Image or Figure of the Crosse in the time of the Newe Testament God seemeth by his Prouidence and by special warninges in sundry reuelations and secrete declarations of his will to haue commended the same to menne that they should haue it in good regard and remembrance VVhen Constantine the Emperour had prepared him selfe to warre against Maxentius the Tyrant castinge in his minde the greate daungers that might thereof ensue and calling to God for helpe as he lookte vp beheld as it were in a vision the Signe of the Crosse appearinge vnto him in Heauen as bright as fier and as he was astonied with that straunge sight he harde a voice speakinge thus vnto him Constantine in this ouercomme After that Iulian the Emperour had forsaken the Profession of Christen Religion and had done Sacrifice at the temples of Painyms mouing his subiectes to doo the like as he marched forward with his armie on a daie the droppes of rayne that fell downe out of the â—yer in a shewer formed and made tokens and signes of the Crosse bothe in his and also in the souldiers garmentes Rufinus hauinge declared the straunge and horrible plagues of God whereby the Iewes were fraied and letted from their vaine attempte of buildinge vp againe the temple at Hierusalem leaue thereto of the Emperour Iulian in despite of the Christians obteined in the ende saithe that least those earthquakes and terrible fiers whiche he speaketh of raised by God whereby as well the woorkehouses and preparations towarde the buildinge as also greate multitudes of the Iewes were throwen downe caste abroade and destroied shoulde be thought to happen by chaunce the nighte folowinge these plagues the signe of the Crosse appeared in euery one of their garmentes so euidently as none to cloke their infidelitie was hable by any kinde of thinge to scowre it out and put it awaye VVhen the temples of the Painims were destroied by Christians in Alexandria aboute the yere of our Lorde .390 in the chiefe temple of al whiche was of the Idolâ— Serapis the holy and mystical letters called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Gods prouidence were founde grauen in stones representing the Figure of the Crosse the Signification whereof after their interpretation was life to come VVhiche thinge espied by the Christians and by the Painims present at the spoile serued maruelously to furtheraunce of the Christen Faith no lesse then the inscription of the Aultar at Athens Ignoto Deo vnto the vnknowen God serued to the same purpose through S. Paules preaching VVhich altogether was before wrought by Gods holy Prouidence as Socrates one of the writers of the Ecclesiastical stories reporteth Thus it appeareth plainely how Gods Prouidence hath commended vnto true beleuers the Signe of the Crosse. For whiche cause and for Remembrance of oure Redemption it hath ben in olde time and alwaies sithens muche frequented and honoured For beside that we reade hereof in Tertullian who was neare the Apostles time in Apologetico we finde in the writers of the Ecclesiastical stories â–ª that the Christen people of Alexandria after they had pulled downe and taken away the armes and monumentes of Serapis the Idol euery man caused the signe of our Lordes Crosse in place of them to be painted and set vp in their postes entries windowes walles and pillours that where so euer the eye was tourned it should light on the Holy signe of the Crosse. Constantine the Emperour loued and honoured this Signe so muche that he caused the same to be painted in al his flagges and banners of warre to be stroken in his coines and moneis to be purtraited in his armes scutchins and targets Of this Aurelius Prudentius maketh mention Christus purpureum gemmanti textus in Auro Signabat labarum Clypeorum insignia Christus Scripserat ardebat summis Crux addita cristis The sense whereof is thus muche in Englishe The chiefe baÌ„ner which was of purple had the Image of Christe in it wrought in Golde and stoanes The targets were painted al ouer with Christe The Crosse shined firebright in the creastes of their Helmettes That the banner commonly borne before the Emperour in warre in Latine called Labarum was of this sorte it appeareth by an Epistle that S. Ambrose wrote to Theodosius the Emperour Neither was the Figure of the Crosse then onely in Flagges and Banners painted wouen embrodered or otherwise wrought in Golde or pretious stoanes But also made in whole golde and set vpon a longe staffe or pole and borne before men 202 as the maner is nowe in processions as it seemeth plainely by these verses of Prudentius Agnoscas Regina lubens mea signa necesse est In quibus effigies Crucis aut Gemmata refulget Aut longis solido ex Auro praefertur in hastis It houeth you Madame that gladly you acknowlege mine ensignes in whiche the Figure of the Crosse is either glitteringe in stoanes or of whole Golde is borne on longe slaues before vs. This much haue I gathered out of the auncient Fathers writinges concerninge the Signe of our Lordes Crosse the sight whereof the professours of this Newe Gospel can not abide to the entente the diuersitie of our time and of olde time may appeare to the manners of whiche for a perfecte reformation these preachers woulde seeme to bringe the worlde againe The B. of Sarisburie The Signe of the Crosse I graunt emonge the Christians was had in greate regarde that the more bothe for the publique reproache and shame that by the common iudgement of al the worlde was conceiued against it also for that most woorthy price of our Redemption that was offered vpon it It is written Accursed be al they that are hanged vpon the Tree And Chrysostome saithe The Infidelles vsed commonly to vpbraide the Christians with these woordes Tu adoras CrucifixuÌ„ Wilt thou woorship a man that was hanged vpon a Crosse Thei thought great vilanie in that kinde of Deathe for it was most odious and shameful of al others also they thought it greate folie to thinke wel of it Therefore S. Paule saithe VerbuÌ„ Crucis pereuntibus stultitia est The Woorde of the Crosse vnto them that perishe is but a folie Againe Praedicamus Christum Crucifixum Iudaeis quidem scandalum Gentibus auteÌ„ Stultitiam VVee preache Christe Crucified a great offence vnto the Iewes And vnto the Heathens a greate Folie Likewise S. Augustine calleth the Crosse Ipsam ignominiam quà m Pagani derident That very shame that the Heathens laughe to scorne Likewise also Chrysostome Mors Christi apud Iudaeos maledicta apud Gentiles abominanda The Deathe of Christe emonge the Iewes is holden accursed emonge the Heathens it is holden abominable Therefore the Faithful that beléeued in Christe in al their talkes in their whole life conuersation vsed so much the more to extolle magnifie the same in reproche of the enemies of the Crosse
Clemens Gelasius writeth thus and for that he was Bishop of the same see it is the more likely he should know the truthe Pauca quae ad memoriam venerunt Catholicis vitanda sunt decreuimus esse subdenda In primis Ariminensem synodum à Constantino Caesare Constantini filio congregaâ—am mediante Tauro praefecto ex tunc in aeternum confitemur esse damnatam Item Itinerarium nomine Petri Apostoli quod appellatur sancti Clementis libri Octo Apocryphi We haue thought good sayth Gelasius to note certaine bookes whiche are come to knowledge and ought to be auoyded of Catholike people First the Councel holden at Ariminum geathered by Constantiâ—us the Emperour the sonne of Constantinus by meane of Taurus the lieutenante from thenceforth and for euer we iudge woorthy to be condemned lykewise the Iournal of Peter the Apostle bearinge the name of Clement eight bookes are secrete vnlawful writinges Thus we sée diuers bookes of Clement condemned by name and but one epistle onely allowed for good and this volume here alleged by M. Hardinge conteininge eight bookes as it is noted by Peter Crabbe fully agréeyng in number of bookes with the other condemned by Gelasius To be shorte Cardinal Bessarion allegynge parcel of the same booke of Clement that hath bene hidden so longe writeth thus of it Licet haec Clementis verba inter Apocryphas scripturas commemorari solâ—ant placet tamen eis inpraesentiarum tanquam veris assentiamus Albeit the woordes of Clement be accompted amongst secrete vnlawful writinges yet for once we are content to receiue them as if they were true Thus M. Hardinges Clement is disallowed by Eusebius and by S. Hierome mistrusted by Bessarion condemned by Gelasius kepte forth comminge in close pryson for the space of a thousande and fiue hundred yeres yet muste we now without refusal stoupe vnto him and take him as the Apostles fellow One other of these witnesse is Abdias and he is brought in with al his titles the Bishop of Babylon planted there by the Apostles one that was conuersant with Christe and hearde him preache and sawe him in the fleashe and was present al the martyrdome of S. Andrew with al other circumstances that may geather credit amonge the simple Of this Abdias somewhat must be spoken and so much the more for that his name is so glorious He was sought out and founde and set abroade of very late yeres vnder the name of Abdias by one Wolphgangus Zazius a man that taketh greate paynes to force men to beléeue it is the very selfe same Abdias that he maketh him selfe to be and therefore he saith he was one of the .lxxij. Disciples ordred Bishop by the Apostles and that S. Luke the Euangelist writyng the Actes of the Apostles borowed many whole stories woorde by woorde out of him Then was S. Luke verie vnthankeful that neuer once made mention of his author But who so euer or what so euer this Abdias were his owne woordes doo so bewraye him that a blinde man may see it was not he He maketh manie shamelesse lies that he was present with Christe and at the moste parte of the Apostles dooynges yet were the Apostles then accordyng to Christes coÌ„maundement gone into the whole worlde some into Italie some into Asia minor some into Scythia some into India some into Ethiopia and were many thousand myles a sundre In his fable of Iphigenia he sayth that the people tooke her brother Bâ—or beyng then Christened by S. Mathew and made him Kynge and that he reigned afterwarde in Ethiopia the space of .lxiij. yeres and further maketh mention of Egesippus that liued aboue one hundred and thrée score yéeres after Christe If Abdias were aliue al this while he mighte be likened to Iohannes de temporibus who as the Frenche storie recordeth liued in Fraunce aboue thrée hundred yéeres A lier muste be circumspecte and mindeful what he say If he sawe Christe in the fleashe it is not likely he euer sawe Egesippus that was so longe after Christe If he sawe Egesippus it is not likely he euer saw Christe Thus if he reporte truthe in the one he lieth in the other and so whether he lie or saie truthe he cannot be Abdias Touchinge the substance of his booke it is nothinge els for the more parte of it but a vayne péeuishe tale laide out with falsheade wicked doctrine and curious conference and talke with Diuels thinges farre vnméete for that grauitie and Maiestie of the Apostles of Christe as it maye soone appeare vnto the reader It may be geathered by S. Augustine in sundrie places that some parte of this booke was written by certaine Heretikes named the Manichées and auoutched by them as the very true storie of the Apostles For he reporteth the fables of S. Thomas of S. Mathew of S. Andrew of the Lion that slewe the man that had striken S. Thomas of the Dogge that brought the same mannes hande vnto the table of Maximilla wife vnto Egis and other like tales euen in suche order as they be sette foorthe by this Abdias Againste one Adimantus he writeth thus They that is the Manichées reade Secrete Scriptures whiche they them selfe saye are pure and perfecte in whiche Scriptures it is written that S. Thomas cursed a man and that afterwarde a Lion slewe him c. And in an other place he saithe Attendite qualia sint quae scribuntur de Maximilla vxore Egetis illam noluisse viro debitum reddere donasse supposuisse Eucliam ancillam alias similes fabulas Beholde what thinges they be that be written of Maximilla wife vnto Egis that she beyng once Christened woulde no more yelde duetie vnto her husbande but sette Euclia her mayde in her owne place and other like fables Al these and suche like tales thus disallowed by S. Augustine are reported by M. Hardinges Abdias in great soothe I thought it not amisse to speake hereof the more at large for that I sawe a booke so ful of tales so lately founde out without any good shewe of credite to be fathered vpon the Apostles disciple and sente into the worlde with suche a countenaunce S. Augustine séemeth in diuerse places to haue geuen his iudgement of the same Writinge against the aduersarie of the lawe Prophetes he hath these woordes He hath brought foorth witnesses out of Secrete Scriptures vnder the names of the Apostles Iohn and Andrew whiche writinges if they had ben theirs they had ben receiued of the Churche The like iudgement hereof séemeth to be geuen by Gelasius who also saithe that suche writinges accordinge to an auncient custome and by a singular prouision were not reade in the Churche of Rome for that they were thought to be writen by Heretikes Thus is this Abdias a booke as it is apparent ful of manifest lies and as it may be supposed by S. Augustine Gelasius written and
tongue or that the whole people thereto saide Amen within the space of sixe hundred yéeres after Christe Let vs saie further that Christe him selfe and al his Apostles saide Priuate Masse and receiued the Holy Sacramente seuerally alone That al the Ancient Fathers ministred the halfe Communion onely vnder One Kinde That al the Common Praiers were euerywhere saide in a strange Learned Tongue vtterly vnknowen vnto the People This offer is frée and liberal And what can you desire more But perhaps it shameth you to saie so muche For al be it some of you haue often saide it yet the vntrueth thereof is manifest and sheweth it selfe Onely ye wishe I had vsed some greatter Modestie And woulde you that I shoulde haue saide Ye haue one Ancient Doctoure directly and plainely of your side and so in that place and in that presence for Modesties sake to haue auouched open Untruethe as you and others had donne before O M. Hardinge in these cases a meane waie is no waie Accursed is that Modestie that drowneth the Truethe of God Chrysostome saithe Veritarem negat qui cam non liberâ— praedicat He is a renouncer of the Truethe that dareth not freely to saye the Truethe Ye saie I haue soughte vp certaine smal quaestions of light importance wherein the Ancient Doctours haue not traueiled as not daringe to enter into maters of greatter weight Howe be it it seemeth ouer muche for you to limite and appointe eche man what he shoulde preache at Paules Crosse. Neither is it muche material whether these maters be Greate or Smal but whether you by colour of the same haue deceiued the people But woulde ye haue vs nowe at laste beléeue that your Masse your Transubstantiation your Real Presâ—nce your Adoration your Sacrificinge of the Sonne of God and your Supremacie of Rome be so smal maters Ye tolde vs not longe sithence there were no other maters so greate as these And may we thinke that your Religion is nowe greatter nowe smaller and increaseth and vadeth and waxeth and waneth as doothe the Moone Uerily Pope Nicolas woulde haue ioyned your Transubstantiation to the Crede and woulde haue made it the Thirteenthe Article of our Faithe And Pope Boniface the eight saithe that to be subiecte to the Churche of Rome is of the necessitie of Saluation And Pope Nicolas saithe Who so euer deuieth the Authoritie and preeminence of that See is an Heretique Notwithstandinge howe Greate or Smal these maters be it forceth not In déede you had learned them in very smal time and as nowe ye auouche them with very smal proufes And howe smal and lighte so â—uer you woulde nowe haue them to appeare yet for the same ye haue made no smal adoo Nothinge ought to be taken for smal wherewith so greate multitudes of Goddes people maie be deceiued The maters wherewith Christe charged the Phariseis were not so Greate Yet Christe saithe vnto them Ye strayne a gâ—at and swalowe a Camel S. Paule saithe A little leauen loureth a whole â—umpe of doughe A heare is smal yet wee reade it hath chokte a bigge man Plato saithe Robberie is no lesse in a Smal mater then in a Greate The Ciniphes were but smal yet are they reckened emonge the greate plagues of God They that firste beganne to maineteine that arrogante presumptuous title of Uniuersal Bishop whiche nowe the Bishop of Rome chalengeth wholy to him selfe saide it was but a Smal mater But Gregorie saithe Alia sunt friuola innoxia alia sunt friuola noxia Some thinges are Smal and doo no hurte some thinges are Smal and doo greate hurte And comparinge the same with the pride of Antichriste who shoulde cal him selfe Deus that is to saie God He saithe thus Si spectes quantitatem vocis duae sunt Syllabae Si pondus iniquitaris est vniuersa pernicies Yf ye weigh the quantitie of the woorde it standeth in two syllables If the weight of the wickednes it is an vniuersal destruction Though these maters were Smal yet the Untruethes and Errours that thereof haue risen are not Smal. Remooue the same and your greattest Religion wil fal to nothinge To conclude if these maters be Greate they are the more woorthy to be considered if they be Smal there is the lesse hurte in leauinge of them and the more wilfulnesse in defendinge of them Uerily the whole worlde is weary of them Christe saieth Qui in modico iniquus est in maiori iniquus est He that is wicked in the Smal is also wicked in the Greate You saie VVe flee and forbeare the Iudgemente of the Learned and shake out these thinges with greate admiration onely emongest the simple As Alexander the Kinge of Macedonia made him selfe a God and had muche talke of his Father Iuppiter emonge the Barbariens but emongest the Greekes that were wise and hable to iudge and knewe him wel yenough he was contente to talke of other maters This comparison M. Hardinge is odious and sauoureth ouer muche of your choler Wée hunte not for any Admiration or opinion of Godheade emonge the people Wée preache not our selues but Christe Iesus But thus the Phariseâ—s saide of Christe him selfe These rascalles are accursed they haue no learninge they knowe not the Lawe Emongest them wil he be There be reigneth like a Prince There he seeketh to be made a God Here mighte I eftesones put you in remembrance of him that hath so longe abused and mocked the whole worlde bothe Princes and Subiectes as wel learned as vnlearned accomptinge them al as wilde and barbarous and hath suffered him selfe openly to be Proclaimed and published by the name of God The woordes be knowen Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lorde God the Pope And againe Constat Papam à pio Principe Constantino Deum appellatum Et Deum ab hominibus iudicari non posse manifestum est Alexander stoode in some awe and reuerence of the Wise but this man despiseth bothe Wise and Unwise Learned and Unlearned and al the worlde It was somewhat out of season for you in this place to intreate of the Ualiditie of your Canon so earnestly to labour to prooue it faultelesse before any man had begonne to touche it or to prooue it faultie It is supposed that some parts thereof was diuised by Leo and afterwarde augmented by Gelasius and after that by one whome S. Gregorie calleth Scholastieus and after againe by Gregorius him selfe and that at laste aboute eighte hundred and fiftie yéeres after Christe it was brought to some perfection and made vp by Pope Sergius As nowe it is more closely pronounced and more reuerently vsed then either the Epistle or the Gospel But whether there be any faulte therein or none I leaue that to you M. Hardinge to be better considered by your selfe Your Doctour Durande saithe thus Cùm Sacerdos orauerit pro Hostia Transubstantianda eamque Transubstantiatam Patri
