and causeth him to come to him as though it were about some mater of the common weale At that time 39 he saieth Masse in his Chappel hauinge none other bodie with him but his seruaunt When the Patriarke had consecrated the Sacrament and had bâ—gunne to say our Lordes Praier they three onely begunne to say our Father and so foorthe VVhen they were come to these woordes Forgeue vs our trespasses as vve forgeue theÌ„ that trespasse against vs the Patriarke made a beeke to his seruante to holde his peace Then the Patriarke helde his peace also and the noble man remained alone sayeinge foorthe the verse forgiue vs as wee forgiue Then the holy â—ather turninge him selfe towardes him by and by saithe with a milde voice Consider with how terrible woordes thou saiest to God that as I forgiue so forgiue thou me also VVhere at the saide noble man as though he had felte the torment of â—ier foorthe with fel downe on his face at the holy Fathers feete sayeinge My Lorde what so euer thou biddest me thy seruante to doo I wil doo it And so he was reconciled vnto his enemie without al dissemblinge Here M. Iuel wil graunt I â—rowe that this was a Priuate Masse The place was priuate The audience not publique nor common the purpose touching the noble man was priuate The Communion also Priuate I meane for the Patriarkes parte alone for biside that the story maketh no mention of any other coÌ„municantes he coulde not be assured of that noble man to communicate with him For where as he coulde by no meanes before bringe him to forgiue his enemie he had but a smal coniecture he should bringe it to passe nowe And againe though he had conceiued no distrust of his reconciliation vpon this holy policie yet wee may doubt whether the Patriarke foorthwith without further and more mature probation and examination whiche S. Paule in this case requireth woulde haue admitted him to receiue our Lordes Bodie so vpon the suddaine Now for the seruante it is a streight case that so holy and so great a Patriarke and Bishop of so populous a Citie as Alexandria was vnderstanding that Masse coulde not be celebrated without breache of Christes institution as M. Iuel holdeth opinion excepte he haue a number to communicate with him in the same place shoulde haue none of his spiritual flocke with him at so weightie a mater of conscience but one onely and him his owne householde seruaunt He was noâ— so simple as not to thinke that the seruant mighte be letted from receiuinge by some suddaine pange cominge vpon him or with some cogitation and conscience of his owne vnwoorthinesse suddainely comminge to his minde If either this or any other let had chaunced in what case had the Patriarke been then He had been like by M. Iuels doctrine to haue broken Christes institution and so Goddes commaundement through an others defecte whiche were straunge But I iudge that M. Iuel who harpeth so many iarringe argumentes againste Priuate Masse vpon the very woorde Communion wil not allowe that for a good and lawful Communion where there is but one onely to receiue with the Prieste Verely it appeareth by his Sermon that al the people ought to reâ—eiue or to be driuen out of the Churche Now therefore to an other example of the Priuate Masse The B. of Sarisburie This is the best proufe of al others A shorte answeare may wel serue it For beinge but a litle vewed it is hable to answeare it selfe There is neither authoritie in the tale nor weight in the mater The translation is péeuishe and all without the compasse of sixe hundred yéeres S. Augustine saith that certayne Heretiques in his time named the Donatistes that they might the rather preuayle in disputacion against S. Augustine and other Christians and that the worlde might vnderstande they had some companie of their syde therefore for a shewe subscribed their articles with the names of certaine that were deade and oftentimes suche as neuer were Donatistes Suche a policie me thinketh M. Hardinge hath here begunne to practise For what is this Leontius that wrote this storie or who euer heard of his name before I trowe he hath raised vp one of the seuen Sleapers to helpe him to Masse He should haue shewed vs as his manner is what this straunge Doctour was what bookes he wrote where when in what age and in what credite he liued If he had saide This Iohn the Almonar liued aboue sixe hundred yéeres after Christe and this Leontius that wrote his life a greate while after that this one circumstance woulde haue answeared the mater wholy For notwithstandinge the rest of this tale were true yet my assertion standeth still good that within the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christe M. Hardinge is not hable to finde his Priuate Masse Vincentius in his booke that he calleth Speculum writeth thus After Gregorie was dead Bonifacius ruled the Churche of Rome This Bonifacius obteined of the Emperour Phocas that the Churche of Rome should be the head of al Churches and that bicause the Churche of Constantinople wrote it selfe by that title The nexte yere after that Augustine that was called the Englishe mens Bishop died The yeere folowinge Iohn the Almonar was in great fame at whiche time also Mahomet first spread his Religion in Arabia The same computation of yéeres appeareth in Freculphus Sabellicus Palmerius and others Wherefore M. Hardinge might wel haue spared this tale as nothinge els but bewrayeing his wante of better mater and prouinge that his Masse is of the very age of Mahomet But to leaue both thaduantage of the time also the exception against the Authour let vs consider the likelihood of the dooynge if Iohn the Almonar saide this Priuate Masse in his Chappell howe safely he might so doo by the order of the holy Canons whiche to breake Damasus saithe is blasphemie against the holie Ghoste M. Hardinges Leontius saith Iohn the Almonar saide Masse in his Oratorie at home beyng sure of no more coÌ„panie but of one of his owne householde seruauÌ„tes alone But Pope Soter as it is before alleged by M. Hardinge straitely commaundeth that no prieste presume to celebrate the Sacrament without the companie of two togeather And againe that no prieste dare to Minister without the companie of some other priest And in the Councell holden at Orleance it is decréed thus It is lauful for euery Christian man to haue a Chappel in his house but to haue Masse saide there it is not lawful And in the Councel holden at Laodicea It is not lawful for Bishoppes or priestes to minister the Oblations at home Likewise Pope Felix It is not lawful to minister the Communion at home but vpon exceedinge great necessitie The same order was taken in the Councel of Acon and in sundrie other Councels Which Decrées beinge so manie and so straite
Apostles saithe S. Ambrose onely S. Iohn excepted were al married yet neuerthelesse the same S. Iohn onely excepted as it is thought were al Martyrs Spiridion was a Married Bishop and yet as Sozomenus writeth he was thereby nothinge hindred neither to discharge his deutie nor to any other godly purpose Tertullian was a Prieste as appeareth by S. Hierome and Married as appeareth by his owne Booke written to his Wife and yet notwithstandinge as some reporte was a Martyr S. Hilarie was a Reuerende Father and Bishop of Poiters and yet Maried as may be geathered by his Epistlâ— written to his daughter Abra. And to leaue infinite others S. Chrysostome saithe Ita pretiofa res est Matrimonium vt possis cum eo ad Sanctum Episcopatus Solium subuehi Vtere moderatè nuptijs eris primus in Regno Coelorum So pretious a thinge is Matrimonie that with the same thou maiste be promoted euen vnto the Bishoppes Chaire Vse Marriage with discretion and thou shalt be the Chiefe in the Kingedome of Heauen S. Hierome saithe Hodiè quoque plurimi Sacerdotes habent Matrimonia Euen nowe a greate number of Priestes liue in Matrimonie Thus the Apostles of Christe and many other Learned Fathers and godly Bishoppes were married and as M. Hardinge saithe in his mirthe and pleasance had their Sisters and Yoke fellowes But howe and with what Sisters or Felowes a greate number of the Wiâ—elesse sorte of M. Hardinges side be Yokte for very regarde of honestie it may not be vttered Epiphanius writeth thus of certaine of his time Repudiant nuptias at non libidinem In honore enim apud illos est non Sanctitas sed Hypocrisis They refuse Marriage but not filthy luste For they esteeme not Holines but Hypocrisie Who seethe not that in the Churche of Rome Priestes Bishops and Cardinalles notwithstandinge they be vtterly forebidden to haue Wiues yet are easily allowed to haue Concubines They them selues haue confessed it by these woordes vnto the world Etiam in hac vrbe Romana Meretrices vt Matronae incedunt per vrbem seu mula vehuntur quas assectantur de Media die Nobiles familiares Cardinalium Clericique Euen here in this Citie of Rome harlottes passe through the streetes or ride vpon their Mules like honest Gentleweâ—men And Gentlemen of the Cardinalles bandes and Priestes at noone daies waite vpon them As touchinge them whome it so muche gréeueth you M. Hardinge to be called Martyrs you haue slaine not onely suche and suche whome it liketh you by your owne Name if ye haue not forgotten your owne Name to cal Renegates but also great numbers of others moe Married Unmarried Learned Unlearned Olde Yonge Boies Maides Laiemenne Priestes Bishoppes Archebishoppes without mercie Ye scourged them with roddes ye sette burninge torches to their handes ye cutte of their tongues ye hanged them ye beheadded them ye burnte them to ashes ye tooke the poore innocent babe fallinge from the mothers wombe and threwe it cruelly into the fier Briefly ye did with them what so euer your pleasure was The worste woorde that procéeded from them was this O Lord forgeue them They knowe not what they doo O Lorde Iesu receiue my Sprite In the meane while ye stoode by and delited your eies with the sight Ye digged vp the poore carkasses of Goddes Sainctes that had béene buried longe before ye serued them solemnely with processe and ascited them to appeare at your Consistories and by Publique sentence adiudged them to die the seconde death and so to the perpetual shame of your cruel folie ye wreakte your anger vpon the dead O M. Hardinge your conscience knoweth these are no lies They are written in the eies and hartes of many thousandes These be the markes of your Religion O what reckeninge wil you yéelde when so muche innocent Bloude shal be required at your handes And where you saie Wée must pulle the Olde Martyrs out of Heauen to place our owne for that our Doctrine and theirs as you beaâ—e vs in hande is quite contrary al this is but a néedeles ostentation of idle woordes Yf vauntes were proufes then were this mater fully ended But wée say that in these cases that I haue mooued you are not hable to allege one sufficient Clause or SenteÌ„ce of your side out of any of al the Olde learned Fathers And hitherto your muster appeareth but very simple notwithstandinge the great promise of your Stoare Certainely the Holy Fathers Martyrs of God wil say vnto you Wée know not your Priuate Masses Wee knowe not your Halfe Communion wée knowe not your Strange Unknowen Praiers wée knowe not your Adoration of Corruptible Creatures wee know not this Sacrificinge of the Sonne of God wée knowe not your Newe Religion wée knowe not you God open the eies of your Hartes that ye may sée the miserable state ye stande in recouer the place that ye haue loste and finde your Names written in the Booke of Life M. Hardinge The .12 Diuision Leauinge no smal number of places that might be recited out of diuerse other Doctours I wil bringe two of two woorthy Bishops one of Chrysostome the other of S. Ambrose confirminge this Truethe Chrysostomes woordes be these Pontifex noster ille est qui hostiam mundantem nos obtulit ipsam offerimus nunc quae tunâ— oblata quidem coÌ„sumi non potest Hoâ— autem quod nos facimus in commemorationem sit eius quod factum est Hoc â—â—im facite inquit in mei commemorationem He is our Bishop that hath offered vp the Hoste whiche cleanseth vs. The same doo we offer also nowe whiche thoughe it were then offered yet can not be consumed But this that we doo is done in Remembraunce of that whiche is done For doo ye this saithe he in my Remembraunce S. Ambrose saithe thus Vidimus principem Sacerdotum ad nos venientem vidimus audiuimus offerentem pro nobis sanguinem suum sequamur vt possumus sacerdotes vt offeramus pro populo sacrificium ersi infirmi merito tamen honorabiles Sacrificio Quia etsi Christus non videtur offerre tamen ipse offertur in terris quando Christi Corpus offertur VVee haue seene the Prince of Priestes come to vs we haue seene and hearde him offer for vs his Bloude Let vs that be Priestes folowe him as we may that we maie offer Sacrifice for the people beinge though weake in merite yet honorable for the Sacrifice Because albeit Christe be not seene to offer yet he is offered in earthe when the Body of Christe is offered Of these our Lordes woordes whiche is geuen for you and whiche is shedde for you and for many here S. Ambrose exhorteth the Priestes to offer the Body and Bloude of Christe for the people And willeth them to be more regarded then commonly they be nowe a daies for this Sacrifice sake though otherwise they be of
