conclude what if he be vtterly ignorant as many haue benne and cannot Féede Yet must he needes be the headshepheard ouer the whole flocke and must al the shéepe obey him and heare his voyce that cannot speake Verily S. Augustine saithe Qui hoc animo pascunt oues Christi vt suas velint esse non Christi se conuincuntur amare non Christum vel gloriandi vel dominandi vel acquirendi cupiditate Who so euer they be that Feede the sheepe to the ende to make them theirs and not Christes they soue them selues and not Christe for desire either of glorie or of rule or of gaine The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 8. That we set naught by the authoritie of the Auncient Fathers and Councels of olde time that we haue rashly and presumptuously disanulled the olde Ceremonies whiche haue benne wel allowed by our fathers and forefathers many hundred yeeres past both by good customes and also in ages of more puritie and that we haue by our owne priuate head without the authoritie of any Sacred General Councel brought Newe Traditions into the Churche haue donne al these thinges not for Religions sake but onely vpon a desire of contention and strife But that they for their parte haue chaunged no manner of thinge but haue helde kepte stil sutche a number of yeres to this very day al thinges as they were deliuered from the Apostles and wel approued by the most Auncient Fathers M. Hardinge The auncient fathers are but men if they please you not But if ye finde anie colour of aduantage but in the newe Schoolemen ye make mutche of it So that your owne opinion is the rule to esteeme them or despise them Councles ye admitte as your phansie and pleasure leadeth sometimes three sometimes foure sometimes fiue or sixe But al ye would neuer admitte and yet so many as are general and haue bene confirmed by the See Apostolike they are al of like authoritie Concerninge Ceremonies if ye shewe vs not the vse of Chrisme in your Churches if the signe of the Crosse be not borne before you in Processions and other where 's vsed if Holy VVater be abolished if lightes at the Gospel and communion be not had if peculiar Vestimentes for Deacons Priestes Byshoppes be taken awaie and many suche other the like iudge ye whether ye haue duely kepte the old Ceremonies of the Churche As for your newe Traditions Pâ—ites and Ceremonies I can not tel what to make of them nor whether I maye so terme them No manner of thinge haue we changed that is of necessitie either to be beleued or to be obserued The B. of Sarisburie Wée allowe the Auncient Fathers the same credite that they them selues haue euer desired S. Augustine hereof writeth thus Neque quorumuis Disputationes quantumuis Catholicorum laudatorum hominum velut Scripturas Canonicas habere debemus vt nobis non liceat salua reuerentia quae illis debetur aliquid in illorum Scriptis improbare aut respuere si fortè inuenerimus quòd aliter senserint quà m Veritas habet Talis sum ego in scriptis aliorum tales volo esse intellectores meorum We receiue not the Disputations or VVritinges of any menne be they neuer so Catholique or praise-woorthy as wee receiue the Canonical Scriptures but that sauinge the reuerence dewe vnto them wee may wel reproue or refuse some thinges in theire writinges if it happen wee finde they haue otherwise thought then the Truthe may beare them â—utche am I in the writinges of others and sutche would I wishe others to be in mine Likewise he writeth to S. Hierome Non puto Frater te velle Libros tuos legi tanquam Apostolorum aut Prophetarum I recken not my Brother that ye would haue vs so to reade your Bookes as if they were written by the Apostles or Prophetes It is certaine Tertullian EEyprian Clemens Alexandrinus Papias Irenaeus Victorinus Lactautius Hilarius other Ancient Fathers were oftentimes mutch deceiued S. Hierome sâ—â—ffeth at S. Ambroses Commentaries vpon Luke and calleth them Nugas trifles and nicknameth S. Ambrose sometime callinge him Coruus sometime Cornicula Likewise S. Augustine saithe Ecclesiastici Iudices vt homines plaerunque falluntur The Iudges or Doctours of the Churche as beinge men are often deceiued And Thomas of Aquine saithe Non tenemur de necessitate Salutis credere noÌ„ solùm Doctoribus Ecclesiae vt Hieronymo aut Augustino sed ne ipsi quidem Ecclesiae nisi in his quae pertinent ad substantiam Fidei Wee are not bounde vpon the necessitie of Saluation to beleue not onely the Doctours of the Churche as Hierome or Augustine but also neither the Churche it selfe sauinge onely in maters concerninge the substane of Faithe Touchinge the authoritie of Councels S. Augustine saithe Ipsa plenaria Concilia saepè priora à posterioribus emendantur cùm aliquo experimento aperitur quod clausum eâ—at The very General Councels are often corrected the former by the later as often as by trial and experience the thing is opened that before was shut Likewise Panormitane saithe Plus credendum est vni priuato fideli quà m toti Concilio Papae si meliorem habeat authoritatem vel rationem Wee ought to geue more credite to one priuate â—aye man then to the whose Councel and to the Pope if he bringe better authoritie and more reason If the Counsel be wicked and carried with malice as many haue benne specially within these fewe late hundred yeres We saie as the Prophete Esai saithe Inite Consilium dissipabitur Loquimini verbum non stabit quia nobiscum est Dominus Take Counsel togeather and it shal be broken Speake the woorde and it shal not holde For the Lorde is with vs. As for the late Schole Doctours your selues weigh them as litle as noman lesse You say in youre common talkes Bernardus noÌ„ vidit omnia You haue controlled your Doctour of al Doctours Peter Lombard with this common Caueat in the Margine Hic Magister non tenetur Here our Doctour is no Doctour You your selfe M. Hardinge in this youre very Booke against our Apologie sate that your Doctor Gratian was deceiued and in stéede of Anacletus alleged Calixtus You youre selfe againe saie If in a secrete pointe of learninge S. Augustine or S. Cyprian teache singularely Wee folowe them not mutche lesse do wee binde our selues to beeue what soeuer â—lbertus Pigghius hath written And againe VVee binde our selues neither to the woordes of Syluester nor of Pighius And againe wee take not vpon vs to defende al that the Canonistes or Scholemen saie or write And an other of your companie saieth that your Doctour Gratian hath published great vntruthes wilfully falsified the General Councel Nomen Vniuer salis saithe he assutum est à Gratiano Thus M. Hardinge ye vse your Doctours euen as the Marchante vseth his Counters sometime to stande for an hundred pounde
by Peter his predecessour are sufficient And the Glose vpon the same Petrus fecit Papam haeredem bonitatis suae Peter hath made the Pope Heire of his goodnesse But S. Hierome saithe farre otherwise Non sanctorum filij sunt qui tenent loca sanctorum They be not euermore Holy mennes Children that sitte in the roumes of Holy menne Likewise saithe Alphonsus de Castro a special assistante of that syde Quamuis teneamurâ—â—x Fide credere verum Petri Successorem esse Supremum totius Ecclesiae Pastorem tamen non tenemur eadem Fide credere Leonem aut Clementem esse verum Petri Successorem Notwithstanding we be bounde by Faithe to beleue that the true Successour of Peter is the highest Shepheard of the whole Churche yet are we not bounde by the same Faithe to beleue that Leo or Clement being Eishoppes of Rome are the true Successours of Peter The woordes that Christe spake vnto Peter importe no Souerainetie but were common to al the rest S. Cyprian saithe Hoc erant vtique coeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari cosortio praediti Honoris Potestatis The rest of the Apostles were euen the same that Peter was aâ— endewed with like felowship both of Honour and of Power What special priuilege then can the Pope claime by the Succession of S. Peter Or what talketh he of féeding the whole flocke of Christe that neuer feedeth any parte therof wherin is the Pope like S. Peter or wherein euer was S. Peter like the Pope Yet M. Hardinge doubteth not to geue his Definitiue Sentence vvhat so euer Sheepe is not obedient to the Headshepheard is not of the flocke of Christ The Pope also him selfe boldely warranteth the same Thus he saithe of him selfe Quicunque praeceptis nostris non obedierit peccatum Idololatriae Paganitatis incurrit Who so euer obeieth not our commaundementes falleth into the sinne of Idolatrie and Infidelite And therefore Pope Steuin thus auanceth the authoritie of his owne See Sacrosancta Domina nostra Romana Ecclesia Our Holy Lady the Churche of Rome But Christe speaking of him selfe saithe I am the True Sheepheard And Who so heareth these woordes of myne and doeth the same I wil liken him to a wise man S. Paule beinge but one of the shéepe saithe thus I withstoode Peter as M. Hardinge saithe the Head shéepheard euen vnto his face for that he walked not vprightly to the Gospel of Christe Yet was he a shéepe of the flocke of Christe Hostiensis in this case seemeth reasonable His woordes be these Omnes debent obediâ—e Papae quicquid praecipiat nisi sequi possit peccatum Al men must obey the Pope what so euer he commaunde so there folowe no sinne of his commaundement Likewise Feliuus a notable Canoniste Non obstante Plenitudine Potestatis quae est in Papa non est obediendum ei peccato imminente Notwithstandinge the fulnesse of power that is in the Pope when sinne shal folowe his biddinge we may not obey him Yf the Pope wil claime the Headpast ourship ouer the whole flocke of Christe or rather if he wil be taken for any Pastour at al let him then féede the Flocke Let him breake the breade of Life without Leauen Let him speake the woorde of God truely without fables and wée wil heare him Otherwise S. Augustine hath warned vs Sua si docere velint â—olite audire nolite facere Certè enim tales sua quaerunt non quae sunt Iesu Christi If they wil teache you Doctrines of theire owne see ye heare them not and what so euer sutche thing they commaunde you see ye doo it not For vndoubtedly sutche men seâ—ke for their owne maters and not the thinges that perteine to Jesus Christe The Apologie Cap. 5. Diuision 6. If so be that Pope Pius were the man wee saie not whiche he would so gladly be called but if he were in deede a man that either would accoumpt vs for his brethren or at least would take vs to be men he would first diligently haue examined our reasons and would haue seene what might be saide with vs what against vs would not in his Bul whereby he lately pretended a Councel so rashly haue condemned so great a part of the worlde so many Learned Godly men so many common wealthes so many Kinges so many Princes onely vpon his owne blinde preiudices foredeterminations that without hearing of them speake or without shewing cause why M. Hardinge Speake of Pope Pius what ye wil and what ye can Neither your praise can aduaunce his estimation nor your dispraise abase it His singular vertues be wel knowen God is highly to be praised for that he hath prouided for his flock so good a shepheard As for you as â—e taketh you to be men so not his brethren bicause ye haue cut of your selues from the Catholike churche Your reasons haue ben diligently and exactly examined already In respect of your reasones Learning and Holy Scriptures whiche ye bring ye are founde suche as Balsasar Kinge of Babylon â—as signified by the hande that appeared writing before him in the wall What it is Heretikes to be admitted to reasoning it is and hath ben euermore too wel knowen Be they neuer so throughly confuted they yelde not Ouercome they may be reformed thâ—â— wil not be Therein no good lightly is done The B. of Sarisburie Yf Pope Pius wâ—te so good 〈◊〉 who so 〈…〉 thy a Passout for the Churche of God why then did his Cat dâ—â—lles of thee 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 by treason and conspiracie to oppose him 〈…〉 you say â–ª so good a man â–ª 〈…〉 it were not so why then did he himselfe 〈◊〉 thereof so vtterly in â—n Oration pronounced openly in Rome in the Consistâ—â—te â–ª Is it not lauful for so good a man to liue in Rome Is the same Proclamation nowe practised emong the Cardinalles in Rome that was sometime vsed in the Councel house at Ephesus Nemo nostrum frugi esto Let no good man be emongste vs Ye safe Pope Pius would not vouchesaue to cal vs his Brethren No marueile séeing his owne dèere and first begotten Children the Cardinales would no lenger haue him to be theire Father It is sufficient for vs that Christe the Sonne of God is contente to cal vs his Brethren Ye haue Excommunicate vs as the Phâ—riseis did the Apostles bicause wée speake vnto you in the name of Christe But your owne Lawe saithe Excommunicaâ—us non poiest Excommunicate He that is Excommunicâ—t him selfe cannot geue Sentence to Excommunicate others And your owne Gelasius saithe Neminem ligate debet iniqua Sententia A wicked Sentence of Excommunication bindeth noman But before al others God him selfe saithe Ego Benedicam Maledictionibus vestris I wil Blesse that you Curse saithe the Lorde You saie you haue weighed our Reasons and haue founde them too light Now surely
And therefore he was faine to expounde his meaninge and to weigh him downe of the other side with his prety Glose But S. Bernarde without Glose saithe plainely Non sunt omnes amici Spousi qui hodiè sunt Sponsi Ecclesae They be not al the Bridegromes frendes that are this daye the Spouses of the Churche O miserandain Sponsam ralibus creditam Paranymohis Non accici Sponsi sed aemuli sunt O miserable is that Spouse that is committed to sutche Leaders They are not the frendes they are the enimies of the Bridegrome How be it wée néede not greatly to recke what styles and titles the Pope can vouchesaue to allowe him selfe As he may be called the Heade the Prince and the Spouse euen so and by like authoritie and truthe may he be called the Light the Life the Saueour and the God of the Churche God geue him an harte to vnderstande that hée maie be although not the Heade yet a Member of that Body although not the Prince yet a Subiecte in that Kingedome although not the Bridegrome yet a Childe of the Churche of God The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 1. Furthermore wee Beleeue that there be diuers degrees of Ministers in the Churche whereof some be Deacons some Priestes some Bishoppes to whom is committed the office to instructe the people and the whole charge and settinge foorthe of Religion M. Hardinge Here it had ben your parte to haue declared your faithe touching the Holy Sacrament of Order agreable to the faith of the Catholike Churche That there be seuen orders in the Churche foure lesser and three greater for so by good reason they are called And as for the institution auctoritie and estimation of the greater specially of Priesthood and Deaconship ye might haue alleged the Scriptures so for the Lesser the example of Christe the Tradition of the Apostles and the testimonies written of the Apostles scholers of those that bothe nexte and sone after folowed them namely Dionys cap. 3. Hierarch Ecclesiast Ignatius epist 8. ad Ecclesiam Antiochenam Tertullian in praescript aduersus Hereticos Gaius Pope and Martyr in Diocletians time Sozimus in S. Augustines time Isychius Eusebius Caesariensis is his Ecclesiastical historie and Epiphanius in the ende of his Booke contra Haereses The B. of Sarisburie Gentle Reader if I should leaue these and other like M. Hardinges woordes vnansweared thou mightest happily thinke he had saide somewhat Here he saithe it had benne our Parte to haue tolde thée of Seuen Orders in the Churche thrée Greatter and foure Lesse Hauing in déede him selfe cleane forgotten his owne Parte For notwithstandinge this controlment and accoumpte of so many Orders yet he nameth no moe Orders then wée haue named And verily if he would haue folowed his owne Authorities it had benne hard for him in any good Order to haue made vp his owne accoumpte For his owne Anacletus saithe Ampliùs quà m isti Duo Ordines Sacerdotum Episcopi Presbyteri nec nobis à Deo collati sunt nec Apostoli docuerunt More then these two Orders of Priestes Bishoppes and Elders neither hathe God appointed vs nor haueÌ„ the Apostles tought vs. And yet of these same Two seueral Orders S. Hierome semeth to make onely One Order For thus he writeth Audio quendam in tantam erupisse vecordiam vt Diaconos Presbyteris id est Episcopis anteferret I heare saye there is a man broken out vnto sutche wilful furie that he placeth Deacons before Priestes that is to saye before Bishops And againe Apostolus praecipué docer eosdem esse Presbyteros quos Episcopos The Apostle Paule specially teacheth vs that Priestes and Bishoppes be al one The same S. Hierome writinge vpon the Prophete Esai reckenethe onely fiue Orders or Degrees in the whole Churche The Bishoppes the Priestes the Deacons the Entrers or Beginners and the Faitheful And other Order of the Churche he knoweth none Clemens saithe Tribus gradibus eommissa sunt Sacramenta Diuinorum SecretoruÌ„ id est Presbytero Diacono Ministro The Mysteries of the Holy Secresies be committed vnto three Orders that is vnto the Priestes vnto the Deacons and vnto the Ministers And yet Deacons and Ministers as touchinge the name are al one Dionysius likewise hathe thrée Orders but not the same For he rekenethe Bishoppes Priestes Deacons And whereas M. Hardinge maketh his accoumpte of Foure of the Lesse or Inferiour Orders meaning thereby Ostiarios Lectores Exorcistas Acoluthos The Doore keepers the Readers the conuerers and the Waiters or Folowers His owne Ignatius addethe thereto thrée other Orders Cantores Laboratores Confitentes The Chounters or Singers the Labourers and the Confessours Elemens addeth thereto Catechistas The Infourmers or Teachers of them that were entringe into the Faithe A litle vaine Booke bearinge the name of S. Hierome De SepteÌ„ Ordinibus Ecclesiae addeth yet an other Order and calleth them Fossarios that is The Sextines or Ouerseers of the Graues And least you should thinke he rekeneth this Order as emongst other necessarie offices to serue the people and not as any parte of the Cleregie his wordes be these Primus in Clericis Fossariorum Ordo est qui in similitudinem Tobiae Sancti sepelire morruos admonet The Firste Order of the Cleregie is the Order of the Sextines whiche as Holy Tobâ—e was woonte to doo casse vppon the people for the burial of the deade Likewise to the thrée greater Orders Isidorus addeth an other distincte seueral Order of Bishoppes vnto whom agréethe Gulielmus Altisiodorensis Gottofredus Pictauiensis as appeareth by Iohannes Scotus Againe of the other Inferiour Orders S. Hierome leaueth out the Coniurers VVaiters S. Ambrose leaueth out the VVaiters and Doore Keepers The Canons of the Apostles leaue out Coniurers VVaiters and Doore keepers al thrée togeather In this so greate dissension darkenesse what waie wil M. Hardinge take to folow By Anacletus there be Two Orders by Clemens S. Hierome Thrée by Hierome Countrefeite SeueÌ„ by others Eight by other Nine by others Tenne At this notwithstandinge he telleth vs our parte had benne to haue shewed that there be iuste Seuen Orders in the Churche Thrée greate and Foure Lesse withoute doubte or question Here gentle Reader it had benne M. Hardinges parte to haue shewed vs the Reasons and Groundes of this Diuinitie These they be as they are alleged by the beste of that side Christe saith I am the Doore Ergo there muste be in the Churche an Order of Doore Keepers Christe saithe I am the Light of the World Hereupon haue thei founded the Order of Acolutes to carrie Tapers And so for the reste Thus mutche maie serue for a taste Now let vs consider what these Orders haue to doo and with how Holy and weighty offices they stand charged in the Churche of God Firste Clemens of whoe 's Authoritie M. Hardinge maket be no smal accoumpte for he calleth
doo that moste humble Open Penaunce but onely once in the Churche and neuer more afterwarde leaste the Medicine beinge made ouer common should not bee profitable to the Sicke Thus mutche difference therfore wee see there was bitweene the Churche and Nouatus The Churche graunteth the Open Sinner one onely time of Open Reconciliation and neuer more But Nouatus graunteth none at al. Therefore the whole mater of Nouatus might haue serued M. Hardinge to some other purpose For Confession whether it were Priuate or Publique was no parte of his Erroure The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 2. And wee saie that the office of Loosing consisteth in this pointe that the Minister either by the Preachinge of the Gospel offereth the Merites of Christe and ful pardon to sutche as haue lowely and contrite hartes and doo vnfainedly repente them selues pronouncinge vnto the same a sure and vndoubted forgeeuenesse of theire sinnes and hope of Euerlastinge Saluation Or els that the same Minister when any haue offended theire Brothers mindes with somme greate offence or notable and open crime whereby they haue as it were vannished and made them selues straungers from the Common Felowship and from the Body of Christe then after perfite amendement of sutche personnes dothe reconcile them and bring them home againe and restore them to the Companie and Vnitie of the Faithful M. Hardinge The summe of all these gaye woordes abbridged dothe attribute Loosinge or Absolution firste to Preachinge nexte to Assotlinge sutche as be Excomminicate As touchinge the firste these Defenders confounde the offices of Preachinge and of Absolution The Preacher teacheth the hearers and reporteth the woordes of Christe as out of the mouthe of Christe saieinge Thus saithe Christe c The Priest whiche is the Minister of Absolution accordinge to the Authoritie geuen to him by Christe in his owne person assoileth the Penitente saieinge I assoile thee in the name of the Father c. The Preacher in that he preacheth onely dothe not assoile sinners neither geueth he the Merites of Christe nor full pardon by pronouncinge vnto them the Gospell For if that greate benefite consiste in pronouncinge or denouncinge of the Gospell then why might not euery laye man yea womenne yea yonge boyes and gyrles assoile sinners yea why might not euery man assoile him selfe And woulde ye Sirs appointe vnto vs suche for iudges constituted by Christe For the woordes of Christe be so plaine as they cannot be so violently wrested For Christe saide not To whom ye offer by preachinge of the Gospel my Merites and Pardon or whose sinnes ye pronounce by the Gospell to be remitted but quorumcunque remiseritis who soeuers sinnes ye remitte they are remitted to them For as the sonne of man remitted sinnes to him that was sicke of the Palsye and to Mary Maudelen that ye maye knowe saithe he that the sonne of man hathe Power to remitte sinnes c Euen so he hathe transferred the same power vnto Priestes saithe Chrysostome VVhiche Priestes he hathe sente as the Father sente him And if Absolution consiste in pronouncinge of the Gospell whiche profiteth so muche as it is beleeued then the power of the Keies whiche Christe hathe geuen to the Churche consisteth not so muche in the Minister as in the sinner that heareth and beleeueth and so is forgeuen by Luthers Opinion And by this meanes the Prieste hathe no speciall power But wee saie with the Churche that a Sacramente hath his efficacie of the institution of Christe in him to whom it is adhibited In this sense the Catholike Churche of Christe hath euer taughte that God woorketh our Saluation by Sacramentes and in this faithe it hathe alwayes baptized infantes that their sinnes beinge remitted they mighte be made the children of God Like wise by the Keyes of the Churche it hathe assoiled personnes berefte of the vse of speache and reason as the Learned and Auncient Holy Father Leo teacheth in his Epistle ad Theodorum Episcopum Foroiuliensem and S. Augustine de adulterinis conlugijs Lib. 1. Cap. 26. vltimo Finally if the office of Loosinge that is Absolution consisted in Preachinge the Gospell and offeringe the Merites of Christe by pronouncinge the woordes in whiche the remission of our sinnes is expressed as this Denfender teacheth then had not the Catechumens of olde time neither nowe shoulde they be in any danger if they shoulde dye without Baptisme and the grace of reconciliation that is not beinge assoiled For they lacked no preachinge as nowe they lacke not where any suche bee The contrarie whereof the Churche hathe euer taught and for witnesse of the same besides other fathers wee haue the plaine Doctrine of S. Augustine Who saithe that a Catechumen howe mutche so euer he profitethe beareth still the burthen of his iniquitie so longe as he is not baptized I denie not but cases of iuste necessitie be excepted in the one and the other hauinge right and firme willes and desire in eche case VVhen not the contempte of Religion but the pointe of necessitie excludethe the Mysterie of baptisme as S. Augustine saithe Then how dangerous and pernicious is the Doctrine of these Defenders our Newe Ministringe Prelates who more with sweete and Holy woordes then withe truthe teache Christen people that the office of Loosinge consisteth in offeringe by preachinge of the Gospell as they call it the Merites of Christe and full pardon and by pronouncinge I knowe not howe a sure and vndoubted forgeeuenesse of sinnes and hope of Euerlasting Saluation to suche for soothe as haue lowly and contrite hartes and doe vnfainedly repente them The contrition of harte they seeme to speake of sufficethe not for Loosinge of sinnes onlesse it be contrition formed with charitie as the Diuines teache VVhiche charitie seeketh and requireth the Sacrament of Penaunce and the grace of reconciliation whiche cannot be ministred but by a prieste Neither is it possible the prieste to iudge truly who are lowly and contrite of harte and repente them vnfainedly forasmutche as he cannot searche the harte onlesse the penitentes humble them selues vnto him and declare theire repentaunce by simple and lowly confession of their sinnes VVhiche confession these Newe Gospellers haue abandoned out of theire Congregations Howe mutche is more the Catholike and holesome Doctrine of S. Augustine to be embraced and folowed whiche he vttereth in these woordes Doo ye penaunce sutche as is done in the Churche that the Churche maie praie for you Let noman saie to him selfe I do penaunce secretely before God I do It God who forgeeueth me knoweth that I doo it in my harte But what saith S. Augustine hereunto VVhy then saithe he it was saide in vaine What thinges ye Loose in Earthe they shal be Loosed in Heauen Then without cause the Keies be geeuen to the Churche VVe make voide the Gospell of God wee make frustrate the woordes of Christe S. Augustine saithe doo ye
it is a Bastarde Epistle and not written by S. Iames. Likewise S. Hierome saithe Epistola Iacobi ab alio quopiam sub eius nomine edita asseritur It is saide that the Epistle of S. Iames was set foorthe by somme other man vnder his name This therefore is no Newe fantasie but the Iudgemente of the Ancient Learned Fathers Neuerthelesse wee doo bothe receiue the same Epistle and also reade it in Oure Churches and allowe euery Clause and Sentence that therein is written M. Hardinge saithe If yee haue this Lighte of the Scriptures before your eies howe is it that yee agree no better emongest your selues And here he reckeneth vp by rote a many of names of his owne makinge Lutherans Zuinglians Arians Osiandrians Libertines Adiaphoristes Anabaptistes Caluinistes and Sathanistes In whiche his so pleasante fansie he maie haue leaue to sporte him selfe while he listeth God be thanked wée agrée thorowly togeather in the whole Substance of the Religion of Christe and altogeather with one harte and one Sprite doo glorifie God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe Certainely S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome Epiphanius and Theophilus as it appeareth by theire writinges agreed no better togeather in theire time then wee doo nowe Yet had they and euery of them the Woorde of God and the same Woorde of God was a Light vnto their feete It was not for any greate stoare of better mater I trowe that M. Hardinge thus chargeth vs with so often changinge the Communion Booke For of more then of one Onely Change he cannot tel vs. And if there had benne lesse then that there had benne no change at al. And yet for that One change he him selfe in the meane season hath changed thrise But the Holy Communion Booke and the Order of the Holy Ministration standeth and by Goddes Mercie shal stand stil without any further Change How be it Gentle Reader if thou wilt knowe the often Alterations and Changes of the Masse reade I beseche thée Platyna and Polydore Vergil touchinge the same There shalte thou finde howe and by whome and vpon what occasion and in what processe of time al the partes of the Masse were peeced and sette togeather and that in the space of seuen hundred whole yéeres scarcely and with mutche adoo it was made vp at laste and brought to somme perfection Christes Commaundement of Hearinge the Churche is answeared before S. Augustine saithe Credimus Sanctam Ecclesiam non Credimus in Sanctam Ecclesiam VVee beleeue that there is a Holy Churche But wee Beleue not in the Holy Churche For the Churche is not God nor is hable of her selfe to make or alter any one Article of the Faithe The Prophete Esay saithe Ad Legem potiùs ad Testimonium Si non responderint secundum Verbum hoc non erit illis Lux Matutina To the Lawe rather and to the Testimonie If they answeare not accordinge to this VVoorde they shal haue no Morninge Light M. Hardinge saithe further If quietnesse of Conscience comme of the VVoorde of God onely then had Abel no more quietnesse of Conscience then wicked restlesse Cain Then should Paule the Eremite and Antonie and Hilarion and Pambus and other Holy menne liuinge in Wildernesse without Letters haue had no reste ne quiet at theire hartes And why so Bicause they had no Woorde written Who woulde thinke that M. Hardinge bearinge sutche a countenance of Diuinitie woulde thus goe aboute to deceiue him selfe with a pointe of Sophistrie Chrysostome saithe Deus Conditor Humani Generis ab initio per seipsum homibus loquebatur God the Creatour of Mankinde froÌ„ the beginninge spake vnto menne by him selfe in his owne personne And S. Paule saithe Deus olim multifarià m multisquemodis Patribê° locutus est In Old times God spake many vvaies and in sundrie sortes vnto the Fathers And doothe M. Hardinge thinke when God him selfe in his owne personne and presently spake vnto Abel that Abel bearde not then the Woorde of God Wée speake not so precisely and nicely of Goddes Woorde written in Paper For so it is a Creature Corruptible and shal consume and perishe as other Corruptible Creatures doo But the VVoorde of God whiche wée speake of endureth for euer S. Hierome saithe Quomodò Aeternae erunt Scripturae Diuinae si Mundus certo fine est terminandus Verum est quidem quòd Librorum pelliculae cum ipsis Literis abolendae sunt Sed quia subiungit DnÌ„s Verba verò mea non praeteribunt proculdubio quod illis apicibus pollicetur erit Aeternum Howe shal the Holy Scriptures he Euerlastinge seeinge the Worlde shal haue on ende True it is that the parchement or leaues of the Bookes with the letters and al shal be abolished But for as mutche as our Lorde addeth My Woordes shal neuer passe doubtelesse though the Papers and Letters perishe yet the thinge that is promised by the same letters shal laste for euer So Chrysostome saithe Paulus Praedicationem non Scripâ—am appellat Euangelium Preachinge not vvritten Paule calleth the Gospel That M. Hardinge addeth of Antonius and Paulus Hilarion other Eremites that they liued in Wildernesse vvithout Letters and therefore presumeth they liued vvithout the VVoorde of God it is very vnaduisedly spoken and vtterly vntrue For proufe whereof to name onely One in stéede of the reste S. Augustine saithe that Antonius the Eremite was notably Learned and perfite in the Scriptures His woordes be these Antonius sine vlla scientia Literarum Scripturas Diuinas memoriter audiendo tenuisse prudenter cogitando intellexisse praedicatur It is reported that Antonius without knowledge of Letter bothe Learned the Holy Scriptures and bare them vvel in minde by hearinge and also by Wisedome and studie vnderstoode them And whereas M. Hardinge woulde séeme to make sutche an accoumpte of Praier and Holinesse without knowledge S. Augustine saithe Lectio sine Meditatione arida est Meditatio sine Lectione erronea est Oratio sine Meditatione tepida est Readinge without Meditation or studie is drie and barren Meditation or studie vvithout Readinge is erroneous And Praier without Cogitation or studie is halfe colde and vnfruiteful Thus wée sée by S. Augustines Iudgement that the Force and Substance bothe of Praier and of Meditation dependeth of Readinge How be it what Comforte and peace of Conscience wée haue by Hearinge the Woorde of God S. Paule can tel vs somewhat better then M. Hardinge Thus he saithe Quaecunque Scripta sunt c. What so euer thinges are written they are written for our learninge that by Patience and Comforte of the Scriptures we maye haue hope Euen so saithe Christe him selfe O Father this is the Euerlastinge Life that they maye know thee the onely and very God and Iesus Christe whome thou haste sente But S. Paule saithe Keepe the Traditions whiche ye haue receiued either by Epistle or by VVoorde And S.
