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
he died of a sickenesse whiche he fell into at BonconueÌ„to as he iournied from Pisa thither Onuphrius writing of his Death saith that he died at Bonconuento a town in the territorie of Siena and maketh no meÌ„tion of his Poisoning Cornelius Cornepolita writing this storie semeth to geue litle credite vnto it For he addeth an heare saie Vt aiunt as they saie as though it were a matter auouched by no certainetie but by Hearesaie Nauclerus reporteth that the order of those religius men is saide to haue a testimoniall in writinge witnessinge the foresaide Friere to haue benne Innocent and that the whole was but a fained tale Victor the thirde Pope is mentioned by Martinus Polonus to haue benne poisoned by the malicious procurement of the Emperoure Henry the thirde bicause he stoode in defence of Gregory the seuenth whom the Emperour so muche hated and persecuted Vincentius holdeth contrary opinion that he died of a dysentery â–ª as Platina reciteth Touchinge Kinge Iohn of Englande they that write that he was poisoned in a drinkinge cuppe by Monkes them selues make no better then a fable of it and who so euer write it referre them selues to hearesaie and to the popular fame The Author of your Actes and Monumentes reporteth that many opinions are amonge the Chronicle writers of his Deathe As ye procede in your malicious railinge against the Pope ye spitte out your poison demauÌ„dinge certaine question shorte in Woordes â–ª but full stuffed with false and cankered slaunders The B. of Sarisburie The Poisoninge of that Noble Emperoure Henrie of Lucenburg in the Sacramente whereby it appeareth how farre foorthe the States of the worlde ought to truste you ye would haue vs to passe lightly ouer as a Fable Of your Onuphrius and Cornelius and other like Parasites wée make no reckeninge The truthe of the storie is reported by many Vrspergensis saithe Quidam Religiosus porrexit Imperatori intoxicatam Eucharistiam c. A certaine Religious man ministred vnto the Emperoure the Sacramente poisoned The Emperoure hauinge receiued it and returninge againe vnto his place thought that a peece of colde Ise was paste alonge through his body Baptista Egnatius saithe it was wrought by the policie of Robertus Kinge of Sicilia moued therto as Auentinus saithe by Pope Clemente 5. The same ye shal finde recorded in Carion in Supplemento Chronicorum in Rauisius Textor and sundrie others The like recorde there is founde of poisoninge of Victor 3. in the Chalice For the more credite whereof it maie please you to reade Martinus Polonus the Popes Penitentiarie Volaterranus Matthaeus Palmerius the Supplie of Chronicles Fasciculus Temporum Textor and others Touchinge the deathe of Kinge Iohn whether he were poisoned by a Monke or no I wil not striue referringe mée selfe therein to the credite of our Chronicles the common reporte whereof togeather with the general opinion of the people is this that he was destroied with poison But what so euer were the cause of his death Matthias Parisiensis saithe thus Papa Innocentius sententionaliter definiuit c. Pope Innocentius determined by sentence that Kinge Iohn should be deposed from his estate And he enioined the execution thereof to the Frenche Kinge for Remission of his Sinnes promisinge him also faithfully that if he so did he and his Successours should enioie the Kingedome of Englande for euer So mutche is Englande bounde to reuerence and obeie the Pope The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 2. What is he at this daie whiche alloweth the mightiest Kinges and Monarches of the worlde to kisse his blessed Feete M. Hardinge It is he saie we that humbly for his owne persone refuseth suche honour that calleth and thinketh him selfe Seruum Seruorum Dei the seruant of the seruantes of God But when he seeth the greate powers and Princes of the worlde humble them selues to Christe Lorde of all Lordes and Kinge of all Kinges in the person of him whose Vicare on Earthe he is and chiefe deputie in those thinges that be to God warde not vnmindefull what he is of him selfe for the roomes sake that he beareth and for his honour whose vicegerent he is the rather also for example of Humilitie and Obedience so to be taken and learned of others of inferiour degree he suffereth that honour to be done whiche is more then a mere man can require Neither is this the pride of Popes at these daies onely as ye obiect but the example of suche humilitie in Princes we can proue to be auncient The greate Kinge Charlemaigne who afterwarde was create Emperoure coulde not be withholden by the Pope Adrian the firste but at the firste meetinge he woulde kisse his feete Many other Emperours and Kinges haue of olde time done likewise And lest the Soueraintie of suche Honour exhibited vnto him shoulde in his owne conceite lifte him higher then for the degree of humaine condition to that purpose serueth the stoole of naturall easement at his creation whereof your surmise is very vile to temper the highnesse of that vocation with the base consideration of humaine infirmities and necessities The B. of Sarisburie What thinge is there either so vile or so horrible but by sutche proper excuses maie soone be smoothed Chrysostome saithe Haec etsi minima esse videantur tamen magnorum sunt causae malorum Nam Ciuitates Ecclesias saepe numerò euerterunt Propterea nec à lachrymis abstinere possum cùm primos istos consessus salutationes audiam ac in mentem veniat quot quantá hinc mala in Ecclesia Die orta sint These thinges notwithstandinge they seeme smal yet are they the causes of greate euils For oftentimes haue they ouerthrowen bothe Citties and Churches Therefore I cannot absteine from weepinge when I heare of these Superiorities and Salutations and consider how many and howe greate euils haue growen thereof in the Churche of God S. Hierome mutche mislikinge the state of his time saithe thus Episcopi velut in aliqua sublimi specula constituti vix dignantur videre mortales alloqui conserous suos The Bishoppes as if thei were placed in somme high Castle scarceâ—y vouchesaue to looke vpon poore mortal menne and to speake vnto their felowe seruantes Touchinge the Bishop of Rome it is not for nought that S. Gregorie saith Rex Superbiae in foribus est The Kinge of Pride is euen at hande In the Popes ovvne Booke of the Ceremonies of Rome it is written thus Electus Imperator cum suis omnibus seruato ordine per gradus ascendit suggestum Et vt primùm videt Pontificem detecto capite illum genu terram contingens veneratur iterum cùm appropinquat ad gradus Sedis genuflectit demum vbi ad Pontificis pedes peruenit illos in reuerentiam Saluatoris Deuotè osculatur The Emperoure Electe goeinge in arraie with al his traine passeth vp the staires into the Scaffolde And as soone
Kinge Iohn and set al the people at libertie from their othes whereby thei ought allegeance to their Kinge and at laste wickedly and moste abominably they bereeued the same Kinge not onely of his Kingedome but also of his life Bisides this thei ExcoÌ„municated and cursed Kinge Henry the Eighte that moste famous Prince and stirred vp against him sommetime the Emperour sommetime the Frenche Kinge and as mutche as in them was put our Realme in hazarde to haue benne a very praie and spoile vnto the Enimie Yet were they but fooles and madde menne to thinke that either so mighty a Prince could be feared with bugges rattles or els that so Noble and greate a Kingdome might so easily euen at one morsel be deuoured and swalowed vp M. Hardinge Concerninge the case betweene these three Kinges of Englande and the Bishops of Rome for the time beinge I saie litle If they did wel and the Bishops euil they haue their rewarde the other their punishemente â—f otherwise or howe so euer eche one at Gods iudgemente shal haue his deserued measure But be it graunted al were true ye saie though we know the more part to be false VVhat though Kinge Henry the seconde were euil treated of Pope Alexander about the murthering of S. Thomas the Archebishop of Cantorbury and Kinge Iohn likewise of that zelous and learned Pope Innocentius the thirde c. The B. of Sarisburie Notwithstandinge the Pope as his manner hath benne raise Commotion within the Realme and arme the subiectes againste theire Soueraine and pulle the Crovvne Emperial from his heade yet by your Doctrine who so euer dare speake in his Princes right is a foole and killeth him selfe as if there were no life or saluation but onely vnder the frantike gouernement of the Pope Sutche obedience and loialtie the Pope hathe taught you towardes your Prince The Apologie Cap. 23. Diuision 2. And yet as though al this were too litle thei would needes haue made al the Realme Tributarie to them exacted theÌ„ce yeerely most vniuste and wrongeful taxes So deere coste vs the frendeship of the Cittie of Rome Wherefore if they haue gotten these thinges of vs by extortion through theire fraude and suttle sleightes we see no reason why we maie not plucke awaie the same from them againe by lawful waies and iuste meanes And if our Kinges in that darkenesse and blindenesse of the former times gaue them these thinges of theire owne accorde and liberalitie for Religions sake beinge moued with a certaine opinion of their fained holinesse now