doo with menne that they should heare my Confessions as if they weare bable to beale al my griefes VVhen they heare me speake of mee selfe how can they tel whether I doo saie the truthe or no For noman knoweth what is donne in Man but the sprite of Man that is in Man How be it hereof haue growen many vnnecessarie and curious questions what Yeeres what Monethes what Daies what Houres what Manner what Order of Penance should serue for euer seueral sinne In Resolution of whiche doubtes stoode the Iudgement of the Prieste And therefore Carolus Magnus in in his Lawes straitely commaundeth that the Priestes should be skilful in the Booke of Penance But as touchinge the Iudge of Sinnes S. Chrysostome saithe Ante Deum confitere peccata tua Apud Verum Iudicem cum Oratione delicta rua pronuntia Confesse they sinnes before God Before the True Iudge with praier pronounce thine offenses And againe Cogitatione fiat delictorum exquisitio Sine Teste sit hoc Iudicium Solus te Deus confitentem uideat Let the examination of thy sinnes be wrought in thy Harte Let this Iudgement be VVithout VVitnesse Let God Onely heare thee when thou makest thy Confession And againe he saithe Medicinae locus hîc est non Iudicij non poenas sed peccatorum Remissionem tribuens Deo Soli dic peccatum tuum Heere is place of Medicine and not of Iudgement geuinge not punishement but Remission of Sinnes Open thy sinne to God Alone And therefore in M. Hardinges owne Canons it is noted thus Confessio fit ad ostensionem Poenitentiae non ad impetrationem veniae Confession is made vnto the Prieste not thereby to obteine forgeuenesse but to declare our repentance And againe Confessio Sacerdoti offertur in Signum veniae acceprae non Causam Remissionis accipiendae Confession is made vnto the Prieste in token of remission already obteined and not as a cause whereby to procure Remission And yet is the Prieste a Iudge al this notwithstandinge and pronounceth sentence as a Iudge of Doctrine of Open Sinne of the Offence of the Churche and of the Humilitie and Heauinesse of the Penitent and as a Iudge togeather with the Elders of the Congregation hath Authoritie bothe to Condemne and to Absolue Peter Lombarde him selfe saithe Etsi aliquis apud Deum sit solutus non tamen in facie Ecclesiae solutus habetur nisi per indicium Sacerdotis Al be it a man be Absolued before God yet is be not accoumpted Absolued in the face of the Churche but by the Iudgemente of the Prieste Likewise saithe S. Augustine Horror pritis publica Poenitentia satisfacere Sacerdotis Iudicio reconciliatum Communioni sociari I exhorte you first to make Satisfaction vnto the Churche by open penance and so to be restoared to the Communion by the discretion of the Prieste The order hereof as it is set foorthe by S. Cyprian was this Firste the Sinner by many outwarde gestures and tokens shewed him selfe to be penitent and sorowful for his sinne After that he made humble Confession thereof before the whole Congregation and desired his brethren to praie for him Lastly the Bishop and the Cleregie laide theire handes ouer him and so reconciled him So saithe Origen Qui lapsus est procedit in medium Exomologesin facit He that hathe offended commeth foorthe into the middes of the People and maketh his Confession Sozomenus likewise describinge the same Order saithe thus Rei ad terram sese pronos abijciunt cum planctu lamentatione Episcopus ex aduerso occurrit cum Lachrymis ipse ad Pauimentum lamentando prouoluitur vniuersa Ecclesiae multitudo Lachrymis suffunditur They that haue offended fal downe flat with weepinge and lamentation to the grounde The Bishoppe commeth to him with teares and him selfe likewise falleth downe and the whole multitude of the Churche is powred ouer and ouer with teares I vse the moe woordes herein for that the whole mater is longe sithence growen vtterly out of vse Notwithstandinge this is the Confession and Penance that S. Augustine speaketh of Of Open Confession M. Hardinge hee saithe The Keies were not geeuen to the Churche in vaine Of Open Confession hée saithe VVhat so euer ye Loose in Earthe shal be Loosed in Heauen Of Open Confession he speaketh al these woordes and not of any Auriculare or Priuate dealinge Yf M. Hardinge happen to doubte hereof let him looke better vpon his Bookes There shal he finde euen in the verie same place he hathe alleged these woordes partely goeinge before partely folowinge Agite Poenitentiam qualis agitur in Ecclesia vt oret pro uobis Ecclesia Iob dicit Si erubui in conspectu populi confiteri peccata mea Propterea Deus uoluit vt Theodosius ageret Poenitentiam publicam in conspectu populi Nolite permittere Viros vestros fornicari Interpellate contra eos Ecclesiam Doo Penaunce sutche as is donne in the Churche that the Churche maie praie for you Iob saithe I was not ashamed in the sight of al the people to confesse my sinnes Therefore God would that Theodosius beinge the Emperoure of the worlde should doo Open Penaunce euen in the presence of al y◠people Ye wiues suffer not your Husbandes to liue in fornication Comme before the Congregation and crie against them This is the Confession that S. Augustine speaketh of not Secrete or Priuate or in the Eare but Publique and Open and in the Sight and Hearing of al the people In like manner saithe S. Ambrose Multos necesse est vt ambias obsecres vt dignentur interuenire Fleat pro te Mater Ecclesia culpam tuam Lachymis lauet Thou muste needes humble thee selfe and desire many to intreate for thee Let the Churche thy Mother weepe for thee and let her washe thy offence with her teares This therefore M. Hardinge was no plaine dealinge with sutche sleight to turne Publique into Priuate and the Open audience of the whole people into one onely mannes secrete eare and so mutche to abuse the simplicitie of your Reader Certainely these woordes of S. Augustine Open Penaunce Confesse Openly In the sight of al the people That the vvhole Churche maie praie these woordes I saye wil not easily serue to proue your pourpose for Priuate Confession The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 3. Wee saie also that the Minister doth execute the Authoritie of Binding and Shutting as often as he shutteth vp the Gate of the Kingdome of Heauen against vnbeleeuing and stubborne persons denouncing vnto them Gods vengeaunce and Euerlasting punishment Or els when the dooth quite shut them out from the bosome of y◠Churche by open Excommunication Out of doubte what sentence so euer the Minister of God shal geue in this sorte God him selfe doth so wel alowe it that what so euer here in Earthe by theire meanes is Loosed and Bounde God him selfe wil
Loose and Binde and confirme the saine in Heauen M. Hardinge Heare againe you confounde the Power of Bindinge and the office of Preachinge as you did before speaking of the power of Loosinge VVhereto wee saye as wee saide before of that other that Bindinge and Shuttinge consisteth not in denouncinge of Goddes engeaunce but in the exercise of the Keie of Iurisdiction committed to the Churche The Ministers whereof Binde sinners whom for iust cause they Loose not but knowe that they are not to be loosed And to that Keie perteineth excommunication and by the same it is exercised VVhat so euer by them is thus Loosed or Bounde in Earthe God him selfe alloweth for loosed and bounde in Heauen Suche Priestes because ye 1. haue not in your Newe Churche at least after this wise 2. vsinge Priestly Auctoritie 3. and none wil suffer to be made 4. nor suche Auctoritie to be exercised ye 5. defraude the faithful people of the greate benefite of the Sacrament of penaunce kepinge them faste bounde to their sinnes after baptisme committed And so ye cause their Euerlasting Damnation for whom Christe hath shed his Bloud the Price of their Redemption The B. of Sarisburie Wée Confounde not these Keies M. Hardinge but speake plainely and distinctely of either other Wée saie that the Power as wel of Loosinge as also of Bindinge standeth in Gods Woorde and the exercise or execution of the same standeth either in Preaching or els in Sentence of Correction and Ecclesiastical Discipline Of the later hereof there is no question of the former M. Harding pronounceth precisely although as it appeareth not moste aduisedly Bindinge saithe he and Shuttinge standeth not in denouncinge of Goddes Vengeaunce And hereof he certainely assureth vs as of a most vndoubted Veritie How be it in so saieinge he séemeth not to consider the Power and Weight of the Woorde of God Christe him selfe saithe If any man shal heare my Woordes and shal not Bèleèue I condemne him not He that refusethe me and receiueth not my Woordes hath one that condemneth him The Woorde that I haue spoken is it that shal Iudge him at the last daie Like wise saithe S. Paule VVe are the good sauour of Christe in them that be saued and in them that perishe Vnto them that perishe wee are the sauoure of Death vnto Deathe In them that be saued wee be the sauour of Life vnto Life And againe If the Gospel be hidden it is hidden from them that perishe So saith God vnto the Prophete Ezechiel If thou geue warninge to the wicked and he wil not be turned from his wickednesse he shal perishe in the same Yet haste thou discharged thine owne soule To be shorte The whole Scriptures are ful hereof And therefore S. Augustine saithe Praedicatur Euangelium quibusdam ad praemium quibusdam ad Iudicium The Gospel is Preached to somme vnto rewarde to somme vnto Iudgemente For the rest M. Hardinge saithe Suche Priestes bicause ye haue not in your Newe Churche at leaste after this wise vsinge Priestly Auctoritie and none will suffer to be made and suche Auctoritie to be exercised ye defraude the faitheful people of the great benefite of the Sacramente of Penance keepinge them fast bounde to theire sinnes after Baptisme committed And so ye cause theire euerlastinge Damnation for whom Christe hathe shead his Bloud the Price of their Redemption These great woordes are not very wel seasoned They are bigge in sounde and smal in weight they are ful of terroure and voide of witte For the Churche of Englande hath Authoritie this daie by Goddes Woorde to Binde and Lose as mutche as euer Christe gaue any to his Apostles And by the same Authoritie is hable to Binde not onely M. Hardinge and his Felowes as Peter bound Simon Magus or as Paule bounde Elymas the False Prophet but also the Pope himselfe if he be an Open Offender and as S. Paule saithe to deliuer him ouer vnto Sathan And vndoubtedly beeinge so bound in Earthe he shal also stande Bounde in Heauen Our People remaine not Bounde nor perishe in theire sinnes as these menne so vncharitably and fondly haue imagined They be so certaine of the Remission of theire sinnes in the Bloude of Christe as if Christe himselfe were presente and spake it to them They are taught and knowe that The Bloude of Christe the Sonne of God hath made vs cleane from al our sinnes and that there is no name vnder Heauen whereby wee shal be saued but onely the name of Iesus Christe As for Priuate Confession Abuses and Errours set aparte as it is saide before wée condemne it not but leaue it at libertie And therein wée maie séeme to folowe the aduise of Charles the Emperoure in his late Interim For thus he writeth Confessio Peccatorum Enumeratio vt non nimis laxanda est ita uicissim non nimis est astringenda Touchinge the Priestes of your makinge M. Hardinge of whom ye séeme to make so great accoumpte your owne Peter Lombard saith of them as it is saide before Sané dici potest quòd alteram Clauem id est Scientiam discernendi multi Sacerdotes non habent And in like manner saithe your owne Bonauentura Omnes ferè ita sunt Simplices Idiotae post susceptionem Sacerdotij ficut antè Al Priestes for the most parte are as Simple and Vnlearned after the receiuinge of Orders as they were before But be it graunted that your Priest be fully furnished with al his Keies Yet is it not he that by any his Authoritie forgeueth sinnes Your owne Gratian saithe Euidentissime datur intelligi quòd sine Confessione Oris Peccata possunt deleri It is euidently geeuen vs to vnderstande that vvithout Confession of mouthe Sinnes maie be forgeeuen And againe Ore tacente veniam consequi possumus Though vvee saie nothinge yet wee maye haue pardonne Againe Luce clariùs constat Cordis Contritione non Oris Confessione Peccata dimitti It is apparente and more cleare then the light that Sinnes be forgeeuen by Contrition of the Harte and not by Confession of the mouthe And againe Dominus ostendit quòd non Sacerdotali iudicio sed largitate Diuina Peccator mundatur Our Lorde hathe taught vs that the sinner is made cleane not by the Iudgement of the Prieste but by the Mercie of God Thus M. Hardinge it is plaine by the Iudgemente of your owne Doctours that were your Auriculare Confession quite abolished yet might the People notwithstandinge haue ful Remission of theire Sinnes But of you it maie he verified that Christe saide vnto the Phariseis Ye haue taken awaye the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen And neither doo ye enter your selues nor wil your suffer others that would enter Of your Keies Veselus saide longe sithence Claues Papae Praelatorum non aperiunt Regnum Dei sed claudunt potiùs The Popes and the Prelates Keies doo not Open the
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
doo that moste humble Open Penaunce but onely once in the Churche and neuer more afterwarde leaste the Medicine beinge made ouer common should not bee profitable to the Sicke Thus mutche difference therfore wee see there was bitweene the Churche and Nouatus The Churche graunteth the Open Sinner one onely time of Open Reconciliation and neuer more But Nouatus graunteth none at al. Therefore the whole mater of Nouatus might haue serued M. Hardinge to some other purpose For Confession whether it were Priuate or Publique was no parte of his Erroure The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 2. And wee saie that the office of Loosing consisteth in this pointe that the Minister either by the Preachinge of the Gospel offereth the Merites of Christe and ful pardon to sutche as haue lowely and contrite hartes and doo vnfainedly repente them selues pronouncinge vnto the same a sure and vndoubted forgeeuenesse of theire sinnes and hope of Euerlastinge Saluation Or els that the same Minister when any haue offended theire Brothers mindes with somme greate offence or notable and open crime whereby they haue as it were vannished and made them selues straungers from the Common Felowship and from the Body of Christe then after perfite amendement of sutche personnes dothe reconcile them and bring them home againe and restore them to the Companie and Vnitie of the Faithful M. Hardinge The summe of all these gaye woordes abbridged dothe attribute Loosinge or Absolution firste to Preachinge nexte to Assotlinge sutche as be Excomminicate As touchinge the firste these Defenders confounde the offices of Preachinge and of Absolution The Preacher teacheth the hearers and reporteth the woordes of Christe as out of the mouthe of Christe saieinge Thus saithe Christe c The Priest whiche is the Minister of Absolution accordinge to the Authoritie geuen to him by Christe in his owne person assoileth the Penitente saieinge I assoile thee in the name of the Father c. The Preacher in that he preacheth onely dothe not assoile sinners neither geueth he the Merites of Christe nor full pardon by pronouncinge vnto them the Gospell For if that greate benefite consiste in pronouncinge or denouncinge of the Gospell then why might not euery laye man yea womenne yea yonge boyes and gyrles assoile sinners yea why might not euery man assoile him selfe And woulde ye Sirs appointe vnto vs suche for iudges constituted by Christe For the woordes of Christe be so plaine as they cannot be so violently wrested For Christe saide not To whom ye offer by preachinge of the Gospel my Merites and Pardon or whose sinnes ye pronounce by the Gospell to be remitted but quorumcunque remiseritis who soeuers sinnes ye remitte they are remitted to them For as the sonne of man remitted sinnes to him that was sicke of the Palsye and to Mary Maudelen that ye maye knowe saithe he that the sonne of man hathe Power to remitte sinnes c Euen so he hathe transferred the same power vnto Priestes saithe Chrysostome VVhiche Priestes he hathe sente as the Father sente him And if Absolution consiste in pronouncinge of the Gospell whiche profiteth so muche as it is beleeued then the power of the Keies whiche Christe hathe geuen to the Churche consisteth not so muche in the Minister as in the sinner that heareth and beleeueth and so is forgeuen by Luthers Opinion And by this meanes the Prieste hathe no speciall power But