founded by S. Iohn the Euangelist sheweth that when Bishoppes came from forreine partes to Rome the Bishops of that see vsed to sende to them if they had been of the Catholike faith the Sacrament to receiue whereby mutual Communion between them was declared Irenaeus his woordes be these Qui fuerunt ante te presbyteri etiaÌ„ cùm non ita obseruarent presbyteris Ecclesiarum cùm Roman accederent EucharistiaÌ„ mittebant The Priestes by whiche name in this place Bishops are vnderstanded that were afore thy time though they kepte not Easter as they of Asia did yet when the Bishoppes of the Churches there came to Rome did sende them the Sacrament 25 Thus those Bishops did Communicate togeather before their meeting in one place The B. of Sarisburie This storie is common and knowen to many The weast Churche in kéepinge of Easter day folowed S. Peter the East Churche folowed S. Iohn and keapte it otherwise Hereof grew contention and brake out into cruel heates Uictor the Bishop of Rome on the one side and Polycarpus the Bishop of Smyrna on the other side bothe godly men and both Martyrs Eche parte woulde haue the other to yelde Uictor being a man of a fierie nature was minded to Excommunicate the whole Churche of Asia and al others what so euer that in kéepinge of Easter day woulde not folow the Churche of Rome Irenaeus the Bishop of Lions hearing thereof wrote vnto him a sharpe letter out of Fraunce willinge him in anywise to procéede no further for that it might tende to suche a breache as would not afterwarde be recouered Emonge other woordes he saith thus as it is here alleged The Priestes that were in Rome before thee notwithstandinge they keopte not the Easter as they of Asia doo yet they sente the Sacrament vnto the Priestes of those Churches when they came to Rome Hereof M. Hardinge concludethe Ergo these Bishoppes did Communicate before they mette togeather and noteth also by the way in the Margine that the Gréeke in Eusebius differeth from the common Translation of Rufinus And yet is the same Translation alleged and vsed in the booke of Councels amonge the Decrees of Uictor But if M. Hardinge had marked the mater wel he should haue séene that his owne Translation in Englishe varieth also somwhat from the Gréeke In this shorte storie three thinges specially may be noted Fyrst that Irenaeus a Bishop of Fraunce durst to write so roughly to the Bishop of Rome with out any style of Superioritie onely calling him and al others before him Bishops of Rome by the name of Priestes Secondly that so notable learned men and Martyrs of Christe agreeing otherwise in the substance of Religion yet notwithstanding in certaine smal maters of no greate weight contended and striued so extremely and so longe and coulde in no wise be reconciled Whiche thinge well considered M. Harding hath lesse cause to triumphe if God haue suffered any suche sparkle of dissension in the special members of his Churche in these daies Thirdly where was then that great superioritie of the Bishop of Rome when notwithstanding his threates and commaundementes the Church of this Ilande of Britaine wel neare vntil seuen hundred yeres after Christe in the kéepinge of Easter day folowed the maner of the Gréeke Church without any regarde therein had to the Churche of Rome But to the mater these Bishoppes saithe M. Hardinge Communicated togeather before they mette If he meane in Faithe and Religion it is not denied if in the vse of the Sacramentes it is not proued In my iudgement this woorde Eucharistia in this place of Irenaeus signiâ—eth not the Sacrament alreadie consecrate but rather other common Breade wherewith one Bishop vsed then to present an other as with a special token of consent in Religion and Christian concorde whiche Breade the receiuer afterwarde if he thought it good might vse at the holy Ministration In that sense it séemeth Paulinus wrote vnto S. Augustine Panem vnum sanctitati tuae charitatis gratia misimus in quo etiaÌ„ Trinitatis soliditas continetur Hunc panem tu eulogiam esse facies dignatione sumendi In token of mutual loue I haue sente vnto thee one loafe of Breade in whiche also the soundenesse of the holy Trinitie is conteined This loafe you shal cause to be a louinge present of my behalfe vouche-sauinge to receiue it And in the next Epistle folowinge Quinque Panes misimus tibi pariter filio nostro Licentio Non enim potuimus in benedictione secernere quem cupimus eadem nobis gratia penitus annectere Fiue loaues haue I sent vnto thee and vnto my Sonne Licentius For I coulde not seuer him in blissing whom I desier throughly to ioigne with vs in grace Hereby it may appeare that this Breade was not the Sacramente and namely by that Paulinus writeth in an other place Panem vnum quem vnanimitatis indicio misimus charitaâ—i tuae rogamus vt accipiendo benedicas I pray you to take and blesse this one Loafe whiche I haue seâ—te vnto you in token of vnitie If it had béen already Consecrate he woulde not haue desired S. Augustine to haue blist it But Irenaeus vseth this woorde Eucharistia whiche is taken for the Sacrament I answeare it might so be called for that it was prepared for the Sacrament How be it herein I wil not striue Tertullian nameth it Hospitalitatis Contesseratio and séemeth to speake it of the Sacrament Whiche thinge beinge also graunted in this place of Irenaeus let vs now see M. Hardinges reasons The Bishop of Rome saithe he sent the Sacrament vnto them that came out of Asia Ergo there was Priuate Masse This Conclusion is farre fette and hangeth loosely For I might demaunde whiche then of the thrée saide Masse He that sente the Sacrament or he that receiued it or els the Messenger that brought it It were a straunge mater to sée a Masse and yet no man to say Masse Uerely Irenaeus hath not one woorde neither of the Communion nor of the Masse onelesse M. Hardinge wil say that Mittere is Latine to Communicate or Mittere Eucharistiam is Latine to say Masse If it were Common Breade then was it but a present If it were the Sacrament then was it to be receiued not streight vpon the way or perhappes late in the night or in the Inne at the common table emonge other meates but afterwarde at his pleasure in his Congregation Thus wée sée this place first is doubtful and beinge neuer so plaine yet it proueth nothinge for Priuate Masse But immediatly after foloweth a manifest mention in what order the Bishops vsed then to Communicate togeather whiche thinge M. Hardinge thought better to dissemble Cùm res ita haberent Communicabant inter se mutuò in Ecclesia Anicetus concessit Eucharistiam Polycarpo The maters between them thus standinge they Communicated togeather and Anicetus in the Churche
grannted the Sacrament or the Ministration of the Sacrament vnto Polycarpus Here marke good Christian Reader then thei Communicated saith Irenaeus when they mette in the Churche and not before they mette togeather as M. Hardinge saithe Anicetus as Irenaeus saithe receiued the Sacrament with Polycarpus in the Churche and not as M. Hardinge séemeth to say in his Inne or Hosterie Now the truthe of the mater standinge thus what hath M. Hardinge here founde for his Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .16 Diuision Iustinus the Martyr likewise describing the manner and order of Christian Religion of his time touchinge the vse of the Sacrament saith thus Finitis ab â—o qui praefectus est gratijs orationibus ab vniuerso populo facta acclamatione Diaconi quos ita vocamus vnicuique tunc temporis praesenti Panis aquae vini consecrati dant participationem ad eos qui non adsunt deferunt When the Priest hath made an ende of thankes and Praiers and al the people therto haue saide Amen They whiche wee cal Deacons geue to euery one then present Breade and water and wyne Consecrated to take parte of it for their housel and for those that be not present they beare it home to them Thus in that time they that serued God togeather in the common place of Praier and some others that were absent letted from comming to their companie by sickenesse businesse or otherwise 26 Communicated togeather though not in one place and no man cried out of breakinge the Institution of Christe And bicause M. Iuel is so vehement against Priuate Masse for that the Priest receiueth the Sacrament alone and triumpheth so much as though he had woonne the fielde makinge himselfe mery with these woordes in deede without cause vvhere then vvas the Priuate Masse vvhere then vvas the Single Communion al this vvhile He meaneth for the space of sixe hundred yeres after Christe as there he expresseth I wil bringe in good euidence and witnesse that longe before S. Gregories time that he speaketh of ye from the beginning of the Churche faithful persons bothe men and vvomen receiued the Sacrament alone and were neuer therefore reproued as breakers of Christes Institution And er I enter into the rehersal of the places whiche I am hable to shew for this purpose one question I demaunde of M. Iuel If they whiche remained at home of whom Iustinus Martyr writeth receiued the Communion by them selues alone lawfully why may not the Priest doo the same in the Churche seruinge God in moste deuoute wise in the holy Sacrifice of the Masse lacking compartners without any his defaulte Haue the Sacramentarâ—es any Religion to condemne it in the Priest and to allow it in lay folke what is in the Priest that shoulde make it vnlawful to him more then to the people Or may a lay man or woman receiue it kepte a longe time and may not a Priest receiue it forthwith so soone as he hath consecrated and offered And if case of necessitie be alleged for the lay the same may no lesse be alleged for the Priestes also wanting compartners without their defaulte For otherwise the memorie and recordinge of our Lordes death should not according to his commaundement be celebrated and doone wel now to these places The B. of Sarisburie Good reader behâ—lde not the names of these Fathers here alleged but rather weighe their sayinges M. Harding hath brought them for his Masse but they witnesse clearely and fully against his Masse and of al others none more pregnant or plaine then Iustinus Martyr wherof thou hast good occasion to consider how faithfully these men demeane them selues in the allegation of the Doctours Iustinus touchinge this mater writeth thus Towardes the ende of the