when the ignorance and erroure is spied out maie the Kinges theire Successours take them awaie againe seinge they haue the same Authoritie the Kinges theire Auncestours had before For the gifte is voide excepte it be allowed by the wil of the geeuer and that cannot seme a perfit wil whiche is dimmed and hindered by erroure M. Hardinge As for Peterpens and what other so euer summes of monie were yeerely paide to the Churche of Rome whiche were not by extorcion suttil sleightes by the Popes gotten as ye slaunder but freely and discretely by the prince and the realme for a greate cause graunted it is not a thing that so mutche grieueth the Pope as your departure from the true faith and Churche dothe as it maie wel appere by that whiche happened in Queene Maries raigne In whiche time although the Pope were acknowledged â–ª yet him selfe neuer was knowen to haue demaunded his Peterpens or any other yeerely paimentes againe But what is this to your schismes and Heresies This healpethe you nothinge for answeare to the hainous crime of your Apostasie The liberalitie of our countrie to the see of Rome whiche is the mother of al the VVeaste Churches hath ben so smal in comparison of certaine other Realmes as with the honoure of the Realme it might not seme to finde it selfe greued therewith Yet here ye sette a gnatte to an Elephante and make greate adoo about a litle The Realme is not so mutche enriched by retaininge that smal summe from the Pope as it is dishonored by your vndiscrete talke saueringe altogeather of miserie and niggardnes Ye shoulde haue shewed better stuffe at leaste in th ende of your booke The laste acte of a fable by rules of Poeterie shoulde be beste Ye haue done like a foolishe Poete making your ende so badde The Pope seeketh not your monie he seketh you He seeketh the safetie of your soules He seeketh like a good shepherde howe to reduce the streied shepe of Englande vnto the folde of Christes Churche God graunte we maie see his good intente happely acheued The B. of Sarisburie The Pope hathe enriched him selfe and gotten the treasures of the world into his owne handes not by fraude or guile as you saie but onely by the frée liberalitie of Kinges and Princes Yet S. Augustine saithe Non possumus dicere Nemo nos inuasores arguit violeÌ„tiae nullus accusat Quasi non maiorem interdum praedam à viduabus blandimenta cliciant quà m tormenta Nec interest apud Deum vtrùm vi an circumuentione quis res alienas occupet dummodò quoquo pacto teneat alienum Wee cannot saie No man chargeth vs with extorsion noman accuseth vs of violence For oftentimes of poore widowes a man maie geate more by flatterie then by rackinge And there is no difference before God whether a man holde an other mannes goodes by open violence or by guile if the thinge that he holdeth be not his owne But how maie this by your learninge M. Hardinge be called the liberalitie of the Prince He is liberal that is frée in bestowing of his own But you tel vs that al the Temporal goodes of the vvorlde are the Popes and not the Princes and that the Prince hath nothinge but by fauoure sufferance of the Pope Your Doctours wordes be these Papa est Dominus omnium temporalium secundum illud dictum Petri Dabo tibi omnia regna mundi The Pope is the Lorde of al temporal goodes accordinge to that saieinge of S. Peter that S. Peter neuer spake for they are the woordes of the Diuel I wil geue thee al the Kingdomes of the world An other of your Doctours saithe thus Dicunt quòd solus Papa est verus Dominus temporalium ita quòd potest auferre ab alio quòd aliâs suum est Sed praelati caeteri Principes non sunt Domini sed Tutores Procuratores Dispensatores Thei saie that the Pope onely is the very Lorde of Temporal thinges so that he maie take from any man that is his own As for other Prelates and Princes thei be the ouerseers and fermours and stewardes of wordly thinges but not the Lordes And Matthias Parisiensis saithe that Pope Innocentius 3 called Kinge Iohn the Kinge of England Vasallum suum That is to saie his féede man or his Tenante meaning thereby that the Realme of England vvas the Popes and not the Kinges If
al this be true how can the Kings of England in graunting any thing to the Pope be counted liberal Verily it is an easy kind of liberalitie for a man to geue that thing that is not his owne But the Pope yée saie setteth no more by al his reuenewes out of Englande then an Elephante by a gnat and that therefore during the whole time of Queene Marie he neuer demaunded of vs any manner of yeerely paimente Wée must beare with your erroure herein M. Hardinge for that yee neuer were the Popes Collectoure and therefore not mutche acquainted with his Bookes Otherwise yée might haue remeÌ„bred that Cardinal Poole being not the Pope but onely a Legate or messenger from the Pope had a thousande poundes paide him yéerely of one Bishoprike in Englande towardes the prouision of his kitchin Yee might haue remembred that al the Bishoppes of Englande paide the Pope the vvhole firste fruites of al theire liuinges whiche by any common estimation amounted to more sommewhat then a Gnatte And although I were neuer neither skilful nor curious in the Popes Collections yet as wel for the discouerie of so greate vntruthe as also for the better satisfaction of the Reader I haue thought it good briefely by the waie to touche what maie be founde in olde Recordes of good credite touchinge the same Firste therefore the Archebishop of Canturburie paide vnto the Pope for his Annates or Firste fruites at euery vacation tenne thousande Florenes bisides other fiue thousande Florenes for the vse and right of his Palle The Archebishop of Yorke paide likewise for his Firste fruites tenne thousande Florenes and as it is thought other fiue thousand Florenes for his Palle The Bishop of Elie paide for his Firste Fruites seuen thousand Florenes The Bishop of London paide for his First Fruites thrée thousande Florenes The Bishop of Wincester paide for his First Fruites xij thousande Florenes The Bishop of Exceter paide for his Firste Fruites six thousande Florenes The Bishop of Lincolne paide for his Firste Fruites fiue thousande Florenes The Bishop of Lichefielde and Couentrie paide for his Firste Fruites thrée thousande Florenes The Bishop of Herforde paide for his First Fruites one thousande and eight hundred Florenes The Bishop of Sarisburie paide for his First Fruites foure thousande and fiue hundred Florenes And so the reaste eche man accordingly after his rate Here is to be noted that a Florene is an Italian Crowne of the valewe of four shillinges and six pense sterlinge Thus mutche I haue noted onely for example By these few the discréete Reader maie easily gheasse the Exactions and paimentes of the other Bishoppes The whole value of the Popes Firste Fruites throughout Europe as I finde in one Recorde although very vnperfite for that it lacketh sundrie great knoweÌ„ notable Bishoprikes as Durham Carlile Worcester Norvviche Bathe Chichester whiche with many other moe Archebishoprikes Bishoprikes as wel within the Dominions of our Kinges of Englande as also in sundrie other Christian Kingedomes and Countries are leafte vnreckened ariseth to the Summe of twoo thousande thousande foure hundred thrée scoare thousande eight hundred fouretie and thrée Florenes Notwithstandinge yée make your Pope as bigge as an Elephante yet M. H. these reckeninges are ouer huge in any reasonable proportion to be resembled to a gnatte Here I leaue out the yéerely perquisites that the Pope made of his Elections Preuentions Dispensations Pluralities Trialities Torquottes Tolerations for his Bulles his Sâ—ales his Signatures for Eatinge Fleash for Egges for White Meate for Priestes Concubines for other like marchandise I knowe not what The summe whereof not withstandinge amounteth to more then niene hundred thousand Florenes As for your Smoke farthinges Peter pense I make no reckeninge by the vile and contemptuous reporte whereof ye shewe your self not onely ignorante vnskilful in that yée write which argueth somme folie but also iniurious vnto your Countrie Reade Matthias Parisiensis yée shal find bothe by what tyrannie and treacherie and also what masses and intolerable summes of monie the Popes Ministers haue caried out of this Realme The Pope saith he beinge diseased vvith a Spiritual dropsie that is to saie with an vnquencheable thirst of monie shooke out al the Priestes purses spoiled the Abbies of al theire Treasures Againe The Pope made a Decree in Rome that the goodes and monies of al Bishoppes and Priestes decessed within Englande shoulde be taken to his vse The Pope gaue straite commaundemente to the Bishoppes of England that al Personnes and Vicares beinge resident vpon theire Benefices shoulde paie yeerely vnto him the thirde parte of al the valewes of theire saide benefices And that al Parsonnes and Vicares beinge not residente shoulde paie vnto him yeerely the one fusse halfe parte of theire benefices Al these paiementes to continewe duringe the space of three whole yeeres Whiche amounteth at the least to the summe of a hundred and thrée scoare x. thousand poundes The Bishoppes of England after great and forceable intreatie agreed togeather to geue the Pope a Contribution of eleuen thousande Markes At that time the poore