wee saie with the Churche that a Sacramente hath his efficacie of the institution of Christe in him to whom it is adhibited In this sense the Catholike Churche of Christe hath euer taughte that God woorketh our Saluation by Sacramentes and in this faithe it hathe alwayes baptized infantes that their sinnes beinge remitted they mighte be made the children of God Like wise by the Keyes of the Churche it hathe assoiled personnes berefte of the vse of speache and reason as the Learned and Auncient Holy Father Leo teacheth in his Epistle ad Theodorum Episcopum Foroiuliensem and S. Augustine de adulterinis conlugijs Lib. 1. Cap. 26. vltimo Finally if the office of Loosinge that is Absolution consisted in Preachinge the Gospell and offeringe the Merites of Christe by pronouncinge the woordes in whiche the remission of our sinnes is expressed as this Denfender teacheth then had not the Catechumens of olde time neither nowe shoulde they be in any danger if they shoulde dye without Baptisme and the grace of reconciliation that is not beinge assoiled For they lacked no preachinge as nowe they lacke not where any suche bee The contrarie whereof the Churche hathe euer taught and for witnesse of the same besides other fathers wee haue the plaine Doctrine of S. Augustine Who saithe that a Catechumen howe mutche so euer he profitethe beareth still the burthen of his iniquitie so longe as he is not baptized I denie not but cases of iuste necessitie be excepted in the one and the other hauinge right and firme willes and desire in eche case VVhen not the contempte of Religion but the pointe of necessitie excludethe the Mysterie of baptisme as S. Augustine saithe Then how dangerous and pernicious is the Doctrine of these Defenders our Newe Ministringe Prelates who more with sweete and Holy woordes then withe truthe teache Christen people that the office of Loosinge consisteth in offeringe by preachinge of the Gospell as they call it the Merites of Christe and full pardon and by pronouncinge I knowe not howe a sure and vndoubted forgeeuenesse of sinnes and hope of Euerlasting Saluation to suche for soothe as haue lowly and contrite hartes and doe vnfainedly repente them The contrition of harte they seeme to speake of sufficethe not for Loosinge of sinnes onlesse it be contrition formed with charitie as the Diuines teache VVhiche charitie seeketh and requireth the Sacrament of Penaunce and the grace of reconciliation whiche cannot be ministred but by a prieste Neither is it possible the prieste to iudge truly who are lowly and contrite of harte and repente them vnfainedly forasmutche as he cannot searche the harte onlesse the penitentes humble them selues vnto him and declare theire repentaunce by simple and lowly confession of their sinnes VVhiche confession these Newe Gospellers haue abandoned out of theire Congregations Howe mutche is more the Catholike and holesome Doctrine of S. Augustine to be embraced and folowed whiche he vttereth in these woordes Doo ye penaunce sutche as is done in the Churche that the Churche maie praie for you Let noman saie to him selfe I do penaunce secretely before God I do It God who forgeeueth me knoweth that I doo it in my harte But what saith S. Augustine hereunto VVhy then saithe he it was saide in vaine What thinges ye Loose in Earthe they shal be Loosed in Heauen Then without cause the Keies be geeuen to the Churche VVe make voide the Gospell of God wee make frustrate the woordes of Christe S. Augustine saithe doo ye
thus haue they persecuted the Prophetes that were before you The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 2. They crie out vpon vs at this present euerie where that we are al Heretiques and haue forsaken the Faith haue with newe persuasions wicked learninge vtterly dissolued the concorde of the Church M. Hardinge Yf ye haue forsaken the Faithe ye were Baptized in if ye be gonne from the faithe whiche S. Eleutherius Pope and Martyr the first Apostle of Britayne preached in this lande by Damianus and Fugatius within little more then one hundred yeres after Christes death if ye refuse the Faithe which Gregorie the Greate that holy Pope caused to be Preached to our Auncestours the Englishe nation by Augustinus Melitus and other holy Priestes and haue thereby dissolued the vnitie of the Catholike Churche and leaue not to maineteine the doctrine whereby the same vnitie is dissolued all this presupposed Wee see not but that this crie made vpon you is true For then are ye Heretikes in deede The B. of Sarisburie As wel this reporte of Eleutherius as also the other noted in the margin of Augustine that the one was the first Apostle of the Britannes the other of the Englishe are both vntrue For it is certaine that the Churche of Britannie nowe called England receiued not first the faithe from Rome Lucius the Kinge of this Countrie had receiued the Gospel of Christ and was Baptized welneare one hundred and fiftie yeres before the Emperoure Constantine and the same Constantine the first Christened Emperoure was borne in this Ilande And notwithstanding Eleutherius the Bishop of Rome at the Kinges special request sent hither Fugatius and Damianus to enforme the Bishopes and Cleregie and to bringe thinges to better order yet vndoubtedly the Churche Faithe of Christ had benne planted here a longe while before they came eyther by Iosephe of Arimathaea either as Theodoretus writeth by S. Paule the Apostle passinge this waye into Spaine or as Nicephorus saithe by Simon Zelâ—tes or by the Gréekes or by some others As for our Augustine of Englande for it was not S. Augustine the learned Doctour neither was he so godly a man as M. Hardinge maketh him for as Galfridus writeth of him he was cruel disoaineful prowde and arrogant and no way méete to be called an Apostle Neither was he the first planter of the Faithe in Englande For the Faithe was planted here many hundred yeres before his comminge Tertullian saithe of his time Britannorum inaccessa Romanis loca subduntur Christo The countries of Britannie whiche the Romaines coulde neuer atteine vnto are now subiecte to Christe Origen saithe of his time Terra Britanniae consensit in Religionem Christi The Lande of Britannie hath agreed to Christes Religion Athanasius of his time saithe Episcopi Aphricae vniuersae Siciliae Sardiniae Hispaniarum Galliarum Britanniarum sese ad Concilium contulerunt The Bishoppes of al Aphrica Sicilia Sardinia Spaine Fraunce and Britannie came thither to the Councel holden at Sardica Constantinus the Emperour in his time maketh mention of the Christian Churches in Britannie S. Hilarie in his time intituled his letter in this wise Clericis Tololanis Prouinciarum Britannicarum Episcopis To the Cleregie of Tolouse and to the Bishoppes of Britannie Chrysostome of his time saithe Et Iusulae Britannicae extra hoc mare sitae in ipso Oceano positae senseruÌ„t virtutem Verbi Dei The Ilandes of Britannie beinge in the very Ocean far out of this our Sea haue felt the power of Goddes Woorde Theodoretus of the time of the Emperour Iouinian saithe thus Huic Fidei consenserunt omnes Ecclesiae quaeque in Hispania sunt quaeque in Britannia To this Faith haue agreed al the Churches bothe of Spaine and of Britannie These recordes may séeme sufficient if it please M. Hardinge to receiue them And al and euery of these liued sundrie hundred yéeres before the arriual of Melitus and Augustine Yf any man shal happen to replie The Faithe was then vtterly rooted out by the inuasion of the Englishe men beinge Heathens that mater is already answeared in my Former Replie to M. Hardinge Certainely Beda saithe The Quéene of Englande was then Christened and that there were then in this Realme seuen Bishoppes and one Archebishop with other moe greate learned Christian menne As touchinge this Augustine wée are not bounde to al his dooinges Although M. Hardinge allowe him Apostolike authoritie yet al his heastes were not Gospel The Churche in his time was growen to muche corruption as it may many waies appeare by sundrie places of S. Gregorie Verily Beda saithe The Bishoppes and learned Christians of this Countrie vtterly refused to receiue this newe Apostle with his Religion And yet were they right Catholique and godly menne And Galfridus saithe Erant septem Episcopatus Archiepiscopatus Religiosiscionis Praesulibus muniti Abbatiae complures in quib grex Domini rectum ordinem tenebat There were then in Englande seuen Bishoprikes and one Archebishoprike possessed with very godly Prelates and many Abbies in whiche the Lordes flocke helde the right Religion The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 3. That wee renewe and as it were fetche againe from Hel the olde and many a daie condemned Heresies that wee sowe abroade newe sectes and suche broyles as neuer earst were hearde of also that we are already diuided into contrarie partes and opinions and could yet by no meanes agree wel amonge out selues M. Hardinge Sith that ye raise vp againe the heresie of Aerius in deniynge praier for the dead who was for the same accoÌ„pted an Heretike aboue a leuen hundred yeres past sith that ye raise vp the Heresie of Manichaeus that liued before him in taking awaire free willâ— sith that ye raise vp the Heresie of Vigilantius in refusinge to praie to Sainctes and to honour their holy Reliques and to keepe lightes in Churches to the honour of God and many other Heresies beside of olde time condenmed sith that ye raise vp the Heresie of Berengarius in deniyng the presence of Christes very Body in the blessed Sacrament of the Aultar and sith that ye adde to those mo Heresies of your owne as the appointing of the supreme Pastorship or regiment of the Churche in all thinges and causes spiritual to a laye Magistrate the deniynge of the external Sacrifice of the Churche whiche wee cal the Masse the maintenance of the breache of Vowes of Pouertie Chastitie and Obedience Againe sithe that your Diuision into sundrie sectes can neither be dissembled nor defended whereof we shal speake hereafter more largely al these thinges beside sundrie other of like enormitic beinge true as they be most true this other crie made vpon you is true The B. of Sarisburie This heape is greate in shewe and light in substance Touching Berengarius gentle Reader for shortnesse sake I must referre thée to my Former Replie
conclude what if he be vtterly ignorant as many haue benne and cannot Féede Yet must he needes be the headshepheard ouer the whole flocke and must al the shéepe obey him and heare his voyce that cannot speake Verily S. Augustine saithe Qui hoc animo pascunt oues Christi vt suas velint esse non Christi se conuincuntur amare non Christum vel gloriandi vel dominandi vel acquirendi cupiditate Who so euer they be that Feede the sheepe to the ende to make them theirs and not Christes they soue them selues and not Christe for desire either of glorie or of rule or of gaine The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 8. That we set naught by the authoritie of the Auncient Fathers and Councels of olde time that we haue rashly and presumptuously disanulled the olde Ceremonies whiche haue benne wel allowed by our fathers and forefathers many hundred yeeres past both by good customes and also in ages of more puritie and that we haue by our owne priuate head without the authoritie of any Sacred General Councel brought Newe Traditions into the Churche haue donne al these thinges not for Religions sake but onely vpon a desire of contention and strife But that they for their parte haue chaunged no manner of thinge but haue helde kepte stil sutche a number of yeres to this very day al thinges as they were deliuered from the Apostles and wel approued by the most Auncient Fathers M. Hardinge The auncient fathers are but men if they please you not But if ye finde anie colour of aduantage but in the newe Schoolemen ye make mutche of it So that your owne opinion is the rule to esteeme them or despise them Councles ye admitte as your phansie and pleasure leadeth sometimes three sometimes foure sometimes fiue or sixe But al ye would neuer admitte and yet so many as are general and haue bene confirmed by the See Apostolike they are al of like authoritie Concerninge Ceremonies if ye shewe vs not the vse of Chrisme in your Churches if the signe of the Crosse be not borne before you in Processions and other where 's vsed if Holy VVater be abolished if lightes at the Gospel and communion be not had if peculiar Vestimentes for Deacons Priestes Byshoppes be taken awaie and many suche other the like iudge ye whether ye haue duely kepte the old Ceremonies of the Churche As for your newe Traditions Pâ—ites and Ceremonies I can not tel what to make of them nor whether I maye so terme them No manner of thinge haue we changed that is of necessitie either to be beleued or to be obserued The B. of Sarisburie Wée allowe the Auncient Fathers the same credite that they them selues haue euer desired S. Augustine hereof writeth thus Neque quorumuis Disputationes quantumuis Catholicorum laudatorum hominum velut Scripturas Canonicas habere debemus vt nobis non liceat salua reuerentia quae illis debetur aliquid in illorum Scriptis improbare aut respuere si fortè inuenerimus quòd aliter senserint quà m Veritas habet Talis sum ego in scriptis aliorum tales volo esse intellectores meorum We receiue not the Disputations or VVritinges of any menne be they neuer so Catholique or praise-woorthy as wee receiue the Canonical Scriptures but that sauinge the reuerence dewe vnto them wee may wel reproue or refuse some thinges in theire writinges if it happen wee finde they haue otherwise thought then the Truthe may beare them â—utche am I in the writinges of others and sutche would I wishe others to be in mine Likewise he writeth to S. Hierome Non puto Frater te velle Libros tuos legi tanquam Apostolorum aut Prophetarum I recken not my Brother that ye would haue vs so to reade your Bookes as if they were written by the Apostles or Prophetes It is certaine Tertullian EEyprian Clemens Alexandrinus Papias Irenaeus Victorinus Lactautius Hilarius other Ancient Fathers were oftentimes mutch deceiued S. Hierome sâ—â—ffeth at S. Ambroses Commentaries vpon Luke and calleth them Nugas trifles and nicknameth S. Ambrose sometime callinge him Coruus sometime Cornicula Likewise S. Augustine saithe Ecclesiastici Iudices vt homines plaerunque falluntur The Iudges or Doctours of the Churche as beinge men are often deceiued And Thomas of Aquine saithe Non tenemur de necessitate Salutis credere noÌ„ solùm Doctoribus Ecclesiae vt Hieronymo aut Augustino sed ne ipsi quidem Ecclesiae nisi in his quae pertinent ad substantiam Fidei Wee are not bounde vpon the necessitie of Saluation to beleue not onely the Doctours of the Churche as Hierome or Augustine but also neither the Churche it selfe sauinge onely in maters concerninge the substane of Faithe Touchinge the authoritie of Councels S. Augustine saithe Ipsa plenaria Concilia saepè priora à posterioribus emendantur cùm aliquo experimento aperitur quod clausum eâ—at The very General Councels are often corrected the former by the later as often as by trial and experience the thing is opened that before was shut Likewise Panormitane saithe Plus credendum est vni priuato fideli quà m toti Concilio Papae si meliorem habeat authoritatem vel rationem Wee ought to geue more credite to one priuate â—aye man then to the whose Councel and to the Pope if he bringe better authoritie and more reason If the Counsel be wicked and carried with malice as many haue benne specially within these fewe late hundred yeres We saie as the Prophete Esai saithe Inite Consilium dissipabitur Loquimini verbum non stabit quia nobiscum est Dominus Take Counsel togeather and it shal be broken Speake the woorde and it shal not holde For the Lorde is with vs. As for the late Schole Doctours your selues weigh them as litle as noman lesse You say in youre common talkes Bernardus noÌ„ vidit omnia You haue controlled your Doctour of al Doctours Peter Lombard with this common Caueat in the Margine Hic Magister non tenetur Here our Doctour is no Doctour You your selfe M. Hardinge in this youre very Booke against our Apologie sate that your Doctor Gratian was deceiued and in stéede of Anacletus alleged Calixtus You youre selfe againe saie If in a secrete pointe of learninge S. Augustine or S. Cyprian teache singularely Wee folowe them not mutche lesse do wee binde our selues to beeue what soeuer â—lbertus Pigghius hath written And againe VVee binde our selues neither to the woordes of Syluester nor of Pighius And againe wee take not vpon vs to defende al that the Canonistes or Scholemen saie or write And an other of your companie saieth that your Doctour Gratian hath published great vntruthes wilfully falsified the General Councel Nomen Vniuer salis saithe he assutum est à Gratiano Thus M. Hardinge ye vse your Doctours euen as the Marchante vseth his Counters sometime to stande for an hundred pounde
