in what sorte Others haue expounded the same Rufinus openinge the same Canon saithe thus Statutum est in Concilio Niceno vt apud Alexandriam in Vâ—be Roma Vetusta CoÌ„sueâ—udo seruetur vt vel ille Aegypti vel hic Suburbicarum Ecclesiarum solicitudinem gerat It was decreed in the Councel of Nice that in Alexandria and in Rome the Olde Custome should be kepte that the Bishop of Alexandria should rule ouer Egypte and the Bishop of Rome not ouer al the world but ouer the Churches of his Suburbs Likewise it was afterwarde ordred in the Councel holden at Constantinople Definimus Sedi CoÌ„stantinopolitanae Paria Iura Priuilegia cum Sede Veteris Romae Wee Decree that the See of Constantinople shal haue Rightes and Priuiseges Equal and one with the See of Olde Rome Therefore Nicephorus saithe Romano Constantinopolitano Episcopo Ex Aequo Paria sunt Dignitatis praemia Honorum iura The Titles of Dignities and rightes of Honour geuen to the Bishop of Rome and to the Bishop of constantinople are One and Equal For this cause Athanasius saithe Roma erat Meeopolis Romanae Ditionis Rome was the Moother Churche not of the Whole Worlde but of the Romaine Iurisdiction In like sorte the Emporour Iustinian saithe Ecclesia Vrbis Constantinopolitanae Romae Veteris Praerogatiua laetatur The Churche of Constantinople enioieth the Prerogatiue or Priuilege of the Churche of Olde Rome So likewise S. Augustine and other Learned and Godly Bishoppes in the Councel of Aphrica vnderstoode the same Canon And therefore they called the Popes Presumption crauinge Vniuersal Iurisdiction ouer al the Worlde Fumosum saeculi Typhum The smoky Pride of the world To conclude Nilus saithe thus Nunc cùm aliae Regiones assignaâ—ae sint Romano aliae Alexandrino aliae Constantinopolitano non magis hi sub illo sunt quà m ille sub hisce Seeinge there be certaine Countries appointed out for the Bishop of Rome certaine for the Bishop of Alexandria and certaine for the Bishop of Constantinople they are nowe nomore subiecte vnto him then he vnto them But al these perhaps were Sottes and theire saieinges Sâ—ttishe and noman is hable rightly to vnderstande these maters but he that can saie Consuetudo is Latine for a Commission or Mos parilis for Vniuersal Iurisdiction The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 7. And as for the Bishop of Rome who nowe calleth al maters before him selfe alone except he doo his duetie as he ought to doo except he minister the Sacramentes except he instructe the People excepte he warne them and teache them wee saye that he ought not of right once to be called a Bishop or so mutche as an Elder For a Bishop as saithe Augustine is a name of labour and not of Honour that the man that seeketh to haue Preeminence and not to profite maye vnderstande him selfe to be no Bishop M. Hardinge Neither the Bishop of Rome nor any other Bishop is worthy of the Name of a Bishop except he do the duetie of a Bishop Al this wee graunt But that he ought not of right to be so called of those whom he hathe charge ouer in case of omittinge his duetie thereto we saie that although in respect of his domeanouâ— he be not worthy to be called a Bishop â–ª yet in respecte of the Vocation Degree and Preeminence though he leaue his duetie vndone for whiche he incurreth daunger of damnation that Title perteineth vnto him of good right and so continually he is and ought to be acknowleged for a Bishop though an euil and an vnworthy Bishop likewise a Priest And whereas S. Augustine saithe that a Bishop is a name of labour and not of Honour he is to be vnderstand so as the Scripture is VVhiche in some places speakinge of two thinges that are bothe in dede to be affirmed the one beinge of more importance then the other denieth the one in comparison of the other c. Yet it semeth to be a secrete preparation towarde a purpose againste sutche time as the Princes Gouernemente shal mislike theire phantasies For where they Learned this Opinion concerning Bishops there Learned they also the like concerninge Ciuil Magistrates I meane VVicklef Amonge whose Heretical articles condemned by the Churche in the Councel of Constance this is rekened for the fiftenth Nullus est Dominus Ciuilis nullus est Praelatus nullus est Episcopus dum est in peccato mortali That is to saie None is a Temporal Lorde none is a Prelate none is a Bishop so longe as he is in deadly sinne The B. of Sarisburie This mater shal néede no greate contention The like woordes haue benne vttered by sundrie other Holy Fathers S. Chrysostome saithe Multi Sacerdotes Pauci Sacerdotes Multi nomine Pauci Opere Many Priestes there be and few Priestes there be Many in name and fewe in Laboure Againe Quomodò potest esse Magister qui Discipulum non habet Acquire Discipulum esto Magister
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
a greate inconuenience That the Pope him selfe for as mutche as he Ministreth Sacramentes Teacheth Exhorteth and occupieth him selfe in Spiritual affaires leaste of al others is therefore the lowest and baseste of al his cleregie Nowe M. Hardinge I beseeche you consider the weight and drifte of your owne Reason The Popes Charge is Spiritual saie you Ergo the Emperoure is bounde to sv veare obedience to the Pope By what Reason maie this Reason be proued Uerily by the same good Reason ye maie saie Euery Priestes Charge is Spiritual Ergo the kinge is bounde to svveare obedience to euery Prieste Yet by sutche proper Reasons the Pope hath auanced him selfe aboue al the states and Princes of the Worlde But your Holy Father Innocentius leste he shoulde séeme to wante Scriptures for proufe hereof allegeth also the woordes of God spoken vnto the Prophete Hieremie Beholde I haue set thee ouer Nations and Kingedomes to the intente that thou maiste pulle vp and scatter and builde and plante Ergo saithe he the Emperoure is Subiecte vnto the Pope These proufes ye saye Our Defenders coulde not find Further ye saie in your sober māner VVhen wil you forsake the Schole of Lieing Truely if there be any sutch Schole M. Hardinge you maie claime of good right to be the Maister Wée are as far frō lieinge as you are from saieing the Truthe But what make these woordes of Hieremie for the Bishop of Rome Wil ye saie that the Prophete Hieremie was the Pope Or that the Kinge then was sworne to be subiecte and loial vnto him What Kinge or Prince did Hieremie subdue What People or Countrie euer did he ouerthrowe One of your owne Doctours saithe Hieremias nullum