Iudges nor of the Bishoppes And al be it the Apostolique See of Rome withstande it stil yet the Decree of the Councel by the Emperours warrante continueth in force But you neuer taught vs ye saye y◠the whole state of the Churche dependeth of the Pope It is not your Doctrine you neuer spake it And therefore wée are railers and sclaunderers that so reporte you If it be so in deede M. Hardinge as you saye wherefore then suffer you Cardinal Cusanus to write thus Veritas adhaeret Cathedrae Quare mēbra Cathedrae vnita Pontifici coniuncta efficiunt Ecclesiā The Truthe cleaueth faste to the Popes Chaire Therefore the members vnited to the Chaire and ioined to the Pope make the Churche Wherefore suffer you Iohannes de Parisijs one of your Catholique Doctours to write thus Fiet vnum Ouile vnus Pastor Quod quidem de Christo intelligi non potest Sed de aliquo alio Ministro qui praesit loco cius There shal be one Plocke and one shepheard Whiche thinge cannot be taken of Christe We must needes vnderstande it of some other Minister that ruleth in his steede Wherefore suffer you Nosius your Grande Captaine to write thus Vnum toti praecsse Ecclesiae Vsque adeò est necessarium vt absque hoc Ecclesia vna esse non possit It is so necessarie a thinge that one onely man oueruse y◠who le Churche that without the same the Churche cannot be one Wherefore suffer you your Canonistes to saie Constat Ecclesiam ideo esse vnam quia in Vniuersali Ecclesia vnū est Caput Supremū Scilicet Papa It is plaine that therefore the Churche is one bicause that in the whole Vniuersal Churche there is one Supreme Head that is the Pope To be shorte why doo you your selfe M. Hardinge allege S. Hieromes woordes directly as ye woulde haue vs beleue to this purpose Ecclesiae salus à Summi Sacerdotis dignitate pendet Which woordes into Englishe ye haue turned thus The safetie of the Churche hangeth of the VVoorship of the Highe Prieste He meaneth the Pope Peters Successour In whiche laste clause ye misconstrue and racke S. Hieromes woordes far contrary to his meaninge For S. Hierome meante not bereby the Bishop of Rome but euery seueral Bishop within his owne Charge euery whiche Bishop he calleth the Highest Prieste as in my Former Replie it is declared more at large If these thinges be true why are they nowe deuied If they be false why are they not condemned I truste it maye appeare by these fewe that wée reporte the Truthe truely and are no sclaunderers The Apologie Cap. 8. Diuision 2. Sithence then they bringe foorthe none of these for them selues and cal vs neuerthelesse Heretiques whiche haue neither fallen from Christe nor from the Apostles nor yet from the Prophetes this is an iniurious and a very spiteful dealinge M. Hardinge Nay Sirs ye shal not so carie awaye the conclusion with a lie But contrarywise sithens wee bringe foorthe many Scriptures for the Truthe whiche ye impugne as your selues shal see when we come to confute your doctrine whiche here foloweth and sithens not withstandinge that ye wil not yeelde to the Scriptures but peruert the True meaninge of them with Gloses and interpretations of your owne Heades frame newe opinions contrary to that ye haue receaued and that the Churche hathe euer taught the Catholikes wilful cal you Heretikes and the Churche wil condemne you for Heretikes and so accompt you vntil ye recant and repent But ye haue not fallen from Christe ye saye nor from the Apostles nor yet from the Prophetes As though they that departe from the Romaine Churche whiche is the Catholike Churche which diuerse times in the Apologie ye confesse fell not from Christe and consequently from the Apostles and Prophetes Saithe not Christe in the Gospel He that heareth not the Churche let him bee to thee as an Heathen and a Publicane Saieth he not also He that despiseth you despiseth mee The B. of Sarisburie Whether parte rightly and reuerently vseth the Scriptures of God and whether peruerteth them by shiftes and Gloses I truste it shal in parte appeare by this conference In déede M. Hardinge it is no great maisterie by your interpretations and handelinges to haue stoare yenough and plenette of Scriptures For this is one special grounde of your Diuinitie Papa potest ex nihilo facere aliquid Sententiam quae nulla est facere aliquam The Pope is hable of nothinge to make some thinge and of no Sentence to make some Sentence By your Doctrine it is lawful and good Logique to reason thus An gloriabitur serra aduersus eum qui trahit illam◠Shal the sawe boaste against him that draweth it Non est Seruus supra Dominum There is no Seruant aboue his Lorde Ergo Noman maye dare to Iudge the Pope Or thus Omnia munda mundis Coinquinatis autem infidelibus mihil est mundum Al thinges are cleane to the cleane but vnto the filthy and Infidelles nothinge is cleane Ergo It is not lawful for Priestes to marry Or as you M. Hardinge sometimes haue delited to reason Nolite dare Sanctum Canibus Geeue not Holy thinges to Dogges Ergo It is not laweful for the Christian vulgare People to Reade the Scriptures Thus maye you easily be wel stoared and ful freight of Scriptures yenough and as S. Hierome saithe maye carrie them captiue to serue your turne But S. Hierome coulde also haue tolde you Non in verbis Scripturarum est Euāgelium sed in sensu The Gospel standeth not in the bare woordes of the Scriptures but in the meaninge Therefore wée maye saye vnto you as S. Cyprian once saide to the Nouatian Heretiques Audite Nouatiani apud quos Scripturae Coelestes leguntur potiùs quà m intelliguntur Hearken hereto ye Nouatian Heretiques emongst whome the Heauenly Scriptures are readde rather then wel perceiued You saye the Churche of Rome by our owne Confession is the Catholique Churche whiche Churche for as mutche as wée haue forsaken wée haue forsalten Christe and his Apostles For saithe not Christe in the Gospel saye you He that heareth not the Churche let him be vnto thee as an Heathen and a Publicane And He that despiseth you despisethe mee Wée graunte M. Hardinge the name of the Churche of Rome is Catholique but the Errours and abuses thereof are not Catholique Neither is it the Churche that wée finde faulte withal but the greate corruptions and foule deformities that you haue brought into the Churche Howe be it your policie herein is apparent Your Reader be he neuer so simple maye soone sée your whole drifte Ye magnifie the Churche with al manner titles of Authoritie not for any special regarde ye beare the Churche in déede but onely to settle your selues in an infinite Tyrannie and to make vs beleue that you