Sanctuarie to turne light into darkenesse and darkenesse into light and yet neuerthelesse to binde him to his promisse Al menne be liers but God onely is true and preuailethe when he is iudged God knoweth his owne Christe wil be euermore with his Churche yea although the whole Churche of Rome conspire against him But why doo you so mutche abate your rekeninge Why make you not vp your ful accoumpte of fiftéene hundred thréescoare and sixe yéeres as ye were woonte to doo Ye haue here liberally and of your selfe quite striken of fiue hundred thréescoare and sixe yeeres that is to saye the whole time wherein the Apostles of Christe and Holy Martyrs and other Learned Fathers and Doctours liued in whiche whole time it appeareth by your owne secrete Confession the Churche of God might wel stande bothe without youre Priuate Masse for then was there none and also without many other your like fantasies Neither ought you M. Hardinge so déepely to be greeued and to calle vs Apostates and Heretiques for that wee haue reformed either our Churches to the Paterne of that Churche or our selues to the example of those Fathers Verily in the iudgement of the godly fiue hundred of those firste yeeres are more woorthe then the whole thousande yeeres that folowed afterward Therefore I wil aunsweare you with the woordes of S. Hierome Quisquis es assertor â—ouorum Dogmatum quaeso te vt parcas Romanis â—uribus parcas Fidei quae Apostolico ore laudatur Cur post quadringentos annos docere nos niteris quod anteà nesciuimus Cur profers in medium quod Petrus Paulus edere noluerunt Vsque ad hunc diem sine ista Doctrina Mundus Christianus fuit Thou that art a Mainteiner of newe Doctine what so euer thou be I praie thee spare the Romaine eares spare the Faithe that is commended by the Apostles mouthe Why goest thou aboute nowe after foure hundred yeeres to teach vs that Faithe which before wee neuer knewe Why bringest thou vs foorthe that thinge that Peter and Paule neuer vttered Euermore vntil this daye the Christian world hathe benne without this Doctrine The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 7. For yf the Popes woulde or els if they could weigh with theire owne selues the whole mater and also the beginninges and procedinges of our Religion howe in a manner al theire trauaile hathe come to nought no body driuinge it forewarde and without any worldly healpe and howe on the other side our cause againste the wil of Emperours from the beginninge againste the willes of so many Kinges in spite of the Popes and almoste maugre the head of al menne hathe taken encrease and by little and little spredde ouer into al Countreis and is come at length euen into Kinges Courtes and Palaces Theise same thinges me thinke the might be tokens greate yenough to them that God him selfe doth strongly fight in our quarrel and dothe from Heauen laughe at theire enterprises and that the force of the Truethe is sutche as neither Mans Power nor yet Helle gates are able to roote it out M. Hardinge It is wel that ye vse the terme of the beginninge and procedinges of your Religion For in deede of late yeres it beganne not at Ierusalem but at Wittenberg Neither was it first deliuered vnto you by an Apostle but by an Apostata Stil it procedeth and the farther of from the end And wel may ye name it your Procedinges for there is no staie in it VVhat likethe to day mislike the tomorowe The seely begiled soules that folowe it be as S. Paule saithe ouer learninge and neuer reachinge to the knowledge of the Truthe Did not your Religion beginne firste of Coâ—etise and grew it not afterward of rancour and malice whiche Martin Luther conceiued against the Dominican Friers in Saxonie because Albert the Archebishop of Mentz and Electour of the Empire had admitted them to be Preachers of the Pardon of a Croisade against the Turkes coÌ„trary to an Ancient custome whereby the Augustine Friers of whom Luther was one had of longe time ben in possession of that preserment Is it not wel knowen what afstirre Frier Luther made against Iohn Tetzet the Frier of S. Dominikes order for that the said Tetzet was made chiefe preacher of a Pardon wherein was greate gaine and thereby him selfe was bereft of that sweete Morsel whiche in hope he had almost swallowed downe Where you saie your Religion is spred abroade and hath taken so mutche encrease against the willes of Princes and almost maugre the head of al men that is as false as your Religion is Did not the greate slaughter of your hundred thousand Boures of Germanie signifie to the world your cause to haue had the helpe of man VVhat maie weindge of the great League of Germaine Princes made at the diere of Smalcald for defence of your Lutheran Gospel The troubles and tumultes of Fraunce raised by your Brethren the Huguenots and the lament able outrages committed there for your Gospels sake be they not a witnes of fresh memorie that your Religion is maintained set forthe and defended with power and helpe of men That it is nowe at length come euen into Kinges Courtes and Palaices it mouethe wise men no lesse to suspect it then to praise it The B. of Sarisburie Ye make your selfe game M. Hardinge for that the Preachinge of the Gospel issued first out of Wittenberg and not from Rome Notwithstandinge Wittenberg is a noble and a famous Vniuersitie so generally frequented out of al foreine Countreis and so mutche commended for al kindes of tongues and liberal knowledge as not many the like this day in Christendome But be it that Wittenberg were so simple a burrough as M. Hardinge imagineth Yet were it not more simple then was the Towne of Nazareth in whiche poore Towne notwithstandinge firste appeared the most glorious and greattest Light of the world Christian modestie would not disdeigne the Truthe of God in respecte of place That rather becommethe the Proude lookes of the Scribes and Phariseis They despised Christe and his Disciples and called them Nazarenes in despite of his Countrie And there hence it is likely first grewe that scorneful question vsed by Nathanael Nunquid ex Nazareth potest aliquid esse boni Can any good thinge come from Nazareth so poore a Towne So Celsus the Heathen despised the Religion of Christe bicause it came not from Rome or Athens but from the Barbarous Iewes For thus Origen reportethe of him Dogma Christianuns affirmat à Barbaris cepisse ortum hoc est à Iudaeis He saithe the Doctorue of the Christians had his beginninge onely from a Barbarous Nation that is to say from the Iewes But this is the mighty hande and power of God He chusethe the weake thinges of the world to confounde the strong and the foolishe thinges of the world to confounde the wise He ouerthrowethe the greate Goliath with a seely
by Peter his predecessour are sufficient And the Glose vpon the same Petrus fecit Papam haeredem bonitatis suae Peter hath made the Pope Heire of his goodnesse But S. Hierome saithe farre otherwise Non sanctorum filij sunt qui tenent loca sanctorum They be not euermore Holy mennes Children that sitte in the roumes of Holy menne Likewise saithe Alphonsus de Castro a special assistante of that syde Quamuis teneamurâ—â—x Fide credere verum Petri Successorem esse Supremum totius Ecclesiae Pastorem tamen non tenemur eadem Fide credere Leonem aut Clementem esse verum Petri Successorem Notwithstanding we be bounde by Faithe to beleue that the true Successour of Peter is the highest Shepheard of the whole Churche yet are we not bounde by the same Faithe to beleue that Leo or Clement being Eishoppes of Rome are the true Successours of Peter The woordes that Christe spake vnto Peter importe no Souerainetie but were common to al the rest S. Cyprian saithe Hoc erant vtique coeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari cosortio praediti Honoris Potestatis The rest of the Apostles were euen the same that Peter was aâ— endewed with like felowship both of Honour and of Power What special priuilege then can the Pope claime by the Succession of S. Peter Or what talketh he of féeding the whole flocke of Christe that neuer feedeth any parte therof wherin is the Pope like S. Peter or wherein euer was S. Peter like the Pope Yet M. Hardinge doubteth not to geue his Definitiue Sentence vvhat so euer Sheepe is not obedient to the Headshepheard is not of the flocke of Christ The Pope also him selfe boldely warranteth the same Thus he saithe of him selfe Quicunque praeceptis nostris non obedierit peccatum Idololatriae Paganitatis incurrit Who so euer obeieth not our commaundementes falleth into the sinne of Idolatrie and Infidelite And therefore Pope Steuin thus auanceth the authoritie of his owne See Sacrosancta Domina nostra Romana Ecclesia Our Holy Lady the Churche of Rome But Christe speaking of him selfe saithe I am the True Sheepheard And Who so heareth these woordes of myne and doeth the same I wil liken him to a wise man S. Paule beinge but one of the shéepe saithe thus I withstoode Peter as M. Hardinge saithe the Head shéepheard euen vnto his face for that he walked not vprightly to the Gospel of Christe Yet was he a shéepe of the flocke of Christe Hostiensis in this case seemeth reasonable His woordes be these Omnes debent obediâ—e Papae quicquid praecipiat nisi sequi possit peccatum Al men must obey the Pope what so euer he commaunde so there folowe no sinne of his commaundement Likewise Feliuus a notable Canoniste Non obstante Plenitudine Potestatis quae est in Papa non est obediendum ei peccato imminente Notwithstandinge the fulnesse of power that is in the Pope when sinne shal folowe his biddinge we may not obey him Yf the Pope wil claime the Headpast ourship ouer the whole flocke of Christe or rather if he wil be taken for any Pastour at al let him then féede the Flocke Let him breake the breade of Life without Leauen Let him speake the woorde of God truely without fables and wée wil heare him Otherwise S. Augustine hath warned vs Sua si docere velint â—olite audire nolite facere Certè enim tales sua quaerunt non quae sunt Iesu Christi If they wil teache you Doctrines of theire owne see ye heare them not and what so euer sutche thing they commaunde you see ye doo it not For vndoubtedly sutche men seâ—ke for their owne maters and not the thinges that perteine to Jesus Christe The Apologie Cap. 5. Diuision 6. If so be that Pope Pius were the man wee saie not whiche he would so gladly be called but if he were in deede a man that either would accoumpt vs for his brethren or at least would take vs to be men he would first diligently haue examined our reasons and would haue seene what might be saide with vs what against vs would not in his Bul whereby he lately pretended a Councel so rashly haue condemned so great a part of the worlde so many Learned Godly men so many common wealthes so many Kinges so many Princes onely vpon his owne blinde preiudices foredeterminations that without hearing of them speake or without shewing cause why M. Hardinge Speake of Pope Pius what ye wil and what ye can Neither your praise can aduaunce his estimation nor your dispraise abase it His singular vertues be wel knowen God is highly to be praised for that he hath prouided for his flock so good a shepheard As for you as â—e taketh you to be men so not his brethren bicause ye haue cut of your selues from the Catholike churche Your reasons haue ben diligently and exactly examined already In respect of your reasones Learning and Holy Scriptures whiche ye bring ye are founde suche as Balsasar Kinge of Babylon â—as signified by the hande that appeared writing before him in the wall What it is Heretikes to be admitted to reasoning it is and hath ben euermore too wel knowen Be they neuer so throughly confuted they yelde not Ouercome they may be reformed thâ—â— wil not be Therein no good lightly is done The B. of Sarisburie Yf Pope Pius wâ—te so good 〈◊〉 who so 〈…〉 thy a Passout for the Churche of God why then did his Cat dâ—â—lles of thee 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 by treason and conspiracie to oppose him 〈…〉 you say â–ª so good a man â–ª 〈…〉 it were not so why then did he himselfe 〈◊〉 thereof so vtterly in â—n Oration pronounced openly in Rome in the Consistâ—â—te â–ª Is it not lauful for so good a man to liue in Rome Is the same Proclamation nowe practised emong the Cardinalles in Rome that was sometime vsed in the Councel house at Ephesus Nemo nostrum frugi esto Let no good man be emongste vs Ye safe Pope Pius would not vouchesaue to cal vs his Brethren No marueile séeing his owne dèere and first begotten Children the Cardinales would no lenger haue him to be theire Father It is sufficient for vs that Christe the Sonne of God is contente to cal vs his Brethren Ye haue Excommunicate vs as the Phâ—riseis did the Apostles bicause wée speake vnto you in the name of Christe But your owne Lawe saithe Excommunicaâ—us non poiest Excommunicate He that is Excommunicâ—t him selfe cannot geue Sentence to Excommunicate others And your owne Gelasius saithe Neminem ligate debet iniqua Sententia A wicked Sentence of Excommunication bindeth noman But before al others God him selfe saithe Ego Benedicam Maledictionibus vestris I wil Blesse that you Curse saithe the Lorde You saie you haue weighed our Reasons and haue founde them too light Now surely
Papae Pecora campi id est homines viuentes in terra Pisces maris id est animas in Purgatorio Volueres Coeli id est animas Beatorum These woordes S. Paule applieth onely vnto Christe meaninge thereby that God hath auanced him aboue al Powers Dominions and that al thinges are subiecte vnto him But the Romaine Sense is far otherwise Thou haste made al thinges subiecte vnto him that is to saye to the Pope The Cattaile of the Fielde that is to saye Menne liuinge in the Earthe The Fishes of the Sea that is to saye the Soules in Purgatories The Birdes of the Heauens that is to saye the Soules of the Blessed in Heauen I leaue M. Hardinges owne peculiar Expositions Drinke ye al of this that is to saye as he geathereth in Conclusion Drinke ye not al of this It is the Substance that is to saye It is the Accidens By sutche prety Senses I wil not saie as S. Hierome saithe De Euangelio Christi facitis hominis Euangelium aut quod peius est Diaboli Of the Gospel of Christe ye make the Gospel of a Man or that is woorse the Gospel of the Diuel I wil not so saye But thus maye I saye with the Prophete Esal Ye make Lighte Darkenesse and Darkenesse Lighte Yet muste wée néedes beléeue vpon M. Hardinges Woorde that the Scripture without the Sense of the Churche of Rome is no Scripture And therefore Hasius saithe Si quis haâ—eat interpretationem Ecclesiae Romanae de loco aliquo Scripturae etiamsi nec sciat nec intelligat an quomodo ' cùm Scripturae verbis conueniat tamen habet ipsissimum Verbum Dei If a man haue the exposition of the Churche of Rome touchinge any place of the Scriptures although he neither knowe nor vnderstande whether and howe it agreeth with the woordes of the Scripture yet he hath the verie Woorde of God So saithe Rabbi Abraham Hispanus speakinge of the expositions of the Rabbines Licet videantur nobis verba nostra esse vera recta nobis tamen Veritas abijcienda est in terram quia Veritas cum illis est Not withstandingâ— our Expositions seeme to vs neuer so True and righte yet muste wee throwe our Truthe to the grounde For the Truthe in deede is with them Lyra likewise reporteth the common opinion the Iewes had of their Rabines Recipienduâ—r est quicquid hoc modo proponatur etiamsi dicant Dextrant esse Sinistram Wee muste needes receiue what so euer they laye vnto vs yea although they tel vs The Righte hande is the Lefte Nowe gentle Reader that thou maiste the better see the constancie and certainetie of these Senses and Expositions whereunto M. Hardinge laboureth so earnestly to haue thee bounde it maye please thee to consider these woordes of Nicolaus Cusanus sometime Cardinal in the Churche of Rome Non est mirum si Praxis Ecclesiae vno tempore interpreâ—atur Scripturam vno modo alio tempore alio modo Nam lntellectus currit cum Praxi Intellectus enim qui cum Praxi concurrit est Spiritus Viuificans Sequuntur ergo Scripturae Ecclesiam non è conuerso It is no marueile though the Practise of the Churche expounde the Scriptures at one time one waye and at an other time an other waie For the vnderstandinge or Sense of the Scriptures renneth with the practise and that sense so agreeinge with the practise is the quickeninge Sprite And therefore the Scriptures folowe the Churche but contrariewise the Churche foloweth