The B. of Sarisburie Al this whole mater touchinge as wel Kinge Iehosophat as also Amarias the Highe Prieste is answeared in that is paste before The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 11. Kinge Iosias with greate diligence put the Priestes Bishoppes in minde of their dueties Kinge Iohas bridled the Riote and Arrogancie of the Priestes Iehu put to deathe the wicked Prophetes M. Hardinge The puttinge of Priestes and Bishoppes in minde of their dutie is not a Supremacie in determininge Ecclesiasticall causes And whereas you saie that Kinge Ioas bridled the râ—ot and arrogancie of the Priestes if it were so it was well donne But I finde not those woordes in the texte Concerninge that Iehu did it is a mere temporall Office to put false preachers and Heretikes to death Neither can it belonge to Priestes onlesse they haue also ciuill iurisdiction Muche lesse dothe that acte proue that Kinges be Supreme heades ouer the Churche and ought to be Iudges in controuersies and questions of Religion The B. of Sarisburie Concerninge the storie of Kinge Iohas I reporte me to that is written of him in the Booke of Kinges He sequestred the Oblations of the people whiche the Priestes had bestowed lewdely and wantonly vpon them selues and by his owne Authoritie turned the same to the Reparations of the Temple Of Kinge Iosias it is written thus Constituit Iosias Sacerdotes in officijs suis Kinge Iosias appointed the Priestes to minister in theire seueral Offices And againe Mundauit Iudam Hierusalem ab Excelsis Lucis Kinge Iosias cleansed and ridde Iuda and Hierusalem from their Hille Aultars and their Groaues But yée wil saie He did al thinges by yâ— discretion of the Priestes Bishoppes This thinge in deede is necessarie while the Priestes and Bishoppes be learned and godly But Kinge Iosias did far otherwise for he sent the Bishop him selfe vnto Olda the Prophetisse to learne the discretion and Iudgemente of a VVooman and so was directed in maters of Highest Religion by a VVooman and not by a Prieste These Examples be so manifeste that one of your Felowes there is faine thus to excuse the mater by ouer mutche Antiquitie If we woulde in these daies saithe he vse in all pointes the Examples of the Olde Lawe there woulde folowe an huge number of inconueniences It is no good reason to saie that therefore our Kinges nowe a daies muste haue the like Authoritie Thus saithe he As though the Princes righte were now abated and altered as the Ceremonies of the Lawe were otherwise nowe then it was before Or as if the Comminge of Christe into the worlde and the Preachinge of the Gospel had pourposely benne to represse and pulle downe the State of Kinges The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 1. And to rehearse no more Examples out of the Olde Lawe let vs rather consider sithence the Birthe of christe howe the churche hath benne gouerned in the time of the Gospel M. Hardinge If we consider the Office of a Kinge in it selfe it is one euery where not onely amonge Christen Princes but also amonge Heathen * The definition of a Kinge whiche agreeth to Iulius Cesar or to Alexander the Greate as they were Monarkes and Princes is one with the definition of a Kinge whiche agreeth to Henry the Eight or to Charles the Fifthe So that no more could Kinge Henry as Kinge meddle with Religion then Alexander or Iulius Cesar * His place is chiefe amonge the laie euen when they are in the Churche at the Seruice of God and without the Churche in all Temporall thinges and causes he is ouer the Priestes themselues And because all these examples are taken out of the Olde Testamente I will geeue thee a true resolution out of the same Booke what auctoritie Priestes had and what auctoritie Kinges had Moses gaue this rule concerninge the same matter If saithe he thou perceiue an harde and doubtfull iudgement to be with thee betweene bloude and bloude cause and cause Lepre and Lepre and seest the woordes of the iudges within thy gates to varie arise and goe vp to the place whiche thy Lorde God shall chose and thou shalte come to the Priestes of the stocke of Leui and to the Iudge that shall be for the time and thou shalte demaunde of them who shall shewe the truthe of iudgemente to thee But neither the Prieste by this place may medle with that iurisdiction whiche belonged to the Temporall iudge neither the Iudge with that whiche was spirituall and belonginge onely to the Prieste For of such causes Azarias the Priest and Bishop saide to Kinge Ozias It is not thy office Ozias to burne incense vnto our Lorde It is the office of the Priestes That is to saie of the Sonnes of Aaron VVho are consecrated to doo suche Ministeries But this the Kinge mighte doo euen in matters of Religion VVhen the High Priest had geuen sentence he might see the execution thereof to be donne But otherwise what so euer Kinge or Temporal iudge might not doo in his owne person ‡ muche lesse mighte he iudge whether an other did well therein or no. And this concerninge the Olde Testament The B. of Sarisburie The Office of a Kinge yée saie was no more in Kinge Henry the Eighth or in Charles the Fifthe then it was in the Heathen Princes Iulius Caesar or Alexander the Greate And therefore yée saie a Christian Princes Office standeth onely in Maters Temporal and for that cause yee so often calle him a Mere Laie Temporal Prince as if he were in Authoritie not mutche better then an Heathen Magistrate Euen so M. Harding is your Pope no more a Bishop or perhaps mutche lesse a Bishop then Annas and Caiphas Neither is your Prieste more a Prieste then the Prieste of Dagon or Baal The difference standeth not in Office but onely in Truthe Yet neuerthelesse yée knowe that Heathen Princes had euermore a Soueraine Authoritie not onely ouer theire Priestes and Bishoppes but also ouer al Cases of Religion Aristotle saithe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Kinge that is Lorde and Ruler of thinges that perteine vnto the Goddes And therefore Socrates in his storie saithe Imperatores vnà complexi sumus c. Wee haue also herein comprised the Emperours Liues for that sithence the Emperours were first Christened the affaires of the Churche haue hanged of them and the greatest Councelles bothe haue benne and are keapte by theire aduise Yee saie The Prince in doubteful Cases was commaunded to take Counsel of the Highest Prieste This is true But wil yée conclude hereof that the Highest Prieste maie saie doo what he listeth without controlmente What if the Highe Prieste woulde answeare thus as he answeared sommetime in déede This Christe is a Samaritane a deceiuer of the people and hath a Diuel What if he teare his owne roabes for anger and crie oute He Blasphemeth he is vvoorthy to die Yet
neuerthelesse drawe his Swerde and strike when and whom so euer the Prieste biddeth and blindely execute his wicked wil In déede M. Hardinge you saie precisely If the mater decreed be Spiritual and apperteininge to Faithe the Prince ought to obeie without question or grudge Likewise againe yée saie It shal be yenough for you to doo as the Successoures of Peter bid you to doo Christe nowe requireth of you not to obeie Peter and Paule but to obeie him that sitteth in theire Chaire What so euer he saie True or false For this no doubte muste be your meaninge The Kinge was bound to write out the Booke of the Lavve This yée saie proueth not the Kinges Superioritie ouer the Priestes No verily M. Hardinge Neither was it alleged by vs to that pourpose Neuerthelesse hereby it appeareth that God woulde haue the Kinge to be learned in his Lavves But the Kinge muste receiue the Booke of the Prieste and of none other Therefore saie you the Prieste is aboue the Kinge Mée thinketh M. Hardinge euen for your credites sake yée shoulde looke better to your Logique For what auaileth the deliuerie of a Booke to make the Prieste either higher or lower When the Pope is at his Consecration the Cardinal that is his Orderer deliuereth him a Booke of the Epistles and Gospelles And wil ye thereof conclude that the saide Cardinal is aboue the Pope Mary God forebidde Goddes meaning touching this Ceremonie was this that the Kinges Booke shoulde he true and fautlesse And therefore God commaunded him to take a Copie thereof out of the Registrie or Recordes whiche were thought to be voide of al corruption and were euermore keapte in the Temple vnder the Custodie of the Priestes Paulus Phagius saithe Euery Priuate man was commaunded to haue one Booke seuerally to him selfe But the Kinge was commaunded to haue twoo And for as mutche as the Kinge was a Publique Persone therefore God willed him to take his Copie out of the publique Recordes of the Temple Your owne Hugo cardinalis saithe Accipiet exemplar à Sacerdotibus non à quibussibet sed à bonis Vbi nihil fucatum est nihil corruptum He shal take his Copie of y◠Priestes not of euery Prieste what so euer but of the good that in the same Copie there be nothing neither coloured nor corrupted Al this M. Hardinge wil hardely proue your strange Conclusion that the Prieste vvas Superioure to the King It séemeth mutche better to proue the contrarie that the Prieste vvas the Kinges Inferioure and his Subiecte and his Clerke of Recordes as beinge appointed to keepe his Bookes So S. Augustine saithe the Ievves this daie kéepe the very true Bookes of the Scriptures Al be it not for theire owne vse but onely for ours And therefore he saithe they be not our Superiours but our Seruantes Certainely concerninge the Kinges and Priestes of the Olde Lavve one of your owne frendes whom for many causes yée maie not wel refuse saithe thus In Veteri Lege Sacerdotium indignius erat Potestate Regia ei Subiectum In the Olde Lavve the Priestes Office was Inferioure to the Prince and Subiecte Vnto him Yée saie If the Prieste muste geeue the Holy Scriptures to the Kinge then verily muste he take sutche as they geeue him and with sutche meaninge as they geeue vnto it Yea I trowe though they teare theire roabes againste Christe as Caiphas did and crie out He blasphemeth yet muste wee by your Iudgemente euermore seeke to them for the sense and meaninge of the Scriptures For this is the grounde and Fundation of your Diuinitie The Scripture of God hathe none other sense but as it shal please the Prieste to geeue vnto it But S. Chrysostome speakinge of the same Priestes and Bishoppes from whome we haue receiued the selfe same Scriptures saithe thus Literae quidem Legis apud illos sunt Sensus autem apud nos The Letters or woordes of the Scriptures are with them but the true meaninge of them is with vs. Here you mutche disaduantage your selfe and as yée saie omitte that we reade Librum Legis whereas the Churche readeth Deuteronomium for that as yée saie it were too longe for you to enter into that disputation Therefore M. Hardinge we wil patiently abide your leasure vnt il yée haue founde out the whole mysterie and cōsidered it better In the meane season it shal not be good for you to be ouer ranke with your Commentaries vntil yée better vnderstande the Texte Certainely the wise and learned thinke that herein yée are mutche deceiued For whereas the Woordes are these Describet sibi Deuteronomium Legis huius they thinke that Deuteronomium in this place is not put for any one certaine seueral Booke of the Fiue Bookes of Moses as it is otherwise commonly vsed but rather for a Copie or a Draught of the Whole Lavve And in this sense they saie that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is none other but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie a Copie or a Double The Italian Translation hathe thus Esso si scriuera questo Doppio de la Legge The Frenche Translation hath Le double Leo Iudas translateth it thus Describet sibi Exemplum Legis huius He shal write out for him selfe a Copie of this Lawe And for somme proufe hereof it is thus written in the Booke of Iosua Afterwarde Iosua readde out of the woordes of the Lavve bothe the Blessinges and the Curses accordinge to euery thinge that is written in the Booke of the Lavve And there was not one woord of al the thinges that Moses Commaunded but Josua readde the same before the whole congregation of Israel Where we allege the woordes of the Prophete Esai Kinges shal be thy Fosterers and Queenes thy Nurces yée saie Euery Nurce or Fosterer is not aboue him that is nourished A faitheful seruante oftentimes fostereth his Maister Yet is not he aboue his Maister So lothe yee are the Kinge shoulde be Superioure to a Prieste And thus hanc yée brought about by your handsome Conclusions that your Priestes be the Maisters and Kinges theire Seruantes And therefore it is discretely noted in your Glose Imperator Romanus est Procurator siue Defensor Romanae Ecclesiae The Emperoure of Rome is the Stewarde or Bailife of the Churche of Rome The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 4. 5. I saie bisides al these thinges we see by Histories by Examples of the beste times that good Princes euer tooke the Administration of Ecclesiastical maters to perteine to theire duetie Moses beinge a Ciuile Magistrate and chiefe Guide of the people bothe receiued from God and deliuered to the people al the order for Religion and Sacrifices and gaue Aaron the Bishop a vehemente and soare rebuke for makinge the Golden Calfe and for sufferinge the Corruption of Religion M. Hardinge Moses was not onely a Ciuile Magistrate but also a Prieste In that he had both
onely a Kinge as though he had donne these thinges by the vertue of his Prophesie and not by the righte of his Princely Power this poore shifte is very simple For notwithstanding Kinge Dauid were a Prophete yet Kinge Iosaphat other Princes that did the like were no Propheâ—es neither doo wee reade of any other Prophete that euer attempted to doo the like nor did Dauid these thinges as a Prophete but as a Kinge The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 8. Kinge Salomon builte vnto the Lorde the Temple which his Father Dauid had but pourposed in his minde to doo and after the finishinge thereof he made a godly Oration to the people concerninge Religion and the Seruice of God He afterwarde displaced Abiathar the Prieste and set Sadok in his place M. Hardinge Salomons buildinge of the Temple and prayinge therein proueth no Supremacie ouer the Priestes in Spirituall thingesâ— His puttinge of Abiathar out of his dignitie and rome was like to that Queene Marie did to Cranmere VVhome shee might haue remoued for treason as Salomon laide the like to Abiathar yet she chose rather to burne him for Heresie But this proueth onely an our warde execution of iustice without any preiudice to the Substance of our question VVhiche is whether a temporall Prince may determine the causes of Religion or no. The B. of Sarisburie The deposinge of Abiathar yée saie was onely the execution of outwarde Iustice like to that Queene Marie did to Doctoure Craumere the Archebishop of Canturburie Wherein ye shewe your selfe to be mutche ouerséene For these comparisons are in no wise like Salomon by his Princely Authoritie lawfully deposed the Highe Prieste Abiathar But Queene Marie deposed not nor could she by your Canonnes lawfully depose the Archebishop of Canturburie nor doo you thinke it in any case lawful that a Bishop shoulde be deposed by a Prince For Deposition yée saie is a Spiritual poâ—nishement and onely belongeth vnto a Bishop And your Lawe saithe Eius est Destituere cuius est Instituere He maie Depose a Prieste that hath Authoritie to place a Prieste Therefore these twoo Princes dooinges were not like But touchinge the Highe Prieste Abiathar Kinge Salomon summoned him to appeare before him Kinge Salomon sate in Iudgemente and hearde the Accusations wherewith he was charged Kinge Salomon pronounced Sentence againste him Kinge Salomon deposed him Kinge Salomon appointed Sadoch to succeede