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
abbridged in the Councel of Hippo as it maie appeare by my answeare in this Booke Fol. 519. Whereas contrariwise the Councel of Hippo was abbridged in the Councel of Carthage This in deede of my parte was an erroure And I thanke M. Dorman that hathe geeuen mée occasion better to consider the same Notwithstandinge as I saide before the woordes be plaine Praeter quas Scripturas alia non legantur The Apologie Par. 5. Cap. 11. Diui. â— The Canonistes this date vse to saie of the Pope that for so mutche as he is Lorde of al benefices though he sel Bishoprikes Monasteries Benefices and Spiritual promotions for monie yet he cannot committe Simonie though he would neuer so faine M. Hardinge 15. Vntruthe VVhereas it is written in Summa Angelica In Curia Romana titulus De Simonia non habet locum The selfe same Summe vseth this distinction saieinge Verum est in ijs quae sunt Simoniaca de Iure positiuo solùm sed non in ijs quae sunt Simoniaca de lure Diuino VVhereby he meaneth that concerninge Simonie whiche properly is so called the Pope is no lesse subiecte thereto then any other man Thus haue you shamefully belied Summa Angelica The Replie Hereby it appeareth that M. Hardinge vnderstaÌ„deth not his owne Summa For by Simonia de Iure positiuo is meante the sale of Bishoprikes and Benefices c. whiche as this Summa saithe the Pope maie freely selle for monie without empeachemente of any manner of Simonie For beter proufe whereof Theodoricus saithe Papa non potest committere Simoniam Sic tenent Iuristae Quia Simonia excusatur per Authoritatem Papae De Schismate inter Vrban Clemen lib. 2. cap. 32. An other saithe Papa non committit Simoniam recipiendo pecuniâ—m pro collatione Beneficiorum 〈◊〉 shamefully wee belie Summa â—â—gelica 16. Vntruthe In the fourthe parte 7. chapter and. 4. Diuision of this Booke touchinge that most vile and shameful abusing of Franciscus Dandalus Gentleman of Venice that was driuen to wallowe vnder the Popes table in a chaine like a Dogge reported as M. Hardinge saithe by Sabellicus in the first Booke of his Seconde Decade I haue answeared as then I thought accordinge to truthe that Sabellicus wrote no Decades but onely Enneades as it might appeare by his woorkes printed either at Basile by Heruagius or otherwhere by any other Sithence I vnderstande that there is nowe extante an other Booke of Sabellicus by the name of Decades set foorthe of late at Basile by Coelius Secundus Curio An. 1560. Vnderstande thou therefore good Reader that herein I folowed sutche Bookes of Sabellicus as had benne long abroade and were wel acquainted amoÌ„g the learned But that there should any other newe Booke of Sabellicus be printed afterwarde specially so longe after the Authours death I coulde not prophesie These and sutche other good Christian Reader be our Vntruthes so many in number and of sutche weighte that M. Hardinge thinketh him selfe wel hable easily with the same to lode a Carte To al these so many and so many so horrible and so blasphemous Lies Goddes Holy name be blessed wée maie truely saie with S. Paule Tanquam seductores ecce veraces Wee are called deceiuers and yet wee saie the Truthe How be it I doo not so warrante euery parcel of any my writinges as though there were nothinge therein conteined but might safely be iustified in al respectes and againste al quarrels Sutche reuerence by S. Augustines iudgemente wée ought to géeue onely to the VVoorde of God Nomans Learninge or memorie was euer infinite But of al others I acknowledge mine to be the weakeste If I haue at any time mistaken either Authoure for Authoure or Name for Name or Chapter for Chapter or Booke for Booke as whereas in the allegatioÌ„ of Pope Leo in stéede of these woordes Indiuiduam VnitateÌ„ I wrote Indiuiduam Trinitatem or whereas in stéede of these woordes Paulinus ad Romanianum I wrote Paulinus ad Augustinum the saide Epistle of Paulinus beinge mingled with a whole Booke of the Epistles of S. Augustine Or if vpon any other like 〈◊〉 I haue alleged either Liberius for Athanasius or the Arians for the Euty 〈◊〉 or any one Father or Doctoure for an other sutche errours beinge bolde of malice were neuer hitherto accoumpted damnable The beste Learned haue oftentimes fallen into them For prouse whereof it were easy to saie that Cicero notwithstanding otherwise a great Learned man alleged Aiax in stéede of Hector Agamemnon in stéede of Vlysses Eupolis in stéede of Aristophanes That Aristotle alleged Calypso in stéede of Circe That Gratian allegeth Aniceus for Anicetus Ambrosius for Augustinus Calixtus for Anacletus Greeke for Latine Nevve for Olde That Hippolytus allegeth the Apocalyps of S. Iohn in stéede of Daniel That S. Chrysostome nameth Abacuk for Sophonias and Agar for Sara If thou be desirous to sée these seueral errours further proued it maie please thee to sée mine Answeare to this s Fol. 362. That in the alleginge of Liberatus I leaste out this woorde Quodammodò it was onely an Erroure For why I should of pourpose doo it there was no cause specially that woorde bearinge in that place no greatter weight But M. Hardinge alleginge these woordes of S. Augustine Christus quodammodò ferebatur in manibus suis not of erroure but as it maie be thought of set pourpose leafte out Quodammodò as knowinge that in that one woorde reasted the meaninge of the whole Briefely what so euer other like erroure shal be found in any my writinges I wil discharge bothe my Clerke and the Compositoure the Printer of the same take the whole vpon mée self I speake not this for that I thinke my Booke can be printed without erroure for that in sutche a number varietie of allegations were scarcely possible But if any erroure what so euer shal escape as I doubte not but there wil many I proteste before him that séeth the harte it walbe wholy againste my wil. And yet maie not these menne so charge others as if they them selues onely were priuileged and exempted from al sutche dangers M. Hardinge maie remember that he him selfe in stéede of the Prophete Osee hath alleged vs the Noble Iosua and that by an other like ouersight he hath alleged the Eighth Booke of Socrates Scholasticus whereas Socrates neuer wrote but Seuen As likewise also M. Dorman allegeth the Seuenth Booke of the Storie of Theodoretus whereas Theodoretus him selfe neuer wrote but Fiue And againe he fraieth al Christian Princes with the horrible Examples of the Tvvoo Kinges as he saith Ozias and Oza Yet he might easily haue learned that Oza was a poore Priuate man and neuer knowen to be a Kinge Notwithstandinge in one of his late litlewoorthe Pamflettes confessinge his ouersight herein he stumbleth into an other Erroure as fowle as the first and bewraieth his ignorance more then before For nowe he telleth vs
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
to Lawe in that behalfe made allowed neither by Parlament nor by Proclamation nor agreed vpon by the Cleregie in Publike and lawful Synode This packinge becommeth you it becommeth not the vpright Professours of the Truthe Wherefore your vnlawful Booke as it is so it maye be called an Inuectiue or rather a Famous Libel and sclaunderous VVrite as that whiche seemeth to haue benne made in a corner and cast abroade in the streetes the Authours whereof the Ciuil Lawe punis heth sharpely The B. of Sarisburie Howe far foorth these examples maye serue vs wée remit the iudgement thereof to the discrete Christian Reader It is not yenough thus to crie out Impieties and Heresies M. Hardinges bare Woorde in this behalfe is not sufficient to warrant an euidence Certainely emonge other greate comfortes that wee haue in Goddes mercies this is one and not the leaste that touchinge the Innocencie and right of out cause wée maye saye to you as Christe saide to the Phariseis Wee haue not the Diuel but wee glorifie our Father Or as S. Paule saide vnto Festus Wee are not madde M. Hardinge as ye reporte of vs but wee viter vnto you the Woordes of Truthe and sobrietie But this is a piteous faulte The names of al the Bishoppes Deanes Acchedeacons Personnes Vicares and Curates of England are not sette to our Apologie It is directed neither to the Emperour nor to the Pope nor to the Councel Neither is it Printed with Priuilege of the Prince This laste clause is a manifest Vntruthe and maye easily be reproued by the Printer Hereof ye conclude It is a sclaunderous Libel and was written vnder a Hedge and as you saye in Hucker Mucker Firste were it graunted that al ye saye of Hilarie Melito Iustinus Tertullian and Apollonius were true Yet muste it néedes folowe that al Bookes that are not Subscribed with the Authours names were written in a corner Firste to beginne with the Scriptures tel vs M. Hardinge who wrote the Bookes of Genesis of Exodus of Leuiticus of Numeri of DeuteronomiuÌ„ of Ioâ—ue of the Iudges of the Kinges of the Chronicles of Iob c. Who inrote these Bookes I saye Who authorized them Who Subscribed his name Who set to his Sâ—ale The Booke of Wisedome by some is Fathered vpon Philo by some vpoÌ„ Salomon The Epistle vnto the Hebrewes some saye was written by S. Paule Some by Clemens Some by Barnabas Some by some other so are wee vncertaine of the Authours name S. Marke S. Luke S. Iohn neuer once named them selues in their Gospels The Apostles Crede the Canons of the Apostles by what names are they Subscribed Howe are they authorized To what Pope to what Emperour were they offered To leaue others the Auncient Doctours of the Churche whiche as you knowe are often misnamed Ambrose for Augustine Gréeke for Latine Newe for Olde your Doctour of Doctours the fairest flower and croppe of your garlande Gratianus is so wel knowen by his name that wise menne can not wel tel What name to geue him Erasmus saithe of him thus Quisquis fuit siue Gratianus siue Crassianus What so euer name wee may geue him be it Gratianus or Crassianus And againe he saithe Eruditi negant illam Gratiani nescio cuius congeriem vlla vnquam Publica Ecclesiae authoritate fuisse comprobatam The learned saye that Gratians Collection or heape of maters was neuer allowed by any Publique Authoritie of the Churche And againe Non constat vllis argumentis quis fuerit Gratianus quo tempore opus suum exhibuerit cuius Pontificis cuius Concilij fuerit Authoritate comprobatum It cannot appeare by any tokens of recorde neither what this Gratian was nor at what time he offered vp his Booke nor what Councel nor what Pope allowed it Who subscribed the late Councel of Colaine Who subscribed the Booke not longe sithence sette abroade vnder the name of the Churche of Colaine and named Antididagma To be shorte who subscribed your owne late Booke intituled the Apologie of Priuate Masse Where were they written Where were they Subscribed By what authoritie and vnder what names were they allowed I wil saye nothinge of your late Famouse Volume bearinge the name of Marcus Antonius Constantius This Booke as you see hathe three greate names Notwithstandinge the Authour him selfe had but twoo and yet not one of al these three What M. Hardinge would you make your Brethren beleue that al these be but sclaunderous Writes diuised onely in Hucker Mucker and vnder a Hedge The Decree the Apostles made in the fiftenthe Chapter of the Actes it appeareth not it was so curiously subscribed with al theire names The Protestation of the Bohemiens in the Councel of Basile the Confession of the Churches of Geneua Heluetia for ought that I knowe haue no sutche Publique Subscriptions Neither is it necessarie nor commonly vsed to ioyne Priuate mennes names to Publique maters neither in so mightie ample a Realme vpon al incident occasions is it so easy to be donne Briefely our Apologie is coÌ„firmed by as many names as the highe Courte of Parlamente of England is confirmed Neither was the same conceiued in so darke a corner as M. Hardinge imagineth For it was afterwarde imprinted in Latine at Parise and hathe henne fithence Translated into the Frenche the Italian the Duche and the Spanishe tongues and hathe benne sente and borne abroade into France Flaunders Germanie Spaine Poole Hungarie Denmarke Sueucland Scotland Italie Naples and Rome it selfe to the iudgemente and trial of the whole Churche of God Yea it was Readde and sharply considered in your late Couente at Trident greate threates made there that it should be answeared and the mater by twoo Notable learned Bishoppes taken in hande the one a Spaniarde the other an Italian Which twoo notwithstandinge these fiue whole yéeres haue yet donne nothinge nor I belèeue intende any thinge to doo In deede certaine of your Brethren haue benne often gnawinge at it but sutche as care nothinge nor is cared what they write But if names be so necessarie wee haue the names of the whole Cleregie of Englande to confirme the Faithe of our Doctrine and your name M. Hardinge as you can wel remember emongst the reste onlesse as ye haue already denied your Faithe so ye wil nowe also denie your name To conclude it is greatter modestie to publishe our owne Booke without Name then as you doo to publishe other mennes Bookes in your owne Names For in deede M. Hardinge the Bookes ye lende so thicke ouer are not yours Ye are but Translatours ye are no Authours Yf euery birde shoulde fetche againe his owne Feathers alas your poore Chickens woulde die for colde But you saye Wee offered not our Booke to the Pope No neither ought wée so to doo He is not our Bishop He is not our Iudge Wee maye saye vnto him as the Emperour Constantius saide sometime to Pope Liberius Quoia es tu paâ—s Orbis
consentientem diuinitùs adspiratis Scripturis Traditionibus Sanctorum Patrum Wee reioice togeather eche of vs in others behalfe for that the Faithe bothe of our Churches and also of yours is agreable bothe vnto the Heauenly inspired Scriptures and also to the Tradition and exposition of our Fathers Whiche woordes of Cyrillus beinge hearde and the consente of the Fathers being knowen the whole Councel for ioye made a shoote togeather Omnes ita credimus Papa Leo ita credit c. Thus wee al beleeue Pope Leo thus beleeuethe Thus beleeuethe Leo and Anatolius Thus Cyrillus beleeuethe This is the Faithe of our Fathers This is the Faithe of the Apostles Thus haue the Apostles taught Thus maye you sée M. Hardinge wée saye not to you as you doo to vs If you be Learned for thereof we haue no doubte God graunte ye maie directe your Learninge to his glorie but thus maye you see to what ende the Bishoppes in the Councelles ye speake of alleged the expositions of the Ancient Fathers and howe farre they weighed them vnder the Authoritie of the Scriptures In like sorte doo wée also this day allege against you the manifeste and vndoubted agreeable iudgementes of the moste Aunciente Learned Holy Fathers and thereby as by apapproued and faitheful witnesses wée disclose the infinite folies and errours of your Doctrine And séeinge you haue forsaken the felowship of the saide Holy Fathers as hereafter shal more â—ully appeare wée saye vnto you as Endoxius saide vnto the Heretique Abbate Eutyches in the Councel of Chalcedon Ye haue remoued your selues bothe from al Priestly Communion and also from the presence of Christe The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 2. S. Augustine when he disputed againste Petilian the Donatian Heretique Let not these woordes quod he be hearde betweene vs I saye or you saye Let vs rather speake in this wise Thus saithe the Lorde There let vs seeke the Churche there let vs boulte out the cause M. Hardinge Concerninge this place of S. Augustine it ought not to be stretched to al maters in general that be in question as though wee might not vse the Testimonies and Authorities of the Fathers againste Heretikes but it perteinethe onely to the quaestion in that booke De vnitate Ecclesiae treated of whiche is where the Churche is PetiliaÌ„ the Donatist and the Mainteiners of that Heresie coÌ„tended the Churche to be onely in Aphrike or at the furthest in Parte Donati amonge theÌ„ onely that helde with Donatus The same heresie went they about to proue by Scriptures But when S. Augustine sawe howe weake theire proufes were whiche they brought out of the Scriptures he prouoked them the better to ouerthrow them to come to the trial of the Scriptures And in deede where the Scriptures be manifeste for proufe of any matter what nede is there of Doctours But where the sense of the Scriptures is obscure and may be wrested by euil wittes to the maintenauÌ„ce of an Heresie there the expositions of the Fathers by al Olde VVriters haue ben taken of necessitie to supplie the Scriptures obscuritie and to declare the sense of the Churche whiche the Holy Ghost hathe proÌ„pted And in sutche cases S. Augustine himselfe vsethe the Testimonies of the Fathers not seldome namely against Iulian the Pelagian VVhere beside Scripture touchinge Original sinne he allegethe against the Pelagians a great number of Fathers and at length in one place speakinge of the Authoritie reuerence and credite he had them in he saithe thus Quod credunt credo c VVhat they beleue I beleue what they holde I holde what they teache I teache what they preache I preache From the special to the general negatiuely the argumente holdethe not ye knowe if ye haue not forgotten your Logike The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge as wel here as els where thinkethe it an easy mater with a bolde Asseueration to smoothe his vnlearned simple Reader specially sutche a one as hathe no eies to looke after him These woordes of S Augustine saithe he perteine onely vnto the mater he had then in hande and therefore maye not be forced to any other And here he remembrethe vs of a profounde pointe in Logique that a Negatiue CoÌ„clusion from the Special to the General cannot holde Here it were a mater woorthy the hearinge firste howe M. Hardinge coulde enter so déepely to knowe so mutche of S. Augustines meaninge next for as mutche as in respecte of him selfe he euermore fansiethe vs to be vnlearned howe he were hable to teache vs to knowe the same He assuerethe vs vpon his woorde that these woordes of S. Augustine muste néedes be pounded and restreined to that one onely mater maie not in any wise be stretched farther this he imagineth was S. Augustines meaninge Thus good Reader by M. Hardinges handlinge thou haste here a meaninge of S. Augustines that S. Augustine himselfe neuer meante For S. Augustine in the same mater and against the same Heretique Petilian although not in the same Booke writethe thus Siue de Christo siue de eius Ecclesia siue de quacunque re alia quae pertinet ad Fidem vitamque nostraÌ„ noÌ„ dicam Si Nos Sed si Angelus de Coelo nobis annuntiauerit praeterquà m quod in Scripturis Legalibus EuaÌ„gelicis accepistis Anathema sit VVhether it bee of Christe or of his Churche or of any thinge els what so euer perteininge either to our life or to our Faithe I wil not saie If I mee selfe but if an Angel from Heauen shal teache vs otherwise then wee haue receiued in the Bookes of the Lawe and in the Gospelles holde him accursed M. Hardinge saithe S. Augustine meante onely of one mater S. Augustine him selfe saithe he meante of al manner maters touchinge either Faithe or Life M. Hardinge saithe S. Augustine meante this onely of him selfe S. Augustine him selfe saithe be meante it of any other yea eueÌ„ of the Angels of God And shal wee thinke M. Hardinge knoweth S. Augustines meaninge and S. Augustine him selfe knewe it not Verily S. Augustine in an other case concerninge the Arians as I haue touched twise before likewise refuseth the Determinations of al Councelles and Fathers and standeth onely to the Scriptures Neither wil I saithe he â–ª allege againste thee the Councel of Nice nor shalt thou allege againste mée the Councel of Ariminum c. Neither dothe S. Augustine onely saye thus but also yeeldeth a reason why he saithe it These be his woordes Auferantur de medio quae aduersus nos inuicem non ex Diuinis Canonicis Libris sed aliundé recitamus Quaerer fortasse aliquis Cur vis ista auferri de medio Quia nolo humanis Documentis sed Diuinis Oraculis Ecclesiam Sanctam demoÌ„strari Haue away al those Authorities that either of vs allegeth against the other sauinge sutche onely as be taken out of the Heauenly Canonical Scriptures But perhaps somme man wil
aske me Wherefore would ye haue al sutche other Authorities put away I answeare Bicause I would haue the Holy Churche to he proued not by the Doctrines of menne but by the VVoorde of God So saithe S. Augustine vnto other the Donatistes Auferantur de medio Chartae nostrae procedat in medium Codex Dei Audi Christum dicentem audi Veritatem loquentem Take a waie from emongst vs any our own Bookes Let the Booke of God comme emongste vs. Heare what Christe saithe Herken what the Truthe speaketh Againe he saithe Audi dicit Dominus Non dicit Donatus aut Rogatus aut Vincentius aut Hilarius aut Ambrosius aut Augustinus sed dicit Dominus Heare this The Lorde saithe Heare not this Donatus saithe Rogatus saithe Vincenius saithe Hilarius saithe Ambrose saithe Augustine saithe But herken to this The Lorde saithe In like fourme of woordes saithe S. Ambrose Nolo nobis credatur Scriptura recitetur Non ego dico à me In principio erat Verbum sed audio Non ego effingo sed lego I would not ye should beleeue vs But reade the Scriptures I saye not of mee selfe In the beginninge was the Woorde But I heare it I make it not but I reade it Likewise saithe Chrysostome Oro vos omnes vt relinquatis quid huic aut illi videatur de his à Scripturis haec omnia inquirite I beseeche you al weigh not what this man or that man thinketh but touching al these thinges searche the Scriptures Nowe where as it pleaseth M. Hardinge to telle vs of an Argumente Negatiue from Special to General and so to cal vs to the remembrance of our Logique pleaseth it him also to remeÌ„ber that the Argument that wee grounde of S. Augustines woordes holdeth not as it is here imagined froÌ„ Special to General but froÌ„ the imperfection and weakenesse of the wisedome of man to the stabilitie and certainetie of Goddes Holy Woorde And therefore the Olde Learned Father Origen saithe as it is alleged before Sensus nostri Enarrationes fine his testibus non habent fidem Our iudgementes and Expositions without these witnesses of the Scriptures haue no credite In like sorte S. Hierome Quamuis SaÌ„ctus sic aliquis post Apostolos quamuis disertus sit non habet Authoritatem After the Apostles of Christe notwithstandinge somme man be Holy notwithstandinge he be eloquente yet he wanteth Authoritie Therefore S. Augustine saithe Cedamus consenuamus Scripturae Sacrae quae nec falli potest nec fallere Let vs yeeld and consente to the Holy Scripture whiche can neither deceiue nor be deceiued For this cause M. Hardinge S. Augustine not onely in the mater that laye bitweene him and Pettlianus but also in al other maters what soeuer so often appealed from al Fathers and Councelles vnto the Scriptures The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 3. Likewise S. Hierome Al those thinges saithe he whiche without the Testimonie of the Scriptures are holden as deliuered from the Apostles be throughly smitten downe by the Swerde of Goddes Woorde M. Hardinge Ye would falne remoue vs from a good hold I see wel whiche is the Authoritie of the Holy Faâ—thers of Ancient Traditions and of the Vniuersal Churche Al these would ye to be of no force against Heretiques For ye knowe the Fathers and the Churche to be againste you and that so longe as they are beleued your Doctrine shal not be receiued as alwaies founde to be newe and of priuate deuâ—se If we were driuen from these ye doubt not but to matche vs wel yenough in the Scriptures And as ye would handle the mater I thinke so my selfe verely For when al Authoritie and iudgemente of the Fathers and of the Churche is shakeÌ„ quite of in any coÌ„trouersie by whome shal we be tried By the Scriptures ye saie But when bothe ye and we alleage Scriptures to a contrary purpose and when we vary about the sense of the Scriptures by whom then shal we be iudged Perhaps ye wil referre the iudgement of doubtful maters to the Holy Ghoste VVe refuse not tharbitrement and Vmpiership of the Holy Ghoste For the same hath ben promised by Christe to the Churche to remaine with the Churche for euer to teache what thinges so euer he saide to lead men into al Truthe And thus for iudgemente and trial of Truthe we shal be retourned to the Churche and to the Fathers by whom the Holy Ghoste speaketh vnto vs whose Authoritie and due estimation ye go aboute to remooue from vs. But let vs see what force ye bringe to driue vs from this holde Makinge your batterie against it what shoote ye of but VVinde and Paper Your Artillerie makethe a noâ— es but it geueth no blowe As in the laste allegation ye falsified the sense of S. Augustine so in this ye falsifie bothe the sense and woordes of S. Hierome The woordes as ye allege them seeme to be spoken against what so euer Tradition of the Apostles VVhiche woordes or any the like to sutche purpose were neuer vtered by any Catholike Doctour of the Churche mutche lesse by S. Hierome Looke ye againe and vewe better the place ye shal saye your selues that I finde the faulte of falsefyeinge in you not without cause S. Hierome in his Commentaries vpon those woordes of the Prophete Aggaeus Et vocaui siccicitatem super tâ—â—ram super Montes I haue called the drought to come vpon the Earthe and vpon the Hilles c. First she winge the literal sense accordingly as the Hebrew woorde there by him noted signifieth Siccitatem drought theÌ„ treatinge Mystically as the seuenty Interpreters haue turned that woorde into Romphaeam that is a swerde and vnderstandinge by the swerde the VVoorde of God thereof takethe occasion briefly to saie what this swerde doothe how it destroieth the negligent soule whiche is expounded to be drie earthe and howe it plaguethe Montaines that lifte vp them selues against the knowledge of God whereby he meanethe Heretikes Of whom he tellethe howe they flatter the deceiued peoples with theire Breade Wine and Oile by whiche he meaneth theire Heresies as it were with meates and drinkes and refection There Breade saithe he any man maie very aptly cal it the Bread of VVaylinge and theyr VVine the madnesse of Dragons and the madnesse of Serpentes incurable And theire Oile the promisinge of Heauenly thinges wherewith they doo as it were anointe theire Disciples and promise them rewardes of theire labours which the Prophete detesteth sayeinge the Oile of the sinner shal not anoint my head After this folowe the woordes of S. Hierome whiche ye haue falsified to the intent they might seeme to serue your false meaninge Sed alia quae absque Authoritate Testimonijs Scripturarum quasi Traditione Apostolica reperiunt atque coÌ„fingunt percutit gladius Dei But the Swerde of God strikethe also other thinges whiche the Heretiques for of theâ— he speaketh deuise and faine of theire owne
Father Athanasius Nos ista Hausimus à Magistris diuinitùs afflatis qui Sacros Libros euoluerunt These thinges haue we learned of our Maisters or Fathers inspired from Heauen whiche haue Readde and perused the Holy Scriptures For S. Augustine very wel saithe Secundum hos Libros de coeteris Literis vel Fidelium vel Infidelium liberè iudicamus Accordinge to those Bookes of the Scriptures wee iudge frankely of al other writinges whether they be of the Faitheful or of the Vnfaitheful Therefore S. Hierome saithe Omni studio legendae nobis sunt Scripturae in Lege Domini meditandum die ac nocte vt probati trapezitae sciamus quis numus probus sit quis adulterinus Wee muste Reade the Scriptures with al diligence and muste bee occupied in the Lawe of our Lorde bothe daie and nighte that wee maye become perfite exchangers and be hable rightly to discerne what Monie is lawful and what is Counterfaite S. Hilarie saithe Hoc proprium est Apostolicae Doctrinae Deum ex Lege ac Prophetis in Euangelijs praedicare This is the very order of the Apostles Doctrine in the Gospel to Preache God out of the Lawe and the Prophetes Otherwise touchinge the discourse of natural reason S. Ambrose saithe No Creature either in Earthe or in Heauen is hable to reache the deapthe of these thinges Thus he saithe Mens deficit Vox silet non mea tantùm sed Angelorum Supra potestates supra Angelos supra Cherubim supra Seraphim supra omnem sensum est The minde is astonned the voice faileth not onely mine but also of the Angelles It is aboue the powers aboue the Angelles aboue the Cherubius aboue the Seraphins and aboue al manner vnderstandinge And therefore he saithe as it is alleaged once before Nolo nobis credatur Scriptura recitetur Non ego dico à me In principio erat Verbum Sed audio I woulde not ye shoulde beleeue mee Lette the Scriptures be readde I saye not of mee selfe In the beginninge vvas the VVoorde but I heare it spoken And againe he saithe in the same Booke vnto the Emperour Gratian Facessat nostra Sententia Paulum interrogemus Let our Iudgemente stande aparte and let vs aske S. Paule the question But M. Hardinge saithe VVhoso euer maketh this argumente whiche in your VVoorde is implied The Scriptures are to be asked Ergo the Holy Fathers are not to be asked maketh a foolishe argumente It seemeth no greate pointe of Wisedome M. Hardinge to vpbraide others with folie without cause God encrease bothe you and vs in al wisedome and vnderstandinge in Christe Iesu How be it our Argumente howe so euer it hathe pleased you to fashon and to handle it as we meante it and made it had no sutche Folie Wherefore what so euer Folie is nowe come to it it is your owne it is not ours For wée denie not the Learned Fathers expositions and iudgementes in doubteful cases of the Scriptures Wée reade them our selues Wée folowe them Wée embrace them and as I saide before wée moste humbly thanke God for them But thus wée saie The same Fathers opinions and iudgementes for as mutche as they are sometimes disagréeable one from an other and sometimes implie contrarieties and contradictions therefore alone and of them selues without farther authoritie and guidinge of Goddes Woorde are not alwaies sufficient Warrantes to charge our Faithe And thus the Learned Catholique Fathers themselues haue euermore taught vs to esteeme and to weighe the Fathers The Ancient Father Origen saithe thus as it is reported before Ex Solis Scripturis examinationis nostrae discretio petenda est The discussinge of our Iudgemente muste be taken Onely of the Scriptures And againe Sensus nostri enarrationes sine Scripturis testibus non habent fidem Our Iudgementes and Expositions without witnesse of the Scriptures haue no credite Likewise S. Augustine Ego Solis Canonicis Scripturis debeo sine vlla recusatione consensum My consent without exception I owe not vnto any Father were he neuer so wel learned but Onely to the Holy Canonical Scriptures His reason is this Nam cùm Dominus â—acuerit quis nostrum dicat Illa vel illa sunt Aut si dicere audet vnde probat For where as the Lorde him selfe hath not spoken who of vs can saie It is this or that Or if he dare saie so howe can he prooue it And therefore he concludeth directly and in like woordes with S. Ambrose Ego vocem Pastoris inquiro Lege hoc mihi de Propheta Lege de Psalmo Recita de Lege Recita de Euangelio Recita de Apostolo I require the voice of the Shephearde Reade me this mater out of the Prophete Reade it mee out of the Psalmes Reade it out of the Lawe Reade it out of the Gospel Reade it out of the Apostles The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 1. Wherefore if wee he Heretiques and they as they woulde faine be called be Catholiques why doo they not as they see the Fathers whiche were Catholique men haue alwaies donne Why doo they not conuince and maister vs by the Diuine Scriptures Why doo they not calle vs againe to be tried by them Why doo they not laye before vs howe wee haue gonne awaye from Christe from the Prophetes from the Apostles and from the Holy Fathers Why sticke they to doo it Why are they afraide of it It is Goddes cause Why are they doubteful to commit it to the trial of Goddes Woorde Yf wee be Heretiques whiche referre al our controuersies vnto the Holy Scriptures reporte vs to the selfe same Woordes whiche wee knowe were sealed by God him selfe and in comparison of them sette litle by al other thinges what so euer maye be diuised by menne how shal wee saye to these folke I praye you what manner of men be they and howe is it meete to calle them whiche feare the iudgement of the Holy Scriptures that is to saie the Iudgement of God him selfe and doo preferre before them theire owne dreames and ful colde inuentions and to maintaine theire owne Traditions haue defaced and corrupted nowe these many hundred yeeres the ordinances of Christe and of the Apostles M. Hardinge VVe doo so For they condemned those that went against the Tradition of the Fathers and so doo wee The Scriptures consiste not in inke and paper but in the sense VVhiche sense the Holy Ghoste by Christes promise hath taught the Churche Epiphanius refutinge the Heretikes whiche named them selues Apostolikes saithe that the Scriptures haue neede of Speculation that is to witte to be wel studied and considered to the ende the force and power of euery argument maye be knowen It behoueth vs also saithe he to vse the Tradition For wee can not haue al thinges of the Holy Scripture Thus Epiphanius By Tradition without doubte he meaneth the sense and vnderstandinge receiued of the Fathers For that is the Keie of the VVoorde of God
Doctrine of the Certainetie of Saluation in euery of whiche thinges he saithe the Scriptures are cleare of his side and directly against vs. To answears al these pointes in particulare it would require an other Booke But briefely to touche so mutche onely as shal be néedeful First that the Substance of the Scriptures standeth in the right Sense and Meaninge and not onely in the naked and bare woordes it is true and generally graunted without exception and needeth no farther proufe S. Hierome saithe Non in Legendo sed in Intelligendo Scripturae consistunt The Scriptures stande not in the Readinge but in the Vnderstandinge And S. Hilarie Non Diuinorum dictorum sed intelligentiae nostrae à nobis ratio praestanda est Wee muste yeelde an accoumpte not of Goddes Diuine Woordes but of our owne Expositions But if that onely be the right Meaninge and Sense of the Scriptures that within these fewe late hundred yéeres is cropen into the Churche of Rome and if it be al Gospel what so euer it bée that arriueth from thence and if they be al Heretiques and Schismatiques and Despisers of Christe and of the Apostles and of the Uniuersal Churche that make staie at it or cānot receiue it then is the whole mater already concluded wée shal néede no more adoo Ye saie The Iewes the Arians the Nestorians and other Heretiques alleged the Scriptures Yea verily M. Hardinge and that euen with like Faithe and in like Sense and to like purpose as you allege them nowe as hereafter I truste it shal appeare By the waye for example hereof in this very place where you allege the woordes of the Pharise is auouchinge the Scriptures it maye please you to remember that either witingly or of some errour and ouersight ye haue manifestly corrupted the Scriptures For whereas you haue translated the place thus Searche the Scriptures the Phariseis saide nothinge els but Scrurare Vide Searche and see and spake not one woorde of the Scriptures And although the mater importe not mutche yet to charge you with your owne rule whiche muste needes be good against your selfe any smal faulte in Goddes Woorde must be counted greate In deede S. Chrysostome and S. Augustine séeme to supplie this woorde Scriptures although it were not in the Texte Touchinge the mater it selfe Nicolas Lyra saithe Hoe Verbum eorum simpliciter falsum est Quia si intelligatur de Prohetis generaliter aliqui fuerunt nati de Galilaea videlicet Elizaeus Tobias Debora Prophetissa fortè plures alij This woorde of the Phariseis is plainely false For if it be taken generally of al Prophetes then were there certaine of them borne in Galilei namely Elizaeus Tobias Debora and perchance others moe In sutche sorte M. Hardinge euen with like Faithe and credite you also haue vsed to allege the Scriptures But whereto driue you al this longe tale Wil you in the ende conclude thus The Iewes and Heretiques alleged the Scriptures Ergo Faitheful Christians maye not allege them Or thus Théeues haue sometimes armed them selues Ergo True menne maye not be armed Nay wée maye rather saye thus vnto you The Iewes and Heretiques alleged the Scriptures What accoumpte then maye wée make of you that flée and condemne and burne the Scriptures Certainely notwithstandinge the Phariseis and Heretiques wickedly misalleged the Scriptures as ye sometimes doo to scrue your purpose yet for al that Christe saide vnto them Scrutamini Scripturas Searche the Scriptures And as it is saide before the Catholique learned Fathers in al theire cases and controuersies appealed euermore to the Scriptures Where you saye The Scriptures are so cleare of your side ▪ and make so directly againste vs would God ye woulde in deede and vnfainedly stande to that trial Your fansies and folies woulde soone come to grounde Touchinge your greate heape of examples of the Sacramente of Baptisme defaced as you saye by M. Caluine of Absolution of Extreme Unction of Holy Oile of Signes of Figures of Onely Faithe of the certainetie of Saluation whiche you calle Presumptuous Firste of the Sacramente of Baptisme M. Caluine euery where writeth with al manner reuerence callinge it a Diuine and an Heauenly Mysterie and the Sacramente of our Redemption Wherein also sometimes he iustly reprooueth you for that ye haue so many waies so profanely and so vnreuerently abused the same Of Absolution wée shal haue occasion to saye more hereafter Touchinge your Oile in déede in shewe of woordes S. Iames séemeth to make somewhat for you Notwithstandinge neither doothe he calle it Holy Oile as ye doo neither doothe he calle it a Sacramente of the Churche nor doothe he saye as ye saie it should serue for the Saluation of Body and Soule nor doothe he teache you to salute it and to speake vnto it as to a liuely and reasonable Creature Aue Sanctum Oleum Alhaile Holy Oile nor with these woordes to minister it vnto the sicke Per hanc Sanctam Vnctionem suam pijssimā Misericordiam ignoscat tibi Deus By this Holy enointinge and his deere mercie God Pardonne thee To be shorte it was a miraculous gifte of Healinge lastinge onely as other like Miracles did for the time not a necessary Sacramente of the Churche to continewe for euer As for the Obiection of Signes and Figures for shortnesse of time I muste referre thée gentle Reader vnto my Former Replie to M. Harding The woordes of Christe whiche are thought to be so plaine the Anciente Learned Father Tertullian expoundeth thus Hoc est Corpus meum Hoc est Figura Corporis mei This is my Body that is to saye This is a Figure of my Body Likewise S. Augustine Non dubitauit Dominus dicere Hoc est Corpus meum cùm daret Signum Corporis sui Our Lorde doubted not to saye This is my Body when he gaue a Signe of his Body To rehearse al other like Ancient Authorities it were too longe O what triumphes would M. Hardinge make if none of al the Olde Learned Fathers coulde be founde that euer had called the Sacrament the Signe and Figure of Christes Body But as before he alleged an imagined Sense of the Scriptures without woordes so nowe he allegeth the woordes alone without sense He shoulde haue remembred better that S. Hierome saithe Ne putemus in Verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium sed in Sensu Let vs not thinke the Gospel standeth in the VVoordes of the Scriptures but in the Meaninge Twoo other greate quarelles M. Hardinge moueth the one of Onely Faithe the other as he calleth it of the Presumptuous Certainetie of Saluation Wherein iudge thou vprightly good Christian Reader how iuste cause he hath to reprooue our Doctrine As for the firste hereof S. Paule saithe Iustificamur Gratis ex Gratia ipsius Wee be Iustified Freely of his Grace wee Iudge that a man is Iustified by Faithe without the VVorkes of the Lawe Wee knowe that a man