Prior of Wincester was forced to paie yéerely three hundred threescoare and fiue Markes towardes the furniture of the Popes Table The Pope made a straite Decrée that al Bishoppes Electe should immediately trauaile out of Englande to Rome to attende vpon his Holinesse as Matthias saith Vt Romanorum loculos impregnaret in ruinam Regni Angliae To stuffe the Romaines purses and to decaie the Kingedome of Englande The Pope had the Tenthes of al the Spiritual Liuinges in Englande duringe the space of tenne whole yéeres Rustandus the Popes Legate exacted intolerable great paimentes of the Cleregie of Englande in a Synode holden in London as Matthias saith Per scripta Papae plena iniurijs iniquitate quae possent patientissimum cor virulenter sauciare Al this he did by the Authorite of the Popes Letters ful of iniurie and iniquitie Whiche were hable moste cruellie to wounde any harte were it neuer so patiente The Bishoppes of London VVorcester answeared the Popes Legate that thei would rather lese theire liues then they woulde geeue theire consente to so open iniurie and seruitude intolerable oppression of the Churche The Kinge had entred into an Obligation to paie vnto the Pope tvvoo hundred thousande Markes bisides other fiftie thousande pounde sterlinge For paiement whereof the Bishop of Herforde beinge then the Popes Agente had bounde the Bishoppes of Englande before thei were ware Sutche like pretie gnattes your Pope can straine if Kinges and Princes wil geue him leaue Ioh innes Sarisburiensis otherwise called Rupertus Carnotensis in the familiare talke that he had with Pope Adriane 4. saide thus vnto him Ipse Romanus Pontifex omnibus ferè est intolerabils Laeâ—atur spolijs Ecclesiarum quaestum omnem reputat pietatem Prouinciarum diripit spolia acsi Thesauros Croesi
Donatistes Hanc formam ne ab ipsis quidem Iudaeis persecutoribus accepistis Illi enim persequuti sunt Carnem ambulantis in terra Vos Euangelium sedentis in Coelo Ye learned not this fourme of persequution no not of the Iewes For they persequuted the Fleashe of Christe walkinge in the Earthe You persequute the Gospel of Christe sittinge in Heauen Robert Holcote emonge other his doubtes moueth this question An Amor sit odium VVhether Loue be hatred or no. Yf he were nowe aliue sawe your dealinge and the kindnesse of your Loue I beleue he woulde put the mater out of question saye vndoubtedly your Loue is hatred it is no Loue. So Moses saithe Ismael plaied or sported with Isaac But S Paule saithe The same plaieinge and sportinge was persecution For thus he writeth He that was after the Fleashe persequuted him was after the Sprite I doubte not but you thinke of your parte it is wel donne For so Christe saithe VVho so euer shal Murder you shal thinke be offereth a Sacrifice vnto God And your selues haue sette to this note in greate Letters in the Margine of your Decrees Iudaei mortaliter peccassent si ChristuÌ„ noÌ„ Crucifixissent The Iewes had Sinned deadly if they had not hinged Christe vpon the Crosse Benedictus Deus qui non dedit nos in captionem Dentibus eorum Blessed be God that hath not geuen vs to be a Praie vnto their Teeth To al the reste it is sufficient for M. Hardinge to saye They be Blasphemous Heresies wicked Actes Lutheres Heresies and villanies Robbinge of Churches Breaches of Vowes Pleasâ—ely pleasures Abandoninge of the Holy Sacramentes Malices Sclaunders and Lies And bisides these thinges in effecte he answeareth nothinge Nowe to answeare nothinge with some thinge it were woorthe nothinge The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 5. Nowe therefore if it be leeful for these folkes to be eloquent and finetongued in speakinge euil surely it becommeth not vs in our cause beinge so very good to be doumbe in answearinge truely For menne to bee carelesse what is spoken by them and theite owne mater be it neuer do falsely and sclaunderousely spoken especialy when it is sutche that the Maiestie of God and the cause of Religion maye thereby be dammaged is the parte doubtlesse of dissolute and retchelesse persons and of them whiche wickedly winke at the iniuries donne vnto the Name of God For although other wronges ye oftentimes greate maye be borne and dissembled of a milde and Christian man yet he that goeth smoothely awaye and dissembleth the mater when he is noted of Heresie Ruffinus was woont to denie that man to be a Christian Wee therefore wil doo the same thinge whiche al Lawes whiche natures owne voice doothe commaunde to be donne and whiche Christe him selfe did in like case when he was checked and reuiled to the inâ—â—â—t wee maye put of from vs these mennes sclaunderous accusations and maye defende soberly and truely our owne cause and innocencie M. Hardinge Yee haue not proued the Truthe to be of your side nor euer shal be able to proue mainteininge the Doctrine of the Lutheras Zwinglians and Caluinistes as ye doo Nowe al dependeth of that pointe And bicause yee haue not the Truthe what so euer ye saye it is soone confuted and what so euer ye bringe it is to no purpose The B. of Sarisburie This is the very issue of the case Whether the Doctrine that wée professe be the Truethe or no. Whiche thinge through Goddes Grace by this our conference in parte maye appare I beseeche God the Authour of al Truthe and the Father of Light so to open our hartes that the thinge that is the Truthe in déede maye appeare to vs to be the Truthe The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 2. For Christe verily when the Phariseis charged him with Sorcery as one that had some familiare Sprites and wrought many thinges by theire helpe I saide he haue not the Diuel but doo glorifie my Father but it is you that haue dishonoured me and put me to rebuke and shame And S. Paule when Festus the Lieutenaunt scorned him as a mad man I saide he moste deer Festus am not mad as thou thinkest but I speake the Woordes of Truth sobrenesse And the ancient Christians when they were sclaundered to the people for mankillers for Adulterers for committers of incest for disturbers of the common Weales and did perceiue that by sutche sclaunderous accusations the Religion whiche they professed mighte be brought in question namely if they should seeme to holde their peace in manner confesse the faulte lest this might hinder the free course of the Gospel they made Orations they put vp Supplications and made meanes to Emperours and Princes that they mighte defende them selues and theire Felowes in open Audience M. Hardinge When ye prooue that ye haue the Truthe then maye ye be admitted in your Defence to alleage the example of Christe of S. Paule and of the firste Christians But nowe wee tel you beinge as you are these examples serue you to no purpose And for ought ye haue saide â—itherto the Anabaptistes Libertines Zwenkfeldians Nestorians Eunomians Arians and al other pestiferous Heretikes might saye the same aswel as ye Christe was charged of the Iewes with vsinge the power of impure Sprites blasphemously Paule was scorned of Festus as a mad man without cause the Ancient Christians were accused by the Infidels of hainous crimes falsely But ye are accused of Heresies and sundrie Impieties by Godly VVise and Faithful men vpon Zeale by good aduise and truely And as for those Auncient Christians when they made Apologies or Orations in the Defence of the Christen Faithe they did it so as became Christen men plainely and openly Either they offered them to the Emperours with thei owne handes or put to their names and signified to whome they gaue the same As S. Hilary deliuered a Booke in Defence of the Catholique Faithe against the Arians to Constantius Melito and Apollinaris wrote their Apologies to the Emperours S. Iustine the Philosopher and Martyr gaue his firste Apologie for the Christians to the Senate of the Romaines the seconde to Autonius Pius Emperour Tertullian to the Romaines S. Apollonius the Romaine Senatour and Martyr did Reade his Booke openly in the Senate house whiche he had made in Defence of the Christian Faithe But yee doo your thinges that ought to be done openly in Hucker Mucker Ye set foorth your Apologie in the name of the Churche of Englande before any meane parte of the Churche were priuie to it and so as though either ye were ashamed of it or afraide to abide by it The inscription of it is directed neither to Pope nor Emperour nor to any Prince nor to the Churche nor to the general Councel then beinge when ye wrote it as it was moste conuenient There is no mans name set to it It is Printed without Priuilege of the Prince contrary