Sacramente no more but a Token or Signe specially sith ye teache in your articles that Baptisme at the best is but a Signe and Seale of our newe birthe ye seme not to attribute to Baptisme so mutche as the Scripture dothe Neither is Baptisme onely a Signe or TokeÌ„ that sinnes be remitted but wee beleeue as the Catholique Churche according to the Scriptures teacheth that in and by Baptisme sinnes be fully and truely remitted and put awaie and that not through the Faithe onely of the geuer or receiuer or of any other though hereunto it be necessarie in thâ—se that be come to age of discretion but through the power and vertue of the Sacrament and Gods promise And therefore to whom it is geuen of them it is rightly saide that they be Baptized for remission of their sinnes The scriptures be plaine Firste Ezechiel speakinge of this Holy Sacrament saithe in the person of God I wilshed vpon you cleane water and ye shal be made cleane from al your defilinges and from your Idols wil I clense you Nexte S. Paule saithe That God hath saued vs by the wasshinge of Regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy Ghoste whom he hath powred vpon vs aboundantly by Iesus Christe our Sauiour That I maie adde to these manifest Scriptures the Auctoritie of a Learned Father not whereby to strengthen the truthe of them but to witnesse our right vnderstandinge of them S. Augustine Lib. 3. contra duas epist Pelagian Cap. 3. shewinge the sclaunder of the Pelagians againste the Catholikes saithe thus in theire Persone Againe they that is after theire meaninge the Catholikes auouche that Baptisme maketh not in deede newe menne againe that is to witte that it geueth not ful remission of sinnes c. Thereto eftsones answearinge S. Augustine saithe Mentiuntur iusidiantur tergiuersantur They lye they studye howe to deceiue they seeke shiftes wee saie not this And after certaine sentences retourninge to Baptisme he concludeth thus VVherefore Baptisme wassheth awaie al sinnes vtterly al of dedes wordes thoughtes be they Original or Actual be they done ignorantly or wittingly But it taketh not awaie the infirmitie whiche the regenerate resisteth c. VVhiche place doth not onely set foorthe the vertue of Baptisme but also destroieth the Doctrine of our New Gospellers that affirme concupiscence whiche remaineth after Baptisme to be verily sinne â–ª VVherein they erre manifestly againste the Scripture and sense of the Fathers The B. of Sarisburie Il wil is euer plenetiful of ili wordes M. Hardinge here maketh him selfe mutche mater without cause He teacheth our Newe Cleregie that Baptisme is not onely a Signe or a Token of Remission of sinnes He telleth vs of the Faithe of the Geeuer of the Faithe of the Receiuer Of the Povver of the Sacramente Of Concupiscence that it is no sinne And more I trowe he would haue saide if more had presently comme to minde Verily the poore Newe Cleregie speaketh not one woorde in al this whole place neither of Signe nor of Token nor of the Receiuer nor of the Geeuer nor of the Povver of the Sacrament nor of Concupiscence whether it be Sinne or not Sinne nor of any other like thinge Yet in yâ— ende he taketh S. Augustines vvoordes vvithout his meaninge and crieth againste vs They lie they studie to deceiue they seke shiftes And why so Certainely bicause wée saie Baptisme is a Sacrament of Remission of Sinnes And that the Children of the Faitheful for that they be borne in Sinne and perteine to the people of God ought therefore to be Baptized Other causes then these in any Our Woordes he can finde none True it is that the Sacramente dependeth not neither of the Minister nor of the Receiuer nor of any other For though they be al the Children of sinne yet is Baptisme the Sacramente of Remission of Sinne. S. Augustine saithe Securum me fecit Magister meus de quo spiritus eius dicit Hic est qui Baptizat Christe my Maister hath assured me of whom his owne Sprite saithe this is he that Baptizeth Neuerthelesse concerninge the Faithe of the Parentes and others the Holy Doctours haue sommetimes written otherwise S. Augustine saithe Satis piè recteque creditur Prodesse paruulo eorum Fidem à quibus Consecrandus offertur It is good and Godly to beleue that the Child is holpen by the Faithe of them by whom he is offered or brought vnto Baptisme Againe he saithe Accommodat illis Mater Ecclesia aliorum pedes vt veniant aliorum Cor vt credant Our Mother the Churche lendeth them other mennes fecte that they maie comme â–ª and other mennes hartes that they maie beleeue The like saieings might be alleged out of Iustinus Martyr S. Cyprian S. Hierome and others For thus they write Howe truely I wil not saie But theire woordes be plaine The Prophets Abacuc saithe Iustus ex Fide sua viuet The Juste man shal liue not by the Faithe of his Parentes but by his ovvne Faithe Of this Faith S. Hierome saith Qui plena Fide non suscipiunt Salutare Baptisma accipiunt quidem Aquam sed non accipiunt Spiritum They that receiue not Baptisme with perfite Faithe receiue the VVater But the Holy Ghoste they receiue not S. Augustine saithe Verus Baptismus constat non tam ablutione Corporis quà m Fide Cordis Sicut Apostolica Doctrina tradidit dicens Fide mundans Corda eorum Et alibi Saluos facit Baptisma non Carnis depositio sordiuÌ„ sed conscientiae bonae interrogatio in Deum per Resurrectionem Iesu Christi True Baptisme standeth not so mutche in wasshinge of the Body as in the Faithe of the harte As the Doctrine of the Apostles hathe tought vs saieinge By Faithe purifieinge theire hartes And in an other place Baptisme maketh vs safe not yâ— putting awaie of the filth of the Fleash but the examining of a good conscience before God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christe Likewise againe he saith Vnde ista tanta Virtus Aquae vt corpus tangat Cor abluat nisi faciente Verbo Non quia dicitur sed quia creditur VVhence is al this so greate Vertue or Power of the VVater that it toucheth the Body and wassheth the Harte but by the woorkinge of the VVoord Not for that it is spoken by the Minister but for that it is beleeued of the Faitheful Somme man wil saie Children or Infantes beléeue nothinge but are vtterly voide of Faithe S. Augustine answeareth Qui non crediderit condemnabitur Sicut eos renasci per Ministerium Baptizantium ita etiam eos credere per corda ora confitentium confitemur He that beleeueth not shal be damned VVee confesse that as they be borne againe by the Ministerie of the Baptizers so they beleue by the hartes and mouthes of the Confessours Againe he saithe Habent Fidem propter Fidei Sacramentum Theie haue Faithe bicause they haue
nedes be true If we saie the same blame vs not Neither saie we that onely but also that ye are Heretikes VVhereby the measure of your iniquitie is increaced The same crime ye woulde impure vnto vs if ye wisie howe If ye haue no more to laie to our charge but that we haue foresaken the Grekes ye shal not be offended with the world if it geue vs the title name and estimation of Catholikes as heretofore For remember your selues we haue not forsaken he Grekes but the Greekes in some pointes haue forsaken vs. By the name of vs alwaies I vnderstande the Catholike Churche euen the Holy Romaine Churche whose faithe we professe and with whom we communicate And howe standeth it with your lerninge that we receiued the faithe first from the Grekes For where ye saie we haue forsaken the Primitiue Churche yea Christe himselfe and the Aposâ—les ye haue tolde vs this so often that now we take them to be but wordes of course and a common blaste of your railing sprite The Romaine Churche receiued the faithe from Ierusalem and not from Grece as the reste of the world did according to the Prophecie De SioÌ„ exibit lex c. As for the land of Britaine our natiue country if the faithe were firste brought hither by Ioseph of Arimathaea and his felowes as by old tradition we are told then was the Church here first planted by faithful Iewes and not by Grekes This beinge true we maruel what ye meane to charge vs with forsaking the Grekes specially where ye saie we firste receiued the faith from them â–ª VVhiche is no truer then that we receiued our Englishe language from them The B. of Sarisburie It were no shame for you M. Hardinge to confesse that the Churche of Rome firste receiued her Faithe from the Churches of Graecia Neither are they so vtterly voide of Learninge that haue saide the same Rather I marueile what Learninge can leade you to sate the contrarie S. Augustine saithe Terra Graecorum vnde vbique destinata est Fides The Land of Graecia from whence the Faithe into al places was sente abroade Againe he saithe Radix Orientalium Ecclesiarum vnde Euangelium in Aphricam venit The Roote of the Easte Churches from whence the Gospel came into Aphrica S. Chrysostome saithe vnto the people of Antioche Christianorum nomen â–ª velut ex quodam Fonte hinc incipiens omnem mundum inundauit The name of Christians beginninge firste from this Cittie of Antioche as from a Springe hath flowed ouer the whole worlde The Bishoppes of the Easte wrote thus vnto Iulius the Bishop of Rome Ad Ecclesiam RomanaÌ„ ab Oriente Praedicatores Dogmatis adueneruÌ„t The Preachers of Christian Doctrine came froÌ„ that Easte to the Churche of Rome Likewise S. Basile saith The Gospel of the Kingedome springing vp first in the Church of Graecia was froÌ„ thence published abroade into al the world Eusebius saithe Lucis virtus Sacrae Religionis Lex beneficio Dei quasi è sinu Orientis profecta cunctum simul Orbem Sacro Iubare illustrauit The power of the Light and the Lawe of Holy Religion by Goddes benefite springinge out as it were from the bosome of the Easte hath shined ouer the whole worlde togeather with a blessed beame The Emperoure Iustinian saithe Constantinopolis Religionis Fidei Mater perpetua Constantinople is the Euerlastinge Mother of Faithe and Religion And likewise againe Sacrosancta CoÌ„stantinopolitanae Ciuitatis Ecclesia Mater Pietatis nostrae Christianorum Orthodoxae Religionis omnium The moste Holy Churche of the Cittie of Constantinople the Mother of oure Holinesse and the Mother of al Christians of the Catholique Faithe In like sorte the Churche of Constantinople euen vntil this daie intituleth it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Churche of Constantinople the Mother and Maistresse of al that be Catholique To be shorte if ye wil not beleue any of these yet at leaste yee maie beleue your owne Felowes The Bishop of Bitonto in youre late Chapter at Trident vttered these woordes as it maie wel appeare with lusty courage Eia igitur Graecia Mater Nostra cui id torum debet quod habet Latina Ecclesia O therefore oure Mother Graecia vnto whom the Latine Churche or the Churche of Rome is beholden for al that euer she hath These thinges M. Hardinge beinge true wee marueile what shoulde moue you to denie that yee first receiued the Faithe from the Churche of Graecia Touchinge the mater it selfe it is written thus in youre owne Councelles Si Graeci per quandam Scissuram diuiduntur à Latinis ita Latini à Graecis Et ideo videtur quòd Si Graeci debent dici Schismatici propter huiusmodi Diuisionem eadem ratione Latini praetereà Graeci magis seruant Antiquas Consuetudines Apostolorum Discipulorum Christi in Barbis c. If the Grekes by a certaine Diuision be sundred from the Latines euen so be the Latines sundred from the Greekes And therefore it seemeth if the Greekes in respecte of this Diuision ought to be called Schismatiques that then the Latines also ought so to be called in like case Furthermore the Greekes doo more duely keepe the Olde Customes of the Apostles and of Christles Disciples touchinge Beardes c. then doo the Latines The Apologie Cap. 15. Diuision 1. For though those Greekes who this daie professe Religion and the name of Christe haue many thinges corrupted amongest them yet holde thei stil a great number of those thinges whiche they receiued from the Apostles They haue neither Priuate Masses nor mangled Sacramentes nor Purgatories nor Pardones And as for the titles of Highe Bishoppes and those glorious names they esteeme them so as whosoeuer he were that woulde take vpon him the same and woulde be called either Vniuersal Bishop or the Head of the Vniuersal Churche they make no doubte to cal sutche a one both a passinge proude man and a man that woorketh despite againste al the other Bishoppes his Brethren and a plaine Heretique M. Hardinge As ye haue oftentimes belied vs so nowe ye belie the poore Greekes So little are ye able to saie somewhat and therein to saie truthe For they haue Masse commonly without companie to communicate with the Prieste whiche ye cal Priuate Masse so is it al Greece ouer so is it in Asia in Syria in Assyria in Armenia and where so euer the Religion of Christe is professed As amonge the Greekes in Venis I my selfe and diuerse of oure countrie menne haue seene it commonly practized Like wise praie they al for the dead and thinke them to be relieued by the praiers oblations almose and deedes of charitie doone for them by the liuinge VVhiche minde and opinion implieth that faith whiche the Churche holdeth of purgatorie But though saie ye those Greekes haue many thinges corrupted yet holde they stil a greate number of those thinges whiche they
without the olde burthen For where as in olde times Councelles were holden by authoritie of the Pope * as Socrates witnesseth yet the Emperour bare the charge of calling the Bishoppes togeather But nowe the Pope him selfe bare a greate parte of that burthen and communicated his propose fully with the Emperoure The B. of Sarisburie Whether it were the Emperoure alone that appointed Ecclesiastical Councelles it maie appeare by that wee haue already saide The Pope alone I assure you it was not Maie the Emperoure as it is saide and proued before oftentimes helde sutche Assemblies when where him selfed listed whether the Pope would or no. The Popes dutie was onely to appeare emongeste other Bishoppes when he was called I graunte sutche Councelles had theire name of Bishoppes and were called Concilia Episcopalia for that maters there were specially ordered by the discretion and iudgement of the Bishoppes But wil you therefore conclude that the same Councelles perteined nothing to the Prince Certainely the Emperoure Constantinus Commaunded al the Bishoppes to appeare before him and to yelde him a reckeninge of theire Determinatiōs in the Councel This was the tenoure of his Write Quotquot Synodum Tyri habitam compleuistis sine mora ad Pietatis nostrae Castra properetis ac re ipsa quà m sincerè ac rectè iudicaueritis ostendatis Idque Coram me quem sincerum esse Dei Ministrum ne vos quidem ipsi negabitis As many of you as haue keapte the Councel at Tyrus repaire to our Campe without desaie and shewe me in deede howe sincerely and rightly yee haue proceded And that euen before me whom yowe your selues cannot denie to bee the Sincere Seruante of God Athanasius was the greatteste trauailer in the Councel of Nice againste the Arians yet was he then no Bishop but onely a Deacon But hereof wee haue sufficiently saide before Christianitie yee saie is no parte of the Emperial Povver Yee might likewise haue saide Christianitie is no parte of the Papale Povver Verily it can not wel appeare that Peter and Paule had euer any sutche Christianitie The Emperours right is neither encreased nor abated by his Baptissne Whether he be Faithful or Vnfaithful he is the Minister of God and beareth the Swerde to pounishe sinne Yee saie The Pope succedeth Peter and not Nero Therefore he calleth and keepeth Councelles chiefely by his owne Authoritie Of sutche proper Argumentes M. Hardinge wee marueile not mutche though yee make no stoare Howe be it somme menne haue thought yee doo S. Peter greate wronge appointinge him sutche Children to be his Heires For many of them in al theire dealinges haue resembled Nero more then Peter S. Bernarde saithe thus vnto Pope Eugenius In his successisti non Petro sed Constantino In these thinges yee haue succeded not Peter the Apostle but the Emperoure Constantine Pope Adrian the fourth was woonte to saie Succedimus non Petro in docendo sed Romulo in parricidio Wee succeede not Peter in teachinge but Romulus in killinge our Brethren Erasmus saithe Pontifices nunc sunt Vicarij lulij Caesaris Alexandri Magni Croesi Xerxis non Christi non Petri The Popes nowe are the Vicares of Iulius Caesar of Alexander the Greate of Croesus and of Xerxes not of Peter It is written in a Sermon bearinge the name of S. Ambrose Qui debuerint esse Vicarij Apostolorum factisunt Socij Iudae Thei that shoulde haue benne the Apostles Vicares are nowe becomme Iudas Felowes Robertus Gallus that liued wel-neare three hundred yeeres past imagineth Christe thus to saie of the Pope Quis posuit Idolum hoc in Sede mea vt imperaret Gregi meo Who sette this Idole in my roume and made him Ruler ouer my Flocke Yet you saie the Pope is alwaies not onely a Christian man but also a Chiefe Prieste not by Faithe but by the nature of his Office Euen so your Glose telleth you Papa Sanctitatem recipit à Cathedra The Pope receiueth his holinesse of his Chaire that is to saie of the nature of his Office Cardinal Cosanus saithe Veritas adhaeret Cathedrae c. Veritas per Christum Cathedrae alligata est non Personis Ait enim Super Cathedram Mosi sederunt Scribae Pharisaei The Truthe cleaueth faste to the Popes Chaire c. Christe hathe nailed his Truthe to the Popes Chaire and not to his persone For he saithe The Scribes and Phariseis are placed in Moses Chaire An other saithe Tameisi Papa non sit bonus tamen semper praesumitur esse bonus In Papa si desint bona acquisita per meritum sufficiunt quae a loci praedecessore praestantur Notwithstandinge the Pope be not good yet he is euer presumed to be good If the Pope lacke good vertues of his owne the vertues of Peter his Predecessoure are sufficiente There were neuer so many Heretiques in any one See as haue benne in the See of Rome as I haue already sufficientely and fully proued And yet yee saie The Pope cannot erre There were neuer so notorious Examples or as Platyna calleth them Monsters of filthy life Yet yee saie they are al Holy Fathers and holde theire Christianitie by Nature of office Howe be it youre Doctoure Alphonsus saithe Quamuis credere teneamur ex Fide Verum Petri Successorem esse Supremum Pastorem Totius Ecclesiae non tamen tenemur eadem Fide credere Leonem aut Clementem esse Verum Petri Successorem Although wee be bounde to beleue that the True Successoure of Peter is the Higheste Pastoure of al the Churche yet are wee not bounde with like Faithe to beleue that Pope Leo and Pope Clemente are the True Successoures of Peter Iohn the Baptiste saide rightly vnto the Phariseis that likewise made vauntes of theire Succession Neuer saie Abraham is your Father For God is hable euen of these stones to raise vp Children vnto Abraham Chrysostome saithe Non locus Sanctificat hominem sed homo locum Nec Cathedra facit Sacerdotem sed Sacerdos Cathedram The place sanctifieth not the Man but the Man sanctifieth the Place Neither doothe the Chaire make the Prieste but the Prieste maketh the Chaire Nazianzene saithe Non locorum est Gratia sed Spiritus The grace of God goeth not by Place but by the Holy Ghoste Chrysostome saithe Omnis Christianus qui suscipit Verbum Petri fit Thronus Petri et Petrus sedet in eo Euery Christian man that receiueth the woorde of Peter is made Peters Chaire and S. Peter reasteth in him But here haue you founde out a foule contradiction in our woordes Who is he saie you whom yee cal the Prince of the worlde Not the Pope M. Hardinge Leste yee shoulde happily be deceiued Notwithstandinge youre Felowes haue so often tolde vs Papa rotius Orbis obtinet Principatum The Pope hath the Princehoode of al the worlde The Emperoures Maiestie wee finde oftentimes entitled by this name But
harde mater for your Pope out of his owne garde to make sutche Patriarkes yenough one for Hierusalem an other for Constantinople an other for Alexandria an other for Antioche an other for Sidon an other for Tyrus and I marueile if there be not somme Patriarke one or other for Sodome and Gomorre These poore Holy and Hongry Fathers are contented at al times to yelde theire submissions and to sette theire handes to what so euer they shal be required and in the names of those Countries that they scareely ouer hearde of to confesse the Pope their maister to be al more then al. With sutche daine shewes and visaâ—des it pleaseth you to smoothe the worlde It yee doubte hereof yée maie easily finde that one Augustinus de Roma in your late Councel of BauÌ„le hare the name of the Archebishop of Nazareth in lurie Likewise that one Petrus Paludensis a poore Fréere Obsernante not long sithence bare the name of the Patriarke of Hierusalem But what néede moe Examples Your own Ceremoniarie of Rome telleth you thus Consucueruni Autiqui ponere Patriarchas quatuor Ecclesiarum Principalium inter Episcopos Cardinales mixtim Nostro tempore ponuntur immediatè post Cardinales Sunt enim quodammodo ' Titulares They were woonte in olde times to place the Patriarkes of the foure Principal Churches togeather with the Cardinal Bishoppes one with an other But nowe adaies they are placed nexte beneathe al the Cardinalles For in a manner they haue nowe nothinge els but the names of Patriarkes It is moste certaine that the Christian Patriarkes and Bishoppes of those Countries wil neither Communicate with the Pope either in Sacramentes or in Praiers nor any wise yéeld to his Authoritie nor geue any manner of honoure or reuerence to his personne nomore then to Machomete or Antichrist as I haue sufficiently shewed before Touchinge the Number of Bishoppes presente at your Former Assemblie at Tridente I referre mee selfe to the Recordes of the same If yée finde there more then Fourtie Bishoppes I am coÌ„tent to lose my credite And yet of the same number Blinde sir Roberte of Scotland as I haue said before M. Pates of England were seely poore Bishoppes God knoweth endewed onely with bare names without Bishoprikes In your later Assemblie twoo of your Holy Fathers were staine there presently in Aduouterie By meane of whiche misfortune your number by so mutche was abated These be the greate woorthies of the worlde These Cornelius Bitontinus one of the same Companie calleth the Starres of the Churches and the Mighty Armie of Goddes Angelles These haue power to determine maters that thei neuer vnderstoode by Authoritie onely but not by knowledge Alphonsus de Castro as I haue shewed you before saithe thus It is certaine that somme Popes be so voide of Learninge that they vnderstande not the Grammare Rules Erasmus speakinge of sundrie the greate Learned of your side saithe thus Sibi videntur Semidei miro supercilio prae se despicientes Grammaticos Qui si Grammaticae litassent non ad hunc modum se pueris deridendos propinarent They thinke them selues halfe Goddes and with high lookes thei despise poore Grammariens But if they had wel Learned their Grammare thei woulde not offer sutche occasions that children and babes should scorne at theire folie Concerninge the whole mater your Doctours of Sorbona in Parise haue concluded thus Vt Concilium legitimè congregetur sufficit quo'd solennitas forma luris solenniter sit seruata Quia si quis trahere velit hoc in disputationem vtrùm Praelati qui ibi sedent habeant Rectam Intentionem vtrùm sint Docti vtrùm habeant Scientiam Sacrarum Literarum animum obediendi Sanae Doctrinae esset processus in infinitum That the Councel be lawfully assembled it is sufficient that yâ— Solemnitie and fourme of Lawe be solemnely obserued For if a man would caste doubtes whether the Bishoppes that sitte in Councel haue a good Meaninge and whether they be Learned and whether they be skilful in the Scriptures and whether they haue a minde to obeie sounde Doctrine or no then wee should neuer make an ende These be they M. Hardinge to whom yée woulde haue vs to géeue care what so euer thei saie euen as to the Secretaries of the Holy Ghoste But S. Augustine saithe Ecclesiae inter nos agitur causa non mea Ecclesia in nullo homine spem ponere à suo didicit Redemptore It is the Churches cause that wee talke of it is not mine The Churche hath learned of her Redeemer to put no truste in any man The Apologie Cap. 18. Diuision 1. How so euer it bee the truthe of the Gospel of Iesus Christe dependeth not vpon Councelles nor as S. Paule saithe vpon the Iudgementes of Mortal Creatures And if they whiche ought to be careful for Goddes Churche wil not be wife but slacke their duetie and harden their hartes againste God and his Christe goeinge on stil to peruerte the right waies of the Lorde God wil stirre vp the very stones make children and babes cunninge that there maie euer be somme to confute these mennes lies The B. of Sarisburie Hereto M. Hardinge answeareth nothinge els but thus The Councel is the Schoole of Truthe The Bishoppes cannot foreslowe their dueties The Churche of Rome cannot erre Whiche tales wee haue so often and not without wearinesse hearde already Petrus de Palude emongest other your Doctours saithe Non est credendum Ecclesiam Romanam errasse à Fide Ipsa enim potest è contrario cum Christo dicere Ego Testimonium perhibeo de meipsa Testimonium meum verum est No man maie beleue that the Churche of Rome maie erre from the Faithe Contrarywise that Churche maie saie with Christe I beare vvitnesse of mee selfe And my vvitnesse is iuste and true Therefore so longe as the Churche of Rome can speake for her selfe there is no doubte but al is wel The Apologie Cap. 18. Diuision 2. For God is able not onely without Councelles but also wil the Councelles nil the Councelles to maintaine and anaunce his owne Kingedome Ful many be the thoughtes of mans harr saith Salomon but the Counsel of the Lorde abideth stedfast There is no vvisedome there is no knovvledge there is no counsel against the Lorde Thinges endure not saithe Hilarius that be set vp vvith mannes vvorkemanship By an other manner of meanes muste the Churche of God be buiided and preserued For that Churche is grounded vpon the Fundation of the Apostles and Prophetes and is holden faste togeather by one corner stone vvhiche is Christe Iesus M. Hardinge VVhere ye saie that by an other manner of meanes the Churche of God must be builded and preserued shewe vs what other meanes they are and we must saie ye are very cunninge men who correct I will not saie Magnificat but Christes owne ordinaunce for gouernemente of his Churche who hath ordeined Apostles
Pope is the vvhole Churche 558. The Churche knovven by the vvoorde of God 463. 464. 465. The state of the Churche decaied in the time of the olde Fathers 442. The Authoritie of the Churches in Africa as good as the authoritie of the Churche of Rome 440. The Churche maie erre 445. The Churche if it depend of one man shal sone decay 448. 450. The Churche in fevve or many 441. 442. 443. No Idolatrie in the Churche of Rome 628. 629. The Churche maie be in a fevve 93. 94. To beleue in the Churche to beleue in Sainctes 85. The Pope not the head of the Churche 95. The Romaine Churche compared vvith the Churches of the Gospel 585. The State and Vnitie of the Churche dependeth of the Pope 53. The Doctrine of the Churche of Rome is the expresse vvoorde of God 200. The Romaine Churche receiued the faith from the Greekes 577. Euery Bishop the head of his seueral Churche 95. Vaine Titles of the Churche of Rome 40. The authoritie of the Church 55. Heare the Churche ibidem No Saluation vvithout the Churche of Rome 36. The Churche knovven by Gods vvoorde 55. The Romaine Church vnlike the Church of the anciēt Fathers 21. The Churche of Rome fallen from God 36. The Churche of Rome is the Catholique Churche 36. The Churche builte vpon Iohn asvvel as vpon Peter 107. The Churche inuisible 391. The Greekes abhorre the Church of Rome 36. The Ciuile Magistrate to be obeied 394. The erroures and abuses of the Cleregie 96. 104. The Communion in one Kinde vsed firste by Heretiques 230. Causes of the Communion vnder one kinde 328. 329. Priestes Concubines 511. A Prieste keepinge a Concubine maie not therefore be refused in his ministration 511. Concupiscence is verily sinne 217. 218. Confession not commaunded 155. 156. Confessiō auricular neuer named of the Ancient Fathers 257. Confession of sinnes venial 151. Confession of sinnes appointed not by Goddes VVoorde but by Tradition 133. Sinnes forgeeuen vvithout Confession 143. Confession of sinnes not necessarie 133. 143 151. Confession made by hādvvriting or by a broker 137. Confession to be made onely vnto God 140. Confirmation of Bishoppes 129. Confession made vnto a laie man 137. Consecration and diuers iudgementes of the same 208. 209. Consecration of Bishoppes 130. The donation of Constantine 401. 537. 538. Constantine vvas Christened by Syluester A fable 670. Constantine the Emperoure in the Councel of Nice 677. 678. 679. 680. The Emperoure Constantine stoode vpright at the Sermon and vvould not sitte 678. Courteghians remaininge stil in Rome 382. Councelles lavvfully called vvithout the Popes consent 529. Decrees of Councelles ratified vvhether the Pope vvoulde or no. 53. The Authoritie of Councelles 50 Priestes Ministers and Deacons in Councelles 603. The credit of Councelles 593. The Holy Ghost in Coūcels 606 No good end of any Coūcels 599 The Pope not alvvaie president in Councelles 57. The Authoritie of Councelles Fathers 57. Libertie of voice and disputation denied in the Councel of Trente 43. 44. The Truthe of Iudgemente vvas in that Councel that pronoūced sentence against Christ 622 The Authoritie of Councelles 19 Authoritie to cal Councelles 529 Confirmation of Councelles 607 Councelles maie bee summoned vvhether the Pope vvil or no. 665. Councel of Tridente 597. The Pope not President in Councelles 669. Councelles of Bishoppes 674. The Emperoure summoned general Councels 663. 664. 667. 670. 672. The Pope vvas summoned to come to Councels 663. 666. The Pope Confirmeth Councelles 665. The Popes Legates had not the first place in Councelles 666. The freedome of the Councel of Trent 627. 632. 633. Godly men haue refused to come to Councels 629. 630. Councels called the determinations of men 710. Councelles general repealed by Councelles prouincial 711. Dissensions in the Tridentine Councel 634. Emperours and Kinges Embassadours in Councel vvithout voice 634. The Councel of Tridente of smal credite 710. The Councel of Frankesorde 712 A Councel general vvhat it is 713 In the Summon of the Councel of Trente the Pope had forgottē the name of Christe 710 The credite of Councelles 488. The Emperours authoritie ouer Councelles 674. Councel general not general 708 The Authoritie of Councels certaine or vncertaine 486. The number of Bishoppes in the Councel of Trident. 714. The Ciuile Prince or Magistrate subscribeth in Councel 686. Diuerse formes of Creedes 83. D. The office of Deacons 98. Departinge from the Churche of Rome 568. 569. 570. 574. 582. Departinge from the Pope 104. Vaine Deuotion 293. Disputation 41. Dissensions in Religion 337. 338. Dissentions in Religion amonge the olde Fathers 340. Dissentions amonge the schoole Doctours 341. 349. 350. The Diuision of the Empiere 403 A Diuine povver in the Pope 403 The Duke of Sauoi◠spoiled 389. E. To Eate God 278. 279. 239. 240. It is one thing to Eate Christe in Sacrament an other to Eate Christe in deede 283. Grosse imagination of the Eating of Christes Body 279. 280. The Emperoure a childe of the Churche 155. The Emperour bound to svveare obedience to the Pope 399. The Emperour so farre beneath the Pope as the Moone is beneath the Sonne 400. The Emperoure Stevvarde of the Churche of Rome 119. The Emperour maie trāslate the Supremacie from the Pope to an other 119. The Emperoure Prince of the vvhole vvorlde 675. The Emperoure poisoned in the Sacramente 408. The Emperoure maie lavvfully make Ecclesiastical lavves 692. 693. The Emperoure inferiour onely vnto God 424. The Emperoure maie depose the Pope 405. The Emperour vvaited vpon the Pope vvith bare heade and bare foote 417. The Emperour is the Popes man 413. The Emperoure limiteth the Catholike Faithe 668. The Enimies of God are cruel 554 The Entention of the Priest 209 Epiphanius rent an Image 504. Equalitie of Bishoppes 109. 111. 112. The other Apostles Equal vvith Peter 105. The Pope Equal vvith other Bishoppes 109. Erroures abuses of the Church of Rome cōfessed by her ovvne children 627. Errours in the olde Fathers 337. 338. Errours among the Fathers touchinge the Body of Christ 353. The Popes immoderate and Vnreasonable Exactions of monie 734. 735. 736. 737. 738. To follovv the Example of Christ 575. Exorcistes 98. Vniuste Excommunication 41. Excommunicatiō vvithout cause 583. F. One learned Father receiued before a Councel 52. Fables and tales readde in Churches 520. The firste Faithe 170. Perfitte Faithe in Heathens 320. The Faithe planted in Englande before Augustine 11. Christes body presente onely by Faithe 235. VVee aseende by Faith into Heauen and so eate the fleashe of Christe 269. 270. 287. The holy Fathers ouersightes in the allegation of stories 416. The Body of Christe eaten by Faithe 221. 224. By Faithe vvee see and touche Christe 271. 272. 273. 289. Faith is the kaie of the kingdom of Heauen 138. The Authoritie of the Fathers 52. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 69. Faithe of Infantes 216. Faithe eateth 〈◊〉 234. 235. 239. The Faithe of the parentes helpeth the Infantes 216. The paterne of the Faithe 702. 703. 706.
