in one place but bicause of the effecte of the Sacrament for that by the same wee are ioigned to God and many that be diuers be vnited together and made one Mystical Body of Christe whiche is the Churche of whiche Body by vertue and effecte of this holy Sacrament al the faithful be meÌ„bers one of an other and Christe is the head Thus diuers auncient Doctours doo expounde it And specially Dionysius Ariopagita where speakinge of this Sacrament he saith Dignissimum hoc Sacramentum sua praesantia reliquis Sacramentis longè antecellit atque ea causa illud meritò singularitâ—r Communio appellatur Nam quamuis vnumquodque Sacramentum id agat vt nostras vitas in plura diuisas in vnicum illum statum quo Deo iungitur colligat attamen huic Sacramento Communioâ—s vocabulum praecipuâ— ac peculiariter congruâ—t This mosi woorthiâ— Sacrament is of such excellencie that it passeth farre al other Sacramentes And for that cause it is alonely called the Communion For al be it euery Sacrament be suche as geathereth our liues that be diuided a sunder many waies into that one state whereby wee are ioigned to God Yet the name of Communion is fit and conuenient for this Sacrament specially and peculiarly more then for any other By whiche woordes and by the whole place of that holy Father wee vnderstande that this Sacrament is specially called the Communion for the special effecte it woorketh in vs whiche is to ioigne vs nearely to God so as we be in him and he in vs and al wee that beleeue in him one Body in Christe And for this in deede wee doo not Communicate alone For in as muche as the whole Churche of God is but one house as S. Cyprian saith Vna est domus Ecclesiae in qua agnus editur There is one house of the Churche wherein the Lambe is eaten And S. Paule saithe to Timothe that this house of God is the Churche of the liuinge God who so euer dothe eate this Lambe woorthely doth Communicate with al Christian men of al places and countries that be in this house and doo the like And therfore S. Hierome a Priest shewinge him selfe lothe to contende in writinge with S. Augustine a Bishop calleth him a Bishop of his Communion His woordes be these Non enim conuenit vt ab adolescentia vsque ad hanc aetatem in Monasteriolo cum sanctis â—ratribus labore desudans aliquid contra Episcopum Communionis meae scribere audeam eum Episcopum quem ante coepi amare quà m nosse It is not meete saith he that I occupied in labour from my youth vntil this age in a poore Monasterie with holy brethren shoulde be so bolde as to write any thinge against a Bishop of my Communion ye and that Bishop whom I began to loue er that I knew him Thus wee see that S. Hierome and S. Augustine were of one 20 Communion and did Communicate together though they were farre a sunder Thâ—one at Bethlehem in Palestina thâ—other at Hippo in Aphrica Thus there may be a Communion though the Communicantes be not togeather in one place The B. of Sarisburie Where as of the nature of this woorde Communio which is moste commonly vsed in al the olde Fathers I tooke occasion to say that the Priest ought to communicate with the people for that otherwise it cannot iustly be called a Communion M. Hardinge maketh answer as a man wel brooking his owne learning That this reason is weake and vnlearned as proceedinge al togeather of ignorance Here to leaue al contention of learnyng and onely to haue regarde vnto the truthe If the very nature of this woorde Communio importe not a thing to be common as it is supposed muche lesse may it as I iudge importe a thinge to be priuate It is named Communio saith M. Harding of the effecte that it woorketh in vs bicause by the same wée are ioigned vnto God not bicause many Communicate togeather in one place And for proufe hereof he allegeth the authoritie of Dionysius wherein he dooth great wronge to that good olde Father alleging his authoritie for the Masse that neuer spake woorde of the Masse It is graunted of al without contradiction that one ende of al Sacramentes is to ioigne vs vnto God as Dionysius saith here of the holy Communion Paule likewise of the Sacrament of Baptisme ye are â—l the children of God by faith in Christe Iesus For as many of you as are Baptised in Christe haue put on Christe And Chrysostome saith That by Baptisme wee are made Bone of Christes Bones and fleashe of Christes fleash An other ende is to ioigne vs al togeather And so likewise writeth S. Paule of Baptisme Nos omnes in vnum corpus Baptizati sumus Al wee are Baptised into one â—ody And therfore saith S. Augustine In nullum nomen Religionis seu verum seu falsum coagulari homines possunt nisi aliquo signaculorum vel Sacramentorum visibilium consortio colligentur Men can not be brought into any name of Religion be it true or false vnlesse they be ioigned togeather with the bande of visible Signes or Sacramentes And not withstandinge Dionysius speaketh plainely of bothe these endes yet it pleaseth M. Harding in his allegation onely to name the one and to concele the other and by the affirmation of the one vntruely to conclude the denial of the other And as touchinge the later of these two endes the same Dionysius in the same Chapter that M. Hardinge here allegeth writeth thus Sancta illa vnius eiusdem Panis poculi communis pacifica distributio vnitatem illis diuinam tanquam vnà enutritis praescribit That holy common and peaceable distribution of one Breade and one Cuppe preacheth vnto them a heauenly vnitie as beyng menne fedde togeather And Pachymeres the Gréeke Paraphrast expoundinge the same place hath these woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For that common diete and consent farther bringeth vs into the remembrance of the Lordes Supper What so euer M. Hardinge haue saide I recken it wil hereby appeare vnto the indifferent reader that these woordes doo sufficiently declare both the common receiuinge of the Sacrament and also the knittinge and ioyninge of many togeather Now let vs examine this reason The Communion hath his name of the effect for that it ioyneth vs vnto God Ergo sayth M. Hardinge it signifieth not the communicatinge of many togeather Surely this argument is very weake I wil not say It is vnlearned or procéedeth of ignorance He shoulde néede a newe Logique that would assay to make it good Nay it may muche better be replied what effecte can this Sacrament haue or whome canne it ioyne to God but onely suche as doo receiue it Or what effecte can the Sacrament of Baptisme worke but onely in them that receiue Baptisme Without al question theffecte that Dionysius meante standeth not in this
and Innâ—ocentius witnesse that the Gréeke Churche in their tyme vsed it not Wherefore it cannot be Iudged Catholique And touchinge the necessitie thereof Scotus saiethe in plaine woordes Huic vino apponere aquam non est simpliciter necessarium de necessitate Sacramenti Here wée sée these Doctours agrée not M. Hardinge saithe this mixture is necessary to the Sacramente Scotus saithe it is not necessary Now to reuele the secrcates of M. Hardinges Mysteries touchinge the same that one droppe or twoo muste be powred on the grounde howe muche thereof muste be put to the Wine that there may be made a conuenient mixture what becommeth afterwarde of the same Water whether it be turned into a thinne flewme or into Christes bloude by meane of mixture or into a Sacrament of Ablution to washe the reste away it woulde require longer talke and not necessary at this present Neither woulde I nowe haue moued one woorde hereof sauinge that this man thus vaunteth him selfe to be the restoarer of Christian Libertie Where as he saithe The Prieste muste haue Intention to doo that the Churche doothe vnlesse he be wel assured of the Churches dooinge herein he cannot be sure of his owne Intention and so muste he say Masse with Intention to dooe he knoweth not what Now it appeareth that the Churche is not yet resolued vpon one Intention For the Intention of the Church of Rome is to woorke the Transubstantiation of Breade and Wine The Gréeke Churche had neuer that Intention as it is plaine by the Councel of Florence The Intention of the Churche of Rome is to Consecrate with Christes woordes The Intention of the Gréeke Churche is to Consecrate with Praiers And whether of these Churches shal the Prieste folow with his Intention This is the very dungeon of vncertaintie The harte of man is vnsearcheable If we stay vpon the Intention of a mortal man we may stande in doubte of our owne Baptisme Christe hath deliuered vs from the elementes of this worlde ergo the Prieste may saie Priuate Masse We are forbidden to obserue moneths and daies ergo the Prieste may receiue alone Thus he reasoneth as if S. Paules woordes were written that he might therby proue what him selfe listeth In déede the Breade the Wine the Water and the Prieste him selfe are worldly creatures therefore subiecte vnto Christian Libertie no lesse then place or time Yet may not M. Hardinge therfore haue yâ— Communion ministred without either Prieste or Breade or Wine neither Baptisme ministred without water Christe hath deliuered vs from the subiection and superstitious vsing of the Creatures but not from that Creatures them selues Otherwise by the same forme of reason M. Hardinge might aswel haue concluded thus Apollo Paule Peter Life and thinges to come are worldly creatures for so saithe S. Paule euen as M. Hardinge hath alleged Al thinges are yours whether it be Paule or Apollo or Peter or the worlde or life or thinges to come But Christe hath deliuered vs from worldly creatures ergo Christe hath deliuered vs from Paule Apollo Peter from the worlde from life and from thinges to come Suche argumentes M. Hardinge hath brought to proue his Masse M. Hardinge The .13 Diuision Againe whereas the auncient and great learned Bishoppe Cyrillus teacheth plainely and at large the maruelous vnitinge and ioyninge togeather of vs with Christ and of our selues into one bodie by this Sacrament seinge that al so vnited and made one bodie be not for al that brought togeather into one place for they be dispersed abroade in al the worlde thereof we may welconclude that to this effecte the beinge togeather of CoÌ„municantes in one place is not of necessitie His woordes be these muche agreable to Dionysius Ariopagita afore mentioned Vt igitur inter nos Deum singulos vniret quamuis corpore simul anima distemus modum tamen adinuenit consilio patris sapientiae suae conuenientem Suo enim corpore credentes per Communionem mysticam benedicens secum inter nos vnum nos corpus efficiâ— Quis enim eos qui vnius sancti corporis vnione in vno Christo vniti sunt ab hac naturali vnione alienos putabit Nam si omnes vnum panem manducamus vnum omnes corpus efficimur diuidi enim atque seiungi Christus non patitur That Christe might vnite euery one of vs within our selues and with God although we be distant bothe in Bodie and also in Soule yet he hath diuised a meane couenable to the counsel of the Father and to his owne wisdome For in that he blesseth them that beleue with his owne bodie through the mystical Communion he maketh vs one Bodie bothe with himselfe and also betweene our selues For who wil thinke them not to be of this natural vnion which with the vnion of that one holy Bodie be vnited in one Christe For if we eate al of one Breade then are we made al one bodie for Christe may not be diuided nor done asunder Thus we see after this auncient Fathers learninge grouÌ„ded vpon the Scriptures that al the faithful blissed with the bodie of Christ through the mystical Communion be made one bodie with Christ and one Bodie between them selues which good blissinge of Christe is of more vertue and also of more necessitie then that it may be made frustrate by condition of place specially where as is no wilful breache nor contempte of most seemely and couenable order The B. of Sarisburie As I can easely yéelde in parte that these two Fathers Cyrillus Dionysius agrée togeather as it is here auoutched So if M. Hardinge can proue that this same Cyrillus euer saide Priuate Masse or in any of al his woorkes once vsed the name of Masse I wil as gladly yéelde vnto yâ— who le But if Cyrillus neuer spake woorde of yâ— Masse how is he here brought in to proue yâ— Masse How be it these men know it is an easy matter to mocke the ignorant with the glorious name of Catholike Fathers Cyrillus saithe that as many as beléeue in Christe whether they be farre or neare Iewes or Gentiles Free or Bonde they are al one Bodie in Christe Iesu. This thinge neither is denied nor in any pointe toucheth the Priuate Masse We confesse that Christe by the Sacrament of Regeneration as Chrysostome saithe hath made vs Fleash of his Fleash Boane of his Boanes that we are the members he is the head We confesse also that al the faithful are one Bodie al indewed with one Sprite And be the distaÌ„ce neuer so great yet are we one an others meÌ„bers This maruâ—lous Coniunction and Incorporation is first begonne wrought by Faith as saithe Paulinus vnto S. Augustine Per fidem nostram incorporamur in Christo Iesu Domino nostro By our Faithe we are incorporate or made one Bodie with Iesus Christe our Lorde Afterwarde the same incorporation is assured vnto