Regem deposuit Sed intelligitur positus supra Centes Regna quasi habens Authoritatem super ea in annuntiando praedicando Vera. Nō de destructione Regum Mundi sed de destructione Vitiorum plantatione Fidei morum Vt illud Pauli Dei aedificatio estis Dei Agricultura estis Hieremie deposed no Kinge But wee vnderstande that he was placed ouer Nations and Kingedomes as hauinge Authoritie ouer the same in openinge and preachinge of the Truthe He speaketh non of the ouerthrowinge of the Kingedomes of the World but of the ouerthrowinge of vices and of the planting of Faith and manners In this sense S. Paule saith to the Corinthians Ye are Goddes buildinge Ye are Goddes tillage The very Glose it selfe saithe Vt euellas Regnum Satanae vt plantes bona vt aedifices Ecclesiam I haue placed thee to roote vp not the Kingedomes of the worlde nor the states of Common Weales but the Kingedome of Satan to plante good thinges to builde vp the Churche His whole Commission was limited with these woordes Posui Verbum meum in Ore tuo I haue put my Woorde in thy Mouthe Sutche Authoritie had Elias ouer Kinge Achab. And therefore he saide vnto him It is not I that trouble Israel but thou and thy Fathers house Sutche Authoritie had Iohn the Baptiste ouer Kinge Herode and therefore he saide vnto him It is not lawful for thee to haue thy Brothers Wife If it be true that ye woulde seeme to saie that the Popes Superioritie standet onely in thinges Spiritual wherefore then doothe Pope Nicolas saie Christus Beato Petro Terreni simul Coelestis Imperij Iura commisit Christe bath geuen to Blessed Peter the Right as wel of the worldly as also of the Heauenly Empiere Wherefore then did Pope Adrian thus write vnto the Emperoure Fredericus Romae nostra Sedes est Imperatoris est A quis in Arduenna quae est Sylua Galliae Imperator quod habet totum habet à nobis Sicut Zacharias transtulit Imperium à Graecis ad Teutonicos ita nos possumus illud transferre ab Alemānis ad Graecos Ecce in potestare nostra est vt demus illud cui volumus proptereà constituti sumus à Deo super Gentes Regna vt destruamus euellamus aedificemus plantemus My Seate is in the Cittie of Rome The Emperours Seate is at Acon in Ardenne whiche is a Foreste in Fraunce VVhat so euer the Emperoure hath he hath it of vs. As Pope Zacharias translated the Empiere from Graecia into Germanie so maie wee againe translate the same from y◠Germaines to the Greekes Behold it is in our power to bestowe the Empiere vpon who wee liste Therefore are wee appointed by God ouer Nations and Kingdomes to pulle downe to roote vp to builde and to plante againe This Authoritie I trowe reacheth sommewhat further then onely to causes Spiritual One of your own Doctours saith Magis esset acceptum Deo quòd per Solum pōtificem Mundus in Omnibus regeretur It were more acceptable vnto God that the worlde in Al Maters both Spiritual and Temporal were gouerned onely by the Pope That Innocentius addeth of the Sonne and the Moone yée saye is not a Reason but a Similitude This thinge maie easily be graunted For in déede it is a Similitude vtterly voide of either VVitte or Reason But who taught the Pope so childishly to plaie with Similitudes thereby to auance him selfe and to abase the Empiere of the world Who tolde him that the Pope is the Sonne and the Emperoure the Moone Or that the Emperoure is so far inferioure to the Pope as y◠Moone is inferiour to the Sonne Isidorus that liued sixe hundred yéeres before Pope Innocentius saithe quite contrarie Per Solem intelligitur Regnum per Lunam intelligitur Sacerdotium By the Sonne vvee vnderstande the Kingdome and by the Moone vve vnderstande the Priesthoode Whereby he geueth vs to consider contrarie to the Iudgemente of your good Father Pope Innocentius that as the Moone is inferioure to the Sonne so is the Pope inferioure to the Emperoure M. Hardinge But when Constantine was Baptized he gaue place to S. Syluester then Bishop of Rome and to al other Successours of S. Peter O how that irketh your haries that so great an Emperour and the first that openly professed Christianitie shoulde by the same Holy Ghoste who called him to the Faithe of Christe be made to departe from the Cittie whiche ruled the worlde and to yelde his owne Palaice partly a Churche to our Sauiour Christe partely a dwellinge house for the Bishops of Rome Aske of Constantine why he submitted his necke to S. Syluester VVe haue cause to thinke that Constantius the heretike sonne of Constantine was not very glad of his Fathers dooinge And yet God suffered him not to retourne and dwel at Rome but to leaue that Cittie free to the Rulers of the Churche The B. of Sarisburie Constantine ye saie gaue ouer the Cittie of Rome and al the VVeaste parte of the Empiere to the Pope and to his Successours for euer And this thing erye saie yrketh our hartes ful soare Yea verily M. Hardinge it irketh vs mutche in
the whole drifte of the letter or the very bare woordes as they lie ye mighte easily haue seene that this onely was S. Cyprians meaning His woordes be these Post ista adhuc insuper Pseudoepiscopo sibi ab Haereticis constituto nauigare audent ad Petri Cathedram vnde vnitas Sacerdotalis exorta est à Schismaticis Profanis literas ferre nec cogitare eos esse Romanos quorum Fides Apostolo praedicante laudata est ad quos Perfidia habere non possit accessum After this hauing a False Bishop appointed vnto them by Heretiques they dare to take shipping and vnto Peters Chaire and vnto that Principal Churche from whence the Priestely vnitie grewe firste to carrie letters from Schismatiques and lewde menne Neither cōsider they that the Romaines are that people whose Faith is praised by S. Paule the Apostle vnto vvhome Vnfaithfulnesse of reportes tales can haue no accesse If yee doubte of this Exposition reade these woordes touchinge the same goeinge before in the same Epistle Roman cum Mendaciorum suorum merce nauigarunt Quasi Veritas post eos nauigare non posset quae Mendaces linguas rei certa probatione conuinceret They saile to Rome with the Marchandise of their Lies as though the Truethe coulde not saile after them that by proufe of the certaintie might controlle their lieing tongues This is that Vnfaithfulnesse that S. Cyprian speaketh of and not the Vnfaithefulnesse of Faithe and Doctrine Nowe touchinge this Appealinge and fleeing to Rome leste yee shoulde thinke by occasion of these woordes that S. Cyprian alloweth it or thinketh wel of it ye shal finde in the same Epistle y◠he