Philip the French Kinge from his estate and vnder his Bulles or Letters Patentes had conueighed the same solemnely vnto Albertus the Kinge of Romaines M. Hardinge here telleth your Maiestie that al this was very wel donne to thintente thereby to fraie the Kinge and to keepe him in avve and to reclaime his minde from disobedience Now touchinge your Maiesties moste Noble Progenitours the Kinges of this Realme whereas wee as oure loialtie and allegiance bindeth vs iustely complaine that Pope Alexander 3. by violence and tyrannie forced Kinge Henrie the Seconde to surrender his Crowne Emperial into the handes of his Legate and afterwarde for a certaine space to contente him selfe in Priuate estate to the greate indignation and griefe of his louinge Subiectes And that likewise Pope Innocentius the thirde sturred vp the Nobles and Commons of this Realme against kinge Iohn and gaue the Enheritance and Possession of al his Dominions vnto Ludouicus the Frenche Kinge as for the misusinge of your Maiesties moste deere Father of moste Noble Memorie kinge Henrie the Eighth for as mutche as the smarte thereof is yet in freshe remembrance I wil saie nothinge To these and al other like Tyrannical iniuries and iuste causes of griefe M. Hardinge shortely and in lighte manner thinketh it sufficiente to answeare thus VVhat though Kinge Henrie the Seconde vvere il entreated of Pope Alexander 3 VVhat though Kinge Iohn vvere il entreated of that Zelous and Learned Pope Innocentius 3 VVhat though Kinge Henrie the Eighth vvere likevvise entreated of the Popes in our time If know right wel Moste Souer aine Lady the goodnesse of your Graceous Nature deliteth not in sutche rehearsalles Neither doo I make reporte hereof for that sutche thinges sommetimes haue benne donne but for that the same thinges euen nowe at this time either so lightely are excused or so boldely are defended Sutche humble affection and obedience these menne by their open and publique VVritinges teache your Maiesties true Subiectes to beare towardes their Natural Prince It shal mutche warrante the honoure and safetie of your Roial Estate if your Maiestie shal sommetimes remember the dishonours and dangers that other your Noble Progenitours haue felte before you But concerninge the Maiestie and right of Kinges and Emperours M. Hardinge telleth vs They haue their firste Authoritie by the Positiue Lavve of Nations and can haue nomore Povver then the people hath of vvhome they take their Temporal lurisdiction as if he woulde saie Emperours and Kinges haue none other righte of Gouernmente then it hath pleased theire Subiectes by composition to allowe vnto them Thus he saithe and saithe it boldely as if God him selfe had neuer saide Per me Reges Regnant By mee and my Authoritie Kinges beare rule ouer theire Subiectes Or as if Christe our Saueour had neuer saide vnto Pilate the Lorde Lieutenante Thou shouldest haue no Povver ouer mee vvere it not geeuen thee from aboue Or as if S. Paule had not saide Non est potestas nisi a Deo There is no povver but onely from God And yet further as if their whole studie were fully bente to deface the Authoritie and Maiestie of al Princes euen nowe one of the same companie doubteth not to teache the worlde That the Pope is the Heade and Kinges and Emperours are the feete Like as also an other of the same faction saithe The Emperoures Maiestie is so farre inferiour in dignitie to the Pope as a Creature is inferiour vnto God VVee diuise not these thinges of malice Moste Graceous Lady but reporte the same truely as wee finde them proclaimed and published this daie by theire vaine and dangerous writinges whiche notwithstandinge they woulde so faine haue to be taken as Catholique If this Doctrine maie once take roote and be freely receiued emongest the Subiectes it shal be harde for any Prince to holde his Righte As for your Maiestie for that it hath pleased Almighty God in his Mercie to make you an instrumente of his Glorie as in Olde times he made many other Godly and Noble Princes to refourme his Churche from that huge and lothesome heape of filthe and rubble that either b violence or by negligence had benne throwen into it therefore M. Hardinge euen in this selfe same Booke vnder certaine general threates chargeth you with disordred presumption by the example of Ozias the wicked Kinge vpon vvhom as he vntruely saithe God sente his vengeance for the like For be the Abuses and Errours of the Churche neuer so many be the falles and dangers neuer so greate be the Priestes and Bishoppes neuer so blinde yet by this Doctrine it maie neuer be lawful for the Prince be he neuer so learned or so wise or so Zelous in Goddes cause to attempte any manner of Reformation And therefore thus he saithe vnto your Maiestie and with al his skil and cunninge laboureth to perswade your Maiesties Subiectes if any one or other happily of simplicitie wil beleeue him that the Godly Lavves whiche your Maiestie hathe geeuen vs to liue vnder are no Lavves that your Parlamentes are no Parlamentes that your Cleregie is no Cleregie Our Sacramentes no Sacramentes Our Faithe no Faithe The Churche of Englande whereof your Maiestie is the moste Principal and Chiefe he calleth a Malignante Churche a Newe Churche erected by the Diuel a Babylonical Tower a Hearde of Antichriste a Temple of Lucifer a Synogoge and a Schoole of Sathan ful of Robberie Sacrilege Schisme and Heresie And al this he furnissheth with sutche libertie of other vncourteous and vnseemely talkes as if he had benne purposely hired to speake dishonour of your Maiesties most godly dooinges Of al these and other like Tragical fantasies for as mutche as he hathe so boldely aduentured to make a presente vnto your Maiestie wee haue great cause to reioise in God for that our controuersies are brought to be debated before sutche a personage as is hable so wel and so deepely to vnderstande them For I haue no doubte but as by your greate Learninge and marueilous VVisedome you shal soone see the difference of our Pleadinges so of your Maiesties graceous inclination vnto al Godlinesse you wil readily finde out the Falsehedde and geeue sentence with the Truthe Verily after that your Maiestie shal haue thorowly considered the manifest Vntruthes and corruptions togeather with the Abuses and Errours of the contrarie side the VVeakenesse of the Cause the Boldenesse of the Man and the immoderate Bitternesse of his speache I haue good hope the more aduisedly you shal beholde it the lesse cause you shal finde wherefore to like it For the discouerie hereof for my poore portion of Learninge I haue endeuoured to doo that I was hable And the same here I humbly presente vnto your Maiestie as vnto my most Graceous and Soueraine Liege Lady and as now the onely Nource and Mother of the Churche of God within these your Maiesties moste Noble Dominions It maie please your Maiestie graceously to weighe
Reading of the Scriptures by the special prouidence of God that pretious stoanes should not be throwen before Swine In sutche regarde these menne haue as wel the Holy Scriptures as also the People of God The scriptures they resemble to common Harlottes and the vileste creatures of the stewes The people of God they calle Vngodly Rascalles Rifferaffe and Filthy Svvine Thus he suffereth thée not to reade either my poore Booke whereof thou shouldest Iudge or the Holy VVoorde of God whereby thou mightest he hable to Iudge but onely biddeth thée to folowe him and to saie as he saithe and al is safe Thus firste he blindeth thine eies and then willeth thee to looke aboute and to condemne the thinge thou neuer kneweste So saithe S. Hierome Isti tantam sibi assumunt Authoritatem vt siue dextra doceant siue sinistra id est siue bona siue mala nolint Discipulos ratione discutere sed se praecessores sequi These menne take so mutche vpon them selues that whether they teache with the Right hande or with the Lefte that is to saie whether they teache good thinges or badde they wil not haue theire Hearers or Learners to enquire causes wherefore they shoulde doo this or that but onely to folowe them beeing theire Leaders But beware I beséeche thée good Christian Reader A simple eie is soone beguiled It is very course Woolle that wil take no coloure It is a desperate cause that with woordes and eloquence maie not be smoothed Be not deceiued Remember of what maters and with what Aduersaries thou haste to deale With feace and reuerence be careful of thine owne Saluation Laie downe al affection and fauoure of parties Iudge iustely of that shal be alleged Onlesse thou knowe thou canste not Iudge Onlesse thou heare bothe sides thou canste not knowe If thou like ought knowe why thou likeste it A wise man in eche thinge wil searche the cause He that cannot iudge golde by sounde or insight yet maie trie it by the poise If thou canste not weigh these maters for want of Learninge yet so sensible and so grosse they are thou maiste féele them with thy fingers Thou maiste soone finde a difference bitwéene Golde and Brasse bitweene Iacob and Esau bitwéene a Face and a Visarde bitweene a fuile Body and an emptie Shadowe Saie not Thou arte settled in thy Beliefe before thou know it Vaine Faith is no Faithe S. Augustines counsel is good Beleeu nomore of Christe then Christ hath willed thee to beleeue Nemo de Christo credat nisi quod de se credi voluit Christus Likewise he saithe Fides stulta non prodest sed obest Fonde Faith is hurtful and dooth no good S. Hilarie saithe Non minus est Deum fingere quà m negare To diuise fansies of God it is as horrible as to saie There is no God The Anciente Father Tertullian speakinge of the Enimies of the Crosse of Christe that disdeigned to submitte theire willes to the wil of God saithe thus Amant ignorare cùm alij gaudeant cognouisse Malunt nescire quod iam oderunt Adeo ' quod nesciunt praeiudicant id esse quod si scirent odisse non possent They desire to be ignorante whereas other folkes desire to knowe They woulde not knowe the Truthe bicause they hate it What so euer it be they imagine it to be the same thinge that they hate But if they knewe it in deede thei coulde not hate it Let Reason leade thee let Authoritie moue thée let Truthe enforce thée The VViseman saithe Who so feareth the Lorde wil not be wilful againste his Woorde God of his mercie confounde al Errours géeue the Victorie to his Truthe and Glorie to his Holy name Amen From London 27. Octobris 1567. ⧠AN ANSWEARE TO A CERtaine Booke lately set foorth by M. Hardinge and entituled A Confutation of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande The Title of the Apologie AN Apologie or answeare in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe and plaine declaration of the true Religion professed and vsed in the same The Confutation by M. Hardinge Whereas these defenders take vpon them the name of the Churche of Englande settinge forth thereby a face of auctoritie they do muche like the Asse that Esope telleth of whiche to make the beastes afrayed had put on him a Lions skinne and therewith ietted abroade terribly For as the Lions skinne was but lapped about him and grewe not to his bodie so they beinge in deede no liuely members nor parte of the Churche couer them selues vnder the title and name of the Churche the rather to begyle the simple And verely herein they folowe the wonte of all Heretikes For neuer was there any secte of Heretikes hitherto whiche hath not claimed to be accōpted and called the Church For whiche cause of certaine auncient Fathers they haue bene likened to Apes whose propertie is though they be Apes yet to counterfeit men and to court to seeme men Nouatianus at saithe S. Cyprian after the manner of Apes woulde chalenge to him selfe the auctoritie of the Catholike Churche And where as himselfe was not in the Churche but contrariwise a rebell against the Churche tooke vpon him to affirme that al other were Heretikes and presumed tovpholde the Churche was on his side Irenaeus and Tertullian who were before him write that Heretikes made so much adoo to perswade that the Churche was amonge them selues onely that they feared not to call the right beleuinge and Catholike Churche Hereticall and Schismaticall S. Hilary declaringe how patiently he demeaned himselfe towardes the Arians his enemies by whome he was bannisshed writeth that in fiue yeares space whiles he liued in bannishment he neuer spake nor wrote euill woorde against them whiche falsely said them selues to be the Churche of Christe and were the Synagoge of Antichrist The Donatisles against whome S. Augustine wrote muche saide that the Christianitie was quite loste and gone out of so many nations that be in the worlde and remained onely in Aphrike and that the Churche was onely there In S. Bernardes time also the Heretikes who would be called Apostolikes as they of our time call themselues Gospellers saide that they were the Churche But what meane all Heretikes maye we iudge by couetinge so muche to be seene that whiche they are not Forsooth they meane none other thinge then their Father the Deuill meaneth when he goeth about to begile man For then what dothe he vseth he not this policie to chaunge his owggly hewe and put himselfe in goodly shape of an Angell of light For he is not vnwittinge that if he shewed himselfe in his owne forme suche as he is that euery one woulde flie from him and none lightly woulde be deceiued by him Heretikes doo the like Although they hate the Churche neuer so deadly yet to haue the more oportunitie to hurte it pretende themselues
c. Folo winge the Holy Fathers wee doo al with one accorde teache men to confesse one and him selfe the Sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe persite him selfe in Godhead and perfite himselfe in Manhood And for Auctoritie of the Fathers in high pointes of Faith a Bishop in that reuereÌ„d assemblie named Eudoocius pronounced a notable sentence sayeing thus Euery one that consentethe not to the exposition of the Holy Fathers doothe alienate him selfe from al Pristely Communion and from the presence of Christe Thus wee haue alleaged the foure first general Councels whiche S. Gregorie honourethe as the foure Gospels But the thinge beinge so euident as it is and so welkuorwen euen to your selues if ye be learned the Auctorit it of these chief Councels maie suffice The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge ye haue taken in hande a néedelesse labour For you knowe right wel wee despise not the Authoritie of the Holy Fathers but rather in this selfe same place haue alleged togeather S. Augustine S. Hierome and S. Ambrose thrée of the moste Auncient and approued Fathers and throughout the whole discourse of this Apologie in the Defence of the Catholique Truthe of our Religion nexte vnto Goddes Holy Woorde haue vsed no prouse or Authoritie so mutche as the expositions and iudgementes of the Holy Fathers Wée despise them not therefore but rather geue God thankes in theire behalfe for that it hathe pleased him to prouide so woorthy instrumentes for his Churche and therefore wée iustly reproue you for that so vnaduisedly and without cause ye haue forsaken the steppes of so Holy Fathers These foure General Councelles wherein you dwel so longe as they make nothinge against vs so in sundrie pointes they fight expressely against you Firste they were summoned by the Emperours Constantinus Theodosius 1. Theodosius 2. and Martianus and not by any right or authoritie of the Pope as hereafter it shal be shewed in place conuenient more at large Iulius the Bishop of Rome was summoned by the Emperours write to appeare at the Councel of Nice as wel as others And Pope Leo afterwarde was charged by like Authoritie to appeare at the Councel of Chalcedon In the Councel of Nice the Bishop of Rome was not President but Eustathius the Bishop of Antioche In the same Councel of Nice the Bishop of Rome hathe his Authoritie and Iurisdiction made equal and leuel with the other thrée Patriarkes And in the Councel of Chalcedon the Bishop of Constantinople is made equal in Authoritie with the Bishop of Roome To be shorte the saide Councel of Chalcedon for this laste and some other like causes Leo the Bishop of Rome would not allowe Which thinge notwithstandinge the Councel standethe stil in force whether the Pope wil or no. These be the foure fiste General Councelles whiche M. Hardinge comparethe in Authoritie with the foure Euangelistes But these Heretiques Arius Nestorius Macedonius and Euiyches in these foure General Councelles vtterly despised al the Auncient Fathers and boasted them selues saithe M. Hardinge of the Scriptures and euermore cried out Scriptures Scriptures Touchinge the Arians that they alleged certaine doubteful and darke places of the Scriptures to serue theire purpose it is certaine and manifeste But that either they despised or that the Catholiques against them auouched the Eropsition and authoritie of any Father M. Hardinges onely woorde muste be our Warrante For neither allegethe he any one Author for prouse hereof nor yet namethe any of al these Fathers Notwithstandinge let vs graunt these Heretiques cried out as M. Hardinge saithe Scriptures Scriptures Euen so did the same Heretiques likewise crie out euen as nowe M. Hardinge doothe Fathers Fathers Socrates saithe Et Ariani Originis libros citabant in Testimonium vt illi quidem iudicabant sui Dogmatis And the Arian Heretikes alleged the Learned Father Origens Bookes as they thought for proufe and witnesse of theire Doctrine The Heretique Eutyches saide Ego legi scripta Beati Cypriani Sanctorum Patrum Sancti Athanasii I haue readde the writinges of S. Cyprian and of other Holy Fathers and of S. Athanafius Likewise the Eutychian Heretique Carosus saide Ego secundum expositionem treceÌ„torum octodecim Patrum sic credo fic Baptixatus sum Aliud quid mihi dicas nescio This is my Faithe accordinge to the exposition of the three hundred and eighteene Fathers in the Councel of Nice In this Faithe was I Baptized What ye should saye more to me I cannot telle Euen so saide Eutyches him selfe Sic à Progenitoribus meis accepi credidi In hac Fide Baptizatus sum signatus vsque and hunc diem in ea vixi in ea opto moti Thus haue I receiued of my Forefathers and thus haue I beleeued In this Faithe was I Baptized and signed and in the same haue I liued vntil this daye and in the same I wish to die Thus S. Augustine saithe the Donatian Heretique Cresconlus alleged the authoritie of S. Cyprian Thus the Nestorian Heretiques alleged the authoritie of the Councel of Nice To be shorte thus the Heretique Dioscorus cried out in the open Councel of Chalcedon Ego habeo Testimonia Sanctorum Patrum Athanasij Gregorij Cyrilli Non transgredior in aliquo Ego cum Patribus cijcior Ego defendo Patrum Dogmata Ego horum habeo testimonia non simpliciter aut transitorie sed in ipsorum libris I haue the Testimonies of the Holy Fathers Athanasius Gregorius Cyrillus I alter not from them in any pointe I am throwen foorthe and bannished with the Fathers I defende the Fathers Doctrine I haue theire iudgementes vttered not by chaunce or vnaduisedly but remaininge expressed in theire Bookes I doubte not M. Hardinge but you maye hereby easily sée that the Heretiques ye speake of cried not onely Scriptures Scriptures as ye saye but had leasure also sometimes to crie as you doo Fathers Fathers that as wel to purpose and as rightly as you of longe time haue vsed to crie hauinge in déede in the cases wée speake of neither Scriptures nor Fathers To come neare the mater wée saie not that al cases of doubt are by manifeste and open woordes plainely expressed in the Scriptures For so there should neede no exposition But wée saye There is no case in Religion so darke and doubteful but it maie necessarily be either proued or reproued by collection and conference of the Scriptures S. Hierome saithe Moris est Scripturarum obscuris manifesta subnectere It is yâ— order of the Scriptures â–ª after harde thinges to ioine other thinges that bee plaine S. Augustine like wise saithe Solet circunstantia Scripturarum illuminare sententiam The Circunstance of the Scripture is woonte to geue light and to open the meaninge The like rule Tertullian also geuethe Oportet secundum pluâ—a intelligi pauclora The fewer places muste be expounded by the moe Therefore touchinge this woorde Homousios whiche
consentientem diuinitùs adspiratis Scripturis Traditionibus Sanctorum Patrum Wee reioice togeather eche of vs in others behalfe for that the Faithe bothe of our Churches and also of yours is agreable bothe vnto the Heauenly inspired Scriptures and also to the Tradition and exposition of our Fathers Whiche woordes of Cyrillus beinge hearde and the consente of the Fathers being knowen the whole Councel for ioye made a shoote togeather Omnes ita credimus Papa Leo ita credit c. Thus wee al beleeue Pope Leo thus beleeuethe Thus beleeuethe Leo and Anatolius Thus Cyrillus beleeuethe This is the Faithe of our Fathers This is the Faithe of the Apostles Thus haue the Apostles taught Thus maye you sée M. Hardinge wée saye not to you as you doo to vs If you be Learned for thereof we haue no doubte God graunte ye maie directe your Learninge to his glorie but thus maye you see to what ende the Bishoppes in the Councelles ye speake of alleged the expositions of the Ancient Fathers and howe farre they weighed them vnder the Authoritie of the Scriptures In like sorte doo wée also this day allege against you the manifeste and vndoubted agreeable iudgementes of the moste Aunciente Learned Holy Fathers and thereby as by apapproued and faitheful witnesses wée disclose the infinite folies and errours of your Doctrine And séeinge you haue forsaken the felowship of the saide Holy Fathers as hereafter shal more â—ully appeare wée saye vnto you as Endoxius saide vnto the Heretique Abbate Eutyches in the Councel of Chalcedon Ye haue remoued your selues bothe from al Priestly Communion and also from the presence of Christe The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 2. S. Augustine when he disputed againste Petilian the Donatian Heretique Let not these woordes quod he be hearde betweene vs I saye or you saye Let vs rather speake in this wise Thus saithe the Lorde There let vs seeke the Churche there let vs boulte out the cause M. Hardinge Concerninge this place of S. Augustine it ought not to be stretched to al maters in general that be in question as though wee might not vse the Testimonies and Authorities of the Fathers againste Heretikes but it perteinethe onely to the quaestion in that booke De vnitate Ecclesiae treated of whiche is where the Churche is PetiliaÌ„ the Donatist and the Mainteiners of that Heresie coÌ„tended the Churche to be onely in Aphrike or at the furthest in Parte Donati amonge theÌ„ onely that helde with Donatus The same heresie went they about to proue by Scriptures But when S. Augustine sawe howe weake theire proufes were whiche they brought out of the Scriptures he prouoked them the better to ouerthrow them to come to the trial of the Scriptures And in deede where the Scriptures be manifeste for proufe of any matter what nede is there of Doctours But where the sense of the Scriptures is obscure and may be wrested by euil wittes to the maintenauÌ„ce of an Heresie there the expositions of the Fathers by al Olde VVriters haue ben taken of necessitie to supplie the Scriptures obscuritie and to declare the sense of the Churche whiche the Holy Ghost hathe proÌ„pted And in sutche cases S. Augustine himselfe vsethe the Testimonies of the Fathers not seldome namely against Iulian the Pelagian VVhere beside Scripture touchinge Original sinne he allegethe against the Pelagians a great number of Fathers and at length in one place speakinge of the Authoritie reuerence and credite he had them in he saithe thus Quod credunt credo c VVhat they beleue I beleue what they holde I holde what they teache I teache what they preache I preache From the special to the general negatiuely the argumente holdethe not ye knowe if ye haue not forgotten your Logike The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge as wel here as els where thinkethe it an easy mater with a bolde Asseueration to smoothe his vnlearned simple Reader specially sutche a one as hathe no eies to looke after him These woordes of S Augustine saithe he perteine onely vnto the mater he had then in hande and therefore maye not be forced to any other And here he remembrethe vs of a profounde pointe in Logique that a Negatiue CoÌ„clusion from the Special to the General cannot holde Here it were a mater woorthy the hearinge firste howe M. Hardinge coulde enter so déepely to knowe so mutche of S. Augustines meaninge next for as mutche as in respecte of him selfe he euermore fansiethe vs to be vnlearned howe he were hable to teache vs to knowe the same He assuerethe vs vpon his woorde that these woordes of S. Augustine muste néedes be pounded and restreined to that one onely mater maie not in any wise be stretched farther this he imagineth was S. Augustines meaninge Thus good Reader by M. Hardinges handlinge thou haste here a meaninge of S. Augustines that S. Augustine himselfe neuer meante For S. Augustine in the same mater and against the same Heretique Petilian although not in the same Booke writethe thus Siue de Christo siue de eius Ecclesia siue de quacunque re alia quae pertinet ad Fidem vitamque nostraÌ„ noÌ„ dicam Si Nos Sed si Angelus de Coelo nobis annuntiauerit praeterquà m quod in Scripturis Legalibus EuaÌ„gelicis accepistis Anathema sit VVhether it bee of Christe or of his Churche or of any thinge els what so euer perteininge either to our life or to our Faithe I wil not saie If I mee selfe but if an Angel from Heauen shal teache vs otherwise then wee haue receiued in the Bookes of the Lawe and in the Gospelles holde him accursed M. Hardinge saithe S. Augustine meante onely of one mater S. Augustine him selfe saithe he meante of al manner maters touchinge either Faithe or Life M. Hardinge saithe S. Augustine meante this onely of him selfe S. Augustine him selfe saithe be meante it of any other yea eueÌ„ of the Angels of God And shal wee thinke M. Hardinge knoweth S. Augustines meaninge and S. Augustine him selfe knewe it not Verily S. Augustine in an other case concerninge the Arians as I haue touched twise before likewise refuseth the Determinations of al Councelles and Fathers and standeth onely to the Scriptures Neither wil I saithe he â–ª allege againste thee the Councel of Nice nor shalt thou allege againste mée the Councel of Ariminum c. Neither dothe S. Augustine onely saye thus but also yeeldeth a reason why he saithe it These be his woordes Auferantur de medio quae aduersus nos inuicem non ex Diuinis Canonicis Libris sed aliundé recitamus Quaerer fortasse aliquis Cur vis ista auferri de medio Quia nolo humanis Documentis sed Diuinis Oraculis Ecclesiam Sanctam demoÌ„strari Haue away al those Authorities that either of vs allegeth against the other sauinge sutche onely as be taken out of the Heauenly Canonical Scriptures But perhaps somme man wil