these in a declaration that he wrote of the Sacrament Non dixi neque consului neque est intentio mea vt vnus aut aliquot Episcopi propria authoritate alicui incipiant vtramque speciem porrigere nisi ita constitueretur mandaretur in Concilio generali Neither haue I saide nor counsailed nor my minde is that any one or moe Bishops beginne by their owne authoritie to geue bothe kindes of the Sacrament to any person onlesse it were so ordeined and commaunded in a general Councel The B. of Sarisburie It gréeueth M. Hardinge that we should say the Councel of Constance decréed against Christe him selfe and therefore he sendeth vs to Luther him selfe that seinge his inconstancie we may be ashamed of our selfe And thus with one poore syllable he thought it good merily to refreashe him selfe yet touchinge inconstancie wherein he so triumpheth against D. Luther he séemeth vtterly to haue forgotten him selfe For it is knowen to the worlde that D. Luther in al his life neuer changed but once that from manifest errour to the open confessed trueth But M. Hardinge vpon how good occasions I wil not say hath changed his doctrine and whole faithe twise within the space of two yeeres And so muche woulde I not now haue toutched sauinge onely to put him in remembrance of him selfe That the determination of the Councel of Constance was against Christe bisides Gerardus Lorichius a Doctour of M. Hardinges owne Schoole who affirmeth it in vehement woordes what canne there be so plaine as that S. Paule writeth vnto the Corinthians That I receiued of the Lorde the same haue I deliuered vnto you After he mentioneth eche kinde aparte sheweth that as Christe tooke the breade so he also tooke the Cuppe that the Apostles receiued both at Christes handes not onely for them selues but also to the vse behoufe of the people Therefore where as M. Hardinge crieth so often against vs that the deliuerie of the Cuppe vnto the people is no parte of Christes Institution if he had considered these thinges wel or had conferred herein with the olde Catholike Fathers he woulde haue better aduised him selfe For in stéede of many for shortnes sake to allege but one S. Cyprians woordes in this mater be very plaine Quidam vel ignoraÌ„ter vel simpliciter in Calice Dominico sanctificando plebi ministrando non hoc faciunt quod Iesus Christus Dominus Deus noster huius Sacrificij Author Doctor fecit docuit Some there be that in sanctifieyng the Cuppe and deliuering it vnto the people doo not that thing that Iesus Christe our Lorde and God the authour and teacher of this Sacrifice both did and taught And addeth further If any man be in this errour seeinge the light of the trueth let him returne againe vnto the roote and vnto the original of the Lordes Tradition And after in the same Epistle we keepe not the thing that is coÌ„maunded vs onlesse we doo the same that the Lorde did In these few woordes S. Cyprian saith The Lorde both did it and taught it to be donne He calleth it The Lordes Tradition he calleth it The Lordes commaundement And here cannot M. Hardinge steale away in the miste say S. Cyprian meante al this of the Cuppe that the Priest consecrateth for him selfe for his very woordes be plaine to the contrary In Calice Dominico sanctificando plebi ministrando that is in sanctifieinge the Lordes Cuppe and ministringe it vnto the people And if S. Cyprian might wel write thus against the Heretiques called Aquarij which in the holy Ministration would vse no wine but in steede thereof did Consecrate water ministred it vnto the people muche more may we say the same against our aduersaries which Consecrate and Minister vnto the people no Cuppe at al. Wherfore at th ende of the same Epistle he concludeth with these woordes Not to doo that thinge that the Lorde did what is it els then to cast of his Woorde and to despise his Discipline and to coÌ„mitte not worldly but spiritual robberie and adulterie while as a man from the trueth of the Gospel stealeth away both the sayinges and dooinges of the Lorde and corrupteth and defileth Gods coÌ„maundementes So it is writen in the prophete Hieremie vvhat is Chaffe in comparison of Corne Therefore vvil I vpon these prophetes saieth the Lord that steale my vvoordes eche one of them from his neighbour and deceiue my people in their lies and in their errours The woordes that Luther wrote to them of Bohemia and the others here reported were written by him before God had appointed him to publishe the Gospelâ— aâ—d therefore are no more to be alleged againste him for that he wrote afterwarde as note of inconstancie then M. Hardinges Sermons preached openly in the 〈◊〉 of kinge Edwarde are to be alleged against that he writeth now M. Hardinge The .6 Diuision Thus he wrotâ— before he had conceiued perfite hatred against the Churche But after that he had beene better acquainted with the Diuel and of him appearinge vnto him sensibly had beene instructed with argumentes against the Sacrifice of the Masse 51 that the memorie of our Redemption by Christe wrought on the Crosse might vtterly be abolished â–ª 〈◊〉 wrâ—te hereof farre otherwise Si quo caâ—u Concilium statueret minime omnium nos vellemus vtraque specie potiriâ—imo tunc primum in despectum Concilij vellemus aut vna aut neutra nequaquam vtraque potiâ—â— eos plaue anathema habere quicunque talis Concilij authoritate potirentur viraque â—f in any case the Councel woulde so ordeine we woulde in no wise haue bothe the kindes but euen then in despite of the Councel we woulde haue one kinde or neither of them and in no wise bothe and holde them for accursed who so euer by authoritie of such a Councel wold haue bothe These woordes declare what spirite Luther was of They shewe him like him selfe VVho so euer readeth his bookes with indifferent iudgement shal finde that sithens the Apostles time neuer wrote man so arrogantly ne so dispitefully against the Churche nor so contrarily to him selfe Whiche markes be so euident that who so euer wil not see them but suffereth him selfe to be caried away into errour â–ª hatred of the Churche and contempte of al godlines either by him or by his scholars excepte he repente and returne he is guiltie of his own damnation vtterly ouerthrowen and sinneth inexcusably as one condemned by his owne iudgement But for excuse hereof in his booke of the Captiuitie of Babylon he confesseth that he wrote thus not for that he thought so nor for that he iudged the vse of one kinde vnlawful but bicause he was stirred by hatred and anger so to doo His woordes doo sounde so muche plainely Prouocatus imo per vim raptus I wrote this saithe he otherwise then I thought in my harte prouoked and by violence pulled to it whether
of the people Gelasius of the Priestes He complaineth that the reste of Gelasius is not to be founde as though it were suppreste by some of vs and yet it is thought the Pope hath it whole in his Librarie He diuiseth newe causes of vnitie of the Mysterie suche as Gelasius neuer knewe He concludeth at the laste that this breache of Christes Institution and Ministration vnder One Kinde that is nowe vniuersally vsed in the Churche of Rome was firste brought in and practised by the Manichees whiche were in olde time wicked and horrible Heretiques He saithe I haue guilefully alleged Gelasius and to the intent it mighte the sooner appeare he hath noted it specially in the Margin But if M. Hardinge himselfe had meante no guile he woulde haue shewed plainely wherein I haue béene guileful or what I might haue gotten by this guile or what aduantage I mighte haue loste by plainer dealinge For guile without cause is meere â—olie and no guile But I recited the woordes in Latine and had forgotten to Englishe them Nowe surely that is but a simple guile and might wel haue béene spared out of the Margin But my woordes be these Gelasius saithe that to Minister the Sacrament in one Kinde is open Sacrilege And what guile canne he finde herein This woorde Sacrilege and the refusinge of the Cuppe are bothe specially named by Gelasius There remaine onely these woordes To minister the Sacrament and there saithe M. Hardinge lieth the guile How be it therein as it shal wel appeare I say nothinge but that Gelasius saithe and M. Hardinge him selfe woulde haue him say For thus saithe Gelasius The diuision of the Mysterie whereby he meaneth the Sacrament is Sacrilege But the Priest that Ministreth in One Kinde diuideth the Mysterie Ergo the Priest that Ministreth in One Kinde committeth Sacrilege This argument is perfite and formal founded vpon Gelasius woordes I trowe this is no guileful dealinge The vnitie of the Mysterie that M. Hardinge hath here fantasied that either parte is in other and therefore harpeth so often as it were by reportes vpon these woordes Vnum idem is but his owne voluntarie He is not hable to allege either Gelasius or any other olde Father that euer expounded Vnum and Idem in that sorte He calleth it one Mysterie as Hugo Cardinalâ—s saith although otherwise a very grosse writer Propter vnitatem Institutionis For the vnitie of the Institution and for that the Breade and Wine beinge sundrie portions haue bothe relation vnto one Christe and for that cause by S. Hieromes iudgement S. Paule saithe vna fides vnum Baptisma one Faithe one Baptisme And for that also that beinge as I saide two sundrie portions yet they make not two sundrie Sacramentes but one onely Sacrament And therefore Durandus a late writer seemeth to say wel In multis locis communicatur cum Pane Vino id est cum toto Sacramento In many places they Communicate with Breade and Wine that is saith he with the whole Sacrament Of whiche woordes the Reader be he neuer so simple may easely geather that the Communion in One Kinde is but the Halfe Sacrament and so the diuision of one Mysterie and so further the selfe same thinge that Gelasius calleth Sacrilege M. Hardinge The .30 Diuision But for auoidinge that our aduersaries woulde hereof conclude it is to be vnderstanded that this Canon speaketh against the Heretiques named Manichaei who in the time of Leo the first abouâ—â— fourtie yeeres before Gelasius wente aboute to spreade their Heresie in Rome and in the partes of Italy Their Heretical opinion was that Christe tooke not our fleashe and Bloude but that he had a phantastical bodie and died not ne rose againe truely and in deede but by way of phantasie And therefore at the Communion they absteined from the Cuppe and the better to cloke their Heresie came to receiue the Sacrament in the forme of Breade with other Catholike people Against whome Leo saithe thus Abdicant enim se Sacramento salutis nostrae c. They driue them selues away from the Sacrament of our Saluation And as they denie that Christe our Lorde was borne in trueth of our fleashe so they beleue not that he died and rose againe truly And for this cause they condemne the day of our Saluation and gladnes that is the Sonneday to be their sadde fastinge day And where as to cloke their infidelitie they dare to be at our mysteries they temper them selues so in the Communion of the Sacramentes as in the meane time they may the more safely keepe them priuie VVith vnwoorthie mouthe they receiue Christes Bodie but to drinke the Bloude of our Redemption vtterly they wil none of it VVhiche thinge we woulde aduertise your holines of that bothe such men may be manifested by these tokens vnto you and also that they whose Diuilishe simulation and faininge is founde beinge brought to light and bewraied of the felowship of Saintes may be thrust out of the Churche by Priestly authoritie Thus farre be Leo his woordes Gelasius that succeded fourtie yeeres after Leo imployed no lesse diligence then he did vtterly to vanquishe and abolishe that horrible Heresie Of whome Platina writeth that he banished so many Manichees as were founde at Rome and there openly burned their bookes And bicause this heresie should none els where take roote and springe he wrote an Epistle to Maioricus and Ioannes two Bishoppes amongst other thinges warninge them of the same Out of whiche Epistle this fragment onely is taken whereby he dothe bothe briefely shew what the Manichees did for clokinge of their infidelitie as Leo saithe and also in as muche as their opinion was that Christes Bodie had not very Bloude as beinge phantastical onely and therefore superstitiously absteined from the Cuppe of that holy Bloude geueth charge and commaundement that either forsakinge their Heresie they receiue the whole Sacramentes to witte vnder Bothe Kindes or that they be keapte from them wholy Here the woordes of Leo afore mentioned and this Canon of Gelasius conferred together specially the storie of that time knowen it may soone appeare to any man of iudgement against whome this fragment of Gelasius was written Verely not against the Church for ministringe the Communion vnder one Kinde but against the detestable Manichees who goeinge aboute to diuide the Mysterie of the Bodie and Bloud of Christe denieynge him to haue taken very fleashe and Bloude so much as in them laye loosed Christ whereof S. Iohn speaketh and woulde haue made frustrate the whole woorke of our Redemption The B. of Sarisburie To auoide the inconuenience growinge of this authoritie M. Hardinge is driuen to auoide the companie of Pigghius Hosius Tapper D. Cole and al others his fellowes of that side and to say that Gelasius wrote this decrée againste the Manichées notwithstandinge al they say he wrote it againste certaine superstitious Priestes D. Cole referreth him selfe vnto
prooued soundely and substantially without surmise or gheasse then it behooueth me to yéelde But good Reader marke them wel bothe and consider the proufes For if he faile in either of these he prooueth nothinge as I hoape it wil appeare M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision Nowe how wel I am hable to prooue this I referre it to your owne consideration The lesse Asiâ— beinge a principal parte of the Greeke Churche had then the Seruice in the Greeke tongue But the people of sundrie Regions and Countries of the lesse Asia then vnderstoode not the Greeke tongue Ergo the people of sundrie Regions and Countries had then their Seruice in an vnknowen tongue The firste proposition or Maior is confessed as manifest no learned man wil denie it and if any woulde it may easely be proued The seconde proposition or Minor may thus be proued Strabo who trauailed ouer al the Countries of Asia for perfite knowlege of the same nere aboute the time of S. Paules peregrination there who also was borne in the same in his 14. Booke of Geographie writeth that where as within that Cherronesus that is the streight betweene sea and sea there were sixteene Nations by reporte of Ephorus 70 of them al onely three were Greekes al the reste Barbarous Likewise Plinius in the sixth Booke Naturalis historiae Ca. 2. declareth that 71 within the circuite of that Lande were three Creeke Nations onely Dores Iones Aâ—oles and that the reste were Barbarous Amongest whome the people of Lycaonia was one who in S. Paules time spake before Paule and Barnabas in the Lycaonical tongue The Scripture it selfe reporteth a diuersitie of language there and there about as it appeareth by the seconde Chapter of the Actes VVhere the Iewes geathered togeather in Hierusalem for keepinge of the feaste of Pentecoste wonderinge at thApostles for their speakinge with so many sundrie tongues amonges other prouinces different in language they reckeÌ„ Pontus and Asia Cappadocia Phrygia and Pamphylia VVhiche twoo prouinces are of al attributed vnto the lesse Asia VVhiche maketh a good argument that al Asia the Lesse had not onely the Greeke tongue And therefore so many of them as were of other language hauinge the Seruice in Greeke had it in a tongue they vnderstoode not They that wil seeme to searche the cause why that lande had so greate diuersitie of languages impute it to the often change of conquestes for that it was ouercome and possessed of diuerse nations of whiche euery one coueted with enlarginge their Empier to bringe into the Countries subdued their lawes their customes and their language Nowe this beinge proued by good and sufficient authoritie that in Asia of sixteene Nations three onely were Greekes it followeth that the other thirteene hauinge their seruice in Greeke had it not in their owne but in astraunge tongue For els if they had al naturally spoaken Greeke why shoulde not they haue beene called Greekes Thus we see it is no newe thinge proceedinge of a general corruption in the Churche some peoples to haue the Seruice in an vnknowen tongue The B. of Sarisburie Take heede good Reader M. Hardinge hath here throwen a great Miste of learninge to daâ—â—e thy sighte Onlesse thou eye him wel he wil steale from thee Thus he frameth his Syllogismus The lesse Asia beinge a principal parte of the Greeke Churche had then the Seruice in the Greeke tongue But sundrie Countries of the same Asia vnderstoode not the Gréeke tongue Ergo they had their Seruice in an vnknowen tongue Here is a fayre glosse But be not deceiued M. Harding knoweth wel yenough it is but a fallace that is to saye a deceiteful argument named in the Schooles Ex meris particularibus or A non distributo ad distributum Onlesse he amende the Maior and make it an vniuersal and say thus Al Asia the Lesse had the Seruice in the Greeke tongue it can in no wise holde That Asia the Lesse had the Seruice in Greeke it is doubted of no man nor learned nor vnlearned But that al Asia the Lesse had throughout in al partes the same Seruice if it be denied M. Hardinge with al his learninge is not hable to proue it and therefore he did better to tourne it ouer without any proufe at al. The Minor is this sundrie Nations in Asia the Lesse vnderstoode not the Greeke And to prooue this M. Hardinge hath directed al his drifte But to what ende for neither is it denied by any of vs nor is it any parte of our question And yet not withstandinge is not M. Hardinge hable to prooue it with al his gheasses He allegeth the Actes of the Apostles where as mention is made of sundrie languages and amonge the same certaine prouinces of this Asia specially named for their difference in speache But what if answeare were made That al there rehearsed were not diuerse tongues but rather certaine differences in one tongue Certainely Beda séemeth plainely so to say His woordes be these Verely this man was with him for he is of Galilie not for that the people of Galilie and the people of Hierusalem vsed sundrie tongues but for that euery prouince of Iurie hauinge a peculiar manner of vtterance in their speache coulde not avoide the same And hereunto he applieth this storie of the Actes of the Apostles But saithe M. Hardinge There must needes be greater difference betweene these Countries of Asia and that bicause of often ouerthrowes and conquestes that there had happened The coniecture is good But the greatest Conquerours that came there were the Macedonians the Thebanes and other Grecians who no doubte planted there the Greeke tongue as it may soone appeare to any man that can with iudgement consider of it S. Paule vnto the Ephesians the Galathians and the Collossians dwellinge al in this same Asia the Lesse wrote in Greeke And S. Luke writinge of S. Paules beinge and preachinge at Ephesus saith It came so to passe Vt omnes qui habitabant in Asia audirent Sermonem Domini Iesu Iudaei simul Graeci that al they that dwelte in Asia hearde the woorde of the Lorde Iesus bothe Iewes and Greekes S. Luke that had trauailed ouer that whole Countrie with S. Paule knewe none other Nation there but Iewes and Greekes Maister Hardinge hath a gheasse there shoulde be some other Barbarous people also but what they were or where aboute they dwelte or what tongue they spake he can not tel Uerely Polycarpus was Bishop of Smyrna Gregorius was Bishop in Pontus S. Basile was Bishop of Caesaria in Cappadocia Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium in Lycaonia Gregorius S. Basiles Brother Bishop of Nyssa in Caria or Thracia Al these in sundrie Countries within Asia the Lesse preached openly in the Gréeke tongue and the vulgare people vnderstoode them Yet saithe M. Hardinge Strabo beinge borne in the same Countrie and liuinge vnder the Emperours Augustus and Tiberius in the time of S. Paule writeth in
haue the worlde beléeue that S. Gregorie woulde euer take these names and titles from Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople to the intent to lay them vpon his owne Sée of Rome Or is it likely that M. Harding knoweth S. Gregories minde better then euer S. Gregorie knew it him selfe Uâ—rily S. Gregorie not onely misliketh these titles in others but also disclaimeth the same from him selfe and from his Sée of Rome for euer For thus he writeth and his woordes be plaine Nullus Romanorum Pontificum hoc Singularitatis nomen assumpsit None of the Bishoppes of Rome â—uer receiued this name of singularitie Nullus decessorum meorum hoc tam profano vocabulo vti consensit None of my predicessours euer consented to vse this vngodly name Nos hunc honorem nolumus oblatum sucipere Wee beinge Bishoppes of Rome wil not take this honour beinge offered Vnto Vs. And the reason that he forceth against the Bishoppe of Constantinople may serue as wel against the Bishop of Rome For thus he saith Quid tu Christo Vniuersalis Ecclesiae Capiti in extremi Iudiâ—ij dicturus es examine qui cuncta eius membraâ—â—bimet conaris Vniuersalis appellatione supponere what answeare wilt thou make vnto Christe that in deede is the Head of the Vniuersal Church at the trial of the last Iudgement that thus goest about vnder the name of Vniuersal Bishop to subdue al his members vnto thee This is the very definition of an Uniuersal Bishop Thus the Bishop of Rome attempteth to subdue the whole Churche of God al the members of Christ vnto him selfe Therefore by S. Gregories iudgement he is the Forerenner of Antichriste And writing vnto Eulogius the Patriake of Alexandria he vseth these woordes Sanctitas vestra mihi sic loquitur Sicut iussistis Quod verbum Iussionis Peâ—o a meo auditu remouete Quia scio quis sim qui sitis Loco mihi fratres estis moribus patres Your holinesse writeth thus vnto me As you commaunded This woorde of Commaunding I beseeche you take away from my hearing For I know bothe what I am and also what you are In place or dignitie ye are my brethren in life and manners ye are my Fathers Againe he saith Ecce in praefatione Epistolae c. Beholde euen in the very preface of the Epistle that you sent vnto me you haue written the name of that Presumptuous title calling me the vniuersal Pope notwithstandinge I haue forbidden it I beseche your holinesse to doo it no more For you doo defraude your selfe when you geue an other more then reason woulde The selfe same meaninge M. Hardinge might haue founde twise written euen in the same place of S. Gregorie that he here allegeth if it had pleased him to consider either what went before or els what folowed immediatly after Before he writeth thus Non mea causa sed Dei est Nec solus ego sed toâ—a turbatur Ecclesia Quia piae Leges quia venerandae Synodi quia ipsa Domini nostri Iesu Christi mandaâ—a Superbi atque Pompatici cuiusdam sermonis inuentione turbantur It is Gods cause it is not mine Neither onely I but also the whole Churche is troubled For both the godly Lawes and the Reuerende Councels and the very coÌ„mâ—undementes of our Lorde Iesus Christe are comâ—red with the diuise of this proude pompous Title Immediatly after it foloweth thus Nunquid ego in hac re pijssime Domine propriaÌ„ cauâ—am defendo O my most Gratious Souâ—raine doo I herein defende mine owne right By these it may appeare that S. Gregorie being Bishop of Rome woulde not suffer the name of vniuersal Bishop to be geuen neither to any other Bishop nor to him selfe And where as S. Gregorie saithe The charge and chieftie of the whole Churche is committed vnto Peter in the sense it is spoken in wée denie it not S. Paule likewise saith of him selfe in like sense Incumbit mihi quotidiana cura omniuÌ„ EcclesiaruÌ„ There lieth vpon me the daily charge of al Churches And further saith I recken me selfe to be nothing inferiour in trauaile to the highest Apostles And wil M. Harding hereof reason thus Peter had the charge of the whole Churche Ergo The Pope is an vniuersal Bishop Certainely S. Gregorie saith Peter him selfe notwithstandinge he receiued the whole charge yet is he not called the vniuersal Apostle And can the Pope be that thinge that S. Peter him sâ—lfe coulde not be S. Gregorie driueth his reason thus If this title of vniuersalitie might belonge to any man it should chiefely belonge vnto S. Peter But it belongeth not vnto S. Peter Therefore it can belonge to no man Hereby it is plaine that the Bishop of Rome challengeth this day a title that S. Peter neuer had that no holy nor godly man woulde euer take vpon him that S. Gregorie vtterly refused and detested and called blasphemie And yet wil he séeme to mainteine his estate by the authoritie of this holy Father If S. Gregorie werâ— now aliue he woulde crie out as he did to the Emperour Mauritius O tempora O Mores O what a time is this O what manners are these Thus muche is M. Hardinge furthered by the authoritie of S. Gregorie M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision S. Cyprian declaringe the contempte of the 93 High Priest Christes Vicar in earthe to be cause of Schiâ—mes and Heresies writeth thus to Cornelius Pope and Martyr Neque enim aliunde Haereses obortae sunt c. Neither haue Haeresies or Schismes risen of any other occasion then of that the Prieste of God is not obeied and that one Priest for the time in the Churche and one Iudge for the time in steede of Christe is not thought vpon To whom if the whole brotherhead 95 that is the whole number of Christian people whiche be brethren togeather and were so called in the Primitiue Churche woulde be obedient accordinge to Goddes teachinges then no man woulde make a doo against the Colledge of Priesâ—es no man woulde make him selfe Iudge not of the Bishop nowe but of God after Goddes iudgement after the fauour of the people declared by their voices at the election after the consent of his felow bishoppes No man through breache of vnitie and strife woulde diuide the Churche of Christe No man standinge in his owne conceite and swelling with pride woulde set vp by him selfe abroade without the Churche a new Heresie The B. of Sarisburie Iâ— M. Hardinges cause were true he woulde not auouche it with suche vntrueth and so often corruption of the holy fathers If S. Cyprian writing this Epistle to Cornelius the Bishop of Rome once name him either the Highe Priâ—ste Or Christes Vicar General in earth Or Vniuersal Bishop Or Head of the Vniuersal Churche Or say that the vvhole Brotherhoode of al Christian people ought to be obedient vnto him As M. Hardinge vntruely and contrary to his ownâ—