not the Scriptures For sutche kindes of Expositions of the Scriptures S. Hilarie saide sometime vnto the Arians Fides ergo temporum magis est quà m Euangeliorum The Faithe therefore foloweth the time and not the Gospel This is the Sense of the Churche of Rome whereby onely M. Hardinge willeth vs to measure and to weighe the Woorde of God But the Ancient Father Origen saithe Sicut omne Aurum quodcunque fuerit extra Templum non est Sanctificatum sic omnis Sensus qui fuerit extra Diuinam Scripturam quamuis admirabilis videatur quibusdam non est Sanctus quia non continetur à Sensu Scripturae As what so euer Golde is without the Temple is not Sanctified so what so euer Sense is without the Holy Scripture although vnto some it seeme wounderful yet is it not Holy bicause it is not conteined in the Sense of the Scripture To conclude where as M. Hardinge saithe wee cannot vnderstande the Scriptures without Tradition the ancient Father Irenaeus saithe This is one special marke whereby wee maye knowe an Heretique These be his woordes Haeretici cùm arguuntur ex Scripturis in accusationem Scripturarum conuertuntur quasi non rectè habeant nec sint ex authoritate quòd variè fint dictae quòd ex his non possit inueniri Veritas ab illis qui Traditionem nesciunt Heretiques when they be reprooued by the Scriptures they falle to the accusinge of the Scriptures as though either they were not wel and perfite or wanted authoritie or were doubtefully vttered or that they that knowe not the Tradition were neuer hable by the Scriptures to finde out the Truthe The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 2. Menne saie that Sophocles the Tragical Poete when in his old daies he was by his owne Sonnes accused before the Iudges for a dotinge and sottishe man as one that fondely wasted his owne Substance and seemed to neede a gouernour to see vnto him to the intent he might cleere him self of the faulte he came into the place of Iudgemente and when he had rehearsed before them his Tragedie called Oedipus Colonaeus whiche he had written at the very time of his accusation marueilous exactely cunningly did aske the Iudges in his owne behalfe whether they thought any sottishe or dotinge man coulde doo the like peece of Woorke In like manner bicause these menne take vs to be madde and appeache vs for Heretiques as menne whiche haue nothinge to doo neither with Christe nor with the Churche of God wee haue iudged it should be to good purpose and not vnprofitable if wee doo openly and frankely set foorthe our Faithe wherein wee stande and shewe al that confidence whiche wee haue in Christe Iesu to the intent al menne maye see what is our iudgement of euery parte of Christian Religion maye resolue with them selues whether the Faithe whiche they shal see confirmed by the Woordes of Christe by the Writinges of the Apostles by the Testimonies of the Catholique Fathers and by the Examples of many ages be but a certaine rage of Furious and madde menne and a conspiracie of Heretiques This therefore is our beliefe M. Hardinge The comparison whiche ye make betweene your selues and Sophocles gladly we admitte Yet we acknowledge that as in many respectes ye are like so in some vnlike Sophocles was a Poet that is to saie a fainer and deuiser of thinges that be
de sua Fide viuit And wee beinge Laiemenne are wee not Priestes It is written Christe hath made vs bothe a Kingedome and Priestes vnto God his Father The Authoritie of the Churche and the Honour by the Assemblie or Councel of Order Sanctified of God hath made a difference bitwene the Laie and the Cleregie Where as there is no Assemblie of Ecclesiastical Order the Prieste beinge there alone without the companie of other Priestes doothe bothe Minister the Oblation and also Baptize Yea and be there but Three togeather and though they be Latemenne yet is there a Churche For euery man liueth of his owne Faithe Againe ye demaunde of me what Bishoppe of Sacisburie euer sithence Augostines time maineteined this Doctrine I might likewise and by as good Authoritie demaunde of you what Bishop of Rome euer before the same Englishe Augustines time maineteined your Doctrine Or as I saide before what Bishop of Rome euer before that time either saide or knewe your Priuate Masse Touchinge the Bishoppes of Sarisburie you your selfe haue already named twoo Bishop Shaxton and Bishop Capon bothe Learned and graue Fathers and bothe Preachers and professours of the Gospel For the reste of the Bishops that were before them what Faithe they helde and what they either liked or misliked by their writinges or Sermons it dothe not greately appeare I truste they helde the Fundation and liued and died in the Faithe of Christe If they had liued in these daies and seene that you see they would not haue benne partakers of your wilfulnesse To be shorte wée succede the Bishoppes that haue benne before our daies Wee are Elected Consecrate Confirmed and Admitted as they were If they were deceiued in any thinge wee succede them in place but not in errour They were our Predecessours but not the Rules and Standardes of our Faithe Or rather to sette aparte al comparison of Personnes the Doctrine of Christe this daie M. Hardinge Succedeth your Doctrine as the Daie Succedeth the Nighte as the Lighte Succedeth Darkenesse and as the Truthe Succedeth Errour Nowe for as mutche as ye haue thought it so good to examine the Petite degree of the Bishoppes of Sarisburie I truste ye wil not thinke it il if I alâ—tle touche the like in the Bishoppes of Rome that wée maye thereby be the better hable to sée some of the branches of your Succession Therefore shortly to saie you knowe that Pope Marcellinus committed Idolatrie that Pope Syluester 2. was a Coniurer and gaue him selfe whole Body and Soule vnto the Diuel and by the Diuels procuremente was made Pope That Pope Zosimus for ambition and claime of gouernmente corrupted the Holy Councel of Nice That Pope Liberius was an Arian Heretique That Pope Leo as appeareth by the Legende was likewise an Arian That Pope Coelestinus was a Nestorian Heretique Pope Honorius was a Monothelite Heretique Pope Iohn 22. was reprooued by Gerson and the Schole of Parise for an Heretique Petrarcha saithe Rome is a Sanctuarie of al Heresies Lyra saithe that many Popes haue fallen into Heresies you know that Pope Hildebrande as he was charged by the Councel of Brixia was an Aduouterer a Churcherobber a Periured man a Mankiller a Sorcerer and a Renegate of the Faithe That Platina calleth the Popes sometimes in scorne Pontificulos Litle Petite Popes sometimes Monstra Portenta Monsters and Vnnatural and il shapen Creatures Pope Adrian the fourthe was woonte to saie Succedimus non Petro in pascendo sed Romulo in Parricidio VVee Succede not Peter in Feedinge but Romulus in Killinge And to leaue Dame Iohane the woman Pope with many others moe of like Vertue and Holinesse as hauinge no pleasure in this rehersal And for as mutche as M. Hardinge began this mater with Sarisburie to ende it with the same Iohannes Sarisburiensis saithe In Romana Ecclesia sedent Scribae Pharisaei In the Churche of Rome by Succession sitte the Scribes and the Phariseis This is M. Hardinges holy Succession Though Faithe faile yet Succession muste holde For vnto sutche Succession God hath bounde the Holy Ghoste For lacke of this Succession for that in our Sees in the Churches of Englande wée finde not so many Idolaters Necromancers Heretiques Aduouterours Church-robbers Periured Personnes Mankillers Renegates Monsters Scribes and Pharisies as wée maie easily finde in the Churche of Rome therefore I trowe M. Hardinge saithe wée haue no Succession wée are no Bishoppes wée haue no Churche at al. But S. Paule saithe Faithe commeth not by Succession but by hearinge and hearinge commeth not of Legacie or Enheritance from Bishop to Bishop but of the Woorde of God They are not alwaies Godly that Succede the Godly Manasses succeded Ezechias and Hieroboam succeded Dauid By Succession the Turke this daie possesseth and holdeth the foure greate Patriarkal Sées of the Churche Constantinople Alexandria Antioche and Hierusalem By Succession Christe saithe Desolation shal fitte in the Holy place and Antichriste shal presse into the roume of Christe It is not sufficient to claime Succession of place It behooueth vs rather to haue regarde to the Succession of Doctrine S. Bernarde saithe Quid prodest si Canonice eligantur non Canonicè viuant What auaileth it if they be chosen in Order and liue out of Ordere So saithe S. Augustine Ipsum Characterem multi Lupi Lupis imprimunt The outwarde marke or right of a Bishop manie geue to Woulues and he Woulues them selues Therefore the Ancient Father Irenaeus geueth vs this good Councel Eis qui sunt in Ecclesia Presbyteris obaudire oportet qui Successionem habent ab Apostolis qui cum Episcopatus Successione Charisma Veritatis certum secundum beneplacitum Patris acceperunt It becommeth vs to obeie those Priestes in the Churche whiche haue their Succession from yâ— Apostles and togeather with the Succession of their Bishoprikes accordinge to yâ— good wil of God the Father haue receiued the vndoubted gifte of the Truthe S. Cyprian beinge likewise charged for dissentinge from his predecessours answeareth thus Si quis de Antecessoribus meis non hoc obseruauit tenuit quod nos Dominus exemplo Magisterio suo docuit potest simplicitati eius venia concedi Nobis verâ— ignoici non potest qui nunc à Domino admoniti instructi sumus If any of my Predecessours haue not obserued and kepte the same that our Lorde hath taught vs bothe by his example and also by his Commaundemente his simplicitie maie be pardoned But wee if wée doo the like can hope for no pardonne beinge nowe admonished and instructed of our Lorde Compare the vse and order of our Churches M. Hardinge with the Primitiue Churche of God and ye shal easily see the right of our Succession S. Cyprian saithe Si Canalis aquae quae copiose prius laâ—gâ—â—â—r profluâ—baâ— subitâ— deficiat noÌ„ne adfonteÌ„ pergitur c. Hoc nuÌ„c facere oporteâ— Dei Sacerdotes Praecepta Diuina
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
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
your behalfe to sée you a man of wisedome and Learninge to warrante sutche folies without blusshinge This whole Donation of Constantine wherevpon ye builde the Popes vvhole Kingdome hath not shewe sufficient to mocke a childe The effecte sense thereof is this that Constantinus the Emperoure the thirde daie after he was Christened in the honoure of S. Peter willingly leafte al the Weaste parte of the Empiere and departed to Byzantium which is nowe called Constantinople to dwel in the Easte yâ— he gaue the whole Emperial and Ciuile Dominion not onely of the Cittie of Rome but also of Italie France Spaine Arragone Portugal Englande Germanie Scotlande Irelande Pole Denmarke Sueden and Hungarie to the Pope This doubtelesse being true had ben a toily liberal and a Princely gifte And one of your frendes saithe Volunt aliqui quòd ratione huius Doni Summus Pontifex Imperator est quòd potest instituere destituere Reges sicut Imperator Somme saie that by meane of this gifte the Pope is an Emperoure and maie set vp and pulle downe Kinges as an Emperoure But Pius Secundus beinge him selfe afterwarde Bishop of Rome saithe Dicta Palea Constantinus falsa est The saide Decree named Constantinus conteining Constantine the Emperours Donation or Chartar is vtterly false So saith Antoninus the Archebishop of Florence Valla Volaterrane Hieronymus Cathalanus Otho Frisingensis and others moe Of this Fable wee shal haue occasion to speake hereafter Constantius the Heretique sonne vnto Constantinus as you saie mutche misliked his Fathers dooinge Nai M. Hardinge if Constantius were aliue he would rather finde faulte in your discretion that reporte sutche Folies of his Fathers dooinges Where ye saie God suffered him not to returne and to dwel in Rome it palleth the déepthe of your Diuinitie to searche vp the causes and secretes of Goddes sufferance Althoughe Constantius beinge encumbred with dangerous warres greate affaires were forced to staie in other Countries and could not haue leasure to returne to Rome yet he stil continued the Lorde of Rome as also did a greate number of other Emperours that folovved after him Therefore Pope Bonifacius thus wrote vnto the Emperoure Honorius Roma est Vrbs vestrae mansuetudinis Rome is your Maiesties Cittie Likewise Pope Agatho writeth vnto the Emperoure Constantinus Haec est Vrbs Seruilis Maiestatis vestrae This is your Maiesties bonde Cittie And Constantinus the Emperour him selfe saithe Dono Archiepiscopo Antiquae nostrae Romae To Donus the Arche bishop of our Cittie of Olde Rome But what néede moe woordes The case is so cleare â— that no man of learninge can cal it in question Briefely touchinge this fonde Fable of Constantines Donation Cardinal Cusanus saithe thus Donationem diligenter expendens reperi in ipsamet Scriptura manifesta argumenta Confictionis Falsitatis Diligently weighinge this Donation of Constantine I haue founde in the very penninge thereof manifeste argumentes of for ginge and falshedde These M. Hardinge be the Recordes and Presidentes of moste certaine and most ancient memorie that ye would haue publisshed vnto the world By sutche Monumentes your Pope claimeth the right and possession of the Empiere And your frendes marueile that ye can defende sutche falshedde and forgerie so wel knowen and so manifeste for very shame M. Hardinge The Being of the Popes Legates and Ambassadours in Princes Courtes is a thing nolesse conuenient then it is meete for him that hath cure of many flockes of Shepe to set his seruauntes as watchmen in euery part where sutcheflockes do feede The B. of Sarisburie In what stéede these Legates stande the Churche of God it maie appeare by these fewe vttered thereof by Camotensis Legati Papae ita debacchantur in Prouincijs acsi ad flagellandum Ecclesiam Satan egressus esset à facie Domini The Popes Legates doo so rage in al Countries as if Satan were gonne oute before the face of god to scourge the Churche And Machiauel saithe There haue benne fewe warres or Commotions enflamed these many late yéeres but by the meane and whisperinge of these Legates What other Doctrine they teache or what other good they doo it were harde to saie And therefore the Fathers in the Councel of Aphrica refused vtterly to haue any sutche Legates sente emongest them For thus they write vnto the Pope Vt aliqui tanquam à tuae Sanctitatis latere mittantur nulla inuenimus Patrum Synodo constitutuÌ„ That any Legates shoulde be sente vnto vs as froÌ„ your holinesse side we finde it not appointed by any Councel of our Fathers Againe they saie Executores Clericos Vestros quibusque Pontentibus nolite mittere ne fumosum seâ—culi typhuÌ„ in Ecclesiam Christi videamur inducere Send not your Clerkes or Cardinalles to put maters in execution to any Noble man or Mighty Prince Leste wee seeme to bringe the smoky pride of the vvorlde into the Churche of Christe M. Hardinge His indulgences and pardons depend vpon the power of bindinge and loosinge whiche Christe gaue to Peter and his successours Ye muste demaunde of Christe why he gaue that Power and not be angry with his vicare for vsinge the same The B. of Sarisburie O M. Hardinge what shoulde you meane with al these Uanities Are ye so fully bente to graunte no kinde of erroure neither in your Purgatories nor in your Pardons nor in your Stewes God geue you Humilitie of harte leste ye be an vnfitte vessel to receiue Goddes Pardonne M. Hardinge Ye finde faulte with Leo the thirde for makinge an Emperour in the VVest I dare saie it greueth you For if there had benne none in the VVest the Turke might haue ben our Emperour er this and to his Barbarous and wicked tyrannie might haue subdued this parte of the worlde specially Germanie as he hath subdued Grece Asia Egypte Syria and al the Easte Churche Against whiche mischefe the Vicare of Christe by his maisters merciful warninge with the Princes of the VVest made prouision â–ª and at the length planted the Empire in this order we see it nowe in The B. of Sarisburie This policie practised by the Pope loosed the whole power of Christendome For as the Empiere before beinge vnited and ioined in one was stronge and mighty so beinge afterwarde diuided into twoo and the Easte parte beinge sundred for the Weaste it became lame and weake and not hable to healpe it selfe By meane whereof a gate was opened to receiue the Turke into al these ChristiaÌ„ Dominions whiche nowe he holdeth without resistance who otherwise the Empiere beinge one and whole in it selfe as it was before coulde neuer haue growen to sutche Power Al this was wrought by the Practise and Policie of the Pope Notwithstandinge the Pope him selfe by this bargaine loste nothinge Thereof Marsilius Patauinus writeth thus Pipinus Sonne vnto Charles the Frenche Kinge after he had conquered Aristulphus the Kinge of Lumbardie tooke Rauenna