onely are the Churche to geue credite to al your fantasies yea although ye be the defacers enimies of the Churche Verily the bare name of the Churche is not sufficient S. Paule saithe that Antichriste the Man of sinne shal sitte in the Temple of God whereby no doubte he meante the Churche But M. Hardinge Heare you the voice of God leaue your Fables speake Goddes Holy Woord and speake it truely be ye faitheful Ministers of the Truthe Then who so euer shal be founde to despise your Doctrine be he kinge or Emperour wée will not doubte to calle him an Heathen and Publicane But if he be an Heathen that wil not beare your Churche what is he then that wil not heare Christe Aeneas Syluius beinge afterwarde Pope him selfe saithe thus Si Romanus Pontifex non audiet Ecclesiam Christum quoque non audiet tanquam Ethnicus Publicanus haberi debet If the Bishop of Rome wil not heare the Churche he wil not heare Christe and therefore muste be taken as an Heathen and Publicane S. Augustine saith Oues meae vocem meam audiuÌ„t sequuntur me AuferaÌ„tur chartae Humanae sonent voces Diuinae My Sheepe heare my voice and folowe me Awaie with Mannes VVrittinges Let the Voice of God sounde vnto vs. Surely Doctour Luther him selfe againste whom M. Hardinge so vehemently and so often inflamethe his choler in humble and reuerent manner writethe thus Nos colimus Romanam Ecclefiam in omnibus Tantùm illis resistimus qui pro Ecclesia obtrudunt Babyloniam VVee honour the Churche of Rome in al thinges Onely wee withstand them that in steede of the Churche haue thruste in the CoÌ„susion of Babylon In like sense S. Cyprian saithe Non est pax sed bellum nec Ecclesiae iungitur qui ab Euangelio separatur It is not peace It is VVarre Neither is he ioined to the Churche that is dinided from the Gospel Nowe howe carefully the Churche of Rome is leadde by the Gospel of Christe wee maie easily learne by Nicolaus Cusanus a Cardinal of the same Churche of Rome Thus he saithe Sequuntur Scripturae Ecclesiam non è conuerso The Scriptures of God folowe the Churche but contrary wise the Churche folowethe not the Scriptures To conclude wée maye saye vnto you as S. Augustine saide sometime to PeÌ„tilian the Donatian Heretique Vtrùm nos Schismatici simus an vos nec ego nec tu sed Christus interrogetur vt iudicet Ecclesiam suam Whether of vs be Schâ—matiques wee or you aske you not me I wil not aske you Let Christe be asked that he maie shewe vs his owne Churche The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 1. With this swerde did Christe put of the Diuel when he was tempted of him with these weapons ought al presumption whiche doothe auaunce it selfe againste God to be ouerthrowen and conquered For al Scripture saithe S. Paule that commethe by the Inspiration of God is profitable to teache to confute to instructe and to reproue that the man of God may be perfite and throughly framed to euery good woorke Thus did the Holy Fathers alwaie fight againste the Heretiques with none other force then with the Holy Scriptures M. Hardinge That the Holy Fathers did euer more fight against the Heretiques with nowe other force then with the Holy Scriptures that weè denie For What did the Fathers in the first general Councel holden at Nice did they fight against Arius and the mainteiners of his Heresie with no other force then with the Scriptures When those Heretikes refused the woorde Homousion whereby is signified the sonne of God to be of one and the same substance with God the Father for that it was not to be found in the Scriptures besides whiche they stiffely denied as ye doo that any thinge ought to be receiued did not the Caetholike Bishoppes of thother side flie to the Ancient Fathers did thei not appeale to the iudgementes of those Fathers which had geuen sentence of the mater then beinge in controuersie before that Arius and those that helde of his side were borne In the seconde Councel assembled at Constantinople were not the Heretikes of sundry sectes by a wittie and a godly policie contriued betwene Nectarius the Bishop and Theodosius the Emperour through the suggestion of the greate Clerke Stsinnius driuen to receiue the Doctours who liued before theire Heresies were heard of as witnesses of true Christian Doctrine woorthy of credite Macedonius in that Councel was condemned who therefore denied the Holy Ghost to be God bicause the Scriptures geue not vnto him that name But the Bishops there assembled as Photius that learned Bishop writeth declared out of the teaching of the Fathers and Diuines before theire time that the Holy Ghost is to be adored worshipped and glorified as beinge of one nature and substance togeather with the Father and the Sonne In the thirde Councel kept at Ephesus the Heretike Nestorius boasted at ye doo of the Scriptures sayinge they were of his side and would neither speake nor heare ought but Scriptures Scriptures And alleaginge a place or twoo out of the Gospel where Marie is called the Mother of Iesus stoutely finde me in all Scripture quoth he wher Marie is called the Mother of God Hereto what said that holy and learned