to Lawe in that behalfe made allowed neither by Parlament nor by Proclamation nor agreed vpon by the Cleregie in Publike and lawful Synode This packinge becommeth you it becommeth not the vpright Professours of the Truthe Wherefore your vnlawful Booke as it is so it maye be called an Inuectiue or rather a Famous Libel and sclaunderous VVrite as that whiche seemeth to haue benne made in a corner and cast abroade in the streetes the Authours whereof the Ciuil Lawe punis heth sharpely The B. of Sarisburie Howe far foorth these examples maye serue vs wée remit the iudgement thereof to the discrete Christian Reader It is not yenough thus to crie out Impieties and Heresies M. Hardinges bare Woorde in this behalfe is not sufficient to warrant an euidence Certainely emonge other greate comfortes that wee haue in Goddes mercies this is one and not the leaste that touchinge the Innocencie and right of out cause wée maye saye to you as Christe saide to the Phariseis Wee haue not the Diuel but wee glorifie our Father Or as S. Paule saide vnto Festus Wee are not madde M. Hardinge as ye reporte of vs but wee viter vnto you the Woordes of Truthe and sobrietie But this is a piteous faulte The names of al the Bishoppes Deanes Acchedeacons Personnes Vicares and Curates of England are not sette to our Apologie It is directed neither to the Emperour nor to the Pope nor to the Councel Neither is it Printed with Priuilege of the Prince This laste clause is a manifest Vntruthe and maye easily be reproued by the Printer Hereof ye conclude It is a sclaunderous Libel and was written vnder a Hedge and as you saye in Hucker Mucker Firste were it graunted that al ye saye of Hilarie Melito Iustinus Tertullian and Apollonius were true Yet muste it néedes folowe that al Bookes that are not Subscribed with the Authours names were written in a corner Firste to beginne with the Scriptures tel vs M. Hardinge who wrote the Bookes of Genesis of Exodus of Leuiticus of Numeri of DeuteronomiuÌ„ of Ioâ—ue of the Iudges of the Kinges of the Chronicles of Iob c. Who inrote these Bookes I saye Who authorized them Who Subscribed his name Who set to his Sâ—ale The Booke of Wisedome by some is Fathered vpon Philo by some vpoÌ„ Salomon The Epistle vnto the Hebrewes some saye was written by S. Paule Some by Clemens Some by Barnabas Some by some other so are wee vncertaine of the Authours name S. Marke S. Luke S. Iohn neuer once named them selues in their Gospels The Apostles Crede the Canons of the Apostles by what names are they Subscribed Howe are they authorized To what Pope to what Emperour were they offered To leaue others the Auncient Doctours of the Churche whiche as you knowe are often misnamed Ambrose for Augustine Gréeke for Latine Newe for Olde your Doctour of Doctours the fairest flower and croppe of your garlande Gratianus is so wel knowen by his name that wise menne can not wel tel What name to geue him Erasmus saithe of him thus Quisquis fuit siue Gratianus siue Crassianus What so euer name wee may geue him be it Gratianus or Crassianus And againe he saithe Eruditi negant illam Gratiani nescio cuius congeriem vlla vnquam Publica Ecclesiae authoritate fuisse comprobatam The learned saye that Gratians Collection or heape of maters was neuer allowed by any Publique Authoritie of the Churche And againe Non constat vllis argumentis quis fuerit Gratianus quo tempore opus suum exhibuerit cuius Pontificis cuius Concilij fuerit Authoritate comprobatum It cannot appeare by any tokens of recorde neither what this Gratian was nor at what time he offered vp his Booke nor what Councel nor what Pope allowed it Who subscribed the late Councel of Colaine Who subscribed the Booke not longe sithence sette abroade vnder the name of the Churche of Colaine and named Antididagma To be shorte who subscribed your owne late Booke intituled the Apologie of Priuate Masse Where were they written Where were they Subscribed By what authoritie and vnder what names were they allowed I wil saye nothinge of your late Famouse Volume bearinge the name of Marcus Antonius Constantius This Booke as you see hathe three greate names Notwithstandinge the Authour him selfe had but twoo and yet not one of al these three What M. Hardinge would you make your Brethren beleue that al these be but sclaunderous Writes diuised onely in Hucker Mucker and vnder a Hedge The Decree the Apostles made in the fiftenthe Chapter of the Actes it appeareth not it was so curiously subscribed with al theire names The Protestation of the Bohemiens in the Councel of Basile the Confession of the Churches of Geneua Heluetia for ought that I knowe haue no sutche Publique Subscriptions Neither is it necessarie nor commonly vsed to ioyne Priuate mennes names to Publique maters neither in so mightie ample a Realme vpon al incident occasions is it so easy to be donne Briefely our Apologie is coÌ„firmed by as many names as the highe Courte of Parlamente of England is confirmed Neither was the same conceiued in so darke a corner as M. Hardinge imagineth For it was afterwarde imprinted in Latine at Parise and hathe henne fithence Translated into the Frenche the Italian the Duche and the Spanishe tongues and hathe benne sente and borne abroade into France Flaunders Germanie Spaine Poole Hungarie Denmarke Sueucland Scotland Italie Naples and Rome it selfe to the iudgemente and trial of the whole Churche of God Yea it was Readde and sharply considered in your late Couente at Trident greate threates made there that it should be answeared and the mater by twoo Notable learned Bishoppes taken in hande the one a Spaniarde the other an Italian Which twoo notwithstandinge these fiue whole yéeres haue yet donne nothinge nor I belèeue intende any thinge to doo In deede certaine of your Brethren haue benne often gnawinge at it but sutche as care nothinge nor is cared what they write But if names be so necessarie wee haue the names of the whole Cleregie of Englande to confirme the Faithe of our Doctrine and your name M. Hardinge as you can wel remember emongst the reste onlesse as ye haue already denied your Faithe so ye wil nowe also denie your name To conclude it is greatter modestie to publishe our owne Booke without Name then as you doo to publishe other mennes Bookes in your owne Names For in deede M. Hardinge the Bookes ye lende so thicke ouer are not yours Ye are but Translatours ye are no Authours Yf euery birde shoulde fetche againe his owne Feathers alas your poore Chickens woulde die for colde But you saye Wee offered not our Booke to the Pope No neither ought wée so to doo He is not our Bishop He is not our Iudge Wee maye saye vnto him as the Emperour Constantius saide sometime to Pope Liberius Quoia es tu paâ—s Orbis
make the people Princes turne al thinges vpside downe and to be shorte that we woulde haue nothinge in good frame in a Common Wealthe Good Lorde how often haue they set on fiere Princes hartes with these woordes to the ende thei mighte quenche the lighte of the Gospel in the very firste appearinge of it that menne might beginne to hate y◠same ere euer they were able to knowe it and to the ende that euery Magistrate mighte thinke he sawe his deadly enimie as often as he sawe any of vs. Surely it shoulde excedingly greeue vs to be so malitiously accused of moste hainous Treasone onlesse we knewe that Christe him selfe the Apostles and a number of good Christian menne were in time paste blamed and reuiled in like sorte For although Christe taught they shoulde geeue vnto Cesar that whiche was Cesars yet was he charged with sedition and was accused to diuise some Conspiracie and to seeke waies to geate the Kingedome And thereupon they cried out with open mouthe againste him in the place of Iudgemente Yf thou let this man escape then thou arte not Cesars frende And though the Apostles did likewise euermore and stedfastly teache that Magistrates ought to be obeied y◠euery soule ought to be subiect to the Higher Powers not onely for feare of wrathe punishemente but euen for conscience sake yet bare they the name to disquiet the people and to stirre vp the multitude to rebelle After this sorte did Haman specially bringe y◠Natiō of the Iewes into the hatred of Kinge Assuerus bicause saide he they vvere a rebellious and stubborne People and despised the ordinaunces and commaundementes of Princes Wicked Kinge Achab saide to Elie the Prophete of God It is thou that troublest Israel Amasias the Prieste at Bethel laide a conspiracie to the Prophete Amos charge before Kinge Ieroboam saieinge See Amos hath made a conspiracie againste thee in the middest of the House of Israel To bee briefe Tertullian saithe This was the general accusation of al Christians whiles he liued that thei were Traitours that thei were Rebelles and the enimies of Mankinde Wherefore if now adaies the Truthe be likewise euil spoken of and beinge the same Truthe it was then if it be now like despitefully vsed as it was in times paste though it be a greuous and vnkinde dealinge yet can it not seeme vnto vs a newe or an vnwoonted matter M. Hardinge Howe farre ye haue attempted I meane the sectes of your Brotherhed in sundry Countries to wreaste the Swoorde out of Princes handes to transpose their Scepters at your pleasure and to alter states and signories though wee holde our peace the worlde Iudgeth the Bloudde of so many thousandes slaine speaketh Englande repenteth Scotlande mourneth Germanie roareth Fraunce bewaileth Sauoie weepeth all Christendome lamenteth VVere the hundred thousande Boures of Germanie consumed by the Swoorde of the Nobilitie there for their obedience The Duke of Saxonie and Lantgraue of Hesse were they ouerthrowen in fielde and taken captiue for standinge in Defence of their Soueraigne VVere so greate multitudes of people destroied at Munster for their loyaltie Your Sacramentarie Suitzers of Berna who robbed the quiet Olde Duke of Sauoye of his Townes and Countries from the farther side of the lake of Geneua vnto the Alpes did they this for mainetenance of his righte and to set