letters in their behalfe The Emperour Constans wrote vnto his brother Constantius to cal before him the Bishops of the Easte parte to yelde a reckeninge of their dooinges against Athanasius The Emperour Honorius gaue his endeuour that Athanasius might be restoared Constantinus the Emperour vpon Athanasius complainte commaunded the Bishops of the Councel of Tyrus to appeare before him The woords of his Summon be these Quotquot Synodum Tyri habitam compleuistis sine mora ad pietatis nostrae Castra properetis ac re ipsa quà m sincerè ac rectè iudicaueritis ostendatis idque Coram me quem sincerum esse Dei ministrum ne vos quidem ipsi negabitis As many of you as were at the Councel of Tyrus high you vnto our Campe or Courte without delaie and shewe vs howe sincerely and vprightly ye hâ—ue dealt and that euen before me whom you your selues can not denâ—e to be the sincere Seruaunte of God Thus Holie men beinge in distresse sought healpe wheresoeuer they had hope to finde it This seekinge of remedy by waye of Complainte as it declareth their miserie so is it not sufficient to proue an ordinarie Appâ—ale But it is moste certaine and out of al question that Chrysostome Appealed vnto Innocentius for M. Hardinge hath here alleged his owne woordes I graunte M. Hardinge hath here alleged Chrysostome but in suche faithful and trustie sorte as Pope Zosimus sometimes alleged the Councel of Nice Good Christian Reader if thou haue Chrysostome peruse this place and weigh wel his woordes if thou haue him not yet be not ouerhastie of beliefe M. Hardinges dealinge with thée herein is not plaine The very woordes of Chrysostome in Latine stande thus Ne confusio haec omnem quae sub Coelo est nationem inuadat obsecro vt scribas quod haec tam inique facta absentibus nobis non declinantibus iudicium non habeant robur Sicut neque natura sua habent Illi autem qui iniquè egerunt poenae Ecclesiasticarum LeguÌ„ subiaceant Nobis verò qui nec conuicti nec redarguti nec habiti vt rei sumus literis vestris charitate vestra aliorumque omnium quorum anâ—èsocietate fruebamur frui concedite Whiche woordes into Englishe maye truely be translated thus Lest this confusion ouerrenne al nations vnder heauen I pray thee write or signifie vnto them that these thinges so vniustely doone I beinge absent and yet not fleeynge iudgement be of no force as in deede of their owne nature they be of none and write that they that haue doone these thinges so wrongfully be punished by the Lawes of the Churche and graunt you that we that are neither conuicted nor reproued nor founde giltie may inioy your letters and your loue and likewise the letters and loue of al others whose felowship we inioyed before In these fewe woords M. Hardinge hath notably falsified thrée places quite alteringe the woordes that he founde shufflinge in and interlacinge other woordes of his owne For these woordes in M. Hardinges translation that séeme to signifie authoritie in the Bishop of Rome and to importe the Appeale VVrite and determine by your authoritie Put you them vnder the Censure of the Church Geue commaundement that we be restoared to our Churches These woorde I saye are not to be founde in Chrysostome neither in the Gréeke nor in the Latine but onely are pretily conueied in by M. Hardinge the better to furnishe and fashion vp his Appeale He séeth wel this mater wil not stande vpright without the manifest corruption and falsifieinge of the Doctours This therefore is M. Hardinges Appeale and not Chrysostomes For that Chrysostome made no suche Appeale to the Bishop of Rome it may sufficiently appeare bothe by Chrysostomes owne Epistles and by the Bishop of Romes dealinge herein and by the ende and Conclusion of the cause Touching Chrysostome him selfe he maketh no mention of any Appeale nor desireth the parties to be cited to Rome nor taketh Innocentius for the Bishop of the whole Churche or for the vniuersal Iudge of al the worlde but onely saluteth him thus Innocentio Episcopo Romae Iohannes Iohn to Innocentius Bishop of Rome sendeth greetinge And againe in the same Epistle he vtterly auoideth al such foren Iudgementes accordinge to the determinations of the Councelles of Carthage Mileuitum and Aphrica These be his woordes Neque congruum est vt hi qui in Aegypto sunt iudicent eos qui sunt in Thracia It is not meete that they that be in Egypte should be Iudges ouer them that be in Thracia Neither doo the Bishop of Romes owne woordes importe any appeale but rather the contrary for he vseth not his familiar woordes of biddinge or commaundinge but onely in gentle and frendely manner exhorteth them to appeare and that not before him selfe but onely before the Councel of sundrie Bishoppes summoned specially for that purpose For thus Iulius writeth vnto the Bishops of the East Quae est causa offensionis An quia adhortati vos sumus vt ad Synodum occurreretis What is the cause of your displeasure Is it bicause wee exhorted you to come to the Councel Here he exhorteth and intreateth them he commaundeth them not he calleth them to come not before him selfe but before the Councel Againe he saith Legati vestri Macarius Presbyter Hesychius Diaconus Concilium indici postulauerunt Your owne embassadours Macarius beinge a Priest and Hesychius beinge a Deacon required that a Councel might be summoned And againe Vellem vos magis ad iam dictam Canonicam conuenire vocationem vt coram vniuersali Synodo reddatis rationem I woulde you rather to come to this Canonical callinge that ye may yelde your accompte of your dooinges before the General Councel So likewise S. Basile writeth to Athanasius by way of counsel in that heauie time of trouble Viros igitur Ecclesiae tuae potentes ad Occidentales Episcopos mitte qui quibus calamitatibus premamur illis exponant Sende some worthy men of your Churches not vnto the Bishop of Rome but vnto the Bishopppes of the Weaste that may let them vnderstande with what miseries wee are besette Likewise againe he saith Visum mihi est consentaneum vt scribatur Episcopo Romae vt ea quae hic geruntur consideret detque Concilium I thinke it good yee write to the Bishop of Rome that he may consider that is here doone and may appointe vs a Councel Neither did the Bishop of Rome by his owne authoritie summon the Bishops of the East but by the counsel and conference of other Bishoppes For so Athanasius saith Misit omnium Italicorum EpiscoporuÌ„ consilio Iulius ad Episcopos Orientales certum illis Synodi diem denuntians Iulius sent vnto the Bishops of the East by the counsel of al the Bishops of Italie geuing them to vnderstande the certaine day of the Councel Which thinge Iulius also him selfe
auoucheth by these woordes Tametsi solus sim qui scripsi tamen non meam solius sententiam sed omnium Italorum omnium in his regionibus Episcoporum scripsi Not withstandinge I alone wrote yet it was not mine owne minde onely that I wrote but also the minde of the Bishoppes of Italie and of al other Bishoppes of these Countries So likewise Innocentius the Bishop of Rome being very desirous to restoare Chrysostome and to recouer the vnitie of the Churche not of him selfe or by his owne authoritie but by the Decrée and consent of a Councel holden in Italie sente Messingers into the East And sittinge with others in the Councel he tooke not vpon him that Uniuersal power that is now imagined but had his voice equal with his brethren as it appeareth by Meltiades Bishop of Rome that satte with three Bishoppes of Gallia and fourtéene other Bishoppes of Italie to determine the controuersie betwéene Caecilianus and Donatus a casis nigris Now to come to the prosecution of the mater M. Hardinge knoweth that the Bishoppes of the East vnderstoode not this singular Authoritie or Prerogatiue of the Bishop of Rome and therefore beinge called obeied not the summon nor had any regarde vnto his sentence as it is many waies easy to be séene Therefore they returned vnto Iulius this answeare Si nostris placitis assentiri volueritis pacem vobiscum Communionem habere volumus Sin verò aliter egeritis eis amplius quà m nobis assentiri iudicaueritis contraria celebrabimus deinceps nec vobiscum congregari nec vobis obedire nec vobis vestrisue fauere volumus If you wil agree vnto oure orders wee wil haue peace and communion with you But if you wil otherwise doo and rather agree vnto our aduersaries then vnto vs then wil we publishe the contrary and hencefoorthe neither wil wee â—itte in Councel with you nor obey you nor beare good wil either to you or to any of yours This imperfection and weakenesse of their owne dooinges the Bishoppes of Rome them selues vnderstoode and confessed For thus Innocentius writeth vnto S. Augustine Alypius and others in Aphrica touchinge Pelagius Si adhuc taliter sentit cvm sciat se damnandum esse quibus acceptis literis aut quandose nostro iudicio committet Quòd si accersendus esset id ab illis melius fieret qui magis proximi non Iongo terrarum spatio videntur esse disiuncti If he continue stil in one minde knowing that I wil pronounce against him at what request of letters or when wil he commit him selfe to our iudgement If it be good he were called to make answeare it were better some others called him that are neare at hande c. And therfore Iulius the Bishop of Rome findinge his owne infirmitie herein wrote vnto the Emperour Constans and opened vnto him the whole mater and besought him to write vnto his brother Constantius that it might please him to sende the Bishops of the East to make answeare to that they had doone against Athanasius Euen so the Cleargie of the Citie of Antioche in the like case of trouble and spoile wrote vnto Iohn the Patriarke of Constantinople to intreate the Emperour in their behalfe It appeareth hereby that this Infinite Authoritie and Prerogatiue power ouer al the worlde in those daies was not knowen I thinke it hereby plainely and sufficiently prooued first that the Bishop of Rome had no authoritie to receiue appeales from al partes of the worlde and that by the Councelles of Nice of Tele of Mileuitum and of Aphrica by S. Cyprian and by the Emperours Martian and Iustinian Nexte that M. Hardinge the better to furnishe his mater hath notoriousely falsified Chrysostomes woordes thrée times in one place Thirdely that Chrysostomes letter vnto Innocentius conteined mater of complainte but no appeale whiche thinge is also prooued by the very woordes and tenour of the letter by the Bishoppes of Romes owne confession and by the imperfection and weakenesse of their dooinges For the lawe saith Iurisdictio sine modica coerctione nulla est Iurisdiction without some compussion is no Iurisdiction In déede by way of compromisse and agréement of the parties maters were sometimes brought to be hearde and ended by the Bishoppe of Rome as also by other Bishoppes but not by any ordinarie processe or course of Lawe And so it appeareth this mater betwéene Athanasius and the Arians was first brought vnto Iulius for that the Arians willingely desired him for trial therof to cal a Councel For thus Iulius him selfe writeth vnto the Bishoppes of the East as it is before alleged Si Macario Hesychio nullam Synodum postulantibus adhortator fuissem vt ad Synodum qui ad me scripsissent conuocarentur idque in gratiam fiatrum qui se iniuriam pati conquerebantur etiam ita iusta fuisset mea cohortatio I am verò vbi iâ—dem illi qui a vobis pro grauibus viris fidedignis habiti sunt authores mihi fuerint vt vos conuocarem certâ— id a vobis aegrè ferri non debuit If I had geuen aduise vnto your messingers Macarius and Hesychius that they that had written vnto me might be called â—o a Councel and that in consideration of our Brethren whiche complained they suffred wronge although neither of them had desired the same yet had mine aduise benne voyde of iniurie But now seeinge the same men whom you tooke to be graue and woorthy of credite haue made suite vnto mee that I should cal you verily ye should not take it in il parte Hereby it is plaine that Iulius tooke vpon him to cal these parties not by any suche Uniuersal Iurisdiction as M. Hardinge fansieth but onely by the consent and request of bothe parties And therefore Iulius saith He caused Athanasius to be cited Regulariter that is according to order for the order of iudgement is that a man be first called and then accused and last of al condemned but he meaneth not thereby the order of the Canons as M. Hardinge expoundeth it For touchinge appeales to Rome there was no Canon yet prouided The counterfeite Epistle of Athanasius to Felix is answeared before Theodoretus was deposed and bannished and cruelly intreated as it appeareth by his letters vnto Renatus and therfore the woordes that he vseth are rather tokens of his miseries and wante of healpe then certaine testimonies of his iudgement For euery man is naturally inclined to extolle him and to auance his power at whose hande he seeketh healpe But if it were graunted it was lawful then for the Bishoppe of Rome to receiue al manner appeales in such order as it is pretended yet cannot M. Harding thereof necessarily conclude that the Bishop of Rome was the Head of the Uniuersal Churche For Ostiensis saith Appeales may be made not onely from the lower Iudge vnto the higher but also from equal to equal And in this order as it
his letters that he sate in iudgement and hearde bothe parties Now if receiuing of appeales necessarily importe this Uuiuersal power then was the Emperours power Uniuersal for he receiued al appeales out of al Countries without exception and that euen in Causes Ecclesiastical Againe then was the Bishop of Romes power not Uniuersal for it was lawful then to refuse him and to appeale to some other And thus M. Hardinges reasons renne roundely against him selfe M. Hardinge The .22 Diuision For whiche cause â–ª that See hath euer hitherto of al Christian Nations and now also ought to be hearde and obeied in al pointes of Faith For that See though it hath failed sometimes in Charitie and hath beene in case as it might truely say the woordes of the Gospel spoken by the foolishe Virgins Our Lampes be vvithout lighte Yet it neuer failed in faithe as Theodoretus witnesseth and S. Augustine affirmeth the same VVhiche special Grace and singular Priuilege is to be imputed vnto the praier of Christe by whiche he obteined of God for Peter and his successoues 108 that their Faith should not faile Therefore the euil life of the Bishops of Rome ought not to withdrawe vs from beleeuinge and folowinge the Doctrine preached and taught in the holie Church of Rome For better credite hereof that is earnestly to be considered whiche S. Augustine writeth Epistola 165. where after that he hath rehearsed in order al the Popes that Succeeded Peter euen to him that was Pope in his time he saithe thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum c. In to that rewe of Bishops that reacheth from Peter him selfe to Anastasius which now sitteth in the same Chayre if any traitour had creapte in it shoulde nothinge hurte the Churche and the innocent Christen folke ouer whom our Lorde hauinge prouidence saithe of euil rulers VVhat they saye vnto you doo ye but what they doo doo ye not For they saye and doo not to thintent the hope of a faithful person may be certaine and suche as beinge set not in man but in our Lorde be neuer scattered abroade with tempest of wicked Schisme And in his 166. Epistle he satthe Our Heauenly Maister hath so farre forewarned vs to be ware of al euil of dissension that he assured the people also of euil rulers that for their sakes the seate of holsome doctrine should not be forsaken in whiche seate euen the very euil men be compelled to saye good thinges For the thinges whiche they saye be not theirs but Goddes who in the seate of vnitie hath put the doctrine of veritie By this we are plainely taught that al be it the successours of Peter Christes Vicares in earthe be found blame woorthy for their euil life yet we ought not to dissent from them in Doctrine nor seuer our selues from them in Faithe For as muche as notwithstandinge they be euil by Gods prouidence for the suretie of his people they be compelled to saye the thinges that be good and to teache the truthe the thinges they speake not beinge theirs but Gods who hath put the doctrine of veritie in the seate or chayer of vnitie whiche singular Grace commeth specially to the See of Peter eyther of the force of Christes prayer as is saide before or in respecte of place and dignitie whiche the Bishops of that See holde for Christe as Balaam coulde be brought by no meanes to curse that people whom God woulde haue to be blessed And Caiphas also prophesied bicause he was high Bishop of that yeere and prophesied truely beinge a man otherwise most wicked And therefore the euil dooinges of Bishops of Rome make no argument of discreditinge their Doctrine To this purpose the example of Gregorie Nazianzene maye very fittely be applied of the Golden Siluerne and Leaden Seale As touchinge the value of Metalles Golde and Siluer are better but for the goodnesse of the Seale as wel dooth Leade imprinte a figure in waxe as Siluer or Golde For this cause that the See of Rome hathe neuer ben defiled with stinkinge Heresies as Theodoretus saithe and God hath alwaies keapte in that Chaire of Vnitie the doctrine of Veritie as Augustine writeth For this cause I saye it sitteth at the sterne and gouerneth the Churches of the whole worlde For this cause Bishops haue made their Appellations thither iudgement in doubtes of Doctrine and determination in al controuersies and strifes hath bene from thence alwaies demaunded The B. of Sarisburie This is a very poore healpe in déede M. Hardinge here is faine to resemble the Bishops of Rome touchinge their Doctrine to Balaam to Caiphas and to a Leaden Seale and touchinge their liues to confesse they are Lampes without light Yet saithe he al this notwithstandinge we may not therefore departe from them For Christe saith The Scribes and Phariseis sitte in Moses Charie Doo ye that they saye but that they doo doo ye not for they saye and doo not For as muche as it liketh M. Hardinge to vse these comparisons it may not muche mislike him if some man vpon occasion hereof happen to say as Christe sayde in the like case Wo be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis ye blinde Guides ye painted Graues Ye shutte vp the Kingedome of Heauen before men ye neither enter your selues nor suffer others that woulde enter Ye haue made the House of God a Caue of Theeues Certainely Balaam not withstandinge he were a False Prophete yet he opened his mouthe and blissed the people of God Caiphas although he were a wicked Bishop yet he prophesied and spake the trueth A seale although it be cast in leade yet it geueth a perfit printe The Scribes and Phariseis although they were Hypocrites and liued not wel yet they instructed the Congregation and saide wel The Manichées although they were Heretiques and taught not wel yet outwardly in the conuersation and sight of the worlde as S. Augustine saith they liued wel But these vnto whom M. Hardinge claimeth the Uniuersal power ouer al the worlde neither blisse the people of God nor preache Goddes Trueth nor geue any printe of good life or Doctrine nor instructe the Congregation nor say wel as the Scribes and Phariseis did nor by M. Hardinges owne Confession liue wel as the Manichees did S. Augustine saith Qui nec regiminis in se rationem habet nec sua crimina detersit nec filiorum culpam correxit Canis impudicus dicendus est magis quà m Episcopus He that neither regardeth to rule him selfe nor hath washte of his owne sinnes nor corrected the faâ—ltes of his Children may rather be called a filthy dogge then a Bishop Yet al this corruption of life notwithstandinge M. Hardinge saithe The Sée of Rome can neuer faile in Faithe For Christe saide vnto Peter I haue praied for thee that thy Faithe may not faile The like confidence and trust in them selues the Priestes had in the olde times as it may appeare by