Bishop Cyrillus chiefe in that Councel Hanc nobis fidem diuini tradidere Discipuli licet nullam fecerint dictionis huius mentionem ita tamen sentire à sanctis Patribus edocti sumus This Fatthe saith he the Disciples of God haue by tradition lefte vnto vs. And although they haue made no expresse mention of this woorde Deipara yet so to thinke we haue benne taught of the Holy Fathers When they reasoned about rules touchinge faithe to be made saithe Vincentius Lirinensis writinge of that Councel to al the Bishoppes there assembled to the number almost of two hundred this seemed most Catholike most faitheful and beste to be done that the sentences of the Holy Fathers should be brought foorthe amonge them to th end that by theire consente and Decrce the Religion of the Olde Doctrine should be confirmed and the blasphemie of the Prophane nouelâ—ie condemned Behold Sirs what weapons the Fathers haue vsed against Heresies besides the Holy Scriptures In the fourthe Councel whiche was celebrated at Chalcedon the Heretike Eutyches as ye and al Heretikes haue done câ—aked mutche of the Scriptures and required his matter to be discussed by Scriptures Tel me quoth he mockingly to euery one that reasoned with him in what Scripture lie the twoo natures But let vs heare what the Learned Bishoppes of that Councel saide thereto VVee finde in the first action of the Councel that they cried out aloude Ea quae sunt Patrum teneantur The thinges that the Fathers haue taught let them be kept Againe when they come to the definitiue sentence they saie Sequentes igitur Sanctos Patres
as olde menne vse to doo Therefore M. Hardinge it had benne more for your grauitie to haue spared these youtheful folies Yee saie The Priestes and Deacons waited onely vpon the Bishoppes but Sentence in Councel thei might geue none This tale were true M. Hardinge if euery your woorde were a Gospel But S. Luke woulde haue tolde you far otherwise For speakinge of the first Christian Councel holden in yâ— Apostles time he saith thus Conuenerunt Apostoli Seniores vt dispicerent de hoc negotio The Apostles and Elders mette togeather to take order touchinge this mater And againe in the Conclusion Placuit Apostolis Senioribus cum tota Ecclesia It seemed good to the Apostles and Elders togeather with the whole Churche Nicephorus saith Athanasius inter Diaconos Alexandriae Primarius noÌ„ minima paâ—s Nicenae Synodi Athanasius beinge not a Bishop but one of the chiefe Deacons of Alexandria was not the least parte of the Councel of Nice Tertullian saith Praesident probati quique Seniores honorem istuÌ„ noÌ„ pretio sed testimonio adepti The Judges in sutche Ecclesiastical Assemblies be the beste allowed Elders hauinge obteined that honoure not for monie but by the witnesse of their Brethren And in the Seconde Councel of Nice Petrus Protopresbyter and Petrus Presbyter not beinge Bishoppes but onely Priestes sente thither by Adrianus the Bishop of Rome gaue their assentes and subscribed their names before al the Bishoppes Touchinge S. Cyprian â–ª yée saie as your grauitie and modestie leadeth you VVee lie without coloure and passe measure in Lieinge And here as menne doo that goe by gheasse answeare longe before thei knowe yée finde out a place in S. Cyprian that wée thought not of and vpon affiance thereof yée blowe vp your trumpe and cal vs Liers How be it wise menne thinke him a hasty Iudge that pronounceth before he knowe the cause S. Cyprian saithe A primordio Episcopatus mei statui nihil sine consilio vestro sine consensu Plebis mea priuatim sententia gerere From my firste entringe into the Bishoprike I haue determined to doo nothinge by mine owne authoritie without your adâ—â—se being the Priestes Deacons and without the consente of the people For dooinge the contrarie hereof the Anciente Father Origen rebuketh Bishoppes of Pride and statelinesse Thus he saithe Quis hodiè corum qui populis praesunt Consilium dignatur inferioris saltem Sacerdotis accipere Ne dixerim Laici vel GeÌ„tilis What one now adaies of al the Bishoppes that haue the ouersighte of the people vouchâ— saueth to take the Councel of any Inferioure Prieste I wil not saie of a Laie man or of an Heathen S. Ambrose touchinge a case of Faithe againste the Arians saithe thus Veniant si qui sunt ad Ecclesiam Audiant cum populo Non vt quisquam Iudex resideat sed vt vnusquisque de suo affectu habeat examen If there be any of them let them comme to the Churche Let them geue care and hearken with the people Not that any man there shal sitte as Iudge but that euery man maie haue the examination of his ovvne minde To conclude your owne Pope Nicolas writinge vnto Michael the Greeke Emperoure saithe thus Vbinam legistis Imperatores Antecessores vestros Synodalibus conuentionibus interfuisse Nisi fortè in quibusdam vbi de Fide tractatum est quae Vniuersalis est quae omnium communis est quae non solùm ad Clericos verùmetiamâ— ad Laicos ad omnes omninò pertinet Christianos Where did your Maiestie euer reade that your Predecessoures beinge Emperoures were euer presente at the Assemblies of Councelles Onlesse it were when question was moued concerninge the Faithe For Faithe is Vniuersal and common to al menne and belongeth not onely to the Priestes but also to the Laie menne and generally to al Christians But hereof wée shal haue occasion to speake more hereafter The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 4. But I put case these Abbates Bishoppes haue no knowlege what if they vnderstande nothinge what Religion is nor howe we ought to thinke of God I put case the pronouncinge ministringe of the Lawe be decaied in Priestes and good counsel faile in the Elders as the Prophete Micheas saith The Night be vnto them in steede of a vision and darkenesse in steede of Prophesienge Or as Esaias saithe VVhat if al the vvatchemen of