One place according to the Nature of his Manhed Wherefore dooth Cyrillus saie Secundum Carnem Solam abiturus Crat Adest autem semper virtue Deitatis According to the Fleash onely he woulde departe But by yâ— power of his Godhed he is euer present Wherfore doth Gregorie saie Verbum Incarnatum Manet Recedit Manes Diuinitace Recedit Corpore The woord Incarnate bothe abideth with vs and departeth from vs. It abideth with vs by the Godhed It departeth from vs by the Body or Manhed Wherefore dooth S. Augustine saie Ibat per id quod Homo erat Manebat per id quod Deus erat Ibat per id quod Vno Loco erat Manebat per id quod vbique erat Christ departed by that he was Man and aboade by that he was God He departed by that that was in One Place He aboad by that that is in al Places If ye wil yet stand in doubte what these Holy Fathers meante by yâ— Manhed of Christe that departed from vs let S. Augustine open bothe his owne and their meaninges Thus he writeth in expresse plaine woordes touching the same Secundum Carnem quam Verbum assumpsit secundum id quòd de Virgine natus est Secundum id quòd à Iudaeis prehensus est quòd ligno confixus quòd de Cruce depositus quod linteis inuolutus quòd in sepulchro conditus quòd in Resurrectione manifestatus me non semper habebitis vobiscum According to the Fleash that the Woorde receiued according to that he was borne of the Virgine according to that he was taken of the Iewes According to that he was nailed to the Tree taken downe from the Crosse lapte in a sheete laide in the graue and was declared in his Resurrection these woordes are true Ye shal not haue me alwaies with you Likewise againe he saithe Dominus noster absentauit se Corpore ab omni Ecclesia Ascendit in Coelum Our Lord as touching his Body Absented him selfe from his whole Churche and Ascended into Heauen To be short if it be so hainous an errour in this case to vse these woordes Godhed and Manhed wherefore is not Fulgentius him selfe reproued for so often vsing the same These be his woordes Secundum Humanitatem suam Localiter erat in Terra Secundum Diuinitatem Coelum impleuit Terram Vera Humanitas Christi Localis es Vera Diuinitas semper immensa est Caro Christi absque dubitatione Localis est Diuinitas tamen eius vbique semper est Permansit in Christo Immensa Diuinitas Suscepta est ab eo Localis Humanitas Quomodò Ascendit in Coelum nisi quia Localis Verus est Homo Quomodò adest Fidelibus nifi quia idem Immensus Verus est Deus Christe according to his Manhoode was placed in Earthe but according to his Godhed he filled bothe Heauen and Earthe The Manhoode of Christe is conteined in Place The Godhed of Christe is Infinite and in al places The Pleash of Christe is doubtelesse in One place The Godhead of Christe is for euer in euery place There remained stil in Christe the Infinite Godhed There was receiued of him a Local Manhoode How Ascended he iâ—to Heauen sauing that he is very Man conteined in Place How is he present with the Faithful sauing that he is Infinite and True God Last of al he saithe Vnus idemque Christus Secundum Humanam Substantiam aberat Coelo cùm esset in Terra dereliquit Terram cùm Ascendisset in Coelum Christe being One accodinge to the Substance of his Manhoode was absent from Heauen when he was in Earthe and forsooke the Earthe when he Ascended into Heauen Thus many times M. Hardinge ye haue these woordes in one place togeather in Fulgentius him selfe The Godhed the Manhoode very God very Man The Fleash of Christe The Substance of the Manhoode And these â—e the selfe same woordes that you reproue Blotte out therefore for shame that vnaduised note in your Margine Looke better to your Booke Woorke hereafter more discretely and trouble not neither Pennemenne nor others without cause Otherwise the Penneman wil tel you what birde bare the feather that made you a Penne. The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 2. Wee beleeue that the Holy Ghost who is the thirde Person in the Holy Trinitie is very God not made not created not begotten but proceding from bothe the Father and the Sonne by a certaine meane vnknowen vnto man and vnspeakable and that it is his propertie to mollifie loften the hardnesse of mans hart when he is once receiued thereinto either by the holesome preaching of the Gospel or by any other waye that he doth geue men light and guide them vnto the knowledge of God to al way of Truthe to newnesse of the whole life and to euerlasting hope of Saluation M. Hardinge As wee acknowledge this article to be true and Catholike so we demaunde of these Defenders how they can proue the same Haue they either expresse Scripture for it or any of the first foure general Councels whiche be estemed of most Authoritie VVe are sure they haue not Therefore we do them to vnderstand and if they heare vs not we aduertise the Readers that feare God and loue his truth that al truthe necessarily to be beleued expressed in the Scripture and that other Councels be to be receiued besides the foure first which are allowed in England by Parlament The B. of Sarisburie Consider M. Hardinge notwithstanding ye euermore tel vs of Fathers Fathers yet how contrarie oftentimes ye are in iudgement to the same Fathers You saie that the Godhed of the Holy Ghost cannot be proued by expresse Woordes of the Scriptures and thereof ye saie ye are right sure Yet S. Augustine nothinge douteth but it may wel be proued by plaine Scriptures Thus he saith Spiritus Sanctus est Deus Vnde Petrus cùm dixisserâ— Ausus es mentiri Spiritui Sancto continuò sequutus adiunxit quid esse Spiritus Sanctus ait Non es mentitus Hominibus sed Deo The Holy Ghost is God Therefore Peter when he had saide vnto Ananias thou hast enterprised to lie to the Holy Ghost he followed readily and tolde him what was the Holy Ghost and saide Thou hast not sied vnto Man but vnto God Againe he saithe Ostendit Paulus Deum esse Spiritum Sanctum idò non esse Creaturam S. Paule sheweth vs that the Holy Ghost is God and therefore is no Creature Likewise againe he saith Ne quisquam Spiritum Sanctum negaret Deum continuò sequutus ait Glorificate portate Deum in Corpore vestro Least any man should denie that the Holy Ghost is God Paule added immediately these woordes Glorifie you therefore and beare God in your Body Here haue wée S. Augustines Yea and M. Hardinges Nay S. Augustine assureth vs he hath Scriptures to proue the Godhed of the Holy Ghoste M. Hardinge saithe wée
and aduise of this Defender hath altered the Sense of the Latine as the Authour of the Latine hath altered the woordes of S. Hierome For neither speaketh S. Hierome of Bishoppes in the plural number neither saithe the Latine Apologie that the Bishoppes be al of like Preeminence whiche this Translation hath but of the same Merite and of the same Priesthood VVith the woorde Preeminence guilefully shifted into the sentence in place of this woorde Merite these false players thought to winne the Game That is that al Bishoppes after the minde of S. Hierome be of like Preeminence and so that al be of like Power and auctoritie â–ª and none aboue other Concerninge the place alleged S. Hierome in an Epistle to Euagrius speakinge against that a particular custome of the Churche of Rome shoulde Preiudicate the Auctoritie of the whole worlde in preferringe Deacons before Priestes compareth Bishoppes of great Cities and litle Townes togeather and saithe that as touchinge the Honour Dignitie and Power of Bishoply Order and Office and of Priesthood as good and as greate a Bishop in that respect is the One as the other and that the Bishop of Eugubium and Rhegium two litle Townes in Italie and of Thebes an other litle Towne in Egypte are Bishoppes and Priestes and haue as greate Merite in regarde of any their Vertues and as greate Power concerninge the order of Priesthood as the Bishoppes of Rome of Constantinople of Alexandria Yet as touchinge Power and Auctoritie of regiment the Patriarkes of Constantinople Alexandria and Antiochia be aboue Bishoppes of other Dioceses and the Bishop of Rome Peters Successour is aboue al. For we beinge many are one Body in Christe and euery man amonge our selues one an others members This knotte requireth a mutual consent of the whole Bodâ—e but chiefly the concorde of Priestes amonge whome although dignitie be not common to them al yet order is general as Leo writeth For euen among the moste Blessed Apostles saithe he in likenesse of Honour there was oddes of Power And whereas the Election of them al was equal yet to One was it geuen to be ouer the reste Out of whiche platte rose the distinction also of Bishoppes and with greate Prouidence it hath benne disposed that al shoulde not take al vpon them but that in euery prouince there shoulde be one who might firste geue his sentence amonge his brethren and againe that in the greate Citties some shoulde be ordeined for takinge vpon them matters of greater care through whome the charge of the vniuersal Churche shoulde haue course to the one see of Peter and that nothinge shoulde euer dissent from the Head Howe greate and Honorable so euer the roume is that any Bishop is placed in be he Archbishop Metropolitane Primat Patriarke or Pope himselfe He is nomore a Bishop then any other of those who occupie the lowest roume The diuersitie consisteth in this that they are called to parte of charge in sundry proportions as the Bishoprikes are greater or lesser the Pope hath committed vnto him the charge of the whole Folde of Christe and hath the fulnes of Power For if al were of like Power as these Defenders teache Vnitie coulde not be mainteined VVherefore by very order of Christe himselfe it hath benne ordeined that maters touchinge Faith and Religion at least sutche as be weighty be referred to that one Prince of Pastours who sitteth in the chaire of Peter the Highest Bishop whiche hath alwaies benne done and obserued from the Apostles time to our daies by Catholikes and not seldom also by Heretikes The sentence that this Defender alleageth out of S. Cyprian it seemeth he vnderstoode it not Ye saie that a piece of that one Bishoprike is perfitly and wholy holden of euery particular Bishop But what meane ye by that If by this woorde In solidum perfitly and wholy holden ye meane that euery particular Bishop without is a Bishop dependinge of any other then ye speake against the woordes yee bringe out of S. Cyprian VVho saithe that as there are many beames of one Sunne many boughes of one roote â–ª many Riuers of one Fountaine so there are many Bishoppes of one Bishoprike Therefore this Bishoprike is vnto particular Bishoppes as the Sunne as the Roote as the Fountaine VVhat the Fountaine roote and Sunne of this Bishoprike is S. Cyprian declareth a litle before she winge that it was saide to Peter To thee I wil geue the ketes of the Kingdome of Heauen And Feede my sheepe The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge chargeth vs with twoo of his owne common faultes First with Corruption nexte with Ignorance With Corruption in the woordes and sense of S. Hierome with Ignorance in the place of S. Cyprian But if wee be hable sufficiently and truely to answeare bothe I truste M. Hardinge shal haue no great cause mutche to vaunte him selfe either of his plaine dealinge herein or of his knowledge And here to dissemble these childishe causilatiâ—ns of the altering of Numbers the Singulare into the Plural and of the changinge of this woorde Merite into this woorde Preeminence whiche greate faulte if it were any by M. Hardinges owne Confession proceeded onely from the Interpreter and not from the Authour I saie to dissemble and to passe by al these séely quarrels what S. Hierome meante hereby Erasmus a man of great Learninge and iudgement expoundeth thus Hieronymus aequare videtur omnes Episcopos inter se perinde quasi omnes ex aequo Apostolis successerint Nec putat vllum Episcopum alio minorem esse quód sit humilior aut Maiorem quód sit Opulentior Nam aequat Eugubiensem Episcopum cum Romano Deinde non putat Episcopum quouis Presbytero praestantiorem esse nisi quód ius habeat Ordinandi Hierome seemeth to matche al Bishoppes togeather as if they were al equally the Apostles Successours And he thinketh not any Bishop to be sesse then other for that he is poorer or greatter then other for that he is richer For he maketh the Bishop of Eugubium a poore towne equal with the Bishop of Rome And farther he thinketh that a Bishop is no better then any Prieste sauinge that the Bishop hath Authoritie to Order Ministers But S. Hieromes woordes are plaine of them selfe and haue no neede of other Expositour Thus he writeth Quid facit excepta Ordinatione Episcopus quod Presbyter non faciat Nec altera Romanae Vibis Ecclesia altera totius Orbis existimanda est Et Galliae Britannia Aphrica Persis Oriens India Omnes Barbarae Nationes Vnum Christum adorant vnam obseruant regulam Veritatis Si Authoritas quaeritur Orbis maior est Vrbe Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus siue Eugubij siue Constantinopoli siue Alexendriae siue Tanai eiusdem Meriti eiusdem est Sacerdotij Potentia diuitiarum paupertatis humilitas vel sublimiorem vel Inferiorem Episcopum non facit
fuerunt mutua inter ipsos Charitate vt alius alio Praeceptore ac Duce vsi fuerint Aske of your Fathers and they wil telle you that although Bishoprikes be diuided and sundred by distance of place yet were they euer knitte togeather as with a Garlande and euer ruled by One Aduise In deede the People was euer mingled togeather But the Bishoppes were al so ioined in Charitie that euery of them was contente to be taught and to be leadde by other Therefore as many Faithes in sundrie Faithefulles are but One Faithe as many Churches are but one Churche as many Baptismes are but one Baptisme Euen so saithe S. Cyprian many Bishoprikes are but One Bishoprike and therein as wel the Bishop of Rome as also euery other seucral Bishop hath his portion I saie The Bishoprike of Rome is not this Whole Bishoprike but a Parte Not the Body of the Sunne but a beame Not the stemme of the Trée but a braunche And thus by S. Cyprians minde neither doothe one Bishop holde of an other Nor is any One Bishop Heade of the Whole Nor is One Bishop al in al but al Bishoppes are onely One The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 6. And accordinge to the iudgement of the Nicene Councel wee saie that the Bishop of Rome hath no more iurisdiction ouer the Churche of God then the reste of the Patriarkes either of Alexandria or of Antioche haue M. Hardinge If it be a shame to belie the Deuil accordinge to the olde Prouerbe what is it to belie the Churche of God represented in the Nicene Councel The sixth Canon amonge al others of the Nicene Councel is that you grounde your surmise vpon I knowe wel For that hath benne wreasted to your purpose by certaine of your side And the same rightly construed maketh moste againste you For it seemeth to acknowledge the Bishoppe of Rome his Supremacie and Soueraigntie of iudgement ouer other Patriarkes These be the woordes of the Canon rightly Englished hed Let the Auncient custome continewe in force whiche is in Egypte Lybia ▪ and Pentapoli so that the Bishop of Alexandria haue Power ouer them al. Quandoquidem etiam Episcopo Romano hoc consuetum est For asmuch as the B. of Rome hath thus vsed Likewise in Antiochia also and in other Prouinces let the Churches keepe theire Prerogatiue VVhat can be gathered of the woordes of this Canon but that for ratefiynge the iurisdiction of the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Antiochia the Fathers of the Nicene Councel thought good to alter nothinge but to folowe the Auncient custome of Olde time vsed and allowed by the B. of Rome For it is asmuche to saie as this In asmuche as the B. of Rome hath benne wonte from the beginninge to graunt to the B. of Alexandria iurisdiction ouer Egypte Lybia and Pentapoli the Nicene Councel folowinge his authoritie and rule or at the least his vsage willeth and graunteth that the saide Bishop retaine and keepe his auncient right For if the B. of Alexandria had not receiued sutche iurisdiction by Auctoritie and graunt of the B. of Rome of olde time what reason shoulde haue moued those Fathers for confirmation thereof to alleage the custome of the B. of Rome And in that case whereto perteined the additiō of the cause Quia Episcopus Romanus hoc consueuit bicause this was the Bishop of Rome his custome If this had not benne theire meaninge they would neuer so haue spoken For what was his custome other then to allotte those Prouinces to the B. of Alexandria If any other thinge be alleaged to haue benne his maner and custome besides that the woordes of the Canon beare it not what had that benne to the purpose what so euer it be for cause and confirmation of the B. of Alexandria his iurisdiction ouer Egypte Lybia and Pentapoli Alleage you Defender for olde custome of the B. of Rome what elles you liste so that you make no violence to the Canon and thereupon make your argument inferringe of your allegation the Conclusion Ergo the B. of Alexandria ought to haue iurisdiction ouer Egypte Lybia and Pentapoli and you shal finde it to be suche an argument as any Sotte woulde be ashamed to make Against this if it shal like you to Replie wee warne you before that neither ye take aduantage of a doubteful interpretation as we knowe that Canon to be founde in diuerse Bookes not so plainely Translated and therefore we require you to stande to the Original as it is in Greeke neither that ye defende your lie with the wrested Exposition of Theodore Balsamon who hath written Greeke Commentaries vpon the Canons of the Councels sithens the schisme of the Greekes him selfe beinge a Schismatike For he beinge a Greeke borne and prick◠with the hatred of his Nation against the Latine Churche and specially the See of Rome in thexposition of that sixth Canon of the Nicene Councel swarueth bothe from learninge and also from reason The B. of Sarisburie In déede it is a shame to belie any creature for that lieinge is shameful of it selfe And therefore M. Hardinge ye mighte doo mutche better to vse it lesse You haue brought vs here an Exposition of the Councel of Nice sutche as I thinke from that time vntil this time hath seldome benne hearde of You saie The Bishop of Romes Custome was to geue Iurisdiction to the Patriarkes of Alexandria of Antioche and of Hierusalem and that thei had none Authoritie of Gouernmente but onely so mutche as was limited and allowed by him And this you saye was the onely and vndoubted meaninge of that Councel This fantasie is not here auouched by any Auncient Doctour or Learned Father Therefore wée muste thinke what so euer it be it is your owne And weighinge the strangenesse of the same I muste needes saie of yow as S. Hierome saide sometime of one Rheticius in the like case Rheticius eloquens quidem est sed ineptus Interpres Rheticius is an eloquente man in deede and yet but a fonde Interpreter For it is certaine and knowen euen vnto Children that the Bishop of Rome before the Councel of Nice had neither sutche Custome of Superioritie nor sutche dealinge of Iurisdictions Pope Pius Secundus saithe Ante Nicenam Synodum vnusquisque sibi vixit paruus respectus ad Romanā Ecclesiam halebatur Before the Councel of Nice euery Bishop liued to him selfe and there was then smal regarde had to the Churche of Rome As for our sortishe Argumentes sutche as by your iudgemente any sorte would be ashamed to make I maye leaue them wel to you M. Hardinge not for that ye lacke them greately but for that as it appeare the by your Bookes ye knowe beste howe to vse them Touchinge the sixthe Canon of this Councel whiche you imagine is so darke and doubteful I truste it shal be plainely and clearely opened by them that were neuer hitherto accounted sottishe The woordes
seruantes vt in aliquo si nutauerit vacillauerit Veritas ad originem Dominicam Euangelicam atque Apostolicam Traditionem reuertamur inde surgat actus nostri ratio vnde Ordo Origo surrexit If the Pipes of yâ— Conduit which before ranne with abundance happen to faile doo wee not vse to searche to the Head c. The Priestes of God keepinge Goddes commaundementes must do the same that if the Truthe haue fainted or failed in any pointe vvee returne to the very Original of our Lorde and to the Tradition of the Gospel and of the Apostles that therâ—hence wee maie take the discretion of our dooinges from whence the Order it selfe and Original firste beganne The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 1. Moreouer wee saie that Christe hathe geuen to his Ministers power to binde to loose to open to shutte The B. of Sarisburie The difference that is bitweene vs and our Aduersaries in this whole mater is not great sauinge that it liketh wel M. Hardinge to buste him selfe with néedelesse quarrels without cause Three kindes of Confession are expressed vnto vs in the Scriptures The First made secretely vnto God alone The Seconde Openly before yâ— who le Congregation The Thirde Priuately vnto our Brother Of the twoo former kindes there is no question Touchinge the thirde if it be discretely vsed to the greatter comforte and satisfaction of the Penitente without superstition or other il it is not in any wise by vs reproued The Abuses and Errours sette aparte wée doo nomore mislike a Priuate Confession then a Priuate Sermon Thus mutche onely wée saie that Priuate Confession to be made vnto yâ— Minister is neither commaunded by Christe nor necessarie to Saluation And therefore Chrysostome saithe Non dico tibi vt te prodas in publicum neque vt te accuses apud alios Sed obedire te volo Propherae dicenti Reuela Domino viam tuam I wil thee not to bewraye thee selfe openly nor to accuse thee selfe before others But I counsel thee to obeie the Prophete saieinge Open thy waye vnto the Lorde And Gratian hauinge thorowly disputed and debated the whole mater of bothe sides in the ende leaueth it thus at large Cui harum sententiarum potiâ—sâ— adhaerenduÌ„ sit Lectoris iudicio reseruatur Vtraque enim fautores habet Sapientes Religiosos Viros Whether of these twoo opinions it were better to folowe it is leafte to the discretion of the Reader For either side is fauoured bothe by Wise and also by Godly menne Therefore the Glose there concludeth thus Meliâ—s dicitur Confessionem institutam fuisse à quadam Vniuersalis Ecclesiae Traditione potiùs quà m ex Noui vel Veteris Testamenti Authoritate It is better to saie that Confession was Ordeined by somme Tradition of the Vniuersal Churche then by the Authoritie of the Newe or Olde Testamente Likewise saithe Theodorus sometime Archebishop of Canturburie a Gréeke borne Quidam Deo solummodò confiteri debeâ—e peccata dicunt vt Graeci Some saie wee are bounde to confesse our sinnes onely to God as doo the Greciâ—â—s Whereupon the Glose noteth thus Apud Graecos Confessio non est Necessaria quia non emanauit ad illos Traditio talis Emonge the Grecians Confession is not Necessarie for that no sutche Tradition euer came emongest them But what neede many woordes M. Hardinge him selfe in the discourse hereof is forced to confesse that the Expresse Terme of Auriculare or Secrete Confession is Seldome mentioned in the Ancient Fathers His tale had benne truer if he had saide thus The Expresse terme of Auriculare or Secrete Confession is Neuer mentioned in the Ancient Fathers Nowe to passe ouer certaine other M. Hardinges vnnecessarie talkes hée groweth to the mater in this sorte M. Hardinge Concerninge the ministers of the Churche wee saie that they open and shutte by dispensinge the Sacramentes who haue theire vertue of the merites of Christe For where as the Sacramentes haue issued and flowed out of the side of our sauiour Christe sleepinge on the Crosse as by allusion wee maie vse the woordes of the olde figure wherewith the Churche is buylded therefore in the Sacramentes of the Churche the efficacie of the Passion remaineth And for that cause to the Ministers also of the Churche who be dispensours of the Sacramentes a certaine power is geeuen to remoue the barre that excludeth vs from Goddes fauour not through their owne but through Goddes vertue and power and merite of Christes Passion And this power is called by a metaphore the Keie of the Churche whiche is the Keie of Ministerie whereof we shal speake hereafter This power so muche as concerneth releasse of sinnes is exercised in the Sacramente of Penaunce to the benefite of them that after Baptisme be relapsed and fallen into sinne againe Of whiche power no Christen man doubteth onlesse he holde the Heresie of the Nouatians who were condemned for Heretikes by the Churche because they denied that Priestes in the Churche had authoritie to remitte sinnes and so denied the Sacramente of Penaunce The B. of Sarisburie That dewly receiuinge the Holy Sacramentes ordeined by Christe wée receiue also yâ— Remission of Sinnes it is not any way denied For the Substance of al Sacramentes is the Woorde of God whiche S. Paule calleth Verbum Reconciliationis The Woorde of atonemente This Woorde is the Instrumente of Remission of Sinne The Sacramentes are the Seales affixed vnto the same The Prieste is the meane S. Augustine saithe In Aqua Verbum mundat Detrahe Verbum quid est Aqua nisi Aqua In the Water it is the VVoorde of God that maketh cleane Take the VVoorde awaye and what is VVater els but VVater Hereof wée shal haue cause to saie more hereafter Al that is here brought in touchinge Nouatus it is vtterly from the purpose For Nouatus neuer denied but a sinner might Confesse his Sinnes either secretely to God alone or publiquely and openly before the whole Congregation As for Auriculare Confession to the Prieste for ought that maie appeare he neuer heard of it But herein stoode his whole erroure that he thought who so euer had committed any great notorious Sinne after Baptisme notwithstandinge any Submission or Satisfaction he was hable to make yet might he neuer be reconciled vnto his Brethren or be receiued againe into the Churche not that he would hereby driue the Penitent sorowful sinner to despaire of Goddes mercie but as somme Learned menne haue thought onely for example and terrour vnto others And therefore Beatus Rhenanus saithe In hac sententia Veterum permulti fuerunt in ijs etiam Augustinus S. Augustine saithe Cautâ— salubâ—â—terque prouisum est vt locus illius Humilimae Poenitentiae semel in Ecclesia concedatur ne medicina vilis minùs utilis esset aegrotis Iâ— hath benne discretely and wholesomely prouided that it should not be graunted to any man to
calleth the Power of God vnto Saluation and Verbum Reconciliationis The VVorde whereby wee be Reconciled vnto God And for this cause Chrysostome saithe as it is alleged by M. Hardinge that the Prieste hathe the same Power that Christe had For that he Preacheth the same Woorde of God that Christe Preached And in this sense Christe saithe vnto his Disciples As my Liuinge Father sente me euen so and with like Commission doo I sende you Otherwise the Power of Christe farre surmounteth and passeth al Creatures not onely in Earthe but also in Heauen Christe him selfe thereof saithe thus Al thinges are deliuered to me of my Father And the Prophete Esai saithe Ponam Clauem Domus Dauid super humerum eius Aperiet nemo Claudet Claudet nemo Aperiet I wil set the Keie of the House of Dauid vpon his shoulder Hee shal Open and noman shal Shutte Hee shal Shutte and noman shal Open. Of this Doctrine saithe M. Hardinge foloweth a greate inconuenience For then saithe he the Power of the Keies consisteth not so mutche in the Minister as in the Sinner that heareth and beléeueth This inconuenience is nothinge so greate as it is pretended The errour hereof standeth in the Equiuocation or doubtful taking of one Woorde For one thing maie be in an other sundrie waies As Remission of Sinnes maie be in the Prieste as in the Messenger In the Woorde of God as in the Instrument In the Penitente partie as in the Receiuer The offeringe hereof is in the Minister but the effecte and force is in the Sinner Therefore S. Luke saithe God Opened the Harte of the Silck woman that she should geue Eare vnto the woordes that were spoken by S. Paule And Christe saithe VVho so euer shal Beleeue and be Baptized shal be saued but he that beleeueth not shal be damned Likewise Peter Lombarde him selfe saithe Ex his apertè ostenditur quo'd Deus ipse Poenitentem soluit quando intus illuminat inspirando veram Cordis Contritionem Hereby it plainely appeareth that God him selfe Looseth the Penitente when by geeuinge him in warde lighte hee inspireth into him the true Contrition of the Harte And therefore Clemens Alexandrinus saithe Fides nostra est Clauis Regni Coelorum Our Faithe is the Keie of the Kingedome of Heauen And S. Augustine likewise saithe Cor Clausum habent quia Clauem Fidei non habent They haue theire hartes shutte bicause they lacke the Keie of Faithe Againe he saithe Suscitari mortuus nisi intâ—is clamante Domino non potest The deade man cannot be raised againe onlesse the Lorde Crie within him And to comme neare to the pourpose Gratian him selfe saithe Voluntas Sacerdotis nec prodesse nec obesse potest sed meritum benedictionem poscentis The wil of the Prieste can neither further nor hinder but the Merite of him that desireth Absolution Touchinge the Obiection of Frantique Personnes and maddemenne in what sorte and howe farre Absolution taketh place in them for as mutche as it is an extraordinarie case I thinke it neither needeful nor easy to define In deede a question is moued by Pope Innocentius the thirde whether and in what sorte a man either in his maddenesse or in his sleepe maye be Baptized And S. Augustine seemeth to witnesse that Children sommetime were Baptized in theire Mothers Wombe Likewise he writeth of a fréende of his owne Cùm iaceret sine sensu in dolore laetali desperaretur Baptizatus est nesciens Whereas hee laye in a Traunse without sense in deadly paine and was despaired of hee was Baptized and knewe not of it Bonauentura addeth somme force vnto the mater and demaundeth this question An aliquis possit absolui inuitus VVhether a man maie be Absolued againste his wil or no. But concerninge the Absolution of madde menne in the time of theire phrenesie It seemeth this was bothe the meaninge of Leo and the Godly discretion of the Churche at that time that if a man standinge Excommunicate had happened to be berefte of his senses and beinge in that case had benne likely to departe this life vpon proufe of his former repentance he should be restoared that he might departe in peace as a Member of the Churche of God The practise hereof wée finde in the Councel of Carthage by these woordes Si is qui Poenitentiam in infirmitate petit in Phrenesim versus fuerit dent testimonium qui eum audiuerunt accipiat Poenitentiam If he that desired reconciliation by Penaunce in his sicknesse afterward fal Madde let them that hearde him beare witnesse with him and so let him receiue Penance This was onely a publike Testimonie vnto the Churche that the partie Excommunicate was repentante before when his minde was quiet And what thinge els M. Hardinge can geather hereof I cannot tel Certainely in this Order and manner they restoared not onely Madde menne but also deade menne vnto the Churche For so it is noted vpon the Decrées Ex quo cùm per eum non stabat el communicare debemus Et ita est absoluendus post mortem VVherefore seeinge there was no lacke in his parte wee ought to Communicate with him And so he muste be Absolued after his deathe The woordes that S. Augustine often vseth vnto Beginners or Entrers of the Faithe called Catechumeni are vttred rather for terrour of others then for rigoure of Truthe as shal appeare For otherwheres he writeth thus Catechumeni secundum quendam modum per Signum Christi sanctificantur The Catechumeni or Beginners after their sorte are sanctified by the Signe of Christe Againe he saith to them Non dum renati estis sed per Crucis Signum in vtero Sanctae Matris Ecclesiae iam concepti estis Ye are not yet borne a newe but by the Signe of the Crosse ye are already conceiued in the VVombe of the Holy Churche your Mother Therefore hauinge thus once entred into the Faithe of Christe although they happened afterwarde to departe this life without Baptisme yet the Churche oftentimes thought it good to Iudge wel of them S. Ambrose doubted not but the Emperour Valentinian departed hence in Goddes fauoure And yet was the same Emperoure but a Beginner and a Nouice in the Faithe and departed hence without Baptisme M. Hardinge saithe further Onlesse the Penitente make particulare rehearsal of al his sinnes the Prieste or Minister can be no Iudge Where vnto I adde also further Notwithstandinge any rehearsal that maye be made yet can the Prieste neuer be but a doubteful Iudge S. Augustine saithe Quid ergo mihi est cum Hominibus vt audiant Confessiones meas quasi sanaturi sint Omnes Languores meos Vnde sciunt cùm à meipso de meipso audiunt an verum dicam Quandoquidem nemo scit Hominum quid agatur in Homine nisi Spiritus Hominis qui est in Homine VVhat haue I to
in thinges necessarie That sinnes can not either be remitted or reteined excepte the Prieste knowe them we are bolde so to saye with the Fathers and specially with S. Hierome who so vnderstoode the woordes of Christe where he promised the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen to Peter Sacerdos pro officio suo cùm peccatorum audierit Varietates scit qui ligandus sit qui Soluendus The Prieste saithe he when as accordinge to his office he hath hearde the diuersities of sinnes knoweth who is to be bounde who is to be loosed Right so as in the time of Moses lawe he pronounced not who was cleane of Lepre who was not before that he had vewed the colour the bunches and al other tokens of that disease And thus it foloweth of the woordes of Christe that Confession of al Sinnes at leaste deadly muste be made to the Prieste before they can be remitted VVhiche Prieste is the Minister of this Sacramente and hath auctoritie to absolue either Ordinarie or by Commission of the Superiour Againe for proufe that Confession is necessarie wee sate that to remitte and reteine sinnes committed againste God as to binde and to loose be iudicial actes And therefore by these woordes Christe ordeined a Courte a Consistorie a seate of Iudgemente in the Churche and appointed the Apostles and their Successours to be Iudges And that this maye appeare not to be a fantasie of our owne heades S. Augustine so expoundeth those woordes of S. Iohn in his Reuelation Et vidi ledes c. And I sawe seates and some sittinge on them and iudgement was geuen VVe muste not thinke â—aithe he this to be spoken of the laste iudgement but we muste vnderstande the Seates of the Rulers and the Rulers themselues by whome nowe the Churche is gouerned And as for the Iudgement geuen it semeth not to be taken for any other then for that whereof it was saide VVhat thinges yee binde in Earthe they shal be bouÌ„de also in Heauen and what thinges ye loose on Earthe they shal be loosed also in Heauen Sundrie other Fathers haue vttered in their writinges the same Doctrine Hilarius vpon the sixtenth Chapter of Matthewe saithe Beatus Coeli ianitor c. Blessed is the Porter of Heauen whose earthly iudgement that is to saie whiche is geuen here on Earthe is a foreiudged auctoritie in Heauen that what thinges be bounde or loosed in Earthe they haue the condition of the same Statute also in Heauen S. Cyprian hath the like sayinge in an Epistle to Cornelius Chrysostome saithe that Christe hath translated al iudgemente whiche he receiued of the Father vnto the Apostles and Priestes Gregorie Nazianzene in an Oration to the Emperour and his Princes saithe to the Emperour Ouis mea es nos habemus Tribunalia Thou arte my Sheepe and we haue our seates of iudgement S. Gregorie the Pope compareth the Sacrament of Penaunce with a courte of Iustice in which causes be first examined and tried and afterwarde Iudged That the same is to be donne by the Prieste S. Bernarde sheweth VVho as also the learned Father Hugo de S. Victore be not afraide to saie after S. Cyprian Hilarie and Chrysostome that the sentence of Peter remittinge Sinnes goeth before the sentence of Heauen This Ordinance of Christe requireth that al. Trespasses Offences Disorders Transgressions and Sinnes committed against him and his Lawes be referred to this Consistorie VVhether these Defenders allowe Publike Confession or no we knowe not but whereas they inueigh against Priuate Confession and saie in spiteful woordes which they haue learned in the Schole of Satan beinge lothe the Sinnes of the People whereby he holdeth his Kingdome shoulde be remitted that Christes Disciples receiued not the auctoritie of the Keies that they shoulde heare priuate Confessions of the People and listen to their whisperinges VVe tel them that Confession of al deadly Sinnes is of the Institution of God not of Man But concerninge the maner of confessinge secretely to a Prieste alone it is moste agreable to Natural Reason that secrete Sinnes be confessed secretely Clement amongest those thinges that he acknowledgeth him selfe to haue receiued of Peter this is One as he writeth in his firste Epistle translated by Rufine the Prieste That if it fortune either enuie or Infidelitie priuely to crepe into any mans harte or any other like euil he whiche regardeth his Soule be not ashamed to confesse those thinges to him that is in Office ouer him to the ende that by him through the woorde of God and holesome counsel he maye be healed So as by perfite Faithe and good woorkes he maye escape the paines of euerlastinge fire and come to the rewardes of Life that endureth for euer No man speaketh more plainely of Secrete Confession then Origen and that in sundry places to whiche for Breuities sake I remitte the Reader In. 2. Ca. Leuitici Homil. 2. De Principijs Lib. 3. In Psal 37. Homil. 2. VVhere he compareth the state of a sinner to a man that hath euil and vndigested humours in his Stomake And saithe that as by remaininge of suche euil matter the man feleth him selfe very sicke and by vomitinge of it foorthe he is eased so the sinner by keepinge his sinnes secrete is the more greuousely charged in his owne conscience and standeth in daunger to be choked with the Fleume and humour of his sinnes But if he accuse him selfe and confesse his faultes he bothe vomiteth foorthe his sinnes and digesteth the cause of the same S. Cyprian as in many other places so moste plainely speaketh of Secrete Confession Sermone 5. de lapsis Although saithe he of certaine deuoute persons they be entangled with no greate Sinne yet because at leaste they thought of it the same vnto the Priestes of God Confesse they sorowfully and simply They make Confession of their Conscience they laie foorthe the burthen of their minde c. S. Augustine treatinge of the Power of the Keies in many places but specially of Confession in Psal 60. VVhere speakinge muche of the necessitie of Confession he saithe thus VVhy fearest thou to be Confessed If not beinge Confessed thou remaine hidden not beinge Confessed thou shalt be damned And afterwardes thus To this ende God requireth Confession to deliuer the humble to this ende he damneth him that confesseth not to punishe the Proude Therefore be thou sorie before thou be Confessed beinge Confessed Reioyse thou shalt be hole By these and many other Holy Fathers of whome there is no doubte but they had the Holy Ghoste for their Teacher and prompter of al Truthe the Catholike Churche hath benne persuaded that the recital and rehersinge of al sinnes before the Prieste is necessarie to Saluation onlesse necessitie for lacke of a Prieste or other wise exclude vs from it and that a General Confession in no wise suffiseth True Faithe acknowlegeth that Confession is to be made of al â— Sinnes