Praiers eche of vs with a kisse saluteth other Afterwarde vnto him that is the chiefe emonge the brethren is deliuered Breade and a Cuppe mingled with wine and water whiche he hauinge receiued rendreth praise and glorie vnto the Father of al thinges in the name of the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and yeeldeth thankes a greate space for that he is thought woorthy of these thinges Whiche beinge orderly doone the people blesseth or confirmeth his Praier and thankesgeuing sayinge Amen c. This ended they that emonge vs be called Deacons deliuer to euery of them that be present the Breade Wine and Water whiche are Consecrate with thankesgeuinge and cary of the same to them that be absent Here is set foorthe the whole and plaine order of the holy Ministration vsed in the Churche at that time The Priest praieth and geueth thankes in the Uulgare tongue the whole Congregation heareth his woordes and confirmeth the same sayinge Amen The holy Communion is Ministred to the people in bothe kindes and al the whole Churche receiuâ—th togeather I maruel muche wherein M. Harding can liken any parte hereof to his Priuate Masse Onlesse it be for that as he saide before euery Priuate Masse is common so â—e wil now say euery Communion is Priuate Let vs a litle compare Iustines Masse and M. Hardinges Masse bothe togeather And to passe by al other circumstances of difference in Iustines Masse al the people did receiue in M. Hardinges Masse none of the people doo receiue In Iustines Masse none absteined in M. Hardinges Masse al absteine In Iustines Masse a portion was sente to the absent in M. Hardinges Masse there is no portion deliuered no not vnto the present Withwhat countenaunce then can any man allege the authoritie of Iustine to proue the antiquitie of Priuate Masse M. Iuel triumpheth saithe M. Hardinge and maketh him selfe mery as if he had wonne the fielde No no M. Iuel triumpheth not but geueth al triumphe victorie and glory vnto God that wil subdue al them that withstande his truthe and make his enemies his foote stoole I wil bringe good euidence and witnesse saithe M. Hardinge that from the beginninge of the Churche faithful persons bothe men and women receiued the Sacrament alone I haue no greate cause to doubte these witnesses for excepting onely the Fable of Amphilochius and Iohn the Almonare whiche were not woorthe the reckening I alleged al the rest in mine owne Sermon I knew them had weighed them and therefore I alleged them That certeine godly persons both men and women in time of persecution or of sickenesse or of other necessitie receiued the Sacrament in their howses it is not denied neither is it any parcel of this question But if M. Hardinge coulde haue proued that any man or woman in the Primitiue Churche euer saide Priuate Masse then had he answeared somwhat to the purpose He séemeth to reason thus Some receiued the Sacrament alone Ergo there was Priuate Masse The foly of this argument wil the better appeare by the like Wemen receiued the Sacrament alone Ergo wemen saide Priuate Masse But saâ—the M. Harding it was lawful for lay men to receiue alone why
Scriptures if it woulde haue pleased him also particularly to shewe how and wherein he might haue had the more credit But it is commonly saide Dolosus versatur in generalibus He that walketh in generalities meaneth not plainely I truste the indifferent Reader séeth the Scriptures are plaine yenough of our side and neede no wreastinge And therefore touchinge this case S. Cyprian saithe as is before alleged Idem erant alij quod Petrus The reast were the same that Peter was And Origen likewise Nos quoque efficimur Petrus nobis dicetur illud quod hunc sermonem sequitur Tues Petrus super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Petra enim est quisquis est Discipulus Christi Euen we are become Peter and vnto vs the same shal be saide that foloweth these woordes Thou arte Peter and vpon this Rocke I vvil builde my Churche For he is the Rocke who so euer is Christes Disciple And so it is written in S. Augustine againste the Donatistes Clarus à Mascula dixit Manifesta est sententia Domini nostri Iesu Christi Apostolos mittentis ipsis solis potestatem à Patre sibi datam permittentis quibus nos successimus eadem potestate Ecclesiam Domini gubernantes The saieinge of oure Lorde Iesus Christe sendinge out his Apostles and geuinge vnto them onely the same power that he had receiued of his Father is plaine into whiche Apostles roomes we haue succeeded gouerninge the Churche with the same power that thei did These be good witnesses that wée wreaste not Goddes woordes but vse them simply as they were spoken Nowe it were a longe labour to shewe at ful howe M. Hardinge with others of that side haue dealte herein The woordes that be specially and onely spoken of God him selfe and of his Christe it is lawful for them to applie the same vnto the Pope without any wreathinge or wreastinge of the Scriptures Cornelius a Bishoppe in the laste Councel of Trident vseth these woordes Papa lux venit in mundum sed dilexerunt homines magis tenebras quà m lucem The Pope beinge the light is come into the worlde but menne loued the darkenes more then the lighte And Stephanus the Archebishop of Patraca in the Councel of Laterane directeth these woordes vnto the Pope Tibi data est omnis potestas in Coelo in terra Vnto thee is al power geuen bothe in Heauen and Earth Likewise saithe Pope Bonifacius Spiritualis à nemine iudicatur The man that is spiritual is iudged of no man Ergo no man may iudge the Pope And againe Quae sunt potestates à Deo ordinatae sunt The powers that be are ordeined of God Ergo The Pope is aboue the Emperour Nowe to passe by other like places whiche are innumerable whether this be wreastinge of the Scriptures or no I leaue it to the discrete Reader to consider Uerily as I haue saide before Camotensis thus reporteth of them Vim faciunt scripturis vt habeant plenitudinem potestatis To thintent thei may haue the fulnes of power they doo violence to the Scriptures and diuise strange constructions contrary to the sense of the Churche of God But for as muche as M. Hardinge vtterly leaueth the Scriptures wherein he séethe he hath so simple holde and referreth the whole right of his cause to the continual practise of the Churche I truste it shal not seeme neither tedious nor vnprofitable vnto the Reader onely for a taste and by the way to touche somewhat concerninge the same nothinge doubtinge but euen thereby it shal wel appeare that within the compasse of sixe hundred yéeres after Christe the Bishop of Rome was neuer neither named nor holden for the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche Firste of al The Bishoppes of other countries writinge to the Bishoppe of Rome cal him not their Heade but their Brother or Felowe S. Cyprian vnto Cornelius writeth thus Cyprianus Cornelio Fratri Cyprian vnto Cornelius my Brother The Bishoppes in the Councel of Carthage vnto Innocentius Honoratissimo Fratri To our most honourable Brother And Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople vnto Hormisda Frater in Christo Charissime My deere Brother in Christe So likewise Dionysius the Bishop of Alexandria calleth Stephanus and Sistus Bishoppes of Rome his louing Brethren So the Bishoppes of Aphrica cal Anastasius Consacerdotem their felow Bishoppe Like as Cyrillus also calleth Coelestinus and Marcellus the Bishoppe of Ancyra calleth Iulius Comministrum his Felowe seruant These woordes Brother and Felowe séeme rather to signifie an Equalitie betwéene Bishoppes then any suche Soueraine Power or Uniuersal Authoritie as the Bishop of Rome nowe claimeth Further toutchinge the order of outwarde gouernement the Councel of Nice limiteth vnto the Bishoppe of Rome not the Iurisdiction of the whole worlde but his owne seueral portion emonge other Patriarkes The Councel of Aphrica straitely forbiddeth any man out of that Countrie to appeale to Rome The foure Patriarkes of Rome of Constantinople of Antioche and Alexandria vsed to write letters of conference betweene them selues thereby to professe their Religion one to an other whiche was a token of Felowship and not of Dominion The Councel of Alexandria committed ful authoritie to Asterius to visite and to redresse al the Churches in the Easte Parte of the worlde and to Eusebius to doo the like in the Weast and so seemed to haue smal regarde to the Bishop of Rome or to acknowledge him as the Uniuersal Bishop And what needeth many woordes Aeneas Syluius beinge him selfe afterwarde Bishop of Rome for certaine proufe hereof writeth thus Ad Episcopos Romanos aliquis sanè sed tamen paruus ante Nicenum Concilium respectus erat Some regarde there was vnto the Bishoppes of Rome before the Councel of Nice although but smal To be shorte I truste it shal appeare euen by M. Hardinges owne proufes that is to say by the order of Appeales by Excommunications by the Allowance of Elections by the Approuinge of Councelles by restoaringe of Bishoppes and by receiuinge of Schismatikes into fauoure that the Bishoppe of Rome was not taken for the Heade of the Churche nor had any suche absolute authoritie as is supposed And so M. Hardinges sixefolde proufe whiche is noted in the Margin in Conclusion wil appeare but single soulde M. Hardinge The .21 Diuision Firste for the appellation of Bishoppes to the see Apostolike beside many other we haue the knowen examples of Athanasius that woorthy Bishoppe of Alexandria and light of the worlde who hauinge susteined greate and sundrie wronges at the Arianes appealed firste to Iulius the Pope and after his deathe to Felix of Chrysostome who appealed to Innocentius against the violence of Theophilus of Theodoretus who appealed to Leo. Neither made Bishoppes onely their appeale to the Pope by their Delegates but also in certaine cases beinge cited appeared before him in their
owne persons Whiche is plainely gathered of Theodoretus his Ecclesiastical storie who writeth thus Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia who was the chiefe piller of the Arianes and they that ioyned with him in that faction falsely accused Athanasius to Iulius the Bishop of Rome Iâ—â—ius folowinge the Ecclesiastical rule commaunded them to come to Rome and caused the reuerende Athanasius to be cited to iudgement regulariter after the order of the Canons He came â–ª The false accusers went not to Rome knowinge right wel that their forged lye might easily be deprehended In the cause and defence of Iohn Chrysostome these Bishops came from Constantinople to Innocentius the Pope Pansophus Bishop of Pisidia Pappus of Syria Demetrius of the seconde Galatia and Eugenius of Phrygia These were suiters for Chrysostome He him selfe treated his mater with Innocentius by writinge In his Epistle emonge other thinges he writeth thus Least this outragious confusion runne ouer al and beare rule euery where write I pray you and determine by your auctoritie suche wicked actes doone in our absence and when we withdrewe not our selues from iudgement to be of no force as by their owne nature truely they be voide and vtterly none Furthermore who haue committed these euils 107 put you them vnder the Censure of the Churche And as for vs sithe that we are innocent neither conuicte neither founde in any defaulte nor proued giltie of any crime geue commaundement that we be restored to our Churches againe that we maie enioye the accustomed charitie and peace with our bretherne Innocentius after that he vnderstoode the whole mater pronounced and Decreed the iudgement of Theophilus that was against Chrysostome to be voyde and of no force This whole tragedie is at large set foorthe by Palladius Bishop of Helenopolis In vita Iohannis Chrisostomi who liued at that time By this Appeale of Chrysostome and by the whole handelinge of