vs and increased in our Baptisme So saith S. Augustine Ad hoc Baptisma valet vt Baptizati Christo incorporentur membra eius efficiantur To this auaileth Baptisme that menne beinge Baptized may be incorporate into Christe and made his members And for that we are very vnperâ—ite of our selues therefore must daily procéede forwarde that we may growe into a perfite man in Christe therefore hath God appointed that the same incorporation shoulde be often renewed and confirmed in vs by the vse of the holy Mysteries Wherein must be considered that the saide holy Mysteries doo not beginne but rather continewe confirme this incorporation Firste of al we our selues must be the Bodie of Christe and afterwarde we must receiue the Sacrament of Christes Bodie as it is wel noted by S. Augustine Corpus Christi si vis intelligere Apostolum audi dicentem fidelibus vos estis corpus Christi membra Mysterium vestrum in menia Domini positum est Mysterium Domini accipitis Ad id quod estis respondeâ—is Amen Audis Corpus Christi respondes Amen Esto membrum Corporis Christi vt uerum sit Amen tuum If thou wilt vnderstande the Bodie of Christe heare what S. Paule saithe to the faithful Ye are the Bodie and the members of Christe Your Mysterie is sette on the Lordes Table Ye receiue the Mysterie of the Lorde To that thinge that ye are ye answeare Amen Thou hearest The Bodie of Christe and sayest Amen Be thou a member of Christes Bodie that thy Amen may be trewe Neither may we thinke that Christes Bodie must grossely and bodely be receiued into our bodies S. Cyprian saithe It is meate not for the belly but for the minde And S. Augustine saithe Crede manducasti Beleue in Christe and thou haste eaten And Cyrillus that is here alleged writeth thus againste the obiections of Theodoretus We doo not mainteine the eatinge of a man vnreuerently drawinge the mindes of the faithful vnto grosse and profane imaginations Neither doo we submitte these thinges vnto mans fantasie that be receiued onely by pure and tried faith Therfore saithe Athanasius It is spiritual meate and spiritually is digested in vs. Thus is Christe set foorthe vnto vs in that moste holy Supper not to be receiued with the mouthe For that as Cyrillus saieth Were a grosse and profane imagination but to be imbraced with a pure a single faithe And as Athanasius saithe to be eaten as spiritual foode and spiritually to be digested into al his members Thus are wée al one Bodie and one Spirite in Christ for that Christe is in al vs and al we in him And bicause the holy Ministration representeth the same vnto our eyes therefore S. Augustine calleth it the Mysterie of vnitie Thus dooth the holy Communion knitte ioyne vs togeather be wée in number neuer so many in distance neuer so farre a sundre For therein we professe that we are al seruauntes in one house and resorte al to one table féede al of one spiritual foode which is the fleash and bloude of the Lamme of God Whiche thinge Paulinus séemeth very wel in plaine manner to open vnto S. Augustine by these woordes Non mirum si absentes adsumus nobis ignotinosmet nouimus cùm vnius Corporis membra fimus vnuÌ„ habeamuscaput vna perfundamur gratia vno pane viuamus vna incedamus via eadem habitemus in domo It is no maruel though we bothe beyng absent are neuerthelesse present togeatheâ— and beinge vnacquainted yet know one an other seeinge we be the members of one Bodie and haue one head and are powred ouer with one grace and liue by one breade and walke one way and dwel in one house I thought it good to accompanie Cyrillus with these other auncient Fathers for the better vnderstanding of his meaninge Hereof M. Hardinge séemeth to reason thus By the Communion al faithful are ioyned bothe vnto God also betwéene them selues Ergo the Priest may say Priuate Masse Litle thought the good Father that his woordes should euer be thus vsed or so violently forced to such Conclusions But let vs driue this argument a little further that the inconuenience and the errour may the better appeare Onely the Priestes in their Priuate Masses receiue the Communion Ergo for that action and time onely the Priestes are made one Bodie of Christe And then further That bodie of Christe is the whole Churche Ergo the Priestes by their Priuate Masses are made the whole Churche But that thou maiste plainely sée Christian reader wherein M. Hardinge was thus deceiued thou must vnderstande that Cyrillus taketh his reason as farre as it toucheth the Communion of the Sacrament as wée vse to saie in schooles Ab effectis and not A causis But M. Hardinge turneth it quite contrary as if it were taken A causis and not Ab effectis And that Cyrillus so reasoneth it is soone séene For the receiuinge of the Sacrament is not the efficient cause that wée are made one Bodie in Christe but a token and testimonie or as S. Paule saith the Seale Confirmation of that effecte For Iudas receiued the Sacrament aswel as Peter did yet was not Iudas a meÌ„ber of Christes Bodie as Peter was And many infantes others faithful and godly be very members of that Bodie yet by occasion of death or otherwise neuer receiue the Sacrament of Christes Bodie And not withstandinge M. Hardinge hath thus altered his authours meaning yet shal he very hardly thereof in good order conclude his Masse But he may of the same very wel and directly conclude the Communion For if the Communion in that it is receiued of many be a testimonie and a declaration that al faithful are one Bodie in Christe as Cyrillus meaneth then ought the same Communion to be receiued togeather of many otherwise it is no suche testimonie or declaration as is supposed The Antecedent or firste proposition hereof is proued by sundrie olde Fathers S. Cyprian saithe With what loue and concorde al faithful Christians are ioyned togeather the Lordes Sacrifice dooth declare And Anselmus a man of later yéeres Frangimus diuidimus panem in multas partes ad designandam vnionem charitatis accipientium We breake and diuide the Breade into many partes to declare the vnitie of the loue of them that receiue it Here note Anselmus saithe this declaration of vnitie standeth in receiuinge of the Sacramentes and not onely in lookinge on Neither dooth Cyrillus say they that heare Masse but they that receiue the Mystical Benediction are one Body bothe with Christe and also between them selues Like as S. Paule also saithe The Breade that we breake is the Communication of the Lordes Bodie And we beynge many are al one Breade and one Body as many as be partakers of one Breade Whereunto agrée these woordes of S. Hierome spoken
Spiritus Sancti qui credentes agat Christe sitteth at the right hande of God the Father and insteede of him selfe sent the power of the Holy Ghoste as his Vicare to directe them that beleeue But bicause we are not onely ledde inwardely by Goddes Sprite but also outwardely by our senses therefore hath Christe appointed not one man to be his Uicare General ouer al but euery of his Apostles and so euery Priest to be his Uicare within his Diuision So saithe Eusebius Bishop of Rome Caput Ecclesiae Christus est Christi autem Vicarij Sacerdotes sunt qui vice Christi legatione funguntur in Ecclesia Christe is the Heade of the Churche and his Vicares be the Priestes that doo their Message in the Churche in the steede of Christe Therefore saith S. Hierome Potentia diuitiarum paupertatis humilitas vel sublimiorem vel inferiorem Episcopum non facit â–ª Caeterum omnes Apostolorum successores sunt The stoutnes of riâ—ches or the humilitie of pouertie maketh a Bishop neither higher nor lower But al Bishoppes be the Apostles successours Other vniuersal Uicar of Christe there is none named in the Scriptures onlesse it be he of whom S. Paule forewarneth vs Homo ille sceleratus filius perditus c. That wicked man that Childe of perdition that setteth him selfe vp against God and that so farre foorthe that he wil sitte in the Temple of God and shewe him selfe as if he were God But this Uicare Christe shal destroie with the spirite of his mouthe To conclude M. Hardinge séemeth to reason thus Mankinde dependeth moste of sense Ergo the Pope is the Heade of the vniuersal Churche Here is a very vnsensible argument nor sense nor reason can make it good By as good sequele he might say Mankinde dependeth most of sense Ergo one Kinge must rule ouer the whole worlde M. Hardinge The .19 Diuision Wherefore to conclude excepte we woulde wickedly graunte that Goddes prouidence hath lacked or dothe lacke to his Churche for loue of whiche he hath geuen his onely begotten Sonne and whiche he hath promised neuer to forgeate so as the woman can not forgeate the Childe she bare in her wombe reason may soone induce vs to beleeue that to one man one Bishop the chiefe and highest of al Bishoppes the successour of Peter the rule and gouernement of the Churche by God hath beene deferred For elles if God had ordeined that in the Churche shoulde be sundrie heades and rulers and none constituted to be ouer other but al of equal power eche one amonge their people then he shoulde seeme to haue set vp so many Churches as he hath appointed gouernours And so he shal appâ—are to haue brought in amonge his faitheful people that vnruly confusion the destruction of al common weales so muche abhorred of Princes whiche the Greekes cal Anarchian whiche is a state for lacke of order in gouernours without any gouernement at al. VVhiche thinge sithe that the wise and politike men of this worlde doo shunne and detest in the gouernement of these earthly Kingedomes as most pernicious and hurteful to attribute to the highe wisedome of God and to our Lorde Christe who is the auctor of the moste ordinate disposition of al thinges in earthe and in Heauen it were heynous and prophane impietie VVherefore if the state of a Kingedome can not continewe salfe onlesse one haue power to rule how shal not the Churche spredde so farre abroade be in danger of great disorders corruption and vtter destruction if as occasion shal be geuen amonge so great strifes and debates of men amonge so many fier brandes of discorde tossed to and fro by the Diuelles enemies of vnitie there be not one heade and ruler of al to be consulted of al to be hearde of al to be folowed and obeyed If strife and contention be stirred about matters of Faith if controuersie happen to arise about the sense of the Scriptures shal it not be necessary there be one supreme iudge to whose sentence the parties may stande If neede require as it hath been often seene that General Councels be keapte how can the Bishops to whome that matter belongeth be brought togeather but by the coÌ„maundement of one heade gouernour whome they owe their obedience vnto For elies beinge summoned perhaps they wil not come Finally how shal the contumacie and pertinacie of mischieuous persones be repressed specially if the Bishops be at dissension within them selues if there be not a supreme power who towardes some may vse the rodde towardes other some the spirite of lenitie 〈◊〉 suâ—he discrete temperament as malice be vanquished right defended and concorde procured leaste if the smal sparkes of strife be not quenched by auctoritie at the beginninge at length a greate flame of Schismes and heresies flashe abroade to the great danger of a multitude Therefore as there is one Bodie of Christe one Flocke one Churche euen so is there one head of that his mystical bodie one shepeherde and one chief seruant made stewarde ouerseer and ruler of Christes householde in his absence vntil his comminge againe The B. of Sarisburie Who so denieth the Bishop of Romes supreme gouernement saithe M. Hardinge he vtterly denieth Goddes prouidence thus the great prouidence of God is brought foorthe to serue M. Hardinges simple reason The like consideration as may be supposed moued Petrus Bertrandus to write this special Glose vpon the Decretalles Non videretur Dominus discretus fuisse vt cum reuerentia eius loquar nisi vnicum post se talem Vicarium reliquisset Otherwise Christe shoulde not seeme to haue dealte discreetely sauinge his reuerence onlesse he had lefte some one suche Vicare bâ—hâ—nde him And therefore he saithe further Christo data est omnis potestas in Coelo in terra Ergo Summus Pontifex qui est eius Vicaâ—ius habet eandem potestatem Al manner power bothe in Heauen and Earth is geuen to Christe Therefore the highest Bishop whiche is his Vicare hath the same power Likewise they say Papa potest facere omnia quae Christus ipse potest The Pope may doo what so euer Christ him selfe may doo And Papae Christi est vnum Tribunal The Pope and Christe haue one Consistorie and keepe one Courte Upon occasion hereof M. Hardinge seemeth to reason in this sorte Onles there be one appointed by God to be the Vniuersal Bishop of the worlde hauinge Omnia iura in scrinio pectoris sui al manner lawe and right in the closet of his breaste Cui sit pro ratione voluntas whose pleasure may stande in steede of lawe Unto whome what so euer he doo noman may say Domine cur ita facis Sir why doo you so And the same neither exhorte nor teache nor minister Sacrament nor exercise Discipline nor doo the dewtie either of Bishop or of Priest or of Deacon or any other the meanest officer of the Churche but onely take vpon