vtterly misliketh it condēneth it For thus he saithe Acquum est pariter iustū vt vniuscuiusque causa illic audiatur vbi crimen admissum est It is meete and right that euery mannes cause be pleaded in that Countrie where the faulte was committed c. Againe Oportet eos quibus praesumus non circumcursare It is not meete that they ouer whome wee haue Jurisdiction should renne aboute the Worlde He meaneth to Rome And againe Nisi paucis desperatis perditis Minor videtur esse Authoritas Episcoporum in Aphrica constitutorum c. Onlesse a fewe desperate and wicked menne thinke the Authoritie of the Bishoppes of Aphrica is lesse then the Authoritie of the Bishoppes of Rome By these woordes S. Cyprian maketh the Bishop of Rome equal in Authoritie vvith him selfe and other Bishoppes Wherefore I muste conclude with other woordes of S. Cyprian in the same Epistle Haec est Frater vera dementia non cogitare quòd Mendacia non diu fallant Noctē tam diu esse quoad illucescat Dies O my Brother this in deede is very madnesse not to thinke that Lies cannot longe deceiue The Nighte lasteth no longer but vntil the Daie beginne to springe The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 1. 2. Or if there be no perile that harme maie come to the Churche what neede is there to reteine to no pourpose the names of Bishoppes For so it is nowe commonly vsed among them For if there be no Sheepe that maie straie why bee they called Shepeheardes If there be no Cittie that maie bee betraied why bee they called VVarchemenne If there bee nothing that maie renne to ruine why bee they called Pillers Anon after the firste Creation of the Worlde the Churche of God began to spreade abroade and the same was instructed with the Heauenly Worde whiche God him selfe pronounced with his owne Mouthe It was also furnished with Diuine Ceremonies If was taught by the Sprite of God by the Patriarches and Prophetes cōtinued so euen til the time that Christe shewed him selfe to vs in the fleshe This notwithstanding how often O good God in the meane while and howe horribly was the same Churche darkened and decaied Where was that Churche then when al fleashe vpon Earthe had defiled his owne waie Where was it when amongest the numbre of the VVhole VVorlde there were onely eight persones neither they al chaste and good neither whom Goddes wil was shoulde be saued aliue from that Vniuersal destruction and Mortalitie when Elie the Prophete so lamētabldy bitterly made his moane that onely him selfe was leafte of al the Whole Worlde whiche did truely and dewly worship God and when Esaie saide The Siluer of Goddes people that is of the Churche vvas become Drosse and that the same Cittie vvhiche aforetime had ben faithful vvas novv become an Harlot and that in the same there vvas no parte sounde throughout the vvhole body from the head to the foote Or els when Christe him selfe saide that the House of God vvas made by the Phariseis and Priestes a Denne of theues Of a truthe the Churche euen as a cornefilde except it bee eared manured tilled and trimmed wil in stede of Wheate bringe foorthe Thistles Darnel and Nettels For this cause did God sende euer among bothe Prophetes and Apostles and laste of al his own Sonne who might bringe home the people into the right waie and repaire anewe the tottering Churche after she had erred M. Hardinge These and the like places haue ben already alleaged of olde time against the Catholiques by the Donatistes as S. Augustine sheweth and of late yeeres by youre scholemaister Iohn Caluine of Geneua VVe neede not to studie for newe answeres to the argument made out of these and suche other places mutche fitter for this purpose then these are sithe that the same is so wel answered by S. Augustine Oftentimes saithe he Goddes worde rebuketh the wicked sortes of the Churche so as though al were suche and none at al remained good For thereby we are warned them in their certaine number to be called al as mutche to sale al the children of hel But Sirs what if the Churche at the beginning of the worlde and at the general drowning was of smal number And what if the Synagog were sometime quite extinguished Must it therefore folowe that the church also after that God hath geuen to Christe his Sonne the endes of the worlde to be his possession maie nowe be brought to a fewe and to faile altogether VVhere was the Churche saie ye when of al the worlde there were but eight persons and they onely saued aliue from the vniuersal destruction Forsooth they were in Noes Arke And nowe haue we our Noes Arke also in whiche who so euer abideth not the same is drowned Neither were the Prophetes and Apostles sent nor Christe came him selfe to repaire a newe the Churche whiche had in faithe wholy erred but both they were sent and he came that it shoulde not wholly erre The B. of Sarisburie It is true that ye saie In the Holy Scriptures this woorde Al is often vsed in steede of Many And thus ye saie it fared with the Synagog of the Ievves for that then the Faithful were sommetimes broughte vnto a smal number sommetimes
saie Christes Immortal and Impassible Body it selfe is Broken Sommetime ye saie Our eies be deceiued and nothinge is broken Againe yee saie the First péece signifieth the Chruche trauailing in the world The Seconde signifieth the Blessed Sainctes in Heauen the Thirde signifieth the Soules in Purgatorie But Pope Sergius the Father of these fantastes conueieth his Mysteries an other waie For the Firste portion saithe he signifieth Christes Body after his Resurrection The Seconde christes Body vvalkinge on Earthe The Thirde Christes Body in the Graue These M. Hardinge be your Holy Significations Special Mysteries With sutche folies and Mystical vanities ye mocke the world In Olde times the Breade was not broken to busie mennes heades with Significations but onely to be deliuered to the people as in my Former Replie I haue declared more at large S. Augustine saith Panis benedicitur Sanctificatur ad distribuendum Comminuitur The Bread is Blessed and Sanctified and broken into peeces to the ende it maie be deliuered The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 2. Pope Clement saithe It is not lawful for a Bishop to deale with Bothe Swerdes For if thou vvilt haue bothe saith he thou shalte deceiue bothe thee selfe and those that obeie the. Nowe a daies the Pope chalengeth to him selfe Bothe Swerdes and vseth bothe Wherefore it ought to seeme lesse marueile if that haue folowed whiche Clemente saithe