him It al this be not sufficient ouer and bisides these thinges Kinge Salomon placed the Arke of God Kinge Salomon Sanctified and Halowed the Temple Kinge Salomon offered vp burnte Sacrifice Kinge Salomon directed and ordered the Priestes in their seueral Offices Kinge Salomon blessed the whole people And as it is written The Priestes and Leuites leaftes nothinge vndonne of al that was commaunded them by the Kinge If these cases be not Spiritual telle vs then what cases maie be allowed for Spiritual Thus the Godly Kinge Salomon thought it lawful for him to deale not onely in maters of Temporal Gouernemente but also in Ecclesiastical or Spiritual cases of Religion Therefore M. Hardinge it is but a teie that yee tel vs of the execution of outwarde Iustice Concerninge that moste Graue and Godly and Learned Father the Archebishop of Canturburie with whom yée did what so euer your pleasure was God graunte his bloude be neuer required at your handes The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 9. After this when the Temple of God was in shameful wise polluted throughe the naughtinesse and negligence of Priestes Kinge Ezechias commaunded the same to be cleansed from the rubble and â—ilthe the Priestes to light vp Candelles to burne Incense and to doo their Diuine Seruice accordinge to the olde allowed custome The same Kinge also commaunded the Brasen Serpente whiche then the people wickedly woorshipped to be taken downe and beaten to pouder M. Hardinge How often shall I tell you that this proueth nomore but that good Kinges doo good deedes mainteine true Religion and pull downe the false as the Constable of Fraunce burned the Puâ—pites of the Huguenots in Paris But these factes proue not that Kinges and Constables be iudges of Religion whiche is good and whiche is euill whiche true whiche false For therein they folow the iudgemente and aduise of Priestes and Prophetes who â—e about them as Esaias was at hande with good Kinge Ezechias to direct his doinges and so was Elizaeus with Kinge Iehu The B. of Sarisburie Kinge Ezechias yée saie and other Kinges folowed the aduise and Iudgemente of the Priestes and Prophetes This tale M. Hardinge is not onely vnlikely but also vntrue For yée knowe that Esaias and Elizaeus notwithstandinge thei were the Prophetes of God yet were thei neither Priestes nor Bishoppes nor had any manner of Ordinarie Ministration in the Churche The Bishoppes and Priestes of whome yée speake had disordered and wasted Goddes whole Religion The Holy place of God was fulle of filthinesse the Gates of the Temple were shut vp that no man might enter in The people had turned awaie theire faces from the Tabernacle of the Lorde There was no Incense There was no Sacrifice Al these thinges had happened through the negligence and wickednesse of the Priestes In the Olde Latine Texte it is written thus Sacerdotes Leuitae tandem Sanctificati obtulerunt Holocausta The Priestes and Leuites at the laste or with mutche adoo were Sanctified and offered vp Sacrifices Vpon whiche place the Later Translation saithe thus Sacerdotes Leuitae pudore suffusi Sanctificauerunt se The Priestes and Leuites euen for very shame Sanctified them selues So ready were thei to calle vpon and to further the Kinge in his godly pourpose They helde backe what they coulde and yelded to nothinge but with mutche adoo and for very shame They did nothinge but by the Kinges Commaundemente and made him a reckeninge of their dooinges How be it perhaps yee wil discharge this whole mater with one ordinarie excuse and tel vs that al these were but Temporal Cases The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 10. Kinge Iehosaphat ouerthrew and vtterly made awaie the Hille Aultars Groaues whereby he sawe Goddes Honoure hindered and the people holden backe with Priuate Superstition from the ordinarie Temple whiche was at Ierusalem whereto they should by ordre haue resorted yeerely from euery parte of the Realme M. Hardinge Yee put vs in minde to consider how that your selues are those Priuate Hille Aulters and darke Groaues For ye be they that stoppe the people from the common Temple of Christendome the Catholike Churche out of which is no SaluatioÌ„ the heade whereof sitteth in Peters chaire at Rome For settinge order bothe in matters of Common VVeale and others Iehosaphat saide thus concerninge Religion Amarias Sacerdos pontifex vester in ijs quae ad Deum pertinent praesidebit Amarias the Prieste and Highe Bishop for such matters as perteine to God he shall be heade ouer you
to M. Hardinge Aerius the Arian Heretique the Breache of Vowes the Dissension of Iudgementes in Religion shal be answeared God willinge hereafter eche mater seuerally in his place Wee flatter not our Prince with any newe imagined extraordinarie power but onely geue him that Prerogatiue Chieftie that euermore hath benne dewe vnto him by the ordinance and Woorde of God that is to say to be the Nurce of Goddes Religion to make Lawes for the Churche to heare and take vp cases and questions of the Faithe if he be hable or otherwise to commit them ouer by his authoritie vnto the learned to commaunde the Bishoppes and Priestes to doo their dewties and to punishe sutche as be offenders Thus the godly Emperoure Constantinus sate in Iudgement in a cause Ecclesiastical bitwéene Caecilianus and Donatus à Casis Nigris and in the ende him selfe pronounced sentence Greater authoritie then Constantinus the Emperoure had and vsed our Princes require none This I truste hitherto is no greate Heresie S. Hierome reproued Vigilantius for that he founde faulte with the Vigils or night wakes that then were vsed with Praieing to Sainctes with Woorshippinge of Reliques with Lightes and other suche like weighty maters Touchinge which whole controuersie Erasmus geueth this iudgement in hunc ita conuitijs debacchatur Hieronymus vt plusculum in co modestiae cogar desiderare Vtinam argumentis tantùm egisset et à conuitijs temperasset Against this Vigilantius S. Hierome so raileth that I wante in him some peece of sobrietie I woulde rather he had dealte with argumentes and had spared his railinge Of praier to Sainctes Lightes we shal speake hereafter Night wakes afterward were condemned as I remembre in the Councel of Carthage so Sentence geuen by the Churche with this greate Heretique Vigilantius against S. Hierome Verily the Fathers in a former Councel holden at Eliberis in Spaine decréed thus Placuit prohiberi ne foeminae in coemiterio peruigilent quia saepé sub obtentu orationis scelera latenter committunt It liketh vs that women be forbidden to watche at the places of burial For often vnder pretense of prayer priuily they commit wickednesse To be shorte if Vigilantius were an Heretique for reprouinge of Night Watches why hath the Churche of Rome so longe sithence condemned abolished the same watches agreeably to Vigilantius and contrarie to the Iudgement of S Hierome Reliques were subiecte to muche villanie and are welneare worne out of them selfe The Manicheis emonge other their fantastical errours were wonte to say the the body of Man was made not by God but by the Angels of the Diuel whiche they called Gentem tenebratum and that in Man there be two soules of contrarie natures the one of the substance of God the other of the substance of the Diuel and that either soule contineweth stil as it is and cannot alter That is to say that the good soule can neuer be il and that the il soule can neuer be good And in this sense they saide that Man hath no Frée wil. Al these and other like errours wée abhorre and Detest as frantique furies Wée saie that the Soule of Man is not the substance but the Creature of God an that it maie be changed from good to il from il to good that Dauid maie fal that Paule maie rise that God geueth vs a newe hart and a newe Spirite within our breastes But as touchinge the fréedome of wil and power of our selues we saie with S. Augustine O malum Liberum Arbitrium sine Deo O euil is Free Wil without God Againe Libero Arbitrio malè vtens homo se perdidit Arbitrium Man misusinge his Free Wil spilte both him selfe and his wil. Againe Quid tantùm de Naturae postibilitate praesumitur Vulnerata saucia vexata perdita est Vera confessione non falsa defensione opus habet What doo men so mutche presume of the possibilitie of Nature It is woounded it is mangled it is troubled it is loste It behoueth vs rather truely to confesse it then folsly to defende it Againe Liberum Arbitrium captiuatum non nisi ad peccatum valet Free wil once made thralle auaileth now nothinge but to sinne Agayne Quòd bené viuimus quòd rectè intelligimus Deo debemus Nostrum nihil est nisi peccatum quod habemus That wee liue wel that wee vnderstande aright wee haue it of God Of our selues wee haue nothinge but onely sinne that is within vs. The better to cleare this whole case I thought it good to vse the moe woordes Thus may wée learne to knowe our selues and humbly to confesse our imperfection and to geue the whole glorie vnto God Therefore to conclude S. Augustine saithe Nos volumus Sed Deus in nobis operatur velle Nos operamur Sed Deus in nobis operatur operari pro bona sua volūtate Hoc nobis expedit credere dicere Hoc est pium hoc est verum vt sit humilis submissa Confessio detur totum Deo Tutiores viuimus si totum Deo damus non autem nos illi ex parte nobis ex parte committimus Wee wil but it is God that woorketh in vs to wil. VVee woorke but it is God that woorketh in vs to woorke accordinge to his good pleasure This is behooueful for vs bothe to beleeue and to Speake This is a Godly this is a True Doctrine that our Confession maye be humble and lowly and that God maye haue the whole VVee liue in more safetie if wee geue al vnto God rather then if wee commit our selues partely to our selues and partely to him The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 4. That wee be accursed Creatures like the Gyauntes doo warre against God him selfe and liue cleane without any regarde or Woorshippinge of God M. Hardinge VVhat ye bee God knoweth and your owne Conscience shoulde knowe Our Lorde amende bothe you and vs. But to saye some what to that your giltie minde imagineth the VVorlde to reporte of you if they which take away and abhorre the external Sacrifice wherein Christe accordinge to his owne institution is offered to his Father make no warre against God if they whiche make Christe a Minister of Shadowes Signes Tokens and Figures they whiche feare not to breake their solemne Vowes made to God and defende the same as wel done they whiche assure them selues of their Saluation and therefore liue dissolutely without due care and feare of God If I saye they be not cursed Creatures and like Gyantes that warre against God then are ye cleare of this charge The B. of Sarisburie To answeare Ifs with Ifs and Woordes with Woordes it were greate folie Therefore leauinge the answeare of Vowes assurance of Saluation to theire seueral places first wee denie not the Sacrifice of Christe Christe onely vpon his Crosse is our whole and onely Sacrifice for sinne biside him wée haue none other How
Coeterùm omnes Apostolorum Successores sunt Quid mihi profers Vnius Vrbis consuetudinem What doothe a Bishop sauâ—nge onely the Orderinge of Ministers but a Prieste maye doo the same Neither maye wee thinke that the Churche of Rome is one and the Churche of al the worlde biside is another Fraunce Englande Aphrica Persia Leuâ—nte India and al the Barbarous Nations woorship one Christe and keepe one rule of the Truthe If vvee seeke for Authoritie The whole worlde is greater then the Cittie of Rome Where so euer there be a Bishop be it at Eugubium be it at Rome be it at Constantinople be it at Rhegium be it at Alexandria be it at Tanais they are al of one woorthinesse they are al of one Bishoprike The Power of the Richesse and the basenesse of Pouertie maketh not a Bishop either Higher or Lower For they are al the Apostles Successours What bringe you me the Custome of Rome beinge but one Cittie Nowe if M. Hardinge wil steale awaie in the darke as his manner is and saie that S. Hierome spake onely of the Merite of Life or of the Office of Priesthoode sette some man telle him that this was no parte neither of the question mooued nor of the answeare of S. Hierome And S. Hierome in plaine and expresse woordes saithe Si Authoritas quaeritur If vvee seeke not for Merite of Life but for Authoritie in gouernmente therein the whole worlde is greatte then the Cittie of Rome M. Hardinge imagineth S. Hierome spake onely of I knowe no what but S. Hierome him selfe saithe he speaketh namely of Authoritie And whereas M. Hardinge is so highly offended with the chaunginge of this woorde Merite into this woorde Preeminence and saithe farther that these False Platers thought thereby to winne the game it maye please him to remember that howe so euer the game goe S. Hierome him selfe plainely plaide the selfe same game I meane that S. Hierome vsinge this woorde Merite without question meante Preeminence For thus he saithe Potentia Diuitiarum Paupertatis humilitas vel Sublimiorem vel Inferiorem Episcopum non facit The Power of Richesse and the basenesse of Pouertie maketh not a Bishop either Higher or Lower M. Hardinge mighte easily hauè seene that Higher and Lower perteine not to Merite of Life but to Preeminence Therefore lette him looke better vpon his Booke before he thus lightly condemne others for corruption I graunt it is true as M. Hardinge saithe This quarrel first beganne aboute a particulare Custome of the Churche of Rome where as the Draâ—ons Vaunted them selues and would be placed aboue the Priestes But here M. Hardinge as his manner is willingly dissembleth and suppresseth somewhat S. Augustine more liuely and fully expresseth the same For thereof he writeth thus Quidam qui nomen liabet Falcidij Duce stultitia Romanae Ciuitatis Iactantia Leuîtas Sacerdotibus Diaconos Presbyteris coaequare contendit One Falcidius Foolishnesse and the Pride of the Cittie of Rome leadinge him thereto laboureth to make the Deacons Equal with the Priestes This lewde disorder S. Hierome controlleth by the Examples of other Churches and saithe that therein the Authoritie of the whole worlde is greatter then the Authoritie of the Churche of Rome Of whiche also he seemeth to speake scornefully and with some disdeigne For thus he saithe Quid mihi profers Vnius Vrbis Consuerudinem What bringe you me the Custome of Rome beinge but One Cittie By whiche woordes it seemeth he made smal accoumpte of the Cittie of Rome But M. Hardinge saithe The Primates had Authoritie ouer other Inferiour Bishops I graunte they had so How be it thei had it by agreemente Custome But neither by Christe nor by Peter or Paule nor by any Kighte of Goddes Woorde S. Hierome saith Nouerint Episcopi se magis Consuetudine quà m Dispofitionis Dominicae Veritate Presbyteris esse Maiotes in coÌ„mune debere Ecclesiam â—egere Let Bishoppes vnderstande that they are aboue the Priestes rather of Custome theâ— of any Truthe or Right of Christes Institution and that they ought to rule the Churche al togeather And againe Idem ergo est Presbyter qui Episcopus Etantequam Diaboli instinctustudia in Religione fierent diceretur in populis Ego sum Pauli Ego Apollo Ego Cephae CoÌ„muni Presbyterorum Consilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur Therefore a Prieste and a Bishop are bothe one thinge And before that by the inflaiminge of the Diuel partes were taken in Religion and these woordes were vttered emonge the people I holde of Paule I holde of Apollo I holde of Peter the Churches were gouerned by the Common Aduise of the Priestes S. Augustine saithe Secundum honorum vocabula quae iam Ecclesiae vsus obtinuit Episcopatus Presbyterio maior est The office of a Bishop is aboue the office of a Prieste not by Authoritie of the Scriptuces but after the Names of Honour whiche the Custome of the Churche hath nowe obteined As for Pope Leo his owne Authoritie in his owne cause cannot be greate The Emperoure saithe Nemo debet sibiius dicere Noman maie minister Lowe vnto him selfe And it is noted thus in the Decrées Papa non debet esse Iudex in causa propria The Pope maie not be iudge in his owne cause It is wel knowen that the Pope hath sought for and claimed this Vniuersal Authoritie these many hundred yeeres Pope Innocentius was therefore reprooued of Pride and worldly Lordlinesse by the whole Councel of Aphrica Pope Bonifacius 2. condemned â— Augustine al the saide whole Councel of Aphrica called them al Heretiques and Schismatiques for the same and said they were al leadde by the Diuel Pope Zosimus to mainteine this claime corrupted the Holy Councel of Nice S. Hilarie and other Learned Bishoppes of France for vsurpinge sutche vnlawful Authoritie charged this same Pape Leo of whom we speake with Pride and Ambition But gentle Reader that thou maâ—ste the better vnderstande what credite thou oughtest to geue to this Pope Leo specially settinge foorthe his owne Authoritie I beséethe thée consider with what Maiestie of woordes and howe far aboue measure he auanceth the Authoritie of S. Peter These be his woordes Christus Petrum in Consortium Indiuiduae Vnitatis assumpsit Christe receiued Peter into the Companie of the Indiuisible Vnitie Authoritate Domini mei Petri Apostoli By the Authoritie not of Christe but of my Lorde Peter the Apostle Deo Inspirante Beatissimo Petro Apostolo By the Inspiration of God and of S. Peter the Apostle Deus à Petro velut à quodam Capite dona sua velut in Corpus omne diffudit God froÌ„ Peter as from the Heade hath powred cut his giftes into al the Body Nihil erit ligatum aut solutum nisi quod Petrus ligauerit aut soluerit There shal be nothinge bounde or loosed but that Peter shal binde or loose Nunc quoque Petrus pascit Oues