Generations And that he might ful finishe in his Humaine Body the Mysterie of our Redemption and might fasten our sinnes to the Crosse also that HaÌ„dwritinge whiche was made againste vs. Wee beleeue that for our sakes he died and was buried descended into Hel the thirde daie by the Power of his Godhed returned to life and rose againe and that the fourtethe daie after his Resurrection whiles his Disciples behelde and looked vppon him he Ascended into Heauen to fulfil al thinges and did place in Maiestie and Glorie the selfe same Body wherewith he was borne wherin he liued on Earth wherein he was iested at wherein he had suffered most paineful tormentes and cruel kinde of deathe wherein he rose againe and wherein he ascended to the Right Hande of the Father aboue al Rule aboue al Power al Force al Dominion and aboue euery name that is named not onely in this worlde but also in the worlde to comme And that there he nowe sittethe and shal sitte til al thinges be ful perfitted And althoughe the Maiestie and Godhed of Christe be euerywhere abundantly dispersed yet wee beleeue that his Body as S. Augustine saith must needes be stil in one place that Christe hathe geuen Maiestie vnto his Body but yet hathe not taken awaye from it the Nature of a Body and that we must not so affirme Christe to be God that wee denie him to be Man and as the Martyr Vigilius saithe that Christe hathe leafte vs as touchinge his Humaine Nature but hath not leafte vs as touchinge his Diuine Nature And yâ— the same Christe thoughe he be Absent from vs concerning his Manhed yet is euer Present with vs concerninge his Godhed From that place also wee beleeue that Christe shal come againe to execute that General Iudgement as wel of them whom he shal then finde aliue in the Body as of them that shal be already dead M. Hardinge In our Fathers dayes before any change in Religion was thought vpon Christen people lyued togeather in perfite vnitie If accoumpt of belife had ben demaunded none was ashamed of the common Apostles Crede Euery one constantly confessed I beleue in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heauen and Earthe and in Iesus Christe and so foorthe But sithens Luther brought a Newe Gospel into the worlde wee haue sene greate diuersitie amoÌ„ge men not onely of Ceremonies and Administration of the Sacramentes but also of the Publike Confession of the Faithe For as sundrie Rulers Countries and common Weales receiued that newe Doctrine so theire Preachers and Ministers haue sette foorthe sundrie Credes and Confessions of theire Faithe S. Hilarie in his time complaininge there of Nowe a dayes there be saithe he so many Faithes as there be willes so many Doctrines as there be maners so many causes of blaspemies springe vp as there be vices whiles Faithes either are so written as wee list or so vnderstanded as we list And where as there is but one God one Lorde one Baptisme and accordinge thereto one Faithe wee steppe aside from that whiche is the onely Faithe and whiles mo faithes be made they beginne to come to that point that there be no Faithe at al. But the maner of the vtterance of your Faithe is strange to Christen eares who haue ben accustomed to heare Credo in Deum Credo in Iesum Christum Credo in Spiritum Sanctum I beleue in God I beleue in Iesus Christe I beleue in the Holy Ghoste That other forme of woordes whiche you vse soundeth not so Christianlike I beleue there is a God I beleue that Iesus Christe is the Sonne of the Father I bâ—liue that the Holy Ghoste is God Although this forme of woordes do expresse a right Faithe yet beinge sutche as maye be vttered by Deuils and hathe alwaies ben vttered by Heretikes theire Ministers the Auncient and Holy Fathers haue liked better the Olde forme and maner after whiche euery Christen man saithe I beleue in God I beleue in Iesus Christe I beleue in the Holy Ghoste For this importeth a signification of Faithe with hope and charitie that other of Faithe onely whiche the Deuils haue and tremble as S. Iames saithe wherein as in many other thinges these Defenders resemble them S. Augustine in sundrie places putting a differeÌ„ce betwen these two formes of wordes vpoÌ„s Iohn alleaging S. Paules wordes To one that beleueth in him who iustifieth the wicked his Faithe is imputed to rightuousnesse demaoÌ„deth what is it to beleue in him It is by his answeare Credendo amare credendo diligere credendo in eum ire eius membris incorporari With beleuinge to loue him with beleuinge to goe into him and to be incorporate in his members that is to be made a member of his Body As this Defender procedeth in declaringe the belefe of his Newe Englishe Churche he grateth mutche vppon the Article of Christes Ascension as the maner is of al Zwinglians to do For theire minde geueth them thereby they shal be able to bringe at leste many of the simpler sorte to their Sacramentarie Heresie and to thinke that the Body of Christe wherein he ascended into Heauen and suteth at the right hande of the Father is so absent froÌ„ Earthe as it may not be beleued to be here present in the Sacrament of the Aulter Thereto he alleagethe S. Augustine makinge him to saye that Christes Body wherein he rose againe must nedes be stil in one place In which treatise that Holy Father hathe not the worde Oportet that is must nedes as this Defender alleageth but this worde Potest that is maye as the bookes haue that be not corrupted by the mainteiners of that Heresie And where as he saithe Ad Dardanum alleaged by this defender though Christe hathe geuen Maiestie vnto his Body yet he hathe not taken awaye from it the Nature of a Body this is not to be stretched to Christes Body in the Sacrament where it is not after condition of Nature but by the almightie power of his worde And although he hathe not taken awaye from his Body the Nature of a very Body yet may it please him to do with his Body being God nolesse then man that whiche is besides and aboue the Nature of a Body So it pleased him to do when he said This is my Body And so it pleaseth him it be done whesoeuer the same Body is offered in the daily sacrifice of the Churche according to his coÌ„mandement and institution That Vigilius saithe Hovve Christe hathe lefte to be novv in Earthe 1. Ioan. 1. Christe hathe lefte vs touching his Humaine Nature but hathe not left vs as touching his Diuine Nature it is to be vnderstaÌ„ded of his visible shape in whiche he shewed his Humaine Nature wheÌ„ he walked here on Earthe when he was so coÌ„uersant with men sensibly that as S. Iohn writethe they heard him with theire eares
they saw him with theire eies they behelde him and touched him withe theire handes As touchinge his Humaine Nature in this sensible wise Christe hathe left vs after whiche S. Augustine saithe Iam non inuenis Christum loqui in Terra Nowe thou findest not Christe to speake on the Earthe This maner of Christes Humaine Nature beinge taken from vs withstandeth not but that we may haue the substance of his natural Body and Bloud present in the blessed Sacrament in a mysterie by the Almighty power of his word whiche Faithe these defenders trauatle to impugne And as God would the Penneman of this Apologie bringeth vn wares as it semethe for confirmation of his Sacramentarie Doctrine that out of â—ulgeÌ„tius whiche ouerthroweth al that he weÌ„t about to builde against the real presence That Father as he is by him alleaged saithe Christum cùm absit à nobis per FormaÌ„ Serui tamen semper esse nobiscum per FormaÌ„ Dei That whereas Christe is absent from vs accordinge to the Forme of a seruant yet he is euer present with vs accordinge to the Forme of God VVhereby he meaneth that Christe is nomore here amonge men as he was before his deathe in Forme and shape of man in sutche wise as we see men liue on the Earthe VVhiche woordes bicause they seme to dasshe theire whole purpose the Prelates of this newe Englishe Churche haue altered the sense of them by shifting in this worde Manhed in stede of the Forme or shape of a seruant whiche the Latine hathe and this worde Godhed in stede of the Forme of God The B. of Sarisburie I marueile M. Hardinge that ye can publishe so manifeste Vntruthe without blusshinge Ye saie that before these fewe late yeeres there was but one Fourme of Faithe throughout the world Yet beinge learned hauinge trauailed through the Auncient Writers you muste néedes haue séene the Apostles Creede the Nicâ—ne Créede S. Basiles Créede Damasus Créede S. Hieromes Créede S. CypriaÌ„s or Rufines Créede Gregories Créede the Créede called Quicunque vult written as some thinke by Athanasius as some others by Eusebius Vercellensis the Créede conteined in the Hymne called Te Deum whether it were written by S. Augustine or by S. Ambrose euery of these vnder seueral and sundrie fourmes You knowe that in diuers of the Oldest Councelles as occasion was offered so somewhat was either added to the Creede or diminished or altered as it may appeare by Eusebius Socrates Theodoretus Sozomenus Euagrius Nicephorus and others You know that S. Augustine vnto Laurentius S. Hierome vnto Cyrilius S. Ambrose vnto the Emperour Gratianus and others moe in declaration of the Christian Faithe haue not alwaies vsed one precise fourme of Woordes and that the Emperoure Constantine maketh open Protestation of his Faithe as it is recorded in your Countrefeite Donation in Sense Substance agréeing with al others that were Catholique but in Woordes far disagréeinge from al others and peculiar onely to him selfe To be shorte you knowe that betwéene your Masse Créede the peoples Common Créede as touching the Woordes there was greate difference It were too longe to rehearse al. Neither was it necessarie to say so mutche sauinge onely to shewe the manifeste vanitie of your talke To expresse one Substance of Faithe in sundrie Fourmes of Woordes I neuer heard it was forbidden sauinge onely nowe at the laste by this late Decrée of M. Hardinge Where you saie the whole people before these fewe late yéeres had one Faithe ye shoulde rather haue saide they were al taught by you in a straunge vnknowen Tongue to pronounce as they could a strange vnknoweÌ„ Fourme of Faithe For God knowethe they vnderstoode not one woorde what they saide nor scarcely one Article of theire Beléeue S. Hilarie saithe of the people deceiued by the Arians as these haue benne by you Credunt quod non credunt Intelligunt quod non intelligunt They Beleeue that whiche thei Beleeue not they Vnderstande that whiche they Vnderstand not Cardinal Ascanius had a Popiniay that was taught to say distinctly al the Articles of the Creede from the beginninge to the ende Yet I trowe ye wil not say the same Popiniay Beléeued in God or vnderstoode the Christian Faithe For Faithe is in the Harte not in the Tonge S. Augustine saithe Fieri potest vt integra quis teneat Verba Symboli tamen non rectè credat It is possible that a man may pronounce the whole woordes of the Creede and yet not haue the right Faithe In deede S. Hilarie of whom ye speake woorthily reproued the Arian He retiques for that they had altered the whole Faithe of Christe not onely in Woorâ—es but also in Substance But wee hauinge published sundrie Confessions of our Religion as the Multitudes of your Abuses and Errours offered occasioÌ„ and that in sundrie Countries and Kingdomes in sutche distance of places and diuersitie of Speaches yet notwithstanding in the Substance groundes of the Truthe haue euermore ioined togeather and neuer altered Where wee saie Wée beleeue there is one God M. Hardinge answeareth He cannot wel allow this Fourme of Speache Wee should rather haue said saithe he wee beléeue In God Were not this Controller so importune sutche simple petite quarcelles should not be answeared I could neuer haue thought it had ben so great a sinne to Beleeue that God is God Verily M Hardinge if euery of yâ—ur Popes and Cardinalles had beléeued so mutche I trow Cornelius the Bishop of Bitoâ—to in your late Councel at Tridente woulde not so bitterly and in so open sorte haue cried out of them Vtinam non à Fide ad InfidelitateÌ„ à Deo ad Epicurum velut prorsus vnanimes declinassent dicentes in corde Impio ore impudico Non est Deus Would God they were not gonne as it were with one consent from the Faithe to Infidelitie from God to Epicure saieing with wicked hâ—rte and shamelesse mouthe There is no God If no Catholique Writer had euer vsed this selfe same Fourme of speache before then might M. Hardinges quarrel seeme to haue some reasonable ground But bothe S. Paule and also many other Catholique Fathers haue often vsed it S. Paule saithe Accedentem ad Deum oportet Credere Deum esse He that commeth to God must beleeue that there is a God And Hermes S Paules Scholar commonly called Pastor Nuntius Ante omnia crede Vnum Deum esse qui condidit omnia Before al other thinges beleeue that there is One God that hathe made al. Origen saithe Primùm credendus est Deus qui omnia creauit Firste wâ—e must beleeue there is a God that hathe created al thinges S. Hilarie saithe In absoluto nobis facilis est Acternitas Iesum Christum à mortuis suscitatum Credere Our euerlastinge life is ready and casi to beleeue that Iesus Christe is risen againe from the deade Likewise Charles the Greate in the Créede published in his name
Fathers Wee beleue that he dothe geue to him selfe as it is written by his owne Companion Gregorie a Presumptuouse a Prophane a Sacrilegious and Antichristian name that he is also the Kinge of Pride that he is Lucifer whiche preferreth him selfe before his Bretherne that he hathe forsaken the Faith and is the Forerunner of Antichriste M. Hardinge Here is mutche adoo aboute nought and a number of bitter woordes pyked out of S. Gregorioâ— Epistles pretended to be writteÌ„ against the Bishop of Rome to no purpose For if wee say as wee may saie truely that he chalengeth to him selfe no sutche name then what hath this Defender to saie Let him shew vs how many Bishops of that see euer tooke the name of the Vniuersal Bishop vpon them specially as Gregorie vnderstandeth it to signifie If he can shewe none why blotteth he so mutche paper with so impudent lies In deede the six hundred and thirty Fathers of the general Councel of Chalcedon gaue to Pope Leo that name as Gregorie in three sundrie Epistles writeth and certaine other in theire writinges haue attributed to the Pope the same But that either Leo or any other his Successour affected so to be called Gregorie deniethâ— And that any since Gregories time to our dayes euer called or wrote him selfe Vniuersal Bishop we denie VVhereas Pelagius and Gregorie writinge againste the Presumption of Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople for takinge vpon him this name are mutche alleged by the enimies of Vnitie againste the Authoritie of Peters Successour ouer the whole Churche we saye that they folowinge the sleppes of theire Predecessours refused the name of Vniuersal Bishop in sutche sense as Pelagius and specially Gregorie oftentimes declareth that where one is called Vniuersal Bishop he semeth to be called Bishop alone so as Bishoprike should be taken away from al others But they refused not so to be called after this meaninge as though by that refusal the Auctoritie of the Bishop of Rome should be restrained and not extende ouer the whole Churche They denie that any man might so be Vniuersal Bishop as he should be also the peculiar ruler and Gouernour of euery particular Churche For so al other Bishops had ben in vaine and that is contrary to Christes Institution who ordeined al the Apostles to be Bishops To saie al in few they refused the name that might odiously be taken they refused not the Primacie whiche Christe to them had committed Therefore Gregorie writinge to Morice the Emperour alleaginge the woordes that make for Peters Auctoritie ouer the whole Flocke of Christe saithe of Peter The Charge of the whole Churche and Principalitie is committed to him and yet is he not called Vniuersal Apostle VVhere it is plaine that Gregorie doth both affirme the charge of the whole and denieth the name of Vniuersal Let these Defenders graunte the thinge and we striue not for the name The B. of Sarisburie Here it pleasethe M. Hardinge of his Courtesie to saye Wée haue blotted our papers with so many so many impudente Lies His whole discourse standeth onely in the Construction of this woorde Vniuersal in what sense it maye be either refused or claimed How be it vnderstand thou geÌ„tle Reader that al this is M. Hardinges owne onely CommeÌ„tarie For other Doctour or Father he allegeth none Firste where it is saide that S. Gregorie by this woorde Vniuersal Bishop meante him that woulde be Bishop alone ouer al the worlde excludinge al others this exposition is not onely strange but also vaine and fonde and voide of reason For what Bishop of Constantinople euer was there that called him selfe the Only Bishop and excluded al others Doubtelesse Iohn that firste laide Claime vnto this name as he called him selfe the Vniuersal Bishop so he wrote his Letters vnto others and neuer refused to calle them Bishoppes But to leaue these Gloses and fantasies by the Title of Vniuersal Bishop S â–ª Gregorie meante sutche a one not as would be Bishop alone but as woulde claime Infinite Authoritie and Vniuersal Iurisdiction ouer al other Bishoppes throughout the Worlde and that as S. Cyprian saithe woulde calle him selfe Episcopum Episcoporum The Bishop of Bishoppes Therefore S. Gregorie thus writeth vnto Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople the Firste Vsurper of this Title Quid tu Christo Vniuersalis Ecclesiae Capiti in Extremi Iudicij responsurus es examine qui cuncta eius Membra tibimet conaris Vniuersalis appellatione supponere What answeare wilt thou make vnto Christe the Heade of the Vniuersal Churche when thou shalt be examined at the laste Judgement not that thou haste called thee selfe the Onely Bishop but that thus goest aboute by the name of Vniuersal Bishop to make al his Members subiecte vnto thee It was this Immoderate Vniuersal Iurisdiction that S. Gregorie reproued and not the makinge of him selfe Bishop alone excludinge al others Likewise he writeth of him selfe vnto Eulogius Beatitudo vestra mihi sic loquitur Sicut Iussistis Quod Verbum Iussionis peto à meo auditu remouete NoÌ„ Iussi Sed quae vtilia visa sunt indicare curaui Your Holinesse saithe thus vnto me beinge the Bishop of Rome As you haue Commaunded Haue awaye this woorde of Commaundinge from my Hearinge I beseeche you I Commaunded you not but that I tooke to be the beste I thought good to shewe you The faulte therefore that Gregorie findeth with Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople stoode not in calling him selfe the Onely Bishop for so he neuer did but in Bidding Commaunding Claiming Vniuersalitie of Iurisdiction ouer the whole Churche of Christe And for that cause he saithe vnto Eulogius Ecce in Praefatione Epistolae quam ad â—â—eipsum qui prohibui direxistis Superbae Appellationis Verbum Vniuersalem me Papam dicentes imprimere Curastis Quod peto dulcissima mihi Sanctitas vestra vltra non faciat quia vobis subtrahitur quod alteri plusquam ratio exigit praebetur Beholde euen in the Title of your Letter ye haue written this Prowde Posee naminge me The Vniuersal Pope notwithstanding I haue forbidden it I beseche your Holinesse to doo so nomore For what so euer is geuen vnto any other aboue reason the same is taken from your selues M. Hardinge saithe Gregorie affirmeth the Charge of the whole and denieth the name of Vniuersal Let these Defenders saithe he graunte the thinge and wée striue not for the name Verily this plaie had benne to vaine for ChildreÌ„ to allow yâ— thinge it selfe and to cauil onely about the name that is to receiue the Body and to shunne the Shadowe Or as Christe saithe to swalowe a Camel and to straine a gnatte So Appâ—an saithe Iulius Caesar nicely refused to be called a Kinge and yet in al manner Authoritie and Gouernmente bare him selfe none otherwise then as a Kinge It was not the bare Name of Vniuersal Bishop that so mutche offended the Holy Fathers
Qui dicunt talium Nuptias non esse Nuptias sed potiùs Adulteria mihi non videntur satis acutè ac diligenter considerare quid dicant They that saie The Marriage of sutche menne or vvemen as haue Vowed Chastitie is no Marriage but rather Aduouterie seeme vnto me not to coÌ„sider discretely and wisely what they saie And againe Fit per hanc minùs consideratam opinionem vt cùm volunt eas separatas reddere Continentiae faciant Maritos earum Adulteros Veros cùm suis Vxoribus viuis alteras duxerint It commeth to passe by this Vnaduised Opinion that whereas they wil remooue these weemen that so haue Vowed from their Husbandes and force them to continewe in their Single Life they make the Husbandes of them Aduouterers in deede in case they marrie againe their owne Wiues beinge stil aliue Thus therefore M. Hardinge you maie imagine S. Augustine saithe vnto you as he did vnto them Ye speake fondely and vnaduisedly and vnderstande not what ye speake And yet one of your Companions there telleth vs that he is vndoubtedly the Diuelles Minister that wil saie as S. Augustine saithe that the Marriage of sutche personnes is true and verie Marriage Thus by the Iudgemente of your late Louanian Cleregie S. Augustine is becomme the Minister of the Diuel But M. Hardinge hath further to saie that S. Augustine calleth this kinde of marriage VVoorse then Aduouterie An other calleth it Inceste an other Sacrilege That the Ancient Fathers haue thus written it is true not denied How be it good Reader as I haue partely shewed before these and other like woordes haue procéeded more of a zele and heate of minde then of profounde consideration and Iudgemente of the cause Neither maie wée alwaies straine sutche saicinges to the vttermoste For whereas S. Augustine saithe Sutche Marriage is woorse then Aduouterie he saithe neuerthelesse immediately after in yâ— same place It is true and very Marriage in deede before God and Man and no Aduouterie His woordes be these Non quòd ipsae Nuptiae vel talium damnandae iudicentur Damnatur Propositi fraus Damnatur fracta Voti Fides c. Damnantur tales non quia Coniugalem Fidem posteriùs inierunt sed quia Continentiae Primam Fidem irritam fecerunt Not that the Marriage of sutche personnes is to be blamed The defraudinge of theire pourpose and the breache of theire Vowe is blamed Sutche are blamed not for that they haue entred into the Faithe of Matrimonie but for that they haue broken their Firste Faithe or promisse of continente Life So likewise S. Augustine saithe of a Woman that vsed to painte her face Etsi impudica circa homines non sis tamen corruptis violatisque quae Dei sunt Peior Adultera detineris Although thou be no euil woman as touchinge menne yet thus colouringe and corruptinge thy face whiche thou haste of God thou arte vvoorse then an Aduoutresse Here by waie of comparison and in heate of speeche S. Augustine saithe That paintinge of the face is woorse then Aduouterie In like sense S. Cyprian saithe Diabolo peior est qui foeminarum aspectibus feritur He that is striken or moued with the sighte of Wemen is vvoorse then the Diuel Likewise againe he saithe Multò grauior Peior est Moechi causa quà m Libellatici An Aduouterers case is vvoorse then is the case of him that hath betraied the Faithe Sutche comparisons as I haue saide maie not wel be rackte to al pourposes but must be taken so far foorthe onely as they were meante Otherwise the same S. Cyprian saithe Peius est quam moechari Continentiam ducere criminosam To liue Vnchastely vnder the coloure of Chaste life as your Cleregie dooeth is vvoorse then Aduouterie Here M. Hardinge S. Cyprian saithe that your vnchaste Chastitie and coloured Vaunte of Virginitie is vvoorse then Aduouterie So S. Ambrose when he had saide If shée haue a minde to marrie shée committeth Aduouterie shée is made the Handmaide of Deathe He addeth further as of a greater euil Si hoc ita est quid de illa dicendum est quae occulta fortiua turpitudine constupratur fingit se esse quod non est Bis Adultera est This beinge so vvhat then shal vvee saie of her that is defiled with secrete and priuie filthinesse and faineth her selfe to be that in deede shee is not Shee is tvvise an Aduoutresse Here S. Ambrose calleth your painted Virginitie Double Aduouterie So S. Chrysostome Virginitas ista cum Viris plùs ab omnibus arguitur quà m stuprum ipsum This Virginitie of Weemen emongest menne is more reprooued of al menne then Fornication it selfe By these fewe wée maie yâ— better vnderstande the place that M. Hardinge hath here alleaged of S. Paule vnto Timothee When they waxe wanton against Christe they wil marrie hauinge damnation bicause they haue broken their Firste Faithe Notwithstandinge in deede S. Paule spake these woordes neither of Vowes nor of Vowebreakers but of the Widowes that were appointed to attende vpon the Olde and sicke personnes and therefore were reliued and founde by the Churche But let vs imagine as M Hardinge would haue vs that S. Paule spake al this of the breache of Vowes And let Prima Fides The Firste Faithe be the Vowe of Chastitie How be it in deede our Firste Faithe is the Faithe that wée promise in Baptisme and none other And so S. Hierome seemeth to take it For thus he writeth Non sâ—nt digni Fide qui Primam Fidem irritam fecerunt Marcionem loquor Basilidem They be not woorthy to be beleeued that haue foresaken their Firste Faithe I meane Marcion and Basilides These two famouse Heretiques Marcion and Basilides were not condemned for breakinge any Vowe of Chastitie but for refusinge the Faithe of Christe whiche S. Hierome calleth The Firste Faithe S. Paule maketh no mention of any Vowe but onely rebuketh sutche light waueringe Wemen as beinge of longe time founde by the Charges of the Congregation pourposely to reliue the sicke and the feeble afterwarde foresooke bothe the Congregation and Christe too and became Heathens and folowed the Diuel For so S. Paule saithe Nonnullae iam deflexerunt post Satanam Many sutche wemen are already gonne after Sathan But if S. Paule spake this of the breache of Vowes with what eies then M. Hardinge doo you reade his woordes Or what aduantage can you hope to finde in sutche Authorities as doo so expressely crie againste your selfe S. Paule saithe euen there in the same place Vidua eligatur non minor annis sexaginta Iuniores Viduas reijce Volo iuniores Viduas nubere liberos gignere domum administrare nullam occasionem dare Aduersario vt habeat maledicendi causam Let no Widowe be chosen vnder threescore yeeres of age Refuse yonge vvidovves I vvil that yonge vvidovves be married bringe vp theire
aquam Petra praebente potati sunt They were vnder the Clowde and were drenched vvith Christe the Rocke geeuinge them water Likewise saithe Leo Mysteria pro temporum ratione variata sunt quum Fides qua viuimus nulla fuerit aetate diuersa The Sacramentes are astered accordinge to the diuersitie of the times But the Faithe vvhereby vvee liue in al ages vvas euer one Likewise S. Augustine Sacramenta illa fuerunt in Signis diuersa in rebus quae significabantur paria These thinges were Sacramentes in the outvvarde tokens diuerse but in the thinges tokened al one vvith ours M. Hardinge wil replie S. Augustine saithe Sacramenta Noui Testamenti dant Salutem The Sacramentes of the New Testament geeue Saluation But who can better expounde S. Augustines meaninge then S. Augustine him selfe He addeth immediately Cùm ergo iam teneas promissa quid quaeris promittentia Saluatorem Hoc dico teneas promissa non quòd iam acceperimus Viram aeternam Sed quòdiam Christus Venerit qui per Prophetas praenuntiabatur Wherefore seeinge thou haste the Promisses of the comminge of Christe already perfourmed what seekest thou the thinges that Promised the Saueoure I saie Thou haste the Promisses already perfourmed not for that wee haue alreadie receiued euerlastinge life but for that Christe is alreadie comme that was promised by the Prophetes Therefore when S. Augustine saithe Our Sacramentes geue Saluation his meaninge is this Our Sacramentes teache vs that Saluation is already comme into the World Thus S. Augustine saithe in an other place Illa fuerunt Promissiones rerum complendarum haec sunt indicia completarum The Sacramentes of the Olde Lawe were Promisses of sutche thinges as should afterv vard be accomplisshed Our Sacramentes of the Newe Lawe are takens that the same Promisses be already accomplisshed Thus the Holy Fathers saie The Sacramentes of the Newe Lawe vvorke Saluation bicause they teache vs that our Saluation is already wrought So Bonauentura saithe of the Sacramentes of the Olde Testamente Mundare dicebantur id est mundatum ostendebant They were saide to make a man cleane bicause they shevved or signified that a man vvas made cleane The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 1. And wee doo expressely pronounce that in the Lordes Supper there is Truely geuen vnto the Beleuinge the Body and Bloud of our Lorde the Fleashe of the Sonne of God whiche quickeneth our Soules the Meate that commeth from aboue y◠foode of Immortalitie or Grace Truth Life And the same Supper to be the communton of the Body and Bloud of Christe by the partaking whereof wee be reuiued streghtened and fedde vnto Immortalitie and whereby wee are Ioined Vnited Incorporate vnto Christe that wee maie abide in him and he in vs. M. Hardinge VVhat ye proncunce of this high Sacrament the wise and careful tenderers of their soules wil be right ware thereof Of you and suche as ye be because your Doctrine is but of a corner of the worlde in respect of the Vniuersal Churche hathe geuen vs a watche woorde Nolite credere beleeue them not In your the Lordes supper celebrated by the Ministers of your owne creation there is not geeuen the Body and Bloud of our Lorde neither to the beleuing nor to the vnbeleuinge For at the celebration of your schismatical supper no * consecration being done * nor Faithe of the Churche * not right intention had * nor Christes institution obserued what deliuer ye to your communicantes but * a peece of Breade and a * sippe of VVine Neither is it * your wil it be more or better At the supper of Our Lorde ministred in the Catholike Churche by Priestes rightly consecrated and as it hath ben accustomed in Christes Churche there is the true and whole Body of our Lorde and saueour geeuen and receiued be the receiuers beleuinge or not beleuinge For when Christe gaue this Sacrament to his Disciples at his last supper after that he had consecrated the same saieing take ye eate ye this is my Body Iudas the traitour as the * Fathers teache receiued his true Body nolesse then Peter Andrewe Iohn or Iames did though they to their saluation he to his damnation Now it is to be noted how this Defender in this long sentence affecteth a certaine holy as it were and solemne eloquence and vseth a religious amplification of Woordes to set foorth the sacrament as though he had a reuerent and a godly opinion of it whereas in dede he taketh it but for a poore signe or token as their Doctoure Zuinglius dothe But suche is their crafte to purchase them credite among the people Thus offer they to the vnlearned their faire cuppes ful of venym anointinge the brimmes with Honye of sweete and Holy woordes the rather to poison them Suche complainte maketh the graue Father S. Hilary againste the Arians of his time Ingerunt nobis primū nomina Veritaùs vt virus falsitatis introeat Bonum in Ore est vt de corde malum subeat Firste saithe he they thrust me foorthe woordes of truthe that the venym of falsehed mate enter in Good is in their mouthe that out from the harte maie euil proceede And among al these woordes hee meaneth the Arians confession of their faithe I heare no where by them saide Deum dei filium God the sonne of God Right so among al these faire woordes concerning the Sacramente we heare neuer a whit saide of the real presence of Christes Body Epiphanius noteth the like crafte in Arius and so doth S. Augustine in the Pelagians Nestorius likewise spake honorably in many places of Christe and his Mother But now here would he cal her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Mother of God The Iewes also as we finde in the Gospell called our sauiour Iesus the Carpenters sonne confessed Mary to be his Mother Iames Ioseph Simon and Iude his brothers and that his sisters were among them by whom his Kinnes folke are to be vnderstanded but the sonne of God they would not acknowledge him nor in that degree honour him Better then to those Iewes can I not compare these Defenders who speake honorably of our Lordes Body and Bloud in their supper but that his Body is really that it is verely in the Sacrament of the aulter that wil not the Deuill who raigneth in their hartes suffer theire mouthes to vtter The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge telleth vs wée deliuer vnto the Faitheful nothing els but a péece of Breade and a slppe of Wine that wée haue neither Intention nor Consecration that our faire Cuppes be ful of Venime That our Supper is Schismatical that our Eloquence is Hypocritical that our Doctrine is Heretical that wée are like to the Pelagians to the Nestorians to the Arians and to the levves and that the Diuel raigneth in our hartes If the Truthe of God were euermore ioined with vaine speache then might M.