that is that he hath deceiued bothe him selfe and those vvhiche haue geeuen eare vnto him M. Hardinge If these felowes had not sworne to belie al the worlde for maintenance of theire newe Gospel they woulde at this time at leaste haue made a true reporte of S. Clementes woordes S. Clement speaketh not of two swordes The palace truely alleaged hath thus Si mundialibus curis fueris occupatus teipsum decipies eos qui te audiunt If thou be occupied in worldely cares thou shalt bothe deceiue thy selfe and those that listen to thee The Authoure of this Apologie hauinge spite at the Church whiche is Christes folde and at the Pope the heade Shepherde enuieing at his auctoritie forgeth a lie vpon S. Clement making him to saie Si vtrunque habere vis if thou wilt haue bothe swordes thou shalt bothe deceiue thy selfe and those that obeie thee VVhereas Clemente speaketh no word of the two swordes but of worldly cares where with what Bishop so euer is entangled shal as he saithe deceiue both him selfe and others that harken to him For whiche cause these Defenders being coupled with yoke fellowes in pretensed wedlocke which state wrappeth a man in worldly cares because sutche a one careth for the thinges of the worlde howe to please his wife and is diuided as S. Paule saithe it must needes folowe that hauing taken the office of superintendentes and charge of Soules vpon them they haue deceiued them selues and dayly doo deceiue so many as heare them and folow their false Doctrine The B. of Sarisburie O what a pleasante grace M. Hardinge hath to talke of Lies A man woulde thinke it were somme good parte of his studie In this place twoo sundrie Authorities the one of Clemens the other of S. Bernarde I knowe not by what erroure were ioined in one and bothe alleged and set foorthe vnder the name onely of Clements I graunte There was herein an ouersight But Lie or Falshedde there was none The woordes of Clemens are as you reporte them The woordes of S. Bernarde written vnto Pope Eugenius are these Planum est Apostolis interdici Dominatum I ergo tu tibi vsurpate aude aut Dominans Apostolatum aut Apostolus Dominatum Planè ab alterurto prohiberis Si vtrunque similiter habere velis perdes vtrunque It is plaine that vnto the Apostles of Christe Lordeship or Temporal Princehoode is forebidden Goe thou thy waie therefore thus he saithe to the Pope and dare thou to vsurpe either the Apostleship beinge a Lorde or a Lordeship beinge an Apostle From one of them vndoubtedly thou arte forebidden If thou vvilt indifferently haue bothe thou vvilt lose bothe Of sutche S. Hierome writeth thus Militantes Christo obligant se negotijs Saecularibus eandem imaginem offerunt Deo Caesari Beinge the Souldiers of Christe they binde them selues to worldly affaires and offer vp one Image to God and Caesar In the Canons of the Apostles it is written thus Non oportet Episcopum aut Presbyterum se Publicis Administrationibus immittere sed vacare coÌ„modum se praebere vsibus Ecclesiasticis Nemo enim potest duobus Dominis seruire A Bishop or a Prieste maie not entangle him selfe with worldly Offices but be at reaste and shewe him selfe meete for the vse of the Churche For noman can serue twoo Maisters Yet the Pope this daie claimeth the righte of Bothe Svverdes not onely of the Spiritual but also of the Temporal And Pope Bonifacius 8. in the Greate Iubilee and in the open sighte of the worlde when he had one daie shewed him selfe in his Pontificalibus apparelled in Procession as a Bishop the nexte daie he put vpon him the Emperours Roabes of Maiestie had the Emperial Crovvne vpon his heade and the Swâ—rde naked and glitteringe borne before him As for Pope Clemens his Canon is easily shifted by a prety Prouiso For thus saithe your Glose touchinge the same Cessante causa cessat effectus Verbi causa Prohibetur ne Presbyteri gerant tutelas hac causa vt meliùs vacent Diuinis Officiis Haec causa finalis est Vnde cessante hac causa cessat effectus Vnde si non vacent Diuinis Officiis poterunt gerere tutelas The cause endinge the Effecte endeth too For example The Lawe commaundeth that a Prieste shal not be charged vvith the VVardeship of a Childe in his nonage The cause hereof is this that he maie the better applie his Diuine Seruice This is the Final Cause This cause remoued the Effecte geeueth place Therefore if the Prieste folowe not his Diuine Seruice then he maie haue yâ— Wardeship of a Childe Euen so if the Pope doo not the Office of a Bishop then maie he be a Temporal Prince But by these meanes it commeth to passe euen as clemens saithe He deceiueth bothe him selfe and also them that heare him Touchinge this vaine obiection of the charge and cares of Marriage it is fully answeared before in a place more conueniente The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 3. Pope Leo saith Upon one daie it is lawful to saie but one Masse in one Churche These menne saie daiely in one Churche commonly tenne Masses twentie thirtie yea often times moe So that the poore gafer on can scante tel whiche waie he were beste to turne him selfe Pope Gelasius saithe It is a wicked deede and subiecte to Sacrilege in any man to diuide the Communion and when he hath receiued one Kinde to absteine from the other These menne contrarie to Goddes VVoorde
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 him selfe but of Freere Eckius that disputed against him Eckius and his felowes neuer beganne this mater for Goddes sake nor for Goddes sake wil they ende it For he sawe they had begonne were bente to ende it againste God as beinge enflamed with ambition and malice and procured and hired by the Pope Euen so M. Hardinge maie wée also truely saie You and your Felowes haue not begonne these your Contentious Vanities for Goddes sake nor for Goddes sake wil you ende them The Apologie Cap. 16. Diuision 8. Wherefore if thei wil weigh al these thinges with a quiet minde fully bente to heare to learne thei wil not onely allowe this determination of ours whoe haue foresaken Errours folowed Christe and his Apostles but themselues also wil foresake their owne selues and ioine of theire owne accorde to our side to goe with vs. Here endeth the Fifthe Parte The Sixthe Parte The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 1. BVt peraduenture they wil saie it was treason to attempt these maters without a sacred General Councel For that therein consisteth the whole force of the Churche there Christe hath promised he wil euer be a presente