They were saide to cleanse the Leprosie bicouse they shewed who was cleansed So saith S. Augustine Nec voluntas Sacerdotis obesse vel prodesse potest sed Meritum Benedictionem Poscentis The vvil of the Prieste can neither further nor hinder But the Merite of him that desueth Absolutiō Thus therfore S. Ambrose meaneth The Prieste is a Iudge to discerne bitweene sinne and sinne as wel Priuate as Publique But Right Power or Authoritie to foregeeue fianes he hath none The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 4. And therefore our Saueour Iesus Christe to reproue the Negligence of the Scribes and Phariseis in teachinge did with these woordes rebuke them saieing Woe be vnto you Scribes Phariseis whiche haue taken away the Keyes of knowledge haue shutte vp the Kingedome of Heauen before menne Seeinge then the Keie whereby the way and entrie to the Kingdome of God is opened vnto vs is the Woorde of the Gospel and the Expoundinge of the Lawe and Scriptures wee saie plainely where the same Woorde is not there is not the Keie M. Hardinge By this wee are induced to graunte that the knowledge of the Scripture is a Keie whereby the gate to the Truthe is opened the vse whereof consisieth in expoundinge of the Lawe and Prophetes as they shewe Christe But wee say this not to be the special Keies whiche Christe gaue to the church but one Keie alone And so Christe calleth it where he rebuked the Scribes and Phariseis Though you haue put it otherwise then the Gospel hath in the Plural number And this Keie is common to the Lawe and to the Gospel But the Keies whiche we speake of are another thinge By the name of these leies We vnderstande the whole spiritual Power whiche Christe firste promised to Peter and afterwarde gaue to the Apostles and from them is transferred to al Bishoppes and Priestes By whiche Power Priestes teache the Gospel Consecrate the Body and Bloude of Christe and Minister the Sacramentes through Auctoritie of the VVoorde Absolue Penitētes and excommunicate Publike and hainous sinners The Keie that you confusely speake of naminge it to be the VVoorde of the Gospel and Expoundinge of the Lawe and Scriptures is one parte perteininge to this spiritual Power it is not the whole Power And where this VVoorde is not that is to saie where the Scriptures be not taught and the Gospel preached there is not the Keie saie ye there is not the exercise of that Keie saie we Yet ther is this spiritual Power that is to witte ther be the Keies Ye we say that a simple Prieste though he haue no greate learninge yet hath he the Keies though he might do better and more worthely vse them hauinge learninge and knowledge The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge mutche and often complaineth of the Confusion of the Keies that wée appointe not distinctly eche Keie to his seueral office Marke therefore I beseche thée Gentle Reader hewe distinctly and plainely M. Hardinge him selfe intreateth of the same Firste of the twoo Keies that Christe hath deliuered vs in the Gospel he hathe made a greate many of Keies The Keie of knowledge The keie of Order The Keie of Power The Keie of Discretion The Keie of Sacramentes And for as mutche as Sacramentes by his Doctrine be Seuen in number there muste also be of this sorte Seuen other seueral Keies And yet ouer and bisides al these Keies béeing so many the Pope hath also One Special Maister Keie Afterward by a sleight and by nimblenesse of his fingers he conueigheth al this heape of Keies into twoo Onely Keies whereof the One he calleth the Keie of knowledge and the other the Keie of Power Whiche twoo Keies notwithstandinge in the ende are suddainely consumed both into One onely Keie For where as the Keie of knowledge is lost there by M. Hardinges Iudgement Power onely remaineth without knowledge And that Keie alone dischargeth al offices and is vtterly al in al. This Keie of Power without knowledge muste néedes be y◠Keie of Ignorance Or as they them selues haue vsed to cal it Clauis Errans The Keie of Errour Or whiche Keie vndoubtedly Christe saide sommetime Hoc est tempus vestrum Potestas Tenebrarum This is your time and the Power of Darkenesse Peter Lombarde him selfe saithe Many Priestes be Ignorante and haue not the Keie of knowledge Alexander of Hales saithe Scientia non est Clauis Knowledge is no Keie at al. Yet M. Hardinge answeareth vs that the simple ignorant Prieste that knoweth nothinge hath not onely One Keie but both Keies for so he calleth them in the Plural number that is to saie as wel the Keie of knowledge as the Keie of Power And thus haue they forged a Keie of knowledge without knowledge and with the same keie they expounde and open the Scriptures they Minister the Sacramentes they Binde they Loose and breake vp a by way into the Kingedome of Heauen Yet muste wée beleue that they speake simply and plainely of these Keies and without confusion The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 5. And seeinge one manner of Woorde is geuen to al and one onely Keie belongeth to al wee say there is but one onely Power of al Ministers as concerning Openinge and Shuttinge And as touchinge the Bishop of Rome for al that his Flatteringe Parasites singe these woordes in his eares To thee wil I geue the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen as though these Keies were fitte for him alone and for no body els excepte he goe so to woorke as Mennes Consciences maie be made pliaunte and be subdued to the Woorde of God wee denie that he doth either Open or Shutte or hath the Keies at al. And although the taught and instructed the People as woulde God he might once truely doo and perswade him selfe it were at the leaste any peece of his dewtie yet wee thinke his Keie to be neuer a white better or of greater force then other mennes For who hath seuered him from the reste Who hath taught him more conningely to Open or better to Absolue then his bretherne M. Hardinge Your grounde beinge false what ye buylde thereon some faileth The whole Power of the Keies pardy howe often times muste we tell you one thinge standeth not in preachinge onely but in sundry other excellent ministeries also as wee haue proued If the Bishop of Rome preache not he doth neis the Open nor shut by preachinge wee graunte Yet mens Consciences beinge made plaint and subdued by the VVoorde of God by others that preache at his appointement he maie by vertue of the Keies either Open or Shut Loose or Binde as by discretion he seeth cause And whereas Christe saide to Peter and therefore to the Bishop of Rome Peters Successour To thee wil I geue the Keies of the Kingdome of Heauen wil ye call them flatteringe Parisites that yelde to him that whiche Christe gaue to him Sutche vomite sheweth what humour your stomake is charged withal Denyinge
Qui dicunt talium Nuptias non esse Nuptias sed potiùs Adulteria mihi non videntur satis acutè ac diligenter considerare quid dicant They that saie The Marriage of sutche menne or vvemen as haue Vowed Chastitie is no Marriage but rather Aduouterie seeme vnto me not to coÌ„sider discretely and wisely what they saie And againe Fit per hanc minùs consideratam opinionem vt cùm volunt eas separatas reddere Continentiae faciant Maritos earum Adulteros Veros cùm suis Vxoribus viuis alteras duxerint It commeth to passe by this Vnaduised Opinion that whereas they wil remooue these weemen that so haue Vowed from their Husbandes and force them to continewe in their Single Life they make the Husbandes of them Aduouterers in deede in case they marrie againe their owne Wiues beinge stil aliue Thus therefore M. Hardinge you maie imagine S. Augustine saithe vnto you as he did vnto them Ye speake fondely and vnaduisedly and vnderstande not what ye speake And yet one of your Companions there telleth vs that he is vndoubtedly the Diuelles Minister that wil saie as S. Augustine saithe that the Marriage of sutche personnes is true and verie Marriage Thus by the Iudgemente of your late Louanian Cleregie S. Augustine is becomme the Minister of the Diuel But M. Hardinge hath further to saie that S. Augustine calleth this kinde of marriage VVoorse then Aduouterie An other calleth it Inceste an other Sacrilege That the Ancient Fathers haue thus written it is true not denied How be it good Reader as I haue partely shewed before these and other like woordes haue procéeded more of a zele and heate of minde then of profounde consideration and Iudgemente of the cause Neither maie wée alwaies straine sutche saicinges to the vttermoste For whereas S. Augustine saithe Sutche Marriage is woorse then Aduouterie he saithe neuerthelesse immediately after in yâ— same place It is true and very Marriage in deede before God and Man and no Aduouterie His woordes be these Non quòd ipsae Nuptiae vel talium damnandae iudicentur Damnatur Propositi fraus Damnatur fracta Voti Fides c. Damnantur tales non quia Coniugalem Fidem posteriùs inierunt sed quia Continentiae Primam Fidem irritam fecerunt Not that the Marriage of sutche personnes is to be blamed The defraudinge of theire pourpose and the breache of theire Vowe is blamed Sutche are blamed not for that they haue entred into the Faithe of Matrimonie but for that they haue broken their Firste Faithe or promisse of continente Life So likewise S. Augustine saithe of a Woman that vsed to painte her face Etsi impudica circa homines non sis tamen corruptis violatisque quae Dei sunt Peior Adultera detineris Although thou be no euil woman as touchinge menne yet thus colouringe and corruptinge thy face whiche thou haste of God thou arte vvoorse then an Aduoutresse Here by waie of comparison and in heate of speeche S. Augustine saithe That paintinge of the face is woorse then Aduouterie In like sense S. Cyprian saithe Diabolo peior est qui foeminarum aspectibus feritur He that is striken or moued with the sighte of Wemen is vvoorse then the Diuel Likewise againe he saithe Multò grauior Peior est Moechi causa quà m Libellatici An Aduouterers case is vvoorse then is the case of him that hath betraied the Faithe Sutche comparisons as I haue saide maie not wel be rackte to al pourposes but must be taken so far foorthe onely as they were meante Otherwise the same S. Cyprian saithe Peius est quam moechari Continentiam ducere criminosam To liue Vnchastely vnder the coloure of Chaste life as your Cleregie dooeth is vvoorse then Aduouterie Here M. Hardinge S. Cyprian saithe that your vnchaste Chastitie and coloured Vaunte of Virginitie is vvoorse then Aduouterie So S. Ambrose when he had saide If shée haue a minde to marrie shée committeth Aduouterie shée is made the Handmaide of Deathe He addeth further as of a greater euil Si hoc ita est quid de illa dicendum est quae occulta fortiua turpitudine constupratur fingit se esse quod non est Bis Adultera est This beinge so vvhat then shal vvee saie of her that is defiled with secrete and priuie filthinesse and faineth her selfe to be that in deede shee is not Shee is tvvise an Aduoutresse Here S. Ambrose calleth your painted Virginitie Double Aduouterie So S. Chrysostome Virginitas ista cum Viris plùs ab omnibus arguitur quà m stuprum ipsum This Virginitie of Weemen emongest menne is more reprooued of al menne then Fornication it selfe By these fewe wée maie yâ— better vnderstande the place that M. Hardinge hath here alleaged of S. Paule vnto Timothee When they waxe wanton against Christe they wil marrie hauinge damnation bicause they haue broken their Firste Faithe Notwithstandinge in deede S. Paule spake these woordes neither of Vowes nor of Vowebreakers but of the Widowes that were appointed to attende vpon the Olde and sicke personnes and therefore were reliued and founde by the Churche But let vs imagine as M Hardinge would haue vs that S. Paule spake al this of the breache of Vowes And let Prima Fides The Firste Faithe be the Vowe of Chastitie How be it in deede our Firste Faithe is the Faithe that wée promise in Baptisme and none other And so S. Hierome seemeth to take it For thus he writeth Non sâ—nt digni Fide qui Primam Fidem irritam fecerunt Marcionem loquor Basilidem They be not woorthy to be beleeued that haue foresaken their Firste Faithe I meane Marcion and Basilides These two famouse Heretiques Marcion and Basilides were not condemned for breakinge any Vowe of Chastitie but for refusinge the Faithe of Christe whiche S. Hierome calleth The Firste Faithe S. Paule maketh no mention of any Vowe but onely rebuketh sutche light waueringe Wemen as beinge of longe time founde by the Charges of the Congregation pourposely to reliue the sicke and the feeble afterwarde foresooke bothe the Congregation and Christe too and became Heathens and folowed the Diuel For so S. Paule saithe Nonnullae iam deflexerunt post Satanam Many sutche wemen are already gonne after Sathan But if S. Paule spake this of the breache of Vowes with what eies then M. Hardinge doo you reade his woordes Or what aduantage can you hope to finde in sutche Authorities as doo so expressely crie againste your selfe S. Paule saithe euen there in the same place Vidua eligatur non minor annis sexaginta Iuniores Viduas reijce Volo iuniores Viduas nubere liberos gignere domum administrare nullam occasionem dare Aduersario vt habeat maledicendi causam Let no Widowe be chosen vnder threescore yeeres of age Refuse yonge vvidovves I vvil that yonge vvidovves be married bringe vp theire
Touchinge Pius In Platina ye shal finde these wordes for one of that Popes saieinges Sacerdoâ—ibus magna ratione sublatas nuptias maiori restituendas videri As mutche to saie in English that Marriage was taken from Priestes with greate reason and that it semed it were to be restoared againe with greater This saieinge reporteth not that VViues were taken a waie from Priestes as you reporte neither that VViues ought to be restored to Priestes againe It speaketh onely of Marriage whiche as before a man enter into Holy Orders no Vowe beinge made is lawful so by orders taken a Vowe of chastâ—tie beinge solemly made is vtterly vnlawful If this saieinge had made so mutche for your pretensed Marriage as ye would men to beleue ye would neuer haue falsified it by sutch chauÌ„ge of woordes VVhether is be more expedient sutche as come to the clergy to be required to leade the Single life and to bind themselues thereto by Vowes or to enioie the common libertie of Mariage that we leaue to the Churche to discusse and order If Pius sawe many weightier causes for Priestes to haue VViues then for theire Single Life as ye pretende he did why did not he or you in his steede shewe vs what and how substantial they be If they be no better then you and your felowes haue vttered in your Sermons and wâ—tâ—inges hitherto they are not wortheâ—a Pipt nootte This saieing of Pius is wel to be weighed and scanned The B. of Sarisburie Who so euer shal wel consider the Fruites that haue growen of this trée maie easily iudge by whom it was planted Certainely S. Paule when he had géeuen rules touching the Cleregie that Bishoppes Deacons should be the Husbandes of One Wife immediately afterwarde in the same tenoure course of Speache saith thus The Sprite saithe plainely that in later times somme shal departe from the 〈◊〉 geeuinge eare vnto lieinge Sprites and to the Doctrine of Diuels vttering lies vnder Hypocrisie hauing theire Conscience burnte with a hote yron and therby made vnsensible Forebiddinge Marriage c. But M. Hardinge saithe there is no Lawe in the Churche to restraine Marriage and that Marriage is not nowe condemned by him and other of that side thought vnlawful Vniuersally in al menne for that he saithe was the Heresie of Valentinus Marcion Montanus and others but onely forebidden and thought vnlawful in a fewe By this answeare M. Harding maie séeme to make him selfe sommewhat better then was Valentinus and Marcion and other Olde Heretiques But further to healpe him and thorowly to cleare his Doctrine it wil not serue It is a CommoÌ„ knowen rule in yâ— Scholes Magis Minùs non mutant SpecieÌ„ Verily as he that killeth but a fewe menne is called a Mankiller Euen so he that Condemneth Marriage in a fewe muste likewise be called a Condemner of Marriage Neither dooth S. Paule when he prophesieth hereof say that somme should Condemne al kinde of Marriage Vniuersally in al manner of Menne but onely he saithe There shal be somme that shal forebidde Marriage Neither did al Heretiques Condemne Marriage in one sorte For somme of them condemned it Generally and thorowly and altogeather Somme others of them Condemned it onely in a fewe euen as M. Hardinge and his Felowes doo For thus S. Augustine writeth of the Heretiques named the Manichées Auditores qui appellantur apud eos Carnibus vescuntur agros colunt si voluerint Vxores habent Quorum nihil faciunt illi qui vocantur Electi Thei that emonge them be called Hearers doo bothe eate Pleashe and tille the grownde and Marrie Wiues too if they liste But no sutche thing maie they doo that be called Electi The Auditores or Hearers emonge the Manichées were as the laie people The Electi or Chosen were as the Cleregie These Heretiques the Manichées Condemned Marriage not generally in al sortes and degrées of menne but onely as M. Hardinge doothe in a fewe Yet were they Heretiques notwithstandinge and theire Doctrine was the Doctrine of Diuels S. Augustine saithe vnto them as he woulde also saie vnto M. Hardinge Non Concubitum sed vt longè antè ab Apostolo dictum est Verè Nuptias prohibetis Ye forebidde not Copulation or Cocubines But euen as the Apostle Prophesied loÌ„g before Verily and in deede ye forebidde Marriage Albeit it were but in a few All this M. Hardinge notwithstanding that it maie plainely appeare whoe 's Doctrine ye teache it shal be good and not form the pourpose briefely to disclose somme parte of it And here to passe ouer these woordes of Chrysostome Haec ipsa Coniunctio Maritalis malum est ante Deum This very Copulation of Man and VVife is euil before God And these of S. Hierome Quà m diu impleo Mariti officium non impleo officium Christiani As longe as I doo the de wtie of a Husband I doo not the devvtie of a Christian and other like Saieinges and Authorities before alleged Pope Innocentius in yâ— Condemnation of Marriage saithe thus Qui in Carne sunt Deo placere non possunt They that be in the Fleashe that is to saie in Marriage cannot please God And to this pourpose he allegeth these woordes of S. Paule To yâ— Cleane al thinges are Cleane But to the filthy and Infidelles wherby the same Innocentius vnderstandeth Married people nothinge is Cleane But boothe theire minde and theire Conscience is defiled Pope Siricius calleth Marriage Virium Luxuriam Foedas Cupiditates Vice Lecherie end Filthy Lustes One of your late Englishe Doctours of Louaine saith that the whole Easte Churche mainteining the lawful Marriage of Priestes euermore continewed there from the Apostles time vntil this daye mainteineth and contineweth a Schole of Filthinesse Further you maie remember that this rule is written in a Booke of your owne Doctrine and is geuen in Secrete as a Special Lesson vnto your Cleregie Si non Castè tamen cautè If thou deale not Chastely yet deale not Charily From whence had you this Doctrine M. Hardinge who set it firste abroche who taught it who coÌ„firmed it who allowed it If ye can say it is not yâ— Doctrine of the Diuel Yet verily I beléeue ye cannot saie it is in any pointe like the Doctrine of God S. Hierome hauinge occasion to speake of Antichriste saith thus Simulabit Castiratem vt plurimos decipiat He shal make a countrefeite shewe of Chastitie that he maie deceiue many Euen so S. Paule saith Habentes Speciem Pietatis Virtutem autem eius abnegantes Hauinge a colour of Godlinesse but the Power therof denieing vtterly But sommewhat to reliue your selfe ye allege these woordes of S. Augustine Ille prohibet Matrimonium Matrimonium qui illud Malum esse dicit non qui huic Bono aliud melius anteponit He forebiddeth Marriage that saithe Marriage is Euil and not he that before this thinge beinge Good
Petiliani speakinge of the place of the Psalme Sicut vnguentum in capite whiche the Heretike had alleaged saithe thus In hoc vnguento c. In this oinctement his will is to interpret the Sacramente of Chrisme he meaneth the Sacramente of Confirmation whiche in the kinde of visible signes is Holy as Baptisme is Lo S. Augustine calleth cofirmation a Sacramente S. Eusebius Pope namethe it a Sacramente in his third epistle written to al the Bisâ—hoppes of Tuscia and Campania Manus impositionis Sacramentum c. The Sacramente of imposition of Handes saithe he is to be kepte with greate reuerence whiche cannot be performed but by the high Priestes he vnderstandeth Bishoppes Melchiades nexte to Syluester before the Nicene Councel speakinge muche of Confirmation amonge other thinges saithe thus Duo haec Sacramenta Baptismi confirmationis separanda non sunt These twoo Sacramentes of Baptisme and Confirmation maye not be sundered Though these twoo Bishoppes were Popes yet they deserue credit forasmuche as they liued before that corruption crept into the Churche after your accoumpte and died Holy Martyrs That Penaunce is a Sacramente and so accoumpted amonge the Fathers it is so euident that who doubteth of it maie seeme not to haue perused their writinges S. Augustine in enchiridio ad Laurentium speakinge of Baptisme and Penaunce calleth bothe Salutaria Sacramenta healthful Sacramentes S. Ambrose signifieth him selfe to be of the same minde in his firste Booke de Poentientia Cap. 6. 7. and in the second Booke Cap. 2. though without puttinge thexpresse name of Sacramente But in the third Chapter of that Booke he putteth the name of Sacramente expressely Touchinge Order that is a Sacramente also by verdite of S. Augustine whom ye alleage for you Let vs heare what he saithe In his seconde Booke contra epist Parmentani Cap. 13. these be his wordes where he speaketh of Baptisme and of the Power to Baptize whiche is geuen in the Sacramente of Order Vtrunque euim Sacramentum est quadam consecratione vtiunque homini datur illud cum Baptizatur istud cum ordinatur Ideo in Catholica non licet vtrunque iterari Either of them is a Sacramente and with a certaine Consecration either is geuen to man the one when he is Baptized the other when he taketh Orders Therefore in the Catholike Churche it is not lawful either of them to be taken twise For the Sacramente of wedlocke besides other good and sufficient proufes that it is a Sacramente wee haue sundrie testimonies out of S. Augustine and other Doctours In the Churche saithe S. Augustine not onely the bande of mariage but also the Sacramente is so commended that it is not lauful for the husbande to deliuer his VVife to another He calleth wedlocke a Sacramente in many places of his workes De bono coniugali Cap. 7. 18. and in the. 24. Chapter of that Booke hee saithe Haec omnia bona sunt propter quae nuptiae bonae sunt Proles Fides SacramentuÌ„ All these thinges be good for whiche mariage is good issue Faithe the Sacramente Of extreme Vnction who doubteth whether it be a Sacramente let him reade the Epistle of Innocentrus the Firste ad Decentium Eugubinum Episcopum Cap. 8. where moste planely treatinge of it he nameth it a Sacramente Chrysostome interpreteth the place of S. Iames epistle for this Sacramente And so dothe Bede alleaging the place of S. Iames the sixth of Marke the Auctoritie of Innocentius and the custome of the Churche Seinge then we haue founde the seuen sacramentes expressely mentioned in the Fathers accordinge to the teaching of the Catholique Churche whereas ye teache men to beleeue there be but two and pretend that the Fathers spake of nomo I truste from henceforthe they wil take better aduise how they beleue your bare VVoorde without al prouse and with certaine danger of their soules forsake the Doctrine of the Churche whiche is the sure Pillour and ground of truthe as S. Paule saithe In this greate pointe Beza and ye of that side bee manifestly founde lyers The B. of Sarisburie To spende woordes without cause is affliction of the Sprite and losse of time M. Hardinge here bestoweth mutche laboure and allegeth many Doctours to winne that thinge that he might easily haue obteined without any sutche adoo For gentle Reader lefte that thou be deceiued and thinke there is somme weight in this heape of feathers wee wil graunt without force and freely that the Holy Catholique Fathers haue made mention not onely of Seuen as M. Hardinge here accoumpteth them but also of Seuenteene sundrie Sacramentes Tertullian calleth the Helue wherewith Elizaeus recouered the Axe out of the water Sacramentum Ligni the Sacramente of VVoode And the whole state of the Christian Faithe he calleth Religionis Christianae Sacramentum The Sacramente of Christian Religion S. Augustine in many places hathe Sacramentum Crucis The Sacrament of the Crosse Thus he saithe In hac Crucis Figura continetur Sacramentum In this Figure or Fourme of the Crosse there is conteined a Sacrament So saith Leo Crux Christi quae saluandis est impensa Fidelibus Sacramentum est exemplum The Crosse of Christe whiche was geuen to saue the Faitheful is bothe a Sacramente and also a Samplar S. Hierome saithe E latere Christi Baptismi atque Martyrij pariter Sacramente funduntur Out of Christes side the Sacramentes of Baptisme and Martyrdome are powred foorthe bothe togeather Leo calleth the promisse of Virginitie Sacramentum Quid eos manebit qui corruperine foedera Diuini Sacramenti VVhat shal becomme of them that haue broken the Couenante of the Heauenly Sacramente The Breade that was geuen vnto the Nouices or Beginners in the Faithe called Catechumeni before they were Baptized of S. Augustine is called a Sacramente S. Hilarie in sundrie places saith Sacramentum Orationis Sacramentum Esuritionis Sacramentum Scripturarum Sacramentum Fletus Sacramentum Sitis The Sacramente of Praier The Sacramente of Fastinge The Sacramente of the Scriptures The Sacramente of VVeepinge The Sacramente of Thirste S. Bernarde calleth the wasshinge of the Apostles foete a Sacramente Ablutio Pedum Sacramentum est quotidianorum peccatorum The VVasshinge of feet is the Sacramente of daily Sinnes Thus many and many moe Sacramentes it had benne easy for M. Hardinge to haue founde in the Catholique Learned Fathers Yet I trowe he wil not saie that either the Helue of an Axe or the whole Religion of Christe or a Crosse printed in the foreheade or Martyrdome or the Scriptures or a Vowe of Virginitie or the Breade geuen to the Catechumeni or Praier or Fastinge of Wéepinge or Thirste or Wasshinge of féete are the necessarie seuen Sacramentes of the Churche How be it wée wil not greately striue for the name It appeareth hereby that many thinges that in deede and by special propertie be no Sacramentes maie
Sacramente no more but a Token or Signe specially sith ye teache in your articles that Baptisme at the best is but a Signe and Seale of our newe birthe ye seme not to attribute to Baptisme so mutche as the Scripture dothe Neither is Baptisme onely a Signe or TokeÌ„ that sinnes be remitted but wee beleeue as the Catholique Churche according to the Scriptures teacheth that in and by Baptisme sinnes be fully and truely remitted and put awaie and that not through the Faithe onely of the geuer or receiuer or of any other though hereunto it be necessarie in thâ—se that be come to age of discretion but through the power and vertue of the Sacrament and Gods promise And therefore to whom it is geuen of them it is rightly saide that they be Baptized for remission of their sinnes The scriptures be plaine Firste Ezechiel speakinge of this Holy Sacrament saithe in the person of God I wilshed vpon you cleane water and ye shal be made cleane from al your defilinges and from your Idols wil I clense you Nexte S. Paule saithe That God hath saued vs by the wasshinge of Regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy Ghoste whom he hath powred vpon vs aboundantly by Iesus Christe our Sauiour That I maie adde to these manifest Scriptures the Auctoritie of a Learned Father not whereby to strengthen the truthe of them but to witnesse our right vnderstandinge of them S. Augustine Lib. 3. contra duas epist Pelagian Cap. 3. shewinge the sclaunder of the Pelagians againste the Catholikes saithe thus in theire Persone Againe they that is after theire meaninge the Catholikes auouche that Baptisme maketh not in deede newe menne againe that is to witte that it geueth not ful remission of sinnes c. Thereto eftsones answearinge S. Augustine saithe Mentiuntur iusidiantur tergiuersantur They lye they studye howe to deceiue they seeke shiftes wee saie not this And after certaine sentences retourninge to Baptisme he concludeth thus VVherefore Baptisme wassheth awaie al sinnes vtterly al of dedes wordes thoughtes be they Original or Actual be they done ignorantly or wittingly But it taketh not awaie the infirmitie whiche the regenerate resisteth c. VVhiche place doth not onely set foorthe the vertue of Baptisme but also destroieth the Doctrine of our New Gospellers that affirme concupiscence whiche remaineth after Baptisme to be verily sinne â–ª VVherein they erre manifestly againste the Scripture and sense of the Fathers The B. of Sarisburie Il wil is euer plenetiful of ili wordes M. Hardinge here maketh him selfe mutche mater without cause He teacheth our Newe Cleregie that Baptisme is not onely a Signe or a Token of Remission of sinnes He telleth vs of the Faithe of the Geeuer of the Faithe of the Receiuer Of the Povver of the Sacramente Of Concupiscence that it is no sinne And more I trowe he would haue saide if more had presently comme to minde Verily the poore Newe Cleregie speaketh not one woorde in al this whole place neither of Signe nor of Token nor of the Receiuer nor of the Geeuer nor of the Povver of the Sacrament nor of Concupiscence whether it be Sinne or not Sinne nor of any other like thinge Yet in yâ— ende he taketh S. Augustines vvoordes vvithout his meaninge and crieth againste vs They lie they studie to deceiue they seke shiftes And why so Certainely bicause wée saie Baptisme is a Sacrament of Remission of Sinnes And that the Children of the Faitheful for that they be borne in Sinne and perteine to the people of God ought therefore to be Baptized Other causes then these in any Our Woordes he can finde none True it is that the Sacramente dependeth not neither of the Minister nor of the Receiuer nor of any other For though they be al the Children of sinne yet is Baptisme the Sacramente of Remission of Sinne. S. Augustine saithe Securum me fecit Magister meus de quo spiritus eius dicit Hic est qui Baptizat Christe my Maister hath assured me of whom his owne Sprite saithe this is he that Baptizeth Neuerthelesse concerninge the Faithe of the Parentes and others the Holy Doctours haue sommetimes written otherwise S. Augustine saithe Satis piè recteque creditur Prodesse paruulo eorum Fidem à quibus Consecrandus offertur It is good and Godly to beleue that the Child is holpen by the Faithe of them by whom he is offered or brought vnto Baptisme Againe he saithe Accommodat illis Mater Ecclesia aliorum pedes vt veniant aliorum Cor vt credant Our Mother the Churche lendeth them other mennes fecte that they maie comme â–ª and other mennes hartes that they maie beleeue The like saieings might be alleged out of Iustinus Martyr S. Cyprian S. Hierome and others For thus they write Howe truely I wil not saie But theire woordes be plaine The Prophets Abacuc saithe Iustus ex Fide sua viuet The Juste man shal liue not by the Faithe of his Parentes but by his ovvne Faithe Of this Faith S. Hierome saith Qui plena Fide non suscipiunt Salutare Baptisma accipiunt quidem Aquam sed non accipiunt Spiritum They that receiue not Baptisme with perfite Faithe receiue the VVater But the Holy Ghoste they receiue not S. Augustine saithe Verus Baptismus constat non tam ablutione Corporis quà m Fide Cordis Sicut Apostolica Doctrina tradidit dicens Fide mundans Corda eorum Et alibi Saluos facit Baptisma non Carnis depositio sordiuÌ„ sed conscientiae bonae interrogatio in Deum per Resurrectionem Iesu Christi True Baptisme standeth not so mutche in wasshinge of the Body as in the Faithe of the harte As the Doctrine of the Apostles hathe tought vs saieinge By Faithe purifieinge theire hartes And in an other place Baptisme maketh vs safe not yâ— putting awaie of the filth of the Fleash but the examining of a good conscience before God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christe Likewise againe he saith Vnde ista tanta Virtus Aquae vt corpus tangat Cor abluat nisi faciente Verbo Non quia dicitur sed quia creditur VVhence is al this so greate Vertue or Power of the VVater that it toucheth the Body and wassheth the Harte but by the woorkinge of the VVoord Not for that it is spoken by the Minister but for that it is beleeued of the Faitheful Somme man wil saie Children or Infantes beléeue nothinge but are vtterly voide of Faithe S. Augustine answeareth Qui non crediderit condemnabitur Sicut eos renasci per Ministerium Baptizantium ita etiam eos credere per corda ora confitentium confitemur He that beleeueth not shal be damned VVee confesse that as they be borne againe by the Ministerie of the Baptizers so they beleue by the hartes and mouthes of the Confessours Againe he saithe Habent Fidem propter Fidei Sacramentum Theie haue Faithe bicause they haue