the mater and specially by the purporte of his Epistle to Innocentius The Superioritie of the Pope is euidently acknowleged And so is it plainely confessed by Athanasius and the Bishoppes of Aegypte Thebais and Lybia assembled in Councel at Alexandria by these woordes of their Epistle to Foelix Vestrum est enim nobis manum porrigere c. It is your parte saye they to streatche foorthe your helpinge hande vnto vs because we are committed vnto you It is your parte to defende vs and deliuer vs it is our parte to seeke helpe of you and to obey your Commaundementes And a litle after For we knowe that you beare the cure and charge of the Vniuersal Churche and specially of Bishoppes who in respecte of their contemplation and speculation are called the eyes of our Lorde as alwaies the Prelates of your See firste the Apostles then their Successours haue doone Theodoretus that learned Bishop of Cyrus beside the Epistle he wrote to Leo for succour and helpe in his troubles in an other that he wrote to Renatus a priest neare aboute Leo sayeth thus Spoliarunt me Sacerdotio c. They haue violently robbed me of my Bishoprike they haue caste me foorth of the Cities neither hauinge reuerenced mine age spente in Religion nor my hoare heares VVherefore I beseeche thee that thou perswade the most holie Archebishop he meaneth Leo to vse his Apostolike auctoritie and to commaunde vs to come vnto your Councel or Consistorie For this Holie See holdeth the Rudther and hath the gouernement of the Churches of the whole worlde partely for other respectes but specially for that it hath euermore continued cleare from stinche of Heresie and that none euer sate in it who was of contrary opinion but rather hath euer kepte the Apostolike grace vndefiled In whiche woordes of Theodoretus this chiefely is to be marked that the holie See of Rome as he saithe hath the gouernment of the Churches of al the worlde most for this cause that it was neuer infected with Heresie as al other Churches founded by the Apostles were The B. of Sarisburie It is certaine that the Bishops of Rome to atteine the preeminence and fulnes of power ouer al the worlde letted not to vse many ambitious and importune meanes and manifestly to falsifie the Canons of the Holie Councel of Nice Sithence whiche time they haue not beene idle but haue forged new Canons to this purpose vnder the name of Clemens Anacletus Euaristus Telesphorus Higinus and other Martyrs and bisides haue diuised other like Canons of their owne The Decretal Epistle that is abrode vnder the name of Iulius séemeth to sauour of some corruption bothe for sundrie other causes and also for that it agréeeth not with the very true Epistle of Iulius whiche Athanasius allegeth in his Apologie and yet ought bothe these Epistles to be al one without difference Wherfore we haue good cause to thinke That al is not Gospel that commeth from Rome Thus ambitiously to auance them selues vnder pretence of suche Appeales oftentimes not vnderstandinge the case as it wel appeareth by that is written of Apiarius and by the storie of Flauianus and Eutyches they founde faulte with good Catholique Bishops and receiued Heretiques into their fauour wherwithal the Bishoppes in the General Councel of Aphrica fynde them selues muche gréeued Firste therefore I must shewe that there laye no such ordinarie Appeale from al Countreis of the worlde to the Bishop of Rome that therefore the same is by M. Hardinge vntruely auouched That doone I trust it shal not be harde to answeare these places of Chrysostome Athanasius and Theodoretus here alleged And that there laye not any suche Appeale to Rome it is plaine by consent of General Councelles by the authoritie of Holie Fathers and by the Lawes and Ordinances of Emperours and Princes By whiche groundes it is easie to vnderstande the practise and order of the Churche in those dayes In the Councel of Nice it is Decréed thus Ab alijs excommunicati ab alijs ad Communionem ne recipiantur Let not them that stande Excommunicate by one Bishop be receiued againe to the Communion by any other M. Hardinges Appeales and these woordes can not wel stande togeather But he wil saye The Bishop eyther of ignorance or of malice maye Excommunicate the partie wrongfully In this case the same Councel hath prouided remedie of Appeale not vnto the Bishop of Rome but vnto a Prouincial Synode within the Countrey These be the woordes Ergo vt haec possint digna examinatione perquiri rectâ— visum est per singulos annos in singulis prouincijs bis in anno Episcoporum Concilium fieri vt simul in vnum conuenientes ex communi Prouincia huiusmodi quaestiones examinent Therefore that these thinges maye be wel examined it is wel prouided that euery yeere in euery Prouince at two seueral times there be holden a Councel of Bishops that they meetinge togeather out of al partes of the Prouince maye heare and determine suche complaintes The Bishoppes in the Councel holden at Tela in
Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria writinge vnto Coelestinus calleth him his Brother Felowes and Brothers be titles of Equalitie and not of Subiection Certaine it is that sundrie of the Bishops of Rome beganne verie rathe to séeke this Preeminence euen with manifest forgerie and corruption of Councels as is alreadie proued But the Bishops of other countreis neuer yelded vnto them nor vnderstoode these vaine titles The Bishops of the East writinge vnto Iulius allege that the Faithe that then was in Rome came firste from them and that their Churches as Sozomenus writeth ought not to be accompted inferiour to the Churche of Rome And as Socrates further reporteth That they ought not to be ordred by the Romaine Bishop Gennadius the Bishop of Constantinople togeather with the Councel there thus writeth vnto the Bishop of Rome Curet sanctitas tua vniuersas tuas custodias tibique subiectos Episcopos Let thy Holines see vnto thine owne charge and vnto the Bishops appointed vnto thee The Councel of Alexandria committed the Uisitation and Reforminge of al the Churches in the East vnto Asterius and of al the Churches in the Weast vnto Eusebius the Bishop of Uercellae By Authoritie of whiche Commission Eusebius togeather with Hilarius Uisited corrected al the Churches of Illyricum Fraunce and Italie A man might saye where was then the Uniuersal power of the Bishop of Rome S. Basile saith The state and safetie of the Churche of Antioche dependeth of Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria and not as M. Hardinge here saith of the Bishop of Rome And therefore he desireth Athanasius to sée vnto it The Emperours Honorius and Theodosius appointed ouer al maters of doubte arisinge within the Countrie of Illyricum to be hearde and ended before the Bishop of Constantinople and not before the Bishop of Rome And the very Close vpon the Decrées expoundinge that same Lawe of Honorius Theodosius hath these woordes Imperator dicit quòd Patriarcha Constantinopolitanus habet idem in suis subditis quod Papa habet in suis. The Emperour saith the Patriarke of Constantinople hath the same authoritie ouer the people of his Prouince that the Pope hath ouer his The Emperours woordes be these Constantinopolitana Ecclesia Romae veteris praerogatiua laetatur The Churche of Constantinople enioyeth nowe the Prerogatiue of olde Rome And therefore for more proufe hereof whensoeuer any Patriarke in any of these foure principal Sees was newely chosen he wrote letters of Conference and Freendship vnto the other Patriarkes wherein euery of them declared vnto other their Religion consent of Faith Thus did the Bishop of Rome vnto others and thus did others vnto him This is an vnfallible tokeÌ„ that their authoritie was equal and none of them had power and gouernement ouer his fellowes And therefore when Eulogius the Bishop of Alexandria had written thus vnto Gregorie beinge then Bishop of Rome Sicut iussistis as ye commaunded Gregorie vtterly shunned and refused that kinde of writinge for thus he answereth him Hoc verbum Iussionis quaeso à meo auditu remouete Scio enim quis sim qui sitis Loco mihi Fratres estis Moribus patres Non ergo Iussi sed quae vtilia visa sunt indicare curaui I pray you haue awaye this woorde of Commaundinge from my hearinge For I know bothe what I am and also what you are Touchinge your place you are my Bretherne touchinge manners you are my Fathers Therefore I Commaunded you not but onely shewed you what I thought good Finally for that Michael Palaeologus the Emperour of the East partes in the Councel holden at Lions aboute the yéere of our Lorde 1442. after greate intreatie made vnto him by the Bishop of Rome had acknowleged the Bishops of the Easte to be subiecte vnto him after he returned home againe into his Empire and was deade his Cleregie woulde not suffer him to be buried Yet saith M. Hardinge Al the Bishops of Graecia Asia Syria Aegypte and to be shorte al the Orient rendred and exhibited their humble obedience to the Bishop of Rome M. Hardinge The .24 Diuision Of the Bishop of Rome his punishinge of offenders by Censures of the Churche and otherwise as by Excommunication Eiection Deposition and enioyninge penance for transgressions we haue more examples then I thinke good to recite here They that haue knowlege of the Ecclesiastical stories maye remember howe Timotheus Bishop of Alexandria was Excommunicated with Peter his Deacon by Simplicius the Pope Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople by Coelestinus Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria with Arcadius the Emperour and Eudoxia the Empresse by Innocentius for their wicked demeanour towarde Chrysostome Howe Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria was deposed though the whole 2. Ephesine Councel stoode in his defence Howe Peter Bishop of Antioche was not onely put out of his Bishoprike but also of al Priestly honour Howe Photius was put out of the Patriarkeship of Constantinople into whiche he was intruded by fauour of Michael the Emperour at the sute of his wicked vnkle by Nicolas the first For proufe of this authoritie the Epistle of Cyprian whiche he wrote to Stephanus Pope in his time against Martianus the Bishop of Arelate in Gallia maketh an euident argument For that this Martianus became a mainteiner of the Heresie of Nouatianus and therewith seduced the faithful people Cyprian hauinge intelligence of it by Faustinus from Lions aduertised Stephanus of it and moued him earnestly to directe his letters to the people of Arle by auctoritie of whiche Martianus shoulde be deposed and an other put in his roome to the intent saith he there the flocke of Christe whiche hitherto by him scattered abroade and wounded is contemned maye be gathered togeather Whiche S. Cyprian woulde not haue written had the Bishop of Rome had no suche auctoritie The B. of Sarisburie This reason maketh no greate proufe For it was euer lawful not onely to the Bishop of Rome but also to al other Bishops bothe to rebuke and also to Excommunicate wicked dooers Anthymus with his felowes was Excommunicate by euery of the Patriarkal Sees Paulus Samosatenus as Nicephorus saithe by al the Bishops vnder Heauen Auxentius and Iouinianus by S. Ambrose Dioscorus and Eutyches by the Councel of Constantinople Cyrillus albeit he were a Catholique a Godly Bishop by al the Bishops of the East Yet were none of these that thus vsed the right of Excommunication either Bishops of Rome or Heades of the Uniuersal Churche And whereas M. Hardinge saith we may remember by the Ecclesiastical stories that Innocentius the Bishop of Rome Excommunicated Arcadius the Emperour it maye please him also to remember by the same Ecclesiastical stories that S. Ambrose Excommunicated the Emperour Theodosâ—us and Anastasius the Bishop of Antioche bothe by Priuate letters reproued the Emperour Iustinian for his Heresie and also oftentimes saide of him openly in the Churche Whosoeuer