not wel calle her the Holy Father In déede thus ye haue it prouidentely noted vpon your Decre talles Est quaedam Spiritualitas secundum statum quando est in statu Sanctissimo Spiritualissimo in hoc statu est Solus Summus Pontifex There is a certaine Spiritual Holinesse according to the state moste Holy and moste Spiritual and in this state is onely the Highest Bishop that is the Pope And a Special Statute of premunire in the Popes behalfe is written thus Papa de Homicidio vel Adulterio accusari non potest Vnde Sacrilegij instar esset disputare de facto suo Nam facta Papae excusantur vt Homicidia Samsonis Furta Hebraeorū Adulteria Iacob The Pope maie neuer be accused neither of Aduouterie nor of Murther Therefore it were as badde as Churcherobbinge to reason or moue mater of any his dooinges For what so euer he doo it is excused as are the Murthers committed by Samson the Robberies in Egypte by the Jewes and y◠Aduouteries of Iacob And againe In Papa si defint bona acquisita per meritum sufficiunt quae à loci praedecessore praestantut In the Pope if there want good deedes gotten by his own inerites yet the good deedes donne by S. Peter that was his Predecessoure in that place are sufficiente But S. Hierome saithe far otherwise Non Sanctorum Filij sunt qui tenent loca Sanctorum Sed qui exercent opera eorum They are not alwaies the children of Holy menne that fitte in the places of Holy menne but they that doo the woorkes of Holy menne Therefore I maie saie to you M. Harding as S. Augustine saith to Emeritus y◠Heretique Noli Frater noli obsecro nō te decet eisi aliquē fortè deceat si tamē quicquā deceat malos Emeritum certè non decet defendere Optatum Doo not my Brother doo not I praie you It be commeth you not Although happily it maie becomme somme other man If any thing maie becomme the wicked Yet verily it becommeth not Emeritus to defende Optatus in open wickenesse S. Hierome saith Si quis hominem qui Sanctus non est Sanctum esse crediderit Dei eum iunxerit socierari Christum violat cuius Corporis omnes membra sumus Qui dicit inquit Iustum Iniustum Iniustum Iustum abominabilis est vterque apud Deum Et rursus qui dicit Sanctum non esse Sanctum rursus non Sanctum esse Sanctum est abominabilis apud Deum Who so beleeuèth that man to be Holy that is not Holy and ioineth the same man to the felowship of God dooth villanie to Christe For al we are members of his Body It is written Bothe he that calleth a Iuste man Wicked and he that calleth a Wicked man Iuste are bothe abominable before God Likewise who so saith a Holy man is not Holy or An Vnholy man is Holy is abominable before God The Apologie Cap. 8. Diuision 2. 3. Yf we be counted Traitours whiche doo honoure our Princes which geue them al obedience as mutche as is due to them by Gods woorde and doo praie for them what kinde of men then bee these whiche haue not onely donne al the thinges before saide but also allowe the same for specially wel donne Doo they then either this waie instructe the people as wee doo to reuerence theire Magistrate or can thei with honestie appeach vs as seditious personnes breakers of the common quiete and despisers of Princes Maiestie Truely we neither put of the yoke of obedience from vs neither doo we disorder Realmes nor doo we set vp or pulle downe Kinges nor doo wee translate gouernementes nor geeue wee our Kinges poison to drinke nor yet holde foorth to them our feete to kisse nor opprobriously triumphe ouer thē nor leape into theire neckes with our feete This rather is our Profession this is our Doctrine that euery soule of what callinge so euer it bee bee it Monke bee it Preacher be it Prophete be it Apostle ought to be Subiecte to Kinges and Magistrates yea and that the Bishop of Rome him selfe onlesse he wil seeme greater then the Euangelistes then the Prophetes or the Apostles ought bothe to acknoweledge and to cal the Emperour his Lorde and Maister as the Olde Bishoppes of Rome who liued in times of more grace euer did Our common teachinge also is that we ought so to obeie Princes as menne sent of God and that who so withstandeth them withstandeth Goddes ordinance This is our Doctrine this is wel to be seene both in our Bookes and Preachinges and also in the manners and modeste behaueour of our people M. Hardinge The Doctrine of obedience apperteineth specially to subiectes The Bishop of Rome sittinge by due succession in the chaire of Peter in spiritual causes can haue no Superiour In temporal matters it maie be that in one age he hath acknowledged the Emperoure as the Lorde of that prouince where he liued as before Constantine al the Popes did liue in subiection and in an other age he maie be Lorde thereof him selfe Likewise S. Gregorie might cal Mauritius his Lorde either of courtesie or of custome and yet our Holy Father Pius the fourth shal not be bounde to do the like in consideration that the custome hath longe sence ben discontinewed Neither did S. Gregorie by that title of honour preiudicate vnto him selfe in any spiritual iurisdiction For that name notwithstandinge he gouerned the whole Churche and complained that Maximus was made Bishop of Salonae a Cittie in Illyrico without his Auctoritie not regarding that Mauritius the Emperoure was thought to haue willed it so to be donne And therefore he writeth to Constantia the Empresse that for as mutche as neither he nor his depute was made priuie to it that the thinge had benne donne whiche neuer was donne before by any of the Princes that were the Emperours Predecessours The B. of Sarisburie What néede you to speake so precisely and so nicely of your Causes Spiritual M. Harding Ye knowe that your Pope hath claimed and yet claimeth his Souerainetie not onely in Spiritual Causes but also in Tēporal as it shal appeare He wil saie ye are an il Proctoure and doo him wronge and goe aboute to abridge his right that wil so lightly exclude that thinge that he so gréedily wil haue included You saie The Pope can haue no Superioure in Spiritual Causes And yet by the Iudgement of sundrie your Doctours euen in Causes Spiritual the Councel is Superioure to the Pope and maie summone him and Iudge him and geeue Sentence againste him and depose him As hereafter it shal be declared more at large Thus is it noted of pourpose vpon your owne Decrees Cùm agitur de Fide tunc Synodus Maior est quà m Papa When the case is mooued in a mater of Faithe that is to saie in a cause Spiritual then is
Pope is Antichriste For bothe Heauen Earthe knoweth he is not Christe The Apologie Cap. 18. Diuision 1. But forsomutche as these menne auouche the Vniuersal possession of the Catholique Churche to be their owne and cal vs Heretiques bicause we agree not in iudgemente with them let vs know I beseeche you what proper marke and badge hathe that Churche of theirs whereby it maie be knowen to bee the Churche of God Yewis it is not so harde a matter to finde out Goddes Churche if a manne wil seeke it earnestly and diligently For the Churche of God is sette vpon a highe glisteringe place in the toppe of an Hille and builte vpon the Fundation of the Apostles and Prophetes There saithe Augustine lette vs seeke the Churche there lette vs trie oure maters And as he saithe againe in an other place The Churche muste be shevved out of the Holy and Canonical Scriptures and that vvhiche can not be shevved out of them is not the Churche Yet for al this I wote not how whether it be for feare or for conscience or despaire of victorie these menne alwaie abhorre and flee the VVoorde of God euen as the Theefe fleeth the Gallowes And no woonder truely For like as menne saie the Cantharus by and by perisheth dieth as soone as it is laide in baulme notwithstandinge Baulme be otherwise a moste sweete smellinge ointemente euen so these men wel see their owne matte is damped and destroied in the VVoorde of God as if it were in poison Therefore the Holy Scriptures whiche oure Saueour Iesus Christe did not onely vse for Authoritie in al his speache but did also at laste seale vp the same with his owne Bloude these menne to the entent they mighte with lesse businesse driue the people from the same as from a thinge daungerous and deadly haue vsed to cal theim a Bare Letter Vncertaine Vnprofitable Doūbe Killinge Deade whiche seemeth to vs al one as if they shoulde saie The Scriptures are to no pourpose or as good as none at al. Hereunto they adde also a Similitude not very agreeable how the Scriptures be like to a Nose of VVaxe or a Shipmans Hose how thei may be fashioned and plied al manner of waies and serue al mennes turnes M. Hardinge VVhere ye saie the Churche is builded vpon the Fundation of the Apostles and Prophetes and shewed by the Holy Canonicall Scriptures we confesse the same with S. Augustine VVhen ye adde the Churche whiche can not be shewed out of the Scriptures to be no Churche we saie that though S. Augustine haue no suche woordes in the Chapters whiche ye alleage in the Margent yet were it neuer so muche graunted that he had those woordes in that place they shoulde make nothinge for your pourpose S. Augustine in that Booke disputeth againste the Donatistes who would restraine the Catholike Churche to the onely Countrie of Aphrike denieinge other Christen menne to be members thereof S. Augustine refutinge their Heresie declareth the Sonne of God to be Heade and all the true Faithfull to be the Body of the Churche and that it is not sufficient to holde with the Head alone or with the Body alone but we muste holde with bothe together if we will be saued The Donatistes did graunte the Heade Iesus Christe and denied his Body the Churche For this cause saithe S. Augusiine Ipsum Caput de quo consentimus ostēdat nobis Corpus suum de quo dissentimus Let the Heade vpon whom we agree shewe vnto vs his Body whereupon we disagree The Head is Christe who spake firste by his Prophetes afterwarde by him selfe and laste of all by his Apostles In his igitur omnibus quaerenda est Ecclesia In all these saithe he the Churche muste be sought If thou marke good Reader that whiche I haue here rehersed out of S Augustine it is to be seene that he bindeth not the proufe of the Churche simply to the Holy Scriptures but onely in a case when he hath to doo with an Heretike who wil not admitte the auctoritie of the Churche Therefore a true Churche maie be founde whiche is not shewed in the Scriptures so the contrarie thereof be not shewed in the Scriptures Now if these Defenders will haue that to be no Churche which can not be shewed out of Scriptures they shall vnderstande that as therein they plaie the Donatistes so we must needes folow's Augustine in bringinge Scripture against them not as the onely proufe in deede whiche they falsely saie but as a very good and chiefe kinde of proufe moste profitable in all cases and necessary at suche time as the aduersarie will admitte none other proufe c. VVherefore it remaineth that it is the Synagog of Antichriste and Lucifer VVho as he fell out of Heauen like a lightninge so he maketh a blase and shewe of a Churche in the Earthe for a time But as we can tell when it was not borne so shall it not be longe but that through Gods power it will vanishe awaie dispersed and be scattered by the lightsome Maiestie of Christes true Churche whiche from S. Peters time to this daie florisheth in her Head the Bishop of Rome and in her members throughout the worlde vvhiche abide in the Vnitie of the same Bishop VVee esteeme and vnderstande the Scriptures to be the sense and the woorde If they can pretende the bare woorde they thinke themselues good inough to make a sense of their owne VVhiche bare woorde as they misuse it Pighius perhaps compareth to a nose of waxe But the Scriptures he neuer meante to dishonour with that similitude If it were lawfull for vs to vse Scripture after our owne interpretation as they doo we shoulde not lacke sufficient matter in the Holy Bookes to ouerthrowe by our owne applieinge all theire false opinions and Heresies But we are bounde to that religious awe and reuerence of them that excepte we haue an Authour to auouche the sense whereof we take holde we dare bringe foorthe nothinge And yet reade our Bookes who will he shall lacke neither Scriptures in them nor witnesses of our interpretation in any controuersie of this age Let it be agreed that for decision of controuersies suche sense of the Scriptures be taken for Scripture whiche the Holy Ghost hath taught the Churche and then let the worlde iudge who flieth the woorde of God as the Theefe dothe the Gallowes The B. of Sarisburie Contrarie to that wée haue here alleged of S. Augustine ye saie A true Churche maie be founde whiche is not shewed in the Scriptures Whereby it appeareth ye are lothe your Churche shoulde comme to the trial of this Standerde But for as mutche as this quarrel groweth of S. Augustine let S. Augustine him selfe be the Iudge And to allege a fewe woordes in stéede of many thus he saithe Vtrùm ipsi Ecclesiam teneant Diuinarum Scripturarum Canonicis Libris ostendant Ecclesiam Christi
free liberalitie For otherwise of dewtie by youre iudgemēte they shoulde haue nothinge Notwithstandinge Christe saithe Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye not onely the Apostles but Drinke ye al of this Whiche woordes Paschasius expoundeth thus Bibite ex hoc omnes Hoc est tam Ministri quà m reliqui Credentes Drinke ye al of this that is to saie as vvel the Ministers as the reste of the Faithful An other saithe thus Bibite ex hoc Omnes Omnes scilicet sine personarum acceptione Drinke ye al of this Al that is to saie without difference or choise of personnes But hereof we haue spoken more at large in other places The Apologie Cap. 21. Diuision 2. 3. Very rightely and aptely doth Chrysostome write against these menne Heretikes saithe he shutte vp the gates against the Truethe for they knowe ful wel if the gate were open the Churche shoulde be none of theires Theophylacte also Goddes VVoorde saithe he is the Candel whereby the Theefe is espied The Apologie Cap. 21. Diuision 4. And Tertullian saith The Holy Scripture manifestly findeth out the fraude and theafte of Heretiques For why doo they hide why doo they keepe vnder the Gospel whiche Christe woulde haue preached alowde from the house toppe Why whealme they that light vnder a Busshel whiche ought to stande on the Candelsticke M. Hardinge The Scripture saithe There shal be menne standing in their owne conceite vnchaste louing pleasure more then God VVho are vnchaste they that exhorte al menne to Chastitie and them selues abstaine from wedlocke for the better meane to serue God or ye that bidde menne whiche haue vowed chastitie to breake their vowes The B. of Sarisburie I leaue youre Chastitie to the iudgemente of the Worlde Yet you maie remember there were somme in olde times whome Christe likened to Painted graues outwardely in appearance faire glorious but inwardly ful of stinking boanes It appeareth by the whole course and order of youre liues that Single Life and Chastitie are sundrie thinges S. Hierome saithe thus Super Concupiscentiam foeminarum non intelliget De Antichristo facilior interpretatio est quoód ideó simulet Castitatem vt plurimos decipiat He shal haue no skil touching the desiere of weemen The better exposition hereof is to applie these woordes to Antichriste For that he shal Countrefeite Chastitie to the ende to deceiue many S. Augustine saithe of the Heretiques called the Manichees Vitae Castae memorabilis continentiae imaginem praeferunt They beare a countenance of continent life and notable Chastitie S. Ambrose saithe Multi sunt Haereticorum qui praetendere volunt Corporis continentiam There be many Heretiques that wil countrefeite and pretende Chastitie of body that by the witnesse thereof they maie winne Credit to theire Doctrine Therefore M. Hardinge when you thus vaunte your selues of this Coloure of Chastitie ye make boaste of that thing that other Heretiques and Antichriste him selfe shal haue as wel as you S. Paule where he foretelleth vs of the Disciples of Antichriste emongest other markes whereby they maie be knowen saithe thus Prohibentes nubere whereby he meante that Antichriste shoulde geue out a greate shine of Chaste life and forbidde Marriage Of sutche S. Hierome saithe Iactant pudicitiam suam impudenti facie They make bragges of their Chastitie with whoorishe Countenance The Apologie Cap. 21. Diuision 5. 