him at reste with litle VVhat meante ye when ye laide your Heades togeather beinge at Geneua in Queene Maries daies the Faithfull Brothers of Englande and Scotlande and deuised a most Seditious and Traiterous Booke againste the monstrous regiment of VVomen The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge for wante of mater ye thought it good policie to furnishe your tale with stoare of woordes The VVorlde iudgeth Bloude speaketh Englande repenteth Scotlande mourneth Germanie roareth Fraunce bewaileth Sauoie weepeth Christendome lamenteth If ye had not wel studied your Copia Verborum ye coulde neuer haue benne halte so copious nor haue benne hable so many waies to vtter nothinge Yee might happily haue saide Your Cardinalles crie and your Pope roareth and your Frendes stande aluffe and teare their heare and saie as it is written in the Apocalyps Vae vae Babylon Ciuitas illa Magna Alas alas Babylon that Greate Cittie God be thanked The Kingedomes Princehoodes of the worlde stande nowe in as safe in as quiet and florishinge state as euer before Therefore this Tragical Rhetorique might better haue serued you somme other where The Boures of Germanie of whome ye speake for the greattest parte were Aduersaries vnto Doctour Luther and vnderstoode no parte of the Gospel but conspired togeather as they saide onely against the crueltie and tyrannie of their Lordes as they had donne twoo and twentie yéeres before in the same Countrie in the Conspiracie called Liga Sotularia fifteens yéeres before Doctour Luther beganne to Preache The parteners of whiche Conspiracie had for their watche woorde the name of Our Lady and in the honoure of her were bounde to saie fiue Aue Maries euery daie Certainely touchinge these Later Rebelles it is knowen that Luther sharpely and vehemently wrote againste them And they them selues beinge demaunded thereof vtterly denied bothe partetakinge also the knowledge of the Gospel The Princes of Germanie raised not theire Powers as ye saie againste the Emperoure Charles the fifthe but beinge wrongefully contrarie to the Lawe of Armes inuaded by him they were forced beinge frée Princes by the Lawe of Nature to drawe their swoorde in their owne Defence The Rebelles at Mounster were not Gospellers as yée seeme to meane but frantique Anabaptistes and Heretiques as yee be and therefore enimies vnto the Gospel The Lordes of Berna neuer were Subiectes to the Duke of Sauoie That they tooke certaine of his Castles in their Confines then did it rightly and by the Lawe of Armes beinge forced thereto by daiely inuasions robberies and not hable otherwise to liue in reaste But in deede the saide poore Duke was thorowly spoiled of his whole Dominion of the one halfe by his Brother in Lavve the Emperour Charles 5. of the other halfe by his Neuevve Francise the Frenche Kinge by the counsel of Pope Clemens 7. after their great enterviewe at Marsiles And thereof was diuised a prety Pasquil declaringe the miserable case of the poore Duke Diuiserunt sibi vestimenta mea super vestem meam miserunt sortem They haue diuided my apparel emongest them selues and they haue caste lotes for my Coate The Heades of Englande and Scotlande that as ye saie were laide togeather at Geneua touchinge the gouernemente of Wéemen beinge wel accoumpted were nothinge so many as ye woulde seeme to imagine For if there had benne but one lesse for ought that I haue hearde there had benne but one at al. Sutche hoate Amplifications it liketh you to make of so smal a number Wée wil defende noman in his erroure Let euery man
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
but verily at the becke of the Prieste and commaundement of the Emperoure Thus. touchinge the Popes bothe swoordes you are fully answered by S. Bernarde The B. of Sarisburie The Pope hath power to claime Authoritie without shame Emongest others his vnaduised and vaine Woordes thus he saith Christus Beato Petro Vitae Aeternae Clauigero Terreni simul Coelestis Imperij iura commisit Christe hathe committed vnto Peter the keiebearer of Euerlastinge Life the right bothe of the VVorldly and also of the Heauenly Empiere That is to saie The Pope is Emperoure bothe of Heauen of Earthe And therefore Pope Bonifacius 8. as it is saide before in the sight of the worlde ware the Crovvne Emperial on his heade commaunded the naked svverde to be borne before him Proclamation to be made Ecce duo Gladij hic Beholde here are the twoo Swerdes I meane the same Pope Bonifacius of whom it is written He entred as a Foxe He reigned as a Woulfe he died as a Dogge Hereof it is written in concilio Vangionum Vtrunque Imperium Pontificatum sicuti Decij Falsorum Deorum Cultores factitare cōsueuerunt vsurpat The Pope wronge fully vsurpeth bothe togeather as wel the VVorldly Empiere as the Bishoprike as Decius and the woorshippers of False Goddes were woonte to doo Yet S. Bernarde saithe The Pope hath Bothe Svverdes But S. Bernardes Authoritie in this case is but simple He liued Eleuen hūdred yéeres after Christes Ascension in the time of Kinge Henry the Firste the Kinge of Englande in the middes of the Popes route and Tyrannie How be it touchinge his Iudgemente and Credite herein let vs rather heare one of your owne Doctours Herueus therfore saithe thus Bernardus ponit quòd Papa habet Gladium Materialem in nutu Sed istud cum hoc quòd non est magnae Authoritatis magis est cōtra eos quà m pro eis Bernarde saithe that the Pope hath the Material or Temporal Swerde at his commaundement But this saieinge of Bernardes bisides that it is of smal force maketh also more againste them then with them Againe he saithe Vnum istorum Gladiorum Petrus non teugit scilicet Saecularem qui suus non erat The one of these tvvo Svverdes Peter neuer touched I meane the VVorldly or Temporal Svverde For that Swerde was none of his Likewise ye maie finde it written in your owne Decrees vnder the name of S. Cyprian Christus actibus proprijs dignitatibus distinctis Officia Potestatis vtriusque discreuit Christe hath not committed Bothe these Svverdes to one mannes hand but by seueral Dueties and sundrie Dignities hath seuered the Offices of either Power Whereupon your owne Glose saithe thus Ergo est Argumentum quòd Papa non habet vtrunque Gladium This therefore is a proufe that the Pope hath not Bothe the svverdes The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 3. Whiche of the Anciente Fathers euer saide that you haue Authoritie and righte to calle Councelles M. Hardinge VVho hath authoritie to commaunde the partes of the body but the head And that the Pope is head where it is amply declared ye hearde euen nowe VVhere you aske whiche euer saide that the Pope hath authoritie to cal councelles if you knowe not so mutche We tel you that Socrates the writer of the Ecclesiastical historie saithe so not speaking in his owne person but reportinge an olde rule of the Churche in these woordes Sed neque Iulius interfuit maximae Romae praesul neque in locum suum aliquem destinauit cùm vtique regula ecclesiastica iubeat non oportere praeter sententiam Romani Pontificis concilia celebrari But neither Iulius the bishop of greate Rome was present at the councel of Antiochia neither sent he any man in his place where as the ecclesiastical rule commaundeth that without the aduise and wil of the Pope of Rome no councels be kepte And as Socrates witnesseth of the calling of councels so doth Sozomenus witnesse of the thinges doone in them Cum sacerdotali lege constitutum sit pro irritis haberi debere quae praeter sententiam episcopi Romani geruntur VVhere as saithe he it hath benne ordeined by a lawe of Bishoppes that what thinges be doone in any councel besides thaduise and wil of the bishop of Rome they ought to be taken for none and voide If you wil see more for this authoritie of calling councels reade Rescriptum Iulij Papae contrà Orientales Epist Athanasij Aegyptiorum Pontificum ad Foelicem Papam This matter is also fully answeared The B. of Sarisburie Here hath M. Hardinge brought in a shewe of greate Authorities withoute sense For answeare whereof it maie please thee Gentle Reader to consider the fourth Article of my Former Replie Notwithstanding emongest al these wordes of Pope Iulius Socrates Cassiodorus and forged Athanasius there is not one woorde of power and Authoritie to calle Councelles Onely thus mutche they saie No Decree maie passe in Councel without the agreemente and consente of the Bishop of Rome for that he was one of the Foure Principal Patriarkes and oughte to haue his voice there as wel as others It is a Principle ruled in Lawe Quod omnes tangit ab omnibus debet approbari That toucheth al muste be allowed by al. But leste you shoulde thinke this was the Popes onely prerogatiue and belonged to none other bisides him the same Socrates writeth the very like wordes as wel of the Bishop of Constantinople as of the Pope Thus he saithe Et hoc fecerunt contemnentes Legem qua cauetur ne quis eligatur praeter sententiam Episcopi Constantinopolitani Thus did they not regardinge the Decree whereby order was taken that no Bishop should be chosen without the consente of the Bishop of Constantinople Yet maie not M. Hardinge conclude hereof that therefore the Bishop of Constantinople had Authoritie to calle Councelles Aeneas Syluius that afterwarde him selfe was Pope named Pius the Second writeth thus His Authoritatibus mirum in modum putant se armatos qui negant Concilia fieri posse sine consensu Papae Quorum sententia si vt ipsi volunt inuiolata persistat ruinam secum Ecclesiae trahit They that saie no Councel maie be keapte without the consente of the Pope thinke them selues marueilously fensed by these Authorities But if theire saieinge holde and take place as they woulde haue it it vvil dravve vvith it the decaie and ruine of the Churche The Foure first greate Councelles of Nice of Ephesus of Chalcedon of Constantinople and the reste as it shal afterwarde more largely appeare were alwaies called by the Emperours and not by the Pope As for the Pope he hadde not yet the whole worlde at his commaundemente nor any sutche Vniuersal Authoritie to calle Councelles but rather was commaunded him selfe as other Bishoppes were by the Emperours Authoritie to comme to Councelles Therefore where you