Vessels So it be reuerently kepte for the viage prouision for the Sicke no Catholique man wil mainteine strife for the manner and order of keeping Symmachus a very woorthy Byshop of Rome in the time of Anastasius the Emperour as it is written in his life made two vessels of Siluer to reserue the Sacrament in and set them on the Aultars of two Churches in Rome of S. Syluester and of S. Androwe These vessels they cal commonly Ciboria VVe finde likewise in the life of S. Gregorie that he also like Symmachus made suche a Vessel which they cal Ciborium for the Sacrament with fowre pillours of pure Siluer and set it on the Aultare at S. Peters in Rome In a woorke of Gregorius Turonensis this vessel is called Turris in qua Mysterium Dominici Corporis habebatur A Tower wherein 174 our Lordes Bodie was kepte In an olde booke De Poâ—nitentia of Theodorus the Greeke of Tarsus in Cilicia sometime Archebishop of Cantorburie before Beda his time it is called Pyxis cum Corpore Domini ad viaticum pro infirmis The Pyxe with our Lordes Bodie for the viage prouision for the sicke In that booke in an admonition of a Bishop to his Clergie in a Synode warninge is geuen that nothinge be put vpon the Aultare in time of the Sacrifice but the Cofer of Reliques the booke of the foure Euangelistes and the Pyxe with our Lordes Bodie Thus we finde that the Blessed Sacramente hathe alwaies been kepte in some places in a Pyxe hanged vp ouer the Aultare in some other places otherwise euery where and in al times safely and reuerently as is declared to be alwaies in a readinesse for the viage Prouision of the sicke VVhich keepinge of it for that Godly purpose and with like due reuerence if M. Iuel and the Sacrament aries woulde admitte no man wil be either so scrupulous or so contentious as to striue with them either for the hanginge vp of it or for the Canopie The B. of Sarisburie It is maruel that M. Hardinge in so shorte a â—ale cannot auoide manifest contradiction He holdeth and teacheth that this is the honouringe of Christe God and Man and yet he saithe It is no greate Keye of his Religion Uerily what so euer Keye he nowe make of it greate or smal he bringeth in very smal Authorities and proufes to make it good Concerninge the Canopie wherein al this question standeth he is wel contented to yelde in the whole as beinge not hable to finde it once mentioned in any manner Olde Writer But the hanginge vp of the Sacrament and that euen ouer the Aultar he is certaine maye wel be prooued by that solemne Fable that we haue so often hearde vnder the name of Amphilochius Concerninge whiche Fable for a very childishe Fable it is and no better I must for shortenesse referre thée gentle Reader to that is written before in the First Article of this Book and in the .33 Diuision as answeare to the same Yet thus muche shortly and by the waye First M. Hardinges Amphilochius saith that S. Basile after he had saide Masse to Christe and his twelue Apostles immediately the same night put one portion of the Sacrament in the Dooue that was then hanging ouer the Aultar the nexte daye folowinge sente for a Goldesmith caused the same Dooue to be made the same Dooue I saye that he put the Sacrament in the night before And so M. Hardinges Dooue was a Dooue before it was made But Dreames Fables are woorthy of Priuilege Yet least this tale should passe alone it is accompanied with a Miracle For after that time when so euer S. Basile was at Masse lifted vp the Breade the same Dooue so saithe this Amphilochius vsed euermore to rowse her selfe ouer yâ— Aultar mooued sturred of her selfe hither and thither muche like to the Mathematical Dooue that Architas Tarentinus made that was hable to flie alone If this Golden Dooue had not beene endewed with Sprite Life this tale had lost halfe his grace Againe Pekham in his Prouincial geueth a straite commaundement to al Priestes that the Breade in the Pyxe be changed and renewed euery seuenth day for avoidinge of putrefaction or some other lothsomnesse that may happen But M. Hardinges Golden Dooue had a special vertue aboue al others to keepe the Breade seuen yéeres togeather without corruption and the same at the last méete to be geuen to a sicke man in his death bedde But there is mention made of Golden and Siluern Dooues in the Councel of Constantinople I graunte How be it there is no mention made there of any Pyxe or Reseruation of the Sacrament But if euery Dooue there were a Pyxe or as they cal it a Monster then hath M. Hardinge a greate aduantage For séeking out but one Pyxe he hath founde twentie and that al togeather in one Churche some aboute the Aultar some aboute the holy Fonte and some els where And yet I coulde neuer vnderstande but euermore in one Churche were it neuer so bigge one Pyxe was thought sufficient O what paines M. Hardinge hath taken to furnish a Fable God graunte vs to be simple as Dooues in obeieing of Goddes Trueth and wise as Serpentes in discerning and eschewing lies The reast that is alleged of Symmachus Gregorius Romanus Gregorius Turonensis Theodorus as it is not denied so it is no parcel of this Question The hanginge of the Sacrament and the Canopie wherein the greatest danger stoode beinge remooued somewhat may be considered touchinge Reseruation when it shal be thought necessarie Wherein to counterpoise the credite of these foure obscure and late Doctours wée haue the authoritie of eight other doctours counted Learned and Ancient Clemens Cyprian Origen Cyrâ—â— Hierome Augustine Hesychius and Nicephorus as it is already prooued FINIS THE TENTH ARTICLE OF ACCIDENTES VVITHOVT SVBIECTE The B. of Sarisburie Or that in the Sacrament after the woordes of Consecration there remaine onely the Accidentes and Shewes without the Substance of Breade and UUine M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision In this Sacrament after Consecration 175 nothinge in Substance remaineth that was before neither Breade nor VVine but onely the Accidentes of Breade and wine as their forme and shape sauour smel coloure weight and suche the like which here haue their beinge miraculousely without their subiecte for as muche as after Consecration there is none other substance then the substance of the Bodie and Bloude of our Lorde whiche is not affected with such Accidentes as the Scholastical Doctours terme it VVhiche Doctrine hath alwaies though not with these precise termes 176 beene taught and beleeued from the beginning and dependeth of the Article of Transubstantiation For if the substance of Breade and VVine be changed into the Substance of the Bodie and Bloud of our Lorde 177 which is coÌ„stantly affirmed by al the learned and Ancient Fathers of the Church it foloweth by a necessarie
There is one loafe or Cake Broken for al. And S. Basile Idem est virtute siue vnam partem quis accipiat a Sacerdote siue plures partes simul â—t is al one in effecte whether a man take one onely parte of the Priest or many partes togeather It is likely he vseth these woordes Parte and Partes in respecte of one whole Durandus saith That in his time the prâ—est in some Churches Diuiding the Sacrament into thre portions receiued one him selfe and Ministred the other twoo to the Deacon and Subdeacon The like is recorded by Alexander de Hales and sundrie others Al this M. Hardinge dissembleth and passeth by and seeth nothinge but a Mystical Ceremonie Now this Cake beinge so large so thicke and so massie and hable to suffice so many wée may not wel thinke that the Priest coâ—lde câ—nâ—eniently diuide it into thrée partes and receiue al alone But rather as I haue already saide the Breakinge thereof is an inuincible proufe of the holy Communion and a manifest Condemnation of M. Hardinges Priuate Masse For it was not diuided into partes to the ende to Signifie these Mystical Fantasies that M. Hardinge and others haue imagined but to be Distributed and deliuered to the people Clemens Alexandrinus saith Etiam Eucharistiâ— cum quidam vt mos est diuiserint permittunt vnicuique ex populo partem eius sumere After that certaine that is the Priestes haue Diuided the Sacrament they suffer euery of the people to take a portion of it So S. Augustine saith Ad Distribuendum comminuitur It is Broken that it may be Distributed And againe Confringunt oblationes in Eucharistiam They Diuide the Oblations into the Sacrament that the people may Communicate So Dionysius Velatum Panem in multa concîdens vnitatem Calicis omnibus impertiens Diuidinge the Breade that stoode coouered into many partes and deliuering the Vnitie of the Cuppe vnto al the people In S. Basiles Communion taken out of the Syrian Tongue it is written thus Sacerdos frangit Signat Diaconus proclamat Communionem The Priest Breaketh and Signeth the Sacrament The Deacon crieth alowde The Communion And what néedeth the witnesse of so many S. Paule saithe Panis quem Frangimus nonne Communicatio Corporis Christi est The Breade that wee Breake is it not the Communication of the Bodie of Christe Whiche Woordes Anselmus expoundeth thus Panis quem nos Sacerdotes Frangimus quem vnuÌ„ in multas partes Diuidimus ad designandam Charitatem accipientium The Breade that we being Priestes doo Breake and whiche Breade beinge one Cake wee Diuide into many portions to expresse the loue or vnitie of the receiuers Likewise Lorichius Panis quem Frangimus Participatio Domini est hoc est Fractio Significat nos esse vnum Corpus The Breade that we Breake is the Participation of the Lorde that is to say The Breade signifieth that al we are one Bodie It appeareth hereby that the Sacrament was thus Diuided into partes not to the intente wée shoulde thereby learne new Mysteries but that the people might receiue it To be shorte This Ceremonie of three Portions so Broken and so receiued cannot be founde neither in the Scriptures nor in any of the Olde Fathers or Councelles It beareth witnesse bothe against Transubstantiation and also against Priuate Masse The best learned of that side cannot yet agree neither whence it sprange first nor what it meaneth The people neither seeth it nor knoweth it They them selues that so highly woulde séeme to fauour it contrary bothe to Sergius Decrée and also to his Mystical Exposition in their Masses dayly and openly are bolde to breake it Now hast thou good Christian Reader hereof indifferently to iudge whether M. Hardinge or his Countriemen be deceiued Uerily S. Augustine saith If the Causes that first mooued and leadde men to diuise suche Ceremonies can hardely or not at al be knowen when so euer oportunitie is offred let them be cut of and abolished without staggering FINIS THE XII ARTICLE OF FIGVRE SIGNE c. The B. of Sarisburie Or that whosoeuer had said The Sacrament is a Figure a Pledge a Token or a Remembrance of Christes Bodie had therefore beene iudged for an Heretique M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision In this Article we doo agree with M. Iuel in some respecte For we confesse it cannot be auouched by Scripture auncient Councel doctoure or example of the primitiue Churche that who so euer had saide the Sacrament is a Figure a Pledge a Token or a Remembrance of Christes Bodie had therefore ben iudged for an Heretike 185 No man of any learning euer wrote so vnlearnedly Much lesse to impute heresie to any man for saieinge thus hath ben any of the highest mysteries or greatest keies of our religion with whiche vntrueth M. Iuel goeth aboute to deface the trueth VVherefore this Article seemeth to haue ben put in either of malice towarde the Churche or of ignorance or onely to fille vp the heape for lacke of better stuffe Perusinge the workes of the auncient and learned Fathers we finde that oftentimes they cal the Sacramentes a Figure a Signe a Token a Mysterie a Samplar The woordes of them vsed to this purpose in their learned tongues are these Figura Signum Symbolum Mysterium Exemplar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imago c. By whiche they meane not to diminishe the trueth of Christes Bodie in the Sacrament but to signifie the Secrete manner of his beinge in the same The B. of Sarisburie It appeareth that these mennes Doctrine is muche mutable and subiecte to change For notwithstandinge they be nowe growen into some better likinge of these termes Figure Signe Signification Token c. Yet not longe sithence they seemed to be otherwise resolued and thought them selues hable to allege Theophylactus Damascenus Euthymius and other greate mater to disproue the same D. Tonstal the more to make the mater odiouse saith thus If the Sacrament be a Figure of Christes Bodie then was a Figure Crucified for vs and not Christe And what so euer they were that vsed this woorde Figura in this mater of the Sacrament D. Steuin Gardiner scornefully calleth them Figuratores Figurers And M. Iohn White late Schoolemaister after Bishop of Winton writeth thus in great scorne against that most ReuereÌ„de learned Father D. Peter Martyr touchinge the same Audio mille locis Corpus non audio Petre Signa Troposque tuo nec Symbola nata cerebro I heare Bodie Bodie in a thousande places But of Signes Figures Tokens that came onely out of thy heade I heare nothinge Whiche woordes notwithstandinge in al the Ancient learned Fathers by M. Hardinges owne Confession if he had had eares to heare he might haue hearde Therefore it was neither Malice nor Ignorance nor Increase of heape nor Wante of other stuffe but the fondnes and folie of M. Hardinges side that added this Article to the