woordes Cibus iuxta id quod habet materiale This is Forges stuffe This is Homble and shameful corruption to deceiue the ignorante He that knâ—we not M. Hardinges modestie and manner of writinge woulde thinke these Tragical termes shoulde beare somme weight For sober menne seldome vse thus to crie without somme cause Touchinge these woordes Cibus Panis Materiale Materia if there be any thinge that maie mislike him it shal be laweful for him to refourme the same to vse either the one woorde or the other at his pleasure Wee stande onely vpon the Substance of mater and seeke no sutche wanton aduantages by shifte of woordes Neuerthelesse Origen him selfe as it appeareth was not so dangerous in the case For whereas M. Hardinge so sharply ouerlooketh vs for once vsinge this woorde Panis in steede of Cibus Origen him selfe vseth the same woorde Panis Seuen times togeather in the selfe same place without reproufe Like as S. Paule also fiue times in one place calleth it Panis And S. Cyril calleth the portions thereof fragmenta Panis peeces of Breade And yet were none of these euer condemned therefore as Corrupters and Falsifiers But I beséeche you M. Hardinge if this woorde Cibus Meate whiche Origen vseth and you séeme to allowe were not Breade what kinde of Meate then wil you cal it Pleashe Fishe or Fruite I trowe it was not You safe Origen meante thereby your Fourmes and Accidentes and Shevves of Breade Nowe verily this was but a quaisy Meate and I marueil that euer any wise man woulde cal it Meate Irenaeus saithe Of the same Meate is increased and consisteth the Substance of Our Fleashe And Rabanus saithe Sacramentum in alimentum Corporis redigitur The Sacramente whiche is the Breade is turned into Our Bodily nourishemente Touchinge the other fowle faulte M. Hardinge saithe his Accidentes and Qualities be thinges Material but the Mater it selfe he saithe they be not But where learned he this strange Doctrine What Diuine what Philosopher what Logician what Sophister what wise man euer taught him thus to saie Certainely Accidentes and Qualities be Accidentales Formae and in the Scholes are called thinges Formal whiche are as farre from thinges Material as Fire from Water Notwithstanding these menne haue power to make of Accidentes Substance Of Fourmes Maters Of thinges Formal thinges Material and of one contrarie to make another al this onely of them selues without any manner other Authoritie M. Hardinge saithe that the Meate whereof Origen speaketh is a Material for this is the Light and clearenesse of his Eloquence but not Materia and by this pretie distinction he thinketh the whole mater is fully discharged And emongste the ignorante that cannot iudge perhaps he maie seeme to saie somewhat But Origen him selfe that beste vnderstoode his owne meaninge calleth the same Meate in the same place by expresse and plaine woordes not onely a thinge Material but also the very Mater of Breade it selfe His woordes be these Nec Materia Panis sed super illum dictus sermo est qui prodest non indignè Domino comedenti It is not the Mater of the Breade but the woorde spoken ouer it that profiteth him that Eateth not vnwoorthily for the Lorde Nowe Iudge thou indifferently Gentle Reader how iust causes M. Hardinge had to moue these Tragedies Further he saithe It liked our filthy Sprite with vile woordes to bringe the Holy Mysteries into contempte and therein doo the Diuel great seruice O M. Hardinge some other speache would better become a man of your grauitie Sutche liquoure seldome floweth from the Sprite of God We neither encrease or diminishe nor any waie alter the woordes of Origen but laie them foorth plainely and simply as we finde them For thus he writeth Ille Cibus qui sanctificatur per VerbuÌ„ Dei per Obsecrationem iuxta id quod habet Materiale in Ventram abit in secessum eijcitur Coeterùm iuxta precationeÌ„ quae illi accessit pro portione Fidei fit vtilis The Meate that is Sanctified by the Woord of God and by Praier according to that Material parte that is in it passeth into the belly and so foorth into the Priuie c. If there be any Filthinesse or Villanie herein it is this Ancient Fathers whom ye ought not so vncourteously to reuile for Vncleanenesse of Sprite it is not ours Howe be it this is not Origens onely Iudgemente but the general and agréeable Doctrine of al others the Catholique Fathers And to allege one in stéede of many S. Augustine saithe as he is before alleged Si ad res ipsas quibus Sacramenta tractantur animum conferamus quis nesciat eas esse corruptibiles Si ad id quod per illas res agitur quis non videat non posse corrumpi If wee consider the thinges them selues wherein the Sacramentes be Ministred who knoweth not that they be thinges corruptible But if wee consider the thinge that is wrought thereby who seethe not that it cannot be corrupted The Holy Fathers speake not thus of Christes Body but of the Breade whiche is the Sacramente of Christes Body So saithe S. Ambrose Non iste Panis qui vadit in Corpus sed Panis Vitae Aeternae qui animae nostra Substantiam fulcit The Breade that I meane is not this Breade of the Sacramente that passeth into the Body but the Breade of Euerlastinge Life that maineteineth the Substance of the Soule Nowe if there were sutche filthinesse as you haue imagined in the Holy Learned Bishoppes and Doctours of the Churche for vtteringe these and other like woordes of the corruptible Creatures of Breade and Wine what cleane Sprite then is there in them that speake so filthily of Christes Body it selfe beinge nowe Vncorruptible and Glorious at the Right Hande of the Father Hereof I had occasion to speake sommewhat in my Former Replie Alexander of Hales saithe Quidam dicunt vbicunque ponantur Species siue in mundo loco siue in immundo siue in Ventre Muris ibi est Corpus Christi Somme saie where so euer the Fourmes or Accidentes be laide whether the place be cleane or vncleane yea though it be in the Mouses belly yet there is the Body of christe Againe he saithe Si Canis vel Porcus deglutiret Hostiam Consecratam integram non video quare Corpus Domini non simul traijceretur in ventrem Canis vel Porci If a Dogge or Hogge shoulde swallowe downe the Hoste Consecrate beinge whole I see no cause to the contrarie but the Body of Christe maie passe withal into the belly of the Dogge or of the Hogge Likewise your owne Clemens whom ye so often cal the Apostles Felowe writeth thus Ne Murium stercora inter fragmenta Dominicae Portionis appareant Let not Mise dounge be founde emong the fragmentes or peecces of the Lordes Portion Hée meaneth the Sacramente Your owne Catholique allowed Glose saith Corpus Christi potest euomi The Body
figure and fourme Then is it to be noted that Christe saide not I wil drinke nomore of the Fruite of the Vine But I wil not from hencefoorthe drinke of this generation of the Vine Of this I saie whereof now I haue dronken whiche is vnder the fourme of wine my Bloude whiche am the true Vine For whereas this Apologie saithe it is wel knowen that the fruite of the Vine is VVine and not Bloude it seemeth to declare that the Authours thereof are igâ—orant in the holy Scriptures where they might haue founde the fruite of some Vine to be called Blouâ—â— For Iucob saide to his sonne Iadas bearing the Figure of Christe He shal wasshe his robe in VVine and his cloke in the Bloude of a Grape Lo a Grape hathe his Bloude a Grape is the fruite of the Vine and therefore it is not wel knowen that the fruite of the Vine is not Bloude The Holy Ghoste did in these woordes of Iacob prophecie that Christe the true Vine should geue the Grape of his Body to be pressed vpon the Crosse from whence the VVine was shedde whiche is in our Chalice as Chrysostome also noteth And now is it no wonder if we expound yâ— woord Vine mystically O what strength Truthe hath howe plainely she dareth to shewe her face râ—tt nipping the Scriptures nor misenglishinge them nor dissemblinge any iote that may seeme to make againste hir The B. of Sarisburie Marke Gentle Reader howe mightily M. Hardinge wrastleth and what paines he takethe to drawe this place to his pourpose Firste he assureth vs for certaine that Christe spake these woordes Before the Consecration and that therefore they perteine nothinge to the Sacramente Neuerthelesse afterwarde he graunteth as he saithe of his free liberalitie that Christe spake the same woordes After the Consecration that they perteine specially to yâ— Sacramente And yet againe vpon further affiance and boldnesse of the cause he séemeth to saie It maie be that Christe spake the same woordes at bothe times that is as wel After the Consecration as Before Againe he saithe S. Lukes rehearsal is more likely then S. Mathewes For that S. Luke writeth eche thing in Order and S. Mathe we out of Order Againe One Cuppe is firste the Wine of the Olde Testamente and immediately after the same Cuppe is the Wine of the Newe Testamente Againe The Kingedome of God sommetime is the state of the Churche sommetime it is the state of Glorie Againe The Fruite of the Grape sommetime is very Natural Wine sommetime it is the very Bloude of Christe Notwithstandinge Steuin Gardiner saithe that neither the Natural Wine nor Christes very Bloude but the Accidentes and Fourmes are the Fruite of the Vine Yet againe he saithe Christe Dranke his owne very Bloude at the Supper and euen nowe him selfe Drinketh the same his owne Bloude in the kingedome of Heauen In the ende M. Hardinge after he hathe wel wandred and walked him selfe bothe Before and After In Order and out of Order This Waie and that Waie with the Olde Cuppe and with the Newe and hathe wel stated him selfe by coniectures and likelihoodes at the laste be bloweth vp the Trâ—umphe with a iolly corrage and crieth out O what strength Truthe hathe and howe plainely she dareth to she we her face Here by the waie a man might demaunde of M. Hardinge notwithstandinge the greate Confidence he pretendeth in his cause If Christe spake these woordes Before the Consecration of the very Natural Wine of the Grape and of the Ceremonial Cuppe of the Old Lawe howe dranke he then afterward of the same Natural Wine of the Grape after a Newe Sorte or howe was the same Natural Wine fulfilled in the Kingdome of God If Christ spake yâ— same woord After the Consecration the Substance of Wine by these mennes fantasie beinge vtterly abolished and nothinge there remaininge but onely the Accidentes howe was it then the Fruite or generation of the Vine But to leaue these vnfruiteful gheasses vntil M. Hardinge haue better agreed with him selfe vpon somme certainetie wee saie that the Cuppe of Blessinge whiche Christe calleth the Cuppe of the Newe Testamente not withstandinge it were made in a Mysterie the Sacramente of Christes Blonde â–ª yet in Nature and Substance was very Wine stil and as Christe him selfe â—â—lleth it the very Fruite and generation of the Grape as it was before The woordes of the Euangeliste S. Mathewe are very plâ—â—ne Hee tooke the Cuppe and when hee had geuen thankes hee gaue it them saieinge Drinke ye al of it For this is my â—loude of the Newe Testamente that is shedde for many â–ª for the Remission of Sinnes I saie vnto you that I wil not Drinke hencefâ—ourthe of this Fruite of the Vine vntil that daye when I shal Drinke it Newe with you in the Kingedome of my Father To auoide the manifeste truthe of this rehearsal M. Hardinge saithe S. Mathewe vttered one thinge for an other the Later for the Former the Cuppe Consecrate for the Cuppe Vnconsecrate and placed his maters out of order And by this poore shifte he thinketh the Storie of the Gospel is fully answeared But let vs see what the Learned Fathers haue iudged and written in this behalfe So shal the weight of these coniectural gheasses and the Face of M. Hardinges Truthe whiche he so mutche magnifieth without cause the better appeare Clemens Alexandrinus hereof writeth thus Quòd Vinum esset quod benedictuÌ„ est Christus ostendit dicens Discipulis Non bibam ex Fructu Vitis huius donec bibeâ—o ipsum vobiscum in Regno Patris mei That it vvas VVine that was Blessed at the Supper Christe him selfe shewed his Discipses saieinge I vvil nomore Drinke of the Fruite of this Vine vntil I shal Drinke it with you in the Kingedome of my Father What so euer it shal Please M. Hardinge to thinke of the sense hereof he muste needes confesse the woordes are very plaine Likewisâ— saithe S. Cyprian Dominus Sanguinem suum Vinum appellauit de botris acinis plurimis expressum atque in Vinum coactum The VVine pressed our of Clusters and manie Grapes and so made VVine Our Lorde called his Bloude S. Augustine saithe Et Vinum fuit in Redemptionis nostrae Mysterio cùm Dominus diceret Non bibam à modo de hoc genimine Vitis There vvas VVine in the Mysterie or â—acramente of Our Redemption when Our Lorde saide I vvil nomore Drinke hencefoorthe of this Fruite of the Vine Here note thou good Reader howe handsomely S. Augustine and M. Hardinge agree togeather S. Augustine saithe plainely it vvas the Sacramente M. Hardinge saithe plainely it vvas not the Sacramente S. Augustine saithe These vvoordes vvere spoken after the Consecration M. Hardinge findeth faulte with S. Mathewes order and saithe They vvere spoken before the Consecration S. Augustine folowing the plaine woordes of Christ saithe It vvas VVine
admitted Judas vnto his Table whereat he gaue and deliuered vnto his Disciples a Figure of his Body Againe S. Augustine saithe as in the Personne of Christe Qui in me non manet in quo ego non manco ne se dicat aut existimet manducare Corpus meum aut Sanguinem meum bibere He that abideth not in me and I in him let him not saie or thinke that he either eateth my Body or drinketh my Bloude The obiection that ye make of the Resurrection of our bodies is light and vaine and to smal pourpose For if noman shal haue parte in the Resurrection but onely they that haue receiued the Sacramente of Christes Body then are al the Holy Fathers Patriarches and Prophetes of the Olde Testamente Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Aaron and sutche others then are infinite numbers of Christian Children then are many Godly Martyrs whiche beinge Baptized in the Bloude of Christe were taken out of this life before they coulde receiue the Sacramente vtterly excluded for euer from al hope of Resurrection But Christe when he spake these Woordes meante not the reciuinge of the Sacramente but the Spiritual Eatinge of his Very Body and the Spiritual Drinkinge of his Very Bloude Whereof he is made partetaker vnto Resurrection and Life Euerlastinge who so euer beleeueth in the Death of Christe And therefore S. Basile saith of the Sacramente of Baptisme Baptisma est vis efficacia ad Resurrectionem Baptisme is a Povver and a strength vnto Resurrection But hereof wee shal haue occasion offered to saie more hereafter Further Howe can ye assure your selues saye you that your Faithe receiueth the Body of Christe VVhiche was neuer promised to your Faithe By the waie I beséeche you M. Hardinge when or where was Christes Body euer promised to your Mouthe Verily Christe promised his Body to he receiued by Faithe and by Faithe Onely and none othervvise For thus he saithe Ego sum Panis ille Vitae qui venit ad me non esurier qui credit in me non sitiet vnquam I am that Breade of Life He that commeth vnto me shal neuer hunger and he that Beleeueth in me shal neuer thirste Here haue you M. Hardinge a plaine promisse made vnto our Faithe But of your Mouthe wée heare nothinge If you haue ought to shewe out of the Scriptures Doctours or Councelles let it appeare that in plaine woordes without coloure Otherwise if ye cauil in woordes wée muste saie ye haue nothinge Therefore the Auncient Father Origen saith Idcircò dicitur Panis vitae vt habeat Gustus Animae quod deguster Therefore is Christe called the Breade of Life that our Faithe whiche is the Taste of our soule maie houe what to taste Clemens Alexandrinus saithe Comedite Carnes meas Bibite Sanguinem meum Euidenter Fidei Promissionis quod est Esculentum Poculentum dicens allegoricè Eate my Fleashe and Drinke my Bloude Meaninge hereby vnder an Allegorie or by vvaie of a Figure the Meate and Drinke that is of our Faithe and his Promisse Tertullian saith Eundem Sermonem Christus etiam Carnem suam dixit quia Sermo Caro factus est Proinde in causa vitae recipien dus Deuorandus auditu Ruminandus intellectu Fide Digerendus est The same Woorde Christe called his Fleashe For the Woorde was made Fleashe Therefore he muste be receiued in cause of Life He muste be Deuoured by hearing He muste be chevved by vnderstandinge He muste be Digested by Faithe S. Cyprian saithe Quod est esca Carni hoc est Animae Fides As Meate is to the Fleashe so is Faithe vnto the Soule S. Augustine saithe Credere in eum hoc est Manducare Illud Eibere quid est nisi viuere To Beleeue in him is to Eate him That Drinkinge of him what is it els but to liue by him I truste M. Hardinge it maie appeare hereby there is somme promisse made hereof vnto our Faithe Nowe shewe you as euidente Promisse made to your Mouthe and Belly and then your Reader happily wil beleeue you The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 2. And therefore in celebratinge these Mysteries the People are to good pourpose exhorted before they comme to receiue the Holy Communion to lifte vp theire Hartes and to directe theire mindes to Heauen warde bicause he is there by whom wee muste be fedde and liue M. Hardinge I praie you Whiche these Mysteries meane ye Those that ye haue in your newe communion or those that we haue at the aulter of God in the Catholike Churche of Christe If ye meane your owne newe deuised toye thereof ye cannot bringe any sufficient reason againste the Churche pardy whiche condemneth the same If ye meane the Holy Mysteries of the Catholike Churche ye misreporte the mater For by that exhortation ye speake of the people are not prepared to receiue the Communion onely nor chifely but to dispose them selues accordingly and as it becommeth them to praie for to that ende be these woordes Sursum corda vp with your hartes pronounced by the Prieste in the Preface before prayer Reade S. Cyprian in Sermone 6. De Oratione Dominica And ye shal finde him to referre the whole to praier But what if we admitte your woordes refusinge your Heretical meaninge VVe graunte the people are to good purpose so exhorted as ye saie and that he is in Heauen whose fleash we feede on in this Sacramente thereby to attaine to life Euerlastinge VVhat conclude ye of this Ergo he is not here For at that marke ye shoote euery man maye see Here we tel you that your Rhetorike is better stuffe then your Logike for your argumente is foolishe VVith the one ye maie leade the simple perhaps with the other ye moue the Learned to laugh at you For Christe is in Heauen and also here as Chrysostome saithe Et hic plenus existens illic plenus Vnum Corpus He is here fully and there fully one Body These two propositions Christe is in Heauen and Christe is here may wel stande togeather without iuttinge the one the other out of place He is there at the right hande of the Father visibly he is here vnder the Formes of Breade and VVine inuisibly there in glorie here in Mysterie ▪ yet as truly and fully here as there concerninge his Substance as Chrysostome saith Ye procede foorth and saie The B. of Sarisburie It maye becomme you M. Hardinge as wel to cal the reuerende Ministration of Christes Holy Mysteries a Toie as to cal the Gospel of Christe Erroure and Heresie So likewise Libanius the Heathen although a man I trow not of your Profession saide sommetime that al the Bookes either of the Scriptures or of any y◠Christian Fathers in comparison of Iulianus the Renegates Bookes were toies and trifles Howe be it Our Toies be the same Toies that were once vsed and allowed vniuersally throughout the Catholique
is not hable to assure him selfe Touchinge the certainetie of this Doctrine to alleage one or twoo places out of many S. Augustine writeth thus Tale aliquid etiam post hanc Vitam fieri incredibile non est vtrùm ita sit quaeri potest Somme sutch thing he meaneth the Fire of Purgatorie to be after this Life it is not incredible And vvhether it be so or no It maie be a question Againe Quòd Spiritus Defunctorum c. ignem transitoriae Tribulationis inueniant non redarguo quia Forsitan Verum est That the Sprites of the Deade finde a Fire of transitorie Tribulation I reproue it not For Perhaps it is true Againe Siue ergo in hac Vita tantùm homines ista patiuntur siue etiam post hanc vitam talia quaedam iudicia subsequuntur non abhorret Quantum Arbitror à ratione Veritatis iste intellectus huius sententiae Therefore whether menne suffer sutch thinges onely in this Life Or els somme sutche Iudgementes folowe euen after this Life As mutche as I thinke the vnderstandinge of this sentence disagreeth not from the order of the Truthe And againe he saithe Quis sit iste modus quae sint ista Peccata quae ita impediant peruentionem ad Regnum Dei vt tamen Sanctorum amicorum meritis imperrent indulgentiam difficillimum est inuenire Periculosissimum definire Ego certè vsque ad hoc tempus cùm inde â—atagerem ad eorum indaginem peruenire non potui VVhat meane this is and what Sinnes these be whiche so lette a man from comming vnto the Kingdome of God that thei maie notwithstanding obteine Pardonne by the Merites of Holy frendes is it very harde to finde and very dangerous to determine Certainely I mee selfe notwithstandinge greate studie and trauaile taken in that behalfe coulde neuer attaine to the knovvledge of it By these it is plaine that S. Augustine stoode in doubte hereof whether there be any sutche Purgatorie Fire or no. Therefore vndoubtedly he tooke it neither for an Article of the Christian Faith for thereof it had not benne lawful for him to doubte nor for any Tradition of the Apostles Ye saie S. Augustine neuer doubted whether there were any sutche Place of Purgatorie or sutche Fire or no But onely whether the tormentes there doo satisâ—ie the Iustice of God for Sinne or no and whether the same tormentes doo by degrees diminishe the Venial Sinnes and Seculare Affections whiche the Parties carried with them or no. Notwithstandinge what shoulde any question be raised hereof Plato and Vergile and other Heathen writers from whom this Doctrine first flowed abroade woulde soone haue put you quite out of doubte Vergile hereof emongest others saithe thus Quin supremo cum lumine vita reliquit Non tamen omne malum miseris nec funditus omnes Corporeae excedunt pestes Penitusâ—ue necesse est Multa diu concreta modis inolescere miris Ergo exercentur poenis veterumâ—ue malorum Supplicia expendunt Aliae panduntur inanes Suspensae ad ventos alijs sub gurgite vasto Infectum eluitur scelus aut exuritur igni But reade you S. Aâ—gustine M. Hardinge you I saie that to vse your owne woordes are so profoundely seene in al the Doctours that ye maie boldely despise al others what so euer Reade I saie S. Augustine examine better the Places and weigh the woordes And ye shal finde that he neuer neither mentioneth nor toucheth any of these your prety fantasies but saithe plainely vvhether it be so or no it maie be a question I reproue it not For perhaps it is true And are ye so Profoundely seene in al the Doctoures Scriptures M. Harding that ye thinke there is either Fire or Water or any other Creature wherewith to satisfie the Iustice of God againste Sinne sauinge onely the Bloude of the Lambe of God that taketh awaie the Sinne of the Worlde Or thinke you that S. Augustine woulde turne vs from the Satisfaction of Christe and sende vs to séeke for any other Certainely S. Augustine him selfe saithe Valeat mihi ad Perfectionem liberationis tantùm Pretium Sanguinis Domini mei Let Onely the Price of the Bloude of my Lorde auaile me to the Perfection of my deliuerie Againe he saithe Quando aliquis se conuerterit ad Deum Prorsus illi omnia dimittuntur Nemo sit sollicitus quòd aliquid ei non dimittatur When so euer any man turneth him selfe vnto God al thinges vtterly are foregeeuen him Let noman be doubteful leste any thinge happily be not foregeeuen Chrysostome imagineth God thus to saie of a sinner Vnum tantùm requiro vt confiteatur peccata ab eis desistat Nec vltrà infero Poenam peccatis This thinge onely saithe God I require of a Sinner that he coÌ„fesse his Sinnes vnto me and leaue the same Aftervvard I laie nomore pounishemente vpon his Sinnes Likewise againe he saithe Ego Fideiubeo Si quis nostrum recedat a Peccatis ex animo verè Promittat Deo se ad illa non rediturum nihil Deum requisiturum ad Satisfactionem I wil stande bounde in Goddes behalfe If any of vs foresake his Sinnes with al his harte and make true promisse vnto God that he wil nomore returne vnto them that then God shal require nothinge els vnto Satisfaction He that knoweth not thus mutche hath no greate cause to vaunte him selfe of his profound knowledge in the Doctours But it Gods Iustice againste your sinne be fully satisfied by the Bloude of Christe If the Onely price of our Lordes Bloude haue vvrought the perfection of your deliuerie If there remaine nothinge vnforegeeuen If God require no further pounishemente What shoulde you seeke for other Satisfaction in your painted Fires and smokes of Purgatorie To conclude ye saie thus In effecte S. Augustines question is whether the Fire of Purgatorie be not double O M. Hardinge it ye were simple and meante simply ye woulde not so vainely double the pointe I beseche you what double Fire of Purgatorie meante S. Augustine Or where was he euer so double in dealinge By your double Diuinitie and Profounde knowledge in the Doctoures ye haue at the laste skilfully founde out a Double Purgatorie Fire and a Double Purgatorie Howe be it as you are nowe troubled about the Fire of your Purgatorie so were somme others of your frendes not long sithence as mutche troubled aboute the VVater Sir Thomas Moore saide and helde for certaine that in al Purgatorie there is no VVater no not one droppe And that he saide he would proue by the wordes of the Prophete Zacharie Eduxisti vinctos tuos de lacu in quo non erat Aqua Thou haste deliuered thy Prisoners out of the Doungeon wherein there is no VVater Of the other side Roffensis saith Yes there is in Purgatorie good stoare of VVater And that he saith he can
petere debeamus The Pelagians thinke them selues Cunninge menne when they saie God vvoulde not commaunde that thinge that he knovveth a man is not hable to doo And who is there that knoweth not this But therefore God Commaundeth vs to doo somme thinges that vvee are not hable to doo that wee maie vnderstande what wee ought to craue of him S. Hierome saithe vnto one of the same Pelagians Facilia esse dicis Dei mandata tamen nullum proferre potes qui vniuersa compleuerit Ye saie Goddes Commaundementes be easy And yet ye are hable to shewe vs noman that euer fulfilled them al togeather Therefore againe he saithe vnto them Noli ponere in Coelum os tuum vt per Esse Esse posse stultorum auribus illudas Quis enim tibi concedit posse hominem facere quod nullus vnquam hominum potuerit Sette not thy face againste Heauen to mocke fooles eares with these woordes Be and Can be For who wil graunte you that a man can doo that thinge that noman euer vvas hable to doo Likewise S. Augustine saithe Dixi fieri posse vt sit homo sine peccato si Voluntas ei non desit ope Diuina adiuuante Sed tamen Praeter Vnum in quo omnes uiuificabuntur neminem vel fuisse vel fore in quo hîc viuente esset ista Perfectio I saide It is possible that a man maie bee vvithout Sinne if he wante not wil the Power of God assistinge him And yet I saide that bisides Onely Christe in whom al menne shal be quickened to Life there vvas neuer man nor neuer shal be who beinge in this life shal haue this Perfection S. Augustine saithe Noman can atteine to this Perfection and he speaketh of the Perfection that is required not of Angels but of Menne Ye wil saie as the Pelagians did wherefore then doothe Christe saie Be ye Perfite Wherefore doothe S. Paule saie As many of vs as be Perfite c. Hereto S. Hierome answeareth thus Quid ergo sapimus imo quid sapere debemus qui Perfecti non sumus Imperfectos nos esse Confiteri nondum comprehendisse nec dun acccepisse Haec est hominis vera Sapientia imperfectum esse se nosse Atque vt ita loquar Cunctorum in Carne Iustorum Imperfecta Perfectio est VVhat then doo wee thinke or what ought wee to thinke that be not Perfite Wee ought to Confesse that vvee are Vnperfite and that wee haue not yet gotten nor taken that Perfection that is required This is the true wisedome of a Man to knowe him selfe to be Vnperfite And as I might saie the Perfection of al Iuste menne liuinge in the Pleashe is Vnperfite Againe he saithe Iusti appellantur non quòd omni Vitio careant sed quòd Maiori parte Virtutum commendentur They are called Juste menne not for that they be voide of al manner Sinne but for that they are furnisshed with the greatter parte of Vertues So likewise saithe S. Augustine Virtus quae nunc est in homine Iusto hactenus Perfecta nominatur vt ad eius Perfectionem pertineat etiam ipsius Imperfectionis in Veritate agnitio in humilitate Confessio The Vertue that is nowe in a iuste man so farre foorthe is called Perfite that it perteineth to the Perfection thereof bothe in truthe to knovve and in humilitie to Confesse that it is Vnperfite Againe he saithe Omnia mandata facta deputantur quando quicquid non fit ignoscitur Al the Commaundementes of God are accoumpted to be donne when that thinge that is not downe is forgeeuen To conclude he saithe Multùm in hac vita ille profecit qui quà m longè sit à Perfectione Iustitiae proficiendo cognouit He hathe mutche profited in this life that by his profitinge hathe learned howe farre he is from the Perfection of Righteousenesse Yet neuerthelesse wee maie truely vse S. Hieromes woordes vttered in the defence and right of this same cause Haec dicentes non adulamur vitijs sed Authoriratem sequimur Scripturarum quòd nullus homo sit absque Peccato Sed conclusit Deus omnia sub Peccato vt Omnium misereatur Notwithstandinge we saie thus yet wee flatter not Vices but wee folowe the Authoritie of the Scriptures that there is nothinge vvithout Sinne. But God hathe shutte vp al thinges vnder Sinne that he maie haue Mercie of Al. Againe he saithe Perspicuum est omnem hominem quamuis ad Perfectionem venerit tamen indigere Misericordia Dei plenam Perfectionem ex Gratia non ex Merito possidere It is moste certaine that euery man yea although hee be growen to Perfection yet needeth the Mercie of God and that he enioieth ful Perfection not of his ovvne Deseruinge but of Grace Euen so S. Augustine saithe Ipsa Iustitia nostra tanta est in hac vita vt potius peccatorum Remissione constet quà m Perfectione Virtutum Our very Righteousenesse it selfe is so greete in this Life that it standeth rather in Forgeeuenesse of Our Sinnes then in Perfection of Righteousenesse The Apologie Cap. 20. Diuision 1. Bisides though wee saie wee haue no meede at al by our owne woorkes and deedes but appointe al the meanes of Our Saluation to be in Christe alone yet saie we not that for this cause menne ought to liue loosely and dissolutely nor that it is yenough for a Christian to be Baptized onely and to Beleeue as though there were nothinge els required at his hande For True Faithe is liuely and can in no wise be idle Thus therefore teache wee the people that God hathe called vs not to folowe riot and wantonnesse but as S. Paule saithe vnto good vvoorkes to vvalke in them That we are deliuered from the Povver of Darkenesse to the end that vvee shoulde serue the Liuinge God to cutte awaie al the remnauntes of Sinne and to vvoorke Our Saluation in feare and tremblinge that it maie appeare that the Sprite of Sanctification is in Our Bodies and that Christe him selfe dwelleth in Our Hartes M. Hardinge VVith what face can these Defenders affirme that they teache the people to walke in good woorkes whereas beginninge the treatise of woorkes in this presente Apologie they saie that wee haue no helpe or aide in our woorkes and deedes For so their Latine woorde Praesidium doothe signifie whiche in the Englishe is tourned into Meede VVhat Maisters is this the waie to make menne woorke wel to tel them before hande that their woorkes be nothing worth and that they helpe them neuer a whitte VVhy then let the Labourers Prouerbe take place I had rather plaie for nothinge then woorke for nothinge Is there any Labourer so madde as to woorke for nothinge Firste ye tell the Labourers that there is no helpe for them in their woorkes and then ye crie vnto them to laboure yea forsoothe as harde as thei liste Is not this to mocke God and the
reuelabitur in nobis Reputo igitur saniorem Theologum fideliorem Catholicum Scripturia Sanctis magis concordem qui tale Meritum simpliciter abnegat VVhat woorthy thinge doo wee that wee maie be founde in the Felowshippe of the Heauenly Sprites The Apostle saithe I Judge that the afflictions of this time are not woorthy of that Glorie that shal be reueled in vs. Therefore I take him to be the â—ounder Diuine the Faithefuller Catholique and more agreeable to the Holy Scriptures that vtterly denieth al sutche kinde of Merite But ye wil saie If wée finde Our selues voide of Merite howe then shal wee stand and be iustified before God S. Iohn saithe Blessed are they that haue wasshed theire Roabes not in theire owne Merites but in the Bloude of the Lambe And God saithe I wil geeue the thirsty to Drinke of the VVel of Life not for his Desertes but for nothinge The Ancient Father Origen saith Quia Omnia conclusa sunt sub peccato nunc non in Meritis sed in Misericordia Dei Salus Humana Consistit For as mutche as al menne are shutte vp and Closed vnder Sinne novve the Saluation of Man standeth not in mans Merites but in Goddes Mercie S. Augustine saithe Deus in fine Coronabit nos in Misericordia Miserationibus God in the ende wil crowne vs not with the price of our deseruinges but vvith Fauour and Mercies Againe he saithe Pro nihilo saluos facies eos Quid est Pro nihilo saluos facies eos Nihil in eis inuenis vnde salues tamen saluas Quia nihil inuenis vnde salues multum inuenis vnde damnes For Nothinge thou shalt saue them VVhat is meante by these worde For Nothing thou shalt saue them This is the meaninge Thou findeste Nothinge in them vvherefore thou shouldest saue them and yet thou sauest them Thou findest nothinge wherefore thou shouldeste saue them but thou findest mutche wherfore thou shouldest condemne them And againe Omnes in Mortem poena debita praecipites ageret nisi inde quosdam indebita Dei Gratia liberaret Deserued paine woulde throwe al menne into Deathe onlesse the Vndeserued Grace of God deliuered somme frome it S. Basile saithe Non erit Iudicium sine Misericordia Quia non potest homo purus inueniti à sorde ne si vnus quidem tantùm dies sit ab eius natali Iudgement shal not be vvithout mercie For noman can be founde pure and cleane from al filthe no though he be but one daie olde Againe he saithe Haec est nostra integra perfecta gloriatio in Deo quando propriae Iustitiae nos inopes agnoscimus Sola autem Fide in ChristuÌ„ Iustificari This is oure ful and perfite reioicing in God when we acknowledge that wee are voide of any Our owne Righteousenesse and are Iustified by Onely Faithe in Christe So saithe S. Hierome In Christo Iesu Domino nostro in quo habemus fiduciam accessum confidenttiam per Fidem eius non per nostram Iustitiam sed per eum cuius Fide nobis peccata dimittuntur In Christe Jesu Our Lorde in whom wee haue boldenesse and libertie to comme to God and truste and affiance by the Faithe of him not through Our Righteousenesse but through him in whose name Our Sinnes be forgeuen Hereof S. Bernarde in moste godly and comfortable wise concludeth thus Meritum meum Miserationes Domini Non sum ego inops Meriti quam diu ille non est inops Miserationum Si Miserationes eius multae multus ego sum in Meritis Hoc totum est Hominis Meritum si totam spem suam ponat in Domino My Merite is the Mercie of God So longe as God is not poore of Mercie so longe cannot I be poore of Merite If his Mercies be greate then am I great in Merites This is the vvhole Merite of Man if he put his vvhole affiance in the Lorde This is these Defenders Horrible Heresie M. Hardinge whiche you saie mought not so escape your handed The Apologie Cap. 21. Diuision 1. To conclude we Beleue that this our selfe same Fleashe wherein we liue although it die and comme to duste yet at the laste shal returne againe to Life by the meanes of Christes Sprite whiche dwelleth in vs and that then verily whatsoeuer we suffer here in the meane while for his sake Christe wil wipe awaie al teares and heauinesse from our eies and that we through him shal enioie Euerlastinge Life and shal for euer be with him in Glorie So be it M. Hardinge Last of al beleue as ye saie that this very Fleashe shal returne to Life and that for the Spirite of Christe whiche dwelleth in vs. There is no doubte but the Spirite of Christe is sufficient to raise vp their bodies in whom it dwelleth But wee saie that the raising of our Fleashe is also assigned in Holy Scripture to the Real and Substantial eatinge of Christes Fleashe because it is written He that eateth my Fleashe and drinketh my Bloude hathe Life Euerlastinge And I wil raise him againe in the laste daie Therefore the Resurrection of the Fleashe is not onely assigned in Holy Scripture to the Spirite of Christe but also to the woorthy eatinge of his Fleashe And thus we haue confuted the Doctrine wherein ye declare your Faithe and the chiefe groundes whereon ye buylde your New Gospel we haue disproued The B. of Sarisburie The woordes wherein ye finde faulte M. Hardinge are not oures but S. Paules If they be false why did he write them If they be true why doo you blame them Here ye seeme to checke S. Paule and not onely vs. Ye saie The raising of our Fleash is also assigned in the Holy Scripture to the Realle and Substantial Eating of Christes Fleashe But whence had ye these woordes M. Hardinge Where founde ye these Scriptures Dissemble no longer Deale plainely simply It is Gods cause For a shewe ye allege these woordes of Christe written by S. Iohn He that Eateth my Fleashe and Drinketh my Bloude hathe Life Euerlastinge And I wil raise him vp againe in the laste daie These woordes wée knowe and the Eatinge of Christes Fleashe we know But where is your Real and Substantial and Carnal Eatinge Where did S. Iohn euer tel you that Christes Body is Eaten vvith Teethe and conueied further in sutche grosse and fleashely wise into the belly S. Augustine expoundinge the same woordes saithe thus Crede Manducasti Credere in Christum hoc est Manducare Panem Viuum Iste Panis Interioris Hominis quaerit esuriem Beleeue thou in Christe and thou haste Eaten Christe To Beleeue in Christe that is the Eatinge of the Breade of Life This Breade requireth the Hunger of the Inner Man And Nicolas Lyra one of your owne Doctours saithe These woordes of S Iohn perteine nothinge to the Sacramente Thus he saithe Hoc Verbum nihil directè