hande yee mighte easily haue knowen that a Superintendente is an Anciente name and signifieth none other but a Bishop S. Augustine saithe Vocabulum Episcopatus inde ductum est quo'd ille qui praeficitur eis quibus praeficitur Superintendit Ergo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latinè dicere possumus Superintendere Againe he saithe Quod Graecè dicitur Episcopus hoc Latinè Superintentor interpretatur Chrysostome saithe Episcopus ex eo dicitur quo'd omnes inspiciat S. Hierome saithe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Superintendentes Anselimus saithe Episcopus Latinè Superintendens dicitur Beda likewise saithe Episcopus Latinè Superintendens dicitur Petrus de Palude saithe Episcopus dicitur Superintendens Et Petrus fuit Superintendens toti Mundo Peter was the Superintendente of the whole Worlde Your owne Thomas of Aquine saith Episcopi dicuntur ex eo quòd Superintendunt Therefore M. Hardinge if Modestie moue you not yet at leaste for your grauities sake leaue plaieinge with these vaine and childishe folies The Bishoppes of Englande haue this daie not onely the same Name but also the same roume and Authoritie and Iurisdiction that other Bishoppes haue euer had before The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 1. But touchinge this Councel whiche is nowe sommoned by Pope Pius wherein menne so lightly are condemned beinge neither called nor hearde nor seene it is easy to gheasse what we maie looke for or hope of it M. Hardinge The Generall Councell of Trente is now at length by Gods speciall fauour concluded and ended VVhat haue ye to saie to it Forbeare your accustomed lyinge what haue ye to saie to it For matters of Faithe what is not sounde and true For * maners what sore lacketh due salue For * discipline what disorder hath not holesome restrainctes and punishmentes VVhat defectes be not prouidently considered how to be supplied VVhat abuses be not required to be taken a waie as farre as mans wiste coulde deuise and the weakenesse of the presente age can beare The B. of Sarisburie Al this mater is fully answeared by VVhat and by VVhat VVhat mater of Faithe VVhat manners VVhat disorder VVhat defectes VVhat Abuses But al these vvhattes notwithstanding vvhat if your Pope your Cardinalles and your Cleregie with the whole disorder of your Romaine Churche with so many Priestes keepinge Concubines with so many Non Residentes with so many Doumbe Bishoppes and with so many thousandes of common Harlottes be in case now euen as they were before Wil yée telle vs neuerthelesse that al your soares be sufficiently salued Or muste wée beleue that your keepinge of Concubines your open Stewes and Fornications c. be no soares Verily S. Bernarde saithe as it is alleged before Intestina insanabilis est plaga Ecclesiae The wounde of the Churche bleedeth inwardely and is past cure And againe A planta pedis vsque ad verticem Capitis non est in ea sanitas There is no whole parte in the Churche from the sole of the foote to the toppe of the Heade Baptista Mantuanus saith Aegrotatqúe Fides iam proxima morti The Faithe of the Romaine Churche is sicke and almoste deade In your Olde Latine Translation of the Bible there be sundrie errours so open and so grosse that a very Babe maie soone espie them as it maie more plainely appeare by Budaeus Erasmus Valla Faber Lindanus and others Yet that notwithstandinge your Councel saithe precisely thus Ne quis Veterem vulgaram Editionem reijcere quouis praetextu audeat vel praesumat Lette no man dare or presume by any manner of coloure to refuse the Olde Common Translation of the Bible As if your Councelles were yourposely summoned to mainteine errours If yee wil so wilfully deceiue vs in sensible maters how maie wée then truste you in maters of Faithe The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 2. In times past when Nazianzene sawe in his daies how menne in sutche Assemblies were so blinde and wilful that they were carried with affections and laboured more to geate the victorie then the Truthe he pronounced openly that he neuer had seene a good ende of any Councel What would he saie nowe if he were aliue at this daie and vnderstoode the heauinge shouinge of these menne For at that time though the matter were laboured on al sides yet the controuersies were wel hearde and open errours were put cleane awaie by the general voice of al partes But these menne wil neither haue the case to be freely disputed nor yet how many errours soeuer there be suffer they any to be changed For it is a common custome of theirs often and shamelesly to boaste that their Churche cannot erre that in it there is no faulte that they muste geeue place to vs in nothinge Or if there be any faulte yet muste it be tried by their Bishoppes and Abbates onely bicause they be the Directours and Rulers of maters for that they be the Churche of God Aristotle saithe that a cittie cannot consiste of Bastardes but whether the churche of God maie consiste of these menne ▪ lette them selues consider For doubtelesse neither be theire Abbates Abbates in deede nor their Bishoppes natural right Bishoppes M. Hardinge Gregorie Nazianzene in his Epistle to Procopius saithe thus I refuse to come to whatsoeuer Councell of Bishoppes Because I coulde neuer yet to this daie see the ende of any Councell ende wed with any profite and after whiche thinges amisse were not rather made more greuous then healed Nazianzene in that Epistle spake of prouinciall Councelles specially those that were holden in his troublesome times where most commonly Heretikes through fauour of their deceiued Princes bare the swea VVhiche in matters of Faithe coulde hardely then obteine any credite amonge the Catholikes onlesse they had benne confirmed by the auctoritie of the Bishop of Rome of whiche sorte at that age were fewe Those other Nazianzene had experience of of these he had not Albeit in deede the vtilitie of the Nicence Councell in his time that is to saie within so fewe yeeres after the same was holden was not yet thoroughly espied and fully knowen abroade Neither would he if he were aliue at this daie reproue the Holy generall Councell of Trente as ye doo For why shoulde he And how shamelesse be ye to require vs to yelde and geue place vnto you VVho made you iudges ouer vs ‡ VVho gaue you commission VVhere is your warrant VVhat neede ye to shewe your malice so muche at Bishoppes and Abbattes VVhiche of them hurteth you Haue ye not in prison or in custody at your appointement all the Bishoppes of England one Apostata yet liuinge excepted which after sundry flightes and changinge of cotes is fledde from the tentes of the Churche to your scattered troupes The Abbottes haue ye not driuen them awaie Be ye yet a fraide of their shadowes As by Aristotle a Cittie can not consiste of Bastardes nomore can the Churche of Englande
Jurisdiction of the Emperoure whereas before he was subiecte to the Emperours Courte Laurence saithe The Pope hath exempted him by the Consente of the Prince Yee see therefore M. Hardinge your Priestes Abbates and Bishoppes haue theire Priuileges and Exemptions not by any right of Goddes Woorde but onely by the Popes Policie and by the Special fauoure of the Prince The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 3. Thei wil saie to this I gheasse Ciuile Princes haue learned to gouerne a Common Wealthe and to order maters of Warre but they vnderstande not the secrete Mysteries of Religion If that be so what is the Pope I praie you at this daie other then a Monarch or a Prince Or what be the Cardinalles whoe must be none other nowe but Princes Kinges Sonnes What els be the Patriarches for the moste parte the Archebishoppes the Bishoppes the Abbates What be they els at this present in the Popes Kingedome but worldely Princes but Dukes and Erles gorgeously accompanied with bandes of menne whither so euer they goe Oftentimes also gayly araied with Chaines and Collars of golde Thei haue at times too certaine OrnameÌ„tes by them selues as Crosses Pillers Hattes Miters Palles whiche Pompe the Auncient Bishoppes Chrysostome Augustine Ambrose neuer had Settinge these things aside what teache thei What saie thei What doo thei How liue they I saie not as maie become a Bishop but as maie become a Christian man Is it so greate a matter to haue a vaine title and by changinge a