these woordes of the Prophete Micheas Sacerdotes in mercede docuerunt Prophetae in pecunia Prophetauerunt super Dominum requiescebant dicentes nonne Dominus est in medio nostri The Priestes taught for hiere and the Prophetes Prophesied for monie and yet they rested them selues vpon the Lorde and saide Is not the Lorde in the middest emongst vs With like confidence the Priestes saide as it is written in the Prophet Hieremie Non peribit lex a Sacerdote nec consilium a Seniore The Law shal not decaye in the Priest nor counsel in the Elder But God answeareth them farre otherwise Nox vobis erit pro visione tenebrae pro diuinatione Yee shal haue darke night in steede of a vision and yee shal haue darkenesse in steede of prophecie Certainely the very Glose vpon the Decretalles putteth this mater vtterly out of doubte These be the woordes Certum est quòd Papa errare potest It is certaine that the Pope may erre And Alphonsus de Castro Omnis homo errare potest in Fide etiamsi Papa sit Euery man may erre in the Faithe yea although it be the Pope And for proufe hereof he saith De Liberio Papa constat fuisse Arianum Touchinge Pope Liberius it is certaine he was an Arian Heretique Pope Honorius was an Heretique of the secte of them that were called Monothelitae condemned for the same in the sixth Councel holden at Constantinople Pope Marcellinus openly made Sacrifice vnto an Idole Pope Iohn the .22 helde a wicked heresie against the Immortalitie of the Soule and for the same was reprooued not by his Cardinalles but by Gerson and the Schoole of Sorbona in Parris Pope Syluester the .2 was a Sorcerer and had familiar conference with the Diuel and by his procurement was made Pope Pope Anastasius Communicated with Photinus the Heretique and therefore was forsaken of his Cleregie Pope Hildebrande that firste of al others in these Countries forbadde the lawful mariage of Priestes bethe for his life and also for his Religion is set out at large in a Councel holden at Brixia where he is called and published to the worlde to be a Uitious man a burner of houses a Robber of Churches a mainteiner of Murders and Periuries an Heretique against the Apostolique Doctrine the olde Disciple of Berengarius a Sorcerer a Necromancer a man possest with the Diuel and therefore out of the Catholique Faith The Fathers in the Councel of Basile say Multi pontifices in errores Hereses lapsi esse leguntur wee reade that many Bishoppes of Rome haue fallen into errours and Heresies And the Bishop of Rome him selfe saith Notwithstandinge the Pope draw innumerable companies of people by heapes with him into Helle yet let no mortal manne once dare to reproue him Nisi deprehendatur à Fide deuius Onlesse it be founde that he straye from the Faithe To conclude Nicolaus Lyra is driuen to saie Multi Papae inuenti sunt Apostatae Wee finde that many Popes haue forsaken the Faithe Al this notwithstandinge by M. Hardinges resolution the See of Rome neuer failed from the Faith nor neuer can faile The Ualentinian Heretiques as Irenaeus reporteth were wonte to say of them selues that they were naturally made of a Heauenly substance and therefore néeded not to slee from sinne as as others néeded For liued they neuer so wickedly yet saide they We are spiritual stil no sinne canne hurte vs. For we are as pure tried Golde whiche not withstandinge it be laide in a heape of donge yet keepeth it stil the brightnes and nature of Golde and receiueth no comâ—ption of the donge Euen so these men séeme to saie that whatsoeuer the Pope either beléeue or speake or doo his Faithe stil remaineth sounde and canne neuer faile bicause he sitteth in Peters Chaire as if he had a lease of the Churche of God without any manner Empeachement of Waste And therefore they saie Quod si totus mundus sententiet in aliquo aduersus Papam tamen videtur quòd magis standuÌ„ est senteÌ„tiae Papae If al the worlde geue sentence in any thinge contrary to the Pope it seemeth we ought rather to stande to the Popes iudgement then to the iudgement of al the worlde Againe they saie In Papa si desint bona acquisita per meritum sufficiunt ea quae a loci praedecessore praestantur If there wante in the Pope good things gotten by merite yet the thinges that he hath of Peter his predecessour in that place are sufficient Likewise againe Papa Sanctitatem recipit à Cathedra The Pope receiueth his holines of his Chayre And Pope Sixtus saith that S. Peter dwelleth in the Bishop of Rome and directeth him in his dooinges and beareth al Burthens Thus they feaste and cheare them selues and smouthe the worlde with vaine talke But S. Iohn saithe Nolite dicere Patrem habemus Abraham Neuer saye Peter or Abraham was our Father S. Paule speakinge of his successours saithe thus Equidem scio quòd post discessum meum ingressuri sint ad vos lupi graues non parcentes gregi I knowe that after my departure from you there shal raueninge woulues come amongste you that shal not spare the flocke And S. Hierome saithe Non sunt Sanctorum Filij qui tenent Ioca sanctorum They be not euermore the children of holy menne that sitte in the roomes of holy menne Nowe where as M. Hardinge saithe Christe praied for Peter that his Faithe shoulde not faile that praier perteined to al the reaste of the Apostles and not onely vnto Peter Origen saithe Num audebimus dicere c. Shal wee dare to say that the Gates of Helle preuailed not onely against Peter â–ª but shal preuaile against the reast Why maie we not rather saie that the woordes that Christe spake were verified in euery of them of whome they were spoken Nam quae prius dicta sunt quae sequuntur velut ad Petrum dicta sunt omnium communia For bothe the thinges that were spoken before and also the thinges that folowe as spoken vnto Peter are common to al. So likewise Beda expoundeth the same generally of al the faitheful not of Peter onely And so Christe him selfe expoundeth his owne woordes For thus he praieth vnto his Father Pater Sancte serua cos per nomen tuum c. O holy Father saue them for thy names sake I praie not for them onely but for al them that by their preachinge shal beleeue in mee But saith M. Hardinge be the Bishop of Romes life neuer so wicked yet may we not seuer our selues from the Churche of Rome How be it S. Cyprian saithe otherwise Plebs obsequens praeceptis Dominicis Deum metuens a peccatore Praeposito separare se debet The people obeieinge Gods commaundementes and fearinge God must seuer them selues from the wicked that
not of necessitie any rule or gouernement ouer others He might better haue turned it Ecclesiam orbis terrarum primariam The most notable or chief Churche of the worlde And so wolde his translation haue wel agreede with the Constitutions of the Emperour Iustinian wherein the preeminence of sittinge in the first place in al Councelles and Assemblies is by special Priuilege graunted to the Bishop of Rome Likewise it wil be replied That Cyprian calleth the Churche of Rome Ecclesiam Principalem The principal Churche whereof it were muche for M. Harding to reason thus The Churche of Rome is a Principal Churche Ergo The Bishop of Rome is Heade of the Vniuersal Churche For Cyprian him self in the same Epistle in plaine expresse woordes saith The authoritie of the Bishoppes of Aphrica is as good as the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome Cicero to blase the nobilitie of that Cittie calleth it Lucem orbis terrarum atque Arcem omnium Gentium The light of the Worlde and the Castle of al Nations Frontinus likewise Roma Vibs indiges terrarumque Dea. Rome is a wantles Cittie and the Goddesse of the worlde And S. Hierome of the same in his time saith Romanum Imperium nunc Vniuersas Gentes tenet The Empiâ—â—e of Rome nâ—we possesseth al Nations And therefore in the Councel of Chalcedon the Emperour of Rome is called Dominus Omnis Terrae Dominus Vniuersi Mundi The Lorde of al the Earth and the Lorde of the Whole Worlde In consideration as wel of this worldly state Maiestie as also of the number and constancie of Martyrs of the place of Peters trauaile of the Antiquitie of the Churche and of the puritie of Dâ—â—ctrine the Churche of Rome was called the Principal Churche of al others But he addeth further Vnde vnitas Sacerdotalis exâ—rta est From whence the Vnitie of the Priesthoode first beganne For that theise woordes seeme to weigh muche I thinke it good herein to heare the iudgemeÌ„t of some other man that maie seeme indiffereÌ„t Polydorus Uergilius expoundinge the same woordes of Cyprian writeth thus Ne quis erret nulla alia ratione Sacerdotalis ordo à Romano Episcopo profectus esse dici potest nisi apud Italos duntaxat id factum esse intelligatur cum perdiu ante aduentum Petri in vrbem Romam apud Hierosolymos Sacerdotium ritè institutum fuisse liquidâ— liqueat Least any man hereby deceiue him selfe it cannot in any other wise be saide that the order of Priesthoode grewe first from the Bishop of Rome onlesse we vnderstande it onely within Italie For it is cleare and out of question that priesthoode was orderly appointed at Hierusalem a good while before peter euer came to Rome This commendation therefor by the iudgement of Polydore was geuen by S. Cyprian to the Churche of Rome in respecte of Italie and not in respecte of the whole worlde And therefore S. Augustine sayth Ciuitas quasi Mater Caput est Caeterarum vnde etiam Metropolis appellatur The Cittie is as the Mother and the Heade of other townes and thereof in respecte of suche townes it is called the Mother Cittie And in this sense Chrysostome calleth the Cittie of Antioche Metropolim Fide The Mother of the Faithe M. Hardinge saith further The Churche is called the House of God the ruler whereof saith S. Aâ—â—rose in theise daies is Damasus Here is narrowe seekinge to finde out somewhat yet the same somewhat wil be worthe nothinge First what opinion S. Ambrose had herein it is easy els where of other his woordes to be seene In his Epistle vnto the Emperoure Ualentinian he calleth Damasus not Prince of the people nor Heade of the Churche nor Uniuersal Bishop but onely Bishop of the Churche of Rome And writinge vnto Siricius the Bishop of Rome he calleth him his Brother But he calleth Damasus by expresse woordes the Ruler of Goddes Churche He might haue had the like witnes of S. Hierome Damasus virgo Ecclesiae Virginis Doctor est Damasus beinge a Virgin is the teacher of the Churche that is a Virgin And what wil M. Hardinge geather hereof Or what thinketh he of Ambrose him self and of other Bishoppes was not euery of them the Ruler of the Churche of God Uerily S. Paule thus exhorteth the Cleregie of Ephesus at his departinge thence Take heede to youre selues and to the whole flocke wherein the Holy Ghost hath made you Oâ—erseers to rule the Churche of God whiche he hath gotten with his Bloâ—de There appeareth no other difference bytweene thiese woordes of S. Paule and the other of S. Ambrose sauinge onely that S. Ambrose saith Rector Ecclesiae and S. Paule saith Regere Ecclesiam Yet did not S. Paule by his woordes appointe the Ministers of Ephesus to rule ouer the whole Churche of God Thus S. Hierome calleth Origen Magistrum Ecclesiarum The Maister or teacher of the Churches Thus Theodoretus calleth Chrysostome Doctorem Orbis terrarum The teâ—cher of al the worlde Thus Nazianzene calleth S. Basile The Pillour and Butresse of the Churche But marke wel gentle Reader and thou shalt see that M. Hardinge hath pretily wreasted vp this place of S. Ambrose quite out of tune and of an Indefinite or a Particular Proposition coÌ„trary to his rules of Logique wil needes conclude an Uniuersal the better to mainteine the Popes Uniuersal power For that S. Ambrose speaketh indefinitely of a Churche without limitation of one or other that M. Hardinge streatcheth forceth to the whole Uniuersal Churche as if the whole Churche of God had benne at Rome The like kinde of erroure leadde Boniâ—acius the .8 to reason thus Dominus dixit generaliter Pasce oues meas non singulariter has aut illas Ergo commisisse intelligitur Vniuersas The Lorde saide generally vnto Peter Feede my sheepe he saide not specially Feede theise or them Therefore we must vnderstande that he committed them vnto Peter altogeather If M. Hardinge had not taken S. Ambrose vp so shorte by the woordes that immediatly folowe he might wel haue knowen his meaninge For thus he openeth what he meante by the House of God Ibi necesse est dicatur esse Domus Dei veritas vbi secundum voluntatem suam timetur There we must needes saie Goddes House and Trueth is wheresoeuer God is feared accordinge to his wil. This house was in al places where God was knowen and serued and not onely in the Churche of Rome Yet wil M. Hardinge saie Theise be euasions For S. Ambrose seemeth to acknowlege a special Rule and Gouernement in Damasus that was not common vnto others Certainely his woordes importe not so And howe canne we knowe his meaninge but by his woordes But to put the mater out of doubte let vs consider whether the self same forme of speache haue benne applied vnto any others in like sorte Arsenius in his submission writeth thus vnto Athanasius
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
Bodie that is to saie a Figure of my Bodie For so the Olde learned Father Tertullian saithe Then must he saie Christus Corporis sui Figuram Discipulis suis commendauit Christe deliuered vnto his Disciples a Figure of his Bodie For so the Olde learned Father S. Augustine saith Then must he saie Sacramentum Corporis Christi secundum quendam modum Corpus Christi est The Sacrament of Christes Bodie after a certaine phrase or manner or Trope or Figure of speache is the Bodie of Christ For so againe S. Augustine saith Here M. Hardinge seeinge the inconueniences and absurdities of his Doctrine thought good to heale it vp with some plaister By these woordes Really Carnally c. The Godly learned Fathers saithe he Meante that Christes very Bodie and Fleshe is there but not in any Natural or Carnal wise And thus M. Hardinges Doctours wrote one thinge and meante an other For M. Hardinge knoweth that al Aduerbes taken of Nownes signifie euermore a qualitie and neuer the Substance whiche thinge Children are taught to knowe in the Grammar Schoole and may be resolued thus Viriliter virili modo muliebriter muliebri modo And therefore his very Canonistes saie in their manner of Eloquence Deus non est remunerator Nominū ▪ sed Aduerbiorum God rewardeth not Nownes but Aduerbes That is to say God regardeth not the Dooinge of any thinge but the Manner of the Dooinge But M. Hardinge thinketh he may take vpon him to ouerlooke and to maister the Grammar Rules For onlesse we make Nownes Aduerbes and Aduerbes Nownes these mens Diuinitie cannot stande Therefore as they haue diuised a newe Diuinitie so must our Children learne for their pleasure a Newe Grammar But what are these Olde Learned Fathers that saie Christes Bodie is thus Really and Fleashly in the Sacrament Where be their Woordes What be their Names If they haue neither Names nor Woordes howe can they be allowed for sufficient witnesses M. Hardinge wel knoweth that the Olde learned Fathers neuer saide so yet must he needes imagine bothe causes that moued them so to say and also Expositions what they meante by so saieinge So Montanus the blinde Senatour beinge at supper with the Emperour Tiberius highely commended the great Mullet that he hearde saie was set on the table before them and shewed how rounde how faire how fatte it was how it filled the Charger and howe it laie and euermore turned his face and pointed with his finger to the higher ende of the table and yet was not the Mullet there but farre beneath at the lower ende Reason woulde that M. Hardinge had firste beene sure of the Effecte before he had thus gonne aboute to gheasse the causes M. Hardinge The .6 Diuision 132 And the Fathers haue bene driuen to vse these termes for the more ample and ful declaration of the Truethe and also for withstandinge and stoppinge obiections made by Heretiques And because the Catholike faithe touchinge the veritie of Christes Bodie in the Sacrament was not impugned by any man for the space of a thousand yeeres after Christes beinge in earthe and about that time 133 Berengarius firste beganne openly to sowe the wicked seede of the Sacramentarie Heresie whiche then soone confuted by learned men and by the same first Authour abiured and recanted now is with no lesse wickednesse but more busily and more earnestly set foorth againe the Doctours that sithence haue written in the defence of the true and Catholike faithe herein haue 134 more often vsed the termes before mentioned then the Olde and Auncient Fathers that wrote within M. Iuelles sixe hundred yeeres after Christe VVho doubtlesse woulde no lesse haue vsed them if that matter had beene in question or doubte in their time And albeit these termes were strange and newe as vsed within these fiue hundred yeeres onely and that the people were neuer taught for sixe hundred yeeres after Christe as M. Iuel saithe more boldely then truely and therefore more rashely then wisely Yet the Faithe by them opened and declared is Vniuersal and olde verily no lesse olde then is our Lordes Supper where this Sacrament was firste instituted The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge thinketh he may leade alonge his simple Reader and easily carrie away the mater vnder the bare Titles and Names of the Learned Fathers But what priuie mysterie is this As I saide before haue M. Hardinges Doctours no names Or is not he hable to name his owne Fathers He shoulde haue sette them out as his wonte is with al their Circumstances what they were when and where they liued what they wrote and how they haue béene euer are nowe estéemed emonge the learned But he wel knewe that these Good Fathers liued al within the compasse of two hundred or thrée hundred yéeres paste as Thomas Duns Ockam Henricus de Gandauo Robertus de collo torto and suche others These be M. Hardinges greate Fathers by whome he claimeth his newe Doctrine in respect of S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose and others not woorthy to haue the name of Children But the Catholique Faithe touchinge the Sacrament saithe M. Hardinge for the space of a thousande yeeres stoode vpright Berengarius was the firste that beganne to sowe the seede of the Sacramentarie Heresie It is likely M. Hardinge hath no greate regarde howe his tales hange togeather For before in the First Article to serue his turne he saide The Messalians were the first Fathers of this Heresie Nowe he seemeth to be otherwise aduised and saith This Heresie was neuer hearde of within sixe hundred yeeres after the Messalians were repressed and that the first founder of it was Berengarius Yet M. Hardinge might soone haue knowen that one Iohannes Scotus a famous learned man and Scholar vnto Beda and one Bertramus as appeareth by his booke helde and mainteined the same Doctrine in the time of the Emperoure Lotharius two hundred yeeres and more before Berēgarius Wherefore it seemeth not to be so true as M. Hardinge assuereth it That Berengarius was the First Authour of this Doctrine But for further declaration hereof it shal be necessary to open Berengarius whole iudgement in this mater and afterwarde to consider the Confutation of the same Thus therefore Berengarius wrote as his greatest aduersarie Lanfrancus reporteth of him Per-Consecrationem Altaris Panis Vinum fiunt Sacramentum religionis non vt desinant esse quae erant c. By the Consecration of the Aultar the Breade and the Wine are made a Sacrament of Religion not that they leaue to be the same they were before but that they be altred into an other thinge and become that they were not before as S. Ambrose writeth And the Sacrifice of the Churche standeth of two thinges the one Visible the other Inuisible that is to saie the Sacrament and the mater or Substance of the Sacramente Whiche Substance notwithstandinge that is