Bernardes iudgemente of your Churche that it woulde heare no sounde Doctrine and that it for that cause seemed vtterly paste recouerie Therefore so certainely to assure your selfe of a thinge vncertaine it was no wisedome Wee maie saie of your Popes and Bishoppes whome onely ye meane by the name of your Churche as S. Hierome saide sometime of certaine others your Fathers longe agoe Non tam indignentur â—obis haec exponentibus Prophetis vaticinantibus quà m Dominum deprecentur studiosâ— agant ne de Sacerdoâ—ibus qui violant Sancta Domini esse mereantur Let them not take stomake againste vs that expounde these thinges nor againste the Prophetes that foretolde these thinges But let them praie vnto God and take good heede that they be not of those Priestes that defile the Holy thinges of the Lorde Churches ye saie not without profane malice ye cal Temples Malice comme vnto him M. Hardinge that Malice meaneth The Prophete Dauid saithe The Lorde in his Holy Temple S. Paule saithe Your Bodies be the Temples of the Holy Ghoste Know ye not that ye be the Temple of God If any man defile the Temple of God the Lorde wil destroie him Ye are the Temple of the Liuinge God What agreemente is there bitweene the Temple of God and an Idole So many times S. Paule nameth Temples togeather in one place and yet I thinke without any greate profane Malice But it shal be lawful for you M. Hardinge to make newe Sinnes and to saie The Apostles of Christe were malicious wicked onely for that they called the Churche of God by the name of Temple Would God ye had not turned Goddes Temple into the Synagoge of Sathan Wée sée by your practise it is true that S. Chrysostome saithe Sicut de Templo omne bonum egreditur ita etiam de Templo omne Malum procedit As euery good thinge proceedeth from the Temple so euery il thinge proceedeth likewise from the Temple In defence of your Halfe Communion ye saie For good causes ye teache the people to be contente with one Kinde And thus ye force the poore people contrarie to the expresse Woorde of Christe contrarie to the example of the Apostles and al the Holy Fathers in the Primitiue Churche and contrarie to the general vse and order of a whole thousande yéeres to geeue care to your good causes But these causes no doubte are greate and woorthy Otherwise yée would not weigh them againste God But wherefore are they dissembled Why are they not tolde vs Your owne Doctours Alphonsus de Castro and Iohn Gerson haue laide them out in this wise Particularely and at large The daunger of sheaddinge The carrieiâ—ge from place to place The fowlinge of the Cuppes The trouble of Mennes Beardes The Reseruinge for the Sicke The turninge of the VVine into Vineger The engendringe of Plees The Corruption or Putrefaction The Lothesomenesse that maie happen for so many to Drinke of one Cuppe The impossibilitie of prouidinge one Cuppe that maie be sufficiente to serue al the People In somme places VVine is deare in somme other places the VVine wil be frorne These M. Hardinge be the fairest and greattest of your good causes And yet haue you thus concluded in your late Chapter at Tridente Si quis dixerit â–ª Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam non iustis causis rationibus adductam fuisse vt Laicos atque etiam Clericos non conficientes sub Panis tantummodâ— specie Communicaret aut in eo errasse Anathema sit If any man shal saie that the Holy Catholique Churche without iuste Causes and reasons her mouinge doothe Communicate bothe the Laitie and also Priestes onlesse they Minister vnder the onely Fourme of Breade or that the Churche hath erred in the same Accursed be he Therefore Tertullian saithe rightly of you Credunt sine Scripturis vt Credant Contra Scripturas They Beleeue vvithout the Scriptures that they maie Beleeue againste the Scriptures But specially I beseche you M. Hardinge consider wel these woordes of S. Hierome and sée whether ye maie applie them to your selues or no In Consummatione Mundi scrutabitur Dominus Hierusalem id est Ecclesiam suam cum Lucerna vlciscetur super viros Contemptores qui noluerunt Seruare Custodias suas id est Mandata Domini Contempserunt insuper Ratione se peccare dicentes blasphemauerunt in Cordibus suis In the ende of the VVorlde our Lorde shal searche Hierusalem that is to saie his Churche with a Candel and shal wreake him selfe vpon the despisers that woulde not keepe their watches that is to saie that despised the Commaundementes of God and ouer and bisides this saieinge they hadde good Causes and Reasons vvherefore they shoulde offende breake Goddes Commaundementes they blasphemed in their Hartes That ye surmise of Gelasius is moste vntrue He speaketh not one Woorde there of the diuidinge of Christe as you imagine nor had he any cause so to speake But he saithe in moste plaine wise It is Sacrilege to doo the same thinge that you doo that is to saie to diuide the Sacramente to Minister the One parte as ye doo without the other Looke better on your Bookes and Confesse the Truthe as ye shal finde it The woordes be these Aut integra Sacramenta percipiant aut ab integris arceantur Quia diuisio vnius eiusdemque Mysterij sine grandi Sacrilegio non potest peruenire Either lette them receiue the vvhole Sacramentes or els let them be driuen from the vvhole For the Diuision ofone and the same Mysterie or Sacramente cannot happen without greate Sacrilege He speaketh not of the diuision of One Christe as you tel vs but of the diuision of One Mysterie Otherwise touchinge Christe wée saie with S. Paule Vnus Dominus Iesus Christus There is One Lorde Iesus Christe And wée proteste with the Bishoppes of the Easte in the Councel of Chalcedon Accursed be he that parteth Christe Accursed be he that diuideth him That you saie The order of your Latine Seruice hath euermore benne vsed in the Latine Churche from the beginning it is vtterly vntrue For proufe whereof I remitte you to my Former Replie in the thirde Article the fiftéenth Diuision The reste that ye allege is not woorthe the answearinge The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 2. Al these thinges muste they of necessitie saie onlesse perchaunce thei had rather saie thus That al Lavve and Right is locked vp in the treasurie of the Popes breaste and that as once one of his soothinge Pages and Clawbackes did not sticke to saie the Pope is hable to dispense againste the Apostles againste a Councel and againste the Canons and Rules of the Apostles and that he is not bounde to â–ª stande neither to the examples nor to the ordinaunces nor to the Lawes of Christe M. Hardinge To saie that al Lawe and right your Latine terme is Fas is locked vp in the
planè impossibile est Quis enim vnquam audiuit contradictoria posse redigi in concordiam VVhiche is impossible for who euer hearde that contradictions maye be accorded But the Maisters of the Apologie make no doubte at all but they wil shortly be aggreed Suche childishe and impossible thinges they sticke not to set foorthe who would be compted the teachers of the worlde as though we were but blockes and Asses But as for the heresies and errours of Zuinglius and Osiander with a quiet conscience we can not embrace Neither can we subscribe and yelde to their departinge away and newe guegawes whiche haue diuided them selues from Luther Thus far Amsdorffius and muche more there to the same purpose which here I leaue to blot the paper withall To conclude thus all men may plainely see how the maisters of this defence be conuinced of foule lyinge by their owne Doctours and scholefelowes beside the thinge it selfe that geueth manifest euidence againste them But such stuffe in their writinges and Preachinges is not geason Leauinge others I reporte me to M. Iuelles late sermon made at Paules Crosse on the Sondaie before Ascension daye laste in whiche if vniforme reporte made by sundry there present be true he abused certaine Honorable and woorshipfull personages and of common people a greate multitude with lies woorthy rather to be chastised by lawes then to be confuted with woordes But be it as it is written Qui in sordibus est sordescat adhuc The B. of Sarisburie It pitieth me M. Hardinge to see your triflingâ—e If ye thought it so good skil for aduantage of your cause to compare vs to scoldes wherefore then did not you although not through your whole Booke yet at leaste in this selfe same place where ye so deepely charge vs with scoldinge refraine better from sutche wilde speaches as might seeme to proue your selfe a scolde For I beseche you cal your woordes a litle to remembrance and consider indifferently what weemen they be that commonly vse the like Thus ye saie Euen so good Sirs proudely wickedly and fondely yee obiecte yee shewe your Clerkely prowes yee Bragge yee boaste Now haue you tolde your scoldinge tale Yee ioine in wicked amitie againste the Churche of Christe The founders of your Churche The Apostles of your Gospel Yee are conuinced of foule lieinge Al menne doo espie your lieinge lie on so longe as yee liste He that is filthy let him be filthy stil These be your woordes M. Hardinge altogeather in one place If you can finde so many the like in al our whole Apologie condemne vs hardly and cal vs Scoldes Vnitie wée loue Honoure it as the greatest comforte of Christian hartes But if Vnitie be the onely and vndoubted token of the Churche of God woe then be to you and to your felowes For by that token agreeinge so il emongest your selues yee shoulde seeme to haue no Churche But as wee haue saide Al thei that agree togeather are not therefore euermore of the Churche Herode and Pilate were made frendes and agreed togeather Dauid saithe The Kinges and Princes of the earthe haue mette agreed togeather againste the Lorde and againste his Christe S. Iohn saithe of the frendes and fauourers of Antichriste Hi vnum Consilium habent vires ac potestatem suam tradent Bestiae hi pugnabunt cum Agno These shal haue al one Counsel and one Minde and shal deliuer ouer their strength and their power vnto the Beaste and shal fight against the Lambe Chrysostome saithe Expedit ipsis Daemonibus obaudire sibi inuicem in Schismate It is good euen for the Diuels them selues to be obediente one of them vnto an other in their Diuision Symmachus and other like maineteiners of the Heathenishe Idolatrie saide Aequum est quicquid omnes colunt vnum putari It is meete that what so euer al menne woorship be counted One. And thus woulde they seeme to holde by Vnitie If your Vnitie M. Hardinge be so sounde and so certaine as ye woulde séeme to make it why then doo you condemne your selues one an other of Heresie Certainely Heresie importeth Diuision and no greate Vnitie The whole shewe and Substance of your Vnitie standeth in this To geeue eare to your selues to put Christe to silence But the true and Christian vnitie is this That the whole Flocke of Christe heare the voice of the onely Shephearde and folowe him The bande of Vnitie is simple Veritie Whiche M. Hardinge for as mutche as yee haue forsaken ye haue no greate cause to talke mutche of Vnitie As for Sampsons Foxetailes it seemeth ye lackte somewhat to plaie withal Otherwise they serue you here to no greate purpose For if there be any dissension emongest vs it is not in any Article of the Faithe but onely in somme particulare pointe of learninge The like whereof hath benne bitwéene S. Augustine and S. Hierome and others the Learned Godly and Catholique Fathers of the Churche And thus contrarie to Sampsons Foxes notwithstandinge one or other haue benne diuided in somme certaine Conclusion as it were in the tailes yet wée ioine thorowly al togeather in one Heade in one Gospel in one waie of Saluation and in one summe of Religion and al togeather with one Mouthe and one Sprite glorifie God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe Concerninge the disagreemente that is bitwéene the Lutherans the Zuinglians touchinge the Beeinge of the Body of Christe in one onely place or in many wée saie that in respecte either of Saluation or of other Article of God the Father or of the Sonne or of the Holy Ghoste or of any other the Groundes Principles of the Christian Faithe it is not weighty In that respecte wee speake it onely Otherwise wee saie the erroure is weighty Sutche errours in sundrie the Anciente Fathers haue benne dissembled and paste in silence S. Hilarie séemeth to saie that Christe receiued not Fleashe of the Blessed Virgin And that the same Fleashe of Christe was impassible and coulde feele no griefe Origen saithe Quidam putant ChristuÌ„ in Futuro Saeculo iterum pati oportere c. Somme menne thinke that in the worlde to comme Christe muste suffer in his Body or be Crucified againe Brentius seemeth to holde that Christes Body is infinite and in al places as is the Godhedde whiche erroure it seemeth was defended by somme in S. Augustines time And therefore he saithe Cauendum est ne ita Diuinitatem astruamus Hominis vt VeritateÌ„ Corporis auferamus We must take heede wee doo not so maineteine yâ— Diuine Nature of Christe beinge man that vvee take avvaie the Truthe of his Body These errours notwithstandinge they were greate in them selues yet in respecte of other greater errours haue benne dissembled And therefore Iacobus Andreas al be it he coulde not be ignorant of this dissension beinge him selfe a partie yet he saithe Quâ—d vociferantur nostros de
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
exception what so euer they liste to saie but onely so longe as they teache the Lavve of God Further then that S. Augustine saithe VVee maie neither heare them nor folovve theire Counsel Hereunto ye thought it good to adde more force as a supplie to aide youre wantes Christe saide vnto Peter I haue praied for thee that thy Faithe shal neuer faile Ergo saie you The Pope can neuer erre This waie of reasoninge I trowe yee Learned of Peter de Palude a woorthy Doctoure of your side For so he reasoneth Ego rogaui pro te Petre vt Fides tua non deficiat Ex quo habetur quòd Romana Ecclesia in Fide errare non potest nec de eius Fide dubitare licet Sed in omnibus est sequenda Peter I haue Praied for thee that thy Faithe maie not faile By these woordes wee are taught that the Churche of Rome cannot erre in Faithe Neither is it lawful to doubte of the Faithe of that Churche but in al causes wee are bounde to folowe it But S. Augustine saithe Nunquid pro Petro rogabat pro Iohanne Iacobo non rogabat Vt coeteros raceam To leaue the reste did Christe Praie for Peter and did he not Praie for Iohn and Iames Againe he saithe Hac nocte postulauit Satanas vexare vos ficut triticum egorogaui Patrem pro vobis ne deficiat Fides Vestra This nighte hath Satan begged to threashe you as if it were wheate but I haue Praied to my Father not for Peter onely but for you that your Faithe maie not faile So saithe Origen Nunquid audebimus dicere quòd aduersus vnum Petrum non praeualiturae sint portae Inferorum aduersus coeteros autem Apostolos ac Praefectos Ecclesiae sint praeualiturae An Petro Soli dantur à Christo Claues Regni Coelorum Nec alius Beatorum quisquam eas accepturus est Omnia quaeque priùs dicta sunt quaeque sequuntur Velut ad Petrum dicta sunt omnium Communia Maie wee dare to saie that the gates of Helle shal not preuaile Onely againste Peter but shal preuaile againste the other Apostles and Rulers of the Churche Were the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen geuen onely to Peter And shal no Holy man els receiue the same Nay al the thinges bothe that were saide before and also that folowe after as spoken to Peter are Common and belonge vnto al. Therefore as ye saie of the Churche of Rome so maie wée saie likewise of the Churche of Hierusalem where S. Iames was and of the Churche of Ephesus where S. Iohn was and of other the like Apostolique Churches notwithstandinge they be now in the possession of the Turke and haue receiued the Religion of Mahomete yet bicause Christe hathe once praied for them The Faithe of them shal neuer faile Further ye tel vs It shal be yenough for you to doo as the Successoures of Peter bid you to doo Christe now requireth not of you to obeie Peter and Paule but to obeie him that sitteth in their Chaire If this waie be as sure as it is shorte then is there no doubte but al is wel Though wée beléeue neither Peter nor Paule nor what so euer is writtē in Goddes Woorde yet saie you If vve folovve the Pope vvee cannot erre For thus mutche M. Harding ye are hable to warrante vs by your Gospel y◠Christe requireth not vs now to be obedient to Peter and Paule but onely to the Popes Holinesse y◠keepeth Residence in theire Chaire This is your Diuinitie these are your woordes If ye euer recante the same ye marre the flower of your Market Wée néede not now to saie Thus saithe the Lorde it shal be sufficient for vs to saie Thus saithe the Pope Yet S. Paule so far aduentureth the Truthe and certainetie of his Doctrine that he doubteth not to saie If an Angel from Heauen preache vnto you any other Gospel then wee haue Preached accursed be he Vpon whiche woordes S. Chrysostome hathe noted thus Non dixit Si Contraria annuntiauerint aut totū Euangelium subuerterint verùm Si paulùm Euangelizauerint praeter Euangelium quod accepistis etiamsi quiduis labefactauerint Anathema sint S. Paule saithe not If they Preache Contrarie to the Gospel or ouerthrowe the whole Gospel but If they Preache any little thinge bisides the Gospel that ye haue receiued if they ouerthrovve any thinge vvhat so euer it be accursed be they Therefore S. Hierome saithe Ea doceat Episcopus quae à Deo didicerit non ex proprio Corde c. Let the Bishop teache those thinges that he hath learned of God and not of his owne harte or fansie Chrysostome saithe Plus aliquid dicam Ne Paulo quidem obedire oporret si quid dixerit proprium si quid humanum sed Apostolo Christum in se loquentem circumferenti I wil telle you a greatter mater Wee maie not obeie no not S. Paule him selfe if he speake any thinge of his owne or if he speake onely as a man But wee muste beleeue the Apostle of Christe carrieinge Christe aboute speakinge within him And therefore Panormitane saithe In concernentibus Fidem etiam dictum vnius priuati esset praeferendum dicto Papae si ille moueretur melioribus rationibus Noui Veteris Testamenti quà m Papa In maters concerninge Faithe the saieinge of one Priuate man were to be hearde before the saieinge of the Pope if the same Priuate man were moued with better reasones of the Newe and Olde Testamente then the Pope But that vvee should no lenger obeie Peter and Paule but geeue eare onely to him that is cropen into theire Chaire it is suche Diuinitie as neither Peter nor Paule euer taught vs. Laste of al as vpon somme good aduauantage ye beginne to Triumphe Remember yee saie ye what ye saie knowe yee what ye doo who wil regarde youre woorde whiche with one breathe saie and vnsaie If it be odious to leaue our felowship why doo yee it If yee despise not the Churche why departe ye from it To Saie and Vnsaie it is your propertie M. Harding it is not oures Yée haue Saide Vnsaide yet were it not for shame it is thought yée woulde be contente to Saie againe Wee despise not the Churche it is the House of God But we mislike your defacinge and disorderinge of the Churche Christe reproued the Priestes and Phariseis for that they had turned the Temple of God into a caue of Theeues And yet neuerthelesse he despised it not but saide it was his Fathers house To leaue the wicked felowship of them that beare a name and shewe of Godlinesse it seemeth odious before menne but before God it is not odious S. Iohn saithe VVho so euer is sutche a one bidde him not God speede For who so saithe God speede vnto him is partetaker of his il S. Paule saithe I warne you that you receiue no meate with any
haue hitherto named none haue taught or saide to yâ— contrarie Whereas wee saie Antichriste shal stande euen vvithin the Churche yâ— ye saie we finde not in S. Paule Notwithstandinge oure good wil ye saie ye vnderstande although ye finde in vs neuer a good Reason As for the goodnesse of our Reasons wée wil not striue But whether S. Paule saie yâ— Antichriste shal stande in yâ— Churche or no let vs be iudged by S. Paule His woordes be plaine Adeò vt in Templo Dei sedeat tanquam Deus So that he wil sitte in the Churche of God as if he were God If the Churche of God be the Churche then dothe S. Paule saie Antichriste shal sitte vvithin the Churche In like sense Christe saith Antichriste shal sitte in the Holy place By whiche woordes many of the best learned Fathers haue expounded the Churche S. Augustine saith Non enim Templum alicuius Idoli aut Daemonis Templum Dei Apostolus diceret For the Temple of an Idole or of a Diuel the Apostle would neuer cal the Temple of God And he addeth further Quidam putant rectiùs Latinè dici sicut in Graeco est noÌ„ in Templo Dei sed in Templum Dei sedeat Tanquam ipse sit Templum Dei quod est Ecclesia Sicut dicimus Sedet in amicum id est velut amicus Somme menne thinke we should better reade it in Latine as it is in the Greeke not He sitteth in the Temple of God but he sitteth For or As the TeÌ„ple of God As if he him selfe vvere the Temple of God vvhiche is the Churche As we saie He sitteth for a Frende that is He sitteth as a Frende Here S. Augustine saithe Antichriste shal not onely sitte in yâ— Churche but also shal shewe him selfe in outwarde appearance as if he him selfe were the Churche it selfe Now M. Hardinge who this shoulde be I reporte me to your owne Doctoures of whom one hath written thus Papa quodammodò virtualiter est tota Ecclesia The Pope in a maÌ„ner by waie of vertue or Power is the whole Vniuersal Churche S. Hierome saith Antichristus stabit in loco Sancto id est in Ecclesia se ostendet vt Deum Antichriste shal stande in the Holy place that is to saie in the Churche and shal shewe him selfe as if he were God S. Chrysostome saithe Incident in Abominationem Desolationis quae stat in Sanctis Ecclesiae locis They shal fal into the Abomination of Desolation that standeth in the Holy places of the Churche S. Hilarie saithe Vnum moneo Cauete Antichristum Malè enim vos parietuÌ„ ch coepit male Ecclesiam Dei in tectis aedificijsque veneramini Anne ambiguum est in ijs Antichristum esse sessurum One thinge I reade you Beware of Antichriste For it is not wel that ye should be thus in loue with walles It is not wel that ye should honoure the Churche in houses and buildinges Is there any doubte but Antichriste shal sitte in the same S. Paule saithe Mysterium iniquitatis operatur Sathan woorketh the Mysterie of iniquitie That is to saie he openeth not him selfe but what so euer he doothe he doothe it in couerte VpoÌ„ whiche woordes Anselmus saith Iniquitas eorum est Mystica id est Pietatis nomine palliaâ—a The iniquitie of them is Mystical that is to saie It is cloked and coered with yâ— name of Godlinesse Therefore S. Chrysostome saithe Christiani qui sunt in Christianitate volentes accipere firmitatem Fidei verae ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas c. The Christianes that be in Christendome willinge to haue the stedfastnesse of the true Faithe let them flee to none other thinge but onely to the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to any thinge els they shal be offended and perishe not knowinge whiche is the true Churche And so shal they fal into the Abomination of Desolation that standeth in the Holy places of the Churche The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 1. 2. Albeit these same warninges alone maie suffice a wiseman to take heede he doo not suffer him selfe rashely to be deceiued with the name of the Churche and not to staie to make further inquisition thereof by Goddes Woorde yet biside al this many Fathers also many learned and Godly menne haue often and carefully complained how al these thinges haue chaunced in their life time For euen in the middest of that thicke miste of darkenesse God would yet there should be somme whoe though they gaue not a cleare and brighte light yet should kendle were it but somme sparke whiche menne beinge in the darkenesse might espie Hilarius when thinges as yet were almoste vncorrupte and in good case too Yee are il deceiued saith he vvith the loue of vvalles ye doo il vvoorship the Churche in that ye vvoorship it in houses and buildinges yee doo il bringe in the name of peace vnder roofes Is there any doubte but Antichriste vvil haue his Seate vnder the same I rather recken Hilles vvoodes Pooles Marishes Prisons and Quauemires to be places of more safetie for in these the Prophetes either abidinge of their accorde or forced thither by violence didde Prophesie by the Spirite of God Gregorie as one whiche perceiued and foresawe in his minde the wracke of al thinges wrote thus of Iohan Bishop of Constantinople the firste of al others that commaunded him selfe to bee called by this newe name the Vniuersal Bishop of vvhole Christes Church Yf the Churche saith he shal depende vpon one manne it vvil soone fal dovvne to the grounde Who is he that seeth not how this is comme to passe longe sithence For longe agone hath the Bishop of Rome willed to haue the whole Churche depende vpon him selfe alone Wherefore it is no marueile though it be cleane fallen downe longe agone M. Hardinge Ye make a foule lie Syr defender vpon S. Gregorie The Woordes you recite be your owne not his Is it not inough to lie your selfe as you doo very often but that you father lies also vpon the Doctoursi Thankes be to God that so ye bewraie the weakenesse of your cause Neither in any Epistle to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople as you saie in your Apologie nor in any to Mauritius the Emperoure as you haue noted in the margent writeth Gregorie that if the Churche shall depende vpon one maÌ„ yâ— who le shal fall to grounde I see well you would faine Gregorie had so written And if he had yet your argument had benne naught For you take not the right minor whiche should haue benne this The Church doth depende vpoÌ„ one man if you would make your reason good and after the rules of Logike For where your minor speaketh onely of the Popes will thereof your conclusion foloweth not Dispose your propositions in the forme of a Syllogisme and you shall espie your owne feble reason And if you make that your minor
then graunte you that whiche you denie The woordes whereof you gather this pretensed saieinge of Gregorie as I suppose be these If any man hath caught vnto himselfe that name of Vniuersall Bishop in that Churche of Constantinople then the whole Churche whiche God forbid fell from his state when he that is called Vniuersal fell Gregorie vnderstandeth by the name Vniuersall Bishop as him selfe declareth in many places suche a one as is a Bishop altogether and onely so as there be no other Bishop besides him Now if it were graunted that the Bishop of Constantinople were this one and onely Vniuersal Bishop this inconuenience would folowe that with the fall of that Vniuersall Bishop the Vniuersall Churche also fell For where the Churche is there be Bishoppes and where be Bishoppes there is the Churche and a Bishop Vniuersall by Gregorie is as muche as all Bishoppes That this beinge graunted the whole Churche is fallen from the Faithe thus he proueth For saithe he the Bishoppes of Constant inople haue fallen into the goulfe of great and detestable Heresies as Nestorius who thinkinge Christe to be two persones and beleuinge that God coulde not be made man ranne to a Iewishe Infidelitie and as Macedonius who denied the holy Ghost to be God VVherefore if the B. of Constantinople be the Vniuersall Bishop accordinge to the sense aforesaide then at the fall of him from the Faithe as when those two before named fell the Churche also falleth as then by this reason when they were Bishops it fell Thus reasoneth S. Gregorie in that Epistle to Mauritius But because to Gregorie it semeth very farre from reason and incredible that the Churche should fall from the Faithe and faile therefore he enucigheth againste Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople for chalenginge that name of Vniuersal Bishop and concludeth that the Bishop of that See in any wise can not so be But if the woorde Vnâ—uersall signifie a soueraintie of charge and Supremacie of Gouernement ouer the whole Churche whiche Christe committed to Peter and in Peter to his Successours the Bishoppes of Rome when he saide Feede my Shepe in this sense it is not impious nor erroneus nor contrary to the minde of S. Gregorie to call the Successour of Peter Christes vicare in Earth the Vniuersal Bishop that is to saie the highest of al and hauinge power ouer all other Bishoppes and Bishop of the Vniuersall Churche And as Christe gaue to S. Peter and his successours for the benefite of his Churche a Supreme auctoritie and power â–ª so for the same Churches sake for whose loue he deliuered him selfe to death by petition made to his Father he obteined for him and his successours the Priuilege of this supreme and moste excellente grace that their Faithe shoulde neuer faile In consideration of whiche singular Priuilege obteined by Christe and graunted to the see Apostolike and to none other Gregorie rebuketh Iohn the Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople so much as one that presumptuously vsurped that newe name of vniuersal Bishop against the statutes of the Gospel and against the Decrees of the Canons To conclude if either Gregorie or any other man shoulde saâ—e that the Churche dependeth vpon one man he mighte seeme to saie truthe meaninge rightly and that not alone nor without good Authoritie For suche a saieinge we finde vttered by S. Ierome The safetie of the Churche saithe he dependeth vpon the dignitie of the highest Priesie who if he haue not auctoritie peerlesse and aboue all other there will be so many Schismes in the Churche as there be Priestes VVhich peerlesse auctoritie aboue all other as S. Hierome in that place dothe attribute to ‡ to the Bishop of euery Dioces directly so consequently to Peters Successor to whom it was saide Feede my Sheepe For by what reason in eche Dioces it behoueth one Prieste to be highesâ—ouer other Priestes by the same and in like proportion nolesse it behoueth that in the whole Churche one Bishop be highest ouer other Bishoppes I meane for auoidinge Schismes The B. of Sarisburie Yf yée had better looked on your Bookes M. Hardinge ye woulde not haue benne so hasty in dealinge Lies Wée falsifie not that good Fathers Woordes but reporte them truely as wée finde them For thus he writeth in sundrie places of Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople that firste auanced him selfe aboue al his Brethren and required to be called the Vniuersal Bishop of al the worlde Vniuersa Ecclesia â statu suo corruit quando is qui appellatur Vniuersalis cadit The whole Vniuersal Churche falleth from her state when he falleth that is called the Vniuersal Bishop This is no Lie M. Hardinge Conferre the places yée shal finde the woordes as wee reporte them It standeth not neither with your profession nor with your modestie so vncourteously to vse your tongue We neither Lie our selues nor father Lies vpon the Doctoures God be thanked his cause is sutche as maie wel be maineteined without Lies But to put you further oute of doubte the sense of these woordes ye maie finde often vttered by S. Gregorie in other places Vnto Anastasius the Bishop of Antioche he writeth thus Vt de honoris vestri iniuria taceam si vnus Episcopus vocatur Vniuersalis vniuersa Ecclesia corruit si Vnus Vniuersus cadit To dissemble the iniurie donne to your Honoure if one Bishop be called Vniuersal then if that One Vniuersal Bishop fal the whole Vniuersal Churche goeth to grounde Againe he saithe in the same Epistle Vos eandem causam Nullam dicere non debetis Quia si hanc aequanimiter portamus Vniuersae Ecclesiae Fidem corrumpimus Ye maie not saie This is a mater of no importance For if wee patiently beare these thinges wee destroie the Faithe of the Vniuersal Churche Againe he saithe In isto Scelesto vocabulo consentire nihil aliud est quà m Fidem perdere To consente vnto this wicked Name is nothinge els but to lose the Faithe Againe Flens dico Gemens denuntio Quia cùm Sacerdotalis Ordo intus cecidit foris diu stare non poterit I speake it with teares I tel it with sighe of Harte For seeinge the Order of Priesthoode is fallen within it cannot nowe stande longe without Againe Diabolus ita validè in quibusdam Ecclesiae necessarijs Membris dentes figit vt nulli sit dubium quin nisi vnanimiter fauente Domino cunctorum prouida Pastorum turba concurrat omne quod absit citiùs ouile dilaniet The Diuel so strongely fasteneth his Teeth in the necessarie Members of the Churche that onlesse by Goddes Grace the prouident companie of al Bishoppes ioine togeather there is no doubte but he wil soone destroie the whole flocke whiche God forbid And againe he compareth the Pride of this name with the Pride of Antichriste and saithe that the one shal woorke the Confusion of the Churche no lesse
sicut ipsum Caput Christum in Scripturis Sanctis Canonicis debemus agnoscere VVhether they haue the Churche or no let them shewe by the Canonical Bookes of the Holy Scriptures VVee muste knowe the Churche of Christe euen as wee likewise knowe Christe whiche is the Heade of the Churche in the Holy Canonical Scriptures Againe he saithe Ecclesiam sine vlla ambiguitate Sancta Scriptura demonstrat The Holy Scripture sheweth the Churche without any doubtefulnesse Againe Quaestio est vhi sit Ecclesia Quid ergo facturi sumus Vtrùm in verbis nostris eam quaesituri an in Verbis Capitis sui Domini nostri Iesu Christi Futo quòd in illius potiùs Verbis eam quaerere debemus qui Veritas est optimè nouit Corpus suum The question or doubte is where the Churche should be What then shal we doo VVhether shal wee seeke the Churche in our owne woordes or in the VVoordes of her Heade whiche is oure Lorde Iesus Christe In my Iudgemente wee ought rather to seeke the Churche in his VVoordes for that he is the Truthe and beste knoweth his owne Body Againe Non audiamus Haec dico Haec dicis Sed audiamus Haec dicit Dominus lbi quaeramus Ecclesiam Ibi discutiamus causam nostram Let vs not heare these woordes This saie I This saiste thou But these woordes set vs heare Thus saithe the Lorde there let vs seeke the Churche there let vs discusse oure cause And againe Nolo Humanis Documentis sed Diuinis Oraculis Sanctam Ecclesiam demonstrari I wil not haue the Holy Churche to be shewed by Mannes Iudgemente but by Goddes VVoorde Likewise saithe S. Chrysostome Nunc nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit vera Ecclesia Christi nisi Tantummodò per Scripturas Now can noman knowe whiche is the true Churche of Christe but Onely by the Scriptures Againe he saithe in like fourme of woordes Volens ergo quis cognoscere quae sit Vera Ecclesia Christi vnde cognoscat in tanta confusione similitudinis nifi Tantummodo ' per Scripturas If a man be desirous to knowe whiche is the true Churche of Christe how can he know it in sutche a confusion of likenesse but Onely by the Scriptures These woordes be so euident and so plaine that noman with modestie maie wel denie them And whereas you saie Al this notwithstandinge A true Churche maie be founde whiche is not shewed in the Scriptures S. Ambrose saithe Ecclesia fulget non suo sed Christi Lumine The Churche shineth or is knowen not by her owne Lighte but by the Light of Christe whiche is by the VVoorde of God And chrysostome saithe Qui Sacra non vtitur Scriptura sed ascendit aliunde id est non concessa via hic Fur est Latro Who so vseth not the Scripture but geateth vp an other waie that is by a waie that is not lawful he is a Theefe and a Murtheier Againe he saithe Hierusalem hîc semper Ecclesiam intellige quae dicitur Ciuitas Pacis cuius Fundamenta posita sunt super Montes Scripturarum Here by Hierusalem euermore vnderstande thou the Churche whiche is called the Cittie of Peace The Fundations whereof are saide vpon the Mountaines of the Scriptures Ye magnifie your Churche of Rome and saie It shieth on highe vpon the Mounte Yet S. Bernarde saithe to the Pope and his Cleregie as it is alleged before Vos estis Tenebrae Mundi Ye are the Darkenesse of the VVorlde Therefore ye maie not wel vaunte your selues so mutche of the brightnesse of your Beames As for that ye cal our Churche the Synagoge of Lucifer and Antichriste we maie wel suffer it to blowe euer as the vaine vnsauery smoke of somme impatiente Cholerique humoure Our cause is not the woorse M. Hardinge in the Iudgemente of the wise for that you haue learned so readily to speake il But what Louanian vanitie is this to saie The Members of the Churche of Christe abide in the Vnitie of the Pope What Scripture or Doctoure or Father euer tolde you of sutche Vnitie S. Paule saith Wee are alone not in the Pope but in Christe Iesu And what so greate Vnitie can you saie there is or hathe benne in your Popes Platyna saithe Post Stephanum semper haec consuetudo seruata est vt acta Priorum Pontificum sequentes ant infringereat aut omnino ' tollerent It hathe benne an ordinarie custome emonge the Popes euer sithence the time of Pope Steuin that the Popes that folowed afterworde would euermore either breake or abolishe the Actes of the Popes that had benne before them Erasmus saith Iohannes 22. Nicolaus totis Decretis inter se pugnāt idque in his quae videntur ad Fidei negotium pertinere Pope Iohn 22. and Pope Nicolas in theire whole Decrees are contrarie the one againste the other yea and that in maters that seeme to belonge to cases of the Faithe To be shorte the Popes haue fouly corrupted the Scriptures they haue corrupted the Decrees Canons of Councelles they haue benne Sorcerers Idolaters Scribes Phariseis Thei haue benne Arian Heretiques Nestorian Heretiques Monothelite Heretiques Montaniste Heretiques thei haue mainteined damnable Heresies against y◠Godhed of Christe against y◠Personne of Christe against y◠VVil of Christe against the Immortalitie of the Soule they haue henne contrarie to themselues one directly and expressely againste an other Yet muste the Pope beare vp the whole Churche of God euen as Atlas beareth vy the Heauens and onlesse al the worlde abide in him is there no Vnitie in the Churche Thus saith Hosius Vnum praeesse toti Ecclesiae vsque ade ò est necessarium vt absque hoc Ecclesia Vna esse non possit It is so necessarie a thinge that one haue the gouernmente of the whole that otherwise the Churche of God cannot be One. Likewise it is noted in the Popes ovvne Gloses vpon his Decretalles Constat Ecclesiam ideo esse vnam quia in Vniuersali Ecclesia vnum est caput Supremum scilicet Papa It is plaine that the Churche is one for that in the Vniuersal Churche there is one Supreme Heade that is the Pope An other of your Doctours doubteth not to steppe yet a litle farther and thus to expounde the woordes of Christe Fiet Vnū Ouile Vnus Pastor Quod quidem de christo intelligi non potest Sed de aliquo alio Ministro qui praesit loco eius There shal be one Folde and one Shepehearde These vvoordes vvee maie not vnderstande of Christe but of somme other Minister that ruleth in his roome By whiche Doctours Catholique Iudgemente wée finde that the Vnitie of the Churche hangeth not of Christe but of the Pope But these be ouer vaine and grosse vanities For though the Pope were no Pope yea though Antichriste were the Pope yet is Christe hable to holde his Churche in perfite Vnitie S. Paule saithe Christus est