assistant Yet they themselues without tarrienge for any General Councel haue broken the Commaundementes of God and the Decrees of the Apostles and as wee said a little aboue they haue spoiled and disanulled almoste al not onely the Ordinaunces but euen the Doctrine of the Primitiue Churche And where they saie It is not lawful to make a chaunge without a Councel what was he that gaue vs these Lawes or from whence had they this Iniunction M. Hardinge If general Councels continewe in that estimation and Auctoritie they haue euer had theire priuate conspiracies and false conueiances in corners be like to be dasshed Nowe priâ—keth foorth theire Secretary who thinketh him self a fresh souldier in Rhetorike and geueth the onsette vpon vs with a blinde peraduenture But Sir what so euer you imagine vs to saie touchinge a General Councel we are not so simple as to graunt whiche your Peraduenture semeth to surmise of vs that your Heretical and moste vngodly matters whiche you speake of might without blame be attempted by licence of any Councel Sutche wicked changes in religion as ye haue made neither is it lawful to make with a Councel nor without a Councel The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 2. In deede King Agesilaus did but fondely who when he had a determinate answeare made him of the opinion and wil of mighty Iuppiter woulde afterwarde bringe the whole matter before Apollo to knowe whether he woulde allowe thereof as his Father Iuppiter had donne or no. But yet shoulde wee doo mutche more fondely when we heare God him selfe plainely speake to vs in his most Holy Scriptures and maie vnderstande by them his wil and meaninge if wee would afterwarde as though this were of none effecte bring our whole cause to be tried by a Councel which were nothinge els but to aske whether menne would allowe as God did and whether menne woulde confirme Goddes Commaundemente by theire Authoritie M. Hardinge For as mutche as the scriptures wherein God speaketh vnto vs be in sundrie places not moste open and plaine to humaine senses and many by mistakinge them be deceiued were it not wel done of you for the more suretie and better vnderstandinge of that ye goe about I meane in matters concerninge religion to folowe the iudgemente of the Catholike Churche represented in general councels Yea we saie boldely that surer it is in pointes of faithe to leane to the exposition of the Fathers agreinge togeather and to folowe the tradition of the Churche then to trust to your selues or to the letter of the scriptures scanned onely by your owne wittes For the Churche is promised to be lead into al Truthe by the holy Ghost Ye cannot saie any such promise hath ben made to your particulare company Therefore it were not fondly done as ye saie but wisely saie we if ye tried and examined your Doctrine which ye pretende to be according vnto the Scriptures by the rule of Ecclesiastical Tradition which is the chiefe rule to trie euery Doctrine by The B. of Sarisburie Wée neuer despised the iudgemente of the Learned and Holy Fathers but rather take them and embrace them as the Witnesses of Goddes Truthe And therein wée finde you the more blame woorthy M. Hardinge for that hauinge without cause renounced the iudgemente and orders of the Primitiue Churche and Anciente Fathers as to the wise and Learned it maie soone appeare yet neuerthelesse yée euermore make vaunte of your Antiquitie and fraie the world with a visarde of the Churche a shewe of Olde Fathers as if a poore Sommonere that had loste his Commission would serue Citations by the vertue of his emptie bore And thus haue ye set al your vaine fantasies in place of Goddes Churche and your Churche in place of God as by the woordes and witnesse of your owne Felowes I haue before shewed more at large For example Cardinal Cusanus saith Nulla sunt Christi Praecepta nisi quae per Ecclesiam pro talibus accepta sunt The Commaundementes of Christe are no Commaundementes Onlesse they be so allowed by the Churche Thus yée leaue Iuppiter and renne to Apollo or rather yée foresake God séeke to Man as it is written in the Prophete Hieremie Yee leaue the Fountaine of the Water of Life and rippe vp broken and filthy Cesternes that can holde no Water Tertullian thus vpbraideth the Heathens Apud vos de humano arbitratu Diuinitas pensitatur Emonge you the right of God is weighed by the iudgemente of menne But Clemens Alexandrinus saithe Quoniam ipsum Verbum ad nos venit de Coelo noÌ„ est nobis ampliùs eundum ad Humanam Doctrinam For so mutche as the Worde it selfe that is Christe is comme to vs from Heauen wee maie not nowe any more seeke vnto the Doctrine of Man Likewise S. Chrysostome saithe Fuisset extremae absurditatis eum qui edoctus fuerat à Deo postea cum hominibus communicate It had benne greate folie for S. Paule hauing receiued his Doctrine from God him selfe afterward to conferre thereof with menne that is to saie with Peter or Iames or with any others The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 3. Why I beseche you except a Councel wil and commaunde shal not Truthe be Truthe or God be God If Christe had meante to doo so from the beginninge as that he woulde preache or teache nothinge without the Bishoppes consente but referre al this Doctrine ouer to Annas Caiphas where shoulde nowe haue benne the Christian Faithe Or who at any time shoulde haue hearde the Gospel taught Peter verily whom the Pope hath oftener in his mouthe more reuerently vseth to speake of then he dooth of Iesus Christe did boldely stand against the Holy Councel saieing It is better to obey God then Men. And after yâ— Paule