vtter vvhat these Bishoppes doo in Secrete Againe he saithe Abstinentes à Remedio Coniugali posteà in omne flagitium effluunt Absteininge from the remedie of Marriage afterwarde they flowe ouer into al kinde of wickednesse He that wrote the litle Booke called Opus Tripartitum ioined with the Councel of Laterane saithe thus Tanta immunditia luxuriae notoria est in multis partibus mundi non solùm in Clericis sed etiam in Sacerdotibus imo quod horribile est audire in Praelatis Maioribus c. Sutche Notorious filthinesse of Lecherie there is in many partes of the Worlde not onely in the inferiour Clerkes but also in Priestes yea in the greatter Prelates whiche thinge is horrible to be hearde c. And in the Glose vpon the Constitutions Legantine of Englande it is written thus Clerici huiusmodi Concubinas tenent CoÌ„muniter apparatu honesto nomine appellationis Sororiae Clerkes commonly holde and haue sutche Concubines in honeste haueour vnder the name of their Sisters Nicolaus de Clauengijs complaininge hereof saithe thus Capellani Canonici similes Episcopis Indocti Ebrij Scortatores The Chaplaines and Canons are like to the Bishoppes Vnlearned Dronken and Fornicatours Robert Holcote saithe Sacerdotes moderni sunt Daemones Incubi per luxuriam Sacerdotes Priapi vel Beelphegor Angeli Abyssi The Priestes of our time by their Lecherie are like the Sprites called Incubi the Priestes of Priapâ—â— or Beelphegor and the Angels of the pitte of Helle. Hulderichus in Olde times the Bishop of Augusta in Germanie wrote sharpely hereof against Pope Nicolas in this wise Decreta tua super Clericorum continentia à discretione inueni aliena Multos confilij tui assentatores hominibus non Deo sub falsa specie continentiae placere volentes grauiora vides committere I haue founde thy Decrees touchinge the Single life of Priestes to be voide of discretion Thou seest that many folowers of thy counsel willinge vnder â— fained colour of Continente life rather to please Man then God commit hainous actes In the ende be concludeth thus Qua nosti discretionis disciplina Pharisaicam ab Ouili Dei extirpa Doctrinam By sutche discipline of discretion as you knowe beste roote this Pharisaical Doctrine out of Goddes Folde But for as mutche as M. Hardinge hath no skil in this Epistle of Hulderichus he maie vnderstande that his owne Pope Pius otherwise called Aeneas Syluius maketh euident mention of the same Further Mantuanus the Poete saithe Petriue domus polluta fluenti Marcescit luxu Nulla hîc arcana reuelo Sanctus ager Scurris venerabilis Ara Cynaedis Seruit Honorandae Diuûm Ganymedibus Aedes The matter hereof is sutche as is not woorthy to be Englished But what pleasure can it be to stande so longe in so vnsauery a place They themselues saie thus Fornicatio Simplex non est digna depositione Sâ—â—ple Fornication in a Prieste is no iuste cause of Depriuation The cause thereof in an other Glose is alleged thus Quia pauci sine illo vitio inueniuntur Bicause there be fevve Priestes founde vvithout that faulte To be shorte Polydorus Vergilius saithe Nullius delicti crimen maius Ordini dedeâ—us plùs mali Religioni plus doloris bonis attulit No kinde of crime euer brought either more shame to the Order of Priesthoode or more hinderance to Religion or more griefe to the Godly then the life of Single Priestes These these M. Hardinge vvere the causes that moued Pope Pius commonly to saie as it is before alleged As Marriage vpon good and greate considerations vvas taken from Priestes so novve vpon better and greatter considerations it vvere to be restoared to them againe And therefore he saithe in his discourse of the Councel of Basile Fortasse non esset peius Sacerdotes complures vxorari Quoniam multi saluarentur in Sacerdotio Coniugato qui nunc in sterili Presbyterio damnantur Perhaps it were not woorste that many Priestes vvere Married For many might be saued in Married Priesthoode whiche nowe in barren Priesthoode are condemned If the former of these twoo Saieinges be so doubteful yet this later is plaine and cleare and voide of doubte In like sense and sorte he writeth vpon good aduise and deliberation to his frende Quoniam huc ventum est vt Legi Carnis resistere nequeas meliùs est Nubere quà m Vri For as mutche as the mater is growen so far that ye cannot withstande the Lawe of the Fleashe Better it is to Marrie then to burne So saithe Panormitane Credo pro bono salute animarum quòd esset salubre statutum vt non valentes continere possint contrahere Quia experientia docente contrarius prorsus effectus sequitur ex illa Lege Continentiae cùm hodiè non viuant spiritualiter nec sint mundi Sed maculentur illicito coitu cum ipsorum grauissimo peccato Vbi cum propria vxore esset Castitas Vnde deberet Ecclesia facere sicut bonus medicus vt si medicina experientia docente potitis officiat quà m profit eam tollat Et vtinam idem esset in omnibus Constitutionibus positiuis I beleeue it vvere a good Lavve and for the wealthe and safetie of Soules that sutche as cannot liue Chaste maie contracte Matrimonie For wee learne by experience that of the Lawe of Continente or Single Life the contrarie effecte hath folovved For as mutche as nowe a daies they liue not spiritually nor be cleane and chaste but with their greate Sinne are defiled with vnlawful Copulation vvhereas vvith theire ovvne vviues they should liue Chastely Therefore the Churche ought to doo as the skilful Physician vseth to doo Who if he see by experience that his Medicine hurteth rather then doothe good taketh it cleane awaie And woulde God the same waie were taken with al positiue Constitutions So saithe Durandus Vtile esset vt in Concilio Matrimonium Sacerdotibus romittatur Frustrà enim hactenus coacti sunt ad Castitatem It vvere good that in a Councel Priestes Marriage were set at libertie For hitherto it hath benne in vaine to force them to Chastitie So saithe Martinus Peresius Multis pijs visum est vt Leges de Coelibatu tollerentur propter scandala Many godly menne haue thought it good that the Lavves of Single Life should be abolished for auoidinge the offence of the people M. Hardinge wil saie The Prieste hathe Vowed and muste kéepe his Vowe But Pope Pius as it is saide before gaue counsel of Marriage vnto a Prieste that had made a Vowe It appeareth right wel bothe by that hath benne already alleged also by the common experience practise of the world that a Vowe importeth not alwaies a Chaste life Optatus Mileuitanus saithe In Mirella signum est voluntatis non Castitatis auxilium In the apparel there is a token of the Wil not a healpe towardes Chastitie S.
that they wil construe ought to the beste nor yet so honeste of nature or courteous that thei wil looke backe vpon them selues weigh our liues by theire owne Yf so be wee liste to searche this matter from the bottome we know that in the very Apostles times there were Christians through whom the name of the Lorde was blasphemed and euil spoken of emonge the Gentiles Constantius the Emperoure bewaileth as it is written in Sozomenus that many waxed woorse after they had fallen to the Religion of Christe And Cyprian in a lamentable oration setteth out the corrupt manners of his time The vvholsome Discipline saithe he vvhiche the Apostles leafte vnto vs hath idlenesse and longe reste novv vtterly marred euery one studied to encrease his liuely hode And cleane forgeatinge either vvhat they had donne before vvhiles thei vvere vnder the Apostles or vvhat thei ought continually to doo hauinge receiued the Faithe thei earnestly laboured to make greate theire ovvne vvealth vvith an vnsatiable desire of coueâ—ousnesse There is no deuoute Religion saith hee in Priestes no sounde Faithe in Ministers no charitie shevved in good vvoorkes no fourme of Godlinesse in theire conditions menne are becoÌ„me effeminate and vveemens bevvtie is countrefeited And without recitinge of many moe writers Gregorie NaziaÌ„zene speaketh thus of the pitieful state of his owne time VVee saith he are in hatred emonge the Heathen for our ovvne vices sake vve are also becomme novve a vvoonder not onely to Angels and menne but euen to al the vngodly In this case was the Churche of God when the Gospel firste beganne to shine and when the furie of Tyrannes was not as yet cooled nor the swerde taken of from the Christians neckes Surely it is no new thinge that menne bee but menne although thei bee called by the name of Christians M. Hardinge Loe a greeuous and a heauy case that the worlde calleth you wicked and vngodly menne Twis they be to blame for it And so be they that cal them theeues whiche come to be promoted to Tiborne â—â—r God knoweth litle haue you deserued so to be called c. The B. of Sarisburie Al this with the reste is onely Hicke Scorners eloquence not woorthy of answeare Here endeth the Thirde Parte The Fourth Parte The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 1. BVT wil these men I praie you thinke nothing at al of them selues whiles they accuse vs so maliciously And hauinge leasure to beholde so farre of to see what is donne bothe in Germanie and in Englande haue they either foregotten or can they not see what is donne at Rome Or wil thei accuse vs theire owne life beinge sutch as no man is hable to make mention thereof but with shame Our pourpose here is not to take in hande at this presente to bringe to lighte and open to the worlde those thinges which were meete rather to be hidde and buried with the woorkers of them It beseemeth neither our Religion nor our modestie nor our shamefastenesse But yet he whiche geeueth commaundemente that he shoulde be called the Vicare of Christe and the Heade of the Churche who also heareth that sutche thinges be donne in Rome who seeth them who suffereth them for wee wil goe no further maie easily consider with him selfe what manner of thinges they be Let him in Goddes Name cal to minde and let him remembre that they be of his owne Canonistes whiche haue taught the people that Fornication bitweene single folke is no sinne as though they had fette that Doctrine from Mitio in Terence whose wordes be It is no sinne beleeue me for a yonge man to haunte harlottes Let him remembre they be of his owne whiche haue decreed that a Prieste oughte not to be put out of his cure for Fornication Let him remembre also how Cardinal Campegius Albertus Pighius and others many moe of his owne haue taughte that the Prieste whiche keepeth a Concubine dooth liue more holily and chastely then he whiche hath a wife in Matrimonie I truste he hathe not yet forgotten that there be many thousandes of common harlottes in Rome and that he him self dooth geather yeerely of the same harlottes aboute thirtie thousande Ducates by the waie of an annual pension Neither can he foregeate that he him selfe dooth mainteine openly brothel houses and by a moste filthy lucre dooth filthily and lewdly serue his owne luste Were al thinges then pure and holy in Rome when Iohane a VVoman rather of perfite age then of perfite life was Pope there and bare her selfe as the Heade of the Churche And after that for twoo whole yeres in that holy See she had plaide the naughty packe at laste going in Procession aboute the Cittie in the sight of al her Cardinals and Bishoppes fel in trauaile openly in the stretes M. Hardinge Firste who seeth not what a notorius lye they make in the preface and entrie to the matter Saie they not they take not vpon them at this time to bringe to light and to the shewe of the world those doinges whiche ought rather togeather with the Auctours of them to be buried And that so to doo theire Religion theire shamefastnes theire blusshinge dooth not beare it VVhat is a lie if this be not Doo they not in deede that they denie in woorde Yea saie they not that thinge whiche they affirme they saie not The B. of Sarisburie I doubte not good Reader but perusinge these fewe folowinge thou shalte plainely sée that the Authours of this Apologie spake not al that they might wel haue spoken But if thou happen to reade Dante 's Petrarcha Boccase Mantuan Valla and others like thou wilte certainely saie that euen now beinge thus chalenged and called foorth and required to speake yet wée haue rather geeuen an inklinge hereof then opened the particulare secretes of the mater For thereof S. Bernarde saithe thus Quae in occulto fiunt ab Episcopis turpe est vel dicere It is shame to vtter the thinges that Bishoppes doo in theire secretes And therefore he saithe further euen as did the writer of the Apologie Melius itaque arbitror super hoc dissimulate Touchinge sutche matters I thinke it better to dissemble Franciscus Petrarcha calleth Rome the VVhoore of Babylon the Mother of al Idolatrie and Fornication and saithe that al shame and reuerence is quite departed thence Baptista Mantuanus saithe Viuere qui Sanctè cupitis discedite Roma Omnia cùm liceant non licet esse bonum Al ye that woulde liue godly be packinge from Rome For there al thinges els are lawful but to be good it is not lawful And againe as it is alleaged once before Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis Ara Cynaedis Seruit honorandae Diuûm Ganymedibus Aedes Hereby M. Hardinge ye maie easily sée that wée of pourpose dissembled and couered your shame and spake mutche lesse and far otherwise of you then wée might haue spoken Erasmus writing of S. Augustines dealinge againste the Manichees saith thus