6. Why truste they more to the blindenesse of the vnskilful multitude and to ignorance then to the goodnesse of their cause Thinke they their sleightes are not already perceiued and that they can walke nowe vnspied as though they hadde Gyges ring to goe inuisible by vpon their finger No no. The Apologie Cap. 21. Diuision 7. Al menne see nowe wel and wel againe what good stuffe is in that cheste of the Bishop of Romes bosome This thing alone of it selfe maie be an argument sufficient that they woorke not vprightly and truely M. Hardinge You are mutche troubled with the cheste of the Popes bosome wherein be is thought to haue al lawes At this you scoffe foure or fiue times in your Apologie medlinge with a matter that you vnderstande not For it is a Lawiers phrase VVho presupposeth the Prince of euery common weale to knowe the lawe of the same no lesse then if it were written in his breaste And therefore when he maketh a newe lawe he repealeth the former lawe whereunto the latter is contrary The B. of Sarisburie For as mutche as this matter of the Popes breaste is so deepe and full of darkenesse specially being as you saie a Lavviers phrase that no man maie safely enter into it but onely you that neuer were student in any Lavve lette vs therefore see what your owne Canonistes and Lavviers them selues haue meante hereby Firste of al Baldus of Perusium saithe Papa est Doctor vtriusque Iuris Authoritate non Scientia The Pope is Doctour of bothe Lawes as wel Ciuile as Canon by Authoritie but not by knowledge Here wee finde howe so euer the Pope be stoared of Learninge yet at the leaste he is a Doctoure by Authoritie Further youre Glose saithe Etsi totus mundus sententiaret in aliquo negotio contra Papam tamen videtur quo'd standum fit sententiae Papae Iura enim omnia in Scrinio pectoris sui habere videtur Quod ergo Papa approbat vel reprobat nos approbate vel reprobare debemus Quisquis ergo non obedit Statutis Romanae Ecclesiae Haereticus est censendus Et Sacrilegij instar esset disputare de facto Papae Although al the worlde woulde iudge in any mater againste the Pope yet it seemeth wee ought to stande to the iudgemente of the Pope For he seemeth to haue al Lavves in the Cheaste of his bosome Therefore what so euer the Pope either alloweth or disalloweth wee are bounde likewise to allowe or disallowe the same And who so euer is not obedient to the Lawes of the Churche of Rome muste be deemed an Heretique And it were as great sinne as Churcherobbinge to reason of any of the Popes dooinges Further youre Lavviers saie thus Papa dicitur habere Coeleste arbitrium Vnde in his quae vult est ei pro Ratione Voluntas Nec est qui dicat illi Domine cur ita facis Quia sicut ex Sola Voluntate potest per Papam Lex creari ita per Solam Voluntatem potest cum ea dispensari The Pope is saide to haue a heauenly iudgemente Therefore in sutche thinges as he willeth his Wil standeth in steede of Reason Neither maie any man saie vnto him O sir VVhy doo yovv thus Like as a Lavve maie be made by the Onely VVil of the Pope so maie the same Lavv bee dispensed withal onely by the vvil of the Pope This M. Hardinge is the exposition of youre Lavviers phrase Theise are the treasures that wee are taughte to seeke in the Closet of the
greater then al these mennes policie For sutche is their Life their Doctrine and their Diligence that for al them the Churche maie not onely erre but also vtterly be spoiled and perish◠No doubte if that Churche maie erre whiche hath departed from Goddes VVoorde from Christes Commaundementes from the Apostles Ordinaunces from the Primitiue Churches Examples from the Olde Fathers and Councelles Orders and from their owne Decrees and whiche wil be bounde within the compasse of none neither Olde nor Newe nor their owne nor other folkes nor Mannes Lawe nor Goddes Lawe then it is out of al question that the Romishe Churche hath not onely had power to erre but also that it hathe shamefully and moste wickedly erred in very deede M. Hardinge A man would haue thought you woulde haue brought some substantiall Argumente whereby to prooue that the Churche erreth Neither make you excuse in that you speake of the Romaine Churche In this accompte wee make no difference betwene the Romaine Churche and the Churche But all your proufes depende vpon your iffes whiche beinge denied you haue nomore to saie No doubte saie you if that Churche maie erre whiche hath departed from Goddes VVoorde from Christes Commaundementes c. then it hath erred in very deede But Syr what if a man denie your supposal and staie you in your firste if VVhat haue you to prooue it All that you haue saide hitherto We knowe and of litle force it is But no doubte saie you if that Churche maie erre which hath departed from Goddes VVoorde c. Yea forsoothe if all iffes were true then if Heauen fell wee shoulde catche Larkes And if a bridge were made betwene Douer and Calys wee mighte goe to Boleine a foote as VVilliam Somer once tolde Kinge Henry if it be true that I haue hearde saie The B. of Sarisburie Here in nothinge els but onely the Canonization of poore VVilliam Sommer While your Bookes M. Hardinge shal liue al his sage sawes shal neuer die The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 2. But saie they ye haue benne of our Felovvship but novve ye are becomme foresakers of your Profession and haue departed from vs. It is trewe We haue departed from them for so dooinge we bothe geeue thankes to Almighty God greatly reioice on our owne behalfe But yet for al this from the Primitiue Churche from the Apostles and from Christe wee haue not departed True it is Wee were brought vp with these menne in darkenesse and in the lacke of the knowledge of God as Moses was brought vp in the Learning in the bosome of the Egyptians VVe haue benne of your Companie saithe Tertullian I confesse it and no marueile at al For saith he menne be made and not borne Christians M. Hardinge VVee saie as ye reporte that ye haue benne once of our Felowship but now ye are become Apostates and foresakers of your Profession and haue wickedly departed from vs. By the name of vs we meane not some one particular companie but Christes Catholike Churche VVe saie of you as S. Ihon saide of the like whome he calleth Antichristes Ex nobis exierunt sed nō erant ex nobis Nam si fuissent ex nobis permansissent vtique nobiscum They are departed from out of vs but they were not of vs. For if they had benne of vs they had doubteles remained still with vs. But what is your answeare hereunto It is desperate foolishe and lieinge Firste ye confesse the thinge and not onely that but also thanke God for it and greatly reioice in it And therein ye folowe the woorse sorte of Sinners of whom Salomon saithe Laetantur cùm malè fecerint exultant in rebus pessimis They be glad when they haue donne euil and reioice in the worste thinges that are Ye haue diuided the Churche of God ye haue rente our Lordes nette ye haue cut his whole wouen cote which the wicked Souldiers that Crucified him could not finde in their hartes to doo Dionysius Alexandrinus writinge to Nouatus the greate Heretike who did as ye haue donne saithe thus vnto him as Eusebius reciteth whereby yee maie esteeme the greatnesse of your crime Thou shouldest haue suffered what so euer it were that the Churche of God mighte not be diuided And martyrdome suffered for that the Churche shoulde not be diuided is no lesse glorious then that which is suffered for not dooinge Idolatrie Yea in mine opinion it is greater For there one is martyred for his owne onely Soule and here for the whole Churche Thus it foloweth that by your Apostasie and by your diuidinge of Goddes Churche yee haue donne more wickedly then if yee committed Idolatrie But yet for all this saie they from the Primitiue Churche from the Apostles and from Christe we haue not departed VVhat can be saide more foolishly VVhy Syrs is not the Primitiue Churche and this of our time one Churche Dothe it not holde togeather by continuall Succession till the worldes ende VVhat hath Christe moe Churches then one Is the Primitiue Churche quite donne and now muste there beginne a newe Is not Christe his Apostles and all true beleuers in what time or place so euer they liue his one mysticall Body whereof he is the Head all other the members As Christe is one the Holy Ghoste one one Faithe one Baptisme one Vocation one God so is the Churche one whiche beganne at the firste man and shall endure to the laste whereof the liuinge parte on earthe before the comminge of Christe into Fleashe was sometime broughte to small number after his comminge and after that the Apostles had Preached and spreadde the Gospell abroade the number neither was euer nor shal be other then greate though sometime accompted small in respect of the vnbeleuers vntil the comminge againe of the Sonne of Man at what time he shall skantly finde Faithe specially that whiche woorketh by Charitie in the Earth Against whiche time busely ye make preparation For some parte of excuse of your forsakinge the Churche ye saie ye were brought vp with vs in darkenesse and in the lacke of knowledge of God as Moses was amonge the Aegyptians For that ye bringe out of Tertullian helpeth you nothinge at all I praie you Syrs what darkenesse meane ye Speake ye of Sinne VVee excuse not our selues But when tooke ye out the beame of your owne eies that yee espie the mote of our eie It were well ye proued your selues honest menne before ye required vs to be Angels If ye meane the darkenesse of ignorance as peraduenture ye doo and the lacke of knowledge of God Now that ye are departed from vs and haue set chaire against chaire I see not cause why to saie Aulter against Aulter what more and better knowledge of God haue ye then we haue and euer haue had Doo we not know the Articles of our belefe Tell vs whiche doo we lacke This is life Euerlastinge saithe our Sauiour in the
common weales The B. of Sarisburie Concerning the title of Supreme Head of the Churche wée néede not to searche for Scriptures to excuse it For firste wée diuised it not Secondly wée vse it not Thirdly our Princes at this presente claime it not Your Fathers M. Harding firste entitled that moste Noble and moste Woorthy Prince Kinge Henrie the Eighth with that Vnused and Strange Style as it maie wel be thought the rather to bringe him into the talke and sclaunder of the worlde Howe be it that the Prince is the Highest Iudge Gouernoure ouer al his Subiectes what so euer as wel Priestes as Laie menne without exception it is moste euidente by that hath benne already saide by that shal be saide hereafter by the whole course of the Scriptures and by the vndoubted practise of the Primitiue Churche Verily the Prince as it shal afterwarde better appeare had Bothe the Tables of the Lavve of God euermore committed to his charge as wel the Firste that perteineth to Religion as also the Seconde that perteineth to Ciuile Gouernemente But nowe M. Hardinge if a man would aske you by what VVoorde of God your Priestes and Bishoppes haue exempted them selues from the Iudgement and Gouernement of theire Princes Or by what VVoord of God the Princes hande is restreined more from his Cleregie then from other his Subiectes or by what VVoorde of God yee woulde stablishe Tvvoo Supreme Gouernoures in one Realme I marueile in what Scriptures yée woulde seeke to finde it Your owne Doctoures and Glosers saie as it is before alleged Quaeritur quis exemit Clericum de Iurisdictione Imperatoris cùm priùs esset illi Subiectus Dicit Laurentius quòd Papa de consensu Principis Question is moued who hath exempted the Prieste from the Iurisdiction of the Emperour whereas before he was his Subiecte Laurētius saith not the VVoorde of God but the Pope exempted him by the Consente of the Prince Further M. Hardinge we beséeche you by what VVoorde of God can your Pope claime him self to be the Heade of the Vniuersal Churche of God Where is it recorded Where is it written In what parte of the Testamente Newe or Olde In what Lavve In what Prophete In what Epistle In what Gospel Where is his Headship Where is his Vniuersal Povver If yée can finde it then maie yee shewe it If it cannot be founde then shoulde yée not saie it As for that you and other your Felowes haue alleged before for proufe hereof it is so childish so weake that I thinke yée cannot now comme againe with the same without blusshinge Touchinge the Right that wée saie belongeth vnto al Christian Princes it hath benne inuested and planted in them from the beginninge For to leaue other Authorities of the Scriptures Pope Eleutherius him selfe wrote thus vnto Lucius sommetime Kinge of this Realme of Englande Vos estis Vicarius Dei in Regno iuxta Prophetam Regium You are Goddes Vicare vvithin your ovvne Realme according to the Prophete Dauid Paule the Bishop of Apamea writeth thus vnto the Emperoure Iustinian in a cause mere Ecclesiastical touchinge Religion Transtulit ipsum Dominus vt Plenitudinem directionis vestrae custodiret Serenitati Our Lorde hath taken Pope Agapetus awaie that he might leaue the Fulnesse of order concerninge these Heretiques Dioscorus and Eutyches vnto your Maiestie Tertullian saith Colimus Imperatorem vt hominem à Deo Secundum Solo Deo Minorem Wee Woorship the Emperoure as a man nexte vnto God and inferioure onely vnto God And nothwithstanding the name of Heade of the Churche belonge peculiarely and onely vnto Christe as his onely Right and Enheritance for as the Churche is the Body so Christe is the Heade yet maie the same sommetimes also be applied in sober meaning and good sense not onely vnto Princes but also vnto others far inferiour vnto Princes Chrysostome saithe Videntur mihi istae mulieres Caput fuisse Ecclesiae quae illic erat It seemeth vnto mee that these vveemen vvere the Heade of the Churche that was at Philippi Likewise againe speaking of the Emperoure he saithe thus Laesus est qui non habet parem vllum super terram Summitas Caput omnium super terram hominum Wee haue offended him that in the Earthe hath no peere the Toppe and the Heade of al menne in the VVorlde If he were the Heade of al menne then was he the Heade not onely of Bishoppes and Cardinalles but also of the Pope him selfe Onlesse the Pope were no man To conclude our Princes néede nomore to claime their Lawful Authoritie and Emperial Righte by y◠Exāple of Nero whereof yée haue moued mutche vntimely and wanton talke then your Pope néedeth to claime his Vsurped Coloured Power by the Examples of Annas and Caiphas The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 2. For besides that a Christian Prince hath the charge of Bothe Tables committed to him by God to the ende he maie vnderstande that not Temporal maters onely but also Religious and Ecclesiastical Causes perteine to his office c. M. Hardinge You wil proue that Ecclesiastical causes perteine to a Kinges of fice because he hath the charge of bothe tables If you meane that a Kinge is bounde to kepe bothe tables of the lawe so is also euery priuate man And yet as no priuate man is supreme heade of the Churche by kepinge them so neither the Kinge is proued thereby the supreme heade If you meane that the Kinge ought to see others to kepe bothe tables of the lawe that maie he do either in appointinge temporal paines for the transgressours of them or in executinge the saide paines vpon the transgressours But as he cannot excommunicate any man for not apperinge when he is called so can he not iudge al causes of the lawe For if a man sinne onely in his harte as for example in murther or aduoutrie the Kinge cannot haue to do with him And yet the true supreme heade of the Church shal haue to do with him For that malicious and sinful thought shal neuer be foregeuen excepte the party come to be absolued of theire Successours to whom Christe saide whose sinnes ye forgeue ▪ they are forgeuen and whose sinnes ye reteine they are reteined To committe murder in harte is a sinne and it is reteined vntil it be forgeuen Neither can it be forgeuen vntil he that is Iudge by the keie of discretion perceiue that it is to be forgeuen VVhich he cannot know vntil it be confessed with a contrite hart by him who onely knoweth it and is bounde to tel it for absolutions sake If then there be a iudge who can see the lawe kepte in an higher pointe and beyond the reache of the King surely the King shal not be supreme head ▪ sith an other is more like to God then he A◠who is iudge of the inwarde conscience whereunto no Kinge reacheth but onely the minister of Christe ▪