his sentence whereunto all the reste almost gaue their consente It is expedient for vs that one man die for the people and not that all the Nation perishe the Euangeliste thereto added his verdite sayinge This he saide not of him selfe but whereas he was highe Bishop of that yere he Prophecied Therefore let this be the true conclusion of the whole matter The actes of that councell were wicked the sentence was true and good Nowe Hosius treateth this matter so learnedly and so substantially as you can not truely take any aduantage of his woordes to reprehende him He stateth him selfe vpon the Scripture a good grounde to stande vpon VVhiche Scripture referreth doubt full and harde questions to the Priestes of the Leuiticall order Of whome it is saide Indicabunt tibi Iudicij Veritatē They shal shewe vnto thee the Truth of Iudgement In this iudgement saieth Hosius though it were neuer so wicked yet was the truthe of iudgement How that might be there he proueth it to Brentius by moste manifest argumentes VVhere ye impute to Hosius to haue saide that the same plainely was a iuste decree whereby they pronounced that Christe was woorthy to die that is your slaunderous lie not Hosius saieinge * For he saieth the cleane contrary and that sundry times that it was a wicked Councell and moste vniuste decree God forebidde any Christen man should saie that Christe was woorthy to die He saithe it might haue benne truely pronounced by Caiphas that he was gilty of deathe And there he sheweth how very religiously and wisely admonishinge the reader that he was moste innocent and deserued not to die And thus Syr you may see we take not parte with Annas and Caiphas as you raile and yet be able God be thanked to defende our true cause and declare you to the worlde to be false teachers Therefore belie vs no more The B. of Sarisburie Good Christian Reader this whole mater concerneth onely the credite and certainetie of General Councelles Sotus and Hosius saie what so euer is determined in Councel must be taken as the vndoubted Iudgemente and VVoorde of God Hereunto the Godly Learned Father Iohannes Brentius replieth thus Councelles sommetimes haue erred and haue vtterly wanted the Sprite of God as it maie appeare by that in a Councel the Sonne of God was condemned and iudged to die the deathe Hosius answeareth When Annas and Caiphas sate as Presidentes in the Coūcel and Christe y◠Sonne of God was by them condēned to die yet neuerthelesse y◠same Coūcel had the assistance of the Holy Ghoste and the vndoubted Sprite of Truthe For speakinge of the same Councel he saithe thus Vides Brenti quemadmodum non defuerit Sacerdotio Leuitico Spiritus Propheticus Spiritus Sanctus Spiritus Veritatis Yee see frende Brentius how that the Leuitical Priesthoode that pronounced sentence of deathe against Christe wanted not the Sprite of Prophesie the Holy Ghoste the Sprite of Truthe Againe he saithe Ex quo tempore Primus Parēs noster de vento ligno gustauit factus est Mortis Reus Christus Dei c. Nec falsum fuit illud quod dixerunt Nos legem habemus secundum Legem hanc debet mori From the tune that oure Firste Father tasted of the forebidden fruite Christe the Sonne of God became guilty of deathe Neither was it false that the Iewes saide VVee haue a Lavve and accordinge to that Lavve he ought to die With this Sprite I trowe he was inspired that wrote this Marginal Note vpon your Decrees Iudaei mortaliter peccassent nisi Christum Crucifixissent The levves had committed mortal sinne if they had not nailed Christe vnto the Crosse Againe Hosius saithe Nulla esse potest tanta Pontificum improbitas quae impedire queat quo ' minùs vera sit illa Dei Promissio Qui indicabunt tibi Iudicij Veritatem Be the wickednesse of Bishoppes neuer so greate it can neuer hinder but that this promisse of God shal euer be true The Bishoppes shal shevve thee the truthe of Iudgemente This therefore M. Hardinge is your Doctoures meaninge It is sufficiente that Bishoppes onely méete in Councel God wil supplie al the reste What so euer they determine the Holy Ghoste wil assist them they cannot erre Al this is as true as that Hosius your Doctoure saithe Annas and Caiphas coulde not erre in pronouncinge Sentence of deathe againste Christe But for excuse hereof sommewhat to salue a festry mater yée tel vs a longe tedious tale without heade or foote that your Reader maie thinke yée saie somewhat ye crie out alowde Shamelesse railinge Heretiques VVee belie Hosius vvee belie Sotus Our false dealinge our shamelesse lieinge vvee are impudente and continevve in lieinge These M. Hardinge be the proufes and groundes of your Doctrine and the moste sauerie and fairest Floures in your garlande The substance of your tale is this The Actes of the Councel where Christe was condemned were lewde and wicked But the Sentence of deathe pronounced by the Bishoppes against Christe was iuste and true And thus by your dalliance in darke woordes and by your blinde Distinction bitweene Acte and Sentence yée seeke shiftes to mocke the worlde Yée shoulde plainely haue tolde vs what were these Sentences and what were these Actes and what greate difference yee canne espie bitweene Acte and Sentence or when euer yee hearde of Sentence in Iudgemente without Acte or of perfite Acte without Sentence or howe the Sentence of the Iudge maie be true if the Acte be false or how the Acte maie be righte if the Sentence be wronge For your credites sake leaue these toies M. Hardinge Yee haue vsed them ouer longe They are too childishe for a childe they becomme not your grauitie they deceiue the simple In deede I can easily beleeue that neither Sotus nor Hosius was euer so wicked to saie that Christe vvas rightly and vvorthily donne to deathe How be it he that saithe The sentence of deathe pronounced in Councel againste Christe vvas iuste and true seemeth in deede to saie no lesse The very case and course of your Doctrine vndoubtedly forced them thus to saie For if al Coūcelles be good and Holy without exception then muste that also be a good and a Holy Councel that was assembled againste God and againste his Christe Hosius your Doctours to make the mater plaine saithe thus Iudásne sit an Petrus an Paulus Deus attendi not vult Sed solùm hoc quo'd sedet in Cathedra Petri quo'd Apostolus quo'd Christi Legatus quo'd Angelus est Domini exercituum de cuius ore Legem requirere iussus es Hoc solùm spectari vult Si Iudas est quandoquidem Apostolus est nihil te moueat quo'd Fur est God wil neuer haue thee consider whether the Pope be a Iudas or a Peter or a Paule It is sufficiente onely that he sitteth in Peters Chaire that he is an Apostle that he is christes
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