sutche And God him selfe saith Comme out from her ô my people leste ye be partetakers of her sinnes and leste ye receiue of her Plagues The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 3. But I put case an Idole be sette vp in the Churche of God and the same Desolation whiche Christe prophesied to comme stoode openly in the Holy Place What if somme Theefe or Pirate inuade and possesse Noes Arke These folkes as often as they tel vs of the Churche meane thereby them selues alone and attribute al these titles to theire owne selues boastinge as they did in times paste whiche cried The Temple of the Lorde The Temple of the Lorde or as the Phariseis and Scribes did whiche craked they were Abrahams Children Thus with a gaie and ioly shewe deceiue they the simple and seeke to choke vs with the bare name of the Churche Mutche like as if a Theefe when he hathe gotten into an other mans house and by violence either hathe thruste out or slaine the owner shoulde afterwarde assigne the same house to him selfe castinge foorthe of possession the righte Enheritour Or if Antichriste when he had once entred into the Temple of God should afterwarde saie This house is mine owne and Christe hathe nothinge to doo withal For these menne nowe after they haue leafte nothinge remaininge in the Churche of God that hath any likenesse of his Churche yet wil thei seeme the Patrones and the valiaunte maineteiners of the Churche Very like as Gracchus amongest the Romaines stoode in Defence of the Treasurie notwithstandinge with his prodigalitie and fonde expenses he had vtterly wasted the whole stocke of the Treasurie And yet was there neuer any thinge so wicked or so farre out of reason but lightely it mighte be couered and Defended by the name of the Churche For the Waspes also make honycombes as wel as Bees and wicked men haue companies like to the Churche of God Yet for al that They be not streight vvaie the people of God vvhiche are called the people of God neither be they al Israelites as many as are comme of Israel the Father The Arians notwithstanding they were Heretiques yet bragged they that they alone were the Catholiques calling al the reste now Ambrosians nowe Athanasians nowe Iohannites And Nestorius as saith Theodorete for al that he was an Heretique yet couered he him selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to wite with a certaine cloke colour of the true and Right Faith Ebion though he agreed in opinion with the Samaritanes yet as saith Epiphanius he woulde needes be called a Christian The Mahometistes at this daie for al that al Histories make plaine mention and themselues also cannot denie but they tooke their fist beginning of Agar the bonde vvoman yet for the very name and stockes sake chuse they rather to be called Saracenes as though they came of Sara the free vvoman and Abrahams true and lavvful vvife So likewise the false Prophetes of al ages whiche stode vp against the Prophetes of God and resisted Esaias Ieremie Christe and the Apostles at no time craked of any thinge so mutche as they did of the name of the Churche And for none other cause did they so fearcely vexe them and cal them Renegates and Apostatas then for that they forsooke their felowship and keapte not thordinaunces of the Elders Wherefore if we would folowe the iudgementes of those menne onely who then gouerned the Churche and would respecte nothinge els neither God nor his woorde it must needes bee confessed that the Apostles were rightly and by iust Lawe condemned of them to death bicause they fel from the Bishoppes and Priestes that is you must thinke froÌ„ the Catholique Churche and bicause they made newe alterations in Religion contrarie to the Bishoppes and Priestes willes yea and for al their spurninge so earnestly against it M. Hardinge VVhat a foolishe putcase and what a fond what if is that to saie VVhat if a pirate inuade the Arke of Noe As though God sate not at the sterne and had the belâ—e in his owne hande Antichriste can not sit in the temple of God vntil the vicare of Christe who keepeth possession be throwen out and then wil Christe come with his Angels to destroie the wicked man with the breath of his mouth Ye that are the berbingers of Antichriste are not yet able to cast out the lieutenant of Christe Ye heaue at the vnderministers Your maister wil accompleshe al iniquitie and he shal be the desolation that Christe spake of VVe vnderstande what ye shoote at But ye are ashamed to vtter plainely your blasphemie Ye would saie as it may seeme if ye durste that Christe is the desolation and that Antichrist is the true God In effect I do not greatly belie you Neither if the Apostles might go from the Bishoppes of Moses lawe therefore may ye departe from the vicare of Christe For the lawe of Moses is changed and the priesthod of Aaron is transferred But the lawe and priesthood of Iesus Christe tarieth for euer as Dauid said Thou art priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Ye hault too manifestly The B. of Sarisburie Antichriste ye saie cannot sit in the Temple of God vntil the Vicare of Christe who keepeth possession be throwen out So the olde Troians sometime saide Theire Cittie coulde neuer miscarrie while theire Palladium remained emongest them But who tolde you these straunge newes M. Harding Who made the Pope Christes Vicare general throughout the whole Churche Or who bade him keepe possession in steede of Christe Muste wee needes thinke that the whole state of Christes Churche hangeth onely of the Pope Or that if the Pope were not the Pope the Churche of Christe were not the Churche Or muste youre simple woorde nowe be taken for a Prophesie that Antichriste shal neuer enter into Goddes Temple before the Pope bee throwen oute This Fable woulde haue benne better furnished with more credite Verily whereas we saie vvee put case an Idole be set vp in the Churche of God Or vvhat if somme Theefe or Pirate inuade and possesse Noes Arke neither is this vvhat if so fonde as you woulde seeme to make it nor this Put case so impossible For S. Paule saithe Antichriste shal sitte in the Churche of God and shewe him selfe aboue al that is worshipped or called God that is to saie Beinge a Theefe and a Pirate he shal enter perforce into Noes Arke Nowe M. Hardinge If Antichriste maie sitte in the place of God mutche more maie he sitte in the place of Peter I wil not saie the Pope is Antichriste God wil reuele him in his time and he shal be knowen S. Iohn saithe This is the wisedome who so hath vnderstandinge let him recken the number of the Beaste Vpon whiche woordes Irenaeus welneare fifteene hundred yeeres agoe saithe thus The name of Antichriste expressed by that number shal be Latinus And he addeth
Hierome saithe Monachus non Docentis sed Plangentis habet officium A Monkes office is not to Preache but to Mourne Againe he saithe Alia causa est Monachi alia Clerici Clerici Oues pascunt Ego Pascor The state of a Monke is one thinge and the state of a Prieste is an other Priestes Feede the Flocke I beinge a Monke muste be fedde Whereupon the Glose saithe Ego Pascor Sacramentis ipsorum I am fedde with the Sacramentes of the Priestes Whereby it is euidente that the Monke him selfe had no Authoritie to Minister Sacramentes no not so mutche as priuately to him selfe But touchinge Bodily laboure S. Hierome saithe This was holden as a Lawe emonge the Monkes in Aegypte that who so woulde not laboure shoulde not eate And S. Augustine saithe as it is alleged in his name Nihil Dei Seruis peius est otiositate Operentur ergo in nomine Domini Vnto the Seruantes of God there is nothinge woorse then Idlenesse Let them woorke therefore in the name of our Lorde Of sutche Idle Monkes S. Augustine saith Isti manus otiosas repositoria plena habere volunt These Monkes wil haue Idle handes and ful Cellers A learned Father was woonte to saie by the reporte of Socrates A Monke that laboâ—reth not with his handes maie be resembled vnto a Theefe S. Bernarde saithe Restat vt sint in laboribus Daemonum qui in laboribus hominum non fuerunt They muste needes be in the trauailes of Diuels that were not in the trauailes of menne Of these S. Augustine saithe Diabolus tam multos Hypocritas sub habitu Monachorum vsquequaque dispersit Sutche a number of Hypocrites hath the Diuel scattered abroade euery where vnder the coloure of Monkes The firste Suppressours of Monasteries within this Realme in our memorie were twoo of your déerest frendes Cardinal VVoulsee Doctoure Fisher the Bishop of Rochester either of them wel warranted thereto by the Authoritie of the Pope Longe before that time the Godly Learned Bishop Letoius ouerthrewe and burnte the Messalians Monasteries and saide they were Dennes of Theeues and as Theodoretus reporteth chased the VVouues awaie from the Folde Of late yéeres sundrie of the Cardinalles of Rome emongest whome also was Cardinal Poole beinge specially appointed in Commission by Pope Paulus 3. to viewe the disorders and deformities of the Churche returned their answeare in this sorte Alius abusus corrigendus est in Ordinibus Religiosorum quod adeo multi deformati sunt vt magno sint scandalo Saecularibus exemplo'que plurimum noceant Conuentuales ordines abolendos esse putamus omnes An other Abuse there is to be Reformed in the Orders of Monkes and Freers For many of them are so vile that they are a shame vnto the Seâ—â—lares and with their example doo mutche il As for Conuentual orders vvee thinke it good they be al abolished This M. Hardinge was the Iudgemente of your owne frendes And therefore ye haue the lesse cause to be offended with the suppressinge of Abbies For your owne déere Catholique Fathers partely haue suppressed theÌ„ them selues partely haue consented vnto the same In the Booke called Opus Tripartitum ioined vnto the Councel of Laterane it is written thus Totus ferè Mundus obloquitur Scandalizatur de tanta multitudine Religiosorum Pauperum qui introierunt in Mundum VVelneare the whole worlde crieth againste and is offended for so greate a multitude of begginge Monkes and Freeres that are entred into the VVorlde Therefore was this Decrée published in the Councel of Laterane Ne nimia Religiosorum diuersitas graueÌ„ in EcclesiaÌ„ Dei offensionem inducat firmiter prohibemus ne quis de coetero Nouam Religionem inueniat Leste ouer greate diuersitie of Religious folke bringe greate offense into the Churche of God wee doo earnestly forbidde that from hencefoorthe no man diuise any Newe Religion Damasus speakinge of the order of them that were called Chorepiscopi saithe thus Vnde iste Tertius Ordo processerit ignoramus quod ratione caret extirpare necesse est From whence this Thirde Order is comme wee cannot tel And the thinge that wanteth reason muste needes be taken vp by the rootes The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 6. The Olde Councel at Rome decreed that no man should comme to the Seruice saide by a Prieste wel knowen to keepe a Concubine These menne let Concubines to ferme to their Priestes and yet constreigne men by force againste theire wil to heare theire cursed paltry Seruice M. Hardinge VVe finde no sutche Canon in the olde Romaine Councels Your allegations noted in the margent be false for the more parte as your Doctrine is Yet finde we that Nicolaus and Alexander Popes haue willed no man to heare the Masse of that Prieste whom he knoweth vndoubtedly to kepe a Concubinâ— But wise men in the Lawe thinke onely that to be an vndoubted knowledge when either the iudge hath by open sentence published sutche a man to kepe a Concubine or the facte it selfe is notorious VVhereas you saie we let Concubines out to ferme to our Priestes it is meete for you to saie it because it is false and slaunderous Neither was euer any man or at this daie is driuen to heare his Masse who kepeth a Concubine For if he wil take vpon him to proue any Prieste to kepe a Concubine him selfe non beinge so infamous as he maie not stande in iudgemente it is certaine he shal be hearde If he cannot proue it then is not he out of doubte by order of Lawe that this Prieste kepeth a Concubine and therefore he is bounde as other Christian people be to heare his Masse VVhiche is no sacrilege as your sacrilegious heart thinketh and blasphemous tonge vttereth but the blessed and holy sacrifice whiche Christe made at his laste Supper The B. of Sarisburie If it had pleased you better to haue perused your Bookes ye mought soone haue found these selfe same woordes in the Councel of Rome holden there vnder Pope Nicolas the First Whiche although it be not so olde as maie be compared with yâ— Ancient Fathers Councelles yet it is elder then somme partes braÌ„ches of your Newe Religion To like pourpose writeth Pope Zacharie Quis sapiens iudicabit eos esse Sacerdotes qui nec à Fornicationibus abstinent What wise man wil recken them to be Priestes that absteine not so mutche as from Fornication If no wise man can iudge them to be Priestes what man then is he that wil authorize them to Minister Sacramentes Nowe of the other side M. Hardinge consider you the Common and ordinarie practise of your Churche of Rome Firste touchinge the Pope him selfe your Glose saithe Facta Papae excusantur vt Adulterium Jacob The Popes dooinges or Aduouteries are excused as the Aduouterie of Jacob. And againe Communiter dicitur quo'd pro Simplici Fornicatione quis deponi
as olde menne vse to doo Therefore M. Hardinge it had benne more for your grauitie to haue spared these youtheful folies Yee saie The Priestes and Deacons waited onely vpon the Bishoppes but Sentence in Councel thei might geue none This tale were true M. Hardinge if euery your woorde were a Gospel But S. Luke woulde haue tolde you far otherwise For speakinge of the first Christian Councel holden in yâ— Apostles time he saith thus Conuenerunt Apostoli Seniores vt dispicerent de hoc negotio The Apostles and Elders mette togeather to take order touchinge this mater And againe in the Conclusion Placuit Apostolis Senioribus cum tota Ecclesia It seemed good to the Apostles and Elders togeather with the whole Churche Nicephorus saith Athanasius inter Diaconos Alexandriae Primarius noÌ„ minima paâ—s Nicenae Synodi Athanasius beinge not a Bishop but one of the chiefe Deacons of Alexandria was not the least parte of the Councel of Nice Tertullian saith Praesident probati quique Seniores honorem istuÌ„ noÌ„ pretio sed testimonio adepti The Judges in sutche Ecclesiastical Assemblies be the beste allowed Elders hauinge obteined that honoure not for monie but by the witnesse of their Brethren And in the Seconde Councel of Nice Petrus Protopresbyter and Petrus Presbyter not beinge Bishoppes but onely Priestes sente thither by Adrianus the Bishop of Rome gaue their assentes and subscribed their names before al the Bishoppes Touchinge S. Cyprian â–ª yée saie as your grauitie and modestie leadeth you VVee lie without coloure and passe measure in Lieinge And here as menne doo that goe by gheasse answeare longe before thei knowe yée finde out a place in S. Cyprian that wée thought not of and vpon affiance thereof yée blowe vp your trumpe and cal vs Liers How be it wise menne thinke him a hasty Iudge that pronounceth before he knowe the cause S. Cyprian saithe A primordio Episcopatus mei statui nihil sine consilio vestro sine consensu Plebis mea priuatim sententia gerere From my firste entringe into the Bishoprike I haue determined to doo nothinge by mine owne authoritie without your adâ—â—se being the Priestes Deacons and without the consente of the people For dooinge the contrarie hereof the Anciente Father Origen rebuketh Bishoppes of Pride and statelinesse Thus he saithe Quis hodiè corum qui populis praesunt Consilium dignatur inferioris saltem Sacerdotis accipere Ne dixerim Laici vel GeÌ„tilis What one now adaies of al the Bishoppes that haue the ouersighte of the people vouchâ— saueth to take the Councel of any Inferioure Prieste I wil not saie of a Laie man or of an Heathen S. Ambrose touchinge a case of Faithe againste the Arians saithe thus Veniant si qui sunt ad Ecclesiam Audiant cum populo Non vt quisquam Iudex resideat sed vt vnusquisque de suo affectu habeat examen If there be any of them let them comme to the Churche Let them geue care and hearken with the people Not that any man there shal sitte as Iudge but that euery man maie haue the examination of his ovvne minde To conclude your owne Pope Nicolas writinge vnto Michael the