to saye the Bodie of Christe if it were before our eyes it shoulde be Visible But beinge taken vp into Heauen and sittinge at the Right hande of the Father vntil al thinges be restoared accordinge to the woordes of the Apostle S. Peter it cannot be called thence Therefore S. Augustine saythe When Christe is eaten life is eaten and when we eate him we make no partes of him And againe S. Augustine saith Sacramentum est sacrum signum A Sacrament is a holy token And what this woorde Signum meaneth he declareth in his booke De doctrina Christiana Signum est res praeter speciem quam ingerit sensibus aliud quiddam faciens in cogitationem venire A Signe is a thinge that bisides the sight that it offreth vnto the eies causeth an other thinge to come into our minde Againe vnto Bonifacius Onlesse Sacramentes had some likenes of the thinges whereof they be Sacramētes then were they no Sacramētes at al. And againe Sacramentes be Visible Signes of heauenly thinges but the thinges them selues beinge inuisible are honoured in them neither is that elemēt beinge Consecrate by the blissinge so to be taken at it is in other vses This is the iudgement of Berengarius agreeinge throughly with the woordes and sense of the Holy Fathers and confirmed and auouched by the same Now let vs see the Confutation hereof In a Councel holden at Rome vnder Pope Nicolas the. 2. Berengarius was forced to recante in this wise Credo Corpus Domini nostri Iesu Christi Sensualiter in veritate manibus Sacerdotum tractari frangi fidelium dentibus atteri I beleue that the Bodie of our Lorde Iesus Christe sensibly and in very deede is touched with the handes of the Priestes and broaken and rente and grounde with the teethe of the Faithful This was the consente and iudgement of that Councel And what thinketh M. Hardinge of the same Certainely the very rude Glose findeth faulte herewithal and geueth this warninge thereof vnto the Reader Nisi sanè intelligas verba Berengarij c. Onlesse yowe warily vnderstande these woordes of Berengarius you wil fal into a greater Heresie then euer he healde any Thus these Fathers by theire owne frendes Confession redresse the lesse erroure by the greater and in plaine woordes in General Councel by solemne waie of Recantation professe a greater Heresie then by their owne iudgement euer was defended by Berengarius Further if this be in deede the Catholique Faith as M. Hardinge woulde so faine haue al the worlde to beleeue and Bertramus and Iohannes Scotus bothe very famouse and greate learned men wrote openly against it with the good contentation of the worlde and without the apparent controlment of any man two hundred yéeres or more before Berengarius was borne let him better aduise him selfe whether these woordes were truely or boldely or rashely or wisely with such affiance vttered and auouched of his side That this his Faithe was neuer impugned by any man before the time of Berengarius But that M. Hardinge calleth the Catholique Faithe is in déede a Catholique Erroure the contrary whereof hath euermore béene taught and defended by al the olde learned Catholique Fathers as maye wel appéere by that is already and hereafter shal be alleged of their writinges Certainely they that nowe condemne Berengarius for vsinge the plaine woords and Expositions of the Olde Fathers woulde as wel condemne S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Ambrose and the reaste were it not for the Credite and Authoritie of their Names The Doctours that haue beene sithence the time of Berengarius saithe M. Hardinge haue more often vsed these termes Really Carnally c. then other Olde Doctours within sixe hundred yeeres after Christe In these fewe woordes M. Hardinge hath handsomely conueied in a greate vntrueth For this Comparatiue More often presupposeth the Positiue Therefore the sense hereof must be this The Olde Doctours often vsed these Termes Really Fleashly c. albeit not so often as others of the later yéeres But. M. Hardinge knoweth this is vntrue For neither hath he here yet shewed nor is he hable to shewe that in this case of the Sacrament any of these termes was euer vsed by any one of al the Olde Ancient writers Wherof we may wel reason thus The Olde Catholique Fathers intreatinge of the Substance of the Sacrament neuer vsed any of these woordes Really Carnally c. Therefore it is likely they neuer taught the people to beleue that Christes Bodie is presente Really and Fleashely in the Sacrament Contrarywise they in their Sermons called the Sacrament a Figure a Signe a Remembrance of Christes Bodie therefore it is likely they woulde haue the Catholique people so to iudge and beléeue of the Sacrament M. Hardinge The .7 Diuision Here before that I bringe in places of auncient Fathers reportinge the same Doctrine and in like termes as the Catholike Churche dooth holde concerninge this Article least our opinion herein might happily appeare our Carnal and Grosse I thinke it necessarie briefely to declare what maner a true Bodie and Bloude is in the Sacrament Christe in him selfe hathe but one Fleashe and Bloud in Substance whiche his Godhead tooke of the Virgin Marie once and neuer afterwarde leafte it of But this one Fleashe and Bloude in respecte of double qualitie hathe a doubleconsideration For at what time Christe liued here in earthe amonge men in the shape of man his fleashe was thralle and subiecte to the frailtie of mannes nature sinne and ignoraunce excepted That fleashe beinge passible vnto deathe the souldiours at the procurement of the Iewes crucified And suche manner Bloude was at his passion sheadde foorthe of his Bodie in sight of them whiche were then present But after that Christe rose againe from the deade his Bodie from that time forwarde euer remainethe immortal and liuely in daunger no more of any infirmitie or sufferinge muche lesse of deathe but is become by diuine giftes and endowementes a spiritual and a diuine Bodie as to whom the Godhead bathe communicated Diuine and Godly properties and excellencies that beene aboue al mannes capacitie of vnderstandinge This Fleashe and Bodie thus considered whiche sundrie Doctours calle Corpus Spirituale Deificatū A Spiritual and a Deified Bodie is geuen to vs in the blessed Sacrament This is the doctrine of the Churche vttered by S. Hierome in his Cōmentaries vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians where he hath these woords Dupliciter verò Sanguis Caro intelligitur vel Spiritualis illa atque Diuina de qua ipse dixit Caro mea verè est cibus Sanguis meus verè est porus Et Nisi manducaueritis Carnem meam Sanguinem meū biberitis non habebitis vitam aeternam Vel Caro quae Crucifixa est Sanguis qui militis effusus est lancea That is The Bloude and Fleashe of Christ is vnderstanded two waies either that it is that spiritual and
the Lawes of Nature and beléeue nothinge aboue the iudgement of our senses He knoweth wel Our Doctrine is accordinge to the Doctrine of S. Cyprian S. Augustine and other Olde Fathers that Christes Bodie is meate for our mindes and not for our Bellies and that the same cannot be eaten with our Mouthe or Teethe or by any other Natural or Material meanes but onely Spiritually by Faithe whiche is the mouthe of the Inner Man He knoweth we teache the people to lifte vp their hartes and as S. Chrysostome saithe To become Eagles in this life and to mounte vp vnto the Gates of Heauen euen vnto the Heauens of Heauens and so to drawe neare to Christes Bodie He knoweth we say Christe is Presente by his Godheade by his Sprite and by his Grace and worketh Miraculousely in the Sacrament of his Bodie as he doothe in the Sacrament of Baptisme Al this it pleaseth M. Hardinge to cal the Lawe of Nature and the iudgement of our senses Uerily we yeelde no more vnto Nature then it is méete we shoulde Neither doo we abbridge Goddes Omnipotent power But al vaine fantasies of mannes head may not be measured by the power of God This argument the Heretique Praxeas vsed against Tertullian For thus he saide God is Omnipotente and can doo it Therefore we must beléeue that he doeth it But Tertullian answeareth him Si tam abruptè in praesumptionibus nostris hac sententia vtamur quiduis de Deo confingere poterimus quasi fecerit quia facere potuerit Non autem quia omniaâ— potest facere ideo credendum est illum fecisse Sed an fecerit requirendum If we vse this saieynge so rashely in our presumptions we maye imagine of God what we liste as though bicause God can doo it that therefore in deede he hath doone it But we maye not beleue that God hath donne euery thinge bicause he is hable to doo it but rather we muste searche out whether he haue donne it or no Thus M. Hardinges Newe Catholike Faith is called of Tertullian a vaine Presumption M. Hardinge The .7 Diuision S. Ambrose hath these woordes Etsi Christus nunc non videtur offerre tamen ipse offertur in terris quando Christi Corpus offertur Imâ— ipse offerre manifestatur in nobis cuius sermo sanctificat Sacrificium quod offertur If Christe nowe be not seene to offer yet he is offered in earthe when the Bodie of Christe is offered Yea it is manifest that himselfe offereth in vs whose woorde Sanctifieth and Consecrateth the Sacrifice that is offered Nowe if Christes Bodie be offered in earthe as this Father affirmeth and that of Christe him selfe in respecte that the Sacrifice whiche is offered is by his woorde Consecrated then it foloweth Christes Bodie to be in so many places as it is offered in VVhere by the waye this maye be noted that the Sacrifice of the Churche 150 is not thankes geuinge as our newe Maisters doo teache but the Bodie of Christe it selfe whiche of the Fathers is called an vnbloudie and quickeninge or lifegeuinge Sacrifice The B. of Sarisburie In al these woordes there is no mention of Carnal Presence therfore M. Hardinges purpose is hereby but weakely furthered But good Christian Reader to put thée out of al doubte of S. Ambroses iudgement in this behalf I beséech thée to consider these woordes that he writeth vpon the Gospel of S. Luke Quae sursum sunt sapite non quae supra Terram Ergo noÌ„ supra Terram nec in Terra nec secundum CarneÌ„ te quaerere debemus si volumus inuenire Seâ—ke the thinges that be aboue not the thinges that be vpon Earth Therefore we must seeke thee neither vpon the Earthe nor in the Earth nor accordinge to the Fleashe if wee liste to finde thee This is S. Ambroses vndoubted and moste certaine iudgement from whiche we may not be remoued by any amplification or shew of woordes If M. Harding wil néedes force presse the bare letter as I saide before of S. Chrysostome he wil make S. Ambrose in one sentence plaine contrary to him selfe For first he saith Vidimus PrincipeÌ„ SacerdotuÌ„ c. We haue seene Christe the Prince of Priestes comming vnto vs we haue seene him and hearde him offeringe vp for vs his Bloud He addeth immediatly Etsi nunc Christus non videtur offerre c. Although Christe be not seene to offer yet is he offered in the Earth If wée folow the very force and sounde of the woordes this Contradiction of séeing and not seeinge can not be salued Wherfore to auoyde this inconuenience wée must say that S. Ambrose speaketh of the Spiritual eies of our Faith with whiche eyes wée sée Christe in déede offeringe vp him selfe vpon the Crosse. And thus as S. Ambrose saith Magis videtur quod non videtur The thinge is the better seene that is not seene It is best seene with our Faithe that is least séene with our Bodie For our Faith is sharper then our eie And in like sense S. Augustine saithe Non vides quomodo rubeat pars Christi Interroga oculos Fidei Si Crucem vides attende cruorem Si vides quod pendet attende quod fudit Seest thou not how Christes portion is readde with Bloud Aske the eyes of thy Faithe If thou see the Crosse beholde also the Bloud If thou see that hangeth beholde also that it sheadde Of these eies and of this sight S. Ambrose speaketh vnto whiche is required neither circumstance of place nor any manner Corporal or Fleashly presence In this sense S. Ambrose writeth vnto certaine Holy Uirgines Vestras mentes confidenter altaria dixerim in quibus quotidiâ— pro Redemptione Corporis Christus offertur I may boldely cal your mindes Aultars for that in them Christe is daily offered for the Redemption of the Bodie Hereof M. Hardinge reasoneth thus Christe is offered in the Earth Ergo Christes Bodie is at one time in many places If this argument were good then woulde this argument likewise be good The Lambe that is Christe was offered from the beginning of the worlde Ergo Christes Bodie was Really in sundrie places before it was borne in the worlde M. Hardinge might better haue reasoned thus haue concluded the contrary Christe is not now Really and Fleashely offered in the Earthe Ergo Christes Bodie is not Really and Fleashely present in many places But M. Hardinge saith The Sacrifice of the Churche is not Thankes geuinge as our new Maisters teache vs. Certainely our Sacrifice is the very Bodie of Christe and that for euer according to the order of Melchisedech euermore standinge in Gods presence and euermore obteininge pardon for vs not offred vp by vs but offering vs vp vnto God the Father For the same it is our parte to offer vnto God our Sacrifice of Praise Thankes geuing And this is the Doctrine not onely of them whom it liketh M.
as the Fathers say Manna was made Christes Bodie or the Water in the Wildernesse was made his Bloud euen so they say The Breade and Wine are likewise made Christes Bodie and Bloud Now that it may throughly appeare euen vnto the Simple what the godly Fathers meante by suche extraordinarie vse of speache it shal not be from the purpose to reporte certaine woordes of Gregorius Nyssenus touchinge the same and that in suche order as they are written Thus therefore he saithe Nam hoc Altare c. This Aultar whereat wee stande is by Nature a Common stoane nothing differinge from other stâ—anes whereof our walles be builte and our pauementes laied but after that it is once dedicate to the honour of God and hath receiued Blessinge it is a holy Table and an vndefiled Aultar afterwarde not to be touched of al men but onely of the Priestes and that with reuerence Likewise the Breade that first was common after that the Mysterie hath halowed it is both called and is Christes Bodie likewise also the wine Christes Bloude And where as before they were thinges of smal valewe after the Blissinge that commeth from the Holy Ghost either of them both worketh mightily The like Power also maketh the Priest to be Reuerende and Honorable beinge by meane of a newe Benediction diuided from the common sorte of the people Hereby we see as the Aultare whiche in some places both for steadines and continewanâ—e was made of stoane was changed from the former state and yet remained stoane stil and as the Priest or Bishop was changed from that he was before and yet remained in Substance one man stil so by the iudgement of this Ancient Father the Breade and Wine are changed into Christes Bodie and Bloude and yet remaine Breade and Wine in Nature stil. And for as muche as M. Hardinge to make good and to mainteine this his Newe Erroure hath here alleged togeather niene Doctours of the Gréeke Churche as subscribinge and wel agreeinge thereto vnderstande thou good Christian Reader for the better information and direction of they iudgement that the Grecians neuer consented to the same from the first preachinge of the Gospel there vntil this daie as it is easy to be seene in the last action of the General Councel holden at Florence And Duns him self hauinge occasion to intreate hereof writeth thus Ad hanc sententiam principaliter videtur mouere quod de Sacramentis tenendum est sicut tenet sancta Romana Ecclesia Ipsa autem tenet Panem Transubstantiari in Corpus Vinum in Sanguinem To this determination this thinge seemeth specially to leade that we must holde of the SacrameÌ„tes as the holy Churche of Rome holdeth c. For Confirmation hereof he allegeth not the Greeke Churche as knowinge it had euermore holden the contrary but onely the Particular DeterminatioÌ„ of the Churche of Rome concluded first in the Councel of Lateran in the yeere of our Lorde a Thousande two hundred and fifteene and neuer before And Isidorus the Bishop of Russia for that after his returne home from the Councel of Florence he beganne to practise both for vnitie herein and also in al other causes to be concluded bytwéene his Churches and the Churche of Rome was therefore deposed from his office and vtterly forsaken of al his Cleregie So wel they liked this Newe diuise of Transubstantiation M. Hardinge wil replie Cyrillus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche he expoundeth In specie vel Figura Panis In the Forme or Figure of Breade And this as he imagineth is as muche as Accidentes without Subiecte What manner consideration leadeth him hereto I cannot tel But it is most certaine that by this very waye the Olde Heretiques were leadde into their Errours Marcion the Heretique helde that Christe appeared not in the very Natural Bodie of a Man but onely in a fantasie or shewe of a mannes Bodie And to prooue the same he vsed M. Hardinges reason For it is written saide he In Similitu dinem hominum factus est Figura inuentus ut homo He was made after the Likenes of menne and founde in Figure whiche M. Hardinge expoundeth in Shewes and Accidentes as a man And S. Ambrose saith Nec sibi blandiatur virus Apollinare quia ita legitur Et Specie inueÌ„tus vt homo Let not that Heretique Apollinaris flatter him self for that it is thus written He was founde in Figure and Forme as a man Here we sée M. Hardinge is driuen to fight with Olde Heretiques Weapens otherwise his frendes woulde not iudge him Catholique S. Ambrose saith Christe appeared In Figura humana In the Figure of a Man Origen saith Câ—â—ristus est expressa Imago Figura Patris Christe is the expresse Image and Figure of his Father Againe S. Ambrose saith Grauior est ferri species quà m Aquarum Natura The Forme of yâ—on is heauier then the Nature of the Water And Gregorie Nyssene saith Sacerdos quod ad speciem externam attinet idem est qui suit The priest as touchinge his appearance or outwarde Forme is the same that he was before And wil M. Hardinge geather hereof that Christe or a Peece of yron or a Priest is nothinge els but an Accident or a Shewe without Substance Bysides al this M. Hardinge is faine to falsifie Cyrillus his owne Doctoure and to allege his woordes otheâ—wise then he founde them For where as in the common Latine Translation it is writen thus Sciens panem hunc qui videtur à nobis non esse Panem etiamsi gustus Panem esse sentiat Knowinge that this Breade that is seene of vs is no Breade al be it our taste doo perceiue it to be Breade M. Hardinge hath chosen rather to turne it thus Cum scias qui videtur esse Panis non esse sed Corpus Christi Knowinge that the thing that seemeth to be Breade is no Breade but the Bodâ—e of Christe Wherein he hath bothe skipte ouer one whole clause and also corrupted the woordes and meaninge of his Authour For Cyrillus saith With our outwarde eies wee see Breade M. Hardinge saith It appeareth or seemeth onely to be Breade Cyrillus saith Our tast perceiueth or knoweth it to be Breade This clause M. Hardinge hath leaft out both in his Latine Translation and also in the Englishe But speakinge of the Cuppe he turneth it thus Al be it the sense make that accoumpte of it Corrupte Doctrine must needes holde by Corruption For it is certaine Cyrillus meante thus That as we haue two sortes of eies Corporal of the Bodie and Spiritual of the Minde so in the Sacramentes we haue two sundrie thinges to beholde With our Bodily Eyes the Material Breade With our Spiritual Eyes the verye Bodye of Christe And thus the Woordes of Cyril agrée directly with these Woordes of S. Augustine Quod videtis Panis est quod etiam oculi vestri renuntiant Quod
name any Figure in these cases it is lawful for M. Hardinge to heape Figure vpon Figure and that not suche Figures as haue beene vsed by any the Ancient Fathers but suche as he him selfe for a shift can best diuise Tertullian saith M. Harding supposeth that Christe when he had the Breade in his hande and saide Hoc This shewed onely the Uisible Accidentes and Formes of Breade as if Christe had saide This Whitenesse this Roundenesse this Breadth this Lightnesse c. is my Bodye By whiche skilful construction it must néedes folow that Christe had a Bodie made of Accidentes How be it saith M. Hardinge this Interpretation of Tertullian in deede is not according to the right sense of Christes woordes Hereby it appeareth what affiance M. Hardinge hath in the iudgement of this learned Father After so many faire woordes he beginneth vtterly to mislike him and concludeth in the ende that he wrote he knew not what and tooke vpon him to expounde Christes woordes and yet vnderstoode not what Christe meante and that not in any deepe Allegorie or other Spiritual or secrete meaning but euen in the very Literal Sense and outwarde sounde of Christes woordes And thus Tertullian is charged not onely with Ignorance but also with Presumption But if as M. Hardinge saith Tertullian vnderstoode not Christes meaning what if some man woulde likewise say M. Hardinge vnderstandeth not Tertullians meaninge And what if the simple Reader vnderstande not M. Hardinges meaninge It were to muche to say further M. Hardinge vnderstandeth not his owne meaninge Uerily Tertullian not once nameth any one of al these M. Hardinges strange Fantasies neither Forme nor Accident nor Uisible nor Inuisible nor Outwarde Element nor Secrete Presence nor Really nor Substantially nor I know not what He wrote and meante plainely in these cases as others the learned Fathers wrote and meante And touchinge the woordes of Christe This is my Bodie he saithe not These Shewes or Accidentes of Breade as M. Hardinge ful vnaduisedly expoundeth him but this Breade is my Bodie Wherein he hath the consent bothe of the Scriptures and also of the Ancient Doctours of the Churche S. Paule saith Not the outwarde Fourme or Accident but The Breade that wee Breake is the Participation of Christes Bodie Irenaeus saithe Panis in quo Gratiae actae sunt est Corpus Domini The Breade wherein thankes are geuen is the Bodie of the Lorde Origen saithe Dominus Panem Discipulis dabat dicens Hoc est Corpus meum Our Lorde gaue Breade vnto his Disciples saieinge This is my Bodie So S. Cyprian Vinum fuit quod Sanguinem suum dixit It was Wine that he called his Bloud So Chrysostome Christus cùm hoc Mysterium tradidit Vinum tradidit Christe when he gaue this Mysterie he gaue wine Likewise Cyrillus Christus Fragmenta Panis dedit Discipulis Christe gaue Fragmentes or peeces of Breade to his Disciples Thus Tertullian vnderstoode and expounded the woordes of Christe Wherfore it is greate folie to charge him with this new imagination of Accidentes and so vnaduisedly and without cause to reprooue him for speakinge that he neuer spake By these wée may the better iudge of M. Hardinges owne Exposition For thus he saith VVhen Christe saide Hoc This he shewed not foorth the Visible Accident or Forme of Breade but his very Natural Bodie It appeareth that M. Hardinge either litle considereth or not muche regardeth his owne woordes For al the reast of his side holde for most certainâ— that their Transubstantiation is not wrought before the vttering of the last Syllable Whiche thinge notwithstanding M. Harding contrary to aâ— his felowes I wil not say contrary to him selfe saith that the Breade is turned into Christes Bodie onely at the vtterance of the first Syllable And so by this Newe Diuinitie Christes Bodie is made Present and the Sacrament is a Sacrament before Consecration al is ended before it be begonne whiche in M. Hardinges Schooles not longe sithence was counted an errour aboue al errours whiche to shifte they were faine to diuise Indiuiduum Vagum Againe if this Pronowne Hoc haue relation to Christes Bodie then must wee of force by M. Hardinges Fantasie thus expounde the woordes of Christe This is my Bodie that is to say My Bodie is my Bodie Whiche Exposition of M. Hardinges D. Holcote saith is vaine and peeuish and to no purpose And where as M. Harding saith None of al the Olde Fathers euer expounded these woordes of Christe by a Figure I maruel he canne so boldely vtter and publishe so greate vntrueth without blusshinge For he knoweth right wel that scarcely any one of al the Olde Fathers euer expounded it otherwise Damascene and Theophylacte are very Younge Doctours in comparison of them that wee may iustly cal Olde as standinge farre without the compasse of the first sixe hundred yéeres and otherwise freight with greate errours and sundrie folies Therefore I thinke it not amisse for shortenesse of time to passe them by Yet by the way let vs a litle viewe M. Hardinges Logique Thus he teacheth vs to reason Tertullian by this Pronowne Hoc vnderstoode the outwarde Accident or Fourme of Breade Ergo Christes Bodie it selfe is a Figure M. Hardinge The .10 Diuision And the cause why Tertullian so expounded these woordes of Christe was that thereby he â—ight take aduantage against Marcion the heretique as many times the fathers in heate of disputation doo handle some places not after the exacte signification of the woordes but rather folow such way as serueth them best to confute their aduersarie VVhiche manner not reporting any vntrueth S. Basile dooth excuse in the settinge foorth of a disputation not in prescribinge of a Doctrine As he defendeth Gregorius Neocaesariensis against the Sabellians for that in a contention he had with Aelianus an Ethnike to declare the Mysteries of the Trinitie he vsed the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in steede of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the learned men that be wel seene in the Fathers know they must vse a discreation and a sundrie iudge betweene the thinges they write Agonisti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say by way of contention or disputation and the thinges they vtter Dogmatic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by way of settinge foorth a doctrine or mater of Faith Neither in that contention did Tertullian so muche regarde the exacte vse of woordes as how he might winne his purpose and driue his aduersarie denieing that Christe tooke the true Bodie of man and that he suffered death in deede to confesse the trueth which he thought to bringe to passe by deducing of an argument from the Figure of his Bodie whiche consisteth in that whiche is visible in the Sacrament to prooue the veritie of his Bodie And therefore in framing his reason by way of illation he saith Figura autem non esset nisi veritatis esset Corpus There were not a Figure onlesse