the cittie be become blinde VVhat if the Salte haue loste his propre strength and sauerinesse and as christe saithe be good for no vse scante vvoorthe the castinge on the dounghil M. Hardinge The worlde knoweth so well yea Heauen also the greate woorthinesse of those Fathers in euery respect that I should doo them wronge here to praise them for that by your fonde surmises you seeke their dispraise The B. of Sarisburie Heauen and Earthe knoweth M. Hardinge that twoo of your Reuerende vvoorthy Fathers notwithstandinge their vertues and al their greate woorthinesse were taken and slaine in Aduouterie euen there presente at your Councel Therefore yee doo your selfe somme wronge in respecte of your credite so wastefully to bestowe your praises The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 1. Wel yet then they wil bringe al matters before the Pope who cannot erre To this I saie firste it is a madnesse to thinke that the Holy Ghoste taketh his flight from a General councel to renne to Rome to the ende if he doubt or sticke in any matter and cannot expounde it of him selfe he maie take counsel of somme other Sprite I wote not what that is better learned then him selfe For if this be true what needed so many Bishoppes with so greate charges so farre iorneies to haue asseÌ„bled their Conuocation at this present at Tridente Yt hadde benne more wisedome and better at least it had benne a mutche nearer and handsommer waie to haue brought al thinges rather before the Pope to haue comme streight foorthe haue asked counsel at his Diuine Breaste Secondly it is also an vnlawful dealinge to tosse our mater from so many Bishoppes Abbates and to bringe it at laste to the trial of one onely man specially of him who him selfe is appeached by vs of hainous and foule enormities and hath not yet put in his Answeare who hath also aforehande condemned vs without Iudgement by order pronounced and ere euer we were called to be Iudged M. Hardinge VVe maie lesse wonder at your iestinge in other thinges sithe now wee set you scoffe and ieste in thinges touchinge God him selfe Syr set you so lighte by the Holy Ghoste as thus vnreuerently to talke of his flight and runninge to Rome of his doubtinge and stickinge of his vnablenesse to declare doubtfull cases of askinge counsell of an other spirite VVho euer vttered suche vile talke of the Holy Ghost but some vile caitife quite voide of his grace Can not you conceiue that reasonably the
Hierome saithe Quid prodest Corporis pudicitia animo constuprato VVhen the Minde or Harte is defloured what auaileth the Chastitie of the Body S. Ambrose saithe Non imperari potest Virginitas sed optari Nam quae supra nos sunt in Voto magis sunt quà m in Magisterio Wee maie vvishe for Virginitie but commaunde it wee cannot For the thinges that be aboue vs and out of our power are rather of desire then of Commaundement Hereof Epiphanius maketh this Conclusion Vt ne confundantur apud homines occultè scortantur sub Solitudinis aut continentiae specie libidinem exercent Melius est itaque lapsum à cursu palà m sibi vxorem accipere secundum Leges Leste they should be shamed before menne they keepe Harlottes priuily and vnder the colour of Solitarie or Continent Life they practise theire filthy pleasure Better is it therefore for a man beinge fallen from his course openly to take vnto him selfe a vvife accordinge to the Lavve So saithe S. Hierome as I haue before alleged Huiusmodi Virginibus apertè dicendum est vt aut nubant si se non possunt continere aut contineant si nolunt nubere To sutche virgins wee muste saie plainely that either they Marrie if they cannot Conteine Or els that they Conteine if they wil not Marrie So saithe S. Bernard vnto his Sister Quod incautè vouisti ne impleas Impia est promissio quae scelere adimpletur That thou haste vnaduisedly Vowed see thou keepe it not It is a vvicked promisse that is perfourmed vvith vvickednesse To be shorte Iohannes Scotus saithe Si votum Continentiae est annexum Ordini Sacro solùm ex praecepto Ecclesiae sequitur quòd non simpliciter illegitimat ad contrahendum If the Vowe or promisse of Chastitie be annexed vnto Holy Orders Onely by force of the Constitution or Commaundement of the Churche then dooth it not of necessitie and fine force vnhable a man to contracte Matrimonie How be it hereof wée haue saide already so mutche as to a reasonable man maie seeme sufficient The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 1. Wee receiue and embrace al the Canonical Scriptures bothe of the Olde and Newe Testament geuinge thankes to our God who hath raised vp vnto vs that Light whiche wee might euer haue before our eies leaste either by the suttletie of man or by the snares of the Diuel wee should be carried awaie to errours and lies Also that these be the Heauenly Voices whereby God hath opened vnto vs his wil and that onely in them mannes harte can haue settled reste that in them be aboundantly and fully comprehended al thinges what so euer be needeful for our Healthe as Origene Augustine Chrysostome and Cyrillus haue taught That they be the very mighte and strength of God to attaine to Saluation That they be the Fundations of the Prophetes Apostles whereupon is builte the Churche of God That they be the very sure and infallible Rule whereby maie be tried whether the Churche doo swarue or erre and whereunto al Ecclesiastical Doctrine ought to be called to accoumpte and that against these Scriptures neither Lawe nor Ordinaunce nor any custome ought to be hearde no though Paule him selfe or an Angel from Heauen should comme teache the contrarie M. Hardinge But why doo yee not here plainely declare whiche be the Bookes of the Scriptures that ye allowe and whiche be they that ye reiecte In general ye saie that ye embrace al the Canonical Scriptures Yet if a man presse you with