Greeke Emperoure saithe thus Vbinam legistis Imperatores Antecessores vestros Synodalibus conuentionibus interfuisse Nisi fortè in quibusdam vbi de Fide tractatum est quae Vniuersalis est quae omnium communis est quae non solùm ad Clericos verùmetiamâ— ad Laicos ad omnes omninò pertinet Christianos Where did your Maiestie euer reade that your Predecessoures beinge Emperoures were euer presente at the Assemblies of Councelles Onlesse it were when question was moued concerninge the Faithe For Faithe is Vniuersal and common to al menne and belongeth not onely to the Priestes but also to the Laie menne and generally to al Christians But hereof wée shal haue occasion to speake more hereafter The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 4. But I put case these Abbates Bishoppes haue no knowlege what if they vnderstande nothinge what Religion is nor howe we ought to thinke of God I put case the pronouncinge ministringe of the Lawe be decaied in Priestes and good counsel faile in the Elders as the Prophete Micheas saith The Night be vnto them in steede of a vision and darkenesse in steede of Prophesienge Or as Esaias saithe VVhat if al the vvatchemen of the cittie be become blinde VVhat if the Salte haue loste his propre strength and sauerinesse and as christe saithe be good for no vse scante vvoorthe the castinge on the dounghil M. Hardinge The worlde knoweth so well yea Heauen also the greate woorthinesse of those Fathers in euery respect that I should doo them wronge here to praise them for that by your fonde surmises you seeke their dispraise The B. of Sarisburie Heauen and Earthe knoweth M. Hardinge that twoo of your Reuerende vvoorthy Fathers notwithstandinge their vertues and al their greate woorthinesse were taken and slaine in Aduouterie euen there presente at your Councel Therefore yee doo your selfe somme wronge in respecte of your credite so wastefully to bestowe your praises The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 1. Wel yet then they wil bringe al matters before the Pope who cannot erre To this I saie firste it is a madnesse to thinke that the Holy Ghoste taketh his flight from a General councel to renne to Rome to the ende if he doubt or sticke in any matter and cannot expounde it of him selfe he maie take counsel of somme other Sprite I wote not what that is better learned then him selfe For if this be true what needed so many Bishoppes with so greate charges so farre iorneies to haue asseÌ„bled their Conuocation at this present at Tridente Yt hadde benne more wisedome and better at least it had benne a mutche nearer and handsommer waie to haue brought al thinges rather before the Pope to haue comme streight foorthe haue asked counsel at his Diuine Breaste Secondly it is also an vnlawful dealinge to tosse our mater from so many Bishoppes Abbates and to bringe it at laste to the trial of one onely man specially of him who him selfe is appeached by vs of hainous and foule enormities and hath not yet put in his Answeare who hath also aforehande condemned vs without Iudgement by order pronounced and ere euer we were called to be Iudged M. Hardinge VVe maie lesse wonder at your iestinge in other thinges sithe now wee set you scoffe and ieste in thinges touchinge God him selfe Syr set you so lighte by the Holy Ghoste as thus vnreuerently to talke of his flight and runninge to Rome of his doubtinge and stickinge of his vnablenesse to declare doubtfull cases of askinge counsell of an other spirite VVho euer vttered suche vile talke of the Holy Ghost but some vile caitife quite voide of his grace Can not you conceiue that reasonably the
maie easily see Thirdely yée Reason á Meris Particularibus or A non Distributo ad Distributum Fourthely these woordes Rule or Charge of the Churche are woordes of double and doubteful meaninge And therefore your Syllogismus sutche as it is must néedes stande of Foure Termes whiche erroure in Reasoninge is too simple for a childe Touchinge these woordes Rule and Charge whiche I saide are double and doubteful notwithstandinge wee saie bothe the Prince and the Bishop haue Charge of the Churche yet the Prince and the Bishop haue not bothe one kinde of Charge The Bishoppes Charge is to Preache to Minister Sacramentes to Order Priestes to Excommunicate to Absolue c. The Princes charge is not to doo any of these thinges him selfe in his owne Personne but onely to see that they be donne and orderly truely donne by the Bishoppes I graunte there be many Special Priuileges graunted vpon greate and iuste considerations of the méere fauoure of the Prince that a Prieste being founde neligente or otherwise offendinge in his Ministerie should be conuented pounished not by the Temporal or Ciuile Magistrate but by y◠discretion of the Bishop But that a Prince or Magistrate maie not lawfully calle a Prieste before him to his owne seate of Iudgemente or that many Catholique and Godly Princes haue not so donne and donne it lawfully it is moste vntrue The Emperoure Iustinian him selfe who of al others moste enlarged the Churches Priuileges saithe thus Nullus Episcopus inuitus ad Ciuilem vel Militarem Iudicem in qualibet causa produeatur vel exhibeatur nisi Princeps iubeat Let no Bishop be brought or presented againste his wil before the Captaine or Ciuile Iudge what so euer the cause be Onlesse the Prince shal so commaunde it The Emperoure Martianus commaundeth if the cause be criminal that the Bishop be conuented before the Lieutenant Vt coram Praeside conueniatur Pope Innocentius 3. him selfe confesseth that the Pope maie make a Laie man his Delegate to heare and determine in Priestes Causes The like hereof yée maie finde in your owne Glose Papa Laico delegat causam Spiritualem The Pope committeth the hearinge of a Spiritual mater vnto a Laie man Yea further yée shal finde euen in the Popes owne Decrees that the Pope hath committed a Spiritual mater in a cause of Simonie to be hearde and ended by a VVooman that Brunichildis beinge a VVooman by vertue of the Popes Commission summoned a Bishop to appeare and solemnely to make his Purgation before her Notwithstandinge in your Glose vpon the same it is noted thus Fuit tamen hîc nimium Papaliter Dispensatum The Pope was too Popelike in this Dispensation The Emperoure Constantinus wrote thus vnto the Bishoppes y◠had benne at the Councel of Tyrus Cuncti quotquot Synodum Tyri compleuistis sine mora ad Pietatis nostrae castra properate ac re ipsa quà m sincerè ac rectè iudicaueritis ostendatis Idque Coram me quem sincerum esse Dei Ministrum ne vos quidem negabitis Al yee that haue benne at the Councel of Tyrus comme without delaie vnto our Campe and shewe me plainely and without Coloure how vprightly ye haue dealte in Judgemente and that euen before me selfe whome you cannot denie to be the true Seruante of God Iustinian the Emperoure in the Lavve y◠he maketh touching the Publike Praiers of the Churche saithe thus VVee commaunde al Bishoppes and Priestes to Minister the Holy Oblation and the Praier at the Holy Baptisme not vnder silence but with sutche voice as maie be hearde of the Faitheful People to the intente that the hartes of the hearers maie be sturred to more deuotion c. Afterwarde he addeth further And let the Holy Priestes vnderstande that if they neglecte any of these thinges they shal make answeare therefore at the dreadeful Judgement of the Great God and our Saueoure Iesus Christe And yet neuerthelesse vve ourselues vnderstanding the same vvil not passe it ouer nor leaue it vnpounished Hereby wée sée that Godly Princes maie summone Bishoppes to appeare before them euen in Causes Ecclesiastical to receiue sutche pounishment as they haue deserued Likewise the Emperoure Constantinus in his Letters vnto the People of Nicomedia speakinge of the wilful Errours Heresies of Priestes and Bishoppes saithe thus Illorum temeraria praesumptio mea hoc est Ministri Christi manu coercebitur Their rashe attemptes shal be repressed by my hande that is to saie by the hande of Christes Seruante So likewise saithe S. Augustine vnto the Donatistes An fortè de Religione fas non est vt dicat Imperator vel quos miserit Imperator Cur ergo ad Imperatorem Legati vestri venerunt It is not lawful that the Emperours or the Emperours deputee should pronounce in a case of Religion Wherefore then wente your owne Embassadoures to the Emperoure But what speake wee of other Priestes and Inferiour Bishoppes The Popes them selues notwithstandinge al their Vniuersal Povver haue submitted them selues made their Purgations before Kinges Emperoure Pope Liberius made his humble appearance before the Emperoure Constantius Pope Sixtus was accused and made his Purgation before the Emperoure Valentinian Pope Leo 3. beinge accused by Paschalis and Campulus pleaded his cause before Carolus Magnus at Rome not yet chosen Emperoure Pope Iohn 22. was accused of Heresie and forced to recante the same vnto Philip the Frenche Kinge Pope Leo 4. in this wise humbly submitteth him selfe vnto the Iudgemente of Levves the Emperoure Nos si incompetenter aliquid egimus in Subditis iustae Legis tramitem non conseruauimus vestro admissorum nostrorum cuncta volumus emendare iudicio Yf wee haue donne any thinge oute of order and if wee haue not folowed the right course of the Lawe ouer our Subiectes vve vvil amende al our faultes by your Maiesties Iudgemente Your owne Glose saithe Papa potest dare potestatem Imperatori vt deponat ipsum sese in omnibus illi subijcere The Pope maie geeue the Emperoure power to depose him selfe and maie in al thinges submit him selfe vnto him To be shorte Franciscus Zarabella saithe Papa accusari potest coram Imperatore de quolibet crimine notorio Et Imperator requirere potest à Papa rationem Fidei The Pope maie be accused before the Emperoure of any notorious crime and the Emperoure maie require the Pope to yeelde an accoumpte of his Faithe Now therefore M. Hardinge I reporte me to your owne indifferent iudgemente how true it is y◠yee saie It is not conuenient for a Kinge to calle Priestes before him to his owne Seate of Iudgemente Verily this Note yee might haue founde Glosed in your owne Decretalles Quaeritur quis exemit Clericum de Iurisdictione Imperatoris cum priùs esset illi subiectus Dicit Laurentius quòd Papa de consensu Principis A question is moued VVho hath exempted a Prieste from the
common weales The B. of Sarisburie Concerning the title of Supreme Head of the Churche wée néede not to searche for Scriptures to excuse it For firste wée diuised it not Secondly wée vse it not Thirdly our Princes at this presente claime it not Your Fathers M. Harding firste entitled that moste Noble and moste Woorthy Prince Kinge Henrie the Eighth with that Vnused and Strange Style as it maie wel be thought the rather to bringe him into the talke and sclaunder of the worlde Howe be it that the Prince is the Highest Iudge Gouernoure ouer al his Subiectes what so euer as wel Priestes as Laie menne without exception it is moste euidente by that hath benne already saide by that shal be saide hereafter by the whole course of the Scriptures and by the vndoubted practise of the Primitiue Churche Verily the Prince as it shal afterwarde better appeare had Bothe the Tables of the Lavve of God euermore committed to his charge as wel the Firste that perteineth to Religion as also the Seconde that perteineth to Ciuile Gouernemente But nowe M. Hardinge if a man would aske you by what VVoorde of God your Priestes and Bishoppes haue exempted them selues from the Iudgement and Gouernement of theire Princes Or by what VVoord of God the Princes hande is restreined more from his Cleregie then from other his Subiectes or by what VVoorde of God yee woulde stablishe Tvvoo Supreme Gouernoures in one Realme I marueile in what Scriptures yée woulde seeke to finde it Your owne Doctoures and Glosers saie as it is before alleged Quaeritur quis exemit Clericum de Iurisdictione Imperatoris cùm priùs esset illi Subiectus Dicit Laurentius quòd Papa de consensu Principis Question is moued who hath exempted the Prieste from the Iurisdiction of the Emperour whereas before he was his Subiecte Laurētius saith not the VVoorde of God but the Pope exempted him by the Consente of the Prince Further M. Hardinge we beséeche you by what VVoorde of God can your Pope claime him self to be the Heade of the Vniuersal Churche of God Where is it recorded Where is it written In what parte of the Testamente Newe or Olde In what Lavve In what Prophete In what Epistle In what Gospel Where is his Headship Where is his Vniuersal Povver If yée can finde it then maie yee shewe it If it cannot be founde then shoulde yée not saie it As for that you and other your Felowes haue alleged before for proufe hereof it is so childish so weake that I thinke yée cannot now comme againe with the same without blusshinge Touchinge the Right that wée saie belongeth vnto al Christian Princes it hath benne inuested and planted in them from the beginninge For to leaue other Authorities of the Scriptures Pope Eleutherius him selfe wrote thus vnto Lucius sommetime Kinge of this Realme of Englande Vos estis Vicarius Dei in Regno iuxta Prophetam Regium You are Goddes Vicare vvithin your ovvne Realme according to the Prophete Dauid Paule the Bishop of Apamea writeth thus vnto the Emperoure Iustinian in a cause mere Ecclesiastical touchinge Religion Transtulit ipsum Dominus vt Plenitudinem directionis vestrae custodiret Serenitati Our Lorde hath taken Pope Agapetus awaie that he might leaue the Fulnesse of order concerninge these Heretiques Dioscorus and Eutyches vnto your Maiestie Tertullian saith Colimus Imperatorem vt hominem à Deo Secundum Solo Deo Minorem Wee Woorship the Emperoure as a man nexte vnto God and inferioure onely vnto God And nothwithstanding the name of Heade of the Churche belonge peculiarely and onely vnto Christe as his onely Right and Enheritance for as the Churche is the Body so Christe is the Heade yet maie the same sommetimes also be applied in sober meaning and good sense not onely vnto Princes but also vnto others far inferiour vnto Princes Chrysostome saithe Videntur mihi istae mulieres Caput fuisse Ecclesiae quae illic erat It seemeth vnto mee that these vveemen vvere the Heade of the Churche that was at Philippi Likewise againe speaking of the Emperoure he saithe thus Laesus est qui non habet parem vllum super terram Summitas Caput omnium super terram hominum Wee haue offended him that in the Earthe hath no peere the Toppe and the Heade of al menne in the VVorlde If he were the Heade of al menne then was he the Heade not onely of Bishoppes and Cardinalles but also of the Pope him selfe Onlesse the Pope were no man To conclude our Princes néede nomore to claime their Lawful Authoritie and Emperial Righte by y◠Exāple of Nero whereof yée haue moued mutche vntimely and wanton talke then your Pope néedeth to claime his Vsurped Coloured Power by the Examples of Annas and Caiphas The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 2. For besides that a Christian Prince hath the charge of Bothe Tables committed to him by God to the ende he maie vnderstande that not Temporal maters onely but also Religious and Ecclesiastical Causes perteine to his office c. M. Hardinge You wil proue that Ecclesiastical causes perteine to a Kinges of fice because he hath the charge of bothe tables If you meane that a Kinge is bounde to kepe bothe tables of the lawe so is also euery priuate man And yet as no priuate man is supreme heade of the Churche by kepinge them so neither the Kinge is proued thereby the supreme heade If you meane that the Kinge ought to see others to kepe bothe tables of the lawe that maie he do either in appointinge temporal paines for the transgressours of them or in executinge the saide paines vpon the transgressours But as he cannot excommunicate any man for not apperinge when he is called so can he not iudge al causes of the lawe For if a man sinne onely in his harte as for example in murther or aduoutrie the Kinge cannot haue to do with him And yet the true supreme heade of the Church shal haue to do with him For that malicious and sinful thought shal neuer be foregeuen excepte the party come to be absolued of theire Successours to whom Christe saide whose sinnes ye forgeue ▪ they are forgeuen and whose sinnes ye reteine they are reteined To committe murder in harte is a sinne and it is reteined vntil it be forgeuen Neither can it be forgeuen vntil he that is Iudge by the keie of discretion perceiue that it is to be forgeuen VVhich he cannot know vntil it be confessed with a contrite hart by him who onely knoweth it and is bounde to tel it for absolutions sake If then there be a iudge who can see the lawe kepte in an higher pointe and beyond the reache of the King surely the King shal not be supreme head ▪ sith an other is more like to God then he A◠who is iudge of the inwarde conscience whereunto no Kinge reacheth but onely the minister of Christe ▪