without the olde burthen For where as in olde times Councelles were holden by authoritie of the Pope * as Socrates witnesseth yet the Emperour bare the charge of calling the Bishoppes togeather But nowe the Pope him selfe bare a greate parte of that burthen and communicated his propose fully with the Emperoure The B. of Sarisburie Whether it were the Emperoure alone that appointed Ecclesiastical Councelles it maie appeare by that wee haue already saide The Pope alone I assure you it was not Maie the Emperoure as it is saide and proued before oftentimes helde sutche Assemblies when where him selfed listed whether the Pope would or no. The Popes dutie was onely to appeare emongeste other Bishoppes when he was called I graunte sutche Councelles had theire name of Bishoppes and were called Concilia Episcopalia for that maters there were specially ordered by the discretion and iudgement of the Bishoppes But wil you therefore conclude that the same Councelles perteined nothing to the Prince Certainely the Emperoure Constantinus Commaunded al the Bishoppes to appeare before him and to yelde him a reckeninge of theire Determinatiōs in the Councel This was the tenoure of his Write Quotquot Synodum Tyri habitam compleuistis sine mora ad Pietatis nostrae Castra properetis ac re ipsa quà m sincerè ac rectè iudicaueritis ostendatis Idque Coram me quem sincerum esse Dei Ministrum ne vos quidem ipsi negabitis As many of you as haue keapte the Councel at Tyrus repaire to our Campe without desaie and shewe me in deede howe sincerely and rightly yee haue proceded And that euen before me whom yowe your selues cannot denie to bee the Sincere Seruante of God Athanasius was the greatteste trauailer in the Councel of Nice againste the Arians yet was he then no Bishop but onely a Deacon But hereof wee haue sufficiently saide before Christianitie yee saie is no parte of the Emperial Povver Yee might likewise haue saide Christianitie is no parte of the Papale Povver Verily it can not wel appeare that Peter and Paule had euer any sutche Christianitie The Emperours right is neither encreased nor abated by his Baptissne Whether he be Faithful or Vnfaithful he is the Minister of God and beareth the Swerde to pounishe sinne Yee saie The Pope succedeth Peter and not Nero Therefore he calleth and keepeth Councelles chiefely by his owne Authoritie Of sutche proper Argumentes M. Hardinge wee marueile not mutche though yee make no stoare Howe be it somme menne haue thought yee doo S. Peter greate wronge appointinge him sutche Children to be his Heires For many of them in al theire dealinges haue resembled Nero more then Peter S. Bernarde saithe thus vnto Pope Eugenius In his successisti non Petro sed Constantino In these thinges yee haue succeded not Peter the Apostle but the Emperoure Constantine Pope Adrian the fourth was woonte to saie Succedimus non Petro in docendo sed Romulo in parricidio Wee succeede not Peter in teachinge but Romulus in killinge our Brethren Erasmus saithe Pontifices nunc sunt Vicarij lulij Caesaris Alexandri Magni Croesi Xerxis non Christi non Petri The Popes nowe are the Vicares of Iulius Caesar of Alexander the Greate of Croesus and of Xerxes not of Peter It is written in a Sermon bearinge the name of S. Ambrose Qui debuerint esse Vicarij Apostolorum factisunt Socij Iudae Thei that shoulde haue benne the Apostles Vicares are nowe becomme Iudas Felowes Robertus Gallus that liued wel-neare three hundred yeeres past imagineth Christe thus to saie of the Pope Quis posuit Idolum hoc in Sede mea vt imperaret Gregi meo Who sette this Idole in my roume and made him Ruler ouer my Flocke Yet you saie the Pope is alwaies not onely a Christian man but also a Chiefe Prieste not by Faithe but by the nature of his Office Euen so your Glose telleth you Papa Sanctitatem recipit à Cathedra The Pope receiueth his holinesse of his Chaire that is to saie of the nature of his Office Cardinal Cosanus saithe Veritas adhaeret Cathedrae c. Veritas per Christum Cathedrae alligata est non Personis Ait enim Super Cathedram Mosi sederunt Scribae Pharisaei The Truthe cleaueth faste to the Popes Chaire c. Christe hathe nailed his Truthe to the Popes Chaire and not to his persone For he saithe The Scribes and Phariseis are placed in Moses Chaire An other saithe Tameisi Papa non sit bonus tamen semper praesumitur esse bonus In Papa si desint bona acquisita per meritum sufficiunt quae a loci praedecessore praestantur Notwithstandinge the Pope be not good yet he is euer presumed to be good If the Pope lacke good vertues of his owne the vertues of Peter his Predecessoure are sufficiente There were neuer so many Heretiques in any one See as haue benne in the See of Rome as I haue already sufficientely and fully proued And yet yee saie The Pope cannot erre There were neuer so notorious Examples or as Platyna calleth them Monsters of filthy life Yet yee saie they are al Holy Fathers and holde theire Christianitie by Nature of office Howe be it youre Doctoure Alphonsus saithe Quamuis credere teneamur ex Fide Verum Petri Successorem esse Supremum Pastorem Totius Ecclesiae non tamen tenemur eadem Fide credere Leonem aut Clementem esse Verum Petri Successorem Although wee be bounde to beleue that the True Successoure of Peter is the Higheste Pastoure of al the Churche yet are wee not bounde with like Faithe to beleue that Pope Leo and Pope Clemente are the True Successoures of Peter Iohn the Baptiste saide rightly vnto the Phariseis that likewise made vauntes of theire Succession Neuer saie Abraham is your Father For God is hable euen of these stones to raise vp Children vnto Abraham Chrysostome saithe Non locus Sanctificat hominem sed homo locum Nec Cathedra facit Sacerdotem sed Sacerdos Cathedram The place sanctifieth not the Man but the Man sanctifieth the Place Neither doothe the Chaire make the Prieste but the Prieste maketh the Chaire Nazianzene saithe Non locorum est Gratia sed Spiritus The grace of God goeth not by Place but by the Holy Ghoste Chrysostome saithe Omnis Christianus qui suscipit Verbum Petri fit Thronus Petri et Petrus sedet in eo Euery Christian man that receiueth the woorde of Peter is made Peters Chaire and S. Peter reasteth in him But here haue you founde out a foule contradiction in our woordes Who is he saie you whom yee cal the Prince of the worlde Not the Pope M. Hardinge Leste yee shoulde happily be deceiued Notwithstandinge youre Felowes haue so often tolde vs Papa rotius Orbis obtinet Principatum The Pope hath the Princehoode of al the worlde The Emperoures Maiestie wee finde oftentimes entitled by this name But
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
it or at the leste Iustinian asked approbation thereof as it maie appeare in his owne Epistle wherein he confesseth in the facte it selfe that his Lawes coulde not binde in supernatural causes belonginge to faithe except the heade of the Vniuersal Churche confirme them Syluerius and Vigilius were deposed rather by Theodora the Emperesse then by Iustinian the Emperoure Ye do wronge to impute that wicked tyrannie vnto him He is not to be burthened there with onlesse the man be countable for his wiues iniquities Howe so euer it was that extraordinary violence and tyrannie can not iustly be alleaged to the defence of your false assertion Neither woulde your selfe haue mentioned the same if ye coulde haue founde better matter As hungrie Dogges eate durty puddinges accordinge to the prouerbe cleane yenough for sutche vncleane writers so your fowle matters be defended by fowle factes The B. of Sarisburie Iustinian yée saie might wel make somme Moral Lawe to keepe Priestes and Bishoppes in good order Wherein neuerthelesse Pope Paule 3. condemneth you vtterly For thus he writeth and reasoneth substantially against the Emperoure Charles the Fifthe Ecce ego super Pastores meos Beholde saithe Almighty God I mee selfe wil ouersee my Sheepheardes Ergo saithe Pope Paulus The Emperoure maie not deale with the manners of Priestes and Bishoppes How be it the Emperours made Lavves Touchinge the Holy Trinitie Touchinge the Faithe Touchinge Baptisme Touchinge the Holy Communion Touchinge the Publique Praiers Touchinge the Scriptures Touchinge the keepinge of Holy daies Touchinge Churches Chaples Touchinge the Consecration of Bishoppes Touchinge Non Residences Touchinge Periurie c. It were mutche for you M. Hardinge to saie as nowe yée woulde séeme to saie Al these were Moral Lawes and perteined onely to good order But the Pope yee saie allowed the Emperours Ecclesiastical Lawes Otherwise of the Emperours owne Authoritie they had no force The truthe hereof by the Particulares maie soone appeare By one of the Emperours Lavves it is prouided That the Bishop of Constantinople shal haue Equal Povver and Prerogatiue with the Bishop of Rome This Lavve the Pope coulde neuer brooke And yet that notwithstandinge Liberatus saithe It holdeth stil by the Emperours Authoritie whether the Pope wil or no Againe it is prouided in the same Lavve that the Churches of Illyricum in their doubteful cases shal appeale to Constantinople not to Rome The Emperoure Constantine saithe If the Bishop moue trouble by Doctrine or otherwise by my hande he shal be pounished For my hande is the hande of Goddes Minister Iustinian the Emperoure in his Lavve commaundeth That the Prieste or Bishop in pronouncinge the Publique Praiers and in the Ministration of the Sacramentes lifte vp his voice and speake alowde that the people maie saie Amen and be sturred to more Deuotion Againe he saithe as it is noted in the Glose vpon the Authentiques Papa Temporalibus immiscere se non debet The Pope maie not intermeddle with Temporal Causes In the same Lawes the same Emperoure Iustinian saithe Wee Commounde the moste Holy Archebishoppes and Patriarkes of Rome of Constantinople of Alexandria of Antioche and of Hierusalem The same Emperoure Iustinian commaundeth That al Monkes either be driuen to studie the Scriptures or els be forced to Bodily Laboure Carolus Magnus made a Lavve That nothinge shoulde be readde openly in the Churche sauinge onely the Canonical Bookes of the Holy Scriptures And that the Faitheful People shoulde receiue the Holy Communion euery Sonnedaie I leaue the rehearsal of infinite other like Examples Nowe M. Hardinge wil you saie or maie wee beleue that al these and other like Lavves were allowed by the Pope In déede your Gloser saithe Ad quid intromittit se Imperator de Spiritualibus vel Ecclesiasticis cùm sciat ad se non pertinere VVherefore doothe the Emperoure thus busie him selfe with these Spiritual or Ecclesiastical maters seeinge he knoweth they are no parte of his Charge To so profounde a question after a longe solemne studie he diuiseth this answeare Dic quòd Authoritate Papae hoc facit Scie thou that he doothe it by the Popes Authoritie And then the whole mater is discharged and al is wel Notwithstandinge somme likelihoode hereof yee would seeme to geather euen out of Iustinians owne woordes For thus he saithe vnto the Pope although far otherwise then you haue forced him to saie Omnia quae ad Ecclesiarum statum pertinent festinauimus ad notitiam deferre Vestrae Sanctitatis Necessarium ducimus vt ad notitiam Vestrae Sanctitatis peruenirent Nec enim patimur quicquam quod ad Ecclesiarum Statum pertinet vt non etiam Vestrae innotescat Sanctitati quae Caput est omnium Sanctarum Ecclesiarum What so euer thinges perteine to the state of the Churches wee haue spedily brought to the knowledge of your Holinesse VVee thought it necessarie that your Holinesse should haue knowledge thereof VVe suffer not any thing that concerneth the State of the Churches but it be brought to the knowledge of your Holinesse whiche is the Heade or Chiefe of al the Holy Churches The Emperoure willeth the Pope to take knowledge of his Lavves for that he was the Chiefe of the Foure Principal Patriarkes and in respecte of his See the greatest Bishop of al the Worlde for whiche cause also he calleth him the Heade or Chiefe of al Churches So Iustinian saithe Roma est Caput Orbis Terrarum Rome is the Heade of al the VVorlde So S. Chrysostome saithe Caput Prophetarum Elias Elias the Heade of the Prophetes So saithe Prudentius Sancta Bethlem Caput est Orbis The Holy towne of Bethlem is the Heade of the VVorlde So Nazianzene calleth S. Basile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oculum Orbis Terrarum The Eie of al the Earthe So Iustinian calleth the Bishop of Constantinople an Vniuersal Patriarke Epiphanio Vniuersali Patriarchae These and other like woordes passe oftentimes in fauoure as Titles of Honoure But they importe not alwaies that Vniuersal Gouernemente or Infinite Authoritie that the Pope sithence hath imagined But touchinge the Confirmation and allowance of the Emperours Lavves in these woordes of Iustinian yee finde nothinge Onlesse yee wil saie Notitia is Latine for Allovvance or Peruenire is Latine to Confirme The Emperours pourpose was as it plainely appeareth by his woordes by these al other meanes to bringe the See of Rome into credite For thus he saith Properamus Honorem Authoritatem Crescere Sedis Vestrae Omnes Sacerdotes Vniuersi Orientalis Tractus subijcere vnire Sedi Vestrae Sanctitatis properauimus Plus ita Vestrae Sedis crescer Authoritas VVe laboure to auance the Honoure and Authoritie of your See VVee laboure to subdewe and to ioine al the Priestes of the Easte Parte vnto the See of your Holinesse Thus shal the Authoritie of your See
imagine that the Princes Povver is onely Bodily and not Ghostely and that the Prince hath the Charge of mennes Bodies but none of their Soules But this is starke false And whereas you so highly extolle your Popes Vniuersal Povver as if it were Supernatural and Heauenly and came onely from God An other of your Doctours saithe Ea quae sunt Iurisdictionis Papae non sunt supra Naturam Conditionem negotij nec supra Conditionem hominum Quia non est supra conditionem hominis quòd homines praesint hominibus Imò naturale est quodammodò Sutche thinges as belonge to the Popes Iurisdiction are not aboue Nature nor aboue the Condition of the thinge it selfe nor aboue the Capacitie of a Man For it is not aboue the Nature of a Man for Man to rule ouer Menne Naie rather in a sorte it is Natural Nowe M. Hardinge if the Princes Povver be from God as wel as the Popes If the Popes Povver concerninge Iurisdiction be Natural as wel as the Princes If they flowe bothe from one Original If they haue so smal difference what meante you then by these odious Comparisons so highly and so ambitiously to auance the one so disdeignefully and scornefully to abase the other Touchinge the Princes Povver wée are certainely assured by Goddes Holy VVoorde It is from God As for the Popes Infinite and Vniuersal Povver throughout the whole Scriptures from the Genesis vnto the Apocalyps onlesse it be the Povver of Darkenesse yee can finde nothinge Yée saie Kinges haue euermore benne Anointed and Blessed by Bishoppes This is an other fowle Vntruthe For you might easily haue knowen the Christian Kinges in olde times were neuer Anointed Your owne Doctoure saith In Nouo Testamento non legimus quòd Sacerdotes debeant inungere Reges Nec etiam nunc obseruatur in omnibus Regibus Christianis vt patet in Regibus Hispaniae Wee reade not in the Newe Testamente that Priestes or Bishoppes ought to anointe Kinges Neither is that order at this daie vsed emongest al Kinges that be Christened as it appeareth by the Kinges of Spaine Againe yee saie and that yée bringe in as a special good Argumente of your side The Emperoure kneeleth to the Prieste for Absolution Ergo The Emperoure is not the Heade of the Churche Howe maie a man answeare sutche Folies better then with the like Folie The Pope him selfe by your owne Decrees is bounde to Confesse his Sinnes and kneeleth to a Simple Prieste for Absolution For your Canonistes saie Papa tenetur Confiteri peccata sua vni Sacerdoti Et Simplex Sacerdos potest illum Ligare Absoluere The Pope is bounde to confesse his Sinnes to somme one Prieste and a Simple Prieste maie bothe Binde him and Absolue him Ergo by your owne Conclusion The Pope is not Heade of the Churche Sutche a handesome proctoure the Pope hathe gotten to promote his Cause With sutche prety stuffe M. Hardinge yee thinke to ouerrenne and to conquere the worlde The Apologie Cap. 15. Diuision 2. Wherefore if it were lawful for them to doo thus beinge but ciuile Magistrates hauinge the chiefe rule of common VVeales what offence haue oure Princes at this daie made whiche maie not haue leaue to doo the like beinge in the like Degree Or what especial gifte of Learning or of Iudgemente or of Holinesse haue these menne nowe that they contrarie to the Custome of al the Aunciente Catholique Bishoppes who vsed to conferre with Princes and Peeres concerninge Religion doo nowe thus reiecte and caste of Christian Princes from knowinge of the cause and from their meetinges M. Hardinge VVee answeare it was neuer lawfull in any Temporall Prince to iudge in causes of Religion Neither did any Prince before this time euer vse it The B. of Sarisburie This is an other