speakinge onely of the Holy Communion and not one woorde of the Priuate Masse Al these thrée Authorities touche onely one Prieste and as it appeareth by the Glose onely twoo Ministrations at the vttermoste Thus hath M. Hardinge failed bothe in the computation of the yéeres and also in the number of his Masses Yet must this be defended emonge the reste bee the profanation thereof neuer so horrible and who so euer dare wishe a reformation herein muste be no better then a Heathen and a Publicane O how muche better had it béene for M. Hardinge either to haue passed the mater ouer in silence or plainely and simply to haue confessed his errour FINIS THE FOVRETEENTH ARTICLE OF ADORATION OF IMAGES The B. of Sarisburie Or that Images were set vp in the Churches to the intent the people might woorship them M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision That Images were set vp in Churches within sixe hundred yeeres after Christe it is certaine but not Specially either then or sithens to the intent the people mighte woorship them The intent and purpose hath beene farre other but right Godly as shal be declared VVherefore the imputinge of this entent to the Catholike Churche is bothe false and also sclaunderouse And because for the vse of Images these Newe Maisters charge the Churche with reproche of a newe deuise breache of Gods â—ommaundement and Idolatrie I wil here shewe Firste the Antiquitie of Images and by whome they haue beene allowed Secondly to what entent and purpose they serue Thirdly how they may be woorshipped without offence The B. of Sarisburie This Article of Images may be easily passed ouer bothe for that the weight thereof is not great and also for that M. Hardinge as his woonte is hath purposely dissembled the mater that was in question and diuised other fantasies that were not touched Wherein notwithstandinge he vse large discourses and make great shewe yet in the ende as it shal appeare he concludeth nothinge I graunt Images were erected in some Churches within sixe hundred yéeres after Christe al be it neither so rathe as it is pretended nor without muche repininge of Godly men and great contention But M. Hardinge of his modestie once againe calleth vs Newe Maisters so as he woulde cal Moses if he were now aliue or muche rather God him selfe For this Doctrine is Goddes Doctrine and not ours And therefore S. Augustine saithe Huiusmodi Simulachrum Deo nefas est in Christiano Templo collocare In a Christian Churche to erecte suche an Image vnto God resemblinge God to an olde Man it is an Abomination And Epiphanius the Bishop of Cyprus entringe into a Churche and findinge there a Uele hanged vp and the Image of Christe painted in it tare it a sunder and pulled it downe bicause it was donne as he writeth him selfe Contra authoritatem Scripturarum contrary to the Commaundement of Goddes Woorde Againe he saithe Huiusmodi vela contra Religionem nostram veniunt Suche veles so painted are contrary to our Christian Religion And againe Haec scrupulositas indigna est Ecclesia Christi populis qui tibi crediti sunt This Superstâ—tion is vnmeete for the Churche of Christe and vnmeete for the people that is committed vnto thee S. Augustine saithe It is Abomination Epiphanius saithe It is contrary to the Scriptures and contrary to Christian Religion Vnmeete for the Churche of Christe and vnmeete for the people of God How be it M. Hardinge perhaps wil suffer these twoo to passe in the numbre of his Newe Maisters And al be it by these Fathers iudgement it is plaine that by settinge vp of Images Goddes Commaundement is broken yet yt may the better appeare by comparinge Goddes Woordes and M. Hardinges Woordes bothe togeather God saithe Thou shalt make to thee selfe no grauen Image M. Hardinge saithe Thou shalt make to thee selfe grauen Images God saithe Thou shalt not fal downe to them nor woorship them M. Hardinge saithe Thou shalte fal downe to them and woorship them Now iudge thou good Reader whether this be a breache of Gods CoÌ„maundement or no. Uerily M. Hardinge in the first entrie hereof saith thus Images are not specially set vp to thintent the people maie woorship them The sense whereof must needes be this Images are set vp to th end to be woorshipped althoughe not specially to that ende But an Image is a Creature and no God And to honour a Creature in that sort is Idolatrie Therefore by M. Hardinges owne confession Images are set vp to be vsed to Idolatrie althoughe not Specially to that ende How be it by this simple Distinction of General and Special Idolatrie is easy to be excused M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision Concerninge the antiquitie and original of Images they were not first inuented by man but 201 coÌ„maunded by God brought into vse by Tradition of the Apostles allowed by Authoritie of the holy Fathers and al Councelles and by custome of al ages sith Christes being in the Earthe VVhen God would the Tabernacle with al fourniture thereto belonginge to be made to serue for his honoure and glorie he commaunded Moses amonge other thinges to make two Cherubins of Beaten golde so as they might couer both sides of the propitiatorie spreadinge abroade their whinges and beholdinge them selues one an other their faces tourned toward the Propitiatorie that the Arke was to be couered withal Of those Cherubins S. Paul speaketh in his Epistle to the Hebrâ—wes VVhiche Images Beseleel that excellent workeman made at the commaundement of Moses accordinge to the instruction by â—od geuen Againe Moses by the commaundement of God made the Brasen Serpent and set it vp on high for the people that were hurt of serpentes in wildernes to beholde and so to be healed In the Temple also that Salomon buylded were Images of Cherubins as Scripture sheweth Of Cherubins mention is made in sundry places of the Scriptures specially in Ezechâ—el the Prophet cap. 41. Iosephus writeth of the same in his thirde and eight booke Antiquittaum Iudaicarum The Image of Cherubins representeth Angels and the woorde is a woorde of Angelical Dignitie as it appeareth by the thirde Chapter of Genesis where we reade that God placed Cherubins before Paradise after that Adam was cast forth for his disobedience The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge doubteth not to deriue the fâ—rst Inuention of his Images from God him selfe euen as rightly and with as good Faith as he deriueth his Masse from Christe and his Apostles or his Holy Water from the Prophete Elizeus or the Cardinalles hatte from S. Hierome Onles perhaps he wil reason thus God saith â—howe shalt not make vnto thee selfe any graueÌ„ Image nor the Likenes of any thinge And Accursed be the man that maketh â—n Image And CoÌ„founded be al they that woorship Images Ergo God commaunded Images to be made Yf he can auouche his Images by suche warrantes then doubtles
God him selfe was the fâ—rst inuentour of Images But Learned and Wise menne thinke that the inuention hereof came first from the Heathens and Infâ—delles that knewe not God Thus it is written in the Booke of Wisedome Vanitas hominum inuenit artes istas ad tenationem animae decipulam insipientium The Vanitie of menne first founde owt this Arte to the tentation of the sâ—ule and to the deceiuinge of the vnwise S. Cyprian saith Ad defunctorum vultus per Imaginem derinendos expressa sunt Simulachra Inde posteris facta sunt sacta quae primitùs fuerant assumpta solatia Images were first drawen thereby to keepe the countenance of tâ—e deade in Remembrance Vpon occasion thereof thinges grewe at lengthe vnto holâ—nesse that at the first were taken only for solace Therefore S. Ambrose saith Gentes lignum adorant tanquaÌ„ Imaginem Dei The Heathens woorship Wood as the Image of God And Eregorius the Bishop of Neocesaria Gentilitas inuentrix Caput est ImaginuÌ„ Heathennesse was the first dâ—â—ser and Heade of Images Likewise Eusebius saithe speakinge of the Images of Christe of Peter and of Paule Hoc mihi videtur ex Gentili consuetudine obseruatum quòd ita illi soleant honorare quos honore dignos duxerint This seemeth to be the obseruation of the Heathenishe custome for with suche Images they vsed to honour them whome they thought woorthy of honoure Therefore S. Augustine writinge againste Adimantus saithe thus Simulant se fauere Simulachris quod proptereà faciunt vt miserrimae vesanae suae Sectae etiam Paganorum concilient beneuolentiam They woulde seeme to fauour Images whiche thinge they doo to thintent to make the Heathens to thinke the better of their moste miserable and lewde Secte For of the Heathens Lactantius writeth thus Verentur ne Religio vana sit si nihil videant quod Adorent They are afraide as they also are of M. Hardinges sidâ— their Religion shal be but vaine yf they see nothinge that they may woorship Therefore Daniel saithe that Nabucodonozor the Heathen Kinge appointed a solemne Dedication daie for his Golden Image with al kindes sortes of Minstralsie And the Prophete Baruch thus openeth and vttereth the Religion of Babylon Sacerdotes Barba Capiteque raso aperto sedent coraÌ„ Dijs suis rugiunt The Priestes beinge shauen bothe Heade and Bearde and sittinge bare roare out before their Goddes Thus Heliogabalus Adrianus and Alexander Seuerus being Infidels and Heathen Princes had in their Chapelles and Closettes the Images of Abraham of Moses of Christe and of others Thus the Heretiques called Gnostici and Carpocratiani for that they sauoured of the Heathens had and woorshipped the Images of Christe of Paule of Pithagoras and of Homer By these fewe Authorities and Examples it appeareth that the firste erection of Images came not from God but from the Heathens that knewe not God And therefore Athanasius saithe The Inuention of Images came not of good but of il As for the Iewes that had the Lawe and the Prophetes emongest them and therefore should beste knowe Goddes meaninge in this behalfe they had no manner Image neither Painted nor Grauen in their Temples as Dion saithe and as Origen saithe they coulde not abide any Painter or Grauer to dwel emongest them But M. Hardinge replieth God commaunded