who is the spiritual Kinge and hath geuen the keies of his Kingdome to his minister The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge yée roaâ—e and wander without a marke and replie to that that was not spoken I marueile whereof yée can spinne your selfe sutch idle talke For wée neither calle our Princes the Heades of the Churche of Christe it was your Fathers inuention and not ours nor saie wée They haue Power either to Excommunicate or to Binde or to Loose nor haue wée leasure to make sutche vaine Conclusians Thus wée saie the Prince is put in truste as wel with the Firste as with the Seconde Table of the Lavve of God that is to saie as wel with Religion and with Temporal Gouernemente not onely to kéepe and perfourme the contentes of Bothe Tables in his owne Persone for so mutche euery priuate man is bound to doo but also to sée that al others his Subiectes as wel Priestes as Laiemenne eche man in his callinge doo dewly kéepe them This is it that no Priuate man is hable to doo Therefore S. Augustine saithe In hoc seruiunt Domino Reges in quantum sunt Reges cùm ea faciunt ad seruiendum illi quae non possunt facere nisi Reges Herein Kinges serue the Lorde in that they be Kinges when they doo those thinges to serue him that noman can doo but onely Kinges Wee saie not the Prince is bound to doo the Bishoppes deutie And therefore it is the greatter solâ—e of your parte M. Hardinge to obiecte it so often Wise menne vse not so to aduenture their woordes in vaine But thus wée saie The Prince to bounde to see the Bishoppes to doo theire deuties But what meante you so far out of season to talke so fondly of your Priuie Confessions of Bindinge and Loosinge and Povver of Keies For as it is saide before wée saie not that Princes maie either Binde or Loose or Minister Sacramentes or Preache the Gospel or sitte downe and Heare Confessions Therefore with al this greate adoo yée foine onely at your owne shadowe and hit nothinge Yée saie ful discretely Yf a man sinne onely in his harte the Kinge cannot haue to doo with him for that be cannot enter to knowe his secretes Here I beséeche you M. Hardinge what entrance hath the Pope to knowe the secretes of the Harte Perhaps yée wil saie the Pope maie knowe al the worlde by Confession But S. Augustine saithe Quid mihi est cum hominibus vt audiant Confessiones meas c. Vnde sciunt cùm à me ipso de me ipso audiunt an verum dicaÌ„ quaÌ„doquidem nemo scit hominuÌ„ quid agatur in homine nisi Spiritus hominis qui in ipso est What haue I to doo with these menne that they shoulde heare my Confessions c. Howe knowe they when they heare mee report of mee selfe whether I saie true or no For noman knoweth what is in man but the Sprite of man that is within him Againe he saithe vnto the people Intrantes vos exeuntes possumus videre Vsqueadeò autem non videmus quid cogitetis in cordibus vestris vt neque quid agaris in domibus vestris videre possimus Wee maie see you comminge in and goeinge foorth But wee are so far from seeinge the thoughtes of your hartes that wee cannot see what you doo at home in your houses Likewise againe he saithe Quid singulorum quorumque modò conscientiae dixerint ad aures meas quia homo sum peruenire non potuit Ille qui Absens est praesentia Corporis sed Praesens est Vigore Maiestatis audiuit vos What euery of your Consciences hath saide it coulde not enter into my eares for that I am but a Mortal man Notwithstandinge Christe that is Absente as touchinge the Presence of his Body but presente by the Power of his Maiestie hath hearde you wel It is not the Pope but God onely that trieth the reines and searcheth the harte Yet yée saie the True Supreme Heade of the Churche shal haue to doo with him that sinneth onely secretely in his harte For that malitious and sinful thought saie you shal neuer be foregeuen excepte the partie comme to be Absolued of theire Successours to whom Christe said VVhoes sinnes yee foregeue c. This M. Hardinge is the Supreme Folie of al others Folies For firste where euer hearde you that the Pope would lonce vouchesaue to Heare Confessions And if he woulde yet by yours owne Doctoures Iudgemente the Pope hath nomore Power to Binde and to Loose then any other Poore Simple Prieste As I haue shewed you before Alphonsus de Castro saithe Quando Absoluit Simplex Sacerdos tantum Absoluit de Culpa sicut Papa When a Simple Prieste Absolueth he Absolueth as mutche touchinge the faulte as if it were the Pope him selfe Origen saithe Quae sequuntur velut ad Petrum dicta sunt omnium communia c. Quod si nos idem loquimur quod Petrus loquutus est efficimur Petrus The woordes that folowe as spoken vnto Peter are common vnto al. If wee speake the saine that Peter spake then are wee made Peter Euen in the Popes owne Glose vpon his Decretalles it is noted thus In necessitate Laicus potest Audire Confessiones Absoluere In case of necessitie a Laieman maie bothe heare Confessions and also geue Absolution Yet wil yée not saie that euery Laieman is Peters Successoure To what pourpose then serueth al this your vaine talke M. Hardinge The true Supreme Head of the Churche shal haue to doo with him that sinneth onely in his harte For euery Simple Prieste hauinge the keie of Goddes Woorde entreth into the harte hath to doo with the same as wel and as mutche as the Pope in respecte of beinge Iudge of yâ— Conscience is aboue Kinges Princes nolesse then he But where yée saie The malitious and sinful thought shal neuer be forgeuen except the partie comme to be Absolued of theire Successours to whom Christe said whoe 's sinnes yee foregeue c. this Doctrine is not onely strange and false but also ful of Desperation Your owne Gratian saith Latentia peccata non probantur necessariò Sacerdoti confiteÌ„da It is not proued by any sufficieÌ„t Authoritie either of Scriptures or of Doctours that Secrete Sinnes are of necessitie to be vttered in Confession vnto the Prieste Againe he saithe Datur intelligi quòd etiam ore tacente veniam consequi possumus It is geuen vs to vnderstand that wee maie obteine pardone although wee vtter nothing with our Mouth And againe Non Sacerdotali iudicio sed largitate Diuinae Gratiae peccator emendatur The Sinner is cleansed not by the Iudgemente of the Prieste but by the abundance of Goddes Grace Againe he saithe Confessio Sacerdoti offertur in signum veniae non in causam Remissionis accipiendae Confession is made vnto the Priest in token of Foregeuenesse already obteined
not as a cause of Foregeuenesse to be obteined Your very Glose saithe Apud Graecos Confessio non est necessaria quia non emanauit ad illos Traditio talis Emong the Christians in Graecia Confession of Sinnes is not necessarie for that this Tradition neuer came emonge them Yet M. Hardinge I trowe yee wil not saie but theire sinnes maie be foregeuen Certainely Chrysostome saithe Solus te Deus confitentem videat Let God onely see thee making the Confession of thy Sinnes It was very mutche therefore M. Hardinge for you so assuredly and so precisely to saie that sinnes can neuer be foregeuen without your Priuie Confession and specially thereby to proue the Vniuersal Headeship of the Pope The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 3. Bisides also that God by his Prophetes often and earnestly commaundeth the King to cutte downe the Groues to breake downe the Images and Aultars of Idoles and to Write out the Booke of the Lavve for him self and bisides that the Prophete Esaias saith a Kinge ought to be a Patrone and a Nurse of the Churche c. M. Hardinge Your seconde argumente for the Ecclesiastical Power of Kinges is because God bad them to cut downe superstitious groues and ouerthrowe idols as though this were not an office of executinge a commaundemente rather then of decreeinge any thinge The Authoritie to discerne an image of Christ from an idol of the deuil belongeth to them who knowe that an image is a name of art which is of God an idol is a name of false woorshippinge whiche is of the Deuil So that an image is godly and idol deuilishe VVhen the Prieste hath iudged this or that to be an idol or when it is euident that so it is then the kinge shal do wel to breake it downe But if the Kinge wil breake downe the image of Christe when the Priest telleth him it is a godly representation and no idol then the Kinge dothe more then his office requireth And shal not onely not proue his supremacie but also shal incurre danger to be reiected of God as Kinge Saul was when he despised to keepe the commaundement of Samuel the high Prieste VVhereas you alleage for a Kinges Ecclesiastical Power that he was commaunded to write out the Booke of the lawe for him selfe why lefte ye out that whiche foloweth there immediately accipiens exemplar à Sacerdotibus Leuiticae tribus The Kinge muste write out a Booke of the Deuteronomie but the example thereof he must receiue of the Priestes that be of the tribe of Leut. If in spiritual matters the Kinge were aboue the Priestes why had he not the Kepinge of the Lawe in his owne handes VVhy muste he take it of the Priestes why did not rather the Priestes come to him sith the inferiour taketh al his right of the superiour If the Priestes muste geue the holy scripture vnto the Kinge then verely muste he take sutche as they geue him and with such meaning as they geue vnto it So that if you had not falsefied the meaninge of Gods woorde by leauinge out halfe the sentence this place had proued againste you It is to be weyed to what ende a Kinge is required to haue and to reade that holy Booke Verely not to take vpon him the parte of a iudge in causes of Religion but as there it is expressed to thintent he learne to feare his Lorde God and kepe his woordes and ceremomonies in the lawe commaunded and that his harte be not lifted vp into pride aboue his brethren c. I omitte that you reade Librum legis whereas the Churche readeth Deuteronomium * it were too longe to enter into that disputation The booke of the lawe signifieth the whole law the Deuteronomie is but one of the fiue bookes VVhere Esaie calleth a Kinge a Patrone of the Churche I haue not founde But were it he called him so it betokeneth that he shoulde defende the Churche from worldly ennimies as in repellinge the Turkes in expellinge Heretikes and sutche like Kingely actes VVhiche proueth no spiritual supremacie but vnder God a fealtie and seruiceable power I finde where Esaie saith Et erunt Reges nutricij tui Reginae nutrices tuae Kinges shal be thy fosterers and Quenes thy nourses But not euery nourse or fosterer is aboue him who is nourished A faitheful seruant oftentimes fostereth the maister Yet is he not aboue his maister Besides S. Hierome vnderstandeth the Kinges whom Esaie nameth to be the Apostles accordinge to whiche sense it maketh nothinge to the purpose it is alleaged for The B. of Sarisburie Al Christian Princes are mutche beholden to you M. Harding yée make them so like to Polyphemus y◠Giante after his eies were striken out that is to saie to a man mighty in body and greate in boanes but starke blinde and no waie hable to guide him selfe A King yée saie maie not take vpon him to Iudge or Pronounce in maters of Religion bee they neuer so cleare but onely must hearken be ready to execute what so euer shal be thought good and commaunded by your Bishoppes as if he were onely your Bishoppes man So saithe your Holy Father Pope Bonifacius 8. Gladius Materialis exercendus est manu Regum Militum Sed ad nutum patientram Sacerdotis The Material or Temporal Swerde muste be vsed by the hande of Kinges and Souldiers but at the becke and sufferance of the Prieste By which Prieste he meaneth the Pope But Dauid saithe Now yee Kinges haue vnderstanding Be learned yee that iudge the Earthe Good Kinges haue oftentimes refourmed Religion and haue lawfully controlled and corrected and deposed idle and wicked Bishoppes as before in place conueniente it is largely proued The Emperoure Iustinian threateneth if the Bishop offended in saieing the publique seruice or in the Ministration of the Sacramentes that then he him selfe woulde vse his Authoritie ouer him and see him pounished Franciscus Zarabella saith that for any crime notorious the Emperour maie summone the Pope to appeare before his Maiestie and maie require him to yelde a reckening of his Faithe And yet wil yée saie The Emperoure is stil the Popes man and maie iudge nothinge in Causes of Religion without him The Kinge yée saie is not hable to Iudge whether an Idole be an Idole or no but by the leadinge and teachinge of the Prieste So wel yée wishe al Christian Princes were instructed that thei should not be hable either to sée or to speake without you But what if you Priestes saie as it hath often happened God is an Idole an Idole is God Light is Darkenesse and Darkenesse is Light what if they saie Greate is Diana the Goddesse of Ephesus What if they condemne the innocente and saie as they smometime saide of Christe Onlesse this man were a malefactoure wee woulde neuer haue brought him to thy hande Yet muste the Prince