M. Hardinge meaneth it is a vile subiection and seruitude it is no vnitie S. Hierome saithe Nomine vnitatis Fidei infidelitas scripâ—a est Nam illo tempore nihil tam pium nihil tam conueniens seruo Dei videbatur quà m vnitatem sequi à totius mundi communione non scindi Infidelitie hath beene written vnder the name of Faithe and Vnitie For at that time nothinge seemed either so godly or so meete for the Seruant of God as to folow vnitie and not to be diuided from the Communion of the whole worlde They séemed saithe S. Hierome to folowe vnitie and yet notwithstandinge they honge in infidelitie So likewise saithe the wise man In tanto viuentes ignorantiae bello â—ot tanta mala pacem appellabant Where as they liued in suche a warre of ignorance so many and so greate mischiefes they called Vnitie M. Hardinge The .20 Diuision But here perhappes some wil say it can not appeare by the euente of thinges and practise of the Churche that the Pope had this supreme power and Auctoritie ouer al Bishoppes and ouer al Christes flocke in matters touchinge Faithe and in causes Ecclesiastical Verily whosoeuer peruseth the Ecclesiastical stories and vie weth the state of the Church of al times and ages can not but confesse this to be most euident And here I might allege first certaine places of the New Testament declaring that Peter practised this preeminence amonge the Disciples at the beginninge and that they yelded the same as of right apperteininge vnto him As when he first and onely moued them to choose one in the steede of Iudas and demeaned him selfe as the chiefe auctour of al that was donne therein when he made answeare for al at what time they were gased and wondered at and of some moâ—kte as being dronken with new wine for that in the .50 day thei spake with tonges of so many Nations when hevsed that dreadful seueritie in punishing the falsehead and hypocrisie of Ananias and Saphira his wife when variance being risen about the obseruation of certaine pointes of Moyses lawe he as chiefe and head of the rest saide his minde before al others Amonge many other places lefte out for breuitie that is not of least weight that Paule beinge returned to Damasco out of Arabia after three yeeres wente to Ierusalem to see Peter and abode with him fiftene dayes 105. But because our aduersaries doo wreathe and wreaste the Scriptures be they neuer so plaine by their Priuate and strange constructions to an vnderstandinge quite contrary to the sense of the Catholike Churche I wil referre the reader for further proufe of this matter to the stories bearinge faithful witnesse of the whole state and condition of the Churche in al ages In whiche stories the practise of the Churche is plainely reported to haue ben suche as thereby the primacie of Peters Successour may seeme to al menne sufficiently declared For perusinge the Ecclesiastical stories with writinges of the Fathers beside many other thinges perteininge hereto we finde these practises for declaration of this special auctoritie and power Firste that Bishops 106 of euery Nation haue made their appeale in their weightie affaires to the Pope and alwaies haue sued to the see Apostolike as wel for succour and healpe against violence iniuries and oppressions as for redresse of other disorders Also that the malice of wicked persons hath beene repressed and chastised of that auctoritie by Excommunication Eiection and Expulsion out of their dignities and roomes and by other censures of the Churche Furthermore that the ordinances and elections of Bishoppes of al Prouinces haue beene confirmed by the Pope Beside this that the approuinge and disallowinge of Councelles haue perteined to him Item that Bishoppes wrongefully condemned and depriued by Councelles by him haue beene assotled and restored to their Churches againe Lastly that Bishoppes and Patriarkes after longe strifes and contentions haue at lengthe vpon better aduise beene reconciled vnto him againe The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge assaieth to prooue the Possession and Occupation of this Uniuersal Authoritie by the Practise bothe of S. Peter him selfe and also of other Bishoppes in Rome that folowed after him And touchinge S. Peter he thinketh it sufficient to saie thus Peter beinge amonge the rest shewed his aduise firste before al others and at the sounde of his woordes Ananias and Saphira fel downe deade Ergo Peter was the Heade and had an Vniuersal power ouer the whole Churche Here be very weake proufes to mainteine so greate a Title I thinke M. Hardinge him selfe doothe not beleue that who so euer firste vttreth his minde in any Councel or woorketh any strange miracle by the power of God is therefore the Heade of al the worlde For oftentimes in greate Councelles the yongest or lowest beginneth firste and the eldest and Heade of al speaketh laste Certainely in this assemblie of the Apostles after that S. Peter had opened his minde al the reast had donne last of al not S. Peter but S. Iames pronounced the Sentence whiche thinge belonged onely to the Heade and President of that Councel He must be very simple that wil be leadde with suche simple gheasses But who so euer wel and throughly considereth S. Peters whole dealinge at al times emonge his Brethren shal soone see that neither he bare him selfe nor the reast receiued or vsed him as the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche He calleth the reast of the Disciples his Brethren he calleth himselfe Compresbyterum Felowe elder He commaundeth not nor chargeth any man but heareth and intreateth others as his equalles and felowes Beinge sente into Samaria by his brethren he repined not as beinge their Heade gouernour but went his way as their Messenger And beinge reproued for goeinge to Cornelius and dealingâ— with Heathens he excused him selfe and came to his answeare The reast of the Apostles no doubte honoured S. Peter as the special member of Christes Bodie with al reuerence But it appeareth not that any of them euer tooke him or vsed him as their Heade or yelded him this Infinite or Uniuersal power S. Paule compareth him selfe with him in Apostleship and saithe Mihi concreditum est Euangelium Praeputij sicut Petro Circuncisionis â–ª To mee is committed the Gospel amonge the Heathens euen as vnto Peter emonge the Iewes And Iames Peter and Iohn which seemed to be the pillers gaue vnto me and Barnabas the right handes of felowship And afterwarde he saithe I withstoode Peter euen vnto the face for that he was woorthy to be rebuked And againe vnto the Corinthians Arbitror me nihil inferiorem esse eximijs Apostolis I take me selfe to be nothinge inferiour vnto the chiefe Apostles Hereby it plainely appeareth that Paule estéemed and tooke Peter as his Felowe and not as his Heade Where as it liketh M. Hardinge to say that we wreathe and wreast the
to the people calleth him heade of the Churche saieinge Totius corporis membrum in ipso capite curat Ecclesiae in ipso vertice componit omnium membrorum Sanitatem He healeth the member of the whole Bodie in the heade it self of the Churche and in the toppe it self he ordereth the healthe of al the members And in an other place Saluator quando pro se Petro exolui iubet pro omnibus exoluisse videtur Quia sicut in Saluatore erant omnes causa Magisterij ita post Saluatorem in Petro omnes continentur ipsum enim constituit Caput 124 omnium Our Sauiour saith Augustine when as he commandeth paiment for the Emperour to be made for himself and for Peter he seemeth to haue paide for al. Bicause as al were in our Sauiour for cause of teachinge so after our Sauiour al are conteined in Peter for he ordeined him Heade of al. Here haue these men the plaine and expresse terme Heade of the reast Heade of the Churche Heade of al and therefore of the Vniuersal Churche VVhat wil they haue more Neither here can they saye that although this auctoritie and title of the Heade be geuen to Peter yet it is not deriued and transferred from him to his Successours For this is manifest that Christe instituted his Churche so as it shoulde continewe to the worldes ende accordinge to the saieinge of Esaie the Prophete Super solium Dauid c. Vpon the seate of Dauid and vpon his Kingedome shal Messias sitte to strengthen it and to esâ—ablis he it in iudgement and rightuousenes from this day for euermore And thereof it is euident that he ordeined those who then were in ministerie so as their auctoritie and power shoulde be deriued vnto their aftercommers for the vtilitie of the Churche for euer specially where as he saide Beholde I am with you vntil the ende of the worlde And therefore as Victor writeth in his storie of persecution of the Vandales Eugenius Bishop of Carthago conuented of Obadus a great Capitaine of Hunerike kinge of the Vandales about a Councel to â—e kepte in Aphrica for matters of the Faith betwixt the Arians supported by the Kinge and the Catholikes saide in this wise Sâ—nostram fidem c. If the kinges power desire to know our Faithe whiche is one and the true let him sende to his freendes I wil write also to my brethren that my Felowbishoppes come who may declare the faithe that is common to you and vs there he hath these woordes Et praecipuè Ecclesia Romana quae Caput est omniuÌ„ EcclesiaruÌ„ And specially the Churche of Rome which is the Heade of al the Churches Naminge the Churche of Rome he meaneth the Bishop there or his legates to be sente in his steede Thus it is prooued by good and ancient auctorities that the name and title of the Heade Ruler President chiefe and principal gouernour of the Churche is of the Fathers attributed not onely to Peter but also to his successours Bishoppes of the See Apostolike And therefore M. Iuel may thinke himselfe by this charitably admonished to remember his promise of yeeldinge and subscribinge The B. of Sarisburie I might wel passe al these authorities ouer without answeare as beinge no parte of this question For I trust the indifferent Reader of him selfe wil soone beléeue we séeke no quarel against S. Peter nor goe aboute to scanne his titles or to abbridge him of his right It is knowen that S. Peter by these Fathers here alleged Augustine Hierome Chrysostome and Cyril is called the Toppe Heade of the Apostles And if néede so required the same might be auoutched by authorities many moe For who is he that knoweth not this But M. Hardinge knoweth the case is moued not of S. Peter but specially namely of the Bishoppes of Rome And of them he knoweth he shoulde haue answeared if his minde had béene to deale plainely as he saithe fully to satisfie his Reader Within the space of the first sixe hundred yéeres there were in Rome .68 Bishoppes for their Constancie in the Faithe for their Uertue learninge farre excéedinge the reast that haue béene sithence The number of them beinge so great their learninge so notable their life so holy it is maruel M. Hardinge shoulde not be able to shewe that