Moses to make the Cherubins and the Braesen Serpente These examples make litle against my assertion For God commaunded not either the Cherubins or the Serpent to be sette vp to thintent the people should Woorship them whiche is the whole and onely state of this question The same obiection the Olde Idolaters laide sometime against Tertullian For thus he writeth Ait quidam Cur ergo Moses in Eremo SimulachruÌ„ Serpentis exaere fecit Some one or other that maineteineth Idolatrie wil saie as M. Hardinge now saith And why then did Moses make the Image of the Brasen Serpent in the VVildernesse Hereby wee see that M. Hardinge is not the first that diuised this obiection The Olde Idolaters founde out and vsed the same aboue foureteene hundred yeeres agoe and M. Harding hath learned it at their handes But hereto Tertullian maketh this answeare Bene quòd idem Deus Lege vetuit Similitudinem fieri Extraordinario Praecepto Seâ—petis Similitudinem Interdixit Wel and good One and the same God bothe by his General Lawe forebade any Image to be made and also by his Extraordinarie and Special Commaundement willed an Image of a Serpent to be made He addeth further Si â—undem DeuÌ„ obseruas habes Legem eius Ne feceris Similitudinem Et si Praeceptum factae postea Similitudinis respicis in imitare Mosen Ne facias aduersus Legem Simulacliâ—â—â— aliquod nisi tibi Deus iusserit If thou be obedient vnto the same God thou haste his Lawe Make thou no Image But if thou haue regarde to the Image of the Serpente that was made afterwarde by Moses then doo thou as Moses did Make not any Image against the Law onles God commaunde thee as he did Moses For God is free and subiecte to no Lawe He commaundeth vs and not him selfe He geueth this General Lawe Thou shalt not kil Yet he saide vnto Abraham Take thy Sonne Isaak and kil him Likewise he saithe Thou shalt not Steale And yet the people of Israel by his Commaundement stale away the Egyptians goodes without breache of the Lawe The same answeare maie also serue for the Images of the Cherubines Howe be it the Cherubines stoode not in the Temple in the sight and presence of the people but within the vele in the Tabernacle into whiche place it was not lawful for any one of the people to cast his eies And therefore there was in it no danger of Idolatrie But like as when the Brasen Serpent was abused by Idolatrie the Godly Kinge Ezechias tooke it downe and brake it in peeces notwithstandinge God had commaunded Moses to set it vp euen so notwithstandinge it were sufferable to haue images in the Churche of God without breache of Goddes lawe yet when they be abused and made Idolles as they are throughout the whole Churche of Rome it is the dewtie of godly Magistrates to pulle them downe like as also it is ordered by the Councel of Mens M. Hardinge The .3 Diuision It were not muche beside our purpose here to rehearse the place of Ezechiel the Prophet where God commaunded one that was clothed in linnen and had an inkehorne by his side to goe through the middes of Hierusalem and to print the signe of TAV that is the signe of the Crosse for that letter had the similitude of the Crosse amonge the olde Hebrewe letters as S. Hierom witnesseth in the foreheades of the menne that mourned and made mone ouer al the abhominations of that Citie Touchinge the Signe
shadowes of him selfe and fighteth stowtely against the same Therefore he maie soone attaine the Uictorie For wee saie not that the common people of al sortes and degrees ought of necessitie to reade al the holy Scriptures This is onely M. Hardinges fantasie We saie it not We knowe some are blinde and many vnlearned cannot reade But thus we saie That in the Primitiue Churche who so euer woulde and could reade might lawfully reade without controlmente Therefore S. Augustine saith as it is before alleged Aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite Either reade your selues or geate some other to reade vnto yowe I graunt at the first preachinge and publishinge of the Gospel certaine Barbarous Nations that receiued the Faithe of Christe had neither Bookes nor Letters Yet were they not therefore ignorant or leafte at large to beléeue they knewe not what They had then certaine officers in the Churche whiche were called Catechistae whose dutie was continually and at al times to teache the Principles of the Faithe not by Booke but by Mouthe Of these mention is made in the Actes of the Apostles in the Councel of Nice and els where This office bare Origen that Ancient learned Father This doctrine Dionysius calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oracles or Instructions geuen from God And saithe They paste from one to an other not by Writinge but by Mouthe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from minde to minde Neither did these Traditions conteine any secrete or priuie Instructions or Inuentions of Men as it is imagined by some but the very selfe same Doctrine that was conteined written in the Scriptures of God And in this sorte the Gospel it selfe and the whole Religion of Christe was called a Tradition So Tertullian calleth the Articles of the Faithe An Olde Tradition So the Faithe of the Holy Trinitie in the Councel of Constantinople is called a Tradition And the Faithe of twoo sundrie Natures in Christe in the same Councel is called Apostolorum viua Traditio The Liuely Tradition of the Apostles So it is written in Socrates Credimus in vnum Deum Patrem secundum Euangelicam Apostolicam TraditioneÌ„ Wee beleeue in one God the Father accordinge to the Tradition of the Gospel and of the Apostles So S. Basile calleth it a Tradition To beleeue in the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste Therefore S. Paule saithe Teneâ—e Traditiones quas accepistis siue per Sermonem siue per Epistolam Keepe the Traditions that ye haue receiued either by Mouthe or els by Letter By these woordes the Doctrine of the Apostles is called a Tradition And for this cause S. Cyprian saithe Vnde est ista Traditio An de Dominica Euangelica Veritate descendens an de Apostolorum MaÌ„datis atque Literis veniens From whence is this Tradition whether cometh it from our Lorde and from his Gospel or els from the Epistles and Commaundementes of the Apostles Thus were the Barbarous Nations instructed by Tradition and by Mouthe and were made perfite in euery pointe and parcel of the Faithe and as Irenaeus saithe Had their Saluation by the Holy Ghost written in their Hartes and were as muche bounden vnto the same as vnto any writinges and letters of the Apostles Of suche liuely and cleare Doctrine S. Paule saithe Christe was set out and Crucified before the â—ies of the Galathians And thereof he saithe to the Philippiens My praier is that your Charitie may yet more and more abounde in al knowlege and in al vnderstandinge And thus notwithstandinge they were Barbarous yet were they hable to render an accoumpte of al the Religion and Faithe in Christe For thus Irenaeus writeth of them Si quis illis annuntiaret ea quae ab istis Haereticis inuenta sunt statim clauderent aures Yf any man woulde shewe these Barbarous Nations what thinges these Heâ—etiques haue inuented they woulde stoppe their eares and not abide it Likewise if a man woulde shewe them of the Profanation of Christes Holy Mysteries of Transubstantiation of Real and Fleashely Presence and of other like horrible disorders that nowe are holden and defended in the Churche of Rome as Irenaeus saithe Fugerent longo longiùs ne audire quidem sustinentes blasphemum colloquium They woulde flee away as farre as they were hable and would not abide the hearinge of suche blasphemous talke Thus were these Nations sufficiently instructed notwithstanding they were Barbarous and wanted Bookes But they of M. Hardinges side neither wil teache the people as their dutie is nor suffer them to reade the Holy Scriptures and to teache them selues Christe may iustly say to them as he did sometimes vnto others the like Woe be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis Ye shutte vp the Kingedome of Heauen before men and neither doo ye enter your selues nor suffer others that would enter Of suche Irenaeus speaketh in the nexte Chapter folowinge Hoc non est sanantium nec viuificantium sed magis grauantium augentium ignorantiam Et multò verior hic Lex inuenitur Maledictum dicens omnem qui in errorem mittit Coecum in via This is not the parte of them that would heale or gâ—ue life but rather of them that augment the burthen and increase ignorance And herein is the Lawe wel verified Accursed is he that leadeth the blinde out of his way M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision That it is not conuenient nor seemely al sortes of persons without exception to be admitted to the readinge of the Holy Scriptures I neede to say nothinge Euery reasonable man may easely vnderstande the causes by him selfe This is certaine diuerse Chapters and stories of the Olde Testament conteine such matter as occasion of euil thoughtes is like to be geuen if VVomen Maidens and Younge men be permitted to reade them Gregorie Nazianzene whome the Greekes called the diuine saith mooued with great considerations that it is not the parte of al persons to reason of God and of godly thinges neither behooueful the same be done in al times and place nor that al thinges touchinge God be medled withal VVhiche aduertisement taketh no place where al be admitted to the curiouse readinge of the Scriptures in their owne vulgare Tongue The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge saithe It is not conuenient nor seemely that al the people shoulde reade the Holy Scriptures As if he woulde say in plainer wise It is not meete nor seemely that God shoulde speake vnto euery of the poore simple people without exception How be it God him selfe saithe not so but rather the contrary S. Augustine saithe as it is alleged before God speaketh as a familiar frende vnto the harte bothe of the learned and also of the vnlearned For he hath no acceptation or choise of personnes If it be not seemely for the people of God to reade and