it or at the leste Iustinian asked approbation thereof as it maie appeare in his owne Epistle wherein he confesseth in the facte it selfe that his Lawes coulde not binde in supernatural causes belonginge to faithe except the heade of the Vniuersal Churche confirme them Syluerius and Vigilius were deposed rather by Theodora the Emperesse then by Iustinian the Emperoure Ye do wronge to impute that wicked tyrannie vnto him He is not to be burthened there with onlesse the man be countable for his wiues iniquities Howe so euer it was that extraordinary violence and tyrannie can not iustly be alleaged to the defence of your false assertion Neither woulde your selfe haue mentioned the same if ye coulde haue founde better matter As hungrie Dogges eate durty puddinges accordinge to the prouerbe cleane yenough for sutche vncleane writers so your fowle matters be defended by fowle factes The B. of Sarisburie Iustinian yée saie might wel make somme Moral Lawe to keepe Priestes and Bishoppes in good order Wherein neuerthelesse Pope Paule 3. condemneth you vtterly For thus he writeth and reasoneth substantially against the Emperoure Charles the Fifthe Ecce ego super Pastores meos Beholde saithe Almighty God I mee selfe wil ouersee my Sheepheardes Ergo saithe Pope Paulus The Emperoure maie not deale with the manners of Priestes and Bishoppes How be it the Emperours made Lavves Touchinge the Holy Trinitie Touchinge the Faithe Touchinge Baptisme Touchinge the Holy Communion Touchinge the Publique Praiers Touchinge the Scriptures Touchinge the keepinge of Holy daies Touchinge Churches Chaples Touchinge the Consecration of Bishoppes Touchinge Non Residences Touchinge Periurie c. It were mutche for you M. Hardinge to saie as nowe yée woulde séeme to saie Al these were Moral Lawes and perteined onely to good order But the Pope yee saie allowed the Emperours Ecclesiastical Lawes Otherwise of the Emperours owne Authoritie they had no force The truthe hereof by the Particulares maie soone appeare By one of the Emperours Lavves it is prouided That the Bishop of Constantinople shal haue Equal Povver and Prerogatiue with the Bishop of Rome This Lavve the Pope coulde neuer brooke And yet that notwithstandinge Liberatus saithe It holdeth stil by the Emperours Authoritie whether the Pope wil or no Againe it is prouided in the same Lavve that the Churches of Illyricum in their doubteful cases shal appeale to Constantinople not to Rome The Emperoure Constantine saithe If the Bishop moue trouble by Doctrine or otherwise by my hande he shal be pounished For my hande is the hande of Goddes Minister Iustinian the Emperoure in his Lavve commaundeth That the Prieste or Bishop in pronouncinge the Publique Praiers and in the Ministration of the Sacramentes lifte vp his voice and speake alowde that the people maie saie Amen and be sturred to more Deuotion Againe he saithe as it is noted in the Glose vpon the Authentiques Papa Temporalibus immiscere se non debet The Pope maie not intermeddle with Temporal Causes In the same Lawes the same Emperoure Iustinian saithe Wee Commounde the moste Holy Archebishoppes and Patriarkes of Rome of Constantinople of Alexandria of Antioche and of Hierusalem The same Emperoure Iustinian commaundeth That al Monkes either be driuen to studie the Scriptures or els be forced to Bodily Laboure Carolus Magnus made a Lavve That nothinge shoulde be readde openly in the Churche sauinge onely the Canonical Bookes of the Holy Scriptures And that the Faitheful People shoulde receiue the Holy Communion euery Sonnedaie I leaue the rehearsal of infinite other like Examples Nowe M. Hardinge wil you saie or maie wee beleue that al these and other like Lavves were allowed by the Pope In déede your Gloser saithe Ad quid intromittit se Imperator de Spiritualibus vel Ecclesiasticis cùm sciat ad se non pertinere VVherefore doothe the Emperoure thus busie him selfe with these Spiritual or Ecclesiastical maters seeinge he knoweth they are no parte of his Charge To so profounde a question after a longe solemne studie he diuiseth this answeare Dic quòd Authoritate Papae hoc facit Scie thou that he doothe it by the Popes Authoritie And then the whole mater is discharged and al is wel Notwithstandinge somme likelihoode hereof yee would seeme to geather euen out of Iustinians owne woordes For thus he saithe vnto the Pope although far otherwise then you haue forced him to saie Omnia quae ad Ecclesiarum statum pertinent festinauimus ad notitiam deferre Vestrae Sanctitatis Necessarium ducimus vt ad notitiam Vestrae Sanctitatis peruenirent Nec enim patimur quicquam quod ad Ecclesiarum Statum pertinet vt non etiam Vestrae innotescat Sanctitati quae Caput est omnium Sanctarum Ecclesiarum What so euer thinges perteine to the state of the Churches wee haue spedily brought to the knowledge of your Holinesse VVee thought it necessarie that your Holinesse should haue knowledge thereof VVe suffer not any thing that concerneth the State of the Churches but it be brought to the knowledge of your Holinesse whiche is the Heade or Chiefe of al the Holy Churches The Emperoure willeth the Pope to take knowledge of his Lavves for that he was the Chiefe of the Foure Principal Patriarkes and in respecte of his See the greatest Bishop of al the Worlde for whiche cause also he calleth him the Heade or Chiefe of al Churches So Iustinian saithe Roma est Caput Orbis Terrarum Rome is the Heade of al the VVorlde So S. Chrysostome saithe Caput Prophetarum Elias Elias the Heade of the Prophetes So saithe Prudentius Sancta Bethlem Caput est Orbis The Holy towne of Bethlem is the Heade of the VVorlde So Nazianzene calleth S. Basile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oculum Orbis Terrarum The Eie of al the Earthe So Iustinian calleth the Bishop of Constantinople an Vniuersal Patriarke Epiphanio Vniuersali Patriarchae These and other like woordes passe oftentimes in fauoure as Titles of Honoure But they importe not alwaies that Vniuersal Gouernemente or Infinite Authoritie that the Pope sithence hath imagined But touchinge the Confirmation and allowance of the Emperours Lavves in these woordes of Iustinian yee finde nothinge Onlesse yee wil saie Notitia is Latine for Allovvance or Peruenire is Latine to Confirme The Emperours pourpose was as it plainely appeareth by his woordes by these al other meanes to bringe the See of Rome into credite For thus he saith Properamus Honorem Authoritatem Crescere Sedis Vestrae Omnes Sacerdotes Vniuersi Orientalis Tractus subijcere vnire Sedi Vestrae Sanctitatis properauimus Plus ita Vestrae Sedis crescer Authoritas VVe laboure to auance the Honoure and Authoritie of your See VVee laboure to subdewe and to ioine al the Priestes of the Easte Parte vnto the See of your Holinesse Thus shal the Authoritie of your See