any one of them al in so longe a time was once called the Heade of the Churche therefore should thus reast onely vpon S. Peter who when he receiued these Titles was not Bishop of Rome of whom there is no question moued Wherefore M. Hardinge may better consider his note in the Margin where as he hath written thus Peter and his Successours called the Heade of the Churche expressely He may rather amende it and make it thus Onely Peter and not one of his successours called Heade of the Churche expressely So shoulde his note and his texte agrée togeather and so shoulde he not deceiue his Reader Here by the way I must put M. Hardinge in remembrance notwithstandinge for his estimations sake he would faine haue his foorth in these maters yet should he not therfore thus beguile the eies of the Simple thus misreporte falsifie the woordes of the Ancient Fathers For alleging S. Hierome he leaueth out woords and altogeather dissembleth the whole meaninge In S. Augustine he hath shifted placed one woorde for an other S. Hierome in that place with great contention of woordes commendeth S. Iohn aboue S. Peter namely for that S. Peter was a Maried man and S. Iohn a Uirgin In the heate of his talke he laieth this obiection against him selfe At dices Super PetruÌ„ fundatur Ecclesia licet id ipsum in alio loco super omnes Apostolos fiat cuncti Claues Regni Coelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos Ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur But thou wilt say The Churche was builte vpon Peter and not vpon Iohn Al be it in an other place the same is donne that is the Churche is builte vpon al the Apostles and al receiue the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen and the strength of the Churche is builte equally vpon them al. M. Hardinge thought it good to skippe dissemble these woordes not withstandinge they be ioyned altogeather in one sentence with the reast It foloweth Tamen proptereà inter duodeâ—im vnus eligitur vt Capite constituto Schismatis tollatur occasio Sed cur non Iohannes electus est virgo Aetati delatum est quia Petrus Senior erat ne adhuc Adolescens pene Puer progressae aetatis hominibus praeferretur Notwithstandinge the Disciples were al equal yet therfore one is chosen amonge the twelue that a Heade being appointed occasion of Schisme might be taken away Thou wilt say againe And why was not Iohn being a virgin chosen to be this Heade He answeareth Christ gaue the preeminence vnto age For Peter was an aged man least that
that S. Peters Soule commeth by Succession to dwell in them that therefore they ought to haue what so euer Title or Interest Peter had And for that cause they say We are Peters Successours euen as the Phariseis sometime saide We be the Children of Abraham But S. Iohn the Baptist saide vnto them Put not your affiance in suche Succession For God is hable euen of the stones to raise vp Children vnto Abraham And when the Children of Scaeua beinge Sorcerers and Infidelles beganne to practise in the name of Christe and Paule the man possest made them answeare â–ª Christe I know and Paule I knowe But what are you Surely Peter was not the Heade of the Apostles bicause he was Bishop of Rome For he was so appointed by Christe in consideration of age and boldenes of Sprite longe before he came to Rome Yea and had so béene and so had continued although he had neuer come to Rome Therefore M. Hardinges argument is a Fallax and in the Schooles is called Fallacia accidentis Thus notwithstandinge S. Peter were Heade of the Church yet cannot the B. of Rome therefore of right claime the same title And albeit S. Peter of special reuerence and admiration of his Sprite and vertues were sometimes so called as S. Paule sometimes vpon like consideration also was yet vnderstandinge this Chieftie for Uniuersal Power and Gouernment Authoritie to commaunde S. Peter neither was the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche in déede nor was so estéemed or taken emonge his bretherne as many waies it may wel appeare And therefore S. Gregorie saithe Paulus membra Dominici Corporis certis extra DominuÌ„ quasi Capitibus ipsis quidem Apostolis subijci particulariter euitauit S. Pâ—ule forbade that the members of Christes Bodiè shoulde not be subiecte particulâ—rely vnto any certaine Heades bysides the Lorde no not vnto the Apostles themselues So saithe S. Augustine as it is before alleged Nec Apostolus Paulus Caput est Origo eorum quos plantauerat Neither is Paule him selfe the Heade of them whome he planted Likewise againe he saithe Paulus Apostolus quanquam sub Capite praecipuum Membrum tamen MeÌ„bruÌ„ est Corporis Christi Paule the Apostle although he be a special member vnder Christ the Heade yet is he a member not the Head of Christes Bodie To conclude S. Gregorie saithe Cerâ—è Petrus Apostolus primum membrum Sanctae Vniuersalis Ecclesiae est Paulus Andreas Iohannes quid aliud quà m singularium sunt plebium Capita Et tamen sub vno Capite omnes membra sunt Ecclesiae Atque vt cuncta breui cingulo locutionis astringam Sancti ante Legem Sancti in Lege Sancti sub Gratia Omnes hi perficieÌ„tes Corpus Domini in membris sunt Ecclesiae constituti Et nemo se vnquam Vniuersalem vocari voluit In deede Peter the Apostle is the Chiefe Member of the holy Vniuersal Churche Paule Andrewe and Iohn what are they els but the Heades of seueral peoples Yet notwithstandinge vnder one Heade they are al members of the Churche To be shorte The Sainctes before the Lawe The Sainctes in the Lawe the Sainctes vnder Grace al accomplishinge the Lordes Bodie are placed emonge the members of the Churche And there was neuer yet none that woulde cal him selfe Vniuersal Hereof we may wel conclude thus S. Peter touchinge gouernement Ordinary Rule was not the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche Ergo Muche lesse is the Pope the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche M. Hardinge The .33 Diuision I wil adde to al that hath ben hitherto saide of this matter a saieinge of Martin Luther that suche as doo litle regarde the grauitie of auncient Fathers of the olde Churche maie yet some what be moued with the lightnes of the younge Father Luther Patriarke and founder of theire newe Churche Lightnes I maie wel cal it for in this sayinge which I shal here rehearse he dothe not so soberly allowe the Popes primacie as in sundrie other treatises he dothe rashly and furiousely inueigh against the same In a litle treatise intituled Resolutio Lutheriana super propositione sua 13. De poâ—estate Papae His wordes be these Primum quod me mouet Romanum Pontificem esse alijs omnibus quos saltem nouerimus se Pontifices gerere Superiorem est ipsa voluntas Dei quà m in ipso facto videmus Neque n. sine voluntate Dei in hanc Monarchiam vnquam venire potnisset Rom. Pontifex At voluntas Dei quoquo modo notÌ„a fuerit cum reuerentia suscipienda est ideoque non licer temerâ— Romano Pontifici in suo primatu resistere Haec autem ratio tanta est vt si etiaÌ„ nulla scriptura nulla alia causa esset haec tamen satis esset ad compescendam temeritatem resistentium Et hac sola ratione gloriosissimus Martyr Cyprianus per multas Epistolas confidentissimè gloriatur contra omnes Episcoporum quorumcunque aduersarios Sicut 3. Regum legimus quâ—d decem Tribus Israel discesserunt à Roboam filio Salomonis tamen quia voluntate Dei siue auctoritate factum est ratum apud Deum fuit Nam apud Theologos omnes voluntas Signi quam vocant operationem Dei non minus quà m alia signa voluntatis Dei vt praecepta prohibitiua c. metuenda est Ideo non video quomodo sint excusati à Schismatis reatu qui huic voluntati contrauenientes sese à Romani Pontificis auctoritate subtrahunt Ecce haec est vna prima mihi insuperabilis ratio quae me subijcit Romano Pontifici primatum eius confiteri cogir. The first thinge that moueth me to thinke the Bishop of Rome to be ouer al other that we knowe to be Bishoppes is the very wil of God which we see in the facte or deede it selfe For without the wil of God the Bishop of Rome coulde neuer haue ben commen vnto this Monarchie But the wil of God by what meane so euer it be knowen is to be receiued reuerently And therefor it is not lawful rashely to resiste the Bishop of Rome in his primacie And this is so greate a reason for the same that if there were no Scripture at al nor other reason Yet this were inough to sâ—aie the rashenes of them that resiste And through this onely reason the most glorious Martyr Cyprian in many of his Epistles vaunteth him self very boldly against al the aduersaries of Bishoppes what so euer they were As in the thirde booke of the Kinges we reade that the tenne Tribes of Israel departed from Roboam Salomons sonne Yet bicause it was doone by the wil or auctoritie of God it stoode in effecte with God For amonge al the Diuines the wil of the Signe whiche they cal the workinge of God is to be feared no lesse then other Signes of Goddes wil as commandementes prohibitiue c. Therefore I see not howe they maie be excused of the gilte of schisme whiche
that one man saithe a Priuate Masse and receiueth the Sacrament alone but in this that the people prayeth and receiueth the holy Communion togeather thereby dothe openly testifie that they be al one in Christe Iesus and al one emongst them selues And therefore Chrysostome saieth Proptereà in Mysterijs alter alâ—erum amplectimur vt vnum multi fiamus For that cause in the time of the Mysteries we embrace one an other that beyng many we may become one How be it in plaine speache it is not the receiuinge of the Sacrament that woorketh our ioyninge with God For who so euer is not ioyned to God before he receiue the Sacramentes he eateth and drinketh his owne iudgement The Sacramentes be Seales and witnesses not properly the causes of this coniunction Otherwise our children that departe this life before they receiue the Communion and al the godly Fathers of the olde Testament should haue no coâ—â—unction with God Wherefore S. Augustine saithe No man may any wise doubte but euery faithful creature is then made partaker of Christes Bodie and Bloude when in Baptisme he is made the membre of Christe and that he is not put of from the felowship of that Breade and that Cuppe although before either he eate that Breade or drinke of that Cuppe he depart this worlde beyng in the vnitie of Christes Bodie For he is not depriued from the partakinge and benefite of the Sacrament so longe as he findeth in him selfe that thinge that the Sacrament signifieth Likewise S. Cyprian Nos ipsi Corpus Christi effecti Sacramento re Sacramenti Capiti nostro coniungimur vnimur We our selues beyng made the Bodie of Christe bothe by the meane of the Sacrament and also by the thinge it self of the SacrameÌ„t or represented by the Sacrament are ioyned and vnited vnto our Heade But S. Cyprian saithe The whole Churche is but one house in whiche the Lamme is eaten And S. Hierome not withstandinge he dwelte in Bethlehem so many Miles of from S. Augustine beyng then at Hippo in Aphrica yet he calleth him a Bisshop of his Communion Ergo saithe M. Hardinge the Prieste that saithe Masse alone in Rome communicateth togeather with an other Prieste that saithe Masse alone in India Here S. Cyprian and S. Hierome are violently drawen in forced to witnesse the thinge that they neuer knewe and so M. Hardinge as his manner is concludeth a falseheade The holy Communion was so often and so generally frequented amongst al Christians in the Primitiue Churche in al their assemblies and Congregations that at length the very companie and felowship of them was called Communio takinge name of that action that was most solemnely vsed emonge them at their méetinges And therfore to geue somewhat more credite to M. Hardinges woordes S. Augustine saithe Mulier illa est Communionis nostrae That Woman is of our Communion Likewise againe Donatus non nisi in sua Communione Baptismum esse credit Donatus thinketh there is no Baptisme but onely in his Communion And S. Hierome writinge vnto Damasus Bishop of Rome hath these woordes Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudini tuae id est Cathedrae Petri Communione consocior I followyng no chiefe but onely Christ am ioyned by Communion to thy holinesse that is to say to Peters Chaire In these places this woorde Communio signifieth not the Ministration of Sacramentes but a side a parte or a felowship or consent in Articles of Religion And in this sense S. Hierome