qui non sunt veriti Scripturarum auctoritate Scripturis auctoritatem omnem detrahere En quò perduxit rem tandem Saranas A certaine newe kinde of Prophetes is risen who sticke not by the Authoritie of Scriptures to take away al auctoritie from Scriptures See whither at the length the Deuill hath brought the matter Now afterwarde expoundinge this matter more at large he declareth the Capitaine of that Heresie to haue benne Zwenkfeldius He sheweth that by a Texte of Scripture where Dauid saithe I will heare what our Lorde speaketh in me Zwenkfeldius wente aboute to wil men to heare what God telleth euery man by inspiration rather then to geue attendance to the written woorde of God And whiles Hosius reporteth what Zwenkfeldius saide for the maintenance of his fonde Heresie amonge other his woordes these are which be brought in this Apologie against Hosius and againste the Catholikes whereas it is neither Hosius nor any Catholike that speaketh them but onely Zwenkfeldius him selfe Hitherto we haue shewed that the woordes alleaged in the Apologie vnder the name of Hosius make neither againste him nor against vs as not beinge his woordes nor ours but onely the woordes of Zwenkfeldius VVell what credite maie we geue to this man in expoundinge the VVoorde of God whose true meaninge he maie falsisie at his pleasure because we can not bringe foorthe God him selfe to declare his woordes seeinge he dareth to burthen Hosius with these woordes whiche Hosius him selfe beinge yet aliue can declare to haue another meaninge as the Booke it selfe doothe witnesse to all that liste to reade the same This was a greate faulte to impure so horrible an Heresie to Hosius vniustly This was a greate ignorance to charge him with that Heresie whiche he refuteth and impugneth They are greate crimes and yet suche as might riâ—e of misreporte and ignorance But when he was tolde of them he shoulde of reason haue corrected them He should haue repented with Peter and not despaired with Cain and Iudas But what did he when he vnderstoode he had erred He addeth a Glose farre more malicious then the former errour was For graunâ—inge that Hosius setteth out the matter so as though neither he nor any of his side but the Heretikes Zwenkfeldians spake so this not withstandinge he burtheneth bothe him and the Catholikes with it saieinge that he dissembleth and hideth what he is Syr was this the waie to amende your faulte to graunt that Hosius spake against the Zwenkfeldians and yet to beare men in hande he fauoured them If he had fauoured their Heresie what needed he to refell it But how saie you that Hosius dissembleth and hideth what he is sith that euen here in two places in moste plaine woordes you laie the Zwenkfeldian Heresie to his charge Reade your owne Booke Before the allegation of Zwenkfeldius Heresie saie you not thus VVe saithe he will bid away c. And after the allegation haue you not these woordes This is Hosius saieinge How standeth all this togeather You haue forgotten the Prouerbe that biddeth a lier to be mindefull I can not tell howe to name this kinde of your dealinge lieinge or detraction slaunderinge or malicious speakinge But Sir if Hosius haue spoken euill why geue you not witnesse against him of euill If he haue spoken well euen by your owne confession in reputinge the Zwenkfeldians for Heretikes why finde you faulte with him for his good woordes suche I saie as your selfe confesse to be good You reprooue him who speaketh not against Zwenkfeldius and againe you graunt he speaketh against him and yet because you had once reproued him you will contine we in it without reason learninge or witte But it must needes so be for without pertinacie no man is either a perfite Heretike or a perfite slaunderer If yet you stande in Defence of it all the worlde will accompte you for a desperate persone For no man that euer sawe Hosius woorkes can thinke that he was gilty of that you burthen him with But some man might thinke you were deceiued and mistooke Hosius But sith you graunt you doo not now mistake him and yet charge him with auouchinge that whiche he holdeth for Heresie he that vnderstandeth thus muche of you maye assure him selfe that you are disposed to belie and slaunder Hosius though it coste you the damnation of your Soule For shame man repente and reuoke that for whiche your owne conscience stinteth not to barke at you But Hosius saie they peraduenture will not allowe the woordes of Zuenkfeldius yet he doothe not disallowe the meaninge of the woordes VVell and clerkely reasoned As though woordes were allowed or disallowed for any other so principall a cause as for theire meaninge And therefore he that disalloweth woordes hath muche more disallowed the meaninge of them Yet saie they of the Holy Communion vnder Bothe Kindes he reiecteth the plaine woordes of Christe as Deade and colde Elementes Verely a man mighte thinke this Booke was set foorthe by some ennemie of our newe Englishe Clergie it is so mutche to their defacinge had not theÌ„selues at diuerse times acknowleged it for a whelpe of their owne littour A maÌ„ for his life can not finde one leafe in it without many Lies The B. of Sarisburie I cannot greately blame you M. Hardinge though yée shewe your selfe hote and vehement in defence of Hosius For of him you and somme of your Felowes maie saie as Carneades saide sommetime of Chrysippus Nisi Chrysippus fuisset ego non essem If Chrysippus had not benne then had I neuer benne For had not Hosius benne good vnto you and spared you parte of his furniture sutche as it was your Diuinitie had benne ful bare Ye saie wée reade neither the Olde Writers nor the Newe but are vtterly ignorante and voide of al learninge and in respecte of the Beames of your knowlege knowe nothinge It were a very ambitious and a childishe vanitie to make vauntes of Learninge For as motche as ye seeme desirous of the same of greate Readinge ye shal haue the whole praise and glorie of it M. Hardinge without contention Wée wil rather saie with S. Paule Wee knowe nothinge but onely Iesus Christe Crucified vpon his Crosse Yet notwithstandinge wée are neither so ignorant nor so idle but that wee are hable and haue leasure to reade as wel the Olde Doctours the Fathers of the Churche as also your lighte vnciuile Pamflettes and blotted Papers whiche God wote in al respectes are very Newe And for either of them wee are mutche ashamed in your behalfe For the Olde Doctours Fathers to see them of your parte either of wilfulnesse or of forgeatefulnesse or of ignorance so fowly misused of your owne Papers Nouelties to see them with vntruthe and other vncourteous speache so fully freighted But touchinge Hosius yée condemne vs vtterly either of ignorance or of malice For the woordes wherein wée finde sutche faulte were vttered by him as you saie not as any parte of
might with more surety keepe stil his vsurped Dominion Who being an Idumean borne and a straunger to the stocke and kinred of the Ievves and yet couetinge mutche to be taken for a Iewe to th ende he might establishe to him and his Posteritie the Kingdome of that Countrie whiche he had gotten of Augustus Caesar he commaunded al the Genâ—alogies and Petigrees to be burnt and made out of the waie so that there should remaine no recorde whereby it might be knowen to them that came after that he was an Alien in bloude whereas euen from Abrahams time these monumeÌ„tes had benne safely keapte amongest the Ievves and laide vp in theire treasurie bicause in them it might easily and moste assuredly be founde of what linage euery one did descende So in good faithe doo these menne when they woulde haue al theire owne dooinges in estimation as though they had benne deliuered to vs euen from the Apostles or from Christe him selfe to th ende there might be founde no where any thinge hable to conuince sutche theire dreames and lies either they burne the Holy Scriptures or els they craftily conueigh them from the people M. Hardinge Pardon me I praie thee Reader if I vse woordes some what vehemente the cause so requiringe This Defender crieth out O ye pillours of Religion But how mutche more iustly crie we againe to him O thou captaine lier O moste woorthy not the rewarde of a whetstone but the iudgemente of abackebiter of a slaunderer a cursed speaker of a mocker of the accuser of the brethren of a Blasphemer Is this the regarde thou haste I saie not to God or to Christen men but to thine owne estimation and common honestie of a man Canste thou persuade thy selfe to greate credite by lieinge To seme sober by railinge Honeste by villanie Charitable by slaunderinge Vpright by deceit Iuste by impietie Why saiest thou of vs in general that is to saie of the Catholike Churche that we despise hate caste awaie and burne the Holy Scriptures Had we not loued and kepte the Scriptures howe couldest thou and thy fellowes haue comme by them Had ye not them of vs From the Apostles time to this daie we haue kepte them vnspotted and vndefiled and ye within these fifty yeres haue by your vulgare translations corrupted them that lamentable it is to consider And when we burned the same corrupte translations or any parte thereof or any of your Heretical treatises we burned not the Scriptures no more then one dothe the apple tree that burneth the caterpillers The Scriptures we honourè and kepe moste reuerently and diligently Therefore your comparinge of vs with the wicked Kinges Aza Antiochus Maximinus and Herode is false and slaunderous For how saie you Sir Captaine of liers had we not the Scripture in euery Monasterie Cathedral Church college in euery priuate library of any that was lerned The like thinge was obiected to S. Augustine and the Catholikes in his time by the Donatistes beinge then Heretikes as ye are nowe To whom he answeareth as we wil answeare you Certè ille ignibus tradidisse credatur qui eis lectis non consentire conuincitur 〈◊〉 Let him be thought to haue caste they Holy Scriptures into the fire who when they are reade is conuict not to consente vnto them VVe reade in the Holy Scriptures that Christe said This is my Body VVho beleueth it ye that denie it or we who are contente to die for the defence of that his real body in the blessed Sacramente S. Iames saithe a man is iustified by woorkes and not by faithe onely VVho beleueth thus they whiche saie that onely faith iustifieth or they whiche saie that woorkes be required also to iustifie at ion Christ saith Qui maÌ„ducat hunc panem viuet in Aeternum he that eateth this breade shal liue for euer ‡ VVho beleueth this they that saie both kindes be necessarie to laie men by commaundement of Christe or they who saie that one kinde is sufficiente to saluation concerninge the eatinge of the Sacramente The B. of Sarisburie Ye maie soone be Pardoned M. Hardinge for speakinge il for as mutche as for ought that maie appeare by youre speache ye haue not yet learned to speake wel Whether ye haue burnte the Scriptures of God or no bothe Heauen and Earthe and Sea and Lande maie beare witnesse For a poore excuse ye saie ye haue burnte our Errours and Heretical Translations and not the Scriptures as the Housbandeman vseth to burn Caterpillers Howe be it he maie be thought an vnwise Housbandeman that burneth vp his Caterpillers Trées too bothe togeather and to wreake him selfe of the one is contente to destroie the other If al Bookes conteininge Erroure should be burnte then should your Louanian Nouelles goe to wracke For yewis M. Hardinge contention and vaine glorie set a part ye know right wel thei are ful of Errours Moreouer ye knowe there be Errours in S. Augustine There be Errours in OrigeÌ„ in TertulliaÌ„ in S. Ambrose in S. Hierome There be Errours in euery of the Aunciente Fathers in the Greekes in the Latines in one and other There be Errours in your Schole Doctoures There be Errours in your Canonistes Briefely your Holy Fathers Decrees Decretalles are not voide of Errours Yet is there no Booke woorthy to be burnte in respecte of Erroure but onely the Booke of the Scriptures If there were sutche Errours in the Vulgare Translations ye shoulde haue discried them although not al yet for your credites sake one at the least Ye should haue remoued the Errour and haue restoared the Scriptures to the vse and comforte of the people But this is it that troubleth you so soare that the Scriptures are published in the Common knowen tongues and that the simple people of al sortes whom otherwise ye cal Dogges and Svvine filthy brute Beastes voide of reason maie vnderstande them This M. Hardinge is that greate and horrible Errrour This is the Erroure of al Errours Therefore Irenaeus saithe as it is alleged before Haeretici cùm ex Scripturis arguuntur in accusationem vertuntur Scripturarum Heretiques when they be reproued by the Scriptures then beginne they to finde faulte with the Scriptures And therefore S. Ambrose saith Herodes conscius ignobilitatis suae Scripturas incendit ne qua Posteris suis vel de praescripto Veteri quaestio moueretur existimaÌ„s quòd si Indicia de publico sustulisset nullis alijs Testimonijs clarere posset quin de Patriarcharum ProselytoruÌ„ Veterum genere emanaret King Herode for that he wel vnderstoode the basenesse of his House therefore he burnte the Scriptures leaste that by meane of sutche Ancient Recordes somme doubte might afterwarde be moued against his posteritie For he thought if he had once remoued sutche Monumentes it could neuer be proued by any manner other witnesse but that he came by descente from the stocke of the Patriarkes and Olde
we keapte it and vnderstode it before ye were borne and before youre heresie was hearde of But a Deuil comminge from hel for who is authour of diuision but Satan hath caried you awaie into an other Gospel whereas in deede there is but one true Gospel And here let any indifferent man consider howe vprightly you alleage S. Paule You write that Paule warneth you not to geue eare to an Angel comming from heauen if he goe about to drawe you from any parte of this Doctrine Of whiche this Doctrine meane you Of this whiche you haue declared in this Apologie Did S. Paule euer reade youre A pologie Howe then pronounced he of it that sentence VVee meane saie you by this Doctrine the Doctrine of the Gospel If you meane so wee saie the same But wee tel you that S. Paule spake not of euery Gospel generally but of a certaine Gospel qualified For he saieth Si quis vobis euangelizauerit praerer id quod accepistis anathema sit If any man preache a Gospel vnto you besides that ye haue receiued be he accursed Heare you the Gospel S. Paule speaketh of It is not euery Gospel It is a Gospel preached and receiued If ye preache that Gospel whiche ye receiued we ioine handes with you But if ye preach a Gospel whiche ye haue receiued of no Apostle nor Apostoiique preacher and whiche was not hearde of in the earth when Luther ranne out of his Cloister and forsooke his Religion then be ye assured that ye are the menne who are holden for accursed of S. Paule The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge ye woulde faine scape awaie with a Childishe Cauil Paul ye saie speaketh of a Gospel qualified whereby ye meane a Gospel deliuered and receiued As if ye woulde saie The Gospel of Christe onlesse it be deliuered by you is no Gospel But S. Paule meante not the Doctrine deliuered from hande to hande or from Pope to Pope But the Doctrine deliuered and receiued in the Scriptures And in this sense he saithe of him selfe Quod accept à Domino Hoc tradidi vobis The thinge that I haue receiued of the Lorde the same haue I deliuered vnto you In like sorte he calleth him selfe an Apostle not of menne nor by menne but by Iesus Christe Howe be it what neede many wordes The case is cleare S. Augustine saithe plainely Paulus ait Si Angelus de Coelo vobis annuntiauerit praeterquam quod in Scripturis legalibus Euangelicis accepistis Anathema sit If an Angel from Heauen preache vnto you any other thinge then ye haue receiued not by Tradition or by deliuerie from youre Elders but in the Scriptures of the Lavve and of the Gospel accursed be he These wordes be plaine M. Hardinge and quite disgrace al your Gloses Hereto Chrysostome addeth further Non dixit Paulus Si contraria annuntiauerint aut totum Euangelium subuerterint verùm Si vel paulùm Euangelizauerint praeter Euangelium quod accepistis etiamsi quiduis labefactauerint Anathema sint S. Paule saithe not If they teache the contrarie or if they ouerthrowe the whole Gospel But he saithe if they preache any little smal thinge besides the Gospel that ye haue receiued or if they loose or shake downe any thinge whatsoeuer it bee accursed bee they These woordes M. Hardinge touche you very neare Ye haue altered the whole fourme of the Churche of God Therefore repente youre selues leste ye remaine stil within the daunger of the Curse S. Augustine saithe Sancta Scriptura nostae Doctrinae Regulam figit Ne audeamus plus sapere quà m oporteat sapere The Holy Scripture hath laide a rule vnto oure Doctrine that we dare not to vnderstand more then is meete for vs to vnderstand The Apologie Cap. 22. Diuision 3. For where these menne bid the Holy Scriptures away as doumbe and frutelesse procure vs to comme to God him selfe rather who speaketh in the Churche in theire Councelles that is to saie to beleue their fansies and opinions this waie of finding out the Truthe is very vncertaine and exceeding dangerous and in manner a fantastical madde waie by no meanes allowed of the Holy Fathers M. Hardinge VVhere they saie we passe but litle on the Scriptures as dumbe and vnprofitable therein they slaunder vs as in other thinges VVe do not so But we saie that as euery act of Parlament must be executed by a lawful Iudge so the holy Scriptures haue their execution by lauful Iudges who are the bishoppes and fathers and wel in other places as specially when they be laufully assembled in general councelles Now saie these men that way is very vncertaine dangerous in maner mad and not allowed of the fathers VVho euer heard men thought to haue their right wittes talke after so loose a sorte Did the fathers disproue the order of comming together in general councelles Or thought they the same to be a way for men to be the soner deceiued If so many maie be deceiued with moste diligent studie and mature iudgement conferring together howe mutche soner may one or two alone leadde by priuate phansie and self wil be caried away into errour At the Nicene councel came together 318 bishops At the first of Cōstantinople 150. at the Ephesme coūcel 200. At that of Chalcedō 630 Al these foure councelles sundry ancient fathers namely S. Gregorie estemed as the foure Gospels Yea but saith he I haue the word of God But what if 300. farre holier and better learned men saie he hath it not Let the reader be iudge saith he A meete iudge in suche a cause The Scholers maie reade but iudge of their maisters they maie not by Christes doctrine who said Non est discipulus supra magistrum the scholer is not aboue his maister VVhy not for al that saie you if the Holy Ghost inspire him Sir is it not to be thought God doth assist his Churche represented in sutche solemne assemblies of three hundred or moe fathers gouernours of Christen people rather then one man The B. of Sarisburie Whether ye cal the Scriptures of God a Dumbe thing or no I reporte me to that is saide before One of you calleth it Mortuum Atramentum Dead Inke An other saith Scriptura est res inanimis muta The Scripture is a dead and a dumbe thinge An other calleth the Scriptures Nigrum Euangelium The blacke Gospel Nowe if the Scriptures be Dead and Doumbe and can not speake then must it needes folowe they are vnprofitable Neither doo we despise the Authoritie of Councelles Good Councelles be graue and reuerende But thus we saie Councelles are often against Councelles And if wee make rekening of number the Arian Heretiques haue had moe Councelles then the Christians S. Hierome saithe Spiritus Sancti Doctrina est quae Canonicis literis prodita est Contra quam si quid statuant Concilia nefas duco That is the Doctrine of the Holy Goste
that is set abroade in the Canonical Scriptures Againste whiche Doctrine if Councelles determine any thing I thinke it vvicked S. Chrysostome saithe further in more earneste sorte Plus aliquid dicam Ne Paulo quidem obedire oportet si quid dixerit proprium si quid humanum I wil saie more Wee ought not to beleeue no not Paule him selfe if he speake any thinge of his owne or if he speake onely as a man And to encrease the vncertaintie hereof the whole weighte and iudgemente of Councelles hangeth nowe euermore vpon the Pope as it maie appeare by these woordes of the Conclusion of the late Chapter at Trident Saluasemper in omnibus Sedis Apostolicae Authoritate The Authoritie of the Apostolique See in al thinges euermore reserued But Platyna saithe as it is alleged before Acta priorum Pontificum sequentes Pontifices semper aut infringunt aut omnino ' tollunt The Popes that folowe doo euermore either breake or wholy abrogate the Decrees of the Popes that were before Whether the Scripture bee wel alleged or otherwise thereof ye saie the people maie not Iudge For Christe saithe The Scholar is not aboue his Maister Certainely M. Hardinge the simplest of al the people notwithstandinge by youre restrainte he maie not iudge of the Scriptures yet he maie easily iudge of you either that ye vnderstande not or that ye vnaduisedly abuse the Scriptures Whether it be the Woorde of God or no the people ye saie maie not Judge And that ye proue euen by the Scriptures God knoweth ful handsomely and ful discretely applied For the Scholar ye saie is not aboue his Maister Thus we maie learne by the Logique of Louaine that Populus is Latine for a Scholar that Scripture is Latine for a Maister And thus by youre vaine premisses without sense ye proceede vainely and conclude nothinge O M. Hardinge haue some regarde to that ye write The simpleste maie soone espie your dooinges Ye can no longer thus mocke the worlde with shewes of woordes Christe spake not these woordes of the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures but of persequution for the Scriptures For thus the woordes lie togeather When they shal persecute you in one Cittie flee into an other c. The Scholar is not aboue his Maister Nor the Seruant aboue his Lorde If they haue called the Maister of the house Beelzebub howe mutche more wil they so cal his housholde seruauntes Alas where learned you to frame sutche Argumentes The Apostles beeing the Scholars can nomore escape persecutioÌ„ then could Christe that vvas the Maister Ergo The people cannot vnderstande vvhat they reade in the Scriptures Here is neither Antecedente nor Consequente nor Sequele in Reason For the honour of yâ— Vniuersitie haue better regarde vnto your Logique Ye bewraie the weakenesse of youre cause when yee so sclenderly abuse the Scriptures The Apologie Cap. 22. Diuision 4. Chrysostome saithe There be many oftentimes vvhiche boaste them selues of the Holy Ghoste but truely vvho so speake of their ovvn head do falsely boast that thei haue the sprite of God For like as saith he Christe denied he spake of him selfe vvhen he spake out of the Lavve and Prophetes euen so novve if any tiauerint aut totum Euangelium subuerterint verùm Si vel paulùm Euangelizauerint praeter Euangelium quod accepistis etiamsi quiduis labefactauerint Anathema sint S. Paule saithe not If they teache the contrarie or if they ouerthrowe the whole Gospel But he saithe if they preache any little smal thinge besides the Gospel that ye haue receiued or if they loose or shake downe any thinge whatsoeuer it bee accursed bee they These woordes M. Hardinge touche you very neare Ye haue altered the whole fourme of the Churche of God Therefore repente youre selues leste ye remaine stil within the aunger of the Curse S. Augustine saithe Sancta Scriptura nostae Doctrinae Regulam figit Ne audeamus plus sapere quà m oporâ—eat sapere The Holy Scripture hath laide a rule vnto oure Doctrine that we dare not to vnderstand more then is meete for vs to vnderstand The Apologie Cap. 22. Diuision 3. For where these menne bid the Holy Scriptures away as doumbeand frutelesse procure vs to comme to God him selfe rather who speaketh in the Churche in theire Councelles that is to saie to beleue their fansies and opinions this waie of finding out the Truthe is very vncertaine and exceeding dangerous and in manner a fantastical madde waie by no meanes allowed of the Holy Fathers M. Hardinge VVhere they saie we passe but litle on the Scriptures as dumbe and vnprofitable therein they slaunder vs as in other thinges VVe do not so But we saie that as euery act of Parlament must be executed by a lawful Iudge so the holy Scriptures haue their execution by lauful Iudges who are the bishoppes and fathers as wel in other places as specially when they be laufully assembled in general councelles Now saie these men that way is very vncertaine dangerous in maner mad and not allowed of the fathers VVho euer heard men thought to haue their right wittes talke after so loose a sorte Did the fathers disproue the order of comming together in general councelles Or thought they the same to be a way for men to be the soner deceiued If so many maie be deceiued with moste diligent studie and mature iudgement conferring together howe mutche soner may one or two alone â—eadde by priuate phansie and self wil be caried away into errour At the Nicene councel came together 318 bishops At the first of CoÌ„stantinople 150. at the Ephesine couÌ„cel 200. At that of ChalcedoÌ„ 630 Al these foure councelles sundry ancient fathers namely S. Gregorie estemed as the foure Gospels Yea but saith he I haue the word of God But what if 300. farre holier and better learned men saie he hath it not Let the reader be iudge saith be A meete iudge in suche a cause The Scholers maie reade but iudge of their maisters they maie not by Christes doctrine who said Non est discipulus supra magistrum the scholer is not aboue his maister VVhy not for al that saie you if the Holy Ghost inspire him Sir is it not to be thought God doth assist his Churche represented in sutche solemne assemblies of three hundred or moe fathers gouernours of Christen people rather then one man The B. of Sarisburie Whether ye cal the Scriptures of God a Dumbe thing or no I reporte me to that is saide before One of you calleth it Mortuum Atramentum Dead Inke An other saith Scriptura est res inanimis muta The Scripture is a dead and a dumbe thinge An other calleth the Scriptures Nigrum Euangelium The blacke Gospel Nowe if the Scriptures be Dead and Doumbe and can not speake then must it needes folowe they are vnprofitable Neither doo we despise the Authoritie of Councelles Good Councelles be graue and reuerende But thus
al theire Holy Seruice to be defiled if it be donne by a good and honest man that hath a Wife M. Hardinge It was not for your pourpose Sirs to vse true dealinge and to alleage the woordes as they are in that olde Councel For they speake of an external Sacrifice whiche the Churche calleth the Masse The same it behoued you to dissemble leste ye bewraied your cause The woordes be these If any man make a difference of a Prieste who hath benne married is though when he sacrificeth a man might not communicate with his oblation be he accursed Those fathers speake euidently of a Prieste who hath sometime ben maried that is to saie before his Priesthode For after Priesthode it was neuer bearde sithens the time of Christe that any Prieste might marie by the Lawe either of the Greeke or of the Latine Churche VVe therefore condemne the mariages of Priestes whiche be made after the takinge of holy orders and saie that he is no good and honeste man but an incestuous Aduouterer that marieth afterwarde The B. of Sarisburie To answeare al your trifles M. Hardinge it were too longe Wée refuse not the names of Oblation or Sacrifice Wée knowe that the Holy Ministration is Commonly so called by the Aunciente Fathers For that as Chrysostome saith it is the Memorie the Remembrance the Samplare the Token of that one Sacrifice that Christe once offered in his Body vpon the Crosse Howe be it the reason hereof that ye would séeme to wreast out of yâ— Greeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very simple and bewraieth in you either wante of skil or greate corruption For beinge learned in the Greeke tongue ye muste néedes knowe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not a Sacrifice but a Ministerie or publike Seruice Plutarchus saithe thus Lictores quasi Litores dicebantur quo'd essent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereby it appeareth that the Common Hangeman of the Cittie was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whiche I trowe M. Hardinge yee would not haue to be called a Sacrificer a Sacrifice Pachymeres in his Annotations vpon Dionysius saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellat Diaconos aut eos qui nunc Hypodiaconi appellantur He câ—lleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are called Deacons or Subdeacons S. Paule speaking of Kinges Ciuile Princes saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut Ministri Dei sunâ— I recken ye wil not saie that either Deacons or Subdeacons or Kinges or Princes had Authoritie to Minister the Holy Communion or as you saie to offer vp the Daily Sacrifice Where as S. Luke saithe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministrantibus illis Chrysostome demaundeth this question Quid est Ministrantibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He answeareth Praedicantibus Whereby it appeareth that the Apostles Sacrificinge was theire preachinge It had benne ouer mutche vaâ—itie to note theisâ— thinges had not your vaine quarrel geuen the occasion Certainely there is no mention in the said Councel of Gangra either of your Masse or of your External Sacrifice After Priesthood ye saie it vvas neuer heard sithence the time of Christe that any Prieste might Marrie by the Lavve either of the Greeke or of the Latine Churche This warrant were vndoubtedly true if euery your woord were a Gospel But what if your owne Glose that is to saie the very Ground mother of your Diuinitie stand against you saie Ye warrante vnwisely or if that mislike you vnaduisedly ye knowe not what Verily vpon the Popes owne Decrees ye shal finde it noted thus Multi ex hac Litera dixeruntâ— quâ—d Orientales possunt contrahere in Sacris Ordinibus Of these woordes many haue geathered that yâ— Priestes of the Easte Churche maie marrie being within Holy Orders Nicephorus saith that Eupsychius being a Prieste at Cesaria in Cappadocia married a Wife a litle before that he was Martyred The like he séemeth to write of Apollinaris the Elder that beinge a Prieste Married a Wife at Laodicea In the Councel holden at Ancyra there is a Canon written thus Diaconi quicunque ordinantur si in ipsa Ordinatione protestati sunt dixerunt velle se coniugio copulari quia sic manere non possunt hi si postmodùm vxores duxerint in Ministerio maneant proptereà quâ—d â—is Episcopus licentiam dederit Deacons that receiue orders if at the time of theire admissâ—on they make protestation and saie they wil be married for that they cannot otherwise contine we if they aftervvarde Marrie let them remaine in the Ministâ—â—â— for that the Bishop hath already dispensed with them Chrysostome speaking of the Marriage of Bishoppes saithe thus Quamuis Nupâ—ae plurimum difficultatis in se habeant ita tamen Assumi possunt vt perfectiori vitâ—â—â—â—pedimento non sint Notwithstanding Marriage haue in it mutche trouble yet so it maie be Taken that it shal be no hinderance to perfite life He saith Marriage maie be Taken or chosen And he speaketh namely of the Marriage of Priestes Bishoppes Erasmus saithe The Priestes of the Greeke Churche this daie notvvithstanding theire Orders Marrie Wiues The like writeth Cornelius Agrippa against the Louanians Your owne Glose vpon yâ— Decrees â–ª as I haue alleged before noteth thus Dicunt quâ—d olim Sacerdotes poterant contrahere ante SiriciuÌ„ Thei saie that in olde times before Pope Siricius it was Laweful for Priestes to contracte Matrimonie Likewise Cardinal Caiâ—tane saith Nec ratione nec Authoritate probari potest quâ—d absolutâ— loquendo Sacerdos peccet contraheÌ„do Matrimonium It cannot be proued neither by Reason nor by Authoritie speakinge absolutely that a Prieste offendeth God in Maâ—â—â—nge a Wife So likewise saithe Anselmus in a Dialogue bitwéene the Maister and the Scholare touchinge these maters Defideramus certificaâ—i tua Sotione super Vulgari in toto Orbe quaestione quae ab omnibus pené quotidié ventilatur adhuc lis indiscussa celatur Scilicer An liceat Presbyteris post acceptum ordinem Vxores ducere Wee are desirous by your Answeare to be certified aboute this Common question that is nowe tossed through the worlde and as yet lieth vndiscussed I meane vvhether a Prieste beinge vvithin Orders maie Marrie a VVife Hereby it appeareth that in the time of Anselmus whiche was aboue a thousande yéeres after Christe this mater laie in question and was not yet discussed If ye knewe these thinges before M. Hardinge ye were to blame to dissemble them if ye knewe them not ye were to blame to controlle them I doubt not but it maie appeare by these fewe that sithenâ—e the time of Christes Resurrection sundrie Priestes beinge within Holy Orders haue married Wiues and that not onely in the Gréeke Churche but also in the Churche of Rome The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 9. The Auncient Emperoure Iustinian commaunded that in the Holy Administration al thinges should be pronounced with a cleare lowde
Behold by the Varietie wee vnderstande the Diuersitie of Tongues and by the Apparel wee vnderstande the Vnitie of y◠Churche Againe he saith Distant inter se Linguae Sed Linguarum distantiae non sunt schismata Tongues are diuided one from an other But the Diuision of Tongues is no Schisme or Diuision in Religion The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 10. The olde Councel at Carthage commaunded that nothing should be read in Christes Congregation but the Canonical Scriptures these menne reade sutche thinges in their Churches as them selues knowe for a Truthe to be starke Lies and fonde Fables M. Hardinge A man were better I assure thee good Reader to make two newe Bookes then to correcte one so ful of lies and falsefied places as this Apologie is This olde Councel of Carthage is newely falsefied by our new Cleregie The wordes of the Councel are these Palcuit vt praeter scripturas Canonicas nihil in Ecclesia legatur sub nomine Diuinarum Scripturatum It hath semed good vnto vs that besides the Canonical Scriptures nothinge be read in the Churche vnder the name of the holy Scriptures They leauinge out these foure woordes sub nomine Diuinarum Scripturarum Vnder the name of Diuine Scriptures woulde beare men in hande the Councel willed nothinge to be read in the Churche besides the holy Scriptures Are not these trusty men to whom ye may committe the charge of your soules for your faith and saluation It foloweth in the same decree Liceat etiam Legi passiones Martyrum cùm anniuersarij dies celebrantur Let it be lawful also for the Martyrdomes of Martyrs to be read when theire yerely festes are kept And yet dare they not onely to saie nothing must be read besides the Scriptures but also to alleage that very place for that special lie whiche saithe the contrary Looke in the Booke thy selfe good reader and see how falsely they handle so holy matters An other lie is when they saie we reade those thinges in the Churche whiche our selues knowe to be starke lies and funde fables VVhen they cannot them selues shewe that we haue any sutche it is a vaine lieing rhetorike to saie we doubt not of it or knowe it our selues for a truthe I wonder not if they blushe not in belieng vs who haue belied so many Scriptures Councels and fathers The B. of Sarisburie It standeth wel with your Truthe M. Hardinge so often to charge vs with Lies Falsehedde I truste it wil appeare ye had no great cause to keepe so great reuel vpon so poore a Conqueste In deede these woordes be not founde in the thirde Councel of Carthage Yet are they founde in the Councel of Hippo whiche is the Abbridgemente of the thirde Councel of Carthage as it appeareth by the Title of the same Concilij Hipponensis Abbreuiationes factae in concilio carthaginensi Tertio The woordes of the Councel of Hippo and for so mutche also of the thirde Councel of Carthage be these Scripturae Canonicae in Ecclesia legendae quae sunt praeter quas alia non legantur The Scriptures Canonical whiche are to read in the Churche and besides whiche nothinge els maie be read Here haue you M. Hardinge the plaine woordes of the Councel of Hippo abberidged out of the thirde Councel of Carthage That nothinge maie be read in the Churche but onely the Canonical Scriptures Iudge you therefore howe iuste cause ye had so vnaduisedly for I vate not to saie so vnlearnedly to charge the Apologie with Lies and Falsehedde Hereto maie wée adde the like Decrée of the Councel holden at Laodicea Sabbatjs Euangelia cum alijs Scripturis legenda esse censemus Wee agree that the Gospel with others Scriptures be read vpon the Saboth daie If these woordes séeme not sufficiente it foloweth further in the same Councel Non oportet Libros qui sunt extra Canonem legere nisi solos Canonicos Veteris Noui Testamenti We maie not reade any Bookes that be without the Canon but onely the Canonical Bookes of the Olde and Nevve Testamente To like effecte Chrysostome saith Ideò Christus meusas nummulariorum euertit Significans quòd in Templo Dei nō debent esse nummi nisi Spirituales id est qui Dei imaginem habent Therefore Christe ouerthrewe the Exchangers bakes Meaninge thereby that there maie be no Come in the Churche but onely Spiritual that is to saie that beareth the Image of God Againe he saithe Lectorum officium erat in Ecclesia Sacra Legere ex Scriptis vel Prophetarum vel Apostolorum It was the Readers office to pronounce holy thinges vnto the people out of either the Apostles or Prophetes Erasmus saithe Apparet non nisi Apostolicas Literas olim Legi solitas in Templis aut certè Vitorum Apostolicae Authoritatis It appeareth that in olde time nothinge was vsed to be read in the Churches but onely the Apostles Writinges or at leaste the Writinges of sutche others as were of Apostolical Authoritie Likewise saithe Abbas Ansigisus reportinge the Ecclesiastical Decrees of the Frenche Kinges Levves Charles In Templis tantùm Canonici Libri id est Sacrae Literae legantur Let there he read in the Churches onely the Canonical Bookes that is to saie the Holy Scriptures An other lie Ye saie is this when they saie wee reade those thinges in the Churche whiche our selues knowe to be starke lies and fonde Fables For trial hereof wee shal not néede to trauaile far Your owne Bookes and Legendes are prouse sufficiente Erasmus thereof saithe thus Hodiè quorumlibet somnia imò mulietcularum Deliramenta leguntur inter diuinas Scripturas Nowe a daies euery fooles Dreames yea very wee mennes doctinge fansies are read with the Holy Scriptures Likewise saithe Polydore Vergil Multorum Diuorum vitas recitant tametsi parùm ad Fidem Scriptas They reade many Sainctes Liues although not written accordinge to Truthe Ludouicus Viues writtinge of your Legenda Aurea whiche was the Mother of al your deuoute Ecclesiastical stories or Fables saithe thus Nescio cur Aurea dici debeat cùm scripta sit ab homine ferrei oris plumbei Cordis plenissima sit impudentissimis Mendacijs I see no cause why it shoulde be called the Goulden Legende seeinge it was written by a man of an iron face and a ledden harte and is freight ful of most shamelesse lies If ye knewe not these thinges M. Hardinge your frendes wil thinke ye knowe nothinge Sutche Truthes yée reade and publishe deuoutly and solemnely in your Churches Yet maie wée neither saie nor thinke yée mocke the people The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 1. But if there be any that thinke these aboue rehersed Authorities be but weake and selender bicause thei were decreed by Emperours certaine petite Bishoppes and not by so ful perfite Councelles takinge pleasure rather in the Authoritie and name of the Pope let