offices it proueth that a Priest may haue both but not cōtrariwise that a King may haue both For the greater may include the lesse but the lesse can not include the greater The office of a Priest is the highest of al. And Christe comming naturally of the Kinges line from Dauid in the tribe of Iuda yet estemed that honor nothinge in respecte of that he was a Prieste according to the order of Melchisedech Therefore Melchisedech also beinge both Prieste and Kinge was not yet saide to be the figure of Christe so mutche concerninge his Kingedome as his Priesthoode For Dauid said of Christe Thou art a Prieste for euer after the order of Melchtsedech As for his Kingedome it was included in his Priestes office And therefore when we speake of Christes Kingedome though in euery respecte he be the very Kinge in dede of al Kinges and Lord of al Lordes yet we assigne it also to haue ben vpon the Crosse vbiregnauit à ligno Deus where God reigned from the woodde Accordinge to the same meaninge whereas the people of Israel were called Regnum Sacerdotale a Priestly Kingedome S. Peter writing to the Christians tourned the order of the wordes calling the Churche of Christ Sacerdotium Regale a Kingely Priesthoode Moses was both a Prieste and a Ciuile Gouernoure as beinge a figure of Christe who ioined both together makinge the tribe of Iuda which was before kingly now also to be Priestly Therefore S. Augustine vpon those wordes of Dauid Psal 98. Moses and Aaron are in the number of his Priestes concludeth that Moses muste nedes haue benne a Prieste For saithe he if he were not a Priest what was he ‡ Nunquid maior sacerdote esse potuit could he be greater then a Prieste ‡ As who shoulde saie there is no greater dignitie then priesthoode And seinge Moses had the greatest dignitie for he ruled al and consecrated Aarō high Bishop and his sonnes Priestes therefore him selfe muste nedes haue ben a Prieste Nowe if Moses were bothe and his chiefe office was Priesthoode it foloweth by that example that the Pope maie rule temporally but not that a Kinge maie rule spiritually This you haue gained nothinge by this example The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge hath many greate woordes of smal weight The final Conclusion and Summa summarum is this The Pope muste needes be a Kinge And that he proueth as his manner is by these his yonge vntiedy Argumentes Moses being a Ciuile Magistrate or a Prince had also the Priesthoode was a Prieste Ergo saithe he The Pope beinge a Prieste muste haue also the Kingedome be a Kinge And thus he peeceth these maters handsomely togeather as though what so euer were once in Moses ought of necessitie to be also in y◠Pope But if a man shoulde desire him to proue his Argumente to make it good and to shewe vs howe these péeces maie be framed togeather I thinke he would be faine to take a daie Firste whether Moses were a Prieste or no it is not certaine As for that M. Harding allegeth these woordes of Dauid Moses Aaron in Sacerdotibus eius he him selfe wel knoweth that the Hebrewe woorde there is doubteful and signifieth as wel a Prince as a Prieste S. Hierome saithe Vnus Legis alte◠Sacerdotij Regulam tenuit Moses helde the Rule of the Lawe Aaron the Rule of Priesthoode Againe he saithe Emisit ante faciem nostram Mosen Spiritualem Legem Aaron magnum Sacerdotem God sente out before our face Moses not as the Prieste but as the Spiritual Lawe and Aaron the greate Prieste Euen Hugo your owne Doctoure touching the same woordes saithe thus Moses etsi c. Notwithstandinge Moses vvere not a Prieste yet bicause he halowed the peoples praiers c. he was called a Prieste For in the Scriptures Greate and Noble menne are called by the name of Prieste Who so listeth to knowe more hereof let him reade Sanctes Pagninus Dauid Kimchi Nicolaus Lyra c. But if Moses in déede were a Prieste yee shoulde doo wel M. Hardinge to resolue vs Fiest whether he were a Prieste borne or els afterwarde made a Prieste A Prieste borne I trowe yée wil not saie If yée saie he was afterwarde made a Prieste then tel vs by what Bishop or other Creature was he Consecrate At whoe 's handes receiued he Authoritie When where to what pourpose What Priestelike Apparel euer ware he Or in what Office or Ministerie euer shewed he him self to be a Prieste S. Paule saith A Prieste is appointed to offer vp Oblations and Sacrifices for sinne What Oblations or Sacrifices for sinne can yée tel vs that Moses offered If he were neither Borne a Prieste nor made a Prieste nor euer knowen by office to be a Prieste then was he I trowe a very strange Prieste If Moses were the Highest Prieste and Head of the Churche and Aaron likewise the Highest Prieste and in so mutche the Heade of the Churche too as wel as he then had y◠Churche tvvoo highest Bishoppes and tvvoo Heades bothe togeather Whiche thinge were monstrous not onely in speache but also in Nature Notwithstandinge whether Moses at any one certaine time were a Prieste or no it is a mater not woorthy the striuinge Certaine it is that before the Lavve was written Kinges Princes and the beste borne and Enheritours y◠wealthiest of the people were euer Priestes S. Hierome saithe Hebraei tradunt Primogenitos functos Officio Sacerdotum habuisse Vestimentum Sacerdotale quo induti Deo Victimas offerebant antequam Aaron in Sacerdotium eligeretur The Hebrevve Rabbines saie that the Firste borne children did the office of the Priestes and had the Priestelike Apparel and wearing the same offered vp theire Sacrifices vnto God vntil the time that Aaron was chosen into the Priestehoode Againe he saithe Priuilegium Offerendi Primogenitis vel maximè Regibus debebatur The Priuilege of offering vp Sacrifices was dewe to y◠First borne of the children but most of al vnto Kinges The Heathen Romaine Emperours as Vespasianus Traianus and others to encrease their Maiestie towardes their Subiectes biside the state of the Emprere woulde also be called Pontifices Maximi Therefore wee wil graunte M. Harding séeinge he hath taken so mutch paines about a mater not woorthy so longe talke that Moses for somme litle shorte time was a Prieste Yet neuerthelesse had he no Ordinarie Priesthoode neither was he a Prieste more then for the space of twoo or thrée houres onely vntil he had Consecrated Aaron and his children no lenger Immediately afterward al this greate Priestehoode was at an end One of your owne Doctours M. Hardinge saithe thus Non erant Sacerdotes Legales Dignitate Officio sicut Aaron Licet in necessitate propter defectum Sacerdotum aliquos actus Sacerdotum fecerint vt quòd Moses inunxit Aaron propter quod Moses
S. Peter calleth vs a Kingely Priesthoode of the Kingedome of Heauen not of the Kingedome of this worlde Yet is this the selfe same Kingdome that the Pope craueth that by the Authoritie of S. Peter Notwithstandinge one of your companie there hath sente vs home lately other newes from Louaine His woordes be these Vos estis Regale Sacerdotium You are a Kingly Priesthoode as who should saie the Priesthoode before was not Kingly for that then Kinges ruled ouer Priestes But now is the Priesthoode Kingely for that to it be subiecte euen Kinges themselues Thus onlesse your Priestes maie rule Kinges Princes al the world at theire pleasure yée thinke thei haue no Kingly Priesthoode In the Councel holden at Macra in France it is written thus Solus Dominus noster Iesus Christus verè fieri potuit Rex Sacerdos Post Incarnationem verò Resurrectionem Ascensionem eius in Coelum nec Rex Pontificis Dignitatem nec Pontifex Regiam Potestatem sibi vsurpare praesumpsit Onely our Lorde Iesus Christe might truly be bothe Priest and King But sithence his Incarnation and Resurrection and Ascension into heauen neither hath the King presumed to take vpon him the Dignitie or office of a Bishop nor hath the Bishop presumed to vsurpe the Power and Maiestie of a Prince To be shorte M. Hardinge wée saie not as you so often so vntruly haue reported that the Kinge maie in any wise execute the Bishoppes Office But thus we saie and bicause it is true therefore wée saie it The Kinge maie lawfully correcte and chastice the Negligence Falsehedde of the Bishoppes and that in so dooinge he dooth onely his owne Office and not the Bishoppes The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 6. Iosua also though he were none other then a Ciuile Magistrate yet as sone as he was chosē by God and set as a Ruler ouer the people he receiued Commaundementes specially touching Religion and the Seruice of God M. Hardinge There is no doubte but Iosue receiued commission and commaundemente to woorship God but none to rule Priestes in spiritual matters Ye rather he was commaunded to go foorthe and come in at the voice and worde of Eleazarus the high Prieste he and al the Children of Israel Do not these men proue their matter handsomly The B. of Sarisburie Iosua was commaunded to goe in and out and to be directed by the voice of Eleazarus the High Prieste Therefore yée saie in Spiritual Causes the Priestes maie not be controlled by the Prince Yée deliuer out youre Argumentes M. Hardinge before they be ready These péeces would haue benne better tied togeather Though the Prince be commaunded to heare the Prieste yet if the Prieste be negligente or deceiue the people he maie by his Ordinarie Authoritie controlle the Prieste When Aaron the High Prieste had consented to the makinge and woorshippinge of the Golden Calfe Moses beinge then the Temporal Prince rebuked him sharpely vnto his face and in so dooinge did not the Bishoppes Office but onely his owne As touchinge Iosua whom ye woulde faine haue restreined from al Ecclesiastical Causes he caused the people to be Circumcised He caused Aultars for theire Bloudy Sacrifices to be erected He caused the Priestes to make theire Sacrifices He caused the Deuteronomie to be written in stoanes He caused bothe the Blessinges and the Cursses of God to be pronounced He spake openly to the people and fraied them from Idolatrie Al these were cases not of Ciuile Policie but of Religion S. Augustine saithe In hoc Reges Deo seruiūt sicut eis Diuinitùs praecipitur in quātum sunt Reges si in suo Regno bona iubeant mala prohibeant non solùm quae pertinent ad Humanam Societatem verùm etiam quae ad Diuinam Religionem Herein Kinges serue God as it is commaunded them from aboue in that they be Kinges if within theire Kingedome they commaunde good thinges and forebidde euil not onely in thinges perteininge to Humaine Felovveship or Ciuile Order but also in thinges perteining to Goddes Religion Yée maie see therefore M. Hardinge howe handsomely so euer wée proue our maters that ▪ of your parte hitherto thei are but vnhandsomely coursely answeared The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 7. Kinge Dauid when the whole Religion of God was altogeather brought out of frame by wicked Kinge Saule brought home againe the Arke of God that is to saie he restoared Religion againe and was not onely amongest them him self as a counseller and furtherer of the woorke but he appointed also Hymnes and Psalmes put in order the companies and was the onely dooer in setting foorth that whole Solemne Triumphe and in effecte ruled the Priestes M. Hardinge As Dauid restored all thinges to good order after the euill Kinge Saule so did Queene Marie redresse disorders before committed But as Queene Marie did it by the meane of Priestes so Kinge Dauid in priestly matters called for Sadoch and Abiathar In deede Dauid passed other Princes herein because he had the gifte of Prophecie whereby he wrote Psalmes whiche to this daie we singe But all this maketh nothinge to proue him Iudge of Spirituall matters He did not vsurpe the Auctoritie to Sacrifice to discerne the lepre and to doo the like thinges of Priestly charge The B. of Sarisburie Kinge Dauid yee saie restoared Religion by meane of the Priestes Nay verily M. Hardinge for by meane of the Priestes the Religion vtterly was decaied Therefore yée spoile that Moste Noble Prince of his woorthy prayses and geue them to others that neuer deserued them The Holy Tabernacle was broken and loste the Arke of God was keapte not in the Temple but in a Priuate mannes house the people had no common place to resorte vnto to heare Goddes VVil they had eche man his owne Priuate chaple in their Hilles and Groaues Dauid therefore called the Bishoppes Priestes togeather He shewed them in what sorte the Religion of God was defaced he willed them to bring the Arke into Sion he was presente him selfe he appointed and ordered the whole Triumphe He assigned whiche of the Leuites and in what order they shoulde serue before the Arke He alloted Aarons Children whiche were the Priestes to walke eche man in his seueral office So likewise it is written of Kinge Salomon touchinge the same Kinge Salomon accordinge to the decree and order of his Father Dauid appointed the Offices of the Priestes in their seueral Ministeries and the Leuites eche man in his Order that they shoulde praise God and minister before the Priestes For so Dauid the man of God had commaunded Likewise it is written of Kinge Iosaphat He appointed and ordered the Leuites and Priestes Thus then did these godly Princes and thus dooinge they vsurped not the Bishoppes office but onely did that they lawfully mighte doo and apperteined wholy vnto them selues Where yee saie Dauid was a Prophete and not
muste the Emperoure néedes geue eare vnto him and beleeue him without exception Certainely in the Olde Lavve if the Bishop either had benne negligente in his Office or of malice or ignorance had answeared vntruthe he was euermore vnder the General controlmente of the Prince VVithin the Churche yée saie the Prince is inferioure to the Prieste notwithstandinge without the Churche he is in Temporal cases aboue the Prieste Thus yee fetche your mater rounde within without and rounde aboute with al the Circumstances as if Princes were as changeable as your selfe and woulde be other without then they are within In déede in that the Prieste dothe his Office in that he either openeth Goddes VVil or declareth his threates or rebuketh sinne or Excommunicateth and cutteth of a deade member from the Body so farre foorthe the Prince be he neuer so mighty is infeâ—iour vnto him But in this respecte the Prince is infertoure not onely to the Pope or Bishop but also to any other simple Prieste And the Pope him selfe in this respecte is inferioure to his Confessoure be he neuer so poore a Prieste So the Emperoure Constantinus was woonte to saie to the godly Bishoppes Bee you Bishoppes within the Churche and I wil be Bishop without But if the Bishop had beene faulty either in Negligence or in Falsehedde whether he had benne within the Churche or abroade he was alwaies to be controlled by the Prince Yee saie VVhen the Highe Prieste had geeuen Sentence the Prince mighte see the Execution thereof to be donne And thus yée make the Emperoure the Popes man to put his Sentence in Execution So Pope Bonifacius S. telleth you Materialis Gladius exercendus est manu Regum Militum sed ad nutum Patientiam Sacerdotis The Temporal Swerde muste be drawen by the hande of Kinges and Souldiers but at the becke and sufferance of the Prieste But I beseehe you at whose becke did Kinge Salomon depose Abiathar the Highe Prieste At whose becke did Iosias and other godly Princes of whome wée haue saide before redresse the Religion of God whiche they founde shamefully decaled At whose becke did they rebuke the carelesse negligence of the Priestes Verily one of your owne Doctours saithe In Veteri Lege Sacerdotes qui Reges inungebant indubitanter Regibus subdebantur In the Olde Lawe the Bishoppes that aâ—ointed the Kinges out of doubte were subiecte vnto the Kinges And S. Augustine saithe Quando Imperatores Veritatem tenent ipsa Veritate contra Errotem iubent quisquis illud contempserit ipse sibi iudicium acquirit Nam inter homines poenas Iuit apud Deum frontem non habebit qui hoc facere noluit quod ei per Cor Regis ipsa Veritas iussit When the Emperoure holdeth the Truthe and by force of the same Truthe geeueth out Lawes and Proclamations againste Erroure who so euer despiseth the same procureth iudgemente againste him selfe For he shal be pounished before menne and before God he shal haue no face that refused to doo that thinge that the Truthe it selfe through the harte of the Prince hathe commaunded him The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 2. The Christian Emperours in the olde time appointed the Councelles of the Bishoppes Constantine called the Councel at Nice Theodosius the firste called the Councel at Constantinople Theodosius the seconde the councel at Ephesus Martian the Councel at Chalcedon M. Hardinge The callinge or summoninge of Councelles maie be donne either by waie of auctoritie whiche the caller himselfe hath or by waie of auctoritie whiche he taketh of an nother If Constantine the two Theodosians and Marcian called the foure firste generall Councelles by their Auctoritie onely then were they no generall Councelles Neither coulde their decrees binde the whole worlde For although they were greate Emperours yet was not the whole Christian worlde vnder them And therefore those Christian Bishoppes who liued in Persia in Ethiopia in Scotland in Scythia or in any other lande not subiect to the Emperour were neither bounde to come nor bounde to obey the Lawes made by them who were not their Superiours But if it be farre from reason that a generall Councell shoulde not binde all Bishoppes and all Christians it is also farre reason to saie that Emperours called generall