called S. Augustine a Bishop of his Communion that is of his Faithe of his Minde of his Doctrine of his Religion Here may be noted by the way that S. Hierome saithe not S. Augustine is a Bishop of my Masse but of my Communion For M. Hardinge knoweth that neither of them bothe euer sayd Priuate Masse and therefore coulde not communicate the one with the other in saieyng Masse But for clearer answeare to the woordes of S. Hierome the Communion or felowship of the Church standeth in sundrie respectes For wée coÌ„municate togeather either in consent of minde as it is written of the Apostles They had al one Harte and one Minde Or in knowlege of God as Christe prayeth for his Apostles vnto his Father that they may be one as thou and I be one And S. Paule to the Philippiens I thanke my God alway that ye are come to the Communion of the Gospel Or in one Christe as Paule saith there is now no bondeman there is now no free man but al are one in Christe Iesus To be shorte we communicate in Spirite in Prayers in Loue we are al washed with one Bloud we are al â—edde with one Bodie we haue al one hope of our vocation and altogeather with one harte and one voice be we neuer so farre a sunder doo glorifie God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe And this is that onely house wherein the Lamme is eaten grounded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes In this house we dwel M. Hardinge here we walke togeather with consent here we eate that Lamme of God beyng al brothers and members of one Bodie and al one in Christe Iesu. God restore you once againe into the same house that you may open the eyes of your harte and sée from whence you are fallen Where you say twoo diuerse Priestes sayeinge Masse may Communicate togeather not withstandinge they be in sundrie countries it may soone be graunted For they Communicate togeather in wickednesse in breakinge of Goddes commaundement and in deceiuinge of the people euen in like sorte as the wicked Children Communicate in wickednesse with their wicked Fathers As Christe séemeth to say to the Phariseis At your handes shal be sought for al the iuste Bloude that hath benne spilte from the Bloud of Abel the iuste vnto the Bloude of Zacharie Fil ye vp the measure of your Fathers Now these thinges noted we may the better take the viewe of M. Hardinges argumentes The whole Churche saith he through the worlde is but one house Ergo the Prieste may say Priuate Masse The faitheful that be farre a sunder doo Communicate togeather in consente of minde Ergo they doo Communicate in receiuinge the Sacramentes S. Augustine and S. Hierome did Communicate in Faithe and Doctrine Ergo they did Communicate togeather in sayeinge Masse If S. Paule might haue had some conference with M. Hardinge and haue founde out these reasons he would neuer haue found such faulte with the Corinthians neither would he haue written thus vnto them Inuicem expectate waite ye al One for an other Whiche woordes euen Hugo Cardinalis expoundeth thus vt vna sit mensa non habeat quilibet mensam suam Let there be one table for al and let not euery man haue his sundry table But who can better expounde S. Hieromes woordes then S. Hierome him selfe Thus he writeth vnto
yet Goddes highe goodnesse hath so ordeined as eche thing may be prouided for according to his owne condition and nature Therfore where as mankinde dependeth most of sense and receiueth al learninge and institution of sensible thinges therefore it hath neede of a man to be a gouernour and ruler whome it may perceiue by outwarde sense And euen so the Sacramentes by whiche the Grace of God is geuen vnto vs in consideration of mannes nature beinge so made of God as it is are ordeined in thinges sensible Therefore it was behooueful this gouernement of the Churche to be committed to one man whiche at the firste was Peter and afterwarde â—che successour of Peter for his time as is afore declared Neither can this one man haue this power of any consent or companie of men but it is necessarie he haue it of God .104 For to ordeine and appointe the Vicare of Christ it perteineth to none other then to Christe For where as the Churche and al that is of the Churche is Christes as wel for other causes as specially for that we are bought with a greate price euen with his Bloude as S. Paule saithe howe can it perteine to any other then to him to institute and appointe to him selfe a vicare that is one to doo his steede The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge standeth very longe in discoursinge this mater by natural reason â–ª And for that he knewe S. Augustine saithe Si ratio contra Diuinarum Scripturarum authoritatem redditur quamlibet acuta sit fallit verisimilitudine Nam veta esse non potest If natural reason be alleged against the authoritie of the holy Scriptures be it neuer so suttle it beguileth menne by a likenes or colour of the Trueth for true it cannot be And for that he also sawe the reasons he hath brought are very simple and carrie no weight he hath therefore thrust a great many of them in a thronge togeather bothe to fil the Hearers senses also that the one might the better aide the other For his entrie in mirthe and game he calleth vs Gospellers God open the eies of his harte that he may sée the brightnesse of Goddes Gospel and consider what it is that he hath refused Surely it is an horrible thing for a Christian man thus to make mockerie of the Gospel of Christe S. Paule saithe Si opertum est Euangelium in illis qui pereunt est opertum If the Gospel be couered it is couered from them that perishe It misliketh him that we builde the vnitie of the Churche vpon Christe onely and not also vpon the Pope and this he calleth these New Gospellers Doctrine God be thanked these Gospellers haue good warrant for their Doctrine S. Paule saithe Eum dedit Caput super omnia ipsi Ecclesiae quae est Corpus eius God hath geuen Christe to be Heade ouer al euen to the Churche whiche is his Bodie And againe Ille est Caput qui dat salutem Corpori Christe is the Heade that geueth health vnto the Bodie Christe is our peace Al we are one in Christe Iesu. Therefore S. Gregorie saithe Nos quoque à vobis non longè sumus quoniam in illo qui vbique est vnum sumus Agamus ergo â—i gratias qui solutis inimicitijs in Carne sua fecit vt in omni orbe terrarum vnus esset Grex vnum Ouile sub se Vno Pastore We are not farre away from you bicause in him that is euery where we are al one Therefore let vs geue him thankes that enemitie beinge broken in his Fleashe hath caused that in al the worlde there shoulde be one Flocke and one Folde vnder him selfe beinge the one Shepehearde These places and infinite other like are good warrantes of our Doctrine Nowe if M. Hardinge be hable by the Scriptures or Holy Doctours to say as muche for the Bishop of Rome that he is the Heade of the Churche that is to say the Heade of Christes Bodie or that the Church receiueth influence or health from him Or that he is our Peace or that we are al one in him or that al the worlde is one Flocke and one Folde and he the one Sheepehearde Or that S. Paule as he saide There is one Lorde one Faithe one Baptisme so he saide also There is one Pope then haue we some cause to thinke accordinge to M. Hardinges fantasie that the vnitie of the whole Churche is founded and builte vpon the Pope Certainely it seemeth S. Augustine woulde not geue this priuilege vnto S. Paule His woordes be plaine Nec Paulus radix eorum erat quos plantauerat sed ille potius qui ait Ego sum vitis vos estis Sarmenta Caput etiam eorum quomodo esse poterat cum dicat Nos omnes vnum esse Corpus in Christo ipsumque Christum Caput esse vniuersi Corporis Neither was Paule the roote of them whome he had planted but rather he that saith I am the vine and you are the sprigges But the Heade of them how coulde he be seeinge he him selfe saithe Al we in Christe are one Bodie and That of the whole Bodie Christe him selfe is the Heade If S. Paule as S. Augustine saithe coulde not be Heade of the Churche howe may we then thinke that the Bishop of Rome may be Heade of the Churche But mankinde saithe M. Hardinge dependeth moste of sense Therefore the whole Churche must haue one man to rule and gouerne ouer it and that man is Peters successour and Christes Vicare in Earthe I maruel that none of the Olde Fathers coulde euer vnderstande either the necessitie of this reason or this special name and title of Christes Uicare How be it one true woorde M. Harding hath vttered amongst many others that is that to apointe Christe Uicare it perteineth onely vnto Christe and to none other Of whiche grounde we may wel reason thus Christe neuer ordeined nor appointed nor once named the Bishop of Rome or his Successoure to be his Uicare that is to be an Uniuersal Bishop ouer the whole Churche therefore by M. Hardinges owne position the Bishop of Rome hath of longe time vsurped a power againste Christe without Commission and in déede is not Christes Uicare S. Hierome saithe generally of al Bishoppes Nouerint Episcopi se magis Consuetudine quà m dispositionis Dominicae Veritate Presbyteris esse maiores Lette Bishoppes vnderstande that they be greater then the priestes by order and Custome of the Churche and not by the trueth of Goddes ordinance If Christe as S. Hierome saithe appointed not one priest aboue an other howe then is it likely he appointed one Priest to be as M. Hardinge saithe Prince and ruler ouer al Priestes throughout the whole worlde As for the Uniuersal supplieinge of Christes roome Tertullian saithe The Holy Ghoste is Christes Vicare For thus he writeth Sedet ad dextram Dei Patris misit Vicariam vim
S. Ambrose as it is before alleged comparinge Peter and Paule togeather saithe thus Inter ipsos quis cui praeferatur incertum est Whether of these twoo I may sette before the other I cannot tel Likewise S. Cyprian saithe Hoc erant â—oeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti Honoris Potestatis The reast of the Apostles were the same that Peter was endewed with like felowship bothe of Honoure and of Power S. Ambrose saithe He cannot discerne betweene Peter and Paule whether he may sette before other S. Cyprian saith Al the Apostles had like Honour and like Power Yet by M. Hardinges fantasie Peter onely was the Prince and al the reaste were subiectes and vnderlinges vnto him But Chrysostome saithe Christe made Peterruler ouer the whole worlde I know not what special power M. Hardinge wil geather of these woordes For the same Commission that was geuen to Peter in as large and as ample sorte was geuen also to the reast of the Apostles Christe saide vnto them al Ite in vniuersum mundum c. Goe into the whole worlde and preache the Gospel And S. Paule saithe it was prophesied of them before In omnem terram exiuit sonus eorum The sounde of them wente out into al the worlde Therefore that S. Chrysostome speaketh hereof S. Peter the same otherwhere he speaketh in like forme of woordes of al the Apostles Thus he writeth vpon S. Iohn Apostoli suscipiunt curam totius Mundi The Apostles receiue the charge of al the Worlde Likewise he writeth of S. Paule Michaeli Gens commissa est IudaeoruÌ„ Paulo verò Terrae ac Maria atque Vniuersi Orbis habitatio Vnto Michael is committed the nation of the Iewes but Lande and Sea and al the habitation of the worlde is committed vnto Paule And againe Paulo Deus omnem praedicationem res Orbis Mysteria cuncta vniuersamque dispensationem concessit God hath geuen vnto Paule al manner preachinge the maters of the worlde al Mysteries and the ordringe of al. So likewise saith S. Gregorie Paulus catenis vinctus RomaÌ„ petit occupaturus MunduÌ„ Paule beinge bounde with cheines wente to Rome to conquiere the whole World And againe he saith Paulus ad ChristuÌ„ conuersus Caput effectus est Nationum quia obtinuit totius Ecclesiae principatum Paule beinge conuerted vnto Christe was made the Heade of Nations bicause he obteined the chieftie of al the Churche This was that Uniuersal power that Chrysostome saith was geuen vnto S. Peter and that not seuerally vnto him alone but iointely and togeather with al the reaste of Christes Apostles Whiche thinge the same Chrysostome other where plainely declareth by these woordes Apostoli vniuersum Orbem terrarum peruaserunt omnibus Principibus fueruÌ„t magis propriè Principes Regibus potentiores The Apostles ranged ouer the whole Worlde and were more like Princes then the Princes in deede and more