of the Romaine Churche is the infallible Rule of Faithe from the vvhiche the Holy Scripture taketh her force And Indulgences and Pardonnes saithe he are not made knovven to vs by the Authoritie of the Scriptures but they are knovven to vs by the Authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishoppes of Rome vvhich is greater then the Scriptures Pigghius also letteth not to saie that without the licence of the Romaine Church we ought not to beleue the very Plaine Scriptures Mutch like as if any of those that cannot speake pure and cleane Latine and yet can babble out quickely and readily a litle somme sutche Lawe Latine as serueth the Courte woulde needes holde that al others ought also to speake after the same waie that Mammetrectus and Catholicon spake many yeeres agoe and whiche themselues doo yet vse in pleadinge in Courte for so maie it be vnderstoode sufficiently what is said mennes desires maie be satisfied that it is a fondenesse nowe in the later ende to trouble the worlde with a newe kinde of speakinge and to cal againe the olde finenesse and eloquence that Cicero and Caesar vsed in theire daies in the Latine tongue So mutche are these menne beholden to the folie darkenesse of the former times Many thinges as one writeth are had in estimation oftentimes bicause thei haue benne once dedicate to the Temples of the Heathen Goddes Euen so wee see at this daie many thinges allowed highly sette by of these menne not bicause they iudge them so mutche woorthe but onely bicause they haue benne receiued into a custome and after a sorte dedicate to the Temple of God M. Hardinge Ye haue neuer donne with the Churche of Rome I cannot blame you For so long as that standeth without ye repente and tourne ye shal neuer be taken but for sutche as ye be Schismatikes and Heretikes But alas poore soules what thinke ye to ouerthrowe that Churche builded vpon the rocke Peter againste whiche hitherto neither tyrauntes nor Heretikes farre passinge you in lerninge and honestie of common life coulde euer preuaile Trowe ye to extinguishe that faithe of the Romaine Churche whiche is the same that was the faithe of Peter for which Christe praied that it should neuer faile Ye laboure in vaine VVel may Sathan winne you the Churche whiche our Lorde praied for by you shal he neuer winne Geue ouer therefore your vaine and wicked attemptes Trust not in the patches that falsely ye allege out of Canonistes gloses scholemen riminge poetes Heretikes and who so euer be they neuer so bad Some ignorant persons maye ye deceiue whose sinnes deserue the same VVhat Syluester Prierlât saieth I minde not here to discusse Neither where he saithe that you alleage haue you thought good to tel vs lest by perusinge the place we shoulde take you in a lie as we haue almoste in al your other allegations The like sinceritie you use in alleaginge Pighius VVe binde our selues neither to the wordes of Syluester nor of Pighius If they erre what is that to vs Let them beare theire owne burthen If they tel truth we beleue them for truthes sake If otherwise we leaue that parte for you to carpe If Syluester Prierias saide that for pointes of belefe the Doctrine of the Romaine Churche is a squire to trie theire truthe by the same beinge wel vnderstanded is right true Likewise if Pighius saie that the Romaine Churche sheweth vnto vs which be the approued and vndoubted scriptures and whiche be not this is so true as your selfe I suppose wil yelde thereunto As for that the scripture receiued from the Churche of Rome Authoritie credite and force if in your meaninge you exclude God that is your lie not Syluesters sentence If relation be made to vs that we ought not geue credite vnto it onlesse it had ben shewed to be holy scripture by the Romaine Church whiche is the true Churche of Christe in this sense be it Syluester or who els so euer saithe it it is a true saieinge and agreable to S. Augustine Ego Euangelio non crederem nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commueret Authoritas I woulde not beleue the Gospel except the Auctoritie of the Catholike Churche moued me And for that you alleage out of him touchinge indulgences truthe it is the ful and whole knowledge of them is not plainely opened vnto vs by expresse and euident wordes of Scripture no more then the mysterie of the blessed Trinitie baptizinge of infantes and many other truthes but rather by the doctrine of the Romaine Churche VVhere you tel vs of Pighius that he letteth not to saie that without the licence of the Romishe Churche for in that word you please your selfe wel we ought not to beleue the very plaine scriptures we wil proclaime you a lyer vntil you shewe vs where he spake so farre beside reason and lerninge The holy Churche doth not wil vs to staie from belefe of the scriptures vntil we haue licence but by al waies and meanes inuiteth and stirreth vs to beleue the truthe in the scriptures vttered The B. of Sarisburie The greatest weight hereof vpon twoo of your Doctoures Syluester Prieriâs and Albertus Pigghius Whoe 's credite notwithstandinge yée woulde faine otherwise saue vpright yet here as it séemeth ye are contente for shame to géeue them ouer VVe binde our selues yée saie neither to the woordes of Syluester nor of Pigghius If they erre what is that to vs This shorte and blunte answeare notwithstandinge it séeme to like wel you yet perhaps Prieriâs and Pigghius it woulde not like I sée no greate cause to the contrarie but either of them might as wel renounce your Authoritie and saie of you Wée are not bounde neither to M. Hardinges woordes nor to his felowes For that yée doubte the Truthe of our allegations reade Syluester Prieriâs Maister of the Popes Palace in his Booke entituled Contra praesumptuosas Martini Lutheri Conclusiones de potestate Papae His wordes there emongest others be these Quicūque nō innititur Doctrinae Romanae Ecclesiae ac Romani pōlificis tanquam Regulae Dei infallibili à qua etiam sacra Scriptura robur trahit Authoritatem Haereticus est Who so euer leaneth not to the Doctrine of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishop of Rome as vnto the infallible Rule of God of vvhiche Doctrine the Holy Scripture taketh force and Authoritie he is an Heretique Againe he saithe Authoritas Romanae Ecclesiae Romanique pontificis maior est c. The Authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishop of Rome is greater then the Authoritie of Goddes woorde As for that is here alleged of Pigghius it is the very sounde and sense of the greatest parte of his Common place De Ecclesia Of whoe 's iudgemente herein M. Caluine writeth thus Pighius ait Nullius Scripturae Authoritate quantum libet Clarae nostro quidem
de Ecclesia qui Spirituales Christiani fuerunt relicta Corporali Ecclesia quam perfidi occupauerant violentia exierunt ab illis Magis autem illi exierunt à nobis sicut Iohannes exponit Non enim ille de Ecclesia exire videtur qui corporaliter exit sed qui Spiritualiter Veritatis Ecclesiasticae Fundamenta reliquit Nos enim ab illis exâ—uimus Corpore illi à nobis animo Nos enim ab illis extuimus Loco Illi à nobis Fide Nos apud illos reliquimus Fundamenta parietum Illi apud nos reliquerunt Fundamenta Scripturarum Nos ab illis egressi sumus secundum aspectum Hominum Illi autem à nobis secundum Iudicium Dei. Relicta est autem deserta ex quo de illa Corporali Ecclesia Spiritualis exiuit Id est de populo suo qui videbatur Christianus non erat Populus iste exiuit qui non videbatur erat Magis autem secundumquod diximus illi à nobis exierunt quà m nos ab illis Euen so touchinge this Nevve Hierusalem whiche is the Câ—urche they that were Spiritu Christian menne lecuinge the Bodily Churche whiche the wicked by violence had inuaded departed out from them Or as s S. Iohn expoundeth it they rather departed out from vs. For he seemeth not in deede to departe from the Churche that Bodily departeth but he that Spiritually leaueth the Fundations of the Ecclesiastical Truthe VVe haue departed from them in Body they haue departed from vs in Minde VVe from them by Place they from vs by Faithe VVee haue leafte with them the Fundations of the VValles They haue leafte with vs the Fundations of the Scriptures VVee are departed foorthe from them in the sighte of Man They are departed from vs in the Iudgemente of God But nowe after that the Spiritual Churche is gonne foorthe the Bodily Churche is leafte foresaken That is to saie from that people that seemed to be a Christian people and was not this people is gonne foorthe that seemed not out wardely but was so in dede Notwithstandinge as wee haue saide before they haue rather departed from vs then we from them Ye saie your Churche of Rome that nowe is and the Primitiue Churche is al One Churche Euen so the Moone bothe in the ful and in the wane is al One Moone Euen so Hierusalem as wel vnder Dauid as vnder Manass es was al one Cittie The Holy place whether the Maiestie of God or the Abomination of Desolation stande in it is al one place The Primitiue Churche saie you and the Churche of Rome that novv is is al one Churche Therefore wée saie the Churche of Rome that now is in Truthe and Religion ought to agrée with the Primitiue Churche Whether the Churche maie be brought to a fevve in number or no wée had occasion sommewhat to saie before The Anciente Father Irenaeus saithe Quemadmodum ibi in plurimis eorum qui peccauerunt non bene sensit Deus Sic hîc multi sunt vocati pauci verò electi As in the Olde Testamente in many of them that offended God was not pleased Euen so now in the Nevve Testamente many are called and fewe are Chosen In Consideration whereof S. Hierome crieth out in an Agonie within him selfe Tanta erit Sanctorum paucitas So smal shal be the number of holy menne One of your owne Doctours saithe as it is alleged once before Licet in hoc bello Daemonum cadaÌ„t Religiosi Principes Milites Praelati Ecclesiastici Subditi semper tamen manent aliqui in quibus seruatur Veritas Fidei Iustificatio bonae Conscientiae Et si non nisi duo viri Fideles remanerent in mundo tamen in illis saluaretur Ecclesia quae est Vnitas Fidelium Notwithstandinge in this warre of Diuelles bothe the Godly Princes and Souldiers and Ecclesiastical Prelates and Subiectes be ouer throwne yet euermore there remaine somme in whome the Truthe of Faithe and the Righteousnesse of good Conscience is preserued And notwithstandinge there vvere but tv voo Faithful menne remaininge in the worlde yet euen in them the Churche of God whiche is the Vnitie of the Faithful should be saued But for that wée saie vvee vvere brought vp emonge you in Darkenesse and Ignorance Yée enter out of season into a needelesse discourse of coÌ„parison of Learninge In the Liberal Sciences ye saie we are not comparable to the Learned menne of your side It was not our meaninge M. Hardinge to cal the Bright beames of your Liberal Learninge into question It appeareth yee woulde faine haue it blased and magnified to the vttermoste and no waie to be disgraced Wee meante onely the knowledge of God and the open ProfessioÌ„ of his Holy Woorde In comparison of whiche knowledge al other knowledge what so euer is meere darknesse How be it touchinge any kinde of the Liberal and Learned Sciences there was no great cause why ye shoulde either so highly rowse your selfe in your owne opinion or so greately disdeigne others Ye maie remember that your Prouincial Constitutions beginne with these woordes Ignorantia Sacerdotum It were no greate Maisterie to charge the Chiefe Doctoures of your side with somme want of Learning Ludouicus Viues saith Vt quidque Ius superioribus saeculis minùs tittum fuit studentium manibus ita purius ad nos peruenit For the space of certaine hundred yeeres paste the lesse any Booke came into your Learned studentes handes the purer and better it came to vs. Meaninge thereby that euery thinge was the woorse for your Learned handelinge Of Thomas Scotus Hugo and others of whom yée seeme to make so greate accoumpte your owne frende Catharinus saithe Scholastici multa ineruditè Comminiscuntur These Schole Doctoures imagine many mâ—ters vnlearnedly Erasmus saithe Portenta quae nunc passim legimus in Commentarijs Recention Interpretum tam impudentia insulsa sunt vt videaÌ„tur suibus ea scripsisse non Hominibus The monstrous folies that wee commonly reade in the Commentaries of the late Interpreters whereby he meaneth the very croppe and the woorthieste of al your Scholastical Learned Doctoures are so far without shame and so peeuishe as if they had benne vvritten for Svvine and not for menne One of your Doctoures saithe Apostolus dicitur ab Apos quod est Argumentum vel praeeminentia Stolon quod est Missio quasi praeeminenter Missus An other saithe Apocrisarij dicuntur Nuntij Domini Papae Nam crisis dicitur Secretum Apos dicitur Nuntius An other saithe Cathedra est nomen Graecum componitur à Cathos quod est Fides edra quod est Sponda An other saithe Eleemosyna dicitur ab Eleis quod est Misereri Mois quod est Aqua Peter Crab in his late Scholies vpon the Councelles saith thus Mulieres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Cohabitantes Sacculos Likewise againe he saithe Phrygium
factum est ex Pénnis Pauonum Of your Liberal Learned Cleregie one saithe thus Nec verba Canonis intelligunt nec quae sint verba Consecrationis sciunt They vnderstand not the woordes of theire Canon neither knowe they whiche be the Woordes of Consecration And therefore he that forged the Rule of Monkes vnder the name of S. Hierome chargeth them in any wise to pronounce euery woorde distinctely and waâ—ily leste by theire foolishe vtterance they shoulde make the Angelles to falle a laughinge These fewe maie serue you for a taste Hereby M. Hardinge it maie appeare your Cleregie hath no greate cause to make sutche triumphe of theire Learninge Howe be it wée vpraide you not herewith nor was this the cause of oure departure Yee holde both Faithe and Learning and Churche and Religion by enheritance Christe hath once praied for Peter Therefore your Faithe and Learning can neuer faile Yet notwithstandinge your late Bookes freight with so many vnciuile and vaine speaches for of your often Vntruthes I wil saie nothing sauoure more of Choler then of Learninge S. Hierome saithe Doctrina viri per patientiam noscitur Quia tantò quisque minùs oftenditur doctus quantòconuincitur minùs patiens A mannes Learninge is knowen by his patience For the lesse patiente a manne sheweth him selfe the lesse he sheweth to be his Learninge Woulde God yee woulde humble your knowledge and make it obediente to the knowledge of God Otherwise that Peter saide vnto Simon Magus of his moonie maie likewise be saide vnto you of your knowledge Thy knovvledge be vvith thee to thy destruction Our Learninge is the Crosse of Christe of other Learninge wée make no vauntes God is called the God of Truthe and not of Learninge S. Paule saithe Al kinde of Learninge shal be abolished God make vs al Learned to the Kingedome of Heauen The Apologie Cap. 13. Diuision 1. But wherefore I praie you haue they themselues the Citizens and dwellers of Rome remoued and comme downe from those Seuen Hilles whereupon Rome sommetime stood to dwel rather in the Plaine called the field of Mars They wil saie peraduenture bicause the conductes of Mater wherewithout menne cannot commodiously liue haue now failed and are dried vp in those Hilles Wel then lette them geeue vs like leaue in seekinge the Water of Eternal Life that they geeue them selues in seekinge the Water of the wel For that Water verily failed amongest them The Elders of the levves saith Ieremie sente theire litle ones to the VVateringes and thei findinge no VVater beinge in miserable case and vtterly loste for thirste brought home againe theire vessels emptie The nedy and poore folke saithe Esaie sought aboute for VVater but no vvhere founde they any theire tongue vvas euen vvithered vvith thirste Euen so these menne haue broken in peeces al the pipes and conduites they haue stopped vp al the springes and choked vp the Fountaine of Liuinge Water with dyrte and myre And as Caligula many yeeres past locked vp faste al the storehouses of corne in Rome thereby brought a general dearthe and famine amongest the people euen so these menne by damminge vp al the Fountaines of Goddes VVoorde haue brought the people into a pitiful thirst They haue brought into the world as saithe the Prophete Amos a Hungre and a Thirste nor the Hunger of Breade nor the Thirste of VVater but of hearinge the VVoorde of God With greate distresse went they scatteringe about seekinge somme sparke of heauenly light to refreashe theire consciences withal but that light was already thoroughly quenched out so that they coulde finde none This was a rueful state This was a lamentable forme of Goddes Church It was a miserie to liue therein without the Gospel without Light and without al Comforte M. Hardinge VVel and witteely reasoned foresoothe No no Sirs if it were that holesome VVater of Eternal life whiche ye thirste after ye woulde neuer haue departed from the high hil the Catholike Church and come downe into the valleis where ye finde the durty pudles of fleashely pleasures where the deuil Behemoth as Iob saithe dormit in Iocis humentibus sleapeth in woiste places Al were not sterued for hunger and thirst of that water of Gods VVorde Therefore ye speake bothe slaunderously and ignorantly for diuines where ye saie that we had broken in peeces al the pipes and conduites that we had stopped vp al the springes and choked and dawned vp al the Founteines of Liuinge VVater with durte and myre Yet vnwares or ignorantly they cal that faithles and pagane state a lamentable forme of Gods Churche whereas they shoulde haue accoumpted it no Churche at al. For where is no worde of God no light no Gospel at al how can there be any Church VVithout these any multitude is no more a Church then without Christe a man is a Christian then a deade man is a man And thus with malicious slaunderinge not with lerned reasons with theire owne affirmations not with apt allegations haue they gone about to proue that these many hundred yeres the Churche hath erred â–ª But thankes be to God al this winde shaketh no corne VVhen al these hasty blastes be blowne â–ª ouer the Churche of God shal stand stil vnmoued vpon the rocke Christ builded it on and appere glorious in her sted fastnes and truth maugre the gaine saieinge of al Heretikes and shal appere to them terrible as a stronge armie set in battaile raye The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge ye beginne out of season to plaie with your Allegories and Mystical Fantasies Your Catholique Churche of Rome is the Mounte Worldly pleasure is the Vale. By whiche Comparison wée muste beleue that the Pope and his Cardinalles sittinge on highe vpon the Mounte passe theire time there onely in Fastinge and praier and in al manner pouertie and penurie and straitouâ—sse of Life and haue vtterly abandoned al worldly pleasures Notwithstanding somme haue said In Cardinalibus Superbia Auaritia Luxuria validissimè dominantur In the Cardinalles of Rome Pride Auarice and Lecherie are in theire greatest Courage Howe be it touchinge as wel this as other your like folies conceminge the Churche I wil not saie Ye keepe your woonte but I muste néedes saie Yée doo but trifle The Apologie Cap. 13. Diuision 1. Wherefore though our Departinge were a trouble to them yet ought they to consider withal howe iuste cause we had of our Departure M. Hardinge In deede our charitie is sutche as we confesse it to be a griefe vnto-vs to see you plaie the part of rebellious children to vse presumption for submission contempt for obedience spite for loue Yet sith that ye are desperate and incorrigible as by your departing from vs the Church felt some anguish and trouble so now that ye are gone it is releued as the body is eased when after a purgation it hath auoided euil humours Nowe saie you beste The B. of Sarisburie
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
serueth for the Pope and for christe bothe togeather Or That the Pope is the same Lighte vvhiche should comme into the vvorlde Whiche woordes christe spake of him selfe alone and That vvho so is an euil doer hateth and flieth from that Lighte Or that al the other Bishoppes haue receiued of the Popes Fulnesse M. Hardinge You haue neuer donne with your what ifs Your interpreter good Gentil woman that fauoureth your pleasant Diuinitie so muche seemeth to be weary of it her selfe For here shee tourneth your Quid si into what will ye saie if And nowe Syr doo you demaunde of vs as Madame Interpreter maketh you to speake what we will saie Forsooth for this you alleage against the Popes aduocates Abbattes and Bishoppes we saie that the moste parte is very false and slaunderous somewhat maie be taken for truthe in a right sense As for the aduocates I minde not to be their Aduocate neither haue they neede of my helpe Let them answeare one for an other Hostiensis for Abbot Panormitan and he for Hostiensis In good sooth were those excellent men at this daie liuing I thinke verely they would not doo you that honoure as to answere you them selues Or if they would vouchesaue to doo so muche I doubt not but they woulde make shorte woorke with you and take you vp roundly for haltinge with one woorde Mentitis dasshinge all your allegations VVhich woorde in your Diuinitie is a verbe Commune Thus leauinge Hostiensis and Panormitan to defence of the Canonistes tellinge you by the waie that in questions of Diuinitie wee stande not alwaies to their saieinges wee answeare you on the behalfe of Cornelius the Bishop of Bitonto in Italie for him ye meane I suppose puttinge in your margent the name of Cornelius onely that he neuer saide the Pope is the Lighte whiche shoulde come into the worlde in that sense as it is spoken of Christe If you were hardely charged to shewe where he saide it or where be wrote it * you would be founde a lier as in many other pointes you are founde already That he neuer wrote it in any of his eloquent Italian Sermons set foorthe in Printe I am assured And more hath he not set foorth Now it remaineth that you tell vs where he saithe so * or els confesse your slaunderous lie The B. of Sarisburie Where yée saie M. Hardinge as I thinke yee haue learned of a childe that Mentiris is a Verbe Common if ye holde on as yee haue begonne ye wil shortely alter yâ— Propertie therof to your selfe make it hencefoorthe a verbe Priuate Touchinge Hostiensis and Panormitane I wil saie nothinge but onely referre you to the places As for Cornelius the Bishop of Bitonto for as mutche as contrarie to your Nature yee pleade ignorance and saie yee cannot finde the place reade therefore these woordes in his Oration openly pronounced in your late Chapter at Tridente Quis erit tam iniustus rerum aestimator qui non dicat Papa Lux venit in Mundum sed dilexerunt homines Tenebras magis quam Lucem Omnis qui malè agit odit Lucem non venit ad Lucem vt non arguantur opera eius quia mala sunt Who wil so vniuslely weight thinges but he wil saie The Pope is the Light that is comme into the vvorlde But menne haue loued darkenesse more then the Pope that is the Lighte Who so euer doothe euil hateth the Lighte and commeth not to the Lighte leste his woorkes should be discoured for that they be euil The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 2. Shortely what though they make Decrees expressely againste Goddes VVoorde and that not in hucker mucker or couertly but openly and in the face of the worlde muste it needes yet be Gospel streight what so euer they saie Shal these be Goddes Holy Armie Or wil Christe be at hande amonge them there Shal the Holy Ghoste flowe in theire tongues or can they with truthe saie Wee and the Holy Ghoste haue thought so M. Hardinge After a greate meany of your foolishe and false what ifs you conclude shortly with VVhat if they make decrees expressely againste Goddes VVoorde and that openly in the face of the VVorlde Hereto we answeare requitinge your what if with an other what if and saie VVhat if the Learned and holy Fathers c. The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 3. In deede Peter Asotus and his companion Hosius sticke not to affirme that the same Councel wherein our Saueour Iesus christe was condemned to die had bothe the Sprite of Prophesieinge and the Holy Ghoste and the Sprite of Truthe and that it was neither a false nor a triflinge saieinge when those Bishoppes saide VVee haue a Lavve and by our Lavve he ought to die and that they so saieinge did lighte vpon the very Truthe of Iudgemente for so be Hosius woordes and that the same plainely was a iuste Decree whereby they pronounced that Christe was woorthy to die This me thinketh is straunge that these menne are not hable to speake for them selues and to defende their owne cause but thei muste also take parte with Annas Caiphas For if they wil cal that a lauful and a good Councel wherein the Sonne of God was moste shamefully condemned to die what Councel wil thei then allowe for false and naughte And yet as al their Councelles to saie truthe commonly be necessitie compelled them to pronounce these thinges of the Councel holden by Annas and Caiphas M. Hardinge Suche vnhonest toies better become Brentius that shamelesse railinge Heretike Now to you Syr Defender You belie Hosius as Brentius of whom you borowed this belied the Reuerente Father Peter ae Soto Either you haue readen the place of Hosius or you haue not If you haue not then are you to blame to saie so mutche euill that you knowe not If you haue readen the place then is your faulte plaine malice in puttinge that to Hosius the contrary whereof you finde in the place by your selfe alleaged by which you leade vs as it were by the hande to beholde and consider your owne dishonestie How iuste cause you haue to reprehende Hosius for that he wrote againste Brentius in defence of Petrus a Soto touchinge the Councell in whiche Christe was condemned by Caiphas it shoulde beste appeare to him that woulde reade the whole place where Hosius treateth that matter The same would I here haue rehearsed to the discoueringe of your false dealinge and shamelesse lieing were not the same very longe Firste this is the Truthe touchinge the whole The Actes of those Priestes of the Iewes Synagog were wicked and contrary to Christe * But their Sentence though them selues were neuer so euil was not onely true but also to mankinde most profitable And S. Iohn in his Gospell wiâ—nesseth it was the oracle of God For when after longe deliberation of the Councell Caiphas the highe Bishop and president of that Councell had pronounced
not as a cause of Foregeuenesse to be obteined Your very Glose saithe Apud Graecos Confessio non est necessaria quia non emanauit ad illos Traditio talis Emong the Christians in Graecia Confession of Sinnes is not necessarie for that this Tradition neuer came emonge them Yet M. Hardinge I trowe yee wil not saie but theire sinnes maie be foregeuen Certainely Chrysostome saithe Solus te Deus confitentem videat Let God onely see thee making the Confession of thy Sinnes It was very mutche therefore M. Hardinge for you so assuredly and so precisely to saie that sinnes can neuer be foregeuen without your Priuie Confession and specially thereby to proue the Vniuersal Headeship of the Pope The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 3. Bisides also that God by his Prophetes often and earnestly commaundeth the King to cutte downe the Groues to breake downe the Images and Aultars of Idoles and to Write out the Booke of the Lavve for him self and bisides that the Prophete Esaias saith a Kinge ought to be a Patrone and a Nurse of the Churche c. M. Hardinge Your seconde argumente for the Ecclesiastical Power of Kinges is because God bad them to cut downe superstitious groues and ouerthrowe idols as though this were not an office of executinge a commaundemente rather then of decreeinge any thinge The Authoritie to discerne an image of Christ from an idol of the deuil belongeth to them who knowe that an image is a name of art which is of God an idol is a name of false woorshippinge whiche is of the Deuil So that an image is godly and idol deuilishe VVhen the Prieste hath iudged this or that to be an idol or when it is euident that so it is then the kinge shal do wel to breake it downe But if the Kinge wil breake downe the image of Christe when the Priest telleth him it is a godly representation and no idol then the Kinge dothe more then his office requireth And shal not onely not proue his supremacie but also shal incurre danger to be reiected of God as Kinge Saul was when he despised to keepe the commaundement of Samuel the high Prieste VVhereas you alleage for a Kinges Ecclesiastical Power that he was commaunded to write out the Booke of the lawe for him selfe why lefte ye out that whiche foloweth there immediately accipiens exemplar à Sacerdotibus Leuiticae tribus The Kinge muste write out a Booke of the Deuteronomie but the example thereof he must receiue of the Priestes that be of the tribe of Leut. If in spiritual matters the Kinge were aboue the Priestes why had he not the Kepinge of the Lawe in his owne handes VVhy muste he take it of the Priestes why did not rather the Priestes come to him sith the inferiour taketh al his right of the superiour If the Priestes muste geue the holy scripture vnto the Kinge then verely muste he take sutche as they geue him and with such meaning as they geue vnto it So that if you had not falsefied the meaninge of Gods woorde by leauinge out halfe the sentence this place had proued againste you It is to be weyed to what ende a Kinge is required to haue and to reade that holy Booke Verely not to take vpon him the parte of a iudge in causes of Religion but as there it is expressed to thintent he learne to feare his Lorde God and kepe his woordes and ceremomonies in the lawe commaunded and that his harte be not lifted vp into pride aboue his brethren c. I omitte that you reade Librum legis whereas the Churche readeth Deuteronomium * it were too longe to enter into that disputation The booke of the lawe signifieth the whole law the Deuteronomie is but one of the fiue bookes VVhere Esaie calleth a Kinge a Patrone of the Churche I haue not founde But were it he called him so it betokeneth that he shoulde defende the Churche from worldly ennimies as in repellinge the Turkes in expellinge Heretikes and sutche like Kingely actes VVhiche proueth no spiritual supremacie but vnder God a fealtie and seruiceable power I finde where Esaie saith Et erunt Reges nutricij tui Reginae nutrices tuae Kinges shal be thy fosterers and Quenes thy nourses But not euery nourse or fosterer is aboue him who is nourished A faitheful seruant oftentimes fostereth the maister Yet is he not aboue his maister Besides S. Hierome vnderstandeth the Kinges whom Esaie nameth to be the Apostles accordinge to whiche sense it maketh nothinge to the purpose it is alleaged for The B. of Sarisburie Al Christian Princes are mutche beholden to you M. Harding yée make them so like to Polyphemus y◠Giante after his eies were striken out that is to saie to a man mighty in body and greate in boanes but starke blinde and no waie hable to guide him selfe A King yée saie maie not take vpon him to Iudge or Pronounce in maters of Religion bee they neuer so cleare but onely must hearken be ready to execute what so euer shal be thought good and commaunded by your Bishoppes as if he were onely your Bishoppes man So saithe your Holy Father Pope Bonifacius 8. Gladius Materialis exercendus est manu Regum Militum Sed ad nutum patientram Sacerdotis The Material or Temporal Swerde muste be vsed by the hande of Kinges and Souldiers but at the becke and sufferance of the Prieste By which Prieste he meaneth the Pope But Dauid saithe Now yee Kinges haue vnderstanding Be learned yee that iudge the Earthe Good Kinges haue oftentimes refourmed Religion and haue lawfully controlled and corrected and deposed idle and wicked Bishoppes as before in place conueniente it is largely proued The Emperoure Iustinian threateneth if the Bishop offended in saieing the publique seruice or in the Ministration of the Sacramentes that then he him selfe woulde vse his Authoritie ouer him and see him pounished Franciscus Zarabella saith that for any crime notorious the Emperour maie summone the Pope to appeare before his Maiestie and maie require him to yelde a reckening of his Faithe And yet wil yée saie The Emperoure is stil the Popes man and maie iudge nothinge in Causes of Religion without him The Kinge yée saie is not hable to Iudge whether an Idole be an Idole or no but by the leadinge and teachinge of the Prieste So wel yée wishe al Christian Princes were instructed that thei should not be hable either to sée or to speake without you But what if you Priestes saie as it hath often happened God is an Idole an Idole is God Light is Darkenesse and Darkenesse is Light what if they saie Greate is Diana the Goddesse of Ephesus What if they condemne the innocente and saie as they smometime saide of Christe Onlesse this man were a malefactoure wee woulde neuer haue brought him to thy hande Yet muste the Prince
S. Peter calleth vs a Kingely Priesthoode of the Kingedome of Heauen not of the Kingedome of this worlde Yet is this the selfe same Kingdome that the Pope craueth that by the Authoritie of S. Peter Notwithstandinge one of your companie there hath sente vs home lately other newes from Louaine His woordes be these Vos estis Regale Sacerdotium You are a Kingly Priesthoode as who should saie the Priesthoode before was not Kingly for that then Kinges ruled ouer Priestes But now is the Priesthoode Kingely for that to it be subiecte euen Kinges themselues Thus onlesse your Priestes maie rule Kinges Princes al the world at theire pleasure yée thinke thei haue no Kingly Priesthoode In the Councel holden at Macra in France it is written thus Solus Dominus noster Iesus Christus verè fieri potuit Rex Sacerdos Post Incarnationem verò Resurrectionem Ascensionem eius in Coelum nec Rex Pontificis Dignitatem nec Pontifex Regiam Potestatem sibi vsurpare praesumpsit Onely our Lorde Iesus Christe might truly be bothe Priest and King But sithence his Incarnation and Resurrection and Ascension into heauen neither hath the King presumed to take vpon him the Dignitie or office of a Bishop nor hath the Bishop presumed to vsurpe the Power and Maiestie of a Prince To be shorte M. Hardinge wée saie not as you so often so vntruly haue reported that the Kinge maie in any wise execute the Bishoppes Office But thus we saie and bicause it is true therefore wée saie it The Kinge maie lawfully correcte and chastice the Negligence Falsehedde of the Bishoppes and that in so dooinge he dooth onely his owne Office and not the Bishoppes The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 6. Iosua also though he were none other then a Ciuile Magistrate yet as sone as he was chosē by God and set as a Ruler ouer the people he receiued Commaundementes specially touching Religion and the Seruice of God M. Hardinge There is no doubte but Iosue receiued commission and commaundemente to woorship God but none to rule Priestes in spiritual matters Ye rather he was commaunded to go foorthe and come in at the voice and worde of Eleazarus the high Prieste he and al the Children of Israel Do not these men proue their matter handsomly The B. of Sarisburie Iosua was commaunded to goe in and out and to be directed by the voice of Eleazarus the High Prieste Therefore yée saie in Spiritual Causes the Priestes maie not be controlled by the Prince Yée deliuer out youre Argumentes M. Hardinge before they be ready These péeces would haue benne better tied togeather Though the Prince be commaunded to heare the Prieste yet if the Prieste be negligente or deceiue the people he maie by his Ordinarie Authoritie controlle the Prieste When Aaron the High Prieste had consented to the makinge and woorshippinge of the Golden Calfe Moses beinge then the Temporal Prince rebuked him sharpely vnto his face and in so dooinge did not the Bishoppes Office but onely his owne As touchinge Iosua whom ye woulde faine haue restreined from al Ecclesiastical Causes he caused the people to be Circumcised He caused Aultars for theire Bloudy Sacrifices to be erected He caused the Priestes to make theire Sacrifices He caused the Deuteronomie to be written in stoanes He caused bothe the Blessinges and the Cursses of God to be pronounced He spake openly to the people and fraied them from Idolatrie Al these were cases not of Ciuile Policie but of Religion S. Augustine saithe In hoc Reges Deo seruiūt sicut eis Diuinitùs praecipitur in quātum sunt Reges si in suo Regno bona iubeant mala prohibeant non solùm quae pertinent ad Humanam Societatem verùm etiam quae ad Diuinam Religionem Herein Kinges serue God as it is commaunded them from aboue in that they be Kinges if within theire Kingedome they commaunde good thinges and forebidde euil not onely in thinges perteininge to Humaine Felovveship or Ciuile Order but also in thinges perteining to Goddes Religion Yée maie see therefore M. Hardinge howe handsomely so euer wée proue our maters that ▪ of your parte hitherto thei are but vnhandsomely coursely answeared The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 7. Kinge Dauid when the whole Religion of God was altogeather brought out of frame by wicked Kinge Saule brought home againe the Arke of God that is to saie he restoared Religion againe and was not onely amongest them him self as a counseller and furtherer of the woorke but he appointed also Hymnes and Psalmes put in order the companies and was the onely dooer in setting foorth that whole Solemne Triumphe and in effecte ruled the Priestes M. Hardinge As Dauid restored all thinges to good order after the euill Kinge Saule so did Queene Marie redresse disorders before committed But as Queene Marie did it by the meane of Priestes so Kinge Dauid in priestly matters called for Sadoch and Abiathar In deede Dauid passed other Princes herein because he had the gifte of Prophecie whereby he wrote Psalmes whiche to this daie we singe But all this maketh nothinge to proue him Iudge of Spirituall matters He did not vsurpe the Auctoritie to Sacrifice to discerne the lepre and to doo the like thinges of Priestly charge The B. of Sarisburie Kinge Dauid yee saie restoared Religion by meane of the Priestes Nay verily M. Hardinge for by meane of the Priestes the Religion vtterly was decaied Therefore yée spoile that Moste Noble Prince of his woorthy prayses and geue them to others that neuer deserued them The Holy Tabernacle was broken and loste the Arke of God was keapte not in the Temple but in a Priuate mannes house the people had no common place to resorte vnto to heare Goddes VVil they had eche man his owne Priuate chaple in their Hilles and Groaues Dauid therefore called the Bishoppes Priestes togeather He shewed them in what sorte the Religion of God was defaced he willed them to bring the Arke into Sion he was presente him selfe he appointed and ordered the whole Triumphe He assigned whiche of the Leuites and in what order they shoulde serue before the Arke He alloted Aarons Children whiche were the Priestes to walke eche man in his seueral office So likewise it is written of Kinge Salomon touchinge the same Kinge Salomon accordinge to the decree and order of his Father Dauid appointed the Offices of the Priestes in their seueral Ministeries and the Leuites eche man in his Order that they shoulde praise God and minister before the Priestes For so Dauid the man of God had commaunded Likewise it is written of Kinge Iosaphat He appointed and ordered the Leuites and Priestes Thus then did these godly Princes and thus dooinge they vsurped not the Bishoppes office but onely did that they lawfully mighte doo and apperteined wholy vnto them selues Where yee saie Dauid was a Prophete and not