of your Absolute Truthes M. Hardinge For answeare whereof it maie please you indifferently to weighe that I haue written alitle before touchinge the same The Apologie Cap. 15. Diuision 3. Wel thus dooing they wisely warily prouide for them selues and for their Kingedome whiche otherwise they see is like shortly to comme to naught For if so be they whome God hathe placed in greatest Dignitie did see and perceiue these mennes practises how christes commaundementes be despised by them how the Lighte of the Gospel is darkened and quenched out by them and howe them selues also be subtilly beguiled and mocked and vnwares be deluded by them and the waie to the Kingedome of Heauen stopped vp before them no doubte they woulde neuer so quietly suffer them selues neither to be disdeined after sutche a prowde sorte nor so despitefully to be scorned and abused by them But now through their owne lacke of vnderstandinge and through their owne blindenesse these menne haue them faste yoked and in their daunger M. Hardinge Bishoppes can not vpholde their kingdome by wronge doinge that is the waie to pull them downe Therefore we are well assured that your Schismaticall Superintendentship can not stande though al the power of the world were bente to holde it vp Your wicked state is not planted of God and therefore it shal be rooted out It is God that ruleth it is God that setteth vp and putteth downe This state of Christes Churche hath continewed and the successour of Peter hath gouerned it whereas the groundlesse buildinge of all the Heretikes from Simon Magus downewarde to this daie hath failed Luther is rotten and his newe founde Religion decaied and the Pope sitteth in Peters chaire and so shall his successours to the ende Ye woulde men to beleue that Emperours and Kinges are deceiued by the Popes and Bishoppes But I praie you what is the cause that Princes can not espie these deceites if any suche were as well as ye If them selues lacke your knowledge yet haue they wise menne aboute them who for their dueties sake and their alleagiance to them ▪ would soone aduertise them ▪ how by the Bishoppes they be subtilly beguiled and mocked The B. of Sarisburie Of the maineteinance of your Kingedome M. Hardinge Christe saide vnto certaine your Forefathers Hoc est tempus Vestrum Potestas Tenebrarum This is your time and the Power of Darkenesse Blinde they are and the Guides of the Blinde If the Blinde leade the Blinde they wil bothe falle into the diche The Lion or wilde Bulle be they neuer so cruel or greate of courrage yet if yee maie once closely couer theire eies yée maie easily leade them whither yee liste without resistance Euen so dooth the Pope hoodevvinke and blindefolde the Princes of the world whiche donne he maketh them to holde his Stirope to leade his Horse to kneele downe and to kisse his Shooe and to attende vpon him at his pleasure But if they knewe either him or them selues they would not doo it S. Chrysostome saithe as it is noted before Haeretici Sacerdotes claudunt Ianuas Veritatis Sciunt enim si manifestara esset
studeat reparare The Pope is nowe becomme vntolerable almoste to al the worlde He reioiseth in the spoile of Churches Al manner of gaine he counteth Holinesse He maketh sutche hauocke of Kingedomes and Prouinces as if he had intended to repaire againe croesus Treasurie Againe His Legates so rage and rampe for monie as if the Infernal Furies were sent froÌ„ Helle to goe at libertie What shal wée néede many wordes Ambition and Auarice haue no bottome Matthias Parisiensis saith In Romana Curia omnia possunt pecuniae Monie maie doo al thinges in yâ— Courte of Rome And he calleth these vnsatiable prollinges of the Pope Quotidianas Extorsiones Daily Extorsions Againe he saith that the King of Englande vpon a very friuolous fonde mater made true paiemente vnto Pope Alexander the fourth of niene hundred and fiftie thousande Markes VVhiche thing he saith is horrible and abominable to be thought of To be shorte that yée maie the better viewe yâ— bignesse quantitie of your Gnatte Doctoure Boner hereof writeth thus The Popes praie in Englande was so greate that it came to as mutche almoste as the Reuenewes of the Crowne Therefore Matthias saithe Imperator reprehendit Regem Angliae quòd permitteret terram suam tam impudenter per Papam depauperari The Emperour frendely reproued Henry the 3. Kinge of Englande for that he suffered the Kingdome so impudently to be compouerisshed by the Pope Againe he saith King Henrie the third made open coÌ„plainte by this Embassadour in the Councel of Lions in Fraunce of the Popes innumerable Exactions Likewise he saith before Rex Henricus 3. repressit impetum Legati propter violentiam Denariorum The Kinge staied the attemptes of the Popes Legate touchinge his intolerable greedinesse in prollinge for monie Yée sée therefore M. Harding neither is this gnatte so litle as by your scorneful comparison to the greate dishonoure of this Noble Realme yée woulde séeme to make it nor is the griefe and complainte thereof so newe as yée beare vs in hande Kinge Canutus the Kinge of Englande almoste six hundred yéeres agoe beinge at Rome wrote home to the Archebishoppes and Bishoppes and States of the Realme on this wise Conquestus sum item coram Domino Papa mihi valdè displicere dixi quòd mei Archiepiscopi in tantum angariabatur immensitate pecuniarum quae ab eis expetebatur c. Also I haue made my complaint vnto the Pope and told him that it match â—â—sliketh mee that my Archebishoppes shoulde be vexed with sutche vnreasonable summes of monie required of them Likewise Matthias Parisiensis writeth of King VVilliam the Conquerour Concipiens indignationem contra Papam allegauit quòd nullus Archiepiscopus vel Episcopus de Regno suo ad Curiam Romanam vel ad Papam haberet respectum Kinge VVilliam vpon displeasure conceiued againste the Pope said that no Archebishop or Bishop of his Realme shoulde from thencefoorth haue regarde either to the Courte of Rome or to the Pope Al this notwithstaÌ„ding yée saie the Pope is an Elephant al these Summes in Comparison of his treasures are but a gnatte Verily al these and other far greater reckeninges the Realme of England is wel hable to defraie Neither make wée any accoumpte of the monie but of the deceitful extorting of the monie neither is it dishonorable to the Realme to represse these lewde iniurious mockeries and to preserue the subiecte from open spoile Other Kinges Countries haue oftentimes donne the same Ievves the Frenche King whom for his Holinesse they haue made a Saincte hereof complaineth thus Exactiones impositas per Romanam Curiam quibus Regnum nostruÌ„ miserabiliter depauperatum est leuari aut colligi nullatenus volumus These Exactions or paimentes of monie laide vpon vs by the Courte of Rome by meane whereof our Realme is miserably empouerished we wil not in any wise to be leuied or geathered The gaines pelferies that the Phariseis made of the people were not so greate Neuerthelesse Christe saide vnto them VVoe be vnto you yee Scribes and Phariseis that rauen vp poore vvidovves houses vnder pretense of longe praieinge Rome yée saie is the Mother Churche of al the VVeast therefore I trow wée are bounde to paie what so euer paimentes shée shal require If wée allowe sutche simple reasons then is the Pope likewise bounde to paie to the Churche of Hierusalem what so euer paiementes she shal require For HierusaleÌ„ is in déede the Mother Churche not onely of the Weaste but also of al the whole worlde Howe be it it is a cruel Mother that deuoureth vp her owne Children S. Paule saithe Non debent filij parentibus thesaurizare sed parentes filijs The Children ought not to laie vp treasure for theire parentes but the Parentes for theire Children But Iohannes Sarisburiensis in his Polycraticon saithe Roma nunc non tam matrem exhibet quà m nouercam Rome nowe sheweth her selfe not so mutche a natural Mother as a Stepmother For shee spoileth and deuoureth her Children This Defender yée saie in makinge his ende so badde hath plained the parte of a foolishe Poete Here M. Hardinge wée haue good cause to thinke your Diuinitie is waxen colde séeinge you are thus driuen to pleade in Poetrie But maie wée beleue the Churche of Rome is growen so Holy that monie is nowe becomme the vileste parte of al her Plaie Certainely if your Pope once lose his monie al his Plaiers wil soone sit a colde One of your owne Doctours saithe thus Cessante tali redditu qui maximus est attenta hodierna Tyrannide Sedes Apostolica contemneretur If this rente of Simonie whiche is very greate were once staide consideringe the Tyrannie of Princes that novve is the Apostolike See of Rome vvoulde be despised In whiche woordes thus mutche is also to be noted by the waie that what so euer Prince wil not suffer the Pope to take what him listeth muste be taken and iudged as a Tyranne Therefore Ioannes Andreae one of youre greattest Canonistes saithe thus Roma fundata fuit à Praedonibus adhuc de primordijs retinet dicta Roma quasi rodens manus Vnde versus Roma manus rodit quos rodere non valet odit The firste fundation of Rome was laide by Theeues and hitherto shee sauoureth of her beginninge and is called Roma quia rodit manus Thereof commeth the common verse Rome bireth you by the handes And vvhom shee cannot bite them shee hateth The state of the Romaine Popedome spronge firste of monie and encreased by monie and standeth nowe neither by Truthe of Doctrine nor by seueritie of Discipline nor by Praier nor by Holinesse nor by ought els but onely by monie Set monie aparte and the Pope is equal with other Bishoppes Codrus Vrceus saithe Pontifex Maximus si non Virtute tamen Pecunia The Pope is the greatteste Bishop although not in Vertue yet at leaste in monie Therefore
Pope is the vvhole Churche 558. The Churche knovven by the vvoorde of God 463. 464. 465. The state of the Churche decaied in the time of the olde Fathers 442. The Authoritie of the Churches in Africa as good as the authoritie of the Churche of Rome 440. The Churche maie erre 445. The Churche if it depend of one man shal sone decay 448. 450. The Churche in fevve or many 441. 442. 443. No Idolatrie in the Churche of Rome 628. 629. The Churche maie be in a fevve 93. 94. To beleue in the Churche to beleue in Sainctes 85. The Pope not the head of the Churche 95. The Romaine Churche compared vvith the Churches of the Gospel 585. The State and Vnitie of the Churche dependeth of the Pope 53. The Doctrine of the Churche of Rome is the expresse vvoorde of God 200. The Romaine Churche receiued the faith from the Greekes 577. Euery Bishop the head of his seueral Churche 95. Vaine Titles of the Churche of Rome 40. The authoritie of the Church 55. Heare the Churche ibidem No Saluation vvithout the Churche of Rome 36. The Churche knovven by Gods vvoorde 55. The Romaine Church vnlike the Church of the anciēt Fathers 21. The Churche of Rome fallen from God 36. The Churche of Rome is the Catholique Churche 36. The Churche builte vpon Iohn asvvel as vpon Peter 107. The Churche inuisible 391. The Greekes abhorre the Church of Rome 36. The Ciuile Magistrate to be obeied 394. The erroures and abuses of the Cleregie 96. 104. The Communion in one Kinde vsed firste by Heretiques 230. Causes of the Communion vnder one kinde 328. 329. Priestes Concubines 511. A Prieste keepinge a Concubine maie not therefore be refused in his ministration 511. Concupiscence is verily sinne 217. 218. Confession not commaunded 155. 156. Confessiō auricular neuer named of the Ancient Fathers 257. Confession of sinnes venial 151. Confession of sinnes appointed not by Goddes VVoorde but by Tradition 133. Sinnes forgeeuen vvithout Confession 143. Confession of sinnes not necessarie 133. 143 151. Confession made by hādvvriting or by a broker 137. Confession to be made onely vnto God 140. Confirmation of Bishoppes 129. Confession made vnto a laie man 137. Consecration and diuers iudgementes of the same 208. 209. Consecration of Bishoppes 130. The donation of Constantine 401. 537. 538. Constantine vvas Christened by Syluester A fable 670. Constantine the Emperoure in the Councel of Nice 677. 678. 679. 680. The Emperoure Constantine stoode vpright at the Sermon and vvould not sitte 678. Courteghians remaininge stil in Rome 382. Councelles lavvfully called vvithout the Popes consent 529. Decrees of Councelles ratified vvhether the Pope vvoulde or no. 53. The Authoritie of Councelles 50 Priestes Ministers and Deacons in Councelles 603. The credit of Councelles 593. The Holy Ghost in Coūcels 606 No good end of any Coūcels 599 The Pope not alvvaie president in Councelles 57. The Authoritie of Councelles Fathers 57. Libertie of voice and disputation denied in the Councel of Trente 43. 44. The Truthe of Iudgemente vvas in that Councel that pronoūced sentence against Christ 622 The Authoritie of Councelles 19 Authoritie to cal Councelles 529 Confirmation of Councelles 607 Councelles maie bee summoned vvhether the Pope vvil or no. 665. Councel of Tridente 597. The Pope not President in Councelles 669. Councelles of Bishoppes 674. The Emperoure summoned general Councels 663. 664. 667. 670. 672. The Pope vvas summoned to come to Councels 663. 666. The Pope Confirmeth Councelles 665. The Popes Legates had not the first place in Councelles 666. The freedome of the Councel of Trent 627. 632. 633. Godly men haue refused to come to Councels 629. 630. Councels called the determinations of men 710. Councelles general repealed by Councelles prouincial 711. Dissensions in the Tridentine Councel 634. Emperours and Kinges Embassadours in Councel vvithout voice 634. The Councel of Tridente of smal credite 710. The Councel of Frankesorde 712 A Councel general vvhat it is 713 In the Summon of the Councel of Trente the Pope had forgottē the name of Christe 710 The credite of Councelles 488. The Emperours authoritie ouer Councelles 674. Councel general not general 708 The Authoritie of Councels certaine or vncertaine 486. The number of Bishoppes in the Councel of Trident. 714. The Ciuile Prince or Magistrate subscribeth in Councel 686. Diuerse formes of Creedes 83. D. The office of Deacons 98. Departinge from the Churche of Rome 568. 569. 570. 574. 582. Departinge from the Pope 104. Vaine Deuotion 293. Disputation 41. Dissensions in Religion 337. 338. Dissentions in Religion amonge the olde Fathers 340. Dissentions amonge the schoole Doctours 341. 349. 350. The Diuision of the Empiere 403 A Diuine povver in the Pope 403 The Duke of Sauoi◠spoiled 389. E. To Eate God 278. 279. 239. 240. It is one thing to Eate Christe in Sacrament an other to Eate Christe in deede 283. Grosse imagination of the Eating of Christes Body 279. 280. The Emperoure a childe of the Churche 155. The Emperour bound to svveare obedience to the Pope 399. The Emperour so farre beneath the Pope as the Moone is beneath the Sonne 400. The Emperoure Stevvarde of the Churche of Rome 119. The Emperour maie trāslate the Supremacie from the Pope to an other 119. The Emperoure Prince of the vvhole vvorlde 675. The Emperoure poisoned in the Sacramente 408. The Emperoure maie lavvfully make Ecclesiastical lavves 692. 693. The Emperoure inferiour onely vnto God 424. The Emperoure maie depose the Pope 405. The Emperour vvaited vpon the Pope vvith bare heade and bare foote 417. The Emperour is the Popes man 413. The Emperoure limiteth the Catholike Faithe 668. The Enimies of God are cruel 554 The Entention of the Priest 209 Epiphanius rent an Image 504. Equalitie of Bishoppes 109. 111. 112. The other Apostles Equal vvith Peter 105. The Pope Equal vvith other Bishoppes 109. Erroures abuses of the Church of Rome cōfessed by her ovvne children 627. Errours in the olde Fathers 337. 338. Errours among the Fathers touchinge the Body of Christ 353. The Popes immoderate and Vnreasonable Exactions of monie 734. 735. 736. 737. 738. To follovv the Example of Christ 575. Exorcistes 98. Vniuste Excommunication 41. Excommunicatiō vvithout cause 583. F. One learned Father receiued before a Councel 52. Fables and tales readde in Churches 520. The firste Faithe 170. Perfitte Faithe in Heathens 320. The Faithe planted in Englande before Augustine 11. Christes body presente onely by Faithe 235. VVee aseende by Faith into Heauen and so eate the fleashe of Christe 269. 270. 287. The holy Fathers ouersightes in the allegation of stories 416. The Body of Christe eaten by Faithe 221. 224. By Faithe vvee see and touche Christe 271. 272. 273. 289. Faith is the kaie of the kingdom of Heauen 138. The Authoritie of the Fathers 52. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 69. Faithe of Infantes 216. Faithe eateth 〈◊〉 234. 235. 239. The Faithe of the parentes helpeth the Infantes 216. The paterne of the Faithe 702. 703. 706.