garment onely to haue the name of a Bishop M. Hardinge The duetie of ciuil Princes consisteth in ciuil matters the duetie of Bishoppes in spiritual thinges That serueth to the preseruation of mens persons this to the Saluation of their Soules Euery high Priest saieth S. Paule that is taken from amonge men is ordeined for men in thinges apperteining to God Re moue temporal Princes to take vpon them the office of the Pope and Bishops as though it were a thinge so indifferent and so common that when Bishoppes be negligent temporal men maie do their steede But the reason which to this ende ye make is so slender as I wene fewe Princes that feare God wil be greatly moued to adâ—enter that thinge so muche subiecte and 〈…〉 your reason is this consider it who will They of the Cleregie 〈…〉 Ergo Temporall 〈◊〉 maie beare the office of Bishoppes 〈…〉 and your Antecedent is false For although Bishoppes 〈…〉 changinge a garment onely as you saie â–ª yet that defect in them shoulde 〈…〉 late â–ª as to Kinges and Queenes to doo the Office of 〈…〉 false for the Bishoppes of the Catholike Churche 〈…〉 ordinated and consecrated Though the Pope haue a Princely dominion 〈◊〉 some other Bishoppes of christendome haue Dukedomes and Erledomes though they ride well 〈…〉 some of them otherwise then becommeth that vocation doo weare 〈…〉 them though they haue other ornamentes to their 〈…〉 whiche grieueth you muche in comparison of the beggery of your maried estate yet all this imbarreth them 〈◊〉 but that they be Bishoppes Though they teache not though they saie not though they doo not though they liue not as becommeth Bishoppes neither as becometh euen a Christen man as you raile all this notwithstanding yet be they Bishoppes though euill Bishoppes Neither for al this may it be latefull for 〈◊〉 to take their office vpon them Iudas was an Apostle till the rope choked him Neither for his wickednesse might Streuen Mathias or any other of the Disciples of his owne presumpt to haue smepte into his râ—â—me Now is this is true so is your railinge talke false whiche malice hath stirred you to vtter The B. of Sarisburie Ouiâ— againe wee tel le you M. Hardinge wee confounde not these Offices notwithstandinge you so often and so lewdâ—ly reporte vs to your owne discredite Our Princes neuer tooke vpon them yâ— Office of Bishoppes But your Bishoppes haue taken vpon them the Office of Princes Of your Bishoppes it is written in your owne Councelles Ecce iam peâ—e nulla est acti◠〈◊〉 quam non Sacerdotes administrent Beholde there is now in a 〈◊〉 no 〈◊〉 affaire but Priestes and Bishoppes â—aue it in hande Sutche Bishoppes be they of whom S. Chrysostome writeth thus Qui non credunt Iudicium Dei nec timenâ— abutentes Primatu suo Ecclesiastico saeculariter conuertunt eum in saecularem They that neither beleeue nor feare the Judgemente of God 〈◊〉 theire Ecclesiastical Dignitie in Seculare sorte turne the same into Seculare Dignitie Sutche Bishoppes they be of whome S. Hierome saithe thus Ipsi sibi Laici sunt Episcopi They them selues be to them selues bothe Laiemenne and Bishoppes too And againe Adorant Dominum Melchom qui Saecedo pariter Domino putant se posse seruire duobus Dominis satisfacere Deo Mammonae qui Militantes Christo obligant sese negotijs Saecularibus candem Imaginem offerunt Deo Caesari They woorship the Lorde and Melchom bothe togeather thinkinge that they maie serue bothe the Woorlde and the Lorde and satisfie twoo Maisters at once God and Mammon who fightinge vnder Christe binde them selues to worldly affaires and offer vp one Image bothe to God and to Caesar If yée wil beleeue none of these yet your Popes ovvne Legates in your late Chapter at Tridente speakinge of your Priestelike Apparel saie thus Nihil à Laicâ—s praeterquam in Vestis genere ac ne in hoc quidem differunt Our Priestes differ nothinge from Laiemenne sauinge onely in Apparel naie in deede they differ not so mutche from them as in Apparel Yee saie your Bishoppes are gaie and gallante attended and garded with Princelike routes bothe behinde and before And thereof yée make no smal accoumpte specially in respecte of our estate whiche you calle beggerly In sutche disdeigne the Heathens sommetime saide That Christe was the Beggerliest and poorest of al the Goddes that were in Heauen How be it our Bishoprikes sauinge that certaine of your Fathers haue shamefully spoiled them are nowe euen as they were before Certainely yâ— Poorest Bishoprike in Englande as it is reported is better in reuenewes theli somme thrée of your Popes Italian Bishoprikes in the Kingedome of Naples How be it the Gospel of Christe standeth not by Richesse but by Truthe In comparison of the one wée make smal reckeninge of the other Neuerthelesse the Wise and Godly haue euermore founde faulte with the Ecclesiastical Brauerie of your Romaine Cleregie S. Bernarde saithe Inde est quem quotidiè ides Meretriceus Nitor Histrionicus habitus Regius Apparatus Inde Aurum in Frenis in Sellis in Calcaribus Therehence commeth theire Whoorelike Finenesse theire Plaiers VVeede their Princely Apparel Therehence commeth their Goulde in theire Bridles in their Saddels and in theire Spurres Againe he saithe Incedunt nitidi ornati circumamicti varietatibus tanquam Sponsa procedens de
of the charges of so greate a iourney For then neither was the Bishop of Rome nor other Bishoppes endewed with so large possessions as they were afterwarde Now to retourne to the Councell of Nice The Emperour was in deede the cause of their comming togeather aswel for that him selfe persuaded that meane of concorde as also for that liberally he defraied the charges Yet called he not the Bishoppes of his owne head And that these men might haue seene in the Ecclesiasticall Historie where Rufinus writeth Tum ille ex Sacerdotum sententia apud vrbem Nicaeam Episcopale concilium conuocat Then the Emperour calleth together a Councell of Bishoppes accordinge to the determination of the Priestes He did it accordinge as it seemed good to the Bishoppes ‡ And shall we thinke the Bishop of Rome was none of them that consented to the callinge ‡ Ye as verely he was the chiefest of al. How can it otherwise seeme For when all the decrees were made Placuit vt haec omnia mitterentur ad EpiscopuÌ„ vrbis Romae Syluestrum It was thought good that all those actes and decrees should be sente to Syluester Bishop of the Cittie of Rome If he were the last that had the vewe and confirminge of all thinges there is no doubte but he had a voice and great auctoritie in callinge the Councell VVhat other is that which Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall Historie witnesseth sayinge Cum vtique regula Ecclesiastica iubeat non oportere praeter sententiam Romani Pontisicis ‡ concilia celebrari VVhereas the Ecclesiasticall rule commaundeth ‡ that no councels ought to be kepte besides the determinate consente of the Bishop of Rome VVe knowe saithe Athanasius and the Bishoppes of Aegypte assembled in Councell at Alexandria that in the greate councell of Nice of 318 Bishoppes it was with one accorde by all confirmed there that without the determination of the Bishop of Rome neither councels should be kept nor Bishoppes condemned I omitte here as a thinge well knowen how Constantine the Emperour refused in expresse woordes to be iudge ouer Bishoppes saying that God had geuen them power to iudge of him much lesse did he arrogate to him selfe onely and chiefly auctoritie to summon councels or to iudge Bishoply affaires As for me saithe Valentinian the Emperour in asmuch as I am but one of the people it is not lawful to search suche matters he speaketh of the Heretikes Doctrines but let the Priestes to whome this charge belongeth be gathered together within them selues where they will c. Concerninge the seconde Councell whiche was the firste of those that were kept at Constantinople it may be that Theodosius called it as Constantine called the firste at Nice But what auctoritie Damasus bare in the same it appeareth partely by that he had his Legates there partly also by that Photius Patriarke of Constantinople writeth in his Epistle to Michael Prince of Bulgaria VVhere hauinge declared the comminge together of the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Ierusalem he saithe thus Quibus haud multâ— post Damasus Episcopus Romae eadem confirmans atque idem sentiens accessit To whiche Patriarkes of Alexandria and Ierusalem not longe after Damasus the Bishop of Rome ioyned him selfe confirminge and determininge the same matter This much saithe Photius of the seconde Councell the confirmation whereof he dothe attribute not to Theodosius the Emperoure but to Damasus the Pope But what did Theodosius then will some man saie Did he nothinge yeas verely he did very muche as in the saide Epistle Photâ—us recordeth Then did greate Theodosius saithe he in deede woorthy of great praise rule the Empire who was him selfe also a defender and a mainteiner of Godlinesse Beholde what the Emperours parte was not to sitte in iudgement of matters of Religion and determine whiche was the true Faithe but to defende it and mainteine it And that thou maist see reader plainely what Theodosius thought of Religion whome these Defenders woulde make a iudge in causes of Religion I aduise thee to reade the ninth Booke of the Tripartite