the place of the Machabees for Praier to be made for the Deade and with the woordes of S. Iames Epistle againste your Iustification of Faithe onely and likewise with certaine other places of the Scriptures whiche be accompted in the Canon of the Churche againste certaine other your false doctrines in this case your wonte is to denie those Scriptures to be Canonical Yet here ye beare the worlde in hande ye allowe al. VVould God there were in you either more truthe or lesse crafte VVel ye geue thankes to God for the Scriptures for that hauinge them before your eies ye are staied in Truthe assured that by the suttelty of man or snares of the Diuel ye be not caried awaie into Errours and Lies And is it so in deede I praie you syrs of what secte be ye or of whiche secte is eche one of you For I dare boldely saye and so the worlde seethe that yee agree not al in one If yee saie yee be Lutherans then muste I further demaunde of you of whiche sorte of Lutherans For that puddle runneth out by many sinckes Be yee Zuinglians Arians Osiandrines Libertines Adiaphoristes Anabaptistes Caluinistes or Sathanisâ—es VVhat Priuiledge haue ye before your felowes a matche beinge made betwene you I meane that newe Cleregie of Englande and the other sectes of our time c. If yee haue this lighte of the Scriptures before your eies how is it that ye agree not within your selues yea how is it that eche one of you oftentimes disagreeth with him selfe howe is it that so many times ye haue chaunged your Commâ—nion Booke the order of your Seruice your doctrine of the blessed Sacrament your Homilies c. VVho knoweth not how in the matter of the Sacrament your chiefe Capitaines haue shewed them selues inconstant and mutable and contrary to them selues I meane Cranmere Ridley Latimer and that greate Rabbin Peter Martyr him selfe As for the resâ— they be not woorthy to be named But what saie ye be these the Heauenly Voices whereby God hath opened vnto vs his wil Then howe dare yee to transgresse his wil declared in these Voices where ye reade expressely that he whiche heareth not the Churche is to be taken for no better then a Heathen and a Publicane As yee procede ye saye that onely in the Scriptures mans harte can haue setled reste and that in them be abundaÌ„tly and fully comprehended al thinges what so euer be needeful for our Saluation as Origen Augustine Chrysostome and Cyrillus haue taught Either you knowe not what you saie sir Defender nor the thinges of whiche you make affirmation as S. Paule saile of suche as ye are writinge to Timothe or you are fowly ouerseene If the harte of man haue setled rest in the Scriptures onely as you saye then in nothinge els but in the Scriptures By this you seeme to trouble and disqutet many hartes For if this be true then had good Abel no better reste in his harte then wicked restlesse Cain VVhen the Holy Booke of Scripture was loste whiche God restored by Esdras were there none in al that time whose hartes had setled reste VVhat foolishe and absurde doctrine is this VVhat if it had pleased God there had neuer benne letter written of the Olde or Newe Testament shoulde not Gods frendes haue founde his peace that passeth al sense as S. Paule saieth Had Paule Antony Hilarion
and maketh mery But when he is awakte his soule is emptie Good menne saithe M. Hardinge withdrawe them selues and are contented to be presente onely to stande by but receiue not the Sacramente But Chrysostome saithe to sutche a good deuoute man If thou stande by and doo not Communicate thou arte vvicked thou arte shamelesse thou arte impudente Thou wilte saie I am vnvvoorthy to be partaker of the Holy Mysteries Then arte thou vnvoorthy to be partaker of the Praiers Thou maiste no more stande here then an Heathen that neuer was Christened Here gentle Reader maiste thou sée a marueilous change in the Churche of God The thinge that in olde times was coumpted Heathenishe Impudencie and VVickednesse is nowe by M. Hardinges Newe Diuinitie becomme Godlinesse and greate Deuotion But God wote here foloweth a very colde Asseueration Not Seldome ye saie the Prieste at the Masse whan none other were disposed receiued alone O M. Hardinge the worlde wel seethe your woorde is no Gospel It appeareth by your so many Vntruthes ye care not greately what you saie Thus yée tel vs Not Seldome the Prieste receiued alone Not Seldome what is that why speake you so nicely what meaneth this colde and doubteful eloquence specially in him that otherwise hath acquainted his voice to speake so bigge why saie you not The Prieste vsed daiely and commonly so to doo Or if yée coulde not auouche so great Vntruthe for very shame why saide you not The Prieste oftentimes or at some certaine times receiued alone at the leaste at foure or three or tvvoo sundrie times within the space of sixe hundred yéeres At the woorste if yee had saide but Once it had benne somwhat As for Not seldomme it is too base it is too simple it disgraceth the whole course of your pleadinge and in plaine speache soundeth as mutche as Neuer It had rather benne your parte takinge vpon you this countenance of credite and grauitie to haue tolde vs Substantially and plainely what manner of man this Prieste was where he dwelte what was his name when and where and in what Companie he saide this Masse who sawe it who hearde it who bare witnesse to it by what Recorde or Authoritie it maie be proued The matter beinge so great and of sutche Antiquitie is there noman leafte behinde to witnesse the same but M. Hardinge In your Former Answeare ye bringe vs in Boies Girles Sicke folke Laie people and VVemen and vpon sutche groundes ye sticke not to founde your Priuate Masse And doubtelesse these examples might haue seemed to stande you in somme prety stéede yf in those daies Boies and VVemen had benne Priestes For Prieste or Bishop