obseruinge of the Gospel and for the keepinge of the Feaste of the true and firme Easter and for thy reuerent and pure Image whiche thy holy Apostles haue leafte to me by Tradition to haue and keepe for a representation of thine Incarnation Then quod our Lorde if this be the mater for whiche thou arte inuaded and set against be not dismaied be of good comforte in harte and minde being assured hereof that who so denieth Easter or my cleane Image I shal deny him before my heauenly Father and his chosen Angels And he that suffereth persecution with me for keepinge of Easter the same shal also be glorified with me Hast not thou heard what I commaunded Moyses the Lawgeuer to doo Make me saide I twoo Cherubins iâ— the Tabernacle of the Testimony to be a prefiguration or foretokening of my Image c. The B. of Sarisburie I trowe This good Olde Monumente of Antiquitie hath laine longe in the dust at Uerona with M. Hardinges Amphilochius The Churche piteously bemoaneth her selfe vnto Christe that she is soare persecuted and vexed for his Image Christe to comforte her with al saith Who so denieth mine Image shal be denied before my Father In the ende he confirmeth the vse of suche Images by the Example of the Cherubines Here M. Hardinge to increase some credite to his new Doctour shoulde haue shewed vs when the Churche was thus vexed for hauinge the Image of Christe and whoo vexed her and what kinde of vexation it was and how longe it continewed and in what countrie and when it ceassed The Churche is builte vpon a Mounte her Persequutions cannot be hidden If she euer were thus vexed for hauinge of Images I meane before the time of Athanasius it must néedes appeare If neuer then was she a very Wanton thus to complaine without cause If these threates be true that who so denieth the grauen or painted Image of Christe shal be denied before God the Father then must Epiphanius the Bishop of Cyprus and Serenus the Bishop of Massilia both Godly and Zelous Bishops and a greate number of other godly Learned Fathers that rente brake downe and defaced Christes Images be vtterly denied before God To be shorte to say that God commaunded Moyses to make the golden Cherubines purposely to be Figures of these Images of Wood or Stoane it is a very Fabulous and a Childish fantasie without any grounde how be it good yenough to mainteine and colour a Childishe Doctrine Notwithstanding if there be any weight either in this hidden Athanasius or in his sayeinges then may wee wel coniecture that he vseth this Worde Image in this place not for any suche material forme painted or grauen by mans hande but for the whole Conuersation of the Sonne of God in this mortal life whiche is as muche as Verbum Caro factum est The woorde became Fleashe and is expressed and set foorthe as an Image before our eies in the whole Doctrine and Policie of the Churche as the déepest grounde and very fundation of the Christian Faithe And thus S. Paule saithe Christus est Imago patris Christe is the Image of the Father Otherwise God is Inuisible S. Iohn saithe Noman euer saw God But the Sonne that is in the Fathers bosome he hath reueled the Fathers wil. In his conuersation in the Fleashe as in an Image wee beholde God the Father So in the booke of the Apocalyps Imago bestiae The Image of the Beast is called not any material Image Painted or Grauen but the Doctrine the Seduction the Errours the Lies the Blasphemies the Idolatrie and the whole Conuersation of Antichriste So S. Basile saith Christe called his Fleashe and Bloud the whole Mystical Doctrine of his Gospel whiche he published in his dispensation in the Fleashe So S. Augustine séemeth to saye Eius Passionis Imaginem in Ecclesia Celebrandam dedit He gaue the Image of his Passion to be frequented in the Churche And Pachymeres the Gréeke Paraphrast expoundeth this woorde Imago thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He calleth Pictures the Images or inwarde and deepe considerations of our Mysteries For this Image of Christe the Churche of God was often persecuted This Image as some of the Olde Fathers saye was represented and figured by the Cherubines and vndoubtedly who so euer denieth this Image Christe shal denie him before God his Father This Exposition is agréeable bothe to the tenour of Goddes Woorde and also to the storie of the Time and therefore wée may safely iudge if this were Athanasius in déede that this was his very meaninge Otherwise the common and knowen Athanasius that is extant and abroade writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The inueÌ„tion of Images is of il and not of good And the thinge that hath an il beginning can neuer be iudged good in any thinge as beinge in al respectes and altogeather il This is this holy Fathers moste cleare iudgement not cast vp in corners and hidden in the dust but open to the eies and sight of al the Worlde M. Hardinge The .9 Diuision Of al the Fathers none hathe a plainer testimonie bothe for the vse and also for the woorshippinge of Images then S. Basile whose auctoritie for learninge wisedome and holinesse of life beside antiquitie is so weightie in the iudgemente of al men that al our Newe Maisters laied in balance against him shal be founde lighter then any feather Touchinge this mater makinge a confession of his faithe in an Epistle inueighinge against Iulian the renegate he saithe thus Euen as we haue receiued our Christian and pure Faithe of God as it were by right of heritage right so I make my confession thereof to him and therein I abide I beleeue in one god father almightie God the Father God the Sonne God the Holy Ghoste One God in substance and these three in personnes I adore and glorifie I confesse also the Sonnes Incarnation Then afterwarde S. Mary who accordinge to the Fleashe brought him foorthe callinge her Deiparam I reuerence also the holy Apostles Prophetes and Martyrs whiche make supplication to God for me that by their mediation our moste benigne God be merciful vnto me and graunte me freely remission of my sinnes Then this foloweth Quam ob causam historias imaginum illorum honoro palam adoro hoc enim nobis traditum à Sanctis Apostolis non est prohibendum sed in omnibus Ecclesijs nostris eorum Historias erigimus For the whiche cause I doo bothe honour the stories of their Images and openly Adâ—â—re them For this beinge deliuered vnto vs of the holy Apostles by tradition is not to be forbidden And therefore we set vp in al our Churches their stories Lo M. Iuel here you see a sufficient testimonie that Images were set vp in the Churches longe before the ende of your sixe hundred yeeres and that they were honoured and woorshipped not onely of the simple Christian people but of Bishop
honoured with Doulia bicause that honour as he saithe is Dewe vnto our Lady This determination of Thomas is reprooued by Holcot And his reason is this Latria or Godly honour is dewe onely vnto God But the Image of God is not God Therefore Latria or Godly honour is not dewe vnto an Image Otherwise saith he the Creatoure and the Creature shoulde bothe be Adoured with one honoure And notwithstandinge Henricus de Gandauo Petrus de Aquisa Iohannes de Guiuerra Durandus and other Schoole Doctours agree with Holcot and their iudgement seeme very agreeable vnto Reason Yet he that wrote Fortalitium Fidel saithe The Common opinion and practise of the Churche holdeth the contrarie And one Iacobus Payua a greate stickler of that side doubtâ—th not to write thus Non tamen inficiamur hac nos Latriae Adoratione Christi praeclaâ—issimam Crucem colere venerari Yet wee denie not but wee doo woorship and Adoure the moste noble Crosse of Christe euen with this Godly honoure that wee calle Latria And where as M. Hardinge referreth the whole Adoration vnto the thinge represented by the Image â–ª One Iacobus Nanclantus the Bishop of Clâ—gium in Italy telleth him that the Image and the thinge represented by the Image must bothe be worshipped with one kinde of Adoration His woordes be these Ergo non solum faâ—endum est Fideles in Ecclesia Adorare coram Imagine vt nonnulli ad cauâ—elam forte loquuntur sed Adorare Imaginem sine quo volueris scrupulo quin eo illam venerari cultu quo prototypon eius Propter quod si illud habet A doâ—ari Latâ—ia illa habet Adorari Laâ—â—ia Therefore wee must confesse that the faithâ—ul people in the Churche dooth not onely worshâ—p before the Image as some men vse to speake for more assurance but that they woorship the Image it selfe and that without any manner scruple of conscience what so euer Yea and further they woorship the Image with the same honoure wherewith they woorship the thinge represented As if the thinge represented by the Image he woorshipped with godly honoure then must the Image it selfe likewise be woorshipped with godly honour If M. Hardinge wil say these errours be olde longe sithence controlled by his Church of Rome it may please him to vnderstande that Nanclantus was printed in Uenece Anno. 1557. and that Payua was printed in â—oleine Anno. 1564. bothe wel allowed without controlment The case standinge thus what then auaileth M. Hardinges distinction of Latria and Doulia I feare me wee may say of him and his felowes as S. Augustine sometime saide of the Heathens Nemo mihi dicaâ— Non est Numen non est Deus Vâ—inam ipsi sic norint quomodo nouimus nos Sed quid habeant pro qua re habeant quid ibi faciant Ara testatur Let noman say vnto mee It is no Diuine Power it is no God I woulde to God they so knewit as wee know it But what they haue and in what sorte they haue it and what they doo aboute it the Aultar beareth witnesse Marcellina the Heretique is much reprooued by S. Augustine for that emonge other Images she offered vp incense to the Image of Christe And Origen saith Fieri non potest vt quis Deum Simulachrum colat It is not possible that any man may woorship God and an Image bothe togeather And Polydorus Uergâ—lius a man of late yéeres vttering the greate abuse that he saw in the Churche in his time writeth thus Nunc de Simulachâ—orum culâ—u agamus quem non modò nostrae Religionis expertes sed teste Hieronymo omnes ferè Veteres Sancti Patres damnabant ob metuÌ„ Idololatriae Now let vs intreate of the woorshippinge of Images whiche not onely the Heathens that were voide of our Religion but also as S. Hierome saithe al the Olde Godly Fathers condemned for feare of Idolatrie And of the abuse and disorder of the Churche herein in his time he writeth thus Eò insaniae deuentum est vt haec pars Pieâ—atis parùm differat ab Impietate The worlde is come to suche oultrage and meere madnesse herein that this parte of Holinesse differeth now very litle from open Wickednesse To this passe the Churche of God was brought by M. Hardinges distinction of Latria and Doulia The best remedie in this behalfe and moste agreeable with Gods Woorde is vtterly to abolishe the cause of the il So the godly Kinge Ezechias tooke downe and brake in peeces the Brasen Serpente Notwithstandinge Moses him selfe by Goddes special Commaundement had erected it notwithstandinge it were an expresse Figure of Christe hanginge vpon the Crosse notwithstandinge it had continued so many yéeres notwithstandinge God by it had wrought so many Miracles So the godly Bishoppe Epiphanius rente in sunder the Image of Christe Painted in a Clothe and saide It was against Gods Commaundement a thinge Superstitious and vnmeete for the Churche and people of God notwithstanding it were the Image of Christe So the godly Emperour Theodosius made his Proclamation ouer al his Dominions in this sorte Signum Seruatoris nostri quocunque loco reperitur tolli iubemus Wee streitely commaunde that the Image of our Saueoure be taken downe in what place so euer it shal be founde notwithstandinge it were the Image of our Saueour So it is Decreed in the late Councel of Mens that when Images happen to be abused by the people they be either notably altered or vtterly abolished Neither dooth God throughout al his holy Scriptures anywhere condemne Image breakers but expressely euerywhere he condemneth Image woorshippers and Imagemakers God saithe They are snares to catche the ignorant He knoweth the inclination of the harte of man And therefore he saith Accursed be he that leadeth the blinde out of his way And accursed be he that laieth a stumblinge blocke to ouerthrow the blinde FINIS THE XV. ARTICLE OF READINGE THE SCRIPTVRES The B. of Sarisburie Or that the Laie People was then forbidden to reade the VVoorde of God in their owne tongue M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision That the laie people was thea forbidden to reade the VVoorde of God in their owne tongue I finde it not 204 Neither doo I finde â–ª that the laie people was then or at any other time commaunded to reade the woorde of God in their owne tongue beinge vulgare and barbarous By vulgare and barbarous tongues I vnderstande as before al other beside the three learned and principal tongues Hebrew Greke and Latine VVhiche as they were once natiue and vulgare to those three peoples so nowe to none be they natiue and vulgare but common to be obteigned by learninge for meditation of the Scriptures and other knowledge The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge fully dischargeth this whole mater in one woorde I finde it not saith he that the Laie People was then forbidden to reade the VVoorde of God in their
not one Scholar hable to knowe his letters How be it he taketh it for no inconuenience what so euer may healpe to serue his turne But in the olde times the Prickes or Uowelles were not founde Therfore saith he the people coulde not Reade So likewise in olde times the Gréeke tongue was written without Accentes as it is euident vntil this day by sundrie Bookes olde â–ª Marble Stoanes that are so written Yet notwithstandinge men were then hable to reade the Gréeke tongue without Accentes Certainely M. Hardinge knoweth that euen now not onely the learned of the Iewes but also the very Children of tenne yéeres of age are hable to Reade without Prickes or Uowelles Yet notwithstandinge saithe M. Hardinge This was donne by Goddes Secrete Prouision least the Laye people should reade Goddes VVoordes and so Pretious Sâ—oanes should be throwen before Swine This doubtles was donne by Gods prouision that it might appeare in what regarde M. Hardinge hath the people of God that is by his owne confession as vnpure and vncleane beastes and filthy Swine and none otherwise M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision Here I neede not to spende time in rehersinge the manifolde difficulties of these holy letters through whiche the readinge of them to the simple and vnlearned people hauinge their wittes exercised in no kinde of learninge their mindes occupied in worldly cares their hartes caried away with the loue of thinges they lust after is not very profitable As the light shineth in vaine vpon blinde eies saithe a holy Father so to no purpose or profite is the labour of a worldly and natural man taken for the atteininge of thinges that be of the Spirite Verily emonges other this incommoditie is seene by dayly experience hereof to proceede that of the people such as ought of right to take least vpon them be now become censours and iudges of al despisers of the more parte and whiche is common to al Heretiques mockers of the whole simplicitie of the Churche and of al those thinges which the Churche vseth as Pappe or Milke to nourrishe her tender babes withal that it were better for theÌ„ not to reade then by readinge so to be pufte vp and made insolent VVhiche euil commeth not of the Scripture but of their owne malice and â—uil disposition The B. of Sarisburie The Laie people is occupied in worldly affaires Ergo saith M. Hardinge they may not be suffered to reade the Scriptures As if he would say They are in the middest of diseases Therfore they may vse no Physitian They are in the thronge of their enimies Therfore they must be leaâ—te naked without weapon But the godly learned Fathers haue euermore reprooued this reason thought it childishe S. Chrysostome saith thus vnto the Laie people Lectio diuinarum Scripturarum vobis magis necessaria est quà m Monachis The Readinge of the Scriptures is more necessary for you then it is for Monkes And touchinge Worldly Cares the worlde wel séeth the the Bishop of Rome his Cardinalles others of that profession are no lesse troubled therewith then they that are most déepely drowned in the worlde S. Gregorie beinge by the Emperour auanced to the Bishoprike of Rome writeth thus of him selfe Sub colore Episcopatus ad saeculum retractus sum in quo tantis terrae curis inseruio quantis me in vita Laica nequaquam deseruisse reminiscor Vnder the colour of my Bishoprike I am drawen backe into the world wherein I am so muche troubled with worldly cares as I doo not remember the like when I liued in the worlde And againe he saithe Tanta me occupationum onera deprimunt vt ad superna animus nullatenus erigatur So many cares and busines doo presse me downe thâ—t I can in no wise liâ—te my minde vp to Heauen Yet Gregorie in comparison of his Successours might vndoubtedly séeme a Saincte For as now they haue one foote in the Churche and an other in the worlde or rather not one foote in the Churche but bothe harte and bodie in the worlde Yet notwithstandinge by M. Hardinges Doctrine these onely muste haue the Supreme Iudgemente and Exposition of Goddes Woorde and what so euer they saie therein it ought to stande in more weight then the Iudgement of a General Councel or the Determination of the whole worlde He addeth further Knowledge bloweth vp the harte and increaseth Pride Thus saith M. Harding beinge him selfe learned ful of knowledge I wil not vse his owne Conclusion Ergo ful of Pride But thus he saith euen as Epimenides the Poete saide Cretenses semper mendaces The men of Creta be euer liers beinge him selfe a man of Creta and therefore by his owne iudgement a lier as others were This slouthful quarel against the Knowlege of God mighte be mainteined by great Antiquitie For S. Hierome and S. Augustine saie there were men then in their time of the same iudgement herein that M. Hardinge is nowe S. Hierome saithe Inertiae se otio somno dantes putant peccatuÌ„ esse si Scripturas legerint â—os qui in Lege Domini meditantur die ac nocte quasi garrulos inutilesque contemnunt Gâ—uinge them selues to sleape and slouthfulnes they thinke it Sinne to Reade the Scriptures and such as bothe day and night are studious in the Lawe of God thei despise as prattelers and vaine men Likewise S. Augustine Sunt quidaÌ„ homines qui cùm audierint quòd humiles esse debent demittunt se nihil volunt discere putantes quòd si aliquid didicerint Superbi futuri sint remanent in solo lacte quos Scriptura repreheÌ„dit There be certaine men that when they heare they muste be humble abase them selues and wil learne nothing fearing that if they atteine to any knowledge they shal be proude and so they remaine stil onely in Milke But the Scripture of God reprooueth them The Olde learned Father Irenaeus expoundinge these woordes of S. Paule Scientia Inflat writeth thus Paulus ait Scientia inflat Non quòd veram Scâ—entiam de Deo culparet Aliôqui se ipsum primùm accusaret S. Paule saithe Knowledge puffeth vp the Minde not for that he founde faulte with the true knowledge of God Otherwise he shoulde firste of al others haue reprooued him selfe For he was learned And S. Chrysostome saithe Hoc omnium malorum causa est quòd Scripturae ignorantur This is the cause of al il that the Scriptures are not knowen But they that reade the Scriptures despise suche Superstitious orders and Idolatrous deformities as haue beene vsed whiche M. Hardinge calleth the Milke and Simpliâ—itie of the Churche Uâ—rily and they that see the light despise the darkenes and they that know the Truethe â—espise Falsheade S. Paule after he once vnderstoode Christe despised al that he had beene trained in before as Filthe and Doâ—nge And therefore he saithe When I was a Childe