rather haue benne demaunded of S. Augustine and of other Learned Doctours and Ancient Fathers of the Churche How coulde S. Augustine saie Quid paras dentem ventrem Crede Manducasti What preparest thou thy toothe and thy Belly Beleeue and thou haste eaten How coulde Tertullian saie Christus auditu deuorandus est intellectu ruminandus est Fide digerendus est Christe muste be deuoured by Hearinge chevved by vnderstandinge digested by Faithe How coulde Origen saie sanguis Tesamenti infusus est in Corda nostra The Bloude of the Testamente is povvred into our hartes Howe coulde S. Cyprian saie Esus huius Carnis est quaedam auiditas quoddam defiderium manendi in Christo Quod est esca Carni hoc est Animae Fides Non dentes ad mordendum acuimus sed Fide sincera Panem Sanctum frangimus The Eatinge of this Fleashe is a certaine greedinesse and a certaine desire to tarrie in Christe That meate is vnto our Fleashe the same is Faithe vnto our Soules Wee sharpen not out teeth to bite withal But vvith pure Faithe vvee breake this Holy Breade To be shorte howe could S. Augustine saie Credere in Christum hoc est manducare Panem Viuum To Beleeue in Christe that is the Eatinge of the Breade of Life And againe Nolite parare fauces sed Cor Prepare not your mouthes to Eate of this Breade but prepare your Hartes To these other like Ancient Catholique Fathers M. Hardinge should haue saide How can ye make good that by Faithe we receiue Christes Body and Bloude Thus they witnesse thus they write thus they saie and therefore onlesse M. Hardinge can finde vntruthe in theire woordes they make it good But to force onwarde his mater he saithe Properly and truely to speake howe can wee Eate Christes Body by Faithe Here it might haue pleased M. Hardinge to remember that these phrases To Eate Christe To Drinke Christe To Digeste Christe To be Fedde vvith Christe To dvvelle in Christe To be cladde vvith Christe To be grafte in Christe and other the like are not plaine ordinarie vsual and Common Speaches but Mystically and Couertly vttered vnder a Figure thereby to géeue vs to vnderstande that Christe is our Spiritual Meate our Spiritual Drinke our Spiritual Sustenance our Spiritual house our Spiritual robe and our Spiritual stocke Therefore S. Augustine saithe Nisi manducaueritis Carnem Filij Hominis Sanguinem biberitis non habebitis Vitam in vobis Facinus vel Flagitium videtur iubere Figura ergo est Praecipiens Passioni Domini esse communicandum suauiter atque vtiliter recondendum in memoria quòd pro nobis Caro eius Crucifixa vulnerata sit Onlesse ye eate the Fleashe of the Sonne of Man and Drinke his Bloude ye shal haue no life in you He seemeth by these woordes to commaunde vs to doo an horrible wickednesse For it is an horrible mater to eate Mannes Fleashe or to drinke Mannes Bloude Therefore this is a Figure or manner of speache commaundinge vs to be partakers of Christes Passion and comfortably to laie vp in our minde that his Fleashe was Crucified and wounded for our sakes So saith Gratian ▪ touching the same Quidam nō improbabiliter exponunt Carnis Sanguinis Veritatem ipsam earundem rerum efficientiam id est Remissionem Peccatorum Touchinge these woordes The Truthe of Christes Fleashe and Bloude somme menne not vnaptely vnderstande thereby the effecte and force of Christes Fleashe and Bloude that is to saie The Remission of our Sinnes And so S. Augustine saithe Lauerunt Stolas suas in Sanguine Agni hoc est in Gratia Dei per Christum They washte theire cotes in the Bloude of the Lambe that is to saie in the Grace of God through Christe This Grace flowinge from Christes Body vpon the Crosse and geuen to the Faithful in the Ministration of the Holy Mysteries oftentimes beareth the name of Christes Body and is the grounde and Substance of the Sacrament And who so euer is Partetaker of this Grace is also Partetaker of Christes Body Therefore S. Augustine saith Cùm essent omnibus Communia Sacramenta non Communis erat omnibus Gratia quae est Virtus Sacramentorum Whereas the Sacramentes were common to al yet the Grace thereof was not common to al. And that is the Povver and strength of the Sacramentes Likewise S. Ambrose In similitudinem quidem accipis Sacramentum Sed Verae Naturae Gratiam Virtutemque consequeris Yee take the Sacramente in Representation or Remembrance But ye obteine thereby the Grace and Povver of Christes Very Nature Here M. Harding once againe moueth a very néedelesse question VVee demaunde saithe he whether wee receiue the same Body of Christe by Faithe onely without our Body or with the office of our Body Any childe might soone be hable to assoile this reddle Rabanus Maurus saithe as it is alleged before Sacramentum ore percipitur Virtute verò Sacramenti interior homo satiatur The Sacramente is receiued with the bodily mouth but vvithe the vertue of the Sacramente whiche is the Body of Christe the Inner man that is not the Body but the Soule is filled So saithe Augustine Cùm videbitis Filium Hominis alcendentem vbi erat priùs certè vel tunc videbitis quia non eo modo quo putatis erogat Corpus suum certè vel tunc intelligetis quia Gratia eius non consumitur morsibus When ye shal see the Sonne of Man Ascendinge thither where he was before then at the leaste ye shal see that he geeueth not his Body in sutche sorte as you imagine Then shal you vnderstande that his Grace is not consumed vvith bitte of mouthe Againe he saithe Qui manducat intus non foris qui manducat in corde non qui premit dente He that eateth the Christes Body in vvardly not that eateth the Sacramente outvvardly He that eateth the Body of Christe it selfe in his harte not that presseth the Sacramente vvith his toothe M. Hardinge argueth farther Christes Body is so receiued as it is Presente But it is presente by Bread and VVine ye saie Ergo it is receiued by Bread and VVine To conclude if by Bread and VVine then not by Faithe onely If M. Hardinge had better considered the Rules of his Olde Sophistrie he might soone haue séene the wantes and deformities of theis reason Emongest children it is called Ignoratio Elenchi Whiche is the Simplest Fallax of al the reste It is true that of our parte it is not either our hande or our mouthe but Faith onely that receiueth the Body of Christe but the same Body of Christe is offered and represented vnto our Faithe by meane of the Sacramentes Wée speake of sutche Instrumentes of Receiuinge as are of our selfe and be within vs M. Hardinge answeareth of the Sacramentes that be external Instrumentes and are wholy without vs. So in Baptisme notwithstandinge wée haue Christe Presente
of our parte Onely by Faithe ▪ yet S. Augustine saithe as it is saide before Habemus Christum in Presenti per Baptismatis Sacramentum Wee haue Christe Presently by the Sacramente of Baptisme Thus is Christe Presente vnto vs Of his parte Onely by his Grace Of our parte Onely by our Faithe By the Sacramentes Onely as by meane of outwarde Instrumentes to moue our senses This light and childishe errour as I haue saide before is called Ignoratio Elenchi and therefore séemeth to procede of Ignorance M. Hardinge should haue better examined the force of his Argumentes before he thus suddainely sente them abroade Touchinge the mater it selfe it is not the Bodily mouthe but Faithe alone that receiueth and embraceth Christes Body S. Augustine saithe Panis iste Interioris Hominis quaerit esuriem Qui credit in eum manducat This Breade requireth the hunger of the Inner Man He that beleeuth in him eateth his Body This is no tangling as you saie M. Hardinge It is the Auncient Catholique Doctrine of y◠Churche of God Wée be wel assured of it knowe certainely what wée saie But touching y◠certainetie of your Doctrine in this point I haue briefely touched it in my Former Replie so mutche as I then thought might séeme sufficiēte Somme of you hold y◠Christes Body passeth down into y◠stomake Somme y◠it entreth onely into the Mouthe goeth no further Somme others saie Quà m citò Species terūtur dentibus tam citò in Coelum rapitur Corpus Christi As soone as the Fourmes of the Breade be grated with the teeth streight waie the Body of Christe is caught vp into Heauen An other of you saithe A Mouse eateth the Body of Christe An other saithe Nay a Mouse cannot eate it Peter Lombarde the Grande Maister of al your Schoole is piteously confounded in the case and cannot imagine what to saie For after he had him selfe moued the question Quid igitur sumit Mus vel quid manducat What is it then that the Mouse receiueth or what eateth it He answeareth Deus nouit Novve God knovveth As for my parte I cannot tel Sutche be your Doctours M. Hardinge sutche is your Doctrine Therefore to conclude with your owne woordes it appeareth by your agréemente and your answeares ye vnderstande not the thinges ye speake of but both◠affirme and denie ye knowe not what M. Hardinge As ye procede foorth ye geue warninge to your Readers not to take you so as though ye held with transubstantiation And here ye speake thereof as best becommeth your scoffinge sprite callinge it a dreame of men of later times whereof they coulde neuer yet agree within them selues By whiche woordes your eloquence hath set foorth your spite and lieing at once For albeit the terme of transubstantiation be of no greater antiquitie then the Councel Laterane vnder Innocentius the thirde where it was by the Holy Ghoste and the Fathers there deuised as very fitte for opening of the Truthe impugned by the Berengarians yet is the Doctrine thereof no lesse Auncient then the Gospel it selfe For maugre the malice of the Deuil and of al the Sacramentaries the Olde Truthe shal preuaile by whiche we are taught that whiche was Breade by the Mystical blessinge to be made Christes Body and that whiche was wine to be made his Bloude as I haue other wheres sufficiently declared And the Churche hath alwaies hereupon perfitely accorded touchinge the Substance though certaine schoolemen in their Scholastical Disputations where oftentimes victorie is sought and Faith not impugned about discussion of somme schoole point haue without preiudice of our belefe disagreede The B. of Sarisburie As for the scoffes and spites and lies ye speake of M. Hardinge let him haue them that hath beste deserued them Then verily without greate wronge you cannot lose them Touching your New Fātasie of Transubstantiation whether it be a dreame or no whether the dreamers of it them selues were euer yet hable rightly to expoūd theire owne dreame it appeareth partely by your owne Confession Ye graunte the name and terme thereof was neuer knowen or hearde of in al the Worlde vntil your late Councel of Laterane holdē in Rome vnder Pope Innòcentius the thirde in the yeere of our Lorde a thousande two hundred and fiftéene in the time of Kinge Iohn the Kinge of England and neuer before So longe the Churche of God was hable wel to stande without your Transubstantiation And al be it ye tel vs notwithstandinge the newnesse of the name yet neuerthelesse the Doctrine thereof hath stil continewed in the Churche and hathe benne euermore receiued and confessed of al the Faitheful and that maugre the malice of the Diuel and of al the Sacramentaries it is as Ancient as the Gospel or as Christe him selfe Yet of y◠other side ye cōfesse plainely that for the space of twelue hundred yéeres and more Roman wiste by what name to calle it But for as mutche as you thinke it lawful for you to auouthe and affirme what you liste true or false without controlmente whereas ye saie this late Faithe of yours is as Auncient as the Gospel knowe you that somme of the beste learned of your owne side haue saide It is a nevve Pointe in Religion and therefore not so Auncient as you seeme to make it It is a doubteful Conclusion and therefore no Faithe at al. D. Tonstal thereof saithe thus De modo quo id fieret fortasse satius erat ▪ Curiosum quenque suae relinquere Coniecturae sicut liberū fuit ante Concilium Lateranum Of the manner and meane howe this might be whether by Transubstantiation or otherwise perhaps it had benne better to leaue euery man that woulde be Curious to his owne Coniecture as before the Councel of Laterane it vvas leafte at libertie You saie it is as Auncient as the Gospel D. Tonstal saith It is but new and came in twelue hundred yéeres and more after the Gospel You saie it is the Catholique Faith D. Tonstal saithe It is a Coniecture or a Gheasse whiche differeth not mutch from a dreame and that before the saide late Councel of Laterane noman vvas bounde to beleeue it And here it maie please you to consider indifferently with your selfe It it were leafte at Libertie as D. Tonstal saithe for any man either to receiue it or to refuse it as he thought good how could it then be the Catholique Faithe If it were the Catholique Faithe as you saie that maugre the malice of the Diuel howe then could it so many hundred yeeres be leafte at libertie Hereof ye saie ye haue written sufficiently otherwheres Al this I graunt your Bookes are knowen How be it if you woulde haue written nomore but Truethe ▪ ye might haue saued mutche time and spared somme paper But if it shal not mislike you once againe more aduisedly to viewe the same ye shal finde in the very Firste Diuision thereof thrée
Vides Aquam Cogita de virtute Dei quae latet in Aqua Cogita A quam esse plenam Ignis Diuini Thou seeste the Water Thinke thou of the Power of God that lieth in the VVater Thinke thou that the Water is ful of Heauenly Fier Yet I trowe ye wil not haue vs beléeue as an Article of our Faithe that this fire whereby is ment the Bloude of Christe is in déede and Really in the Water These and sutche other the like maie not alwaies be taken as phrases of Precise Truthe but rather as Amplifications or heates of speache the better to sturre vp and to enflame the mindes of the Hearers And in this sorte and sense to leaue other Authorities Hosius your owne Doctour saithe Opera nostra respersa sunt Sanguine Christi Our Woorkes be sprinkled vvith the Eloude of Christe So saith Pope Innocentius 3. Virtutes nostiae Crucis Christi Sanguine Purpurantur Our Vertues are died as redde as Purple in the Bloude of the Crosse of Christe Thus the Holy Fathers saie The Breade of the Holy Mysteries and the Water of Baptisme are ful of fiere Further Theophylacte saithe The Body of Christe is Eaten But the Godheade is not Eaten bicause it is vntoucheable and vncomprehensible vnto our senses Hereof you woulde séeme to reason thus If Faith wrought al this mater then might wee Eate God For by Faithe wée beléeue in God Firste touchinge the Eatinge of God God him selfe saith Gustate videre quòd suauis est Dominus Taste and see that the Lord is delectable S. Augustine saith Panis est Panis est Panis est Deus Pater Deus Filius Deus Spiritus Sanctus It is Breade It is Breade and it is Breade God the Father God the Sonne and God the Holy Ghoste Againe he saith Deus Panis intus est animae meae God is the Invvarde Breade of my Soule Therefore it is not so thorowly and vndoubtedly true that you saie the Nature of God cannot be Eaten Notwithstandinge for sparinge of woordes and time herein I wil refer you to my Former Replie There shal you finde this whole Obiection fully answeared You saie Theophylactes reason standeth thus God cannot be Eaten bicause be cannot be comprehended either vvith eies or vvith teethe But Christes Body maie be eaten Therefore it muste folowe in the Conclusion that with our eies vvee maie see it and with our teethe receiue it Here woulde I faine learne of you M. Hardinge when ye sawe Christes Body visibly in the Sacramēte with your eies or when ye pressed it with your téeth If your téeth can receiue it why saithe S. Augustine Quid paras Dentem Ventrem Why preparest thou thy Toothe and they Belly If your Bodily eie can sée it why saye you It is Inuisible If it be Inuisible howe is it séene If it be séene how is it Inuisible It appeareth that either Theophylacte the Maister or you the Scholare are deceiued or one of you vnderstandeth not the others meaninge Certainely as Christes Body is seene in the Sacramente so is it eaten in the Sacramente But it is not Really or Fleashely séene Therefore it is not Really or Fleashely Eaten To auoide errour herein it behooueth vs to vnderstande that To eate God is to haue the fruition of the Diuine Nature and to be Incorporate into God But the Maiestie of God so far surmounteth the capacitie of man that as he is in him selfe in Nature and Godhedde no mortal creature is hable to conceiue him but onely in the Face and sight of Iesus Christe the Sonne of God Therefore S. Paule saithe Christus est Splendor Gloriae Character Substantiae Dei Christe is the Brightnesse of the Glorie and the expresse Image of the Substance of God S. Augustine saithe Tu quomodò contingis Deum Quia Verbum Caro factum est habitauit in nobis Howe doest thou touche God He answeareth Bicause the Woorde became Fleashe and dwelte in vs. Againe he saithe Si Christus sic veniret vt Deus non agnosceretur If Christe came so as he is God noman coulde knovve him S. Gregorie saithe Dominus murus nobis non esset si forinsecùs non fuisset Intus nos non protegeret si exteriùs non appareret Our Lorde were no wal vnto vs if he had not benne in the Fourme of Man He coulde not inwardely defende vs if he had not outvvardely appeared So saithe Dionysius Si cupimus Communionem habere cum Deo oportet nos in Diuinissimam illius vitam quam egit in Carne intueri If wee desire to haue Communion with God wee muste beholde that heauenly life that he leadde in the Fleashe Thus as God is God in Maiestie and in him selfe wée vnderstande him not wee conceiue him not wee knovve him not That is to saie wee haue no fruition of him vvee eate him not Therefore S. Augustine saithe Iesum Christum secundum id quod erat Verbum apud Deum Paruuli non capiunt Quomodò ergo capiunt qui Lac capiunt Iesum Christum inquit hunc Crucifixum Suge quod pro te factus est cresces ad id quod est Litle ones vnderstande not Iesus Christe accordinge to that he was the Woorde with the Father How then doo they receiue him y◠receiue milke S. Paule saithe they receiue Iesus Christe Crucified Sucke that thinge that he vvas made for thee and thou shalt growe to that he is Thus in the Holy Mysteries there is represented vnto vs not the Diuine Nature of Christe whereby he is Equal to the Father But his Death and Humilitie whereby he abased him selfe and was made Equal vnto vs. This is the Spiritual Meate and Drinke and the onely feedinge of the Soule ◠Thereof S. Paule saithe As often as ye shal eate of this Breade and drinke of this Cuppe ye shal publishe not the Diuine Nature or Godhedde but the Lordes Deathe vntil he comme So saithe Hesychius Comedimus hunc Cibum sumentes eius memoriam Passionis Wee Eate this Foode receiuinge the memorie not of his glorie but of his Passion So saith S. Ambrose Quia Morte Domini liberati sumus huius rei memores in Edēdo Potando Carnem Sanguinem quae pro nobis oblata sunt significamus Bicause wee are deliuered by our Lordes Deathe beinge mindeful thereof in Eatinge and Drinkinge VVe Signifie or Represente the Fleashe and Bloude that vvere offered vp for vs. Thus in the Holy Mysteries wee Eate and Drinke the Sacramente of Christe Crucified in the Humilitie of his Fleashe But his Diuine Nature in Godhed and Maiestie cannot be Represented or expressed by any Sacramentes It was al vaine and loste laboure for you M. Hardinge so earnestly to proue that Christes Body quickeneth and geuéeth life Wee knowe it Wée Confesse it Wée féele it Christe him selfe saithe it I am the Breade of Life He that eateth
out of a Shelle Phy for shame Doo vvee not blusshe at sutche foolishnesse Are vvee not vveery of sutche superstition And yet biside al this liuinge in sutche curiouse delicacie wee looke to be praysed for our Fastinge To leaue al others Erasmus a man of greate Iudgemente saithe Maior est in his rebus Superstitio apud Christianos quà m vnquam fuit inter Iudaeos There is more Superstition herein emonge Christians then euer was emonge the Iewes Wée weighe not the choise of Fishe or Fleashe but the burthen of the minde and the snare of the Conscience But to passe ouer your néedelesse Lenten talke the Feaste that wee sette before the people is neither drie nor carrien notwithstandinge it liketh you by your vnciuile termes so to cal it but Spiritual Holy and Heauenly I meane the very Body of Iesus Christe the Sonne of God to the comforte and reliuinge of Body and Soule And yet for as mutche as it so wel deliteth your eares to calle it carrien wée refuse not the name Chrysostome likewise although in more reuerende and Ciuile sense calleth it Carrien These be his woordes Vbi est Cadauer ibi sunt Aquilae Cadauer Domini corpus est propter Mortem Aquilas autem appellat vt ostendat ad alta eum opotere contendere qui ad hoc Corpus accedit nihil cum terra debere illum habere commune nec ad inferiora trahi repere sed ad superiora semper volare in Solem Iustitiae intueri mentisque oculum habere acutissimum Aquilarum enim non Graculorum est haec Mensa Where as the carrien is there are the Egles The Carrien is the Body of Christe in respecte of his Deathe But he nameth Egles to shewe that who so wil approche to this Body muste mounte alofte and haue no dealinge with the Earthe nor be dravven and creepe dovvnevvarde but must euer more flee vp and beholde the Sonne of Iustice and haue the eie of his minde quicke and sharpe For this is a Table of Egles that flee on highe not of Iaies that créepe beneathe Ye adde further But saie ye at the Lordes Supper Christe geueth him selfe verily presente To what purpose I praie you That wee maie Eate him saie ye by Faithe and Sprite VVel reasoned forsoothe Now forsoothe M. Hardinge this is Hicke Scorners Logique farre vnméete for a man of your grauitie Haue ye foregotten saie you the geuinge to eate and eating that whiche is geuen to be Relatiues one of them hauing relation to the other If Christe doo exhibite him selfe verily presente dooth not he so exhibite or geue him selfe as he wil be receiued If he geue him selfe verily present wee take him verily Presente And then wee eate him verily Presente not onely by Faithe and sprite but by takinge him into our Mouth and Belly Verily M. Hardinge this of your parte was not very wel reasoned For a man maie haue Christe verily Presente although he haue him not in his mouth S. Augustine saithe Habes Christum In Praesenti per Signum In Praesenti per Fidem In Praesenti â–ª per Baptismatis Sacramentum Thou haste Christe in the time Presente by his Signe or Token In the time Presente by Faithe In the time Presente by the Sacramente of Baptisme And S. Augustine imagineth Christe thus to saie vnto the people of Caperâ—aum Non hoc Corpus quod videris manducaturi estis Ye shal not eate with your bodily mouthe this Body of mine that you see Wée remember wel the Relation that is bitweene Geuing and Receiuing and therefore wée marueile so mutche the more that you so vnskilfully woulde abuse it For as Christe offereth his Body Spiritually to our Faith and Sprite euen so Spiritually by our Faithe and Sprite wée receiue it And where ye saie Wée take Christes Body into our Mouthes and Bodies as hauing foregotten that Christe saithe The woordes that I haue spoken be Sprite and Life S. Augustine woulde soone haue remoued you from this grosse errour For thus he saithe vnto you Quid paras Dentem Ventrem Crede manducasti What preâ—arest thou thy Tooth and thy Belly This Eatinge is Spiritual Beleeue in Christe and thou haste eaten S. Ambrose saithe Fide tangitur Christus Fide videtur Non tangitur Corpore non oculis comprehenditur By Faithe Christe is touched By Faithe he is seene He is not touched vvith Body He is not seene with eie Likewise saithe Gregorius Nyssenus S. Basiles Brother Ego aliam Escam agnosco quae Similitudinem quandam proportionis escae huis corporis gerat Cuius voluptas atque suauitas ad animum solummodò transeat I knowe an other kinde of Meate bearing the Likenesse and resemblance of our bodily Meate for yâ— this inwardly féedeth the minde as the other outwardely féedeth the body The pleasure and sweetenesse whereof goeth not into yâ— Mouth or Belly but passeth onely into the soule Thus wée vnderstande our selues M. Hardinge and deceiue not as you saie the Soules that Christe hath bought God foregéeue you and others that so haue donne that the Bloude of many be not required at your handes Your errour ye saie in makinge the Presence of Christe in Baptisme like to his Presence in the Supper is too grosse Here is one erroure more then any of the Learned Catholique Fathers euer noted S. Chrysostome saithe In the Sacramente of Baptisme wee are made Fleashe of Christes Fleashe and Bone of his Bones S. Bernarde saithe Lauemur in Sanguine eius Let vs be vvasshed in his Bloude Leo saith Christi Sanguine rigaris quando in Mortem ipsius Baptizaris Thou arte vvashte in the Bloude of Christe when thou arte Baptized in his Death By these fewe it maie appeare that Christe is Presente at the Sacramente of Baptisme euen as he is Presente at the Holy Supper Onlesse ye wil saie wée maie be made Fleashe of Christes Fleashe and be washte in his Bloude and be partâ—takers of him and haue him Presente without his Presence Therefore Chrysostome when he hath spoken vehemently of the Sacramente of the Supper he concludeth thus Sic in Baptismo Euen so is it also in the Sacramente of Baptisme The Body of Christe is likewise Presente in them bothe And for that cause Beda saithe Nulli est aliquatenus ambigendum tunc vnumquenque Fidelium Corporis Sanguinisque Dominici participem fieri quando in Baptismate Membrum Christi efficitur Noman maie doubte but euery Faitheful man is then made partetaker of the Body and Bloude of Christe vvhen in Baptisme he is made the Member of Christe As for your Real and Fleashely Presence it hath benne often talkte of on your parte but neuer proued Wée saie Wée touche not christes Body with our Mouthe or Téeth VVhat saie you be ye vsed to swallowe down whole morselles Sutche childishe and waÌ„ton talke M. Hardinge specially in the debatinge of maters of Religion woulde better becomme somme
admitted Judas vnto his Table whereat he gaue and deliuered vnto his Disciples a Figure of his Body Againe S. Augustine saithe as in the Personne of Christe Qui in me non manet in quo ego non manco ne se dicat aut existimet manducare Corpus meum aut Sanguinem meum bibere He that abideth not in me and I in him let him not saie or thinke that he either eateth my Body or drinketh my Bloude The obiection that ye make of the Resurrection of our bodies is light and vaine and to smal pourpose For if noman shal haue parte in the Resurrection but onely they that haue receiued the Sacramente of Christes Body then are al the Holy Fathers Patriarches and Prophetes of the Olde Testamente Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Aaron and sutche others then are infinite numbers of Christian Children then are many Godly Martyrs whiche beinge Baptized in the Bloude of Christe were taken out of this life before they coulde receiue the Sacramente vtterly excluded for euer from al hope of Resurrection But Christe when he spake these Woordes meante not the reciuinge of the Sacramente but the Spiritual Eatinge of his Very Body and the Spiritual Drinkinge of his Very Bloude Whereof he is made partetaker vnto Resurrection and Life Euerlastinge who so euer beleeueth in the Death of Christe And therefore S. Basile saith of the Sacramente of Baptisme Baptisma est vis efficacia ad Resurrectionem Baptisme is a Povver and a strength vnto Resurrection But hereof wee shal haue occasion offered to saie more hereafter Further Howe can ye assure your selues saye you that your Faithe receiueth the Body of Christe VVhiche was neuer promised to your Faithe By the waie I beséeche you M. Hardinge when or where was Christes Body euer promised to your Mouthe Verily Christe promised his Body to he receiued by Faithe and by Faithe Onely and none othervvise For thus he saithe Ego sum Panis ille Vitae qui venit ad me non esurier qui credit in me non sitiet vnquam I am that Breade of Life He that commeth vnto me shal neuer hunger and he that Beleeueth in me shal neuer thirste Here haue you M. Hardinge a plaine promisse made vnto our Faithe But of your Mouthe wée heare nothinge If you haue ought to shewe out of the Scriptures Doctours or Councelles let it appeare that in plaine woordes without coloure Otherwise if ye cauil in woordes wée muste saie ye haue nothinge Therefore the Auncient Father Origen saith Idcircò dicitur Panis vitae vt habeat Gustus Animae quod deguster Therefore is Christe called the Breade of Life that our Faithe whiche is the Taste of our soule maie houe what to taste Clemens Alexandrinus saithe Comedite Carnes meas Bibite Sanguinem meum Euidenter Fidei Promissionis quod est Esculentum Poculentum dicens allegoricè Eate my Fleashe and Drinke my Bloude Meaninge hereby vnder an Allegorie or by vvaie of a Figure the Meate and Drinke that is of our Faithe and his Promisse Tertullian saith Eundem Sermonem Christus etiam Carnem suam dixit quia Sermo Caro factus est Proinde in causa vitae recipien dus Deuorandus auditu Ruminandus intellectu Fide Digerendus est The same Woorde Christe called his Fleashe For the Woorde was made Fleashe Therefore he muste be receiued in cause of Life He muste be Deuoured by hearing He muste be chevved by vnderstandinge He muste be Digested by Faithe S. Cyprian saithe Quod est esca Carni hoc est Animae Fides As Meate is to the Fleashe so is Faithe vnto the Soule S. Augustine saithe Credere in eum hoc est Manducare Illud Eibere quid est nisi viuere To Beleeue in him is to Eate him That Drinkinge of him what is it els but to liue by him I truste M. Hardinge it maie appeare hereby there is somme promisse made hereof vnto our Faithe Nowe shewe you as euidente Promisse made to your Mouthe and Belly and then your Reader happily wil beleeue you The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 2. And therefore in celebratinge these Mysteries the People are to good pourpose exhorted before they comme to receiue the Holy Communion to lifte vp theire Hartes and to directe theire mindes to Heauen warde bicause he is there by whom wee muste be fedde and liue M. Hardinge I praie you Whiche these Mysteries meane ye Those that ye haue in your newe communion or those that we haue at the aulter of God in the Catholike Churche of Christe If ye meane your owne newe deuised toye thereof ye cannot bringe any sufficient reason againste the Churche pardy whiche condemneth the same If ye meane the Holy Mysteries of the Catholike Churche ye misreporte the mater For by that exhortation ye speake of the people are not prepared to receiue the Communion onely nor chifely but to dispose them selues accordingly and as it becommeth them to praie for to that ende be these woordes Sursum corda vp with your hartes pronounced by the Prieste in the Preface before prayer Reade S. Cyprian in Sermone 6. De Oratione Dominica And ye shal finde him to referre the whole to praier But what if we admitte your woordes refusinge your Heretical meaninge VVe graunte the people are to good purpose so exhorted as ye saie and that he is in Heauen whose fleash we feede on in this Sacramente thereby to attaine to life Euerlastinge VVhat conclude ye of this Ergo he is not here For at that marke ye shoote euery man maye see Here we tel you that your Rhetorike is better stuffe then your Logike for your argumente is foolishe VVith the one ye maie leade the simple perhaps with the other ye moue the Learned to laugh at you For Christe is in Heauen and also here as Chrysostome saithe Et hic plenus existens illic plenus Vnum Corpus He is here fully and there fully one Body These two propositions Christe is in Heauen and Christe is here may wel stande togeather without iuttinge the one the other out of place He is there at the right hande of the Father visibly he is here vnder the Formes of Breade and VVine inuisibly there in glorie here in Mysterie ▪ yet as truly and fully here as there concerninge his Substance as Chrysostome saith Ye procede foorth and saie The B. of Sarisburie It maye becomme you M. Hardinge as wel to cal the reuerende Ministration of Christes Holy Mysteries a Toie as to cal the Gospel of Christe Erroure and Heresie So likewise Libanius the Heathen although a man I trow not of your Profession saide sommetime that al the Bookes either of the Scriptures or of any y◠Christian Fathers in comparison of Iulianus the Renegates Bookes were toies and trifles Howe be it Our Toies be the same Toies that were once vsed and allowed vniuersally throughout the Catholique
that Christe offered Notwithstanding to spare time this Obiection is answeared more at large in my Former Replie to M. Hardinge But whereas M. Hardinge saith Christes Body is as fully here as it is in Heauen concerninge the Substance as Chrysostome saithe He woulde vnder the name of that Holy Father wilfully warrante a greate Vntruth For Chrysostome saith not Christes Body is Presente in Substance He hathe no sutche woordes He saithe not so He saithe the contrarie as namely where he saithe as it is before alleged The very Body of Christe it selfe is not in the Holy vessels but the Mystene or Sacramente thereof is there conteined Touchinge these woordes Onlesse ye can diuise a Newe Grammare make Sursum to be Deorsum coÌ„trarie to Nature turne al thinges vpsidedown thus make your Construction Sursum Corda Looke dovvnevvarde they wil but meanely make for your pourpose S. Hierome saithe Secundus Aduentus Saluatoris in Gloria demonstrandus est Stultum est ergo illum in paruo aut abscondito loco quaerere qui totius est Mundi Lumen The Seconde Comming of our Saueoure shal be declared in Glorie Seeinge therefore he is the Light of the Worlde it is greate folie to seeke him in any smal Corner The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 3. Cyrillus saithe when wee comme to receiue these Mysteries al grosse imaginations muste quite be baunished M. Hardinge VVhy do ye not by your quotation directe vs to the place where this saieinge of Cyrill maye be founde Knowe ye not that wee haue good cause to suspecte your dealinge Do we not almoste euery where finde you in manifeste lies If ye meane plaine Truthe why deale ye not plainely Christes saieinge muste needes be true VVho euil dothe hateth light Bicause ye knewe the place maketh directely againste you and subuerteth your whole Sacramentarie Doctrine ye thought it good policie to take a woord or two for your purpose and leaue the reste trustinge it shoulde not be espied VVherein ye do like the Scorpion that casteth foorth his venim with the spirte of his taile and foorthwith creapeth awaie into a hole VVoulde God as ye abuse the name of Cyril so ye woulde stande to the Truthe by him euen in that place whiche ye allege Substantially declared VVho listeth to see the place let him reade Cyrilles answeare to Theodoriâ—es reprehension of the eleuenth anathematisme against Nestorius There he sheweth that Nestorius destroyed the meane of the Vnion of be the Natures in Christe to thintent the Body of Christe might be founde but a common body as men haue and not a Body propre of the VVoorde hauinge power to viuificate or quicken al thinges For Nestorius diuided Christe and taught the woorde to be the Sonne of God not of Mary and Christe Man the Sonne of Mary onely as Man and dissolued the whole Mysterie of the incarnation so as Christe shoulde be an other certaine Sonne beside the VVoorde And because the Nature of Godhed cannot be eaten thereof he talked vainely and prophanely that in the Sacramente wee eate Fleashe and not Godhed For confutation of this detestable Heresie Cyril bringeth him to the consideration of the Blessed Sacramente and opposeth him whether he thought that in the Sacramente Christe beinge by his Doctrine Man besides God the VVoorde wee eate a man as one woulde saie after sutche sorte as the Barbarous people of the newe founde Lande America called Caniballes eate one another But because that were absurde and beastly Cyril saithe that wee eate not a common Body though the Nature of Godhed properly be not eaten but that Body whiche is Proprium verbi the proper Body of the VVorde whiche quickenethe al thinges by receiuinge whereof wee receiue whole Christe God and man And here Cyril layeth to Nestorius charge as though he draue men to grosse cogitations touchinge this Sacramente The woordes be these Num hominis comestionem c. VVhat doest thou pronounce this our Sacramente to be eatinge of a man the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and driueste vnreuerently the Minde of them as haue beleued vnto grosse imaginations and attemptest with humaine imaginations to treate of those thinges whiche are attained by an onely pure and exquisite Faithe These be the grosse imaginations whiche Cyrill woulde to be bannished at the receiuing of this Sacramente and that wee eate the Body of Christe not as beinge a common Body as the Body of euery mortal Man And though the Nature of Godhed be not eaten that yet we eate that Body whiche is the proper Body of the VVoorde that quickeneth al thinge Nowe as we haue not that grosse imagination of eatinge a common Body which of the Grekes by a terme plainer to the learned is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wheÌ„ we receiue this Sacramente so it is euident by Cyril that in the same we eate verely and in deede the Body of Christe the VVoorde incarnate For otherwise his saieinges had not made ought againste the Heresie of Nestorius And thus receiuinge Christes Body in the Sacramente we receiue it truely and with Faithe and without grosse imaginations Al this weighed howe proue ye now Christe to be so lodged in Heauen that notwithstandinge his owne VVoorde wee lacke him here in these Holy Mysteries But let vs consider your other Authorities The B. of Sarisburie Touchinge the quotation in the margine escaped in the Printe that faulte I truste shal be amended But howe wil you amende your faulte M. Hardinge so often alleginge sutche thinges as your Conscience knoweth to be moste Vntrue I wil not wander far to put you in minde In the laste line of your Former Diuision ye auouche that vpon Chrysostome that you knowe Chrysostome neuer neither Wrote nor meante As for the manifeste Lies wherewith ye so sharply and so often charge vs though there were somme Truthe in your chalenge as there is none yet might not wée therein in any wise compare with you Concerninge the affiance ye woulde séeme to haue in these woordes of Cyril ye thought it good skil thus to crowe out with somme courrage before the fight In what sense the Godhed maie be eaten or not eaten I haue already saide so mutche as then seemed sufficiente in my Former Replie to your Firste Answeare The meaninge of Cyrillus is this Wée cannot neither knowe nor beleeue on nor féede vpon the Diuine Maiestie of God as it is pure and Simple and in it selfe But al our knowledge and al our Faithe whiche is our Spiritual Féedinge and Life is deriued vnto vs through Iesus Christe and standeth onely and wholy in this that the Sonne of God hath taken the Very Nature and Substance of our Corruptible Fleashe and ioined the same in One Personne vnto his Godhed Therefore S. Hilarie saithe Cognitus fieri Deus hominibus nisi assumpto Homine non potuit Quia Incognoscibilem cognoscere nisi per Naturam