that euer receiued the Sacrament alone in the Churche before the people ye are not yet hable to shewe vs one As for your Leontius and Amphilochius S. Basiles Masse at Midnight and other like folies and fables it seemeth by the silence ye vse in your late Reioinder ye are contented wisely and quietly to geue them ouer Yee saie wee are deceiued by Gratian and haue placed Calixtus in steede of Anacletus Here firste of al ye confesse that Gratian your greate Rabbin the Father and Fountaine of your Decrees might be deceiued And verily sutche plainenesse in dealinge if ye would vouchesaue to vse it oftener were woorthy of some commendation For in déede your Gratian as he was a man of great readinge and smal iudgement so he allegeth oftetimes he knoweth not what Hierome for Origen Cyprian for Augustine Beda for Ambrose Iuuencus for Vincentius Greeke for Latine Newe for Olde As for this authoritie wherein you saie wee are deceiued he allegeth it in twoo sundrie places firste vnder the name of Anacletus nexte vnder the name of Calixtus meaninge I trowe yf there were errour in the one at leaste to redresse it by the other Therefore M. Hardinge yf ye had looked better vpon your Booke what so euer opinion ye haue of your Gratian ye should haue founde that wée were nothinge deceiued Haw be it your Gratian in steede of one errour hath made twoo For in deede as it is true yâ— these woordes were neuer written by Calixtus so of the other side it is likewise true they were neuer written by Anacletus but were manifestly forged and falsified by others that folowed afterwarde as in my Former Replie I haue declared more at large But it is a world to see what wiles shiftes these menne can finde to beare out erroure Firste ye saie these woordes were spoken of the Priestes Deacons Subdeacons seruinge the Prieste at Masse vpon Solemne Feastes Pardonne me M. Hardinge to saie the Truthe For verily notwithstandinge this solemne tale it seemeth ye knowe not what ye saie For it maie please you to remember that your Anacletus whose forged Authoritie ye haue alleged was Bishop in Rome in the time of S. Peter shortely vpon the Deathe of Christe when the Churche was euerywhere vnder persecution ful of Bloude Nowe I praie you who euer tolde you either of any office that your Subdeacons had in the Holy Ministerie or of any greate highe Holy Daies of Duplex or magis Duplex or principal Solemne Feastes in the Churche of God in al that time Maye wee thinke that the Blessed Virgins and the Apostles daies were keapte Highe and Holy while the same Blessed Virgin and Apostles were yet aliue Though ye had none other regarde either to God or to your selfe yet shame shoulde force you to foresee more aduisedly what yée saie But your greattest folie appeareth in yâ— shiftinge glostnge of these woordes For you saie this Calixtus or Anacletus speaketh onely of the Priestes the Deacons and the Subdeacons and neuer a woorde expressely of the Laie people and therefore ye saie wâ—e deceiue the vnlearned Reader with a lie Touchinge your vncourteous speache I weigh it none otherwise but as it is The Truthe wil be hable euermore to beare it selfe But that these woordes of Anacletus or Calixtus touche not the Laie people but onely the Priestes and the Ministers the very Gloser him selfe was neuer either so vnskilful or so impudent so to saie For whereas the woordes be these Let them al Communicate onlesse they wil be remoued out of the Churche he setteth there to this Exposition Hoc antiquum est Nam hoc hodiè relictum videtur arbitrio cuiuslibet This vvas the olde manner For novve adaies it is free for euery man to doo therein vvhat he vvil The like Decree is founde vnder the name of the Apostles Canons Quicunque fideles ingrediuntur in Ecclesiam Scripturas audiunt non autem persuerant in Oratione nec Sanctam Communionem percipiunt velut qui ordinis perturbationem commouent ab Ecclesiae CoÌ„munione arceri conuenit As many not onely of the Priestes and Ministers but of the Faitheful as comme into the Churche and heare the Scriptures but continewe not out the Praiers
that they wil construe ought to the beste nor yet so honeste of nature or courteous that thei wil looke backe vpon them selues weigh our liues by theire owne Yf so be wee liste to searche this matter from the bottome we know that in the very Apostles times there were Christians through whom the name of the Lorde was blasphemed and euil spoken of emonge the Gentiles Constantius the Emperoure bewaileth as it is written in Sozomenus that many waxed woorse after they had fallen to the Religion of Christe And Cyprian in a lamentable oration setteth out the corrupt manners of his time The vvholsome Discipline saithe he vvhiche the Apostles leafte vnto vs hath idlenesse and longe reste novv vtterly marred euery one studied to encrease his liuely hode And cleane forgeatinge either vvhat they had donne before vvhiles thei vvere vnder the Apostles or vvhat thei ought continually to doo hauinge receiued the Faithe thei earnestly laboured to make greate theire ovvne vvealth vvith an vnsatiable desire of coueâ—ousnesse There is no deuoute Religion saith hee in Priestes no sounde Faithe in Ministers no charitie shevved in good vvoorkes no fourme of Godlinesse in theire conditions menne are becoÌ„me effeminate and vveemens bevvtie is countrefeited And without recitinge of many moe writers Gregorie NaziaÌ„zene speaketh thus of the pitieful state of his owne time VVee saith he are in hatred emonge the Heathen for our ovvne vices sake vve are also becomme novve a vvoonder not onely to Angels and menne but euen to al the vngodly In this case was the Churche of God when the Gospel firste beganne to shine and when the furie of Tyrannes was not as yet cooled nor the swerde taken of from the Christians neckes Surely it is no new thinge that menne