The B. of Sarisburie Al this whole mater touchinge as wel Kinge Iehosophat as also Amarias the Highe Prieste is answeared in that is paste before The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 11. Kinge Iosias with greate diligence put the Priestes Bishoppes in minde of their dueties Kinge Iohas bridled the Riote and Arrogancie of the Priestes Iehu put to deathe the wicked Prophetes M. Hardinge The puttinge of Priestes and Bishoppes in minde of their dutie is not a Supremacie in determininge Ecclesiasticall causes And whereas you saie that Kinge Ioas bridled the râ—ot and arrogancie of the Priestes if it were so it was well donne But I finde not those woordes in the texte Concerninge that Iehu did it is a mere temporall Office to put false preachers and Heretikes to death Neither can it belonge to Priestes onlesse they haue also ciuill iurisdiction Muche lesse dothe that acte proue that Kinges be Supreme heades ouer the Churche and ought to be Iudges in controuersies and questions of Religion The B. of Sarisburie Concerninge the storie of Kinge Iohas I reporte me to that is written of him in the Booke of Kinges He sequestred the Oblations of the people whiche the Priestes had bestowed lewdely and wantonly vpon them selues and by his owne Authoritie turned the same to the Reparations of the Temple Of Kinge Iosias it is written thus Constituit Iosias Sacerdotes in officijs suis Kinge Iosias appointed the Priestes to minister in theire seueral Offices And againe Mundauit Iudam Hierusalem ab Excelsis Lucis Kinge Iosias cleansed and ridde Iuda and Hierusalem from their Hille Aultars and their Groaues But yée wil saie He did al thinges by yâ— discretion of the Priestes Bishoppes This thinge in deede is necessarie while the Priestes and Bishoppes be learned and godly But Kinge Iosias did far otherwise for he sent the Bishop him selfe vnto Olda the Prophetisse to learne the discretion and Iudgemente of a VVooman and so was directed in maters of Highest Religion by a VVooman and not by a Prieste These Examples be so manifeste that one of your Felowes there is faine thus to excuse the mater by ouer mutche Antiquitie If we woulde in these daies saithe he vse in all pointes the Examples of the Olde Lawe there woulde folowe an huge number of inconueniences It is no good reason to saie that therefore our Kinges nowe a daies muste haue the like Authoritie Thus saithe he As though the Princes righte were now abated and altered as the Ceremonies of the Lawe were otherwise nowe then it was before Or as if the Comminge of Christe into the worlde and the Preachinge of the Gospel had pourposely benne to represse and pulle downe the State of Kinges The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 1. And to rehearse no more Examples out of the Olde Lawe let vs rather consider sithence the Birthe of christe howe the churche hath benne gouerned in the time of the Gospel M. Hardinge If we consider the Office of a Kinge in it selfe it is one euery where not onely amonge Christen Princes but also amonge Heathen * The definition of a Kinge whiche agreeth to Iulius Cesar or to Alexander the Greate as they were Monarkes and Princes is one with the definition of a Kinge whiche agreeth to Henry the Eight or to Charles the Fifthe So that no more could Kinge Henry as Kinge meddle with Religion then Alexander or Iulius Cesar * His place is chiefe amonge the laie euen when they are in the Churche at the Seruice of God and without the Churche in all Temporall thinges and causes he is ouer the Priestes themselues And because all these examples are taken out of the Olde Testamente I will geeue thee a true resolution out of the same Booke what auctoritie Priestes had and what auctoritie Kinges had Moses gaue this rule concerninge the same matter If saithe he thou perceiue an harde and doubtfull iudgement to be with thee betweene bloude and bloude cause and cause Lepre and Lepre and seest the woordes of the iudges within thy gates to varie arise and goe vp to the place whiche thy Lorde God shall chose and thou shalte come to the Priestes of the stocke of Leui and to the Iudge that shall be for the time and thou shalte demaunde of them who shall shewe the truthe of iudgemente to thee But neither the Prieste by this place may medle with that iurisdiction whiche belonged to the Temporall iudge neither the Iudge with that whiche was spirituall and belonginge onely to the Prieste For of such causes Azarias the Priest and Bishop saide to Kinge Ozias It is not thy office Ozias to burne incense vnto our Lorde It is the office of the Priestes That is to saie of the Sonnes of Aaron VVho are consecrated to doo suche Ministeries But this the Kinge mighte doo euen in matters of Religion VVhen the High Priest had geuen sentence he might see the execution thereof to be donne But otherwise what so euer Kinge or Temporal iudge might not doo in his owne person ‡ muche lesse mighte he iudge whether an other did well therein or no. And this concerninge the Olde Testament The B. of Sarisburie The Office of a Kinge yée saie was no more in Kinge Henry the Eighth or in Charles the Fifthe then it was in the Heathen Princes Iulius Caesar or Alexander the Greate And therefore yée saie a Christian Princes Office standeth onely in Maters Temporal and for that cause yee so often calle him a Mere Laie Temporal Prince as if he were in Authoritie not mutche better then an Heathen Magistrate Euen so M. Harding is your Pope no more a Bishop or perhaps mutche lesse a Bishop then Annas and Caiphas Neither is your Prieste more a Prieste then the Prieste of Dagon or Baal The difference standeth not in Office but onely in Truthe Yet neuerthelesse yée knowe that Heathen Princes had euermore a Soueraine Authoritie not onely ouer theire Priestes and Bishoppes but also ouer al Cases of Religion Aristotle saithe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Kinge that is Lorde and Ruler of thinges that perteine vnto the Goddes And therefore Socrates in his storie saithe Imperatores vnà complexi sumus c. Wee haue also herein comprised the Emperours Liues for that sithence the Emperours were first Christened the affaires of the Churche haue hanged of them and the greatest Councelles bothe haue benne and are keapte by theire aduise Yee saie The Prince in doubteful Cases was commaunded to take Counsel of the Highest Prieste This is true But wil yée conclude hereof that the Highest Prieste maie saie doo what he listeth without controlmente What if the Highe Prieste woulde answeare thus as he answeared sommetime in déede This Christe is a Samaritane a deceiuer of the people and hath a Diuel What if he teare his owne roabes for anger and crie oute He Blasphemeth he is vvoorthy to die Yet
saithe Nec ego cuiusuis Episcopi mendacium quamuis ditissimi Veritati praeponam Pauperis Presbyteri Nec dedignari debet Episcopus si aliquando ignarus rudis sequacem non habeat multitudineÌ„ Neither wâ—l I sette more by any Bishoppes lie be he neuer so riche then I woulde sette by any Priestes Truthe be he neuer so poore Neither more the ignorante and vnlearned Bishop disdeigne if he see the people va willinge to folowe him Gerson saith Iudicium Conclusio Fidei licet Authoritatiue specteÌ„t ad Praelatos Doctores spectare tamen possunt ad alios quà m Theologos Deliberatio sicut Cognitio super his quae Fidem respiciunt Ita vt ad Laicos etiam hoc possit extendi plùs aliquando quà m ad multos Clericorum Notwithstandinge the Iudgemente and Conclusion of Faithe belonge by Authoritie vnto Bishoppes and Doctours yet as wel the Deliberation hereof as also the knovvledge and Iudgemente concerninge maters that touche the Faithe maie belonge vnto others too bisides the Diuines or Doctoures and Professours of Diuinitie Yea it more sommetimes be extended euen vnto the Laiemenne And more sommetimes vnto them then vnto many Priestes The Emperoure Iustinian in Ecclesiastical Causes oftentimes vseth these woordes Definimus Mandamus lubemus c. Wee Determine wee Conclude wee Commaunde wee Bidde Touchinge Bishoppes he writeth thus Definimus vt nullus Deo amabilium Episcoporum foris a sua Ecclesia plus quà m per totum annum abesse audeat Wee Define or Determine that none of the Godly Bishoppes shal dare to be absent from his Church more then by the space of one whole yeere Here yée sée the Temporal Prince in an Ecclesiastical Cause saithe Definimus To be shorte Pope Nicolas him selfe saithe writinge vnto the Emperoure Michael Vbinam legistis Imperatores Antecessores vestros Synodalibus Contentionibus interfuisse Nisi fortè in quibusdam vbi de Fide tractatum est quae Vniuersalis est quae omnium Communis est quae non solùm ad Clericos verùm etiam ad Laicos ad omnes omninò pertinet Christianos VVhere haue you readde that your Predecessours being Emperours were euer Present at our Disputations in Councelles Onlesse happily it vvere in certaine cases vvhereas mater vvas moued touchinge the Faithe For Faithe is Vniuersal and Common to al and perteineth not onely vnto Priestes but also vnto Laiemen and generally and thorovvly to al Christians Thus yée see M. Hardinge by the Popes owne Iudgemente that Cases and Disputations of the Faithe belonge as wel to the Temporal Prince as to the Pope The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 5. Truely there had benne no neede to handle so plaine a mater as this is with so many woordes so at lengthe if wee had not to doo with those menne who for a desire they haue to striue and to winne the maisterie vse of course to denie al thinges be thei neuer so cleare yea the very same whiche they presently see and beholde with theire owne eies M. Hardinge The matter ye speake of is so cleare that from the beginninge of the worlde to this daie no secular Prince can be named who by the ordinary power of a Prince without the gifte of prophecie or special reuelation did laudably intermeddle with Religion as a iudge and ruler of spiritual causes The reason thereof is cleare Religion is an order of Diuine worshippinge belonginge to God onely whereupon no man hath power but he that is called thereto by God He is called in the iudgemente of men who can shewe his callinge out wardly as by consecration and imposition of handes Priestes and Bishops are called to be the dispensatours of the mysteries of God In that consecration the keies of knowledge and discretion the power of blindinge and loosinge is geuen If a secular Prince can not shewe the keies geuen to him howe dareth he aduenture to breake vp rather then to open the clasped booke of God the dore of the Churche and the gates of the Kingedome of heauen VVherefore S. Ambrose saide vnto Valentinian Quando audiuisti Imperator in causa Fidei Laicos de Episcopo iudicasse VVhen haste thou hearde Emperoure Laymen to haue ben iudges of a Bishop in the cause of Faithe And yet nowe these menne thinke that whiche S. Ambrose neuer hearde of not onely to haue ben vsed continually the firste fiue hundred yeres after Christes birthe but also to be as cleare a matter as if we behelde it with our eies The B. of Sarisburie The Temporal Prince yée saie hath not the Keies of the Kingdome of Heauen Ergo he maie not iudge in Ecclesiastical Causes nor geeue Definitiue Sentence in General Councel This is a very sely poore Argumente M. Hardinge as hereafter it shal appeare But S. Ambrose saithe vnto the Emperoure Valentinian When did your Maiestie euer heare that in a Cause of Faithe a Laiemenne were Iudges ouer Bishoppes Here M. Hardinge by the waie S. Amrbose géeueth you to vnderstande that onlesse it be in a Cause of Faithe a Laieman maie be Iudge ouer a Bishop whiche thinge is contrarie not onely to your Former Doctrine but also to the whole course and practise of your Churche of Rome Howe be it touchinge the meaning of these woordes it behoueth vs to knowe Firste the cause wherefore S. Ambrose so shunned and fledde the Emperours Iudgemente Nexte before what Iudges he desired to be tried First the Emperoure Valentinian at that time was very yonge as wel in Age as also in Faithe He was not yet Baptized He knewe not the Principles of Christes ReligioÌ„ He was an Arian Heretique and beleued not the Godhedde of Christe but bent al his studie and power to mainteine the Arians He woulde haue thruste out the Christianes woulde haue possessed the Heretiques in theire Churches and to that ende had raised his Power and filled Millaine ful of Souldiers He saide It was lawful for him to doo what him listed Briefely his whole dealinge was ful of force violence sutche as hath benne séene in somme Countries not many yéeres sithence In consideration hereof S. Ambrose woorthily refused him to be his Iudge And therefore he saide vnto him Tolle Legem si vis esse Cerramen Take awaie the rigoure of your Lavve if ye wil haue the mater tried by Disputation Againe Noli te grauare Imperator vt putes te in ea quae Diuina sunt Imperiale aliquod ius habere Noli te extollere Esto Deo subiectus Scriptum est quae Dei Deo quae Caesaris Caesari O my Lorde trouble not your selfe to thinke you haue any Princely Power ouer those thinges that perteine to God Vaunte not your selfe be subiecte vnto God It is written Geue vnto God that belongeth vnto God Geue vnto Caesar that belongeth vnto Caesar But as S. Ambrose saithe The Emperoure hathe no Povver ouer Goddes causes so maie wee likewise and
good and bound them by the force of reason If he made any other Lawe touchinge matters of Religion Pope Ioannes then beinge approued it or at the leste Iustianian asked approbation thereof as it maie appeare in his owne Epistle wherein he confesseth in the facte it selfe that his Lawes could 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 approued in the Right Faithe therefore wee wil that he be presente at the hearing and debatinge of Cases in the Councel for as mutche as the Disputation is of the Faithe For Pope Nicolas him selfe saithe as it is alleged before Fides Vniuersalis est Fides omnium Communis est Fides nō solùm ad Clericos verùm etiam ad Laicos ad omnes omninò pertinet Christianos Faithe is Vniuersal Faithe is common to al Faithe perteineth not onely vnto Priestes but also vnto Laiemenne and generally to al Christians As touchinge the Pope and his Vniuersalitie of Povver in and ouer al Councelles of Bishoppes wée maie rightly saie as Athanasius saithe of Constantius the Arian Emperoure Obtendit in speciem Episcoporum Iudicium sed interim facit quod ipsi libet Quid opus est Hominibus Titulo Episcopis He maketh a shew of Iudgementes or Determinations of Bishoppes In the meane while he doothe what he listeth him selfe VVhat are wee the neare for these menne that beare onely the name of Bishoppes Sutche commonly be the Popes Prelates What so euer Learninge they haue bisides Diuinitie is commonly the least parte of theire studie And therefore when they are assembled in Councel they maie wel iudge by Authoritie but not by Learninge Verily Luitprandus saithe Imperator vti experientia didicimus intelligit negotia Dei facit amat ea tuetur omnibus viribus Ecclesiasticas res Ciuiles Sed Iohannes Papa facit contra haec omnia Wee see by experience that the Emperoure vnderstandeth Goddes causes and fauoureth and perfourmeth the same and with al his power mainteineth bothe Ecclesiastical and Temporal maters But Pope Iohn dooth al the contrarie The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 6. The Emperoure Iustinian made a Lawe to correcte the behaueour of the Cleregie to cutte shorte the insolente lewdenesse of the Priestes And albeit hee were a Christian and a Catholique Prince yet putte hee downe from theire Papal Throne twoo Popes Syluerius and Vigilius notwithstandinge they were Peters Successours and Christes Vicars M. Hardinge Iustinians lawe concerninge good order to be kepte amonge Priestes morally was good and bound them by the force of reason If he made any other Lawe touchinge matters of Religion Pope Ioannes then beinge approued
thinges he had donne should vse that good mannes Body to an occasion of VVickednesse or Idolatrie So saithe S. Augustine Nemo conscius erat Sepulchri Mosis ne populus si cognouisset vbi esset adoraret Noman was made priuie to Moses Graue leste if the people had knowen where his Body had benne they shoulde adoure it Your obiection of the Sacrifice is otherwhere answeared more at large S. Augustine saithe Nunc manibus non offerimus Carnem Sed Corde ore offerimus Laudem Nowe wee offer not vp fleashe with our handes but with Harte and mouth wee offer praise Againe he saithe Intùs habeo Sacrificium quo flectam Deum meum Within mee selfe I haue a Sacrifice where with I maie pacifie my God The Apologie Cap. 17. Diuision 1. 2. When Eldras went about to repaire the ruines of the Temple of God he sente not to Ephesus although the moste beautiful and gorgeous Temple of Diana were there and whē he purposed to restore the Sacrifices and ceremonies of God he sente not to Rome although peraduenture he had heard that there were the solemne Sacrifices called Hecatombae and other called Solitaurilia Lectisternia and Supplicationes and Numa Pompilius Ceremonial Bookes or Manuals or Portueses He thought it yenough for him to let before his eies and folowe the Paterne of the Olde Temple whiche Salomon at the beginninge builded according as God had appointed him and also those olde customes and ceremonies whiche God him selfe had written out by special woordes for Moses The Prophete Aggaeus after the Temple was repaired againe by Esdras and the people mighte thinke they had a very iuste cause to reioice on theire owne behalfe for so greate a benefite receiued of Almighty God yet made he thē al burst out into teares bicause that they whiche were yet aliue and had seene the former buildinge of the Temple before the Babylonians destroied it called to minde howe far of it was yet from that beautie and excellencie whiche it had in the olde times past before For then in deede would thei haue thought the Temple woorthily repaired if it had answeared to the Anciente Paterne and to the Maiestie of the firste Temple S. Paule bicause he woulde amende the abuse of the Lordes Supper whiche the corinthians euen then begonne to corrupt he set before them christes Institution to folowe saieinge I haue deliuered vnto you that thinge that I firste receiued of the Lorde And when Christe confuted the Errour of the Phariseis Ye muste saithe he retourne to the firste beginninge for from the beginninge it vvas not thus And when he found great fault with the Priestes for their vncleanenesse of life couetousnesse would cleanse the Temple from al euil Abuses This house saith he at the first beginning vvas a House of Praier wherein al the people might deuoutely and sincerely praie togeather And so it were your parte to vse it now also at this daie For it was not builded to the ende it should be a denne of theues Likewise al the good and commendable Princes mentioned of in the Scriptures were praised specially by these woordes that they had walked in the waies of theire Father Dauid That is bicause they had retourned to the Firste and Original Fundation and had restoared the Religion euen to the perfection wherein Dauid leaft it And therfore when we likewise saw that al thinges were quite troddē vnder foote by these men that nothing remained in the Temple of God but pitieful spoiles and decaies wee reckened it the wisest and the safeste waie to sette before our eies those Churches whiche we knewe for a suertie that they neuer had erred and yet neuer had neither Priuate Masse nor Praiers in a strange and Barbarous Language nor this Corruption of Sacramentes and other toies And for so mutche as our desire was to haue the Temple of the Lorde restored anew we would seeke none other Fundation thē the same which we knewe was longe agone laide by the Apostles that is to wite Our Saueour Iesus Christ And for so mutche as wee hearde God him selfe speakinge vnto vs in his VVoorde and sawe also the notable Examples of the Olde and Primitiue Churche againe how vncertaine a mater it was to waite for a General Councel and that the successe thereof woulde be mutche more vncertaine but specially for so mutche as we were moste ascertained of Goddes VVil and therefore counted it a wickednesse to be too careful and ouercumbred about the Iudgementes of Mortal Menne wee coulde no longer stande takinge aduise with fleashe and bloude but rather thought good to doo the same thinge that bothe might rightly be donne and hath many a time benne donne aswel of other good men as also of many Catholique Bishoppes that is to remedie our own Churches by a Prouincial Synode For thus wee knowe the Olde Fathers vsed to put maters in experience before thei came to the Publique Vniuersal Councel There remaine yet at this daie Canons written in Councelles of Free Citties as of Carthage vnder Cyprian as of Ancyra Neocesarea and Gangra whiche is in Paphlagonia as somme thinke before that the name of the General Councel at Nice was euer hearde of After this fashion in Olde time did they spedily meete with and cutte shorte those Heretiques the Pelagians and the Donatistes at home by Priuate Disputation without any General Councel Thus also when the Emperour Constantius euidently and earnestly tooke parte with Auxentius the Bishop of the Arians faction Ambrose the Bishop of the Christians appealed not vnto a General Councel where he sawe no good coulde be donne by reason of the Emperours might greate laboure but onely to his owne Cleregie and People that is to saie to a Prouincial Synode And thus it was decreed in the councel at Nice that the Bishoppes shoulde assemble twise euery yeere And in the councel at carthage it was decreed that the Bishoppes shoulde meete togeather in eche of their Prouinces at leaste once in the yeere whiche was donne as saithe the councel at chalcedon of pourpose that if any Errours or Abuses had happened to springe vp any where they might immediately at the firste entrie be destroied euen where they firste began So likewise when Secundus and Palladius reiected the councel at Aquileia bicause it was not a General and common councel S. Ambrose Bishop of Millaine made answeare that no man ought to take it for a newe or straunge mater that the Bishoppes of the VVeast Parte of the world did calle togeather Synodes make Priuate Assemblies in their Prouinces for that it was a thing before then vsed by the Weaste Bishoppes not seldome and by the Bishoppes of Graecia vsed oftentimes and commonly to be donne And so Charles the Greate beinge Emperoure helde a Prouincial coūcel in Germanie for puttinge awaie Images contrarie to the Seconde councel at Nice Neither pardy euen amongest vs is this so very a strange and new a trade For wee
that falleth out bitweene vs VVhether any one of al the Anciente Learned Fathers c. euer saide your Priuate Masse c. This is it that is denied If yee proue not this what so euer ye proue yee proue nothinge Bringe out somme Learned Father shewe somme Catholique Doctoure keepe them no lenger foorthe comminge The worlde looketh yee shoulde deale plainely Denie nomore the manifeste Truthe auouche nomore the open Falsehedde Let there be somme probabilitie and likelihoode in your saieinges Leaue your immoderate and vncourteous talkes They are tokens of stomake and not of Learninge Therein yee haue deserued the honoure aboue al others In sutche kinde of Eloquence noman can matche you but your selfe A good cause mighte haue benne pleaded with better woordes The more vntemperate and firy yee shewe your selfe without cause the more in the ende wil appeare your folie If yee haue hitherto taken any pleasure in speakinge il at my hande by hearinge il yee shal not lose it If yee bringe vs moe Fables of your Pardonnes and Purgatories If yee feede vs as yee haue donne with Vntruthes If yee depraue the Scriptures If yee falsifie the Doctoures If yee Conclude without Premisses If yee place your Antecedente at Rome and your Consequente at Louaine If yee stuffe so mutche paper and blotte so many leaues and shewe vs nothinge briefely if yee write none otherwise then yee haue donne hitherto no wise man wilgreately feare your force Deceiue not the simple They are bought with price They are the people of God for whome Christe hath sheadde his Bloude Your shiftes be miserable Yee trouble your selfe as a birde the lime The more yee sturre the faster yee cleaue the longer yee striue the weaker yee are Yee cannot bridle the flowinge Seas yee cannot blinde the Sonnebeames Kicke not stil againste the spurre Geeue place vnto the Glorie of God VVil yee nil yee the Truthe wil conquere God geeue vs bothe humble hartes and the people eies to see that al fleashe maie be obediente to his wil. Amen From London 27. Octobris 1567. Iohn Sarisburie ¶ A Table of the principal maters Conteined in this Booke A ABsolutioÌ„ of madde men 139. Absolution standeth not in the vvil of the Prieste 139. The Abomination of desolation 446. Abuses in the masse confessed by Pigghius 456. Refourminge of Abuses 133. Accidentes vvithout subiecte 253. Adoration of the SacrameÌ„t 269. VVee neede no Aduocates vnto God 316. Agreement in Religion 194. Altars or Communion Tables 333. S. Ambrose refused the Emperours iudgement in Ecclesiastical causes 689. Ambition in the Cleargie the cause of greate euil 409. Anacletus fondely misconstrued by M. Hardinge 226. 227. Antichriste 446. Antichriste in the Churche of God 447. 448. Antichriste shal couÌ„terfaite Chastitie 482. Antichriste in the Temple of God and vvhat Antichriste shal be 434. Antonius learned in the Scriptures 195. VVeemen dissemblinge themselues in mens Apparrel 376. Choise of Apparrel for Religions sake 346. 347. No difference in Apparrel 346. 347 348. Superstitious holinesse in Apparrel 344 345. Ecclesiastical brauerie in Apparrel 641. The Apostles equal vvith Peter 106 107 108. The Apostles aboue Kinges and Princes 397. The Apologie authorized 17. Athenes standinge 376 â–ª 377. S. Augustines iudgement refused â—98 Augustine the Italian Monke 11. Augustine the ItaliaÌ„ MoÌ„ke aliue at the time of the vvarre 493. Augustine the Italian Monke inflamer of the vvarre ibidem Augustine the Italian monke Bishop in Englande 492. The authoritie of the Doctours and Fathers 18. 19. Pretence of Antiquitie 495. 496. B. Bacon 454. Baptisme 203. Baptisme of Infantes 150. By Biptisme vvee are vnited vnto Christe 241. VVee are partakers of Christes Body and Bloude in the Sacramente of Baptisme 271. Christe is he that Baptiseth 215. The Povver of Baptisme 217. Baptisme is the Povver of Resurrection 221. Baptisme receiued vvithout Faith 216. Beleeue them not spoken of Antichrist and his follovvers 208. To Beleeue in God 84. The recantation of Berengarius 348. The Bernates lavvful vvarre against the Duke of Sauoye 389. Binding standeth in vvilful refusing of the VVoord of God 142. Bishoppes called and conuented before the Prince 637. 638. 639. A Bishop maie not put avvaie his vvise vnder pretence of holinesse 185. Bishoppes svvorne vnto the Pope and the fourme of the Othe expressed 43. Difference bitvveene Bishop and Prieste 198. Bishoppes vvithin the Princes checke 398. A Bishop bearing ciuile office 512. Bishoppes proude and disdeigneful in olde times 409. Bishoppes no Bishoppes 117. The substance of Breade remaineth in the Sacramente 231. The Bread is the body of Christ in vvhat sense 246. 255. 257. 479. 480. The Bread of the Sacrament passeth by natural digestioÌ„ by the Iudgement of Origen 258. 261. The Bread remaineth in substance as it vvas before 247. 248. 249. 251. 252. 257. The Bread chaÌ„ged in vvhat sense 247 248. 249. The Breade not annihilate 248. The Breade hath a certaine likenesse of Christes Body 254. The Buildinge and repairinge of Goddes Churche 716. Burninge of the Scriptures 477. C. Calixtus for Anacletus 226. The Calendar of Bishops names 374. 375. Carnal libertie 335. 336. Cathechumeni or Beginners in the Faâ—the 139. Catholike in many or in fevv 93 Catholike Churche and vvhat is meant thereby 49. Ceremonies 308. S. Augustine founde faulte vvith the multitude of Ceremonies 308. 309. Ceremonies more estemed then the commaundementes of God 308. 310. Vaine Ceremonies ought to be remoued vvith al speed conuenient 309. Ceremonies haue povver to quiet the conscience and to remitte sinne 554. Diuersitie of Ceremonies 309. Vovve of Chastitie and lavvful to breake the same 168. 169. 170. Counterfaite Chastitie a marke of Antichriste 183. Chastitie the gifte of God may not be commaunded by any man 167. No one Chiefe but Christe 340. Christes humanitie in one place 85 87 88. 89. Christe and the Pope haue one place of Iudgemente 95. Christes Body neuer promised to our bodily mouth 274. To touche or to holde Christ 288 Christe the onely Pope 106. Christes Bloude not in the holy Cuppes 265. Christes Body in one place 276. 277. Christians hated sclaundered 49. To approche vnto Christe 288. To receiue or beare Christe 285. 286. The spiritual receiuing of Christs Body 348. Christes Body crusshed torne vvith teeth 349. Christes Body geeueth life 241. Christes Body in Heauen 233. Christes Body verily presente in the holy supper in vvhat sense 271. 273. 276. The Christians in Graeciae and Asia abhorre the Pope and his Cleregie 457. The Churche of Rome is departed froÌ„ the primitiue Churche of God 566. The deformities of the Churche of Rome 568. The Churche in fevve 571. The Churche knovven by Gods vvoorde 3. The Churche of Rome can neuer erre true or false 430. 436. 437. 439. 440. 444. 445. Readinge of Chapters in the Churche 552. 553. The Churche is aboue the vvorde of God 557. 558. 559. 560. The Churche of Rome can not faile 565. The miserable state of the Churche of Rome 462. 463. The
penaunce not sutche as liketh your selues not sutche as Newe fangled selfe pleasinge Preachers teache you but sutche as is done in the Churche whiche consisteth in Contrition of harte confession of mouthe and satisfaction of worke that so ye maie be assoiled and perfitely reconciled Touchinge the seconde pointe wee doo not attribute the Loosinge of sutche as be excommunicate to the offeringe of Christes Merites and pronouncinge of the Gospell vnto them as you doo but to the power of Iurisdiction by Christe geeuen to the Churche By the fathers Excommunication in consideration of the necessitee of it is called neruus Ecclesiasticae disciplinae the sinnowe of Churchely discipline by the Canons Mucro Episcopi the swerde of a Bishop by S. Augustine Episcopalis iudicij damnatio qua poena nulla in ecclesia maior est The condemnation of a man by Bishoply Iudgemente then the whiche there is no greater punishmente in the Churche The B. of Sarisburie Wée commit the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen onely vnto the Priesteand to none other and to him onely wee saie What so euer thou bindeste in Earthe shal be Bounde in Heauen Yet neuerthelesse hath not euery Prieste the vse of these Keies Peter Lombarde him selfe saithe Sanè dici potest quòd alteram istarum Clauium id est Scientiam discernendi non habent omnes Sacerdotes Wee maie safely saye that al Priestes haue not the one of these twoo Keies I meane the Knowledge to discerne Yf they haue not the Keies them can they neither Open nor Shutte Neither doothe it folowe of Our Doctrine that either Children or Laye menne doo or maie forgéeue sinnes And yet Gods Woorde maie be mighty be the pronouncer of it neuer so simple S. Augustine saithe Cùm Christus Petro dicerer Tibi dabo Claues Regni Coelorum Vniuersam significabat Ecclesiam When Christe saide vnto Peter Vnto thee I wil geeue the Keies of the Kingdome of Heauen he signified thereby the whole Churche And againe Quaecunque ligaueris super Terram erunt ligara in Coelo Coepisti habere Fratrem tuum tanquam Publicanum Ligas illum in Terra Cùm autem correxeris concordaueris cum Fratre tuo soluisti illum in terra Cùm solueris in terra solutus erit in Coelo What so euer thinges thou shalt Binde in Earthe they shal be Bounde in Heauen Thou beinge a Lateman hast begonne to haue thy Brother as a Publicane Thou Bindest him in Earthe But when thou hast corrected him and hast agreed with thy Brother thou hast Loosed him in Earthe And when thou haste Loosed him in Earthe he shal be Loosed in Heauen Likewise Theophylacte saithe Si tu offensus habes eum qui te affecit iniuria sicut Publicanum Gentilem erit ille in Coelo talis Si autem solueris eum hoc est Si illi condonaueris erit illi in Coelo condonatum Non enim solùm quae soluunt Sacerdotes sunt soluta sed quaecunque nos iniutia affecti vel ligamus vel soluimus ipsa erunt ligata vel soluta If thou beinge offended haue him that hathe donne thee wronge as a Publicane and as an Heathen sutche shal he be also in Heauen But if thou Loose him that is to saie if thou pardonne him he shal be pardonned also in Heauen For not onely the thinges that Priestes Loose are Loosed but also what so euer wee being Laimonne hauinge taken wronge doo Binde or Loose the same thinges shal also be Bounde or Loosed This Doctrine maie not séeme so strange to M. Hardinge Onlesse he be a stranger emongest his owne For by the Order of his owne Churche of Rome an Olde wife or a Yonge gyrle maie Minister the Sacramente of Baptisme And I trowe he wil not saie They maie Minister Baptisme without Remission of Sinnes In his Churche of Rome the Power of the Keies is lapped vp oftentimes in a Bulle of Lead and sente abroade into the world by a Laye Pardoner and is thought neuerthelesse good sufficient vnto the Receiuer for Remission of Sinnes notwithstandinge the messenger be no Priest Somme of the late Doctours of his saide Churche haue taught vs that a man maie make his Confession by a bille of his hande and receiue Absolution by a Trusheman or by a Broker Peter Lombarde the Grande Maister of theire whole Schole saithe Si tamen defuerit Sacerdos Proximo vel Socio est facienda Confessio If thou wante a Prieste thou muste make thy Confession vnto thy neighboure or vnto thy felowe And Beda saithe as he is alleged by the saide Peter Lombarde Coaequalibus quotidiana leuia grauiora verò Sacerdoti pandamus Let vs open our smal and daily sinnes vnto our felowes and the greatter vnto the Prieste And to be short vpon the Decretales it is noted thus In necessitate Laicus potest Audire Confessiones Absoluere In case of necessitie a Laie man maie bothe heare Confessions and Absolue This is the Order and Doctrine of M. Hardinges owne Churche His owne Doctours tel him that Laye Menne and Wéemenne maie Absolue the Penitente and Forgeeue Sinnes Therefore hée hathe the lesse cause to mislike it M. Hardinge saithe further Christe saithe not To whom ye offer by preaching of the Gospel my Merites and Pardonne or whose sinnes ye pronounce by the Gospel to be remitted but Quorumcunque remiseritis whose so euer sinnes ye remitte they are remitted Yf M. Hardinge wil Conclude of this Negatiue Ergo Sinnes be not forgeuen by the preachinge of the Gospel I trowe it wil be but a Simple Argumente For Chrysostome saithe Clauicularij sunt Sacerdotes quibus creditum est Verbum Docendi Interpretandi Scriptutas The Keiebearers be the Priestes to whom is committed the VVoorde of Teachinge and Expoundinge the Scriptures And S. Hierome saithe Quaecunque Solueritis super Terram erunt Soluta in Coelo Soluunt autem eos Apostoli Sermone Dei testimonijs Scripturarum exhortatione virtutum What so euer thinges ye Loose vpon Earthe they shal be Loosed also in Heauen But the Apostles Loose them by the VVoorde of God and by the Testimonies of the Scriptures and by exhortation vnto vertue Likewise S. Augustine saithe Iam vos Mundi estis propter verbum quod Ioquutus sum vobis Quare non ait Mundi estis propter Baptismum quo loti estis Nisi quia in Aqua Verbum Mundat Now are you cleane bicause of the VVoorde that I haue spoken to you VVhy saithe he not you are cleane bicause of the Baptisme wherewith ye are wasshed Sauinge that euen in the VVater it is the VVoorde that maketh Cleane Likewise S. Ambrose Remittuntur peccata per Verbū Dei cuius Leuites est Interpres Sinnes be forgeeuen by the VVoorde of God the Expounder whereof is the Leuite or Prieste Al the Power is in the Woorde of God whiche S. Paule