people should not reade them But the godly and first Christened Emperour Constantinus caused the Bible to be written out and to be sent abroade into al Kingedomes Countries and Citties of his Dominion Kinge Adelstane the Kinge of Englande caused the Bible to be Translated into the Englishe tongue S. Hierome Translated the same into the Sclauon Tongue Ulphilas likewise into the Gotthian tongue Whereto Socrates addeth also these woordes Instituit Barbaros vt discerent sacra eloquia He gaue occasion to the Barbarous people of that Countrie to learne the Scriptures M. Hardinge The .14 Diuision Yet it is not meante by them that the people be keapte wholy from the Scripture so as they reade no parte of it at al. As the whole in their opinioÌ„ is to stroÌ„ge a meate for their weake stomakes so much of it they may right holesomely receiue and brooke as that whiche perteineth to pietie and necessary knowledge of a Christian man VVherein they woulde the examples of the Olde Holy Fathers to be folowed S. Augustine hath gathered togeather into one booke al that maketh for good life out of the Scriptures whiche booke he intituled SpeculuÌ„ that is to say a Myrrour or a lookinge glasse as Possidonius witnesseth in his life S. Basile hath set foorth the like argument almost in his fourescoare moral rules perteininge altogeather to good manners S. Cyprian also hath doone the like in his three Bookes Ad QuirinuÌ„ Suche godly Bookes they thinke to be very profitable for the simple people to reade The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge alloweth the people to reade the Scriptures how be it not what they list but with restrainte and at deliuerie that is to saye not cases of question or perteining to Knowledge but onely maters belonginge to manners and order of life And so he reserueth Knowledge to him selfe and his Brethren and leaueth Good Life vnto the People Touching the Bookes of S. Augustine S. Basile and S. Cyprian it is vntrue that they were written namely and purposely for the Unlearned Or if they were why are they not Translated Why are they not deliuered vnto the people for whose sakes they were written Moreouer it is vntrue that in these Bookes is conteined onely mater of life manners and nothing perteining to Religion For the first woordes in this booke of S. Augustine called Speculum are these Non facies tibi Sculptile Thou shalt make to thee selfe no grauen Image whiche is now a Special case of Religion And the greatest parte of S. Cyprians Booke Ad Quirinum conteineth a ful disputation of Christes Incarnation Natiuitie and Passion and other like cases of Religion against the Iewes Touching S. Basile as he wrote this Booke of Moralles concerning Manners so he had written an other Booke before concerning Faith and bothe these Bookes for the people He maketh his entrie into his Moralles with these woordes Cùm de Sana Fide in PraecedeÌ„ribê° sufficienter ad praesens dictuÌ„ esse putemê° c For as much as I thinke I haue intreated sufficiently in my former bookes coÌ„cerning Faith c. Therefore this Assertion was vntrue and so no firme grounde for M. Harding to stande vpon Neither did any of the Olde Fathers euer withdraw the people from the Uniuersal and free reading of Gods Woorde and restraine them onely to such shorte Collections S. Basile saithe The Scriptures are like vnto a Shoppe ful of Medicines for the Soule where as euery man may freely take not onely one kinde of salue but also a special and a peculiar remedie for euery soare And Irenaeus saith De omni ligno Paradisi manducate id est ab omni Scriptura Diuina manducate Eate yee of al the fruite of Paradise that is to say Eate ye not onely of maters concerning maÌ„ners but also of euery parte of the holy Scriptures How be it by M. Hardings iudgement the people may learne the .x. Commaundementes but may not meddle with their Crede M. Hardinge The .15 Diuision But how muche and what parte of the Scripture the common people may reade for their confort and necessary instruction and by whome the same may be Translated it belongeth to the iudgement of the Churche VVhiche Churche hath alreadie condemned al the vulgare Translations of the Bible of late yeeres 210 for that they be founde in sundrie places erroneous and partial in fauour of the Heresies whiche the Translatours mainteine And it hath not onely in our time condemned these late Translations but also hitherto neuer allowed those fewe of olde time I meane S. Hieromes translation into the Dalmatical tongue if euer any suche was by him made as to some it seemeth a thinge not sufficiently prooued And that whiche before S. Hierome Vlphilas an Arian Bishop made and commended to the Nation of the Gothes who first inuented letters for them and proponed the Scriptures to them translated into their owne tongue and the better to bringe his ambassade to the Emperour Valens to good effecte was perswaded by the Heretikes of Constantinople and of the Courte there to forsake the Catholike Faithe and to Communicate with the Arians makinge promise also to trauaile in bringinge the people of his Countrie to the same secte whiche at length he perfourmed moste wickedly The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge alloweth the people to reade certaine parcels of the Scriptures for their comforte but yet he alloweth them no Translation that is to say he alloweth them to eate the kernel but in no wise to breake the shale By these it appeareth that of sufferance and special fauour the simple ignorant people maye Reade the Woorde of God in Latine Gréeke or Hebrew but none otherwise The Churche saith M. Hardinge for the space welneare of sixteene hundred yeeres neuer yet allowed any manner Translation in the Uulgare tongue Yet notwithstanding it is certaine that the Churche not only in the Primitiue time vnder the Apostles and holy Fathers but also longe sithence hath bothe suffered and also vsed the Uulgare Translations in sundrie tongues Whereof wee may wel presume that the Churche then allowed them And that the Scriptures were not onely in these three tongues Greeke Hebrew and Latine it appeareth by S. Hierome that saithe The Psalmes were Translated and songe in the Syrian Tongue by S. Basile that affirmeth the same of the Palestine Thebane Phenike Arabike and Libyke toÌ„gues By Sulpitius in the life of S. Martine that seemeth to say The Lessons and Chapters were Translated and readde openly in the Churches of Fraunce in the Frenche Tongue And by Isidorus that auoucheth the like of al Christian tongues M. Hardinge misliketh the Translation of Ulphilas into the Gotthian tongue for that the Authour was an Arian Notwithstanding it appeareth not that euer the Churche misliked it But by this rule he may as wel condemne al the Greeke Translations what so euer of Symmachus of Aquila of Theodotion and of the Septuagintes the whole
Ignorance Chrysostoms saithe Magna aduersus peccatum munitio est Scripturarum Lectio Magnum Praecipitium profundum barathrum Scripturarum ignoratio nihil scire de Diuinis Legibus magna Salutis perditio Ea res haereses peperit vitam corruptam inuexit hoc sursum deorsum miscuit omnia The readinge of the Scriptures is a greate fense against sinne And the Ignorance of the Scriptures is a dangerous downefal and a great Dungeon To know nothinge of Goddes Lawes is the losse of Saluation Ignorance hath brought in Heresies and vitious life Ignorance hath turned al thinges vpsydowne Therefore the Apostles of Christe and al other godly Fathers haue euermore incourraged the people to reade the Scriptures and euermore thought the Churche of God to be in best case when the people was best instructed S. Paule saith Let the Woorde of God dwelle abundantly emongest yowe Polycarpus saithe to the people Confido vos bene exercitatos esse in Sacris Literis My trust is that ye be wel instructed in the Holy Scriptures Origen saith vnto his people Geue your diligence not onely to heare Goddes Woorde in the Churche but also to be excercised in the same in youre houses at home and daye and night to be studious in the lawe of the Lorde S. Augustine saith Reade ye the Holy Scriptures For to that ende God woulde haue them written that we might receiue comforte by them S. Hierome saithe as it is alleged before Laici non tantùm sufficienter sed etiam abundanter Verbum Dei habere debent se inuicem docere The Laye People ought to haue the Woorde of God not onely sufficiently but also abundantly and to instructe one an other S. Chrysostome willeth the Father with his Childe and the Husbande with his Wife at home in his house to talke and reason of the Woorde of God Theodoretus writeth thus Passim videas haec nostratia dogmata c. Ye maie commonly see that not onely the Teachers of the People and Rulers of the Churches but also Tailers Smithes and Clothe woorkers and other Artificers doo vnderstande the Principles of our Religion And further that not onely learned wemenne yf there be any suche but also suche Wemenne as liue by their laboure and Sewsters and Maide seruantes but also Husbandmenne and Ditchers and Heardmenne and Graffers canne reason of the Holy Trinitie and of the Creation of the worlde and of the Nature of mankinde a greate deale more skilfully then either Plato or Aristotle was euer hable to doo Therefore Origen saithe vnto his hearers of the Laye People Me dicente quod sentio vos decernite examinate si quid rectum est aut minùs rectum While I speake that I thinke meete examine and iudge yow whether it be wel or otherwise Thus in olde times the Uulgare People and suche as M. Hardinge calleth Swine Rude and Rasshe people and Curious Busie Bodies were hable not onely to vnderstande the Scriptures but also to iudge of their preachers And therefore the wicked Renegate Emperoure Iulianus reprooued the Christians euen as M. Hardinge nowe dooth vs for that they suffered their Wemen and Children to reade the Scriptures But the Enimies of Goddes Trueth for feare and conscience of their weakenes haue euermore vsed violently to take awaie the Woorde of God not onely from wemen and Children but also from al the whole people Chrysostome saithe Haeretici Sacerdotesâ—claudunt ianuas Veritatis Sciunt enim si manifestata fuerit Veritas Ecclesiam suam esse relinquendam se de Sacerdotali dignitate ad humilitatem venturos popularem Heretique priestes shutte vp the gates of the Trueth For they knowe that yf the Trueth once appeare they must needes leaue their Churche and from the dignitie of their Priesthoode come downe to the state of other people For Tertullian saithe Scriptura Diuina HaereticoruÌ„ fraudes furta facilè conuincit detegit The Holy Scripture wil easily bewraye and confounde the guiles and theaftes of Heretiques Christe saithe He that dooth yl hateth the Light And therefore they saie as it is written in the Prophete Amos Tace ne recorderis nominis Domini Holde thy peace and neuer thinke vpon the name of the Lorde But miserable is that Religion that cannot stande without hidinge and suppressinge of the Trueth of God FINIS THE XVI ARTICLE OF CONSECRATION VNDER SILENCE The B. of Sarisburie Or that it was then lawful for the Priest to pronounce the woordes of Consecration Closely and in Silence vnto him selfe M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision The mater of this Article is neither one of the higheste Mysteries nor one of the Greatest Keies of our Religion howe so euer M. Iuel pleaseth him selfe with that reporte thinkinge therby to impaire the estimation of the Catholique Churche The diuersitie of obseruation in this behalfe sheweth the indifferencie of the thinge For elles if one manner of pronouncinge the woordes of Consecration had beene thought a necessary pointe of Religion it had beene euerywhere vniforme and inuariable That the Breade and VVine be Consecrated by the woordes of our Lorde pronounced by the priest as in the personne of Christe by vertue of the whiche through the grace of the Holy Ghoste the Breade and VVine are Chaunged into our Lordes Bodie and Bloude 213 this thinge hathe in al times and in al places and with consente of al inuariably beene doonne and so beleeued But the maner of pronouncinge the woordes concerninge Silence or open vtterance accordinge to diuersitie of places hath beene diuerse The B. of Sarisburie This saithe M. Hardinge is but a smal Keye of our Religion Whiche thinge may very wel appeare bothe otherwise and also by the smal weight and sclendernes of his proufes How be it in cases of Religion and in the Seruice of God nothinge ought to be iudged smal specially that may deceiuâ— the people Uerily how smal so euer they wil now haue this keie to séeme as it hath béene heretofore cause of no smal Superstition so it hath shutte out Goddes people from the sight and vnderstandinge of our greatest Mysteries Certaine it is That the Religion of Christ may wel stande without this kinde of Mystical Silence as it may also without TraÌ„substantiation or Priuate Masse or any other their like fantasies But if the mater be so smal wherefore doothe M. Hardinge take so greate paines to prooue it and that by so greate vntruethes and so manifest Fables Wherefore are they not ashamed to say that Christe him selfe at his Laste Supper Consecrated in Silence and Secresie and that in like order and forme as they doo nowe Or how durste the Byshoppes in this present Councel of Tridente so solemnely to abanne and accurse al them that dare to finde faulte with the same So smal a mater as this is now supposed to be should neuer néede so greate a doo But whether these woordes be