imagine that the Princes Povver is onely Bodily and not Ghostely and that the Prince hath the Charge of mennes Bodies but none of their Soules But this is starke false And whereas you so highly extolle your Popes Vniuersal Povver as if it were Supernatural and Heauenly and came onely from God An other of your Doctours saithe Ea quae sunt Iurisdictionis Papae non sunt supra Naturam Conditionem negotij nec supra Conditionem hominum Quia non est supra conditionem hominis quòd homines praesint hominibus Imò naturale est quodammodò Sutche thinges as belonge to the Popes Iurisdiction are not aboue Nature nor aboue the Condition of the thinge it selfe nor aboue the Capacitie of a Man For it is not aboue the Nature of a Man for Man to rule ouer Menne Naie rather in a sorte it is Natural Nowe M. Hardinge if the Princes Povver be from God as wel as the Popes If the Popes Povver concerninge Iurisdiction be Natural as wel as the Princes If they flowe bothe from one Original If they haue so smal difference what meante you then by these odious Comparisons so highly and so ambitiously to auance the one so disdeignefully and scornefully to abase the other Touchinge the Princes Povver wée are certainely assured by Goddes Holy VVoorde It is from God As for the Popes Infinite and Vniuersal Povver throughout the whole Scriptures from the Genesis vnto the Apocalyps onlesse it be the Povver of Darkenesse yee can finde nothinge Yée saie Kinges haue euermore benne Anointed and Blessed by Bishoppes This is an other fowle Vntruthe For you might easily haue knowen the Christian Kinges in olde times were neuer Anointed Your owne Doctoure saith In Nouo Testamento non legimus quòd Sacerdotes debeant inungere Reges Nec etiam nunc obseruatur in omnibus Regibus Christianis vt patet in Regibus Hispaniae Wee reade not in the Newe Testamente that Priestes or Bishoppes ought to anointe Kinges Neither is that order at this daie vsed emongest al Kinges that be Christened as it appeareth by the Kinges of Spaine Againe yee saie and that yée bringe in as a special good Argumente of your side The Emperoure kneeleth to the Prieste for Absolution Ergo The Emperoure is not the Heade of the Churche Howe maie a man answeare sutche Folies better then with the like Folie The Pope him selfe by your owne Decrees is bounde to Confesse his Sinnes and kneeleth to a Simple Prieste for Absolution For your Canonistes saie Papa tenetur Confiteri peccata sua vni Sacerdoti Et Simplex Sacerdos potest illum Ligare Absoluere The Pope is bounde to confesse his Sinnes to somme one Prieste and a Simple Prieste maie bothe Binde him and Absolue him Ergo by your owne Conclusion The Pope is not Heade of the Churche Sutche a handesome proctoure the Pope hathe gotten to promote his Cause With sutche prety stuffe M. Hardinge yee thinke to ouerrenne and to conquere the worlde The Apologie Cap. 15. Diuision 2. Wherefore if it were lawful for them to doo thus beinge but ciuile Magistrates hauinge the chiefe rule of common VVeales what offence haue oure Princes at this daie made whiche maie not haue leaue to doo the like beinge in the like Degree Or what especial gifte of Learning or of Iudgemente or of Holinesse haue these menne nowe that they contrarie to the Custome of al the Aunciente Catholique Bishoppes who vsed to conferre with Princes and Peeres concerninge Religion doo nowe thus reiecte and caste of Christian Princes from knowinge of the cause and from their meetinges M. Hardinge VVee answeare it was neuer lawfull in any Temporall Prince to iudge in causes of Religion Neither did any Prince before this time euer vse it The B. of Sarisburie This is an other of your Absolute Truthes M. Hardinge For answeare whereof it maie please you indifferently to weighe that I haue written alitle before touchinge the same The Apologie Cap. 15. Diuision 3. Wel thus dooing they wisely warily prouide for them selues and for their Kingedome whiche otherwise they see is like shortly to comme to naught For if so be they whome God hathe placed in greatest Dignitie did see and perceiue these mennes practises how christes commaundementes be despised by them how the Lighte of the Gospel is darkened and quenched out by them and howe them selues also be subtilly beguiled and mocked and vnwares be deluded by them and the waie to the Kingedome of Heauen stopped vp before them no doubte they woulde neuer so quietly suffer them selues neither to be disdeined after sutche a prowde sorte nor so despitefully to be scorned and abused by them But now through their owne lacke of vnderstandinge and through their owne blindenesse these menne haue them faste yoked and in their daunger M. Hardinge Bishoppes can not vpholde their kingdome by wronge doinge that is the waie to pull them downe Therefore we are well assured that your Schismaticall Superintendentship can not stande though al the power of the world were bente to holde it vp Your wicked state is not planted of God and therefore it shal be rooted out It is God that ruleth it is God that setteth vp and putteth downe This state of Christes Churche hath continewed and the successour of Peter hath gouerned it whereas the groundlesse buildinge of all the Heretikes from Simon Magus downewarde to this daie hath failed Luther is rotten and his newe founde Religion decaied and the Pope sitteth in Peters chaire and so shall his successours to the ende Ye woulde men to beleue that Emperours and Kinges are deceiued by the Popes and Bishoppes But I praie you what is the cause that Princes can not espie these deceites if any suche were as well as ye If them selues lacke your knowledge yet haue they wise menne aboute them who for their dueties sake and their alleagiance to them ▪ would soone aduertise them ▪ how by the Bishoppes they be subtilly beguiled and mocked The B. of Sarisburie Of the maineteinance of your Kingedome M. Hardinge Christe saide vnto certaine your Forefathers Hoc est tempus Vestrum Potestas Tenebrarum This is your time and the Power of Darkenesse Blinde they are and the Guides of the Blinde If the Blinde leade the Blinde they wil bothe falle into the diche The Lion or wilde Bulle be they neuer so cruel or greate of courrage yet if yee maie once closely couer theire eies yée maie easily leade them whither yee liste without resistance Euen so dooth the Pope hoodevvinke and blindefolde the Princes of the world whiche donne he maketh them to holde his Stirope to leade his Horse to kneele downe and to kisse his Shooe and to attende vpon him at his pleasure But if they knewe either him or them selues they would not doo it S. Chrysostome saithe as it is noted before Haeretici Sacerdotes claudunt Ianuas Veritatis Sciunt enim si manifestara esset
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