visite him who comminge vnto him with pretence to bringe conforte through his heauenly knowledge receiued confort But amonge the people how greate number is there of lewde Losels Gluttons and Dronkerdes whose bealy is their God who folow their vnruly lustes Is it to be thought this sorte of persones may without meditation and exercise of praier pearse the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures and of those holy Mysteries whiche God hath hidden as Christe confesseth from the Learned and wise man and opened vnto litle ones The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge alloweth these whom he calleth Curious Busy Bodies of the Uulgare sorte to atteine to the vnderstandinge of Gods Woorde not by readinge but onely by Special ReuelatioÌ„ and Miracle and none otherwise and that within the space of a thousande yéeres one or twoo onely and no moe For so S. Antonie atteined vnto the knowledge therof vtterly without any booke or Reading or any other healpe of vnderstandinge So that sicke man lieinge bedreade of whom S. Gregorie maketh that woorthy mention So that Barbarous and vtterly vnlearned sclaue that suddainely by Reuelation was taught to Reade And so like wise perhaps M. Hardinge him selfe beinge so longe a time and so earnest a Preacher of the same Gospel and Trueth of God that he now so wilfully condemneth without either Booke or Readinge or other conference onely vpon the Change of the Prince and none otherwise vnderstoode that thinge that before he coulde not vnderstande and by Miracle and Reuelation vpon the suddaine was wholy altered vnto the contrary True it is Fleashe Bloud is not hable to vnderstande the holy wil of God without special Reuelation Therefore Christe gaue thankes vnto his Father For that he had reueled his secretes vnto the little ones And likewise opened the hartes of his Disciples that they might vnderstande the Scriptures Without this special healpe and promptinge of Goddes holy Sprite the Woorde of God is vnto the Reader be he neuer so wise or wel learned as the Uision of a sealed Booke Buâ—â—â—â—s Reuelation is not special vnto one or twoo but general to al them that 〈◊〉 members of Christe and are endewed with the Sprite of God Therefore 〈◊〉 â—hrysostome saithe generally vnto al the people Audite quotquot estis mundani â—â—xoribus praeestis ac liberis quemadmodum vobis Apostolus Paulus Praecipiat legere â—cripturas idque non simpliciter neque obiter sed magna cum diligentia Herken al yee men of the worlde that haue wiues and Children how S. Paule the Apostle of Christe coÌ„maundeth you to Reade the Scriptures and that not sleightly or as by the way but with greate diligence Againe he saithe Domi Biblia in manus sumite Domi vacemus diuinarum Scripturarum lectioni Take the Bible into your handes in your houses at home At home in our houses let vs applie the Readinge of the Holy Scriptures So likewise saithe S. Hierome Hîc ostenditur verbum Christi non sufficienter sed abundanter etiaÌ„ Laicos habere debere docere se inuiceÌ„ vel monere Here wee are taught that the Lay people ought to haue the Woorde of God not onely sufficiently but also with abundance and to teache and counsel others But emongest these Busy Bodies of the Uulgare sorte M. Hardinge findeth a greate number of Losels Gluttons and Dronkardes whose belly is their God Thus he nameth the parte but he meaneth the whole For euen so writeth Hosius one of the Chiefe of that Companie Non est Consilium in vulgo non ratio non discrimen In this Vulgare sorte there is neither Counsel nor reason nor discretion And farther he calleth the flocke of Christe Beluam multorum Capitum A Wilde beaste of many heades As M. Hardinge also a litle before calleth them Swyne and others calle them Filthy Dogges Euen so the Phariseis iudged and spake of the simple People that folowed Christe Turbauista quae non nouit Legem maledicti sunt These rabbles of rascalles that are Unlearned and know not the Lawe are accursed In suche regarde they haue theÌ„ whom S. Paule calleth Ciues Sanctorum domesticos Dei Cittizens with the Sainctes and of the Householde of God If loosenesse of life be a iust cause to baÌ„nishe the people from the Woorde of God it is commonly thought that the Cardinalles and Priestes in Rome liue as loosely as any others S. Bernarde of the Priestes of his time writeth thus Non est iam dicere vt Populus sic Sacerdos quia nec sic Populus vt Sacerdos Wee mayâ— not nowe saye As is the People so is the Prieste For the people is not so wicked as is the Priest Therefore by M. Hardinges iudgemente the Priestes ought no lesse to be banished from Goddes Woorde then the rest of the People M. Hardinge The .12 Diuision And where as learned men of our time be diuided into contrary sectes and write bitterly one againste an other eche one imputinge to other mistakinge of the Scriptures if emongest them who woulde seeme to be the leadars of the people be controuersies and debates aboute the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures howe maye the common people be thought to be in safe case out of al daunger of errours if by readinge the Bible in their owne tongue they take the mater in hande If any man thinke I sclaunder them for that I saie they be diuided into contrary sectes let him vnderstande their owne Countriemenne I meane them of Germanie and special setters foorthe of this newe doctrine reporte it in their bookes and complaine lamentably of it Namely Nicolaus Amsdorffius in his booke intituled Publica Confessio purae doctrinae Euangelij c. Also Nicolaus Gallus in his booke of Theses and Hypotyposes who acknowledgeth the strifes and debates that be emongst them to be not of lighte matters but of high Articles of Christian doctrine For euen so be his woordes in Latine Non sunt leues inter nos concertationes de rebus leuibus sed de sublimibus doctrinae Christianae Articulis de lege EuaÌ„gelio c. The same man in the last leafe of his foresaide booke with greate vehemencie reporteth Haereses permultas esse prae manibus plerasque etiamnùm haerere in calamo That very many Heresies be already in hande and many as yet sticke in the penne as though he meante they were ready to be set foorthe Of late there haue beene put foorthe in printe twoo greate bookes one by the princes of Saxonie the â—ther by the Erles of Mansfeld chiefe mainteiners of the Lutheranes in whiche be recited eleuen sectes and the same as detestable Heresies condemned they are conteined in this cataloge or rol Anabaptistae Seruetiani Stancariani Antinomi Iesuitae Osiandriani Melancâ—thonici Maioristae Adiaphoristae Suencfeldiani Sacramentarij Albeit the Iesuites haue wronge to be numbred amonge them This muche is confessed of the sectes and controuersies of our newe Gospellers by their
secundum ea quae ab ipso tradita sunt Mysteria celebrantes gratias Deo pro salute nostra agentes Wee Sacrifice and offer vp vnto God the Remembrance of that Greate Sacrifice vsinge the Holy Mysteries accordingly as Christe hath deliuered them and geuinge God Thankes for our Saluation And that Ireneus meante not any suche Real Sacrifice of the Sonne of God nor maie not in any wise so be taken it is euidente by the plaine woordes that folowe touchinge the same For thus he saithe speakinge of the very same Sacrifice of the Newe Testamente that is mentioned by Malachie Sacrificia non Sanctificant hominem sed conscientia eius qui offert existens pura sanctificat Sacrificium The Sacrifice dooth not Sanctifie the Man but the Conscience of the offerer beinge pure Sanctifieth the Sacrifice I trowe M. Hardinge wil not saie The Prieste is not Sanctified by the Sonne of God but the Sonne of God is sanctified by the Conscience of the Priest For that were Blasphemie And yet thus must he needes saie yf Ireneus meante the Real Sacrificinge of the Sonne of God But M. Hardinge hath diuised a greate many replies to the contrary First he faithe The offeringe vp of Praier Praises and Thankesgeuinge cannot be called a Newe Sacrifice for the same was made by Moses Aaron the Prophetes and other holy menne in the Olde Lawe This obiection serueth wel to control Tertullian S. Augustine and S. Hierome and other learned Fathers that thus haue taken it who by M. Hardinges iudgemente wrote vnaduisedly they knewe not what Hereunto Ireneus him selfe answeareth thus Oblationes hic Oblationes illic Sacrificia in Populo IsraeÌ„l Sacrificia in Ecclesia Sed species immutata est tantuÌ„ Quippe cùm iaÌ„ non à Seruis sed à Liberis offeruntur There were Sacrifices in the Olde Testamente There be Sacrifices in the Newe There were Sacrifices in the People of Israel there be Sacrifices in the Church Onely the manner or forme is changed For nowe they be offered not by Bonde menne as before but by Free menne In like sense writeth Angelomus Mandatum Nouum scribo vobis non alterum sed ipsum quod dixi Vetus idem est Noâ—um I write vnto yowe a Newe Commaundemente None other but that I called the Olde the selfe same is the Newe And it is called a Newe Sacrifice saithe Chrysostome Bicause it proceedeth from a Newe minde and is offered not by fiere and smoke but by Grace and by the Sprite of God And in this consideration Ireneus thinketh Dauid saide vnto the Children of the Churche of Christe O singe vnto the Lorde a Newe Songe M. Hardinge saithe further The VVoordes of Malachie maie in no wise be taken for the Oblation of Christe vpon the Crosse. For that saithe he was donne at one time onely and in one certaine place in Golgotha without the Gates of Hierusalem and not in euery place Yet M. Hardinge maie easily vnderstande that the Remembrance of that Sacrifice and Thankesgeuinge for the same maie be made at al times in al places And therefore Eusebius as it is noted before calleth our Sacrifice Magni illius Sacrificij Memoriam The Remembrance of that greate Sacrifice and the Thankesgeuinge whiche wee yelde vnto God for our Saluation Dionysius calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Figuratiue Sacrifice And S. Augustine saithe Cùm credimus in ChristuÌ„ ex ipsis reliquijs cogitationis Christus nobis quotidiè immolatur When wee beleeue in Christe euen of the very remanentes of our Cogitation in what place so euer wée be Christe is Sacrificed vnto vs euery daie Likewise S. Hierome saithe Cùm audimus Sermonem Domini Caro Christi Sanguis eius in auribus nostris funditur When wee heare the woorde of the Lorde the Fleashe of Christe and his Bloude is powred out into our eares And where as M. Hardinge saithe further that the Spiritual Sacrifices of our deuotion cannot altogeather be called pure and therefore cannot be the Sacrifices of the Newe Testamente it must needes be confessed that al our righteousnes in respecte of many imperfections maie be compared as the prophete Esai saithe vnto a filthy clowte Yet in respecte of Goddes mercie and in Christe the prophete Dauid saithe Thowe shalt washe me and I wil be whiter then the snowe Howe be it herein I wil remit M. Hardinge to the iudgemente of them whoe 's Authorities he caÌ„not wel denie Eusebius calleth our Praiers MunduÌ„ Sacrificium A Pure Sacrifice Tertullian saithe Wee make Sacrifice vnto our God for the safetie of our Emperours Pura prece with a Pure Praier S. Hierome speaking of the Sacrifice of Christian Praiers saithe thus A pure Sacrifice is Offered vnto me in euery place not in the Oblations of the Olde Testamente but in the holynes of the Puritie of the Gospel To be short S. Paule saithe Volo viros precari in omni loco leuantes manus Puras I woulde that menne shoulde praie in al places liftinge vp Pure handes vnto God Touchinge the Sacrifice of the Lordes Table Eusebius writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He gaue vs a Remembrance in steede of a Sacrifice to offer vp continually vnto God And this he calleth Incruentum Rationabile Sacrificium The vnbloudy and Reasonable Sacrifice This saithe Iraeneus is the Sacrifice of the Newe Testament This Sacrifice the Churche receiued of the Apostles and the same the Apostles receiued of Christe that made al thinges Newe M. Hardinge The .10 Diuision Now let vs heare what S. Cyprian hath writen to this purpose Bicause his workes be common to be shorter I wil rehearse his woordes in Englishe If in the Sacrifice whiche is Christe none but Christe is to be folowed soothly it behoueth vs to obey and doo that whiche Christe did and commaunded to be done For yf Iesus Christe our Lorde and God very he him selfe be the high Prieste of God the Father and him selfe first offered Sacrifice to God the Father and commaunded the same to be donne in his Remembrance Verily that Priest dooth occupie the office of Christe truely who dooth by imitation the same thinge that Christe did And then he offereth to God the Father in the Churche a true and a perfite Sacrifice yf he beginne to offer right so as he seeth Christe him selfe to haue offered This farre S. Cyprian How can this Article be auouched in more plaine woordes 227 he saithe that Christe offered him selfe to his Father in his Supper and likewise commaunded vs to doo the same â–ª Here wee haue prouued that it is lawful and hath alwaies from the beginning of the Newe Testament ben lawful for the 228 priestes to offer vp Christe vnto his Father by the testimonies of three holy Martyrs two Greekes and one Latine most notable in sundry respectes of antiquitie of the roume they bare in Christes Churche of Learninge
Article And if it hath beene saide of some onely and not taught vniuersally of al as a true doctrine for Christen people to beleeue how agreeth he with him selfe sayinge after the rehearsal of his number of Articles the same none excepted to be the highest mysteries and greatest keies of our Religion For if that were true as it is not true for the greatest parte then shoulde this Article haue beene affirmed and taught of al. For the highest and greatest pointes of the Catholike Religion be not particular but of vniuersal teachinge The B. of Sarisburie Here it appeareth that M. Hardinge somewhat misliketh his Catholique Maisters and thinketh it now an errour to say That a Mouse may eate the Bodie of Christe and therefore he calleth this parte of his owne Doctrine A vile asseueration But if this Asseueration of M. Hardinges owne Doctours greatest Doctours be so Uile then Uile were they that firste diuised it And yet I cannot wel sée how he may so lightly recante the Doctrine that he was borne brought vp in and condemne his owne felowes of villanie without blame How be it One good excuse he séemeth to haue that this parte of his Religion was neuer Uniuersally receiued nor counted Catholique And therefore he saithe It is no keie of his Religion If M. Hardinge wil measure al the reste in this sorte I feare mee very fewe partes of his whole Religion wil prooue Catholique And yet the firste diuisours and setters foorthe and mainteiners hereof tooke this euermore for a principal keie as without whiche the rest of their Doctrine coulde not stande Yet were they euermore accoumpted bothe as Uniuersal for their Learninge and as Catholique for their Religion and as constante in the same as M. Hardinge But in déede the Olde holy Fathers S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome neuer hearde of this strange Doctrine nor if they had hearde it would euer haue taken it for locke or keie of their Religion but would rather haue thought him woorthy to be lockte vp as a madde man that woulde either haue taught it as greate numbers haue doone or els haue doubted of it as M. Hardinge doothe Now let vs see by whome this Doctrine hath béene mainteined So whether it haue béene holden for Catholique or no it wil soone appeare Yet notwithstandinge I muste protest before hande that the speaches that they haue vsed in this behalfe are so Blasphemous and so Uile that for the Reuerence I beare to the glorious Bodie of Christe I can neither heare them nor vtter them without horrour Firste of al Thomas of Aquine saithe thus Quidam dixerunt quòd cùm primùm Sacramentum sumitur à Mure vel à Cane desinit ibi esse Corpus Sanguis Christi Sed hoc derogat veritati huius Sacramenti Some haue saide that as soone as the Sacrament is touched of a Mouse or a Dogge the Bodie and Bloude of Christe streigthway departeth from it But this is a derogation to the trueth of this Sacramente By these woordes M. Hardinges iudgemente is vtterly condemned as vttered against the trueth and in the derogation of this Sacramente M. Hardinge maie not wel calle in question whether this Doctoure were Catholique or no. For Christe saide vnto him by a vision in his dreame Benè scripsisti de me Thoma O Thomas thou hast written ful wel of mâ—e And therefore he is called Doctor Angelicus an Angelical Doctoure for that in learninge and iudgemente he so far surmounted al other Doctours and was accompted moste Catholique In the Councel of Arle it is written thus Qui non benè custodierit Sacrificium Mus vel aliquod animal comederit illud quadraginta dies poeniteat Who so keepeth not the Sacrifice wel and duely and a Mous or any other beaste happen to eate it let him be put to penance fourtie daies Iohannes de Burgo saithe Mus comedens Hostiam suscipit Corpus Christi The Mouse eatinge the Sacramente receiueth the Bodie of Christe Alexander de Hales saithe thus Quidam dicunt Vbicunque ponantur species siue in mundo loco siue in immundo siue in Ventre Muris ibi est Corpus Christi Et in hoc non derogatur Corpori Christi nec Sacramento Some saie Where so euer the Fourmes be laide whether it be in a faire place or in a foule or in the belly of a Mouse there is the Very Bodie of Christe And this is no hinderance neither to the Bodie of Christe nor to the Sacramente Againe he saithe Si Canis vel Porcus deglutiret Hostiam Consecratam integraâ—m non video quare Corpus Domini non simul â—raiâ—ceretur in ventrem Canis vel Porci Yf a Dogge or a Swine shoulde eate the whole Hoste beinge Consecrate I see no cause but our Lordes Bodie shoulde enter into the belly of the Dogge or of the Swine Gerson saith BrutuÌ„ sumit Corpus Christi per Accidens quia sumit illud in quo est A brute beaste receiueth the Bodie of Christe bicause it receiueth that thinge wherein Christes Bodie is conteined Bonauentura liketh better the contrary Doctrine as more agréeinge as he saithe bothe with Ciuil Honestie and also with the Iudgemente of common Reason Haec Opinio est honestior rationabilior Peter Lombarde the Maister of al Catholique Conclusions one that taketh vpon him to teache al others when he commeth to this pointe he standeth in a mammeringe and is not hable to teache him selfe For thus he saithe touching the same Quid igitur sumit Mus vel quid manducat What is it then that the Mouse receiueth Or what eateth it He answeareth Deus nouit God knoweth I knowe it not Notwithstandinge his Resolution is this Sanè dici potest quòd Corpus Christi à brutis animalibus non sumitur It maie very wel be saide that a brute beaste receiueth not the Bodie of Christe But this Sentence is reuersed and not thought Catholique For the greate Facultie of Parise hath geuen this iudgemente vpon the same Hic Magister non tenetur Herein the Maister is not allowed Therefore notwithstandinge M. Hardinges contrary determination this Doctrine hitherto appeareth right good and Catholique Touchinge suche cases as herein maie happen Antoninus the Archebishop of Florence writeth thus Si Mus aut aliud animal c. Yf a Mouse or any other woorme or beaste happen to eate the Sacramente throwgh negligence of keepinge let the keeper throwgh whoe 's negligence it happened be enioined to penance fourtie daies And yf it be possible let the Mouse be taken and burnte and let his ashes be buried in or aboute the Aultare But Peter of Palus saith The Mouses entralles must be drawen and the Portion of the Sacramente that there remaineth yf the Priest be squaimishe to receiue it must reuereÌ„tly be saide vp in the Tabernacle vntil it maie naturally be consumed But the Hoste so founde in the Mouses entralles may in no
cause emonge the wise nor hindreth ours If wée be no members of the Churche that wishe al the people euery where to vnderstande what they Praie to ioyne their hartes togeather and to be lifted vp vnto God what then be they that wishe al the Churche to be drowned in ignorance and the people to know nothinge If S. Paule were now aliue he woulde answeare him as sometime he answeared Elymas For certainely he him selfe knoweth That he wilfully peruerteth the manifest way of the Lorde M. Hardinge The .15 Diuision That Emperour had dominion ouer some Nations that vnderstoode not the Greeke commonly Yet no man can tel of any Constitution that euer he made for Seruice there to be had in their Vulgare and Barbarous tongue So many Nations hauinge beene conuerted to the Faith the common people whereof vnderstoode neither Greeke nor Latine if the hauinge of the Seruice in their Vulgare tongue had beene thought necessary to their Saluation The Fathers that stickte not to bestow their Bloud for their Flockes woulde not haue spared that smal paine and trauaile to put their Seruice in Vulgare tongues If it had beene necessary it had been doone if it had beene doone it had beene mentioned by one or other It appearâ—th by Arnobius vpon the Psalmes by Epiphanius writinge against Heresies and by S. Augustine in his Bookes De Doctrina Christiana that by accompte of the antiquitie there were 72. tongues in the worlde Cicero saithe that they be in number infinitie Of them al 78. neither M. Iuel nor any one of his side is able to shew that the Publike Seruice of the Churche in any Nation was euer for the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christe in any other then in Greeke and Latine The B. of Sarisburie Arnobius S. Augustine and Epiphanius saye there be thréescore and twelue sundrie Languages in the worlde Cicero saith they be infinite Here must I note by the way that Ciceroes woordes wel alleged doo vtterly confounde M. Hardinges Doctrine of hearing that thinge that the hearers vnderstande not in suche sorte as he mainteineth the hearinge of Masse For thus he saithe In his linguis quas non intelligimus quae sunt innumerabiles surdi profectò sumus In those tongues that wee vnderstande not which be innumerable certainely wee be deafe By which woordes M. Hardinge might perceiue that the simple people hearing him at his Masse is starke deafe and heareth nothinge Yet saithe M. Hardinge is not M. Iuel hable to shew that euer the Publique Seruice was in any other tongue then in Greeke or Latin And thus beinge required by mée to shew any one example that the people had their Common Seruice in a strange tongue and as it appeareth not hable to shew any he altereth cunningly the whole case and willeth mée to shew Which thinge notwithstandinge I might iustely refuse to doo by the order of any Schooles yet am I wel contente to yéelde to his request bothe for the goodnesse and pregnancie of the cause and also specially good Christian Reader for the better contentation of thy minde not doubtinge but of thée selfe thou wilte be hable to finde some distrust and wante in M. Hardinges side who notwithstandinge so many woordes and so greate vauntes yet is hable to shew nothinge And to auoide multitude of woordes the case beinge plaine Eckius saithe The Indians had their Seruice in the Indian tongue Durandus saithe The Iewes that were Christened had their Seruice in the Hebrew tongue Yet was neither of these tongues either Greeke or Latine Nicolaus Lyra and Thomas of Aquine saye The Common Seruice in the Primitiue Churche was in the Common Vulgare tongue By these few it may appeare it was but a brauerie that M. Hardinge saide Neither M. Iuel nor any one of that side is hable to shew that the Publique Seruice was in any other tongue then in Greeke or Latine For it is easy to be shewed euen by the Doctours of his owne side But what if Doctour Hardinge him selfe haue in plaine woordes confessed the same Although he haue wantonly denied Christe yet I trow he wil not denie him selfe Consider good Reader his owne woordes hereafter folowing in this selfe same Article But S. Paule say they requireth that the people geue assent and conforme them selfe vnto the Priest by ansvvearinge Amen to his praier made in the congregation Herevnto M. Hardinge answeareth thus Verily in the Primitiue Churche this vvas necessary vvhen the faith vvas a learninge and therefore the praiers vvere made then in a coÌ„mon toÌ„gue knovveÌ„ to the people What can there be more plainely spoken Here M. Hardinge not onely confesseth that the Common Praiers were pronounced in a Common tongue knowen to the people but also further saith the same at that time was necessary and auoucheth it with his warrant Verily Now quite contrary as a man that had vtterly forgotten him selfe he saith The Common Seruice was neuer saide but either in the Gréeke tongue or in the Latine and therein he offreth stoutely to stande against M. Iuel and al others of this side Whiche thing is easy for him to doo séeing he dareth to stande so stoutely against him selfe Uerily his sayeinges cannot stande bothe togeather If he be true in the one in the other he must néedes be false Yet good Christian Reader for thy better satisfaction it may please thee to know that in the Primitiue Churche the Common Seruice was not ministred by one man alone but by the Priest and whole Congregation altogeather as may appeare by the general consent of the olde Fathers Clemens Alexandrinus saith In orationibus veluti vnam vocem habent Communem vnam mentem In the Common praiers they haue al as it were one voice and one minde S. Chrysostome saith Not onely the Priest geueth thankes to God but also al the people And what doost thou maruel to see the Priest and people in the Praiers talke togeather And here to leaue S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Basile Nazianzenus Dionysius Ariopagita with many other like Fathers Isidorus describinge the order of the Churche in his time writeth thus Oporâ—es vt quando psallitur ab omnibus psallatur Et cùm oratur vt ab omnibus oretur cumque Lectio legitur facto silentio aequé audiatur à cunctis When they Singe they must Singe altogeather when they praie they must Praie altogeather and when the Lesson is readde silence beinge commaunded they must here altogeather It were very muche for M. Hardinge to say Al these thinges were doone in a learned tongue and that the Vulgare people in euery Countrie vnderstoode either the Greeke or the Latine Yet for that nothinge séemeth harde for him to say let vs sée what the olde Fathers wil reporte in that behalfe I haue already shewed by Theodoretus Sozomenus and S. Hierome that the Seruice was in the Syrian tongue Olde Father Origens woordes in my iudgement