mighty then the Kinges Thus was not onely Peter but also al the reast and euery of the Apostles made rulers ouer the whole worlde It is further alleged That Peter appointed Iames Bishop of Hierusalem and the same auouched by Chrysostome Although this place of Chrysostome importe not greatly yet beinge wel fifted and considered it may seeme very suspicious as nothinge agréeinge either with that went before or with that foloweth afterwarde but altogeather sauering of some corruption If M. Harding him selfe woulde consider the woordes with indifferent iudgement I doubte not but he woulde maruel how they came thither Neither is it likely That Iames tooke authoritie of Peter hauinge before taken sufficient authoritie of Christe himselfe For this Commission Christe gaue to euery of his Apostles al alike As my liuinge Father sente me so doo I sende you Ye shal be witnesses to me euen to the endes of the Worlde And if Peter gaue authoritie vnto Iames who then gaue authoritie vnto Paule Certainely S. Paule dwelte in no Peculiar but was as muche subiecte to Iurisdiction as S. Iames. But S. Paule saithe He was an Apostle non ab hominibus neque per hominem â–ª neither of men nor by men but by Iesus Christe and God the Father They that were the chiefe of the Apostles geue nothinge vnto me The preachinge of the Gospel emonge the Gentiles was coÌ„mitted vnto me euen as vnto Peter the preachinge of the Gospel emonge the Iewes And Chrysostome eâ—poundinge the same place saith thus Paulus nihil opus habebat Petro nec illius egebat voce Sed honore par erat illi nihil hic dicaÌ„ amplius Paule had no neede of Peters healpe nor stoode in neede of his voice but was in honour as good as he I wil say no more Hereby it may appeare that the reast of the Apostles tooke not their Apostleship 〈◊〉 authoritie of S. Peter But beinge graunted that Peter appointed Iames to preache in Hierusalem yet wil it not folowe therefore that Peter had rule and Dominion â—uer the Apostles For thereof woulde folowe this greate inconuenience The Apostles at 〈◊〉 appointed Peter to goe and to preache in Samaria Ergo The Apostles had rule and Dominion over Peter Whiche were an ouerthrowe of M. Hardinges grâ—attest principle But let vs graunte that Peter was the Heade of the Apostles as a mater nothinge perteininge to this question Wil M. Hardinge thereof conclude that the Pope is therefore the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche For what is there in the Pope that was in Peter Preachinge of the Gospel He preacheth not Féeding of the floâ—ke He feedeth not He wil saye Succession and sittinge in Peters Chayre whiche is in Rome A man maye answeare The Scribes and Phariseis sate in Moses Chayre But M. Hardinge knoweth that Peter when he receiued this Priuilege was in Hierusalem and not in Rome Therefore this argument would better stande thus Peter neither had Dominion ouer the reaste of the Apostles nor was Bishop of Rome when Christe spake vnto him Therefore the Bishop of Rome cannot iustely claime hereby the Uniuersal Power and Dominion ouer al the worlde Uerily S. Augustine saithe Paulus ipse non poterat esse Caput eorum quos plantauerat c. Pâ—ule him selfe coulde not be the Heade of them that he had planted For â—e saithe that we 〈◊〉 many are one Bodie in Christe and that Christe him selfe is the Heade of that Vnâ—uâ—rsal Bodie Of these woordes of S. Augustine we may geather this reason S. Paule coulde not be the Heade of them that he had planted Therefore much lesse may the Pope be the Heade of them that â—e neuer planted Yet replie wil be made That Theodoretus calleth the Churche of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche woordes M. Hardinge vntruly translateth President or bearinge rule ouer the worlde For he knoweth That the Gréeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Sitting in the first place and forceth
Iohn beinge a younge man and in manner a Childe shoulde be placed before men of yeeres This therfore is S. Hieromes meaninge that Christe to auoide confusion whiche lightly happeneth in al companies where as is none order appointed S. Peter for that he was the eldest man to speake to deale for the reaste as the Chiefe Heade of al his brethren Which order also was afterwarde vniuersally taken throughout the worlde that in euery congregation of Priestes one shoulde haue a special preeminence aboue others and be called Episcopus the Bishop This was thought a good politique way to avoide contention in the Churche and not as M. Hardinge imagineth To make one man the Vniuersal Ruler ouer al the worlde But touchinge this whole mater I haue answeared more at large in the .15 Diuision of this Article In the allegation of S. Augustines woordes M. Hardinge for his pleasure hath vttered manifest corruption in the stéede of this woorde Eorum purposely vsinge this woorde Omnium For where as S. Augustine saith Ipsum constituit Caput eorum Christe appointed him to be the Head of them M. Hardinge thought it better to allege it thus Ipsum constituit Caput Omnium Christe appointed him to be Head of al. He saw right wel that corrupte Doctrine woulde not stande without some corruption Further I doubt not but M. Harding dooth wel remember that the question that lieth betwéen vs riseth not of any extraordinarie name once or twise geuen vpon some special affection but of the vsual and knowen stile of the Bishoppes of Rome For Theophrastus saith Quae semel aut bis accidunt contemnuÌ„t Legislatores The law makers haue no regarde to suche thinges as neuer happen but once or twise Neither what so euer name is geuen to any man of fauour or admiration of his vertue is therefore to be reckened as his ordinarie title S. Chrysostome writeth thus of the Emperour Theodosius Laesus est qui non habet parem vllum super terram Summitas Caput omnium super terram hominum He is offeÌ„ded that in the Earth hath no peere the Toppe and the Head of al men in the worlde Eleutherius the Bishop of Rome gaue this title vnto Lucius the Kinge of this Ilelande Vos estis Vicarius Christi You beinge the King are Gods Vicar Chrysostome speakinge of Elias calleth him Prophetarum Caput The Head of the Prophetes The Councel of Ephesus writing vnto the Emperours Theodosius and Ualentinianus expresseth Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria by this title Caput Episcoporum coÌ„gregatorum Cyrillus Cyrillus the Heade of the Bishops there assembled Likewise Gregorie intitleth S. Paule in this wise Paulus ad Christum conuersus Caput effectus est nationum Paule beinge conuerted vnto Christ was made the Head of Nations And to take nearer view of the Bishop of Romes owne special titles Pope Nicolas thereof writeth thus Constat Pontificem a Pio Principe Constantino Deum appellatum It is wel knowen that the Pope of that Godly Prince Constantinus was called God And further they say Papa est in primatu Abel in zelo Elias in mansuetudine Dauid in potestate Petrus in vnctione Christus The Pope in Primacie is Abel in zeale is Elias in mildenesse is Dauid in power is Peter in anointinge is Christe These names as I haue saide of Affection and fauour haue been geuen yet wil not M. Hardinge therefore say that either the Emperour ought to be called the Head of al men vpon earth Or the Kinge Christes Uicare Or Elias the Head of the Prophetes Or Cyrillus the Head of the Councel Or S. Paule the Head of Nations Or the Bishop of Rome God or Christe as by an vsual and ordinarie Title And although as I haue saide S. Peters titles be nothinge incident to this Question yet wée may examine M. Hardinges argument touchinge the same Peter saith he was Head of the Apostles Ergo He was Head of other inferiour people And so Head of the Vniuersal Churche This is a deceiteful kinde of argument and riseth by degrees and steppes and in the Schooles is called Sorites In like sorte M. Harding might conclude thus Elias as Chrysostome saith was Head of the Prophetes Ergo He was Head of the inferiour people And so of the whole Vniuersal Church But the errour hereof wil better appeare by that argument that The mistocles the gouernour of Athens sometimes made of him selfe his wife his childe Thus he saide The people of Athens is ruled by mee I am ruled by my wife My wife is ruled by my childe Ergo The people of Athens is ruled by my Childe In this Reason this one woorde Rule hath thrée significations For Themistocles ruled as a Gouernour His wife as a Shrew his Childe as a wanton And therein standeth the errour of the argument So likewise this woorde Head signifieth sometime the chiefe in learninge sometime the chiefe in dignitie sometime the chiefe in Gouernement And hereof also in reasoning riseth great errour For it were greate folie to reason thus Paule in learninge and dignitie was the Head of al others Ergo He was the Head in Gouernment ouer al others Touching Uictor that wrote the Storie of the Uandales he is neither Scripture nor Councel nor Doctour nor writeth the Order or Practise of the primitiue Churche nor is it wel knowen either of what credite he was or when he liued nor dooth he cal the Bishop of Rome the Head of the Uniuersal Churche Onely he saith Rome is the Chiefe or Head Churche of al others Whiche thinge of our parte for that time is not denied as may better appeare by that is written before in sundrie places of this Article So dooth Prudentius cal Bethleem the Head of the World Sancta Bethlem Caput est Orbis So likewise Chrysostome geuing instructions vnto Flauianus touchinge the Citie of Antioche saith vnto him Cogita de totius Orbis Capite Thinke thou of Antioche that is the Heade of al the Worlde Hereby is meante a Head of Dignitie or Honour and not of Rule M. Hardinge findinge not one of the whole number of the Bishops of Rome once named the Heade of the whole Churche therfore thought it best to founde his proufe vpon S. Peter And for that cause others of his side haue auanced S. Peter aboue al Creatures Boniâ—acius saith That God tooke Peter in Consortium Indiuiduae Trinitatis into the Felowship euen of the Indiuisible Trinitie and that from him as from the Heade he powreth al his giftes into the Bodie Hereof M. Hardinge forceth his argument thus Peter was the Heade of the Apostles and so of al other inferiours Ergo The Bishop of Rome is the Heade of the Vniuersal Churche Thus as Iulianus the Emperour in his phrenesie sometimes imagined that the Great Aleranders Soule was come by Succession to dwel in him euen so now the Bishops of Rome imagine by like fantasie or phrenesie
Father So S. Augustine writinge against the Heretique Manichee that seemed muche to fauoure of M. Hardinges erroure saith Christus secundum Praesentiam Corporalem simul in Sole in Luna in Cruce esse non potuit Christe accordinge to the presence of his Bodie coulde not be both in the Sunne and in the Moone and vpon the Crosse at one time Againe he saith Christus venturus est illa Angelica voce testante quemadmodum ire visus est in Coelum id est in eadem Carnis Forma atque Substantia Cui profectò Immortalitatem dedit Naturam non abstulit Christ shal come againe as it is witnessed by the Angel euen as he was seene to goo into Heauen that is in the same shape and Substance of his fleashe vnto whiche fleashe as he hath geuen Immortalitie so hath he leafte vnto it the same Nature that it had before Thus S. Augustine And further he saith That who so holdeth that Christes Bodie is both in Heauen and in Earth at one time vtterly dissolueth and destroieth the Nature of the Bodie of Christe To be shorte and not to ouercharge the Reader with allegations S. Augustine seemeth to geue a special note by waie of prophecie touchinge this same For thus he saith His dictis mox Ascendit in Coelum praemunire voluit aures nostras aduersus eos quos procedentibus temporibus exurrecturos esse praedixerat dicturos Ecce hîc Christus Ecce illic quibus ne crederemus admonuit Nec vlla nobis excusatio est si crediderimus aduersus vocem Pastoris nostri tam claram tam apertam tam manifestam vt nemo vel obtusus tardus corde possit dicere Non intellexi These woordes spoken he Ascended into Heauen Hereby he gaue our eares a Premunire against them whiche he foretolde vs woulde rise in processe of time and say Beholde here is Christe beholde there is Christe Vnto whome he warned vs we shoulde geue no credite Neither haue we nowe any manner excuse if we beleeue them against the voice of our Sheephearde beinge so cleare so open and so plaine that