Councelles by their owne onely auctoritie In deede they called them by the assent of the Bishop of Rome VVho beinge the generall Shepeherde of Christes stocke and therefore also of all Bishoppes might commaunde all his Sheepe to come togeather excepte they were reasonably to be excused and they were bounde to be heare his voice and to obey his decree So that although ye proued the Emperours to haue summoned and called the foure firste Councels yet were ye not able to proue they did it without the assent of the Bishoppes of Rome which for the time sate in Peters chaire And by the force of that assent the deede must take effecte And this muche generally Now to prooue vnto you that S. Syluester assented to the callinge of the firste Councell at Nice it is to be considered that he onely hath auctoritie to ratifie who hath auctoritie to commaunde and to geue assent and strength from the beginninge For none other difference is betweene commaundinge assentinge auctorizinge and ratifying but that assentinge is common to them al commaundinge is a thinge that goeth before the facte auctorizinge is the makinge of a thinge good by present agreeinge to it whiles it is donne ratifyinge is the allowinge of it when it is donne If then I shewe both that the Pope did ratifie the callinge of the generall Councels and auctorize them I shewe muche more that he assented to the callinge of them The auctorizinge is proued by reason he sente his Legates to euery of them As S. Syluester sent Osius Cordubensis of the prouince of Spaine vnto Nice with Victor and Vincentius Prâ—estes of the Citie of Rome Of which the last twoo beinge them selues no Bishops yet for that they were Legates of the chiefe Bishop did in the firste place put vnto the decrees of that councell their consent and names writinge after thus sorte Pro venerabili vito Papa Episcopo nostro Syluestro subscripsimus VVe haue subscribed for the reuerent man our Pope and Bishop Syluester And at the very same time that the generall councell was kepte at Nice S. Syluester called an other Councell in Rome at the whiche two hundred seuenty and fiue Bishops were assembled And it is expressely written in the same Councell Syluester collegit vniuersam Synodum Episcoporum cum consilio Augusti vel matris eius Syluester gathered together the whole Synode of the Bishoppes with the Counsell of the Emperour or * his mother VVhy his counsell was needeful it appereth there Because the Emperoure bare the charges of their diete and carriage So that his counsell was necessary not chiefely for Religion but rather for supportation
saithe Nec ego cuiusuis Episcopi mendacium quamuis ditissimi Veritati praeponam Pauperis Presbyteri Nec dedignari debet Episcopus si aliquando ignarus rudis sequacem non habeat multitudineÌ„ Neither wâ—l I sette more by any Bishoppes lie be he neuer so riche then I woulde sette by any Priestes Truthe be he neuer so poore Neither more the ignorante and vnlearned Bishop disdeigne if he see the people va willinge to folowe him Gerson saith Iudicium Conclusio Fidei licet Authoritatiue specteÌ„t ad Praelatos Doctores spectare tamen possunt ad alios quà m Theologos Deliberatio sicut Cognitio super his quae Fidem respiciunt Ita vt ad Laicos etiam hoc possit extendi plùs aliquando quà m ad multos Clericorum Notwithstandinge the Iudgemente and Conclusion of Faithe belonge by Authoritie vnto Bishoppes and Doctours yet as wel the Deliberation hereof as also the knovvledge and Iudgemente concerninge maters that touche the Faithe maie belonge vnto others too bisides the Diuines or Doctoures and Professours of Diuinitie Yea it more sommetimes be extended euen vnto the Laiemenne And more sommetimes vnto them then vnto many Priestes The Emperoure Iustinian in Ecclesiastical Causes oftentimes vseth these woordes Definimus Mandamus lubemus c. Wee Determine wee Conclude wee Commaunde wee Bidde Touchinge Bishoppes he writeth thus Definimus vt nullus Deo amabilium Episcoporum foris a sua Ecclesia plus quà m per totum annum abesse audeat Wee Define or Determine that none of the Godly Bishoppes shal dare to be absent from his Church more then by the space of one whole yeere Here yée sée the Temporal Prince in an Ecclesiastical Cause saithe Definimus To be shorte Pope Nicolas him selfe saithe writinge vnto the Emperoure Michael Vbinam legistis Imperatores Antecessores vestros Synodalibus Contentionibus interfuisse Nisi fortè in quibusdam vbi de Fide tractatum est quae Vniuersalis est quae omnium Communis est quae non solùm ad Clericos verùm etiam ad Laicos ad omnes omninò pertinet Christianos VVhere haue you readde that your Predecessours being Emperours were euer Present at our Disputations in Councelles Onlesse happily it vvere in certaine cases vvhereas mater vvas moued touchinge the Faithe For Faithe is Vniuersal and Common to al and perteineth not onely vnto Priestes but also vnto Laiemen and generally and thorovvly to al Christians Thus yée see M. Hardinge by the Popes owne Iudgemente that Cases and Disputations of the Faithe belonge as wel to the Temporal Prince as to the Pope The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 5. Truely there had benne no neede to handle so plaine a mater as this is with so many woordes so at lengthe if wee had not to doo with those menne who for a desire they haue to striue and to winne the maisterie vse of course to denie al thinges be thei neuer so cleare yea the very same whiche they presently see and beholde with theire owne eies M. Hardinge The matter ye speake of is so cleare that from the beginninge of the worlde to this daie no secular Prince can be named who by the ordinary power of a Prince without the gifte of prophecie or special reuelation did laudably intermeddle with Religion as a iudge and ruler of spiritual causes The reason thereof is cleare Religion is an order of Diuine worshippinge belonginge to God onely whereupon no man hath power but he that is called thereto by God He is called in the iudgemente of men who can shewe his callinge out wardly as by consecration and imposition of handes Priestes and Bishops are called to be the dispensatours of the mysteries of God In that consecration the keies of knowledge and discretion the power of blindinge and loosinge is geuen If a secular Prince can not shewe the keies geuen to him howe dareth he aduenture to breake vp rather then to open the clasped booke of God the dore of the Churche and the gates of the Kingedome of heauen VVherefore S. Ambrose saide vnto Valentinian Quando audiuisti Imperator in causa Fidei Laicos de Episcopo iudicasse VVhen haste thou hearde Emperoure Laymen to haue ben iudges of a Bishop in the cause of Faithe And yet nowe these menne thinke that whiche S. Ambrose neuer hearde of not onely to haue ben vsed continually the firste fiue hundred yeres after Christes birthe but also to be as cleare a matter as if we behelde it with our eies The B. of Sarisburie The Temporal Prince yée saie hath not the Keies of the Kingdome of Heauen Ergo he maie not iudge in Ecclesiastical Causes nor geeue Definitiue Sentence in General Councel This is a very sely poore Argumente M. Hardinge as hereafter it shal appeare But S. Ambrose saithe vnto the Emperoure Valentinian When did your Maiestie euer heare that in a Cause of Faithe a Laiemenne were Iudges ouer Bishoppes Here M. Hardinge by the waie S. Amrbose géeueth you to vnderstande that onlesse it be in a Cause of Faithe a Laieman maie be Iudge ouer a Bishop whiche thinge is contrarie not onely to your Former Doctrine but also to the whole course and practise of your Churche of Rome Howe be it touchinge the meaning of these woordes it behoueth vs to knowe Firste the cause wherefore S. Ambrose so shunned and fledde the Emperours Iudgemente Nexte before what Iudges he desired to be tried First the Emperoure Valentinian at that time was very yonge as wel in Age as also in Faithe He was not yet Baptized He knewe not the Principles of Christes ReligioÌ„ He was an Arian Heretique and beleued not the Godhedde of Christe but bent al his studie and power to mainteine the Arians He woulde haue thruste out the Christianes woulde haue possessed the Heretiques in theire Churches and to that ende had raised his Power and filled Millaine ful of Souldiers He saide It was lawful for him to doo what him listed Briefely his whole dealinge was ful of force violence sutche as hath benne séene in somme Countries not many yéeres sithence In consideration hereof S. Ambrose woorthily refused him to be his Iudge And therefore he saide vnto him Tolle Legem si vis esse Cerramen Take awaie the rigoure of your Lavve if ye wil haue the mater tried by Disputation Againe Noli te grauare Imperator vt putes te in ea quae Diuina sunt Imperiale aliquod ius habere Noli te extollere Esto Deo subiectus Scriptum est quae Dei Deo quae Caesaris Caesari O my Lorde trouble not your selfe to thinke you haue any Princely Power ouer those thinges that perteine to God Vaunte not your selfe be subiecte vnto God It is written Geue vnto God that belongeth vnto God Geue vnto Caesar that belongeth vnto Caesar But as S. Ambrose saithe The Emperoure hathe no Povver ouer Goddes causes so maie wee likewise and
his owne Notarie He killed a yonge man beinge a Widowes Sonne And of these crimes he was accused before the Emperoure Sutche Vertue and sutche Holinesse the worlde founde in them Therefore the Godly Emperoure in remouinge of them vsed neither Extraordinarie Violence as you saie nor Iniurious Tyrannie Your owne felowes saie Si Papa sit incorrigibilis nec Cardinales possint per se amouere scandalum de Ecclesia tunc in subsidium iuris deberent supplicando inuocare Brachium Saeculare Et tunc Imperator requisitus à Cardinalibus deberet procedere contra Papam If the Pope be vncorrigible and the Cardinalles be not hable of them selues to remoue the offense from the Churche then ought they for aide of the Lawe by waie of intreatie to calle vpon the Seculare Power And then the Emperoure beinge thus desired ought to proceede orderly againste the Pope Franciscus Zarabella saithe as he is alleged before Papa potest accusari coram Imperatore de quolibet crimine notorio Et Imperator requirere potest à Papa rationem Fidei The Pope in any notorious crime maie be accused before the Emperoure And the Emperoure maie require the Pope to yelde a reckeninge of his Faithe The Apologie Cap. 15. Diuision 1. Lette vs see then sutche menne as haue Authoritie ouer the Bishoppes sutche menne as receiue from God Cōmaundementes cōcerninge Religion sutche as bringe home againe the Arke of God make Holy Hymnes ouersee the Priestes builde the Temple make Orations touchinge Diuine Seruice cleanse y◠Temples destroie the Hil Aultars burne the Idolles Groues teache the Priestes their duetie write them out Preceptes how they should liue kille the wicked Prophetes displace the High Priestes cal togeather the Councelles of Bishoppes sitte togeather with the Bishoppes instructinge them what thei ought to doo condemne and pounishe Heretical Bishopes be made acquainted with maters of Religion whiche Subscribe and geeue Sentence doo al these thinges not by any other Mans Commission but in their owne name and that bothe vprightly and Godly Shal we saie It perteineth not to sutche menne to haue to doo with Religion Or shal wee saie A Christian Magistrate whiche dealeth amongest others in these maters doothe either naughtily or presumptuously or wickedly The moste Aunciente and Christian Emperours Kinges that euer were did occupie them selues in these maters and yet were they neuer for this cause noted either of wickednesse or of Presumption And what is hee that canue finde out either more Catholique Princes or more Notable Examples M. Hardinge Now then Kinges and Emperours who haue their firste auctoritie by the positiue Lawe of Nations not by supernaturall grace from God as Priestes haue who can haue no more power then the people hath of whome they take their Temporall iurisdiction VVho haue euer benne annoincted and Blessed by Bishoppes who so euer blesseth beinge greater then he that is blessed Shall wee saie that suche Kinges and Emperours haue auctoritie to rule the Churche whose Sonnes they are To be Supreme Heads ouer them whome they ought to kneele vnto for Absolution To controll their spirituall Iudges whome if they Sinne by humaine frailtie they ought to couer with their clokes as the Greate Constātine saide to degrade them of whome they must be Baptized Anoincted Crowned and Buried The B. of Sarisburie Nowe M. Hardinge yée huddle vp hastily your poore Argumentes in heapes togeather One or twoo of them onely I minde to touche The reste are not woorth the sturringe Firste yée saie The Popes Power is of God The Princes Power is onely of Man The one Supernatural the other Natural In sutche sorte your Pope Nicolas adourneth magnifieth his owne Chaire For thus he saith with a ioily courrage Illud Verbum quo constructum est Coelum Terra quo denique omnia ficta sunt Elementa Romanam fundauit Ecclesiam The Woorde of God whereby Heauen and Earthe was made and whereby al the Elementes were fashioned the same Woorde founded the Churche of Rome As if the Churche of Rome and other Churches were not al of one Fundation An other of your Popes Reteiners saithe Papatus est Summa Virtus Creata The Popedome is the Highest Vertue or Power that euer God made that is to saie the Popedome is aboue Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations and al the Povvers in vnder or aboue the Heauens An other saithe euen as you saie and as I haue partely saide before Rex per Hominem fit Sacerdos autem proximè nascitur ex Deo ipso Quantùm Deus praestat Sacerdoti tantùm Sacerdos praestat Regi The Kinge is made by Man But the Prieste is immediately begotten of God As mutche as God excelleth the Prieste so mutche the Prieste excelleth the Kinge And notwithstandinge al this Supernatural Povver be as wel in the Simplest Prieste as in the Pope yet an other of your Doctours saithe Papa eligitur secundum Ius Diuinum alij verò Episcopi secundum Ius Humanum The Pope is chosen by the Lavve of God But other Bishoppes are chosen by the Lawe of Man Thus yee thinke no coloure too deere to painte oute the Popes face and to make it faire and glorious But the Princes Power yee saie is Temporal and Natural and onely from beneathe and onely of Man and therefore can be no greatter then Man maie geeue him This is youre Louanian Diuinitie M. Hardinge So highely yée esteeme the Dignitie Maiestie of the Prince But God him selfe saithe Per me Reges regnant Kinges rule by me and not by Man S. Paule saithe Non est Potestas nisi à Deo There is no Povver or Princehoode but from God Likewise Christe him selfe said vnto Pilate Thou couldest haue no Power ouer me onlesse it were geuen thee not from man but from aboue To like pourpose the Emperoure Iustinian saith Maxima in omnibus sunt Dona Dei à Superna collata Clementia Sacerdotium Imperium c. Ex vno codemqúe Principio vtraque procedentia Humanam exornant vitam Priestehoode and Princehoode be in al thinges the greattest giftes of God geuen vnto vs from the Mercie aboue These two floweinge not the one onely from Man the other from God but bothe from one Original doo adourne and bewtifie the Life of Man Vpon whiche woordes it is noted in your Glose Idem Principium habent parum differunt Priestehoode and Princehoode haue one Original and smal difference He saithe not as you saie The oddes bitwéene these twoo is so greate as is bitweene Natural and Supernatural bitweene Heauen Earthe or bitweene God and Man But he saithe plainely Priestehoode and Princehoode haue one Original and little oddes and smal difference And therefore an other of your Doctours saithe Supponunt quòd Potestas Regalis sit Corporalis non Spiritualis quòd habeat Curam Corporum non Animarum quod falsum est They