the Apostles into Heauen For the abundante Grace of the Holy Ghoste is powred out and hath turned the vvhole VVorlde into Heauen not by changinge of Nature but by correctinge the vvil of Man Likewise againe he saithe Apostoli in Terra constituti in Coelo conuersabantur Et quid dico in Coelo Altiores erant Coelo etiam alâ—o Coelo Et ad ipsum Dominum peruenerunt The Apostles dwellinge in the Earthe had their conuersation in Heauen But what saie I In Heauen They were higher then Heauen yea then the Seconde Heauen and came euen vnto the Lorde him selfe Againe he saithe Dauid Terram in Coelum vertit Homines facit Angelos Dauid turneth the Earthe into Heauen and of Menne he maketh Angels Againe he saithe in this selfe same place by M. Hardinge alleged Vt Terra nobis Coelum sit facit hoc Mysterium Ascende igitur ad Coeli Portas diligenter attende Imò non Coeli sed Coeli Coelorum tunc quod dicimus intueberis This Mysterie couseth that vnto vs the Earthe is Heauen Ascende vp therefore vnto the Gates of Heauen and marke diligently Naie I saie not Vnto the Gates of Heauen but Vnto the Gates of the Heauen of Heauens And so shalt thou see the thinges that I tel thee Nowe iudge thou good Christian Reader how true it is and howe agréeable with S. Chrysostomes Doctrine that M. Hardinge saithe Muste wee flee so highe that we looke not to finde this Body in Earthe Can wee not Eate this Body excepte wee flee vp into Heauen Can wee not comme by it but there Can wee not Eate him but there Yes forsoothe VVee neede not goe out of the Earthe for the mater Verily Chrysostome when he saithe Wée receiue the Sonne of God maketh mention neither of Transubstantiation nor of Real and Fleashely Presence nor of Eatinge with Mouthe or Teethe But onely sendeth vs to the force and woorkinge of Faithe and Sprite whereby onely and by no waie els wée receiue and Eate in déede and Verily the Body of Christe The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 6. And S. Augustine saithe How shal I holde him beinge Absent Howe shal I reache my hande vp to Heauen to laie holde vpon him sittinge there He answeareth Reache thither thy Faithe and then thou haste laide holde on him M. Hardinge Vpon these woordes of S. Iohn The Bishoppes and Phariseis gaue Commaundement that if any knewe where Iesus were he shoulde shewe it that they mighte apprehende him S. Augustine expoundinge the same in a contrary sense saithe Let vs nowe shewe the Iewes where Christe is woulde God they woulde heare and laie holde on him VVhere he speaketh not of receiuinge Christe so as we receiue him in the Sacramente but of receiuinge him by Faithe Onely And there he wisheth and exhorteth the Iewes to come to the Faithe and teacheth them how they maie profitably laye holde on Christe whome their Forefathers laide holde on with violent handes to their damnation Let them come to the Churche saithe he let them heare where Christe is and laie holde on him After certaine woordes he maketh this obiection to him selfe VVel the Iewe answereth me howe shal I holde him that is Absent Howe shal I reache vp my hande to Heauen that I maie laie holde on him whiche sitteth there Reache thither thy Faithe saithe Augustine and then thou haste laide holde on him Then foloweth in the same line that whiche plainely declareth all this to be meante of layinge holde of Christe by Faithe not by receiuinge the Communion Parentes tui tenuerunt carne tu tene corde Thy Forefathers thou Iewe tooke holde on Christe in Fleashe take thou holde on him in thy Harte There he sheweth howe Christe maye be holden though concerninge the visible and sensible presence of his Body he be in Heauen at the Right hande of the Father All this and what so euer is saide there vpon the Texte before recited implieth not so muche as any colour of argument againste the Truthe of Christes very Body in this moste Blessed Sacramente And thus all your allegations and reasons concerninge this mater besufficiently answeared The B. of Sarisburie It is true that M. Hardinge saithe S. Augustine in this place speaketh nothinge of purpose and specially of the Sacramente Certainely it had benne great vanitie for him to wil his Hearers to séeke for the Sacramente in Heauen aboue But he speaketh of the embracinge and holdinge the very Body of Christe beinge nowe in Heauen Whiche thinge is wrought onely by Faithe and none otherwise Whether it be in the Sacramente or without the Sacramente Infinite sentences haue benne vttered by the Holy Fathers to like purpose S. Augustine saithe Accedite ad eum illuminamini Quid est Accedite nisi Credite Comme vnto him and receiue the Light What is Comme vnto him but Beleeue in him Againe Ambulando non laborabitis Ibi enim Acceditis vbi Creditis Your walkinge shal not be paineful to you For there ye Comme to him where ye Beleeue in him Againe he saithe Exijt de Manibus eorum Non enim apprehendere eum potuerunt quia Manus Fidei non habuerunt Christe departed out of their handes For they coulde not laie holde on him bicause they had not the Handes of Faithe Againe Christus non rectè tangitur id est non rectè in eum Creditur Christe is not vvel touched that is to saie Christe is not wel Beleeued Likewise againe he saith Sunt in Corde Spirituales Manus There be certaine Spiritual Handes in the Harte And therefore S. Ambrose saithe Stephanus in Terris positus Christum tangit in Coelo Steuin beinge in the Earthe by Faithe toucheth Christe beinge in Heauen But as S. Augustine so often saithe wée Embrace Holde Christe by Faithe so is not M. Hardinge able to shewe that he euer once saide Wée Holde Christe with Mouthe or Teethe or receiue him downe into Our Bellies And therefore S. Ambrose saithe Non Corporali tactu Christum sed Fide Tangimus VVee touche not Christe by Bodily touchinge but vvee touche him by Faithe And againe Fide Christus Tangitur Fide Christus videtur Non Corpore Tangitur non Oculis comprehenditur By Faithe Christe is touched By Faithe Christe is seene He is not touched with our Bodies He is not holden with our Eies Likewise S. Augustine saithe Dominus consolatur nos qui ipsum iam in Coelo sedentem Manu contrectare non possumus Sed Fide contingere possumus The Lorde Comforteth vs that cannot novve Touche him vvith Hande sittinge in Heauen 〈◊〉 by Faithe vvee maie touche him Nowe for as mutche as M. Hardinge saithe S. Augustine in this place maketh no mention of the receiuinge of Christes Body in the Sacramente it shal not be from the purpose to consider what he hath written otherwheres touchinge the same Thus he saithe
your Late Chapter of Tridente saith Apparet quòd pro peccatis sub Nouo Testamento post acceptam Salutaris Hostiae in Baptismo efficaciam commissis non habemus pro Peccato Hostiam illam quam Christus obtulit pro Peccato Mundi pro delictis Baptismum Praecedentibus Non enim nisi semel ille Mortuus est Et ideò semel duntaxat hostia illa ad hunc effectum applicatur It appeareth that for the Sinnes committed vnder the Newe Testamente after that wee haue receiued in Baptisme the Power of the Healthful Sacrifice vvee haue nomore that sacrifice for Sinne vvhiche Christe once offered for the Sinne of the VVorlde and for sinnes committed before Baptisme For Christe neuer died but once And therefore that Sacrifice of Christe Crucified is applied vnto vs once onely to this effecte Hereby M. Hardinge ye maie sée that this Doctrine lacketh no defence emongest your Catholiques The summe and meaninge hereof is this That our Sinnes committed after Baptisme are not foregéeuen by the Death of Christe but Onely by the Sacrifice of the Masse Whiche thinge what it séemeth to you I cannot tel But vnto al Godly eares it seemeth an horrible greate blasphemie Here to speake of Praiers specially in so large a sorte it was far impertinente to your pourpose as beinge vtterly no parte of this question The Merites of Christes Deathe whereof wée entreate are conueied vnto vs by God and receiued by vs. God conueieth them to vs onely of his Mercie and wée receiue them Onely by Faithe But the waies whereby either to procure Goddes Mercie or to enkendle our Faithe are many and sundrie Goddes Mercie is procured sommetime by Praier sommetime by other Meanes But to bréede or encrease Faith in vs there are moe waies then can be reckened Somme menne are moued Onely by the Hearinge of Goddes Woorde Somme others by the beholdinge and weighinge of Goddes Miracles Iustinus the Martyr was firste alluered to the Faithe by the crueltie of the Tyrannes and by the Constancie and Patience of Goddes Sainctes S. Cyprian saith Tanta est vis Martyrij vt per illam credere etiam cogatur qui te vult occidere So greate is the Power of Martyrdome that thereby euen he is forced to beleeue that woulde kille thee S. Augustine saithe He was sturred vp to comme to Christe by readinge a Heathen Booke written by Cicero called Hortensius Thus he saithe Ille Liber mutauit affectum meum ad â—eipsum Domine mutauit Preces meas That Heathen Booke changed my minde and turned my praiers ô Lorde vnto thee Emonge other causes the Sacramentes serue specially to directe and to aide our Faithe For they are as S. Augustine calleth them Verba visibilia Visible VVoordes and Scales and Testimonies of the Gospel All this notwithstandinge wee saie It is neither the Woorke of the Prieste nor the Nature of the Sacramente as of it selfe that maketh vs partetakers of Christes Deathe but onely the Faithe of the Receiuer S. Augustine saithe Vnde est ista tanta Virtus Aquae vt Corpus tangat Cor abluat nisi faciente Verbo Non quia dicitur sed quia creditur From whence hathe the Water this greate power that it toucheth the Body and wassheth the Harte sauinge by the VVoorkinge of the VVoorde Not for that it is pronounced but for that it is beleeued So saithe Hesychius Gratia Dei comprehenditur Sola Fide The Grace of God of our parte is receiued by Onely Faithe So saithe Cyrillus Siclus Fidei nostrae Formam habet Si enim Fidem obtuleris taÌ„quam Pretium à Christo velut Ariete immaculato in hostiam dato accipies Remissionem Peccatorum The Sicle hath the Fourme of our Faithe For if thou offer vp thy Faithe as the Price thou shalt receiue Remission of thy Sinnes from Christe that vnspotted Ramme that was geeuen for a Sacrifice Where ye saie ye offer vp Christe the Sonne of Godde Really and Substantially vnto God the Father If ye speake in your dreame it is a very pleasante phantasie but if ye be awake and knowe what ye saie then is it a greate blasphemie as in my Former Replie it maie appeare more at large The Apologie Cap. 16. Diuision 1. And as for theire bragges they are woonte to make of theire Purgatorie though we know it is not a thing so very late risen emoÌ„gest them yet is it no better then a blockishe and an olde Wiues deuise M. Hardinge Purgatorie semeth not to vs a thinge that wee shoulde mutche bragge of no more then yeâ— wil bragge of Hel. VVe tremble at the remembrance of it rather then bragge of it VVel howe so euer it be wil ye nil ye we see ye be driuen to confesse the same to be no newe thinge In deede if you cal them Papistes among whom the Doctrine of praieing for the deade whereof necessarely foloweth the Doctrine of Purgatorie is deliuered taught and holden then are the Apostles who deliuered it by Tradition as Chrysostome and Damascene reporte Papistes Firste forasmutche as nothing that is defiled commeth into the Kingdome of Heauen and some departe out of this Life though in the Faithe of Christe and Children of the Euerlastinge Kingdome yet not throughly and perfitly cleane it remaineth that sutche after this Life before they come to the place of Euerlastinge ioye haue theire Purgation Furthermore the Apostle saithe Seeinge then we haue these promises derely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from al filthines of the Fleashe and Spirite makinge perfite our satisfaction in the feare of God VVho seeth not hereof to folowe that to many whiche be iustified somewhat of satisfaction and Holynes lacketh VVhiche if they be taken from hence before they atteine to the measure of Holynes requisite be they not then after this Life in state to be purged and cleansed The B. of Sarisburie Here are wée comme to the Paper VValles and Painted Fieres of Purgatorie For so it liked M. Harding not longe sithence pleasantly to sport at it in the Pulpites as a bugge méete onely to fraie Children Yet now vpon better aduise and déeper studie he tremblethe God wote and quaketh for feare to remember the tormentes that somme body hath sithence tolde him to be there Howe be it Let him not so mutche dismaie him selfe The Pope as he either firste made it or receiued it by hande from the Heathens and firste allowed it euen so hathe he the whole Iurisdiction and Power ouer it and commaundeth in and out at his pleasure Whether ye make bragges hereof or no I leaue it in question Certainely for this and other like causes One of your felowes saithe Papa potest quicquid Deus ipse potest The Pope can doo vvhat so euer God him selfe can doo An other saith Animae existentes in Purgatorio sunt de Iurisdictione Papae Papa si vellet posset totum
proue by the Prophete Dauid Transiuimus per Ignem Aquam eduxisti nos in Refrigerium Wee haue passed through Fire and VVater and thou haste brought vs foorth into a Place of refreasshinge Albertus and Roffensis saie The Executioners and Ministers of Purgatorie be Holy Angels Sir Thomas Moore saithe Out of doubte they be no Angels but very Diuels So handesomely these dreames agrée togeather To returne to the mater where ye saye Wée mutche mistooke the place of S. Augustine being deceiued by the Ignorante note in the Margine where also ye so pleasantly sporte your selfe with our Profounde knovvledge in the Doctoures the Woordes of S. Augustine that ye meane be these Primum Locum Fides Catholicorum Diuina Authoritate Regnum credit esse Coelorum vnde non Baptizatus excipitur Secundum Gehennam vbi omnis Apostata à Christi Fide alienus Aeterna Supplicia experietur Tertiū Penitùs ignoramus imò nec esse in Scripturis Sāctis inueniemus The First Place the Catholique Faithe by Goddes Authoritie beleeueth to be the Kingdome of Heaune From whence who so euer is not Baptized is excluded The Seconde Place the same Catholique Faithe beleueth to be Hel Where al Renegates and who so euer is without the Faithe of Christe shal taste Euerlasting Pounishement As for any Thirde Place vvee vtterly knovve none neither shal vvee finde in the Holy Scriptures that there is any sutche If these woordes make not against your Purgatorie yet truely in any appearance they make but sclenderly for your Purgatorie S. Augustine saithe Any other Thirde place after this life bisides Heauen and Helle vvee vtterly knovve none Neither can vve finde in the Holy Scriptures that there is any sutche But if al these three places Heauen Hel and Purgatorie had benne certainely knowen and Vniuersally receiued in the Churche yet bisides these three places the Pelagian Heretiques would haue diuised as you imagine an other seueral Place to receiue the Soules of sutche Children as departed out of this life without Baptisme then coulde not S. Augustine haue truely saide Tertium locum ignoramus VVee knovve no Thirde place But rather he shoulde haue saide Quartum locum ignoramus Fourthe place wee knowe none For by your iudgemente the doubte had benne not of the Thirde place but of the Fourthe And it had benne a greate ouersight for S. Augustine in the reckeninge onely of Foure places to haue forgotten One and specially sutche a One too as hath benne founde more gaineful of late yéeres then the other Three But his woordes be plaine Heauen vvee knovve and Hel vvee knovve But any Thirde place bisides Heauen and Hel vvee knovve none This woorde Purgatorium was noted in the Margine not by the Printer as you saie but by Erasmus a man of famouse memorie whose name for learninge iudgemente hath at al times emonge the Learned benne mutche estéemed with whom your yonge Louanian Cleregie maie not wel compare in the profounde knowledge of the Doctours without great blusshinge And thus mutche touchinge this one place of S. Augustine wherein it hath pleased you so déepely to charge vs with grosse ignorance But for better trial of his iudgemente herein ye should haue considered what he hath written otherwheres to like purpose In his Epistle to Hesychius he saithe thus In quo quenque inuenerit suus nouissimus dies in hoc eum comprehendet mundi nouissimus dies Quoniam qualis in die isto quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur In what state his ovvne laste daie shal finde eche man in the same state the laste daie of the vvorlde shal finde him For sutche as euery man in this daie shal die euē sutche in that daie shal he be iudged Againe Qualem inuenit Dominus cùm hinc vocat talem iudicat As our Lorde findeth a man vvhen he calleth him hence euen so he iudgeth him And againe Qui in hac vita Deo nō placuerit habebit quidem Poenitentiam in Futuro Soeculo de malis suis sed indulgentiam in conspectu Dei non inueniet Quia etsi erit ibi stimulus poenitudinis nulla tamen erit correctio voluntatis Who so in this life shal not please God shal in the worlde to comme haue Repentance for his Sinnes but Pardonne in the sighte of God he shal not finde For although there shal be there the pricke of Repentance yet there shal be no amendemente of the wil. Againe he saithe Vnusquisque cum causa sua dormiet cum causa sua resurget Euery man shal die with his owne cause and rise againe vvith his ovvne cause Olympiodorus saith In quocunque loco c. deprehendetur homo cùm moritur in eo gradu atque ordine permanet in Aeternum In what place or state so euer a man shal be founde when he dieth in the same state and degree he shal remaine for euer But to recken vp al that might be saide in this behalfe it woulde be longe A simple man M Harding without any profounde knovvledge of the Doctoures maie easily sée that these saieinges wil hardly stande with your Doctrine of Purgatorie Your owne Roffensis saithe Nemo nunc dubitat Orthodoxus in Purgatorium sit De quo tamen apud Priscos vel nulla vel quà m rarissima fiebat mentio Sed Graecis ad hunc vsque diem non est Creditum Quamdiu enim nulla esset cura de Purgatorio nemo quaesiuit Indulgentias No Catholique man now doubteth of Purgatorie Whereof notwithstandinge emonge the Ancient Fathers there is either no mētion at al or very seldome Yea euen vntil this daie the Grecians Beleue it not For so longe as there vvas no care for Purgatorie noman sought after Pardonnes By whiche witnesse it appeareth that Pardonnes and Purgatorie were brought in iointely bothe togeather And as the case nowe standeth and as moste menne thinke the Pope could be contented to lose bothe Heauen and Helle to saue his Purgatorie The Apologie Cap. 17. Diuision 1. As touchinge the multitude of vaine superfluous Ceremonies wee knowe that S. Augustine did greuousely complaine of them in his owne time therefore haue we cutte of a great number of them bicause wee knowe that mennes consciences were encumbred aboute them and the Churches of God ouerladen with them Neuerthelesse wee keepe stil esteeme not onely those Ceremonies whiche wee are sure were deliuered vs from the Apostles but somme others too bisides whiche wee thought mighte be suffered without hurte to the Churche of God for that we had a desire that al thinges in the Holy Congregation might as S. Paule commaundeth be donne with comelinesse in good order But as for al those thinges whiche wee sawe were either very superstitious or vtterly vnprofitable or noisome or mockeries or contrarie to the Holy Scriptures or els vnseemely for sober discreete people whereof there be infinite numbres nowe a daies
petere debeamus The Pelagians thinke them selues Cunninge menne when they saie God vvoulde not commaunde that thinge that he knovveth a man is not hable to doo And who is there that knoweth not this But therefore God Commaundeth vs to doo somme thinges that vvee are not hable to doo that wee maie vnderstande what wee ought to craue of him S. Hierome saithe vnto one of the same Pelagians Facilia esse dicis Dei mandata tamen nullum proferre potes qui vniuersa compleuerit Ye saie Goddes Commaundementes be easy And yet ye are hable to shewe vs noman that euer fulfilled them al togeather Therefore againe he saithe vnto them Noli ponere in Coelum os tuum vt per Esse Esse posse stultorum auribus illudas Quis enim tibi concedit posse hominem facere quod nullus vnquam hominum potuerit Sette not thy face againste Heauen to mocke fooles eares with these woordes Be and Can be For who wil graunte you that a man can doo that thinge that noman euer vvas hable to doo Likewise S. Augustine saithe Dixi fieri posse vt sit homo sine peccato si Voluntas ei non desit ope Diuina adiuuante Sed tamen Praeter Vnum in quo omnes uiuificabuntur neminem vel fuisse vel fore in quo hîc viuente esset ista Perfectio I saide It is possible that a man maie bee vvithout Sinne if he wante not wil the Power of God assistinge him And yet I saide that bisides Onely Christe in whom al menne shal be quickened to Life there vvas neuer man nor neuer shal be who beinge in this life shal haue this Perfection S. Augustine saithe Noman can atteine to this Perfection and he speaketh of the Perfection that is required not of Angels but of Menne Ye wil saie as the Pelagians did wherefore then doothe Christe saie Be ye Perfite Wherefore doothe S. Paule saie As many of vs as be Perfite c. Hereto S. Hierome answeareth thus Quid ergo sapimus imo quid sapere debemus qui Perfecti non sumus Imperfectos nos esse Confiteri nondum comprehendisse nec dun acccepisse Haec est hominis vera Sapientia imperfectum esse se nosse Atque vt ita loquar Cunctorum in Carne Iustorum Imperfecta Perfectio est VVhat then doo wee thinke or what ought wee to thinke that be not Perfite Wee ought to Confesse that vvee are Vnperfite and that wee haue not yet gotten nor taken that Perfection that is required This is the true wisedome of a Man to knowe him selfe to be Vnperfite And as I might saie the Perfection of al Iuste menne liuinge in the Pleashe is Vnperfite Againe he saithe Iusti appellantur non quòd omni Vitio careant sed quòd Maiori parte Virtutum commendentur They are called Juste menne not for that they be voide of al manner Sinne but for that they are furnisshed with the greatter parte of Vertues So likewise saithe S. Augustine Virtus quae nunc est in homine Iusto hactenus Perfecta nominatur vt ad eius Perfectionem pertineat etiam ipsius Imperfectionis in Veritate agnitio in humilitate Confessio The Vertue that is nowe in a iuste man so farre foorthe is called Perfite that it perteineth to the Perfection thereof bothe in truthe to knovve and in humilitie to Confesse that it is Vnperfite Againe he saithe Omnia mandata facta deputantur quando quicquid non fit ignoscitur Al the Commaundementes of God are accoumpted to be donne when that thinge that is not downe is forgeeuen To conclude he saithe Multùm in hac vita ille profecit qui quà m longè sit à Perfectione Iustitiae proficiendo cognouit He hathe mutche profited in this life that by his profitinge hathe learned howe farre he is from the Perfection of Righteousenesse Yet neuerthelesse wee maie truely vse S. Hieromes woordes vttered in the defence and right of this same cause Haec dicentes non adulamur vitijs sed Authoriratem sequimur Scripturarum quòd nullus homo sit absque Peccato Sed conclusit Deus omnia sub Peccato vt Omnium misereatur Notwithstandinge we saie thus yet wee flatter not Vices but wee folowe the Authoritie of the Scriptures that there is nothinge vvithout Sinne. But God hathe shutte vp al thinges vnder Sinne that he maie haue Mercie of Al. Againe he saithe Perspicuum est omnem hominem quamuis ad Perfectionem venerit tamen indigere Misericordia Dei plenam Perfectionem ex Gratia non ex Merito possidere It is moste certaine that euery man yea although hee be growen to Perfection yet needeth the Mercie of God and that he enioieth ful Perfection not of his ovvne Deseruinge but of Grace Euen so S. Augustine saithe Ipsa Iustitia nostra tanta est in hac vita vt potius peccatorum Remissione constet quà m Perfectione Virtutum Our very Righteousenesse it selfe is so greete in this Life that it standeth rather in Forgeeuenesse of Our Sinnes then in Perfection of Righteousenesse The Apologie Cap. 20. Diuision 1. Bisides though wee saie wee haue no meede at al by our owne woorkes and deedes but appointe al the meanes of Our Saluation to be in Christe alone yet saie we not that for this cause menne ought to liue loosely and dissolutely nor that it is yenough for a Christian to be Baptized onely and to Beleeue as though there were nothinge els required at his hande For True Faithe is liuely and can in no wise be idle Thus therefore teache wee the people that God hathe called vs not to folowe riot and wantonnesse but as S. Paule saithe vnto good vvoorkes to vvalke in them That we are deliuered from the Povver of Darkenesse to the end that vvee shoulde serue the Liuinge God to cutte awaie al the remnauntes of Sinne and to vvoorke Our Saluation in feare and tremblinge that it maie appeare that the Sprite of Sanctification is in Our Bodies and that Christe him selfe dwelleth in Our Hartes M. Hardinge VVith what face can these Defenders affirme that they teache the people to walke in good woorkes whereas beginninge the treatise of woorkes in this presente Apologie they saie that wee haue no helpe or aide in our woorkes and deedes For so their Latine woorde Praesidium doothe signifie whiche in the Englishe is tourned into Meede VVhat Maisters is this the waie to make menne woorke wel to tel them before hande that their woorkes be nothing worth and that they helpe them neuer a whitte VVhy then let the Labourers Prouerbe take place I had rather plaie for nothinge then woorke for nothinge Is there any Labourer so madde as to woorke for nothinge Firste ye tell the Labourers that there is no helpe for them in their woorkes and then ye crie vnto them to laboure yea forsoothe as harde as thei liste Is not this to mocke God and the
worlde VVhereas ye speake to Christian menne to those that be Baptized to suche as haue Faithe Yet ye tel them they maie woorke as mutche as they wil but al in vaine c. Ergo then although a liuely Faithe cannot be idle and somme true Faithe is liuely yet in an other sense there is a true Faithe whiche is not liuely but idle VVhiche true Faithe shal become liuely and haue great aide in woorkes if it wel learne to leaue idlenesse and practise that in will and harte whiche it beleeueth in vnderstandinge But whereas these Defenders woulde no helpe or aide to be in Christian mennes woorkes that Heresie maie not so escape Christe beinge demaunded of one what good he shoulde doo to obteine Euerlastinge life saide If thou wilte enter into Life keepe the Commaundementes To keepe the Commaundementes is a woorke to enter into Life is somme helpe to a man Therefore it is falsely spoken that in our woorkes there is no helpe for vs. Againe Christe saithe VVho so euer forsaketh his house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or landes for my sake be shal receiue an hundred folde and shal inherite Life Euerlastinge S. Paule saithe God wil render to euery man accordinge to his woorke To those that seeke for glorie and honour and incorruption accordinge to the sufferance of good woorkes he wil render Life Euerlastinge The B. of Sarisburie Here ye trifle M. Hardinge although not mutche bisides your common woonte yet sommewhat aboue your ordinarie Our Doctrine herein is grounded vpon these woordes of Christe When ye haue donne al saie that ye be vnprofitable â–ª Seruauntes and therefore haue deserued nothinge In deede of late yeeres this hath ben the General Doctrine of your Scholes Vita Aeterna est Merces debita pro nostris Meritis Vita Aeterna nisi esset Merces debita esset incerta Quia debitum certum est Misericordia incerta Euerlastinge Life is a rewarde dewe for our deseruinges If Euerlastinge Life were not a dewe rewarde it were vncertaine For dewe debte is certaine Mercie or sauoure is Vncertaine Thus haue you vtterly drowned the Grace of God and the Saluation that we haue onely in Iesu Christe and haue turned the most Comfortable Doctrine of the Gospel into a doungeon of Desperation Then saie you Lette the Labourers Prouerbe take place I had rather plate for nothinge then woorke for nothinge Verily M. Hardinge when other reason coulde not serue you it was reason your Labourers idle reason shoulde take place Howe be it if ye wil doo nothinge at Goddes requeste of good wil without rewarde but muste be hyered onely for your Penny then maie your Labourer be he neuer so simple easily tel you ye are not the Childe of God but onely a Hyrelinge and a Labourer For the Natural louinge Childe wil Obey his Father not for rewarde but of loue onely bicause hee is his Father Gregorie Nazianzene saithe Si Seruus es time plagas Si mercenarius tantum specta Mercedem At si supra hos es etiam Filius reuerere tanquam Patrem tuuÌ„ Bene facito quia pulchrum est obsequi Patri Et quamuis nihil aliud futurum sit tamen vel hoc ipsum erit Merces tua fecisse quod gratum esset Patri If thou be a bonde Slaue then feare the whippe If thou be a Hyrelinge then looke onely for thy rewarde But ouer and bisides these If thou be a Natural Childe then reuerence GOD as thy Father Doo vvel bicause it is good to Obey thy Father Yea and although thou shalt haue nothinge els yet euen this shal be thy revvarde that thou haste benne Obediente to thy Father S. Hilarie saithe Nos si semel ieiunamus satisfecisse nos arbitramur Si aliquid ex horreo domesticarum facultatum inopi damus implenisse nos iustitiam credimus c. Sed Propheta totum à Deo sperat totum à Misericordia eius expectat If wee faste once wee thinke wee haue satisfied If out of the barnes of Our housholde stoare wee geeue sommewhat to the Poore wee beleeue wee haue fulfilled the measure of Righteousenesse But the Prophete hopeth al of God and trusteth al of his Mercie Christe saithe to his Disciples Let your Light so shine before menne not that ye maie be rewarded but that they maie see your good woorkes and glorifie yur Father whiche is in Heauen S. Augustine saithe Minùs diligit te qui diligit aliud praeter te O God he the lesse loueth thee that loueth any other thinge bisides thee Likewise S. Basile saithe Qui non fidit suis rectè factis nec expectat ex operibus iustificari SolaÌ„ habet spem salutis Misericordias Dei He that trusteth not to his ovvne good deedes nor hopeth to be iustified by his vvoorkes hathe the Onely hope of his Saluation the Mercies of God Further ye saie A true Faithe maie be idle and vtterly without woorkes therefore ye thinke it not true that wee saie A true Faithe is Liuely and can in no wise be idle Here perhaps ye wil set Faithe vpon the Laste and Racke her to a larger â—ise For so Latomus one of your Felowes saithe that Socrates and Plato and other Heathen Philosophers had as good vnderstandinge and Faithe in Christe as had Abraham And Andradius an other of your Felowes saithe that the Heathen and Infidel Philosophers had the Righteousnesse of Faithe and Euerlasting Life His wordes be these Philosophi qui ab inani Deorum multitudine abhorruerunt c. illos tu illa Fide Deique cognitione destitutos dices per quam scilicet impius iustificatur ex qua iustus viuit The Philosophers that abhorred and shunned the vaine multitude of Goddes c. wilte thou saie they lacked that Faithe and that knovvledge of God whereby the wicked is iustified and whereby the Righteouse liueth An other or your neare Felowes saith Petrus non Fidem Christi sed ChristuÌ„ Salua Fide negauit Peter denied not the Faithe of Christe but he denied Christe his Faithe neuerthelesse beinge safe If ye cal this True Faithe M. Hardinge that maie be founde in Heathens and Infidels and maie wel and safely stande with the abiuringe of Christe then without question your True Faithe maie be without good woorkes But S. Paule whose woordes wee ought rather to credite saithe farre otherwise He that hathe no regarde to his owne specially sutche as bee of his housholde hathe denied the Faithe and is woorse then an Infidel Againe he saithe They saie they knowe God but by theire woorkes they denie God S. Iohn saithe VVho so saithe hee knoweth God and keepeth not his Commaundementes is a lyer and the Truthe is not in him S. Iames saithe Faithe without woorkes is deade And the Diuel beleeueth and tremblethe for feare But a Deade Faithe is nomore a True perfite Faithe then a Deade
man is a True perfite Man As for the Faithe of Diuels in deede and verily it is no Faithe Certainely S. Augustine saithe Qui Fidem habet sine spe dilectione Christum esse credit non in Christum credit He that hathe Faithe without Hope and Charitie Beleueth that there is Christe but hee Beleueth not in Christe Againe he saithe Inseparabilis est Bona uita à Fide quae per Dilectionem operatur imò verò ea ipsa est bona vita Good Life can neuer be diuided from Faithe whiche woorketh by Loue Naie rather that same very Faithe it selfe is good Life S. Ambrose saithe Vbi quis coeperit luxuriari incipit deuiare à vera Fide As soone as a man beginneth to liue wantonly he beginneth to flee from the True Faithe Origen saithe Omnis qui credit in cum non crubescit Erubescit autem Omnis qui peccat Ergo qui adhuc ruborem peccati incurrit credere non videtur VVho so euer Beleeueth in God blussheth not But euery man blussheth that woorketh Sinne Therefore he that yet blussheth for his Sinne seemeth not to Beleeue Againe he saithe Malè credit quicunque peccat VVho so euer sinneth Beleeueth il To be shorte S. Cyprian saithe Quomodo dicit se credere in Christum qui non facit quod Christus facere praecepit Howe doothe hee saie He Beleeueth in Christe that doothe not the thinge that Christe Commaunded Hereby it is plaine that True Faithe is liuely and woorkeful and that an Idle Faithe is in deede no Faithe at al. But you saie Good VVoorkes haue theire rewarde and therefore ye saie This Heresie maie not so escâ—pe Whether Good Woorkes shal be rewarded or no it was no parte of Our question For wee vndoubtedly beleue the wordes that are written by S. Iohn Opera illorum sequuntur illos Theire VVoorkes folowe after them Wee beleeue the woordes that Christe saithe to his Disciples He that geeueth a Cuppe of colde Water to any of these litle Ones for my sake shal not lose his rewarde We beleeue that that S. Paule saithe Your Woorke shal not be in vaine in the Lorde Wee graunte Good Woorkes haue theire Rewarde But the same Rewarde standeth in Mercie and Fauoure and not in Dewtie Thus therefore we saie Consideringe the weakenesse and sinful corruption of Our Nature there can be no Woorkes in vs so pure and perfite that we maie thereby of right and of dewtie deserue Euerlastinge Life And this M. Hardinge is no Heresie but the very plaine Sense and Substance of Goddes Woorde and the vndoubted Doctrine of the Anciente Catholique Fathers of the Churche Iob saithe Si Homo velit contendere cum Deo non poterit ei respondere vnum pro mille If a man wil dispute with God he is not hable to answeare him one for a thousande And therefore he saithe Verebar omnia Opera mea I stoode in doubte and was afraide of al my Woorkes Againe he saithe Although â— were perfite yet my soule shal not know it If I woulde iustifie mee selfe myne owne Mouthe shal condemne me The ProÌ„phete Esai saithe Al our Righteousenesse is like a fowle stained clowte Therefore S. Augustine saithe Non intres in Iudicium cum Seruo tuo Quid est Non intres in iudicium cum Seruo tuo Non stes mecum in iudicio exigendo a me omnia quae praecepisti omnia quae iussisti Nam me inuenies reum â—i in iudicium intraueris mecum Opus ergo est Misericordia tua potiùs quà m liquidissimo iudicio tuo O Lorde enter not into iudgemente with thy Seruaunte What meaneth that Enter not into iudgemente with thy Seruaunte Thus mutche it meaneth Stande not with me in iudgemente requiringe of me al that thou haste commaunded For if thou enter into iudgemente with me thou shalt finde me guilty I haue neede therefore not of thy vpright Iudgemente but of thy Mercie Againe he saithe Merita quorumlibet hominum quae sunt Quandoquidem ille qui non cum Mercede debita sed cum gratuita Gratia venit Omnes peccatores solus à peccato liber liberator inueuit VVhat be the Merites of any menne For Christe that came not vvith his devve revvarde but vvith his Grace that vvas not devve founde al menne sinners being him selfe onely free from sinne and a deliuerer of Sinners Againe hee saithe Coronat te in Misericordia Miserationibus Hoc fiet in iudicio vbi cùm Rex iustus sederit in throâ—o redditurus vnicuique secundum opera eius quis gloriabitur castum se habere Cor Aut quis gloriabitur mundum se esse à peccatis Ideò illie necessarium fuit coÌ„memorare MiserationeÌ„ Misericordiam Domini c. God crowneth with Fauour and Mercie That shal be doune in the laste iudgemente where as when the Juste Kinge shal sit in his Throne to render to euery man accordinge to his woorkes who shal boaste that his harte is chaste Or who shal boaste that be is cleane from Sinne Therefore it was needeful to make mention of the Pitie and Mercie of Our Lorde And againe Opera manuum mearum non Commendo Timeo enim ne cùm inspexeris plura inuenias peccata quà m Merita Lorde I commende not the woorkes of my handes For I am afraide leste when thou shalte beholde them thou shalt finde moe sinnes then good deseruinges So saithe S. Hierome Si consideremus nostra Merita desperandum est If vvee beholde our ovvne Merites vvee muste be driuen to desperation So saithe Origen Ego vix mihi persuadeo vllum opus esse posse quod ex debito remunerationem deposcat I doo scarcely beleue that there can be any woorke that maie of devvtie require revvarde Againe he saithe Dicite vos esse Seruos inutiles Nam etsi Omnia fecerimus quae praecepta sunt non tamen bonum aliquod fecimus Nec enim si verè bona essent essemus inutiles Omne autem bonum nostrum non propriè sed abusiuè bonum dicitur Saie ye saithe Christe that ye be vnprofitable Seruauntes For notwithstandinge wee haue donne al thinges that are commaunded yet haue vve donne no good thinge For if our dooinges were good in deede then were wee not vnprofitable But any good deede of oures is called good not rightly or devvly but by abuse of speache So saith S. Augustine Si Deus vellet pro Meritis agere non inueniret nisi quod damnaret If God would deale with vs according to that we haue deserued be shoulde finde nothinge but that he might condemne Therefore M. Hardinge VValdensis one of your greate Doctours hauinge wel circumspectely weighed the mater of euery side at the laste concludeth thus Quid dignum facimus vt participes Coelestibus fieri inueniamur Apostolo dicente Existimo quòd non suÌ„t condignae passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam quae
stil the Substance of Breade and Nature of VVine The Substance and Nature of Breade are not changed The selfe same Breade as touchinge the Material Substance goeth into the bely and is caste out into the priuie Or that Christe the Apostles Holy Fathers praied not in that tongue whiche the people might vnderstande Or that Christe hath not perfourmed al thinges by that one offeringe whiche he once offered vpon the Crosse Or that the same Sacrifice was Vnperfite so that now we haue neede of an other M. Hardinge VVhat crake ye of a good parte of the VVorlde The greater is the number of those ye haue seduced the more greeuous shal be your iudgement There be not yet many yeeres paste that ye boasted of your poore small flocke alludinge to the fewnesse of the Flocke that liued with Christe in Fleashe and made their fewnesse an argumente of the sincere Truthe But nowe that through your euil teachinge the worlde groweth more to be dissolute and wicked ye boast of your number This is certaine touchinge groundes of truthe the Churche erreth not as that whiche enioyeth Christes promise and your Congregation teachinge the contrary muste therefore be taken for the Children of the Father of Lies Though tenne or twenty Masses were not saide in one daie by Christe the Apostles or Fathers as ye scoffe when the Faithe was firste Preached and fewe beleued no Churches whiche here not without prophane malice ye name Temples yet beinge builie this is no sufficient reason why we maie not nowe where the Faithe is generally receiued haue sundry Masses in one Churche in one daie Ye make muche a doo about bothe Kindes and to aggrauate the matter ye vse the odious terme of bannishinge the people from the Cuppe VVe teache the people for good causes to be contente with one Kinde doinge them to vnderstande they receiue the whole Body of Christe Fleashe and Bloude no lesse then if they receiued Bothe Kindes The Sacriledge whiche Gelasius speaketh of consisteth in diuidinge Christe and the same he imputeth to the Manichees as I haue an other where declared And therefore as that toucheth not vs who doo not diuide Christe but in the Sacramente geue to the people whole Christe so it sheweth you to be either sclaunderous or ignorant As for the tongue of the Churche Seruice how so euer Christe the Apostles and Holy Fathers praied the vse of the Latine tongue vsed in the Seruice of the Latine Churche is not by any reason or Auctoritie ye can bringe yet so farre disproued that the Churche ought to condemne the order from the beginninge receiued and hitherto continewed The B. of Sarisburie Wée make no crakes of our numbers M. Hardinge but humbly géeue God thankes that maugre al your practises and policies hath published and proclaimed the name of his Sonne in euery place through the worlde The foorth and force thereof greeueth you nowe as it did others your Fathers before you that cried out in an agonie What shal wee doo Al the worlde renneth after him Of them S. Cyril saithe Quicquid Christo credentium accesserit sibi detractum putant As many Faitheful Beleeuers as are gotten to Christe so many they thinke are loste from the selues Notwithstandinge the Truthe of God hangeth neither of many nor of fewe Liberius the Bishop of Rome saide sometime to the Arian Emperour Constantius Non si ego solus sum idcircò minor est ratio Fidei Although I be alone yet the accoumpte of Faithe is therefore no white the lesse Christe compareth the Kingedome of God vnto a peece of Leauen whiche beinge litle in quantitie the woman taketh and laiethe in a greate Lumpe of dough vntil the whole be al Leauened Chrysostome saithe Nemo paucitatem vestram deploret Magna enim est virtus Praedicationis Et quod semel fermentatum est rursus fermentum ad coetera efficitur Let noman bewaile the smal number of you For greate is the Vertue of Preachinge And who so is once Leauened is him selfe made Leauen to Leauen others It is noted in the Glose vpon the Clementines Veritas pedetentim cognoscitur Truthe is knowen by Litle and by Litle And S. Ambrose Constat Diluuium eodem numero quo cumulatum est esse diminutum It is knowen that the â—loudde in the time of Noe as it grewe by degrees so by degrees it abated Origen saithe Ego concitabo eos in non Gentem Nos sumus non Gens qui pauci ex ista Ciuitate credimus alij ex alia Et nusquam Gens integra ab initio credulitatis videtur assumpta I shal prouoke them by them that are no people VVee are they that were no people that Beleeue in Christe a fewe in this Cittie and a fewe in an other And neuer was there any Nation that was taken whole at the first beginninge of the Faithe The meaninge hereof is this that God calleth menne not al togeather but nowe a fewe nowe moe as vnto his secrete wisedome séemeth beste So is it writen in the late Councel of Basile Spiritus Sanctus non illuminat omnes eodem tempore Sed vbi vult quando vult spirat The Holy Ghoste doothe not geeue light to al menne at one time but breatheth where it wil and when it wil. This is the Counsel and the hande of God M. Hardinge Wée maie saie vnto you as Tertullian saide sometime vnto the Heathens Exquisitior quaeque crudelitas vestra illecebra est magis Sectae Plures efficimur quoties meâ—imur à vobis Semen est Sanguis Christianorum Your earnest crueltie is an entisemente and a prouocation vnto this Secte As often as ye recken vs ye finde vs moe and moe The Seede hereof is Christian Bloude Arnobius saide sometime vnto the enimies of the Crosse of Christe Nonne haec saltem fidem vobis faciunt argumenta credendi quâ—d iam per omnes terras in tam breui tempore paruo immensa nominis huius SacrameÌ„ta diffusa sunt At the leaste doo not these proufes make you beleeue that ye see the greate Secretes of this Name of Christe are powred abroade in so shorte space through al Countries Fighte not againste God M. Hardinge There is no Wisedome there is no Counsel againste the Lorde This is certaine ye saie touchinge the groundes of Faithe the Churche erreth not Whether your Churche haue erred or no and in what groundes it shal better appeare hereafter Truely S. Bernarde saithe of your Churche euen of your Churche of Rome Intestina insanabilis facta est plaga Ecclesiae The wounde of the Churche is within the bowelles and paste recouerie And againe Haec sunt infoelicissima tempora quae praeuidit Apostolus in quibus homines sanam Doctrinam non sustinent These be the vnhappy daies that the Apostle sawe before when Menne cannot abide sounde Doctrine This was S.