séeme very plaine Writing against one Celsus a wicked Heathen he saith thus Graeci quidem Graecâ— Deum nominant Latinâ— Romani singuli item natiua Vernacula lingua Deum precaÌ„tur laudibus pro se quisque extollit Ille enim qui est linguarum omnium Dominus audit quauis lingua orantes idque non secus quà m si vnam vocem exciperet è varijs linguis expressam Deus enim cùm praesit machinae vniuersi non est quasi vnus aliquis qui linguam vel Graecam vel Barbaram sit sortitus vt coeteras nesciat The Greekes name God in the Greeke tongue and the Latines in the Latine tongue and al seueral Nations praie vnto God and praise him in their owne natural and mother tongue For he that is the Lorde of al tongues heareth men praieing in al tongues none otherwise then if it were one voice pronounced by diuers tongues For God that ruleth the whole worlde is not as some one man that hath gotten the Greeke or Latine tongue and knoweth none other S. Ambrose speaking of the Iewes that were conuerted to Christe saith thus Hi ex Hebraeis erant qui aliquaÌ„do Syria lingua plaerunque Hebraea in Tractatibus Oblationibus vtebantur These were â—ewes whiche in their Sermons and Oblations vsed sometime the Syrian tongue and sometimes the Hebrewe S. Basil writing vnto the learned men of Naeocaesaria and shewing in what order the people vsed to resorte to the house of praier in the night season and to singe Psalmes in sides and to praie togeather towardes the ende thereof hath these woordes Tanquam ab vnoore ab vno corde Confessionis Psalmum offerunt Domino Verba poenitentiae corum quisque propriè ascribit sibi As it were from one mouthe and from one harte they offer vp vnto the Lorde the Psalme of Confession and the woordes of Repentance euery of them applieth particularely vnto him selfe Hereby it is plaine that the people in S. Basils time songue the Psalmes togeather and vnderstoode what they songue And least M. Hardinge should slippe away as his wonte is and say Al this was doone in the Greeke tongue and not in any tongue Barbarous S. Basile hath already preuented him For immediatly he addeth further as it foloweth Horum gratia si nos fugitis fugietis etiam Aepyptios vtrosque Lybias Thebanos Palaestinos Arabas Phoenices Syros eos qui ad Euphratem incolunt in vniuersum omnes quibus Vigiliae Orationes Communes Psalmodiae in honore habentur If yee flee vs for thus singinge and praieinge togeather then must yee flee the Egyptians and bothe the Countries of Lybia and the Thebanes and the Palestines and the Arabians and the Phenicians and the Syrians and the borderers of Euphrates and generally yee must flee al them that haue watchinges and praiers and common Psalmodie in estimation I trow M. Hardinge wil not say Al these nations spake Greeke or Latine S. Hierome writinge vnto Heliodorus of the death of Nepotianus séemeth to auouche the same These be his woordes Nunc Passionem Christi Resurrectionem eius cunctarum gentium voces literae sonant Taceo de Hebraeis Graecis Latinis quas nationes suae Crucis Titulo Dominus dedicauit Bessorum feritas pellitorum turba populorum qui mortuorum quondam inferijs homines immolabant stridorem suum in dulce Christi fregerunt melos totius mundâ— vna vox est Christus Now bothe the voices and letters of al nations doo sounde out Christes Passion and Resurrection I leaue the Iewes the Greekes and the Latines whiche nations the Lorde hath dedicate with the title of his Crosse. The sauage nature of the Bessians and people that for their wildenesse goe cladde in skinnes whiche sometimes made Sacrifices of mennes Bodies haue turned their Barbarous speache into the sweete harmonie of Christe Christe is now the voice of the whole worlde Aeneas Syluius saithe that when Cyrillus and Methodius had conuerted the Sclauons vnto God whiche was aboute the yeere of our Lorde eight hundred and thréescore and were suters that they might minister the Common praiers and other Seruice vnto them in their Common Sclauon tongue and greate stay was made therein by the Pope and his Cardinales a voice was hearde as it had beene from Heauen Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum omnis lingua confiteatur ei Let euery sprite praise the Lorde and let euery tongue acknowlege him And that therevpon they were suffred to vse their owne tongue Touchinge this mater Innocentius the thirde hath decréed thus and whether it make for the purpose or no let M. Harding him selfe be iudge His woordes be these Quoniam in plaerisque partibus intra eandem Ciuitatem atque Dioecesim permisti sunt populi diuersarum linguarum habentes sub vna fide varios ritus mores districtè praecipimus vt Pontifices huiuscemodi Ciuitatum siue Dioecesium prouideant viros idoneos qui secundum diuersitates rituum linguarum diuina illis officia celebrent Ecclesiastica Sacramenta ministrent For so muche as in many places within one Citie and one Diocese there be nâ—tions mingled togeather of many tongues hauinge diuers orders and customes vnder one Faithe wee doo therefore straitely commaunde that the Bishoppes of suche Cities or Dioceses prouide meete men to Minister the holy Seruice Accordinge to the diuersitie of their manners and tongues Here might I allege much more out of diuers writers euen out of Abdias him selfe whom M. Hardinge so muche estéemeth But I wil onely note the complaint of one Iohn Billet concerning this case and so make an ende His woordes be these In primitiua Ecclesia prohibitum erat ne quis loqueretur linguis nisi esset qui interpretaretur Quid enim prodesset loqui nisi intelligeretur Inde etiam inoleuit laudabilis consuetudo vt pronuntiato literaliter Euangelio statim in vulgari populo exponeretur Quid autem nostris temporibus est agendum vbi nullus vel rarus inuenitur legens vel audiens qui intelligat Videtur ergo potius esse tacenduÌ„ quà m psallendum It was forbidden in the Primitiue Churche that no man shoulde speake with tongues onlesse there were some presente to expounde it For what should speakinge auaile without vnderstandinge And hereof grewe a laudable custome that after the Gospel was readde literally it should streight way be expouÌ„ded in the Vulgare tongue â—ut what shal wee doo in our daies when as there is either none at al or very seldom that râ—adeth or heareth and vnderstandeth It seemeth it were better now to holde then peace then so to singe Heere haue I alleged for proufe of our purpose of the olde Fathers Clemens Alexandrâ—nus Origen S. Basile S. Hierome Theodoretus Sozomenus and Isidorus of the later writers Aeneas Syluius Innocentius Tâ—rtius Iohn Billet Thomas of Aquine Lyra Durandus and Eckius
vnto them aboue al others Noli altum sapere sed time Be not highe minded but stande in awe Wherefore it is the lesse to be marueled if they haue so ambitiousely at al times attempted dominion ouer others But M. Hardinge saithe the preeminence of power and authoritie of the Bishop of Rome is commended to the worlde by many and sundrie Councelles Wherein I maruel he allegeth not the Councel of Carthage of Hippo Regius and of Aphrica in whiche it was decreed thus Vt primae sedis Episcopus non appelletur Princeps sacerdoâ—um aut Summus sacerdos aut aliquid huiusmodi sed tantùm primae Sedis Episcopus That the Bishop of the firste See be not called the chiefe of Priestes or the highest Prieste or by any other like name but onely the Bishop of the firste See Or the Councel of Aphrica where toutchinge appeale to Rome it was specially prouided thus Si prouocandum putauerint non prouocent nisi ad Aphricana Concilia vel ad primates prouinciarum suarum Ad transmarina qui putauerit appellandum à nullo intra Aphricam in CoÌ„munionem suscipiatur If they thinke it needeful to appeale from their owne Bishoppes let them not appeale but onely vnto Councelles to be holden within the countrie of Aphrica But who so euer shal thinke it needeful to appeale to the iudgement of any beyonde the Sea that is to the Bishop of Rome let no man within Aphrica receiue him to his Communion Why doothe M. Hardinge so warily leaue these Councelles that be ertant and to be séene the authoritie whereof was neuer doubted of and allege onely a patche of the Councel of Nice whiche he him selfe confesseth was burnte and al the Bishoppes of the East parte who are supposed to haue made it protest openly vnder their handes and seales it was neuer made But M. Hardinge herein doothe muche like vnto the Arrians that accused Athanastus who were not ashamed to bringe in the names of certaine menne as beinge aliue to witnesse againste him and yet not withstandinge charged Athanasius with the same menne that he had slaine them Neither doo I sée wherefore M. Hardinge shoulde néede in this case to leane to the authoritie of any Councel For his Anacletus thought it better to make men beleeue he had his superioritie Not from the Apostles but from Christe him selfe And Faustinus Episcopus Potentinus claiminge for the Bishop of Rome in the Councel of Carthage and findinge him selfe to haue smal holde in this Canon of the Nicene Councel alleged rather Custome and prescription These be his woordes Tractandum est cum vestra beatitudine de Nicenis Canonibus vt conseruentur constituta eoruÌ„ Consuetudo Quia aliqua ordine Canone tenentur aliqua Consuetudine firmata sunt â–ª We must deale with your holines of the Canons of the Councel of Nice that thei maie be keapte both the Constitutions thereof and also the Custome For certaine thinges are holden by order and by Canon and certaine thinges are made good by Custome But Pope Nicolas the first vtterly refuseth not onely the Councel of Nice and al other Councelles in this behalfe but also the authoritie of Prescription and Custome For thus he saithe Animaduertendum est quia non Nicena non denique vlla Synodus quicquam Romanae contulit Ecclesiae priuâ—legij quae in Petro nouerat eam totius iura potestatis pleniter meruisse cunctarum Christi ouium regimen accepisse Ye muste consider that neither the Councel of Nice nor any other Councel euer gaue any priuilege to this Churche of Rome For this Churche knoweth that in Peter she hath fully deserued the right of al power and hath atteined the gouernement of al the sheepe of Christe But touchinge the forgerie of this Councel of Nice the very beginninge of the quarel and the whole storie standeth thus One Apiarius a Priest of the Churche of Sicca in Aphrica as it appeareth a very il man beinge iustly excommunicate bothe by his owne Bishop and also by a great number of other Bishoppes togeather in the Councel there appealed from them al vnto Zosimus then Bishop of Rome Zosimus without further knowlege of the cause neuer hearinge the other partie pronounced Apiarius to be innocent restoared him to the CoÌ„munion And vnderstandinge there was a Councel geathered in Aphrica touchinge the same sent thither Faustinus the Bishop of Potentia with twoo other priestes of Rome Philippus Asellus not onely to sée that the saide Apâ—arius without any further trial might be restoared vnto his right but also to make plea in the open Councel that it should be lawful for any prieste to appeale from his owne ordinarie or Metropolitane or Councel vnto the Apostolique See of Rome The Bishoppes of Aphrica answeared there was no law it shoulde be so Faustinus laide foorth this Canon of the Councel of Nice not made by the authoritie of the Bishops there but onely diuised by the Bishop of Rome The Bishops there emonge whome was S. Augustine that famous learned Father thought it was a forged mater therfore saide they woulde sende vnto Alexandria Antioche Constantinople for the very Original copies of the saide Councel and desired the Bishop of Rome to doo the same and saide that in the meane while they woulde doo as they had done before Upon this Message and returne of the answeare with the true Authentique copies from Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople it appeared plainely vnto the worlde that the Canons were corrupted that the Pope had falsified the holy Councel and to thintent to auaunce his Apostolique Sée of Rome had diuised Priuileges and Prerogatiues of his owne Here mightâ— M. Hardinge wel bestowe his termes Here mighte he truely say The Pope coggeth and foisteth the die The Pope bombasteth the Canons of Councelles and the Decrees of holy Fathers vvith his counterfeite stuffinge The Bishoppes in the Councel of Aphrica hauinge thus throughly examined the trueth hereof wrote vnto Coelestinus beinge then Bishop of Rome in this wise Decreta Nicena c. The Decrees of the Councel of Nice haue committed both the inferior Clerkes and also the Bishopes vnto their Metropolitanes For it was discreetely and rightly considered that al maters are to be determined in the places where they began and that no Prouince canne lacke the Holy Goste whereby the Bishoppes of Christe may be hable bothe wisely to see and also constantely to mainteine the right and specially for that it is lawful for euery man that shal mislike the discretioÌ„ of his Iudges to appeale either to a Particular Councel within the same Realme or elles to the vniuersal Councel of the whole worlde Onles perchaunce some man wil saie God is hable to inspire the trial of Iustice into one man alone bicause he is Bishop of Rome and vvil not inspire the same into a
great number of Bishoppes meetinge togeather in Councel And howe may suche beyondesea Iudgement be thought good whereunto the personnes of the witnesses which in trial of trueth are thought necessary either for that thei be wemen or for the infirmitie of their age or for many other incident lettes cannot be brought Now that any should be sente abroade as it were from your holmes side we finde it not decreed in any Councel As for that you sent vs lately by our Brother Faustmus as parte of the Councel of Nice we must doo you to wite that in the true Councelles whiche we haue receiued from our Holy Felowbishop Cyrillus of Alexandria and the Reuerende Father Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople taken out of the very Originalles it cannot be founde And sende you not any your Clerkes hither to execute Iustice at any mannes request leaste we seeme to bringe the smokie puffe of the worlde into the Churche of Christe Thus farre the woordes of the Councel The Bishop of Rome when he sawe he was taken with the manner and found an open falsarie for that the Canons of his makinge disagreed from the very Originalles thought it good policie to saye the Originalles were burnte by the Arians and so no true copie nowe remaininge but his onely And therefore he imagined a letter to be written in the name of Athanasius and other Bishops of Aegypte vnto Marcus the Bishop of Rome wherein they besought him a copie of the Nicene Councel for that al their Bookes were vtterly destroyed But this shifte was to simple For it were harde for M. Hardinge to shewe what helpe Athanasius coulde haue founde in any of those Canons that are nowe presumed to be burnte wherewith either to relieue him selfe in that case or els to molest and greeue his aduersaries But bothe Iulius the Bishop of Rome and also Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria make mention hereof Therefore there is no cause saith M. Hardinge why this mater shoulde be suspected of any vntruethe This remouinge of suspition I know not howe séemeth somwhat to increase suspicion If there were not a soare what shoulde it thus neede to be salued In deede Iulius allegeth a Canon of the Councel of Nice But M. Hardinges Canon he allegeth not And the compiler of the Councelles gaue this note in the Margine touchinge the same Hoc Statutum solùm reducibile est ad quintum sextum Caput Niceni Concilij Verùm apertè non inuenitur This Decree maye onely be reduced to the fifth and sixth Chapter of the Councel of Nice But expressely it is not founde Suche credite is to be geuen to this Iulius in his allegations As for M. Hardinges Athanasius his tale is so simple that it wil soone bewray it selfe For as I noted before he writeth vnto Marcus the Bishop of Rome of the burninge of the Bookes and yet Athanasius him selfe certainely knewe that Marcus was deade at the least nine yéeres before that burninge happened Euen so the vaine forger of the Emperour Constantines greate Dotation imagineth him to Decrée that the Bishop of Constantinople shoulde be subiecte vnto the See of Rome And yet neither was the Citie of Constantinople at that time builte nor any suche name yet knowen in the worlde nor any Bishoprike there erected A man might saye Non satis commodè diuisa sunt temporibus tibi Daue haec Againe the same Athanasius writinge vnto Foelix saithe The Arianes had falsified the Nicene Councel but writinge vnto Marcus of the same mater as a man that had vtterly forgotten him selfe he saith The Arrianes had burnte the Councel of Nice But if it were burnte howe was it falsified If it were falsified how was it burnte These tales hange not wel together But for as much as M. Harding woulde so faine haue the Pope to holde by burnte euidence if it may please thée gentle Reader discretely to weigh the whole circumstance of the mater thou shalte soone finde that al this great adoo was nothinge els but a greate fable For firste it appéereth by Theodoretus that the whole Actes and Copies of the Councel of Nice were sente abroade vnto al Bishops that were awaye And Marius Uictorinus writinge against Arius saith that the same Actes were sente abroade into the whole worlde that many thousande Bishops subscribed and agréed vnto them Whiche thing being vndoubtedly true it were very muche for M. Hardinge to saye that al these copies in al partes of the worlde coulde be destroyed vpon the suddayne and that altogeather in one place and with one fyer and at one commaundement The Arianes neither were so mightie to atchieue it nor so foolishe to attempte it Cetainely the like neuer happened to any other Councel But what néedeth woordes where the mater is plaine The Bishoppes of Aphrica had the very copies of these Canons Alypius the Bishop of Tagasta in this conference with Faustinus saide Adhuc tamen me mouet quoniam cùm inspiceremus Graeca exemplaria huius Synodi Nicenae ista ibi nescio qua ratione minimè inuenimus But this one thinge muche moueth me that conferringe and examininge the Greeke examples of this Nicene Councel these maters of the superioritie of the See of Rome that is alleged I know not how we founde not there And Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria beinge desired for trial of this mater to sende the true Original of this Councel made answeare in this sorte Necesse habui fidelissima exemplaria ex authētica Synodo vestrae charitati dirigere I thought it needeful to sende vnto you the true examples of the very authentique Councel Likewise Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople to the same request answeareth thus Canones sicut statuti sunt in Nicaea Ciuitate à Patribus in integro ad vos direxi I haue sente vnto you the Canons in the whole euen as they were made and ratified by the Fathers in the Citie of Nice Nowe if these Canons were quite burnte as M. Hardinge saith how were they afterwarde founde whole as the godly Father Atticus and the learned Bishop Cyrillus saithe And if they were afterwarde founde whole how then were they quite burnte before Or howe is it that no man neither in Aphrica nor in Europa nor in Asia neither in the East Churche nor in the Weast was euer hable to sée these Canons but onely the Bishop of Rome that so ambitiously claimeth by them And if he haue them in déede and that of suche authentique recorde vnder the handes of the thrée hundred and eightéene Bishops as it is boldely auouched why are they not shewed Why haue they béene for the space of these thertéene hundred yeeres still kepte inuisible Uerily the Councel of Nice were wel woorthe the shewinge Al these thinges rightly weighed may seeme sufficient to discrie a Forger Yet gentle Reader the better to satisfie thy minde marke how earnestly with what cunninge M. Hardinges Athanasius forceth on