bee but menne although thei bee called by the name of Christians M. Hardinge Loe a greeuous and a heauy case that the worlde calleth you wicked and vngodly menne Twis they be to blame for it And so be they that cal them theeues whiche come to be promoted to Tiborne â—â—r God knoweth litle haue you deserued so to be called c. The B. of Sarisburie Al this with the reste is onely Hicke Scorners eloquence not woorthy of answeare Here endeth the Thirde Parte The Fourth Parte The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 1. BVT wil these men I praie you thinke nothing at al of them selues whiles they accuse vs so maliciously And hauinge leasure to beholde so farre of to see what is donne bothe in Germanie and in Englande haue they either foregotten or can they not see what is donne at Rome Or wil thei accuse vs theire owne life beinge sutch as no man is hable to make mention thereof but with shame Our pourpose here is not to take in hande at this presente to bringe to lighte and open to the worlde those thinges which were meete rather to be hidde and buried with the woorkers of them It beseemeth neither our Religion nor our modestie nor our shamefastenesse But yet he whiche geeueth commaundemente that he shoulde be called the Vicare of Christe and the Heade of the Churche who also heareth that sutche thinges be donne in Rome who seeth them who suffereth them for wee wil goe no further maie easily consider with him selfe what manner of thinges they be Let him in Goddes Name cal to minde and let him remembre that they be of his owne Canonistes whiche haue taught the people that Fornication bitweene single folke is no sinne as though they had fette that Doctrine from Mitio in Terence whose wordes be It is no sinne beleeue me for a yonge man to haunte harlottes Let him remembre they be of his owne whiche haue decreed that a Prieste oughte not to be put out of his cure for Fornication Let him remembre also how Cardinal Campegius Albertus Pighius and others many moe of his owne haue taughte that the Prieste whiche keepeth a Concubine dooth liue more holily and chastely then he whiche hath a wife in Matrimonie I truste he hathe not yet forgotten that there be many thousandes of common harlottes in Rome and that he him self dooth geather yeerely of the same harlottes aboute thirtie thousande Ducates by the waie of an annual pension Neither can he foregeate that he him selfe dooth mainteine openly brothel houses and by a moste filthy lucre dooth filthily and lewdly serue his owne luste Were al thinges then pure and holy in Rome when Iohane a VVoman rather of perfite age then of perfite life was Pope there and bare her selfe as the Heade of the Churche And after that for twoo whole yeres in that holy See she had plaide the naughty packe at laste going in Procession aboute the Cittie in the sight of al her Cardinals and Bishoppes fel in trauaile openly in the stretes M. Hardinge Firste who seeth not what a notorius lye they make in the preface and entrie to the matter Saie they not they take not vpon them at this time to bringe to light and to the shewe of the world those doinges whiche ought rather togeather with the Auctours of them to be buried And that so to doo theire Religion theire shamefastnes theire blusshinge dooth not beare it VVhat is a lie if this be not Doo they not in deede that they denie in woorde Yea saie they not that thinge whiche they affirme they saie not The B. of Sarisburie I doubte not good Reader but perusinge these fewe folowinge thou shalte plainely sée that the Authours of this Apologie spake not al that they might wel haue spoken But if thou happen to reade Dante 's Petrarcha Boccase Mantuan Valla and others like thou wilte certainely saie that euen now beinge thus chalenged and called foorth and required to speake yet wée haue rather geeuen an inklinge hereof then opened the particulare secretes of the mater For thereof S. Bernarde saithe thus Quae in occulto fiunt ab Episcopis turpe est vel dicere It is shame to vtter the thinges that Bishoppes doo in theire secretes And therefore he saithe further euen as did the writer of the Apologie Melius itaque arbitror super hoc dissimulate Touchinge sutche matters I thinke it better to dissemble Franciscus Petrarcha calleth Rome the VVhoore of Babylon the Mother of al Idolatrie and Fornication and saithe that al shame and reuerence is quite departed thence Baptista Mantuanus saithe Viuere qui Sanctè cupitis discedite Roma Omnia cùm liceant non licet esse bonum Al ye that woulde liue godly be packinge from Rome For there al thinges els are lawful but to be good it is not lawful And againe as it is alleaged once before Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis Ara Cynaedis Seruit honorandae Diuûm Ganymedibus Aedes Hereby M. Hardinge ye maie easily sée that wée of pourpose dissembled and couered your shame and spake mutche lesse and far otherwise of you then wée might haue spoken Erasmus writing of S. Augustines dealinge againste the Manichees saith thus