Historie where appeare many greate argumentes of his owne Faithe VVhiche he publisheth to the worlde from Thessalonica in a publike lawe to be suche as Peter had taught the Romaines and as Damasus who succeded Peter taught at that daie requiringe all his subiectes to beleue the same He required not them to folow his owne Priuate Faithe but Peters Faith and the Popes Faithe And whereas there were two Bishoppes of Alexandria at that time the one whose name was Peter holdinge with the Bishop of Rome the other named Lucius not so Theodosius commaunded his subiectes to beleue as Peter did who folowed the firste Peter and Damasus the Bishop of Rome Touchinge the thirde generall Councell it was kepte in deede vnder Theodosius the yonger at Ephesus But he was not supreme head there Yea rather who knoweth not that Cyrillus being him selfe Patriarke of Alexandria yet was president at Ephesus bearinge the steede and person of Pope Celestine If Cyrill was in steede of the Bishop of Rome there president who maie doubt but that he was Supreme Head of the Churche in whose name the President sate Dothe the President of the Queenes Maiesties Counsell vse to sitte at her counsell in the name of any other inferiour person If Theodosius were supreme and chiefe why sate not Cyrill in his name as president But seinge that Photius writeth and Nicephorus also that Cyrill Archebishop of Alexandria sate in the steede of Celestine Pope of Rome ouer that Councel kepte at Ephesus vndoubtedly it can not be denied but that Celestine was supreme head as well of the Churche as of the Generall Councell It is not therefore onely to be considered that Theodosius sente abroade his messengers to summon the Fathers to the Generall Councell but also it is to be considered by whose auctoritie it was donne If in our time it had pleased the Emperoure Ferdinande of Famouse Memorie to haue sente his Messengers to the Kinges and Princes of Spaine Fraunce Englande Hungarie Bemelande Pole and to the Estates and Dukes of Italie and Germanie to summon them to the Councell whiche the Pope thought good to indict at Trente I thinke verely the Pope woulde haue thanked the Emperoure for it and him selfe should haue saued so muche charges as men of experience know suche an enterprise to require But now sith the Pope hath of his owne sufficient to beare the charges of suche affaires he asketh not any more of the Emperoure suche expenses as in olde time to that necessarie pourpose by the Emperours were allowed Laste of all Martian saie you called the fourthe Generall Councell at Chalcedon VVe answeare He called it not in suche sorte as ye meane to witte as supreme Head and ruler thereof but as one hable to sende messengers for the Bishoppes about the worlde and to susteine the charges also willinge
And therefore was Origen called Magister Ecclesiarum The Enformer or Maister of the Churches S. Basile Canon Fidei The Rule of the Faithe Eusebius Samosatensis Regula Veritatis The Standarde of the Truthe Athanasius Orbis oculus The eie of the worlde And in doubteful Cases they were as diligently sought vpon as the Pope Here by the waie it were a woorthy mater to consider somme of the Profound and Learned Resolutions that wee haue receiued from the See of Rome Augustine the Italian Monke whom somme haue called the Apostle of England demaunded of Pope Gregorie by waie of greate Counsel whether a Woman with Childe might be Baptized or no and howe longe afterwarde it might be lawful for her to comme to Churche Bonifacius the Apostle of Germanie demaunded the like questions of Pope Zacharie whether laies Davves Storkes Beauers Otters Hares and VVilde Horses be mannes meate or no what order were to be taken with Man or Horse hauinge the Fallinge sickenesse At what time of the yeere it maie be lawful or wholesome for folkes to eate Bacon and if a man liste to eate it Ravve howe old it ought to be before he eate it What maie be donne if a Prieste haue a blacke in his eie Who maie hallovve Oile who maie weare the palle At what time in what place in what sorte ouer or vnder openly or secretely it maie be lawful to weare it To these and other like doubteful and profounde questions the Pope hath geuen out his Answeares and that in sutch graue and solemne sorte as if no other Creature vnder Heauen bisides his Holinesse were hable to vnderstande sutche highe Mysteries There felle out sommetime an Odious quarrel bitwéene the Thomist s and Scotistes whether the Blessed Virgine were conceiued in sinne or no. The one side saide Yea the other cried Nay There were Learned menne of bothe sides Parties grewe The Schooles were enflamed the worlde was troubled No Conference no Doctoure no Councel was hable to quiet the mater and to make them frendes The Scotistes alleged for them selues the Councel of Basile The Thomistes cried out the Councel of Basile was disorderly summoned and therefore vnlawful In the middes of this heate Pope Sixtus tooke vpon him to be Iudge bitwéene them and to determine the bottome of y◠Cause In conclusion when al the worlde lookte to be resolued and satisfied in the question the Pope Commaunded bothe the Thomistes and the Scotistes to departe home and to dispute no more of the mater but to let al alone so leafte them as doubteful as he founde them A greate contention fel out bitwéene them of Ratispone in Germanie and the Abbie of S. Denise in France whether of them had the whole Body of S. Denise for that either parte saide bare the worlde in hande they had the whole To Rome they wente The Pope sate sadly in Iudgemente and examined theire Allegations and grewe to conclusion and in the ende gaue his aduised Definitiue Sentence that either parte as wel thei of France as also the others of Germanie had the vvhole Body of S Denise and that who so euer woulde saie nay shoulde be an Heretique Of sutche substance and certainetie are the Oracles of your See of Rome Somme of your frendes haue saide Veritas per Christum Cathedrae alligata est non personis Christe hath fastened his Truthe not to the Popes personne but to his Chaire Meaninge thereby that the Pope what so euer he decree or saie sittinge in S. Peters Chaire can neuer erre And thus by this Doctours Iudgemente wee are taught to géeue credite rather to the Popes Chaire then to the Pope Yet neuerthelesse the same Irenaeus whom yée haue here alleged openly reproued Pope Victor and S. Cyprian like wise reproued Pope Steuin for that thei thought notwithstandinge their Chaire they were in erroure Brasmus speaking of the Answeare of Pope Innocentius vnto the Councel of Carthage saith thus In hac Epistola Dictionem Ingenium Eruditionem tali Praesule dignam cogimur desiderare In this Epistle wee misse bothe Eloquence and Witte and Learninge meete for sutche a Prelate S. Ambrose saithe In omnibus cupio sequi Ecclesiam Romanam Sed tamen nos Homines sensum habemus Ideo quod alibi rectiùs seruatur nos rectè custodimus I desire in al thinges to folowe the Churche of Rome Howe be it wee our selues for that wee be menne haue vnderstandinge and Iudgemente too Therefore what so euer is better keapte in other places wee doo wel to keepe the same But touchinge the state of Rome that nowe is Arnulphus saide openly in y◠Councel of Remes Cùm hoc tempore Romae nullus sit vt fama est qui Sacras Literas didicerit qua fronte aliquis illorum docere audebit quod non didicerit For as mutche as nowe a daies as it is reported there is none in Rome that hath Learned the Scriptures with what face dareth any of them to teache vs that thinge that he him selfe neuer learned It is not sufficiente to saie The Pope sitteth in Peters Chaire As Antichriste maie sitte in place of Christe so maie Iudas sitte in place of Peter S. Hierome saithe Bethel quae priùs vocabatur Domus Dei postquam Vituli in ea positi sunt appellata est Bethauen id est Domus inutilis Domus idoli Bethel that before was called the House of God after that Hieroboams Goldē Calues were sette vp in it was called Bethauen that is to saie a House vnprofitable and the House of an Idole Therefore wée thinke it better to examine trie the groundes of your Religion by the VVoorde of God that is one and Vniforme and enduereth for euer then by your touche of Rome that is so vncertaine and so mutable and so often hathe deceiued vs. S. Cyprian saithe Si ad Diuinae Traditionis Caput Originem reuertamur cessat error humanus If wee returne to the Heade and Original of the heauenly Tradition which is the VVoord of God al humaine errour geueth place Touching the reste of your néedelesse talke our Brethren in France whom in your pleasante manner yée cal Huguenotes burnte not the Body of Irenaeus They knewe he was a Blessed Martyr of God and his Body sommetime the Temple of the Holy Ghoste Without any reproche or villanie either donne or meante to that Holy Father if they burnte any thinge whiche also maie wel be doubted they burnte onely an Idole that you had so vnreuerently sette vp againste the Glorie of God Chrysostome saithe Ioseph moriens air Ossa mea efferetis hinc vobiscum Ne Aegyptij memores beneficiorum eius Corpus Iusti haberent in occasionem Impietatis Ioseph lieinge in his death bedde saide vnto his Children and Neuewes yee shal carrie my bones with you foorthe out of Egypte Leste the Egyptians remembringe the good