your owne Glose thus expoundethe Vocatur Corpus Christi id est Significat Corpus Christe It is called the â—ody of Christe that is to saie It Signifieth the Body of Christe And as Optatus saith Christes Body and Bloude were laide vpon the Aultare or Communion Table euen to S. Augâ—stine saithe The whole people was in the Communion Cuppe and laide vpon the Holy Table These be his woordes Vos estis in Mensa Vos estis in Calice You are vpon the Table You are in the Cuppe As the people is vpon the Table so is Christes Body vpon the Table The People is not laide there verily and in deede but onely in a Mysterie Euen so the Body of Christe as Opâ—â—us saith is laide there not verily and in déede nor in Real and Fleashly Presence but in a Mysterie The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 1. In deede wee graunte that certaine new and very strange sectes as the Anabaptistes Libertines Menonians and Zvvenckfeldians haue benne stirringe in the World euer sithence the Gospel did firste springe But the Worlde seeth nowe right wel thankes be geeuen to our God that wee haue neither breadde nor taught nor keapte vp these Monsters In good folowship I praie thee who so euer thou be reade our Bookes they are to be solde in euery place What hath there euer benne written by any of our companie that might plainely beare with the madnesse of any of those Heretiques Naie I saie vnto you there is no Countrie this daie so free from theire Pestilent infections as these be wherein the Gospel is freely commonly preached So that if they weigh the very mater with earnest and vpright aduisemente this thinge is a greate Argument that this same Doctrine whiche wee teache is the very Truthe of the Gospel of Christe For lightly neither is cockle woont to growe without the wheate nor yet the chaffe without the Corne. For from the very Apostles times who knoweth not howe many Heresies did rise vp euen togeather so soone as the Gospel was firste spreadde abroade Who euer had hearde tel of Simon Menander Saturninus Basilides Carpocrates Cherinthus Ebion ValeÌ„tinus â–ª Secundus Marcosius Colorbasius Heracleo Lucianus Seuerus and other like before the Apostles were sent abroade But why stande wee reckeninge vp these Epiphanius rehearseth vp foure score sundrie Heresies and Augustine many moe whiche did springe vp euen togeather with the Gospel What then Was the Gospel therefore not the Gospel bicause Heresies sprange vp withal Or was Christe therefore not Christe And yet as wee saide dothe not this greate croppe and heape of Heresies growe vp emongest vs whiche doo openly abroade and frankely teache the Gospel These poisonnes take theire beginninges theire encreasinges and strength emongest Our Adnersaries in blindenesse and in darkenesse emongest whom Truthe is with tyrannie and cruelty keapte vnder and cannot be hearde but in Corners and secrete meetinges But let them make a proufe Let them geeue the Gospel free passage Let the Truthe of Iesus Christe geue his cleare light and stretche foorthe his bright beames into al partes and then shal they foorthwith see howe al these shadowes streight wil vanishe and passe awaie at the light of the Gospel euen as the thicke Miste of the night consumeth at the sight of the Sonne For whilest these menne sitte stil and make mery and doo nothinge wee continually represse and put backe al those Heresies whiche they falsely charge vs to nurrishe and mainteine M. Hardinge As for Libertines what other Substance hath your Gospel bisides carnal libertie and licentious liuinge To breake the vowe of chastitie solemly made to God by whose grace and your endeuoure it might wel haue benne kepte and to breake it for wantonnesse and to satisfie luste is not that proper to Libertines To geue ouer fastinge watchinge in prayer and ConfesSion of Sinnes whiche shoulde be made to a Prieste by whom onely excepte in case of necessitie God promiseth forgeuenes To regarde no Tradition though it came from the Apostles briefly to teache that al kinde of outwarde Godlines is superstitious and Pharisaical and that euery maÌ„ must without staggaring or doubting beleue that him selfe shal be saued if he haue Faith doo he what him liste is this no pointe of libertie VVhat made so many malepert Prentises pleasante Courtiers discoursinge Parlamente Machiauellistes and al other what so euer fleash wormes MerchaÌ„tes idle artificers to embrace your Gospel rather then the grauer and deuouter sorte of men whiche be weaned from the pleasure of this life but that it was plausible to the VVorlde and pleasant to the Fleashe from whiche that kinde of men are moste hardly drawen And yet foresoothe doo not ye foster vp Libertines VVho can recken the sectes that be in Germany being sixteene or moe professed in some one towne Bemelande is almoste as ful of Heresies as of Houses Silesia is as bad and Morauia a Countrie there adIoininge is neuer a whit better And yet do not these Sectes bud where your Gospel is freely and openly preached The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Harding I haue purposely leafte out a greate heape of your talke not thinkinge it needeful to answeare al your voide woordes Hauing nomore regarde what ye saie it was no harde mater for you to cal vs Libertines and to saie The Gospel that wee Preache hathe none other Substance but Carnal Libertie and Licenceous Liuinge If ye had remembred either yâ— Cittie of Rome where ye haue benne or the Towne of Anwarpe or Louaine where ye nowe dwelle ye coulde not wel without blusshinge haue charged vs with Carnal Libertie Our VVantons and Fleashevvoormes for so it liketh you to cal them haue benne contented to forsake Fathers Mothers Wiues Children goodes and Liuinges méekely to submit them selues to the extreme terroure of al your Cruelties and to yelde theire bodies vnto the Deathe to be sterued for hunger and to be burnte in Fiere Onely for the name and Gospel of Iesus Christe Ye wil saie as your woonte is when ye haue nothinge els to saie They died stubbernly in wilful erroure Yet I recken yée wil not saie They died in greate pleasance or Carnal Libertie It is a straÌ„ge kinde of Fleashely VVantonnesse for a man to denie him selfe and to take vp his Crosse and to folowe Christe And yet is this the vvhole Substance of our Gospel Iustinus the Martyr notwithstandinge he was an Heathen and thought then euen as you doo nowe that the Professours of the Name of Christe were nothinge els but a sorte of VVanton and vvilful people yet when he sawe howe Constantely they died and howe patiently they suffred what so euer was laied vpon them he was at length conuerted him selfe and by theire example became a Christian Thus Eusebius reporteth his woordes Ego ipse Platonis Disciplinis delectatus c. â— mee selfe takinge pleasure in Platoes Doctrine and hearinge the Christians is spoken of and seeinge
Papias Apollinarius Victorinus Tertullianus Irenaeus Lactantius others desended the Heresie of the Chiliastae that saide Christe after the General Iudgemente shoulde dwel here a thousande yeeres togeather vpon the Earthe Irenae us helde that Man at the beginninge when he was firste created was vnperfite Clemens Alexandrinus and Iustinus helde That the Angels fel and effended God in that they desired the companie of Woemen But it shal be in vaine to stande longe herein For of sutche examples there is greate stoare To comme neare the purpose Theophilus calleth Epiphanius Haeresiarcham that is The Grande Captaine and Father of Heretiques Gennadius saith S. Augustine was not far of from being an Heretique S. Hierome writinge vnto S. Augustine saith thus In Epistola tua quaedam Haeretica esse iudicaui I iudged that there were certaine Heretical errours in your Epistle Pope Bonifacius 2. saide that Aurelius the Bishop of Carthage and S. Augustine and other Godly and Learned Fathers in the Councel of Aphrica were prickte on and inspired by the Diuel S. Augustine willeth S. Hierome to acknowledge his erroure and to recante Thus be saithe Accipe Seueritatem Christianam ad illud opus corrigendum atque emendandum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vt dicitur Cane Take vnto you Christian Seueritie to correcte and amende that Booke of yours and recante your Erroure Thus mutche I thought good briefely to touche not meaninge thereby to deface the Authoritie of the Aunciente Fathers but sommewhat to open the truthe of M. Hardinges tale and to shewe that these and other like Bishoppes and Fathers notwithstandinge they were Learned and Godly and woorthy Members of the Churche of God yet were they not voide of theire infirmities Erasmus a man of greate Iudgemente saith thus Illis temporibus ingeniosa res fuit esse Christianum In those daies it was a greate pointe of Wisedome to knowe how to be a Christian Man And againe Illa aetate in Chartis erat Fides potiùs quà m in animo ac penè tot erant Symbola quot Professores At that time of the Auncient Fathers the Faith was in Bookes rather then in the Harte And in a manner there were as many sundrie Creedes as there vvere Professours of the Faith Therefore Clemens Alexandrinus saithe the Heathens thus vpbraided the Christians for the striues and dissensions that were emong them Vos Christiani dissidetis inter vos tot Sectas habetis quae licet omnes Christianismi titulum sibi vendicent tamen alia aliam execratur condemnat Quare vestra Religio vera non est nec à Deo originem ducit Yee Christians dissente emonge your selues and mainteine so many Sectes Whiche Sectes notwithstandinge they al Claime the title of Christian Religion Yet one of them curseth and condemneth an other Therefore your Religion is not true nor hath her beginninge or grounde from God The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 1. What woulde these menne trowe ye haue saide in those daies Whiche side would they specially then haue takeÌ„ And whiche would they then haue foresaken Whiche Gospel would they haue beleeued Whom would they haue accoumpted for Heretiques and whom for Catholiques And yet what a stirre and reuel keepe they this daie onely vpon the twoo poore Names of Luther and Zvvinglius Bicause these twoo menne are not yet fully resolued vpon somme one certaine pointe of Doctrine therefore would they needes haue vs thinke that bothe of theÌ„ were deceiued that neither of them had the Gospel and that neither of them taught the truthe aright M. Hardinge After many thinges by these Defenders alleaged for proufe of Dissension to haue ben amonge the Apostles the faithful people in S. Paules time the Bishops and Holy Fathers of the primitiue Church whereby they woulde perswade if they coulde that theire owne diuision into sectes and dissensions is not a marke of false Doctrine at length as though they had wonne the filde and tried them selues proper men triuÌ„phing ouer vs as though we had nothing to saie with a great courage thei demauÌ„de this question of vs whiche though it be but one in effecte yet with a kinde of brauerie they seme to diuide into sundry braÌ„ches and thus they saie VVhat would these men they meane the Papistes then trowe ye haue saide in those daies VVhiche side woulde they then haue taken and whiche woulde they haue foresaken VVhiche Gospel woulde they haue beleeued VVhom woulde they haue accoumpted for Heretikes and whom for Catholikes Touchinge these foure interrogatories if we had then ben aliue beinge of the minde we be nowe of we would haue requirred you with foure answeares of the Holy and moste Learned Father S. Hierome and woulde haue saide as in the like state of times in a Learned Epistle he saide to the Learned Pope Damasus touchinge the Heresies whiche he founde in Syria at his firste cominge thither from Rome Firste Mihi Cathedram Petri fidem Apostolico ore laudatam censui consulendam inde nunc meae animae postulans cibum vnde olim Christi Vestimenta suscepi VVhiche woordes taking vpon me the Person of al Faithful and Catholike folkes thus I Englishe In these controuersies I haue thought good for counsel what I ought to beleeue to repaire to the Chaire of Peter and to the faithe of the Romaine Churche praised by Paule the Apostle owne Mouthe And from thence now require I the foode of my soule from whence I receiued the garmentes of Christe To speake the same more shortely and more plainely In the Catholike Churche I looke to haue the foode of my soule to euerlastinge Life in whiche I was firste Christened Secondely we woulde with him haue saide one speakinge for al directinge our woordes as he did to those that be of the Catholike faithe whom ye cal Papistes Vos estis lux mundi vos sal terrae vos aurea vasa Argentea hâ—c testacea vasa vel lignea Virgam ferream Aeternum operiuntur incendium Ye are the Light of the VVorlde ye are the Salte of the Earth ye are Golden and Siluerne Vessels here emonge the Gospellers are the Earthen and VVoodden Vessels which must abide the yron Rodde and flame Euerlastinge Thirdly with him one likewise bearing the person of al we would haue saide to Pius the fourth that nowe sitteth in the Peters Chaire as he then saide to Damasus Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudini tuae id est Cathedrae Petri Communione consocior Super illam Petram aedificatam Ecclesiam scio Quicunque extra hanc Domum agnum comederit Prophanus est Si quis in Arca Noë non fuerit peribit regnante Diluuio Makinge none but Christe firste of al whom to folowe I ioine in felowship of Communion with thy holines that is to saie with the see of Peter Vpon that Rocke I knowe the Churche is builded VVho so euer eateth the Lambe without the compasse of this
it appeareth by youre reckening ye make no greate accoumpte of it Christe saie you praied for Peter Ergo the Romaine Faithe can neuer faile Fewe children woulde willingly make sutche Argumentes Ye presume very mutche of the Simplicitie and Ignoraunce of youre Reader For thinke you that Christe praied onely for Peter and for no body els Or thinke you that Christes praiers tooke place in none other of al the Apostles but onely in Peter Awake for shame and shake of these dreames Christe him selfe saithe O Father I praie nor onely for these but also for them that by their woorde shal beleue in me And S. Augustine thus reporteth the same praier as it is alleaged before Ego rogaui Paitem pro vobis ne deficiat Fides vestra I haue praied vnto my Father not for Peter onely but for you that youre Faithe maie not faile Againe he saithe Nunquid pro Petro rogabat Pro Iohanne Iacobo non rogabat Did Christe praie for Peter And did he not praie for Iohn and Iames Certainely Origen saithe as likewise I haue before alleged Omnia quaeque priùs dicta sunt quaeque sequuntur velut ad Petrum dicta sunt omnium Communia Al the thinges that either paste before or folowe after as spoken vnto Peter are common vnto al the Apostles But S. Paule saithe vnto the Romaines Youre Faithe is spoken of throughout the worlde And S. Cyprian saithe The agreeing with the Bishop of Rome was the Vnitie of the Catholique Churche And yet it maie please you to be remembred by the waie that the same S. Cyprian reproued Cornelius and Stephanus bothe Bishoppes of Rome and tolde them they were bothe deceiued and therefore woulde not agree vnto them Neuerthelesse hereof ye conclude thus Ergo the Holy Ghoste hath signified that the Churche of Rome cannot erre It pitieth me M. Harding in youre behalfe to see into howe streite and miserable holes ye are faine to creepe For what if the Faithe and the Constancie of the Romaines in olde times for the Nobilitie of that Empiere and Cittie were then published throughout the whole worlde Yet where did the Holy Ghoste euer tel you that therefore the Churche of Rome shoulde neuer erre By what Woorde By what Promisse By what Reuelation Yee saie The Faithe of the Romaines was heard of throughoute the whole Worlde So was the Greate capitol there So was the bewtie of their Princely buildinges Whiche notwithstanding are nowe made smoothe and euen with the grounde So likewise is it written of Hierusalem De Sion exibit Lex Verbum Domini de Hierusalem The Lawe shal comme foorth from Sion and the Woorde of God from Hierusalem So in the Cittie of Antioche the Faithful were firste called Christians And therefore Chrysostome calleth the same Cittie Caput totius orbis The Head of the whole worlde Thus was Eusebius Samosatensis called Regula Fidei The Rule and Standerde of the Faithe Thus was Athanasius called Orbis oculus Fundamentū Fidei The Eie of the world and the Fundation of the Faithe Would ye hereof conclude M. Harding that therfore the Faithe of these Churches can neuer faile Ye knowe that al this notwithstandinge the Churches as wel of Hierusalem and Antioche as also of Asia Syria Graecia and of al the Easte are nowe subiecte to the Turke and scarcely a fewe leafte there that dare to professe the name of Christe What a fonde Paradise is this to saie bicause ye had once the Faith of Christe therefore nowe ye can neuer erre Sutche a fantastical Paradise had they built vnto them selues that cried out in olde times euen as you do now The Temple of God The Temple of God VVee are the Children of Abraham But who so euer wel cōsidereth the storie of the time shal soone finde y◠then they cried moste The Temple of God when they had moste shamefully abused and defaced the Temple of God and that then they claimed moste to be called the Children of Abraham when they had forsaken bothe the Faithe and life of Abraham and as Christe saithe vnto them were becomme the Children of the Diuel Sutche a fantasie had they that saide Non peribit Lex à Sacerdote Nec consilium à Sapiente Nec Verbum à Propheta The Lawe shal not departe from the Prieste Nor Counsel from the Wise Nor the VVoorde from the Prophete But God saith vnto them Obstupescent Sacerdotes Prophetae terrebuntur Lex peribit à Sacerdote Consilium à Senioribus Nox vobis erit pro Visione tenebrae pro Diuinatione Youre Priestes shal be amased and youre Prophetes shal be at their wittes ende The Lawe shal perishe from the Prieste and Counsel shal wante in the Elders Ye shal haue Nighte in steede of a Vision and Darkenesse in steede of Prophesie S. Paule saithe vnto the Galathians Ye beganne wel who hathe thus bewitched you that yee shoulde not obeie the Truthe S. Peter saithe As there were False Prophetes emongest the people in olde time euen so emong you there shal be False Prophetes bringing in Sectes of Perdition Of sutche a chaunge the Prophete Esaie cōplaineth Quomodò facta est Meretrix Ciuitas Fidelis Howe is this Faithful Cittie now become an Harlot Deceiue not thus youre selfe M. Harding with vaine hope Harken rather to the voice of our Lorde Put nothing to his Worde take nothing from the same turne neither to the Right hande nor to the Leafte So shal ye be sure ye shal not erre The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 2. For our partes if wee could haue iudged Ignoraunce Error Superstition Idolatrie mennes Inuentions and the same commonly disagreeing with the Holy Scriptures either to please God or to be sufficient for thobteining of Euerlasting Saluation or if we could ascertaine our selues that the Woorde of God was written but for a time onely and afterwarde againe ought to be abrogated and put away or els that the Saienges Cōmaundementes of God ought to be subiecte to mans wil that whatsoeuer God saithe and commaundethe excepte the Bishop of Rome wil and Commaunde the same it must be taken as voide and vnspoken If we coulde haue brought our selues to beleue these thinges we graūt there had benne no cause at al why we shoulde haue leafte these mennes Companie M. Hardinge God forbid that either ye or any Christen man shoulde iudge that ignorance errour superstition idolatrie mennes inuentions contrarie to the Scriptures either pleased God or to be sufficient to saluation Bicause ye laie this to the catholique Churche we can saie no lesse of you but that ye be false liers and diuelishe slaunderers And who teacheth that Gods worde was written but for a time onely ‡ That his commaundementes be subiecte to mans wil ‡ That Gods saienges and preceptes be voide except the Bishop of Rome ratifie them Here would I saie vnto you at least fie for shame but that I thinke I should preuaile
of Heauen Eusebius saith Hoc est Argumentum eos odisse Deum quo'd velint seipsos appellari Deos This is a token that they hate God for that they wil haue them selues called by the name of God Likewise saith the Ancient Father Irenaeus Antichristus existens Apostata Latro quasi Deus vult Adorari cùm sit Seruus Regem se vult praeconiari Antichriste beinge a Renegate and a Theefe yet wil be woorshipped as a God and beinge but a slaue yet he wil be Proclaimed and published as a Kinge Therefore although yâ— Pope be not as you saie an Absolute God or an Absolute Christe yet without any great inconuenieÌ„ce I trowe he maie wel be an Absolute Antichriste The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 12. Whiche of the Anciente Holy Fathers euer saide that you are not a mere Natural man but a certaine Substance made growen togeather of God and Man M. Hardinge Can you bring him before his face that shall saie so vnto him I warrant you maâ—ster Defender he shal either be reproued for his flattering or proued to vnderstaÌ„de no more by it then a certaine diuine power aboue the Naturall state of men or warned that he be more circuÌ„specte in his glosinge when Heretikes are ready to slaunder the whole Churche because of one Priuate mans affection The B. of Sacrisburie He that maie cal him selfe Lorde and God maie easily Claime him selfe to be more then a man In the Popes owne Decretalles it is noted thus in the Margine Papa noÌ„ est Homo The Pope is not a Man Your Glose vpon the Popes owne clementines allegeth these woordes out of one of your allowed Poëtes Papa stupor Mundi The Pope is the Woonder of the Worlde And againe Nec Deus es nec Homo quasi neuter es inter Vtrunque â—hou arte neither God nor Man In a manner Thou arte neither of bothe but rather a meane bitweene bothe By the Authoritie of this Doctoure it appeareth that the Pope is neither God nor Man Angel I trowe he is not What other Creature ye maie make of him I leaue to you further to consider The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 13. Whiche of the Anciente Fathers euer saide that you are the onely Headspringe of al Lavves M. Hardinge VVhsoeuer saithe it speaketh not without euident reason consideringe that of the Principall of euery gouernement all lawes belonginge to the same be deducted and deriued The B. of Sarisburie Here haue ye brought vs a ful simple reason as God knoweth But to haue brought vs somme Authoritie of Doctoure or Councel it had benne better The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 14. Whiche of the Anciente Fathers euer saide that you haue Povver ouer Purgatorie M. Hardinge O that ye would firste beleue a Purgatorie and then shoulde ye vnderstande what dispensation of loosing and bindinge is committed to the Vicare of Christe For as Esaie saithe Excepte ye beleue ye shal not vnderstande and the consequent doctrine must needes be obscure as longe as the principall grounde thereof is wickedly denied The B. of Sarisburie Of your Purgatorie fantasies wee haue sufficiently saide before Where ye wishe wee woulde beleue there is a Purgatorie Verily wee beleue constantly what so euer God hath willed vs to beleue S. Paule saithe Faithe commeth by hearinge Hearinge commeth by the VVoorde of God and thereby onely is Faithe directed As for your Folies Mockeries thei are subiecte to Fansie and not to Faithe S. Augustine saith Nemo de Christo credat nisi quod de se credi voluit Christus Let no man beleue of Christe but that that Christe hath commaunded him to beleeue of Christe Againe he saith Constat Fidem stultam non prodesse sed potiùs obesse It is certaine that Foolishe Faithe doothe no good but rather burteth Notwithstanding though al your Listes gaineful Territories of Purgatorie were fully graunted yet should it be very harde for you to proue either by Scripture or by Doctoure that the Pope beareth any greater Authoritie or swea there to commaunde in or out at his pleasure then any other simple Priste Al be it one of your allowed Doctours saithe Purgatorium est peculium Papae Purgatorie is the peculiare possession of the Pope The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 15. Whiche of the Anciente Fathers euer saide that you are hable to Commaunde the Angels of God as ye liste your selfe M. Hardinge Nor olde Father nor newe Doctour And what so euer he be that shal so tell you beleue him not He speaketh not Catholikely and you must make no scruple in suche matters The B. of Sarisburie Here at laste M. Hardinge for shame yée are faine to yeelde No Doctoure ye saie euer thus saide neither Olde nor Nevve How be it hereto ye haue laide a very special exception If any man haue so saide saie ye what so euer he were he spake not Catholikely And yet againe ye tel vs further How so euer it be we should neuer be scrupulous in suche matters But what if the Pope him selfe the Father of al Fathers and Doctoure of al Doctours bothe Newe and Olde haue not blusshed to saie the same Maie wee saie as you saie The Pope him selfe vvas not Catholique Or if wée so saie wil you beleeue it In déede Kinge Xerxes the greate Kinge of Persia when he had brought ouer his huge Armie into Graecia sente out his letters of defiance vnto the greate Mounte Athos that is in Macedonia commaunded him to stande stil and not to stâ—rre a foote nor to woorke any pispleasure either to him selfe or to his Armie Euen by like Authoritie and with as good discretion the Pope hath vsed to sende out his Preceptes Princely Letters and to commaunde Angels Archangels al the Povvers of Heauen to comme to goe to fetche to carrie to be ready to doo his wil. Therefore is he the better contente to heare his frendes tel him thus Tibi data est omnis potestas supra omues potestates tam Coeli quà m terrae Qui totum dicit nihil excludit To thee is geeuen al maÌ„ner of Power aboue al Powers as wel of Heauen as of Earthe He that saithe Al excepteth nothinge Felinus your Doctoure saith thus Nedum Circa Coelestia Terrestria Infernalia papa gerit Vicariatum Christi sed etiam super Angelos Bonos Malos The Pope hath Christes Lieutenantship not onely ouer thinges in Heauen ouer thinges in Earthe and ouer thinges in Hel but also ouer the Angels bothe Good and Badde Innocentius the Pope him selfe saithe Vicario Creatoris omnis creatura Subiecta est Vnto the Creatours Lieutenante euery Creature is subiecte Your owne Doctoure Antoninus the Archebishop of Florence saith Potestas Papae maior est omni alia potestate creata aliquo modo exteÌ„dens se ad Coelestia Terrestria Infernalia vt de ea verificari possit quod