thalamo suo Nonnè si quempiam talium eminùs procedentem aspexeris Spōsam potids putabis quà m Sponsae Custodem They goe trimmely and finely in their coloures as if a Spouse shoulde comme from her Chamber If thou shouldest suddainely see one of them lettinge a farre of wouldest thou not rather thinke it were a Spouse then the keeper of the Spouse Pope Bonifacius 8. in a greate Iubilee and in a Solemne Procession wente apparelled in the Emperours Roabes and had the Crovvne Emperial on his Heade and the Svverde of Maiestie borne before him as an Emperoure This Spiritual Ioilitie M. Hardinge liketh you wel Notwithstandinge S. Bernarde saithe Daemonum magis quà m Ouium sunt haec pascua Scilicet sic factitabat Petrus sic Paulus ludebat These be Pastoures for Diuels not for Sheepe No doubte Euen thus did Peter euen sutche pastime plaide S. Paule Yee telle vs further Though they teache not though they saie not though they doo not though they liue not as becommeth Bishoppes nor as becommeth a Christian man yet bee they Bishoppes not withstandinge Hereat wee wil not greately striue For so the VVoulfe if he once geate a Sheepehooke and a Cloke maie be a Shephearde and a Blindeman if he geate once into the Watche Tower maie bee a Spie But miserable are the Poore Sheepe that so are fedde miserable is that Poore Castle that so is watched S. Augustine saithe Episcopatus est nomen Operis non Honoris vt intelligat se non esse Episcopum qui praeesse dilexerit non prodesse A Bishoppes Office is a name of Laboure and not of Honoure that who so loueth to rule and not to profite maie vnderstande him selfe to be no Bishop Againe he saithe of sutche a one Canis impudicus dicendus est magis quà m Episcopus He ought rather to be called a shamelesse Dogge then a Bishop As for that yee saie Your Bishoppes be duely Ordinated and consecrated S. Augustine replieth Ipsum Characterem multi Lupi Lupis imprimunt Touchinge the outwarde Consecration of a Bishop many geeue it to VVoulues and be VVoulues them selues S. Bernarde speakinge of your Priestes and Bishoppes saithe Habitu Milites quaestu Clericos actu neutros exhibent Nam neque vt Milites pugnant neque vt Clerici Euangelizant Cuius ergo Ordinis sunt Cùm vtriusque esse cupiunt vtrunque deserunt vtrunque confundunt Vnusquisque inquit in suo Ordine resurget In quo isti An qui sine Ordine peccauerūt sine Ordine peribunt Vereor nō alibi Ordinandos quà m vbi nullus Ordo sed sempiternus horror inhabitat In theire apparel they are Souldiers in their gaines they are Priestes and Bishoppe but in effecte and in deede they are neither of bothe For neither doo they fighte in the fielde as doo Souldiers nor doo they preache as Priestes and Bishoppes Of whether Order therefore be they Whereas they would be of bothe Orders they foresake bothe and confounde bothe S. Paule saithe Euery man shal rise againe in his owne Order But in what Order shal these rise Whether for as mutche as they haue finned without Order shal they perishe without Order I feare me they shal be Ordered none otherwhere but where as is no Order but disorder and horroure Euerlastinge Thus plainely speake your owne Doctoures touchinge your Cleregie whiche plainenesse it pleaseth you M. Hardinge to calle false and malicious railinge The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 1. Surely to haue the principal staie and effecte of al maters committed wholy to these mennes handes who neither knowe nor wil knowe these thinges nor yet set a iote by any poincte of Religion saue that whiche concerneth their belly and riot and to haue them alone sitte as Iudges and to be set vp as ouerseers in the Watche tower being no better then Blinde Spies of the other side to haue a christian Prince of good vnderstandinge of a right iudgemente to stande stil like a blocke or a stake not to be suffred neither to geeue his voice nor to shewe his iudgemente but onely to waite what these menne shal wil and commaunde as one whiche had neither eares nor eies nor witte nor harte and whatsoeuer they geeue in charge to allowe it without exception blindely fulfilling their Commaundementes be they neuer so blasphemous and wicked yea although they commaunde him quite to destroie al Religion and to Crucifie againe Christe him selfe This surely bisides that it is proude and spiteful is also beyonde al right and reason and not to be endured of Christian wise Princes For why I praie you maie Caiphas Annas vnderstande these maters and maie not Dauid and Ezechias doo the same Is it lauful for a Cardinal beinge a man of warre and delitinge in Bloude to haue place in a Councel and is it not lauful for a Christian Emperoure or a Kinge The B. of Sarisburie Hereto M. Hardinge saithe nothinge but that he hath oftentimes saide before The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 1. Verely wee graunte no further Libertie to our Magistrates then that we knowe hath bothe benne geeuen them by the VVoorde of God and also confirmed by the Examples of the very beste gouerned Common Wealthes M. Hardinge If a man shoulde aske you where that woorde of God is that maketh a temporall Prince Supreme head of that parte of the Churche which he hath gournement of in al ciuil matters I am sure you can bringe foorthe no other woorde of God then that wherein S. Peter and S. Paule willeth al menne to obeie the Superiour powers especially Kinges VVhiche thinge was written to all Christian men whiles they liued vnder Heathen Princes and Infidels as Claudius Cesar and Nero were whom I suppose ye wil not saie to haue benne heades of the whole Churche as they were Monarkes and Princes of the whole worlde If then by those Scriptures whiche cannot proue Nero beinge a persecutour of Christes Churche to haue ben heade of the same you wil now proue that other Princes are supreme heads of the Churche it semeth that either you make Nero heade of the Churche with them or geue more vnto them then the word of God wil beare And as for examples of good cōmon weales shewe vs but one since Christes ascension wherein before Luthers time any Emperour Christian or other Prince did attribute that title vnto him selfe and we wil saie that when you speake of common weales in the plural number you make but one lye but in case you shew vs no one common weale that hath so done then you lie in the plural number Yea further if at this daie the common weales in Christendome not onely that are Catholike but the beste also of those that are Lutherishe and newfangled do abhorre frō that strange and vnheard title of supreme head of the Churche why do you saie that ye haue either worde of God for it or example of approued