noman be he neuer so heauie or dulle of harte can iustly say I vnderstoode him noâ— Thus the olde Catholique Doctours thought they might warrant the Argumentes for good and effectual that they tooke of Christes Humanitie and of the Natural Substance of his Bodie But perhaps they must al goe for newe Maisters and their argumentes likewise be condemned for péeuishe Let vs therefore consider the argumentes that M. Harding and his companie haue founded hereupon Thus therefore reason they Christe is Ascended into Heauen in his Humanitie The Heauens must holde his Bodie as S. Peter saithe vntil al thinges be â—stoared S. Paule saithe Our Conuersation is in Heauen from whence we looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christe Christe saithe I leaue the worlde and goe to my Father The poore ye shal stil haue emonge yowe but me ye shal not haue Ergo say they Christe is stil here in the worlde in his Corporal and Fleashely Presence Christes Bodie is of nature and substance Finite Ergo It is in places Infinite Christe hath two sortes of Bodies One onely Local al the reast of the other sorte not Local It is in place yet it occupieth or filleth no place It is a very Natural Mans Bodie yet is it neither rounde nor square nor thicke nor broade nor shorte nor longe It hath in it no distance or difference of partes as bytweene eye and eye or eye and eare or heade and foote but Eye Eare Arme Hande Heele Toe Heade and Foote are al togeather and eche is other and al is one In tenne thousande seueral places Christes Bodie is ful and whole and yet al these are but one Bodie Thus One is Many and Many are One Aboue is Beneath Beneath is Aboue Local is not Local and not Local is Local and al this without the authoritie either of Goddes holy Woorde or of any one Olde Catholique Father These be M. Hardinges Catholique Conclusions euen the very same that were vsed and auouched by Eutyches Apollinarius Manichaeus and other like Heretiques in olde times and therfore they may not nowe be counted péeuishe And that thou maiste the better féele the sauour soundenesse of these mens Doctrine I beseche thée Gentle Reader to consider these woordes of Robert Holcot a great Doctour of yâ— side Si fuissent mille hostiae in mille locis eo teÌ„pore quo Christus pepeÌ„dit in Cruce Christus fuisset Crucifixus in mille locis If there had beene a thousande hostes in a thousande places at that very time when Christe honge vpon the Crosse then had Christe benne Crucified in a thousande places Againe he saith Pono quòd tempore illo c. I suppose that at the same time the soule of Christe departinge from his Bodie vpon the Crosse had come vnto and reasted in one of the said hostes If so then had Christes Bodie benne both quicke and deade at one time Thus muche D. Holcot Here hast thou Good Reader a taste of M. Hardinges Doctrine in respecte whereof al other Doctrine must needes be condemned and cast as peeuishe Alas they wander vp and downe in meere vanities and as S. Paule saith They woulde be Doctours of the Lawe not vnderstandinge neither what they saie nor what they affirme Uerily S. Augustine saith Quando de forma Serui cogitas in Christo Humanam effigiem cogita si est in te Fides When thou thinkest of the forme of a Seruante in Christ thinke of the forme of a man if thou haue any Faith in the. This mater saith M. Hardinge is so clearely vttered by these fathers that Figures Significations Tropes and Metaphores canne haue no place M. Hardinge woulde not thus haue saide if he had any regarde vnto his Reader By the very order and tenoure of these Fathers wordes Christe cometh and yet cometh not Christe is not seene and yet is seene Christe is touched with handes yet noman canne touche him Euery man seeth him without guile or erroure yet noman seeth him Elias is aboue and at the same time the same Elias is beneath Elias Coate is called Elias Chrysostome and Ambrose are faine both to correct the rigoure of theire speache and to vse these woordes Memorie Examplar Commemoration and Remembrance And what is there here els but Figures Yet saith M. Hardinge Significations and Figures here can haue no place It is to great tyrannie so muche to mocke and abuse Goddes people M. Hardinge The .10 Diuision In makinge of whiche sclender argumentes they wil not seeme to acknowlege whose Bodie it is euen that whiche is proper to God whose power is ouer al and to whom al thinges obeye The B. of Sarisburie Yes vndoubtedly we acknowledge the Bodie of Christe to be the Bodie of the Sonne of God and therefore the Bodie of very God Yet neuerthelesse we
There is one loafe or Cake Broken for al. And S. Basile Idem est virtute siue vnam partem quis accipiat a Sacerdote siue plures partes simul â—t is al one in effecte whether a man take one onely parte of the Priest or many partes togeather It is likely he vseth these woordes Parte and Partes in respecte of one whole Durandus saith That in his time the prâ—est in some Churches Diuiding the Sacrament into thre portions receiued one him selfe and Ministred the other twoo to the Deacon and Subdeacon The like is recorded by Alexander de Hales and sundrie others Al this M. Hardinge dissembleth and passeth by and seeth nothinge but a Mystical Ceremonie Now this Cake beinge so large so thicke and so massie and hable to suffice so many wée may not wel thinke that the Priest coâ—lde câ—nâ—eniently diuide it into thrée partes and receiue al alone But rather as I haue already saide the Breakinge thereof is an inuincible proufe of the holy Communion and a manifest Condemnation of M. Hardinges Priuate Masse For it was not diuided into partes to the ende to Signifie these Mystical Fantasies that M. Hardinge and others haue imagined but to be Distributed and deliuered to the people Clemens Alexandrinus saith Etiam Eucharistiâ— cum quidam vt mos est diuiserint permittunt vnicuique ex populo partem eius sumere After that certaine that is the Priestes haue Diuided the Sacrament they suffer euery of the people to take a portion of it So S. Augustine saith Ad Distribuendum comminuitur It is Broken that it may be Distributed And againe Confringunt oblationes in Eucharistiam They Diuide the Oblations into the Sacrament that the people may Communicate So Dionysius Velatum Panem in multa concîdens vnitatem Calicis omnibus impertiens Diuidinge the Breade that stoode coouered into many partes and deliuering the Vnitie of the Cuppe vnto al the people In S. Basiles Communion taken out of the Syrian Tongue it is written thus Sacerdos frangit Signat Diaconus proclamat Communionem The Priest Breaketh and Signeth the Sacrament The Deacon crieth alowde The Communion And what néedeth the witnesse of so many S. Paule saithe Panis quem Frangimus nonne Communicatio Corporis Christi est The Breade that wee Breake is it not the Communication of the Bodie of Christe Whiche Woordes Anselmus expoundeth thus Panis quem nos Sacerdotes Frangimus quem vnuÌ„ in multas partes Diuidimus ad designandam Charitatem accipientium The Breade that we being Priestes doo Breake and whiche Breade beinge one Cake wee Diuide into many portions to expresse the loue or vnitie of the receiuers Likewise Lorichius Panis quem Frangimus Participatio Domini est hoc est Fractio Significat nos esse vnum Corpus The Breade that we Breake is the Participation of the Lorde that is to say The Breade signifieth that al we are one Bodie It appeareth hereby that the Sacrament was thus Diuided into partes not to the intente wée shoulde thereby learne new Mysteries but that the people might receiue it To be shorte This Ceremonie of three Portions so Broken and so receiued cannot be founde neither in the Scriptures nor in any of the Olde Fathers or Councelles It beareth witnesse bothe against Transubstantiation and also against Priuate Masse The best learned of that side cannot yet agree neither whence it sprange first nor what it meaneth The people neither seeth it nor knoweth it They them selues that so highly woulde séeme to fauour it contrary bothe to Sergius Decrée and also to his Mystical Exposition in their Masses dayly and openly are bolde to breake it Now hast thou good Christian Reader hereof indifferently to iudge whether M. Hardinge or his Countriemen be deceiued Uerily S. Augustine saith If the Causes that first mooued and leadde men to diuise suche Ceremonies can hardely or not at al be knowen when so euer oportunitie is offred let them be cut of and abolished without staggering FINIS THE XII ARTICLE OF FIGVRE SIGNE c. The B. of Sarisburie Or that whosoeuer had said The Sacrament is a Figure a Pledge a Token or a Remembrance of Christes Bodie had therefore beene iudged for an Heretique M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision In this Article we doo agree with M. Iuel in some respecte For we confesse it cannot be auouched by Scripture auncient Councel doctoure or example of the primitiue Churche that who so euer had saide the Sacrament is a Figure a Pledge a Token or a Remembrance of Christes Bodie had therefore ben iudged for an Heretike 185 No man of any learning euer wrote so vnlearnedly Much lesse to impute heresie to any man for saieinge thus hath ben any of the highest mysteries or greatest keies of our religion with whiche vntrueth M. Iuel goeth aboute to deface the trueth VVherefore this Article seemeth to haue ben put in either of malice towarde the Churche or of ignorance or onely to fille vp the heape for lacke of better stuffe Perusinge the workes of the auncient and learned Fathers we finde that oftentimes they cal the Sacramentes a Figure a Signe a Token a Mysterie a Samplar The woordes of them vsed to this purpose in their learned tongues are these Figura Signum Symbolum Mysterium Exemplar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imago c. By whiche they meane not to diminishe the trueth of Christes Bodie in the Sacrament but to signifie the Secrete manner of his beinge in the same The B. of Sarisburie It appeareth that these mennes Doctrine is muche mutable and subiecte to change For notwithstandinge they be nowe growen into some better likinge of these termes Figure Signe Signification Token c. Yet not longe sithence they seemed to be otherwise resolued and thought them selues hable to allege Theophylactus Damascenus Euthymius and other greate mater to disproue the same D. Tonstal the more to make the mater odiouse saith thus If the Sacrament be a Figure of Christes Bodie then was a Figure Crucified for vs and not Christe And what so euer they were that vsed this woorde Figura in this mater of the Sacrament D. Steuin Gardiner scornefully calleth them Figuratores Figurers And M. Iohn White late Schoolemaister after Bishop of Winton writeth thus in great scorne against that most ReuereÌ„de learned Father D. Peter Martyr touchinge the same Audio mille locis Corpus non audio Petre Signa Troposque tuo nec Symbola nata cerebro I heare Bodie Bodie in a thousande places But of Signes Figures Tokens that came onely out of thy heade I heare nothinge Whiche woordes notwithstandinge in al the Ancient learned Fathers by M. Hardinges owne Confession if he had had eares to heare he might haue hearde Therefore it was neither Malice nor Ignorance nor Increase of heape nor Wante of other stuffe but the fondnes and folie of M. Hardinges side that added this Article to the