receiued of the Apostles And wilt thou knowe Reader what they be Forsoothe they haue neither Priuate Masses nor mangled Sacramentes nor Purgatories nor Pardons Is not the witte of this Defender to bee commended that maketh a man to holde that whiche he hath not Those Greekes holde stil saithe he VVhat holde they Mary they haue not this and that This is a newe kinde of holdinge for a man to holde that he hath not If they holde stil then haue they stil But they haue not saieth he then howe holde they A man maie by the rules of this newe Logique thus reason The Turkes Saracenes Iewes Infidels Idolaters yea the shepe of Cottesholde also if ye wil haue neither priuate Masses nor Communion vnder one kinde nor Purgatories nor Pardons Ergo they holde a number of thinges whiche they receiued from the Apostles The antecedent is true VVho so euer denieth the consequente must compte this Defenders Logique very simple VVhat if one shoulde make this argumente This Defender hath neither good Logique nor very fine Rhetorike nor profounde Philosophie nor the right knowledge of Diuinitie Ergo he holdeth many Heresies Though bothe the Antecedent and Consequent be true yet is the argument naught For by like reason one might conclude an honest vnlearned catholique man to be an Heretique whiche were false and iniurious Sutche is the Logique sutche are the topikes of this newe negatiue and ablatiue diuinitie for so maie we worthely cal it Negatiue in respect of their blasphemous tongues denieing sundrie weightie pointes of our Faithe Ablatiue in respecte of their wicked handes casting away throwinge downe and taking away manie good thinges perteining to the maintenance of Christen Religion and Goddes honour Put them from their negatiues and from their ablatiues then in what case shal they stande The B. of Sarisburie I am ashamed the worlde should be combred with so childishe folies This Defenders witte ye saie is to bee commended He maketh a man to holde that be neuer hadde And what holde they saie you Mary they haue not this and that This is a newe kinde of holdinge for a man to holde that he hath not If they holde stil then haue they stil But they haue not then howe holde they Nowe surely M. Hardinge I trowe wee shal Haue and Holde a mery man So prety sporte yee canne make youre selfe with Hauinge and Holdinge It were great pitie yee shoulde euer be otherwise occupied Annibal of Carthage when he hadde hearde Phormio the Oratoure talke pleasantly a longe whyle togeather beinge afterwarde demaunded what he thought of his Eloquence made aunsweare in his homely sorte Multos se vidisse delitos senes sed qui magis quà m Phormio deliraret vidisse neminem But somme what to yelde vnto your pleasance why maie not a man Holde that be neuer Hadde as wel as Lose that he neuer Hadde In the Learned Gloses vpon youre Decrees yee maie finde this note emongest others Nota quòd aliquis dicitur perdere quod nunquā habuit Marke wel this A man maie be said to Lose that he neuer Hadde And yet ye saie cōmonly in the Schooles Priuatio semper praesupponit habitum The Losing of a thing alwaies pre supposeth the Hauing of the same Or to answeare you in plainer wyse why maie not a man as wel Holde nothinge as you maie talke so mutche and yet saie nothing Galene saide sommetime to one that spake then in sutche substantial manner as you speake nowe Accipe nihil tene fideliter Take nothinge and holde it faste But to leaue youre folies and seely toies M. Hardinge with youre Turkes and Saracenes and Sheepe of Cotesholde wee saie not The Greekes Holde stil that they neuer Hadde But wee saie They Holde stil that they euer Hadde You re Priuate Masses and youre Dimi Communions they Holde not for they Hadde them neuer The Holy and VVhole Communion in Bothe kindes they Holde stil and sithence the Apostles time they haue hadde them euer They praie also for the Dead And therein yee saie is implied youre Faithe of Purgatorie I wil not here touche the simplicitie of youre Rhetorique or Logique M. Hardinge But onely wishe you to haue better regarde to youre Diuinitie For ought that I can see Praier for the Deade and youre Fantasie of Purgatorie were neuer so straitely coupled togeather but that they might wel and easily goe a sunder The Grecians as they Praie for the Deade so doo they Praie for the Apostles for the Patriarkes for the Prophetes and for the Blessed Virgine oure Ladie as you maie soone perceiue by S. Basiles and by S. Chrysostomes Liturgie Yet I thinke yee woulde not haue youre Reader beleue as an Article of youre Faithe that the Apostles of Christe the Patriarkes the Prophetes and the Blessed Virgin Christes Mother are stil in Purgatorie What so euer other opinion the Grecians haue of the Deade certaine it is they coulde neuer yet be brought to beleue youre Purgatorie Roffensis one of your greatest Doctoures as I haue saide before saith thus Purgatorium Graecis vsque ad hunc diem non est creditum The Grecians vntil this daie beleue not Purgatorie Thus M. Hardinge I knowe not whether by youre Logique or by youre Diuinitie for bothe are marueilous yee woulde faine force youre poore Greekes to Holde that thinge that they neuer Hadde An other proper pastime yee make youre selfe with youre Negatiues and Ablatiues And wherefore it were harde to telle sauinge that I see ye were wel disposed and wel it became you to be mery The Ancient Learned Fathers hauinge to deale with impudent Heretiques that in defence of their Erroures auouched the Iudgemente of al the Olde Bishoppes and Doctoures that hadde benne before them and the general consente of the Primitiue and whole Vniuersal Churche and that with as good regarde of Truthe and as Faithefully as you doo nowe the better to discouer the shamelesse boldenesse and nakednesse of theire Doctrine were oftentimes likewise forced to vse the Negatiue and so to driue the same Heretiques as wee doo you to proue theire Affirmatiues whiche thinge to doe it was neuer possible The Anciente Father Irenaeus thus staied him selfe as wee doo by the Negatiue Hoc neque Prophetae Praedicauerunt neque Dominus docuit neque Apostoli tradiderunt This thinge neither did the Prophetes publishe nor oure Lorde teache nor the Apostles deliuer By a like Negatiue Chrysostome saithe Hanc Arborem non Paulus plantauit non Apollo rigauit non Deus auxit This Tree of Erroure neither Paule planted nor Apollo watered nor God encreased In like sorte Leo saithe Quid opus est in cor admittere quod Lex non docuit quod Prophetia non cecinit quod Euangelij Veritas non praedicauit quod Apostolica Doctrina non tradidit What needeth it to beleue that thing that neither the Lawe hathe taught nor the Prophetes haue spoken nor the Gospel hathe preached nor
swaie of Authoritie doo wreaste the Scriptures which thing as camotensis saith is an vsual custome with the Popes Howe if he haue renounced the Faithe of christe becoÌ„me an Apostata as Lyranus saithe many Popes haue benne And yet for al this shal the Holy Ghoste with turninge of a hande knocke at his breaste and euen whether he wil or no yea and wholy againste his wil kindle him a light so as he maie not erre Shal he streight waie be the Headespring of al Right and shal al the treasures of Wisdome Vnderstanding be found in him as it were laide vp in stoare Or if these thinges be not in him can he geeue a right and apte iudgemente of so weighty maters Or if he be not hable to iudge woulde he haue that those maters shoulde be brought before him alone M. Hardinge To your howe ifs and what ifs I coulde sone make an answeare by the contrary And Sir how if the Pope haue sene al these thinges the Scriptures Fathers and Councels VVhat haue you then to saie Is not your tale then at an ende VVere your matter good and your selfe wise you woulde nor so commonly vse that weake kirde of reasoning But to a number of your how ifs and what ifs for the readers sake to put awaie al seruple I geue you this answeare Gods wisedome as the Scripture saithe disposeth al thinges sweetly and in one instant forseeth the ende and meanes that be necessary to the end If he promise any man life euerlasting withal he geueth him grace also to do good dedes whereby to obteine the same VVhom he hath glorified saith S. Paule theÌ„ he hath iustified and called So whereas he hath by force of his praier made to the Father promised to Peter and for the safetie of the Churche to euery Peters Successour that his faithe shal not faile and therfore hath willed him to confirme his brethren that is to remoue al doubtes and errours from them we are assured he wil geue him sutche witte diligence learninge and vnderstandinge as this firmnes and infallibilitie of faithe and confirminge of brethren requireth Shal we stande in doubte whether that happeneth in thinges supernatural whiche we see to be in thinges natural that who geueth the ende he geueth also thinges that perteine to the atteininge of the ende If God woulde promise vs abundance of corne for the nexte yeere to come what were more folish then to doubte and saie like to this Defender howe if and what if men wil not til the grounde nor so we any seede Doubtles if they so we they shal reepe if they sowe not neither shal they reepe But what VVe maie gather of the promise of God that we shal haue not onely faier and ceasonable wether wherby the fruites of the earth maie proue plentiful but also that the husbandmen shal emploie theire endeuour paines and labour For the abundance of corne so promised shal not be geuen but to sutch as til so we and truail Euen so wheras Christe hath promised to the Successours of Peter firmnes of Faithe to the Apostles and theire Successours the spirite of Truthe and likewise to Councels gathered in his name we muste perswade our selues that nothinge shal wante necessary for the controuersies touchinge faithe to be decided That you saie of Liberius the Pope is starke fâ—lse He neuer fauoured the Arians The moste ye can finde againste him is that he was compelled by the greate persecution of Constantius the Emperoure to subscribe to the Arians Neither is that by the Aunciente writers of the Ecclesiastical stories constantly affirmed but of the chiefe of them not spoken of where moste occasion was to signifie it if it had so ben of some denied of some mentioned not as true but as a false rumoure bruted abroade of him By whiche rumour it semeth S. Hierome was deceiued remaininge in the Easte farre from the places where the Truth might more certainely be knowen But were it true that he subscribed as Peter denied Christ yet beinge done for lacke of Charitie and not by erroure in faith wel might that facte be slaunderous to the Churche but it was not a decre made in fauour of the Arians neither to confirme that heresie That you reporte of Pope Iohn the 22. is likewise moste false The worste that Marsilius of Padua and VVilliam Ockam Heretikes wrote of him to flatter the Emperour Lidouicus of Bauaria is that he had taught openly whiche also is referred to the time before he was Pope that the soules of the iuste see not God vntil the daie of iudgemente That he had a wicked and a detestable opinion of the immortalitie of the soule there was no sutche his opinion but it is your false slaunder by whiche your wicked and detestable malice imagined to deface the Churche and specially the Auctoritie of the holy See Apostolike No storie of any estimation mentioneth that he was of that firste opinion after he came to be Pope much lesse that he gaue any definitiue sentence of such matter But contrariwise when as he prepared him selfe to goe to the definition of that question concerninge the seeinge of God whiche iuste soules haue before the daie of iudgement as Benedictus theleuenth in sua extrauagante saieth he was preuented by death so as he might not do it You belte Zosimus be corrupted not the Councel of Nice But signified to the Bishops of Aphrike assembled in Councel at Carthage the Truthe concerninge the Canons of the Nicene Councel The same maie be proued by Iulius the first by the Epistle of Athinasius and other Bishops of Egypt Thebats and Libya written to Marcus the Pope of the Original of the 72. Canons of the Nicene Councel that remained in safe custodie in the Churche of Rome subscribed with the handes of the Fathers that at the same Councel were present And what credite was to be geuen to the contrary informatioÌ„ of only twenty Canons that was retourned from the Bishops of Constantinople and Alexandria when Hereikes before had burned the Bookes where the whole number was conteined and lefte but those twenty that al Bookes nowe commonly haue If we shoulde alleage Camotensis and Lyre you woulde cal them the blacke garde and set litle by them First she we vs where they haue that you alleage out of them M Iuel alleageth that of Canotensis in an other place But where it is he kepeth it to him selfe and of him selfe it is likely it proceded For his dealinge is sutche as any false practise in respecte of him maie seme credible Albeit what worshipful Doctour ye meane by Camotensis I knowe not Peraduenture ye meane Carnotensis otherwise called Iuo I haue cause to gesse that so it should be And yet foure Bookes of sundry Printes bothe Englishe and Latine so haue If there be any sutche as I suppose there is not he is
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
to see maie easily finde that this is youre owne onely sense M. Hardinge and not S. Hieromes For I beseeche you howe was Niniue fully destroied or what Gospelles were there written at the Firste Comming of Christe into the vvorlde S. Hieromes meaninge and speache is plaine The people before the seconde Comminge of Christe vvhiche shal be in Glorie shal leaue theire negligente and idle Scholemaisters vvhiche haue of longe time deceiued them and shal flee to the Mountaines of the Scriptures And al be it they finde not one to teache them yet shal theire desire and endeuoure be accepted before God for that thei haue sought vnto these Mountaines and the negligence and slouthefulnesse of theire Maisters shal be reproued To like pourpose S. Chrysostome saithe Fieri non potest vt is qui Diuinis Scripturis magno studio feruentique desiderio vacat semper negligatur Licet enim desit nobis hominis Magisterium tamen ipse Dominus supernè intrans in corda nostra illustrat mentem rationi iubar suum infundit detegit occulta doctorque fit eorum quae ignoramus tantùm si nos ea quae à nobis sunt afferre velimus It cannot possibly be that he that with earneste studie and feruente desire readeth the Scriptures shoulde euermore be foresaken For although wee wante the instruction of man yet God him selfe from aboue entringe into our hartes lighteneth our minde poureth his beames into our wittes openeth thinges that were hidden and becommeth vnto vs a Scholemaister of that wee knowe not onely if wee wil doo so mutche as in vs lieth So saithe S. Hierome Postquà m conuersi fuerint Clarum Christi Lumen aspexerint pascent in vijs in semitis sanctarum Scripturarum dicent Dominus pascit me nihil mihi deerit When they shal be turned and shal beholde the cleare light of Christe they shal feede in the pathes and waies of the Holy Scriptures and shal saie The Lorde feedeth me and I shal vvante nothinge Againe he saithe Circundabit sibi quasi murum firmissimum Scripturarum doctrinam ne ad interiora eius possit hostis irrumpere He wil enclose him selfe with the Doctrine of the Scriptures as with a stronge walle that the Enimie maie not enter into his harte Againe he saithe Haec est via Ambulate in ca. Neque ad Dextram neque ad Sinistram Tunc omnes Errores Idola Similitudines Veritatis comminnes atque disperges ita iudicabis immunda vt â—a menstruatae mulieris sordidissimo Sanguini compares This is the waie walke in it Goe neither to the Right hande nor to the Leafte Then shalt then breake and scatter al Errours and Idoles and Countrefeite likenesse of the Truthe and shalt iudge them to be so filthy that thou shalt liken them to moste vile and lothesome bloude But for as mutche as yee saie Al these woordes of S. Hierome perteiue vnto somme other mater I know not what and not vnto the ouerthrowe of Babylon or fal of Antichriste that shal be before the ende of the worlde notwithstandinge S. Hieromes woordes of them selfe be plaine yenough yet maie it please you to consider these woordes of S. Chrysostome touchinge the same Thus he saithe Tunc qui in Iudaea sunt fugiant ad Montes id est qui sunt in Christianitate conferant se ad Scripturas Montes sunt Scripturae Apostolorum Prophetarum c. Sciens Dominus tantam confusionem rerum in nouissimis diebus esse futuram ideò mandat vt Christiani qui sunt in Christianitate volentes firmitatem accipere Fidei verae ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas Alioqui si ad alias res respexerint scandalizabuntur peribunt non intelligentes quae sit Vera Ecclesia Et per hoc incident in abominationem desolationis Then let them that be in Ievvrie flee vnto the Mountaines that is to saie let them that be in Christes profession flee to the Scriptures The Scriptures of the Apostles and Prophetes be the Mountaines c. Our Lorde knowinge that there shoulde be sutche confusion in the laste daies therefore commaundeth that Christian menne that beleue in Christe willinge to haue an assurance of the True Faith shoulde haue recourse to nothinge els but vnto the Scriptures Otherwise if they haue regarde to any other thinge they shal be offended and perishe not vnderstandinge what is the true Churche And by meane hereof they shal falle into the Abomination of desolation Here M. Hardinge no Glose wil serue Certainely these woordes were spoken not of the Firste comminge of Christe into the worlde as you imagine but of the Kingedome of Antichriste and of the Ende consummation of the worlde Hereof S. Gregorie saithe thus Ecclesia post eosdem dies quibus deprimitur tamen circa finem temporum grandi praedicationis Virtute roborabitur The Churche after these daies of her affliction shal afterwarde notwithstandinge be strengthened with greate Power and mighte of preachinge The Apologie Cap. 20. Diuision 1. But by youre fauoure somme wil saie these thinges ought not to haue benne attempted without the Bishop of Romes commaundemente forsomutche as he onely is the knotte and bande of Christian Societie He onely is that Prieste of Leuies order whom God signified in the Deuteronomie from whome counsel in maters of weight and true iudgemente ought to be sette and who so obeieth not his iudgemente the same man ought to bee killed in the sight of his brethren and that no Mortal Creature hathe Authoritie to be Iudge ouer the Pope whatsoeuer he doo that Christe reigneth in Heauen and the Pope in Earthe that the Pope alone can doo as mutche as Christe or God him selfe can doo bicause Christe and the Pope haue but one Consistorie That without him is no Faithe no Hope no Churche and who so goeth from him quite casteth awaie and renounceth his owne Saluation Sutche talke haue the Canonistes the Popes Parasites but with smal discretion or sobrenesse For they coulde scantly saie more at leaste they coulde not speake more highly of Christ him selfe M. Hardinge VVhat somme wil saie wee knowe not VVee tel you that your change of Religion and manifolde Heresies ought not to haue benne attempted at al neither without the Bishop of Romes commaundemente nor with his commaundemente Touching the Bishop of Rome him selfe you haue neuer donne with him He is a great blocke in youre waie And so hath he euer bene in the waie of al Heretikes Yet could he neuer by you or them be remoued To your scoffes againste him and belieinge of the Canonistes before by you vttered and here idly repeted my former answeare maie suffise The Apologie Cap. 20. Diuision 2. As for vs truely we haue fallen from the Bishop of Rome vpon no manner of worldly respect or commoditie And would to Christe he so behaued him selfe that this falling away needed not But so the case stoode that onlesse we
propriè in renatis Peccatum sit sed quia ex Peccato est ad Peccatum inclinat Si quis autem contrarium senserit Anathema sit The Concupiscence whiche the Apostle S. Paule sommetime calleth Sinne this Holy Councel declareth that the Cathosique Churche neuer vnderstoode it to be called sinne for that it is so in deede and in Proper manner of Speache in them that be Baptized but bicause it is of Sinne and enclineth vs vnto Sinne. And if any man thinke the Contrarie accused be he Thus wée see that by the Decrée of this woorthy Couente S. Ambrose and S. Augustine other Holy Fathers that haue written the same are al accursed As for that M. Hardinge here toucheth as an errour defended by certaine I knowe not by whom that Baptisme géeueth not ful Remission of Sinne he maiâ— commaunde it home againe to Lâ—uaine emongest his felowes and ieine it with other of his and theirâ— Vanities For it is no parte nor portion of our Doctrine Wée Confesse and haue euermore taught that in the Sacramente of Baptisme by the Deathe and Bloude of Christe is géeuen Remission of al manner Sinnes and that not in halfe or in parte or by waie of Imagination or by fansie but ful whole and Perfite of al togeather so that nowe as S. Paule saithe There is no damnation vnto them that be in Christe Jesu Nowe iudge thou indifferently gentle Reader what Sprite forced M. Hardinge thus terribly to crie oute They Lie they studie to deceiue they seeke shiftes c. The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 1. Wee saie that Eucharistia that is to saie the Supper of the Lorde is a Sacramente that is an euident Representation of the Body and Bloude of Christe wherein is sette as it were before our eies the Deathe of Christe and his Resurrection and what so euer he did whilest he was in his Mortal Body to th ende wee maie geene him thankes for his Deathe and for our deliueraunce And that by the often receiuinge of this Sacramente wee maie daily renewe the remembraunce thereof to thintente wee beinge fedde with the Body and Bloude of Christe maie be brought into the hope of the Resurrection and of Euerlastinge Life and maie moste assuredly beleeue that as our bodies be fedde with Breade and Wine so our Soules be fedde with the Body and Bloude of Christe M. Hardinge Amonge al these gay woordes we heare not so mutche as one Syllable vttered whereby we may vnderstande that ye beleue the Very Body of Christe to be in deede Presente in the blessed Sacrament of the Aulter Ye confesse the Eucharistia whiche commonly ye cal the Supper of the Lorde to be a Sacramente and al that to be none other then an euident token of the Body and Bloud of Christe As for that ye adde to make the matter seme sommewhat of the Deathe of Christe and his Resurrection and his actes done in fleshe VVhat reason or scripture haue ye that a peece of Bread and a Cuppe of VVine for in your belefe more make ye not of this Sacramente can set them as it were before our eies Dothe not rather a faire Painted table set foorth the actes of our Sauiour before our eies more liuely and more expressely And be we not moued therewith to geue God thankes for his greate benefites as wel as if we haue Breade and VVine on a table But I praie you sithens al is but Breade and VVine after your teachinge howe shal we by eatinge and drinkinge thereof be fedde with the Body and Bloude of Christe Againe can we by Breade and VVine be brought into hope of the Resurrection and Euer lastinge life as ye saie And howe shal we by Eatinge of Breade and Drinking of VVine be assured that Christes Body and Bloude doth in like manner feede our soules as Breade and VVine feedeth our bodies Though your imagination be neuer so stronge yet by eatinge of that whiche is Breade onely and Drinkinge of that whiche is VVine onely we see not how your soules can be fedde with the True Body and Bloude of Christe no more then ye be at your common meales Verily when al your tale is tolde ye seme to saie nothinge els touchinge the eatinge of our Lordes Body but that the Body of Christe remaineth in Heauen and that we muste sende vp our soules thither to eate it there by a certaine Imagination whiche ye cal faithe For this is your Maister Caluines Doctrine By this Doctrine al standeth vppon your faithe your faithe doth al alone And he that beleueth in Christe so as ye teache eateth his Body and Drinketh his Bloude For by your Gospel to eate the Body is nothinge els but to beleue in Christe If this be true then is your Supper superfluous For declaration of the Truthe herein it is to be considered that when we speake of this blessed Sacramente we meane specially the thinge receiued to be the very Real Body of Christe not onely a Signe or Token of his Body Yet we thinke it necessarie the Doctrine of the Fathers be clerely taught whiche is that here is a Sacramente and the thinge of the Sacramente The Forme of Breade and VVine whiche is sene is the Sacramente that is to saie a Signe of the Holy thinge For a Sacramente besides the outwarde shape whiche it representeth to the senses causeth an other thinge to come into knowledge The thinge of this Sacramente is of two sortes the one in tho same conteined and signified the other signified but not conteined The firste is the Body of Christe borne of the Virgine Mary and his Bloude shed for our Redemption the Seconde is the Vnitie of the Churche in these that be predestinate called iustified and glorified VVhiche Churche is Christes Body mystical So that here are three distincte thinges vnderstanded The one is a Sacramente onely the other a Sacramente and the thinge the thirde the thinge and not a Sacramente The firste is the visible shape or Forme of Breade and VVine the seconde is the proper and very Fleashe and Bloude of Christe the thirde his Mystical Body And as there be two thinges of this Sacrament so be there also two meanes or waies of eating The one Sacramental after whiche bothe good and euil eate the true Body of Christe they to saluation these to damnation The other spiritual after whiche the good only do eate These Defenders as al other the Sacrament aries speakinge of these distinct thinges indistinctly cause confusion and deceiue the vnlearned readers In sutche a sense and meaninge the place commonly alleged out of S. Augustine as also many other the like maye wel be vnderstanded without preiudice of the Truthe of Christes Body in the Sacrament Vt quid paras dentem Venttem Crede manducasti To what pourpose makest thou ready teeth and bely Beleue and thou hast eaten Nowe these Defenders harpingâ—â—â—nâ—ly vpon this one
stringe of spiritual eatinge and shunninge the Faithe of the Catholike Churche touching the true presence of the Body and Violently wresting the Holy Scripture and Auncient Fathers to a contrary sense admittinge Figures for Truthe tropes for the letter shadowes for thinges plaie vs many a false lesson and teache horrible lies to the vtter subuersion of those that be lead by them The B. of Sarisburie Here is no mention saithe M. Hardinge of Real Presence and thereupon he plaieth vs many a proper Lesson Notwithstandinge here is as mutche mention made of Real Presence as either Christe or his Apostles euer made or in y◠Primutiue Catholique Churche of God was euer beléeued Farther he saithe VVhat reason or Scripture haue ye that a Peece of Breade and a Cuppe of VVine can sette the Death and Resurrection of Christe as it were before your eies Verily when al your tale is tolde ye seeme to saie nothinge els but that the Body of Christe remaineth in Heauen and that wee muste sende vp our soules thither to eate it there by a certaine imagination whiche ye cal Faithe Here ye doo greate wronge M. Hardinge to cal the Faithe of Christe an Imagination or as I trowe ye meane a fansie S. Paule saithe Fides est Substantia rerum sperandarum Faithe is not an Imagination but the Substance and grounde of the thinges that wee hope for If ye trauaile once againe to Rome being thus far instructed already ye wil easily learne the Lesson that one of your late Popes there as it is reported taught his Cardinalles O quantum nobis profuit illa Fabula de Christo That wée ought to sende vp our Faithe into Heauen and there to embrace the Body of Christe it is S. Augustines Doctrine it is not ours These be his woordes Dices Quomodò tenebo Christum Absentem Quomodò in Coelum manum mittam vt ibi sedentem teneam Fidem mitte tenuisti Parentes tui tenuerunt Carne tu tene Corde Thou wilt saie howe shal I holde Christe beeinge Absente Howe we shal I reache my hande into Heauen that I maye holde him sittinge there Sende vp thy Faithe and thou holdest him Thy Fathers the Iewes helde him in the fleashe Holde him thou in thy harte But for as mutche as H. hardinge thought it sufficient so pleasantly to passe ouer this mater with his Imaginations and fansies I thinke it therefore so mutche the more néedeful to shewe the iudgemente of the Auncient Learned Fathers in that behalfe First therefore S Augustine saithe Rerum Absentium Praesens est Fides rerum quae foris sunt intus est Fides rerum quae non videntur videtur Fides Of thinges that be Absente Faithe is Presente of thinges that be without Faithe is within and of thinges that be not seene Faithe is seene Againe be saithe Cùm non obliuiscimur munus Saluatoris nonne nobis quotidiè Christus immolatur Ex ipsis reliquijs cogitationis nostrae id est ex ipsa memoria Christus quotidiè nobis sic immolatur quasi quotidiè nos innouet When wee foregeate not the gifte of our Saueoure is not Christe offered vnto vs euery daye Of the very remanentes of our thoughtes that is to say of our very memorie Christe is so daily offered vnto vs as though he renewed vs euery daie And the more liuely to expresse this mater S. Hierome saith Tibi Conuiuium Christus est Cogitatio Christus est Gaudium Christus est Desiderium Christus est Lectio Christus est quies Christus est Christe is thy banket Christe is thy thought Christe is thy ioie Christe is thy desire Christe is thy readinge Christe is thy reate Likewise S. Ambrose In animis vestris quotidiè pro Redemptione Corporis Christus offertur In your mindes Christe is daily offered for the Redemption of the Body And to passe ouer others for that it pleaseth M. Hardinge to make himselfe sutche mirthe with Imaginations Euthymius a Gréeke Authour writing pourposely of this mater saith thus Non oportet simpliciter ea intueri sed aliud quiddam imaginari interioribus oculis ea perspicere tanouam Mysteria Wee maie not sooke barely vpon these thinges that is vpon the Breade and Wine but muste thereof imagine somme other mater and behold the same with our in vvarde Spiritual eies as it is meete to beholde Mysteries And leaste M. Hardinge shoulde saie This Imagination is vaine and fantastical as is the greatteste parte of his Religion S. Augustine saith Magis sunt illa quae intelligimus quà m ista quae cernimus The thinges that wee vnderstande or imagine by Faithe are more certaine then the thinges that wee see vvith our eies Neither maie you thinke M. Hardinge that these thinges beinge graunted the Ministration of the Holy Supper woulde be superfluous For these twoo Kindes of Eatinge muste euermore necessarily be ioined togeather And who so euer commeth to the Holy Table auaunceth not his Minde vnto Heauen there to feede vpon Christes Body at the Right hande of God he knoweth not the meaninge of these Mysteries but is voide of vnderstandinge as the Horse or the Mule and receiueth onely the bare Sacramentes to his Condemnation Therefore the Mystical Supper of Christe notwithstandinge this Doctrine is not superfluous But your Transubstantiation your Real Presence and a greate parte of this your idle talke is moste vaine and moste superfluous But ye saie Howe can Breade and VVine bringe vs to the hope of Resurrection or of Euerlasting Life and why maie not a man in like manner demaunde of you Haw can a fewe Droppes of colde VVater bringe vs to the hope of Resurrection If VVater maie doo it why maie not Breade and VVine likewise doo it Touchinge the VVater S. Basile saith Baptismus est Potentia Dei ad Resurrectionem Baptisme is the Povver of God to Resurrection Againe he saith Resurrectionis Gratiam in Die Resurrectionis recipiamus Vpon the Daie of Resurrection let vs receiue Baptisme whiche is the Grace of Resurrection S. Hierome saith Non solùm propter Remissionem Peccatorum Baptizamur sed etiam propter Resurrectionem Carnis nostrae Wee are Baptized not onely for Remission of Sinnes but also for the Resurrection of our Fleashe And therefore the Greekes calle Baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the VVeede of immortalitie Here M. Hardinge it were somme pointe of skil to shewe vs howe so greate Power maie be in so litle VVater Howe be it it is not the VVater in déede that woorketh the force of Resurrection but the Bloude of Christe that is Signified by the VVater And therefore S. Ambrose saithe Baptismus Resurrectionis Pignus Imago est Baptisme is the Pleadge and Image of Resurrection Likewise Ignarius Credentes in Mortem eius per Baptisma Participes Resurrectionis eius efficimur Beleeuinge in the Death of Christe by Baptisme wee are made Partakers of