in this Sacrament so longe as the formes of Bread and VVine remaine And when they faile and cease to be any more then also ceaseth the Body and Bloud of Christe to be in the Sacrament For there muste be a conuenience and resemblaunce betweene the Sacramentes and the thinges whereof they be Sacramentes whiche done away and loste at the corruptions of the formes and Accidentes the Sacramentes also be vndone and perishe and consequently the inwarde thinge and the heauenly thinge in them conteined leaueth to be in them The B. of Sarisburie I cannot imagine wherefore M. Hardinge should so often telle vs that the people in the Primitiue Churche was taught plainely For as nowe in his Churche of Rome al thinges of purpose are drowned in darknesse the simple people suffered to knowe nothinge no not the meaninge of the Sacramentes whiche of al other thinges should be moste plaine For briefely to open some parte of the Mysteries whiche euery of the simple vnlearned People may not knowe marke I beseeche thée good Christian Reader how plainely they haue determined the manner of Christes beinge in the Sacrament Thomas of Aquine that most famous of al the Schooledoctours writeth thus In Corpore Christi in Sacramento non est distantia partium ab inuicem vt oculi ab oculo aut Capitis à pedibus sicut est in alijs Corporibus organicis Talis enim distaÌ„tia parâ—ium est in ipso Corpore Christi vero sed non prout est in Sacramento Quia sic non habet Quantitatem dimensiuam In the Bodie of Christe in the Sacramente there is no distance of partes one from an other as bitweene eie and eie or eie and eare or heade and feete as it is in other natural Bodies For suche a distance there is in the True Bodie of Christe but not as it is in the Sacramente For so it hath no dimension of Quantities Out of which woordes the Reader may geather by the way that the True Bodie of Christe is not in the Sacramente O what a Christe haue they diuised for them selues He hath neither Quantitie nor Proportion of Bodie nor distance of partes he is neither longe nor shorte nor rounde nor broade nor thicke nor thinne his eies his eares his heade his feete are al in one Yet is this the very Proportion and stature of Christes Bodie euen as he walkte vpon the Earthe and euen as he was naâ—leâ— vpon the Crosse. And leaste any man should stagger hereat and stande in doubte this mater is ouerlookte and considered in the Decrees by the Canonistes by these woordes Sed secundum hoc videtur quòd vbi pars est ibi est totum secundum hoc videtur quod pes nasus sunt coniuncti quod non credo By this it appeareth that where as the parte is there is the whole and that Christes foote and his nose are bothe togeather But I cannot â—â—leeue that So clearely and plainely these menne are woonte to teache the people I passe ouer the reste of their Doctrine Sometimes their Accidentes haue power to nourishe Sometimes the same Accidentes are partes of the Substance sometimes Substance muste be an Accidente Sometimes Accidentes muste be Substance To be shorte thus of Night they make Daie and of Daie they make Night They are nowe ashamed of their owne Doctours that lately were in highest roome and as it befelle sometime vnto them that enterprised the Tower of Babylon one of them vnderstaÌ„deth not an others language And therefore now their buildinge is at a staie This is the simplicitie and plainesse of M. Hardinges Churche It is an easier mater for the simple people to goe to Heauen then for him and his felowes to agrée wel and thorowly of the waie Here M. Hardinge without either Scripture or Coâ—ncel or Doctour hath inâ—erlarded a longe Fable of his owne whiche notwithstandinge as he saithe is the Doctrine of the Churche But miserable is that Churche that hathe neither Scripture nor Councel nor Doctour to approue her Doctrine Firste he imagineth That Christes Bodie is Really in the Sacramente so longe as the Sacramente is a Sacramente Againe by the tenoure and force of his Doctrine Yf Christes Bodie once departe awaie then is the Sacramente nomore a Sacramente Thus this Doctrine turneth rounde If it be a Sacramente then is Christes Bodie there yf Christes Bodie be there then is it a Sacramente So simply and plainely they teache the people O happy are they that haue sutche Maisters Further he saithe The Substance of the Breade and VVine is Really changed into the Bodie and Bloude of Christe And this he auoucheth by Scriptures without woordes and by Doctours without names Afterwarde he keepeth greate Mutes aboute Qualities and Quantities Howe far the coloure or sauoure or other qualities of the Breade maie be altered and into howe smal mites the Breade maie be crommed for these be his owne woordes and yet neuerthelesse Christes Bodie continewe in it No doubte a very plaine and comfortable and a sauery Doctrine for the people S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome and other learned Fathers traueiled far and deepely withe great studie S. Paule was lifted vp into the thirde Heauen yet none of them coulde vnderstande it In the ende he saithe There must be a conuenience and a Resemblance bytweene the Sacramente and the thinges whereof it is a Sacramente For example As Water dooth washe and refreashe our Bodies so by Resemblance wée are taught in the Water of Baptisme that Christes Bloude dooth washe and refreashe our Soules And as our bodies be Feadde by material Breade so in the holy Communion wée are taught by like Resemblance that our soules are Feadde with the Bodie of Christe Sutche conuenient Likenesse there is bitweene the Sacramente and the thinge that is Represented by the Sacramente But what sutche Resemblance or Likenesse can M. Hardinge imagin herein to further his fantasie Wherein are his Accidentes like vnto Christes Bodie Or wherein is Christes Bodie like vnto his Accidentes â–ª Wil he saie that the Accidentes of Breade doo nourishe and increase the Substance of our bodies Or that our soules liue so by Christes Bodie as our bodies liue by Accidentes If he leaue this Resemblance of Feedinge and Nourishinge what other Resemblance can he finde O howe muche better were if for M. Hardinge simply and plainely to confesse that as wel for this Article as for the rest he is vtterly destitute not onely of the Scriptures but also of General Councelles and Anciente Fathers and hath nothinge to allege but onely certaine vaine imaginations of his owne M. Hardinge The .4 Diuision Here because many of them whiche haue cutte them selues from the Churche condemne the Reseruation of the Sacrament and affirme that the Body of Christe remaineth not in the same no longer then duringe the time whiles it is receiued alleâ—ginge against Reseruation the example of the Paschal Lambe in the olde lawe wherein nothinge
newe thinges with the Olde and stil to alter new for newe vntil bothe their wittes and their speache beginne to faile them Here note good Reader that in this whole Article M. Hardinge hath alleged no manner Doctour nor Olde nor Newe The reason thereof is this for that of the Olde Doctours he had none to allege and of his Newe Doctours he was ashamed FINIS THE XXV ARTICLE VVHETHER THE FOVRMES BE THE SACRAMENTE The B. of Sarisburie Or that the Accidentes or Fourmes or Shewes of Breade and Wine be the Sacramentes of Christes Bodie and Bloude and not rather that Breade and Wine it selfe M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision For as muche as by the almighty power of Gods woorde pronounced by the Prieste in the Consecration of this Sacrament the Bodie and Bloude of Christe are made 253 Really Present the Substance of Breade 253 tourned into the Substance of the Bodie and the Substance of VVine into the Substance of the Bloude the Breade whiche is consumed a waie by the fier of the Diuine Substance as Chrysostome saithe and now is become the Breade whiche was formed by the hande of the Holy Ghoste in the wombe of the Virgine and decocted with the fier of the Passion in the Aulter of the Crosse as S. Ambrose saithe can not be the Sacrament of the Bodie nor the VVine of the Bloude Neither can it be saide that the Breade and VVine whiche were before are the Sacramentes for that the Breade is becomme the Bodie and the VVine the Bloude and so now they are not and if they be not then neither be they Sacramentes Therefore that the outwarde formes of Breade and VVine which remaine be the Sacramentes of Christes Bodie and Bloude and not the very Breade and VVine it selfe it foloweth by sequele of reason or consequent of vnderstandinge deduced out of the firste trueth whiche of S. Basile in an Epistle ad Sozopolitanos speakinge against certaine that went about to raise vp againe the olde Heresie of Valentinus is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of whiche sequele of reason in the matter of the Sacrament many conclusions may be deduced in case of wante of expresse Scriptures VVhiche waie of reasonninge Basile vsed against Heretikes as also sundry other Fathers where manifest Scripture might not be allâ—aged The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge presumeth that his newe fantasie of Transubstantiation must needes stande for good And therefore imagininge that the Breade and Wine are wholy remooued and cannot be the Sacramentes he thinketh he maie wel conclude that the Fourmes Shewes that are leafte behinde must néedes be the Sacramentes But this errour is soone reprooued by the consente of al the Olde Catholique Fathers of the Churche S. Augustine saithe Quod videtis Panis est The thinge that ye see speakinge of the Sacramente is not a Fourme or an Accidente but Very Breade S. Chrysostome Theodoretus Gelasius and other learned Fathers confesse by manifeste and expresse woordes That there remaineth stil in the Sacramente the Very Nature and Substance of Breade and Wine Therefore this Doctrine is builte vpon a false grounde and cannot stande But Chrysostome saithe The Breade is consumed by the force of the Diuine Presence And S. Ambrose saithe M. Hardinge reporteth the same It is greate frowardnesse whatsoeuer any one or other of the Fathers happen to vtter in vehemencie and heate of talke to dissemble the manner of their speache and to drawe and force the same violently to the rigourâ— of the letter Paulus saithe In fraudem Legis facit qui saluis verbis Legis sententiam eius circumuenit He dooth wronge to the Lawe that folowinge onely the bare woordes defraudeth the meaninge of the Lawe S. Cyprian saithe Passio Christi est Sacrificium quod offerimus The Sacrifice that wee offer is the Passion of Christe Chrysostome saithe Baptisma Christi Sanguis eius est The Baptisme of Christe is Christes Bloude And againe he saithe In Mysterijs Sanguis ex Christi latere hauritur In the time of the holy Communion the Bloude of Christe is drawen out of his side S. Gregorie saithe Christus iterum in hoc Mysterio moritur In this Mysterie of the holy Communion Christe is put to Death againe I trowe M. Hardinge wil not so straitly force vs to beléeue onely vpon the sight of these bare woordes either that the holy Communion is Christes Passion or that the Water of Baptisme is Christes Bloude or that Christe is slaine and put to Death in the time of the Holy Mysteries Or that Christes Bloude at that time is drawen and powred from his side and that without healpe of Figure Uerily Really and in deede By sutche manner of amplification and kinde of speache S. Chrysostome saith The Breade is consumed not for that theâ—e remaineth in the Sacramente no Breade at al but for that in comparison of the Death of Christe that there is laide foorth and represented before vs the material Breade seemeth nothinge For otherwise Chrysostome most plainely confesseth that the Nature of Breade remaineth stil. These be his woordes In Sacramento manet Natura Panis In the Sacramente there remaineth stil the Nature of Breade And as he saithe The Breade is Consumed Euen so in the same place he seemeth to saie The Prieste is Consumed His woordes be these Ne putes te accipere Diuinum Corpus ab Homine Thinke not that thow receiuest the Diuine Bodie of a Man And to like purpose he speaketh of the Sacramente of Baptisme Non Baptizaris à Sacerdote Deus ipâ—e tenet Caput tuum Thou art not Baptized of the Prieste It is God him selfe that holdeth thy Heade Thus the holy Fathers intreatinge of the Sacramentes vse to auance our mindes from the Sensible and corruptible Elementes to the cogitation of the Heauenly thinges that thereby are Represented And therefore Chrysostome saith Mysteria omnia interioribus oculis videnda sunt Wee must beholde al Mysteries with our inner eies Whiche inner eies doubtlesse haue no regarde to any corruptible and outwarde thinge Hereby the feeblenes of M. Hardinges sequele maie soone appeare True it is that he further saith In case of want of the Scriptures wee maie sometime guide our selues by discourse and drifte of Reason Notwithstandinge S. Augustine saithe Haec consuetudo periculosa est The custome hereof is very dangerous But in this case M. Hardinge wanteth neither the Scriptures nor the Authoritie of Anciente Doctours It is plaine by the manifeste woordes of S. Paule of S. Chrysostome of S. Augustine of Theodoretus of Gelasius and of other moe holy Fathers bothe Greekes and Latines that in the Sacramente â–ª after the woordes of Consecration the very Nature and Substance of the Breade remaineth stil. It were mutche for M. Hardinge to forsake al these and to trust onely to a bare shifte of simple Reason M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision And