of Iudgemente without feare But to leaue the Ancient Fathers of olde time and to put the mater quite out of doubte One Antonius Marinarius in the late Councel of Tridente in open audience saide thus Si Coelum ruat si Terra euanescat si Orbis illabatur praeceps ego in eum erectus ero Si Angelus de Coelo aliud mihi persuadere contendat dicam illi Anathema O Foelicem Christiani pectoris fiduciam Yf the Heauen shoulde fal yf the Earthe shoulde vanishe yf the whole worlde shoulde come downe headlonge yet woulde I stande preste and bolde before God Yf an Angel from Heauen woulde tel mee otherwise I would accurse him O the Blessed truste and certainetie of a Christian Harte Certainely M. Hardinge it were a very Presumptuous parte to saye that these Fathers Greekes Latines Newe Olde your owne and ours were al Presumptuous Yf it be so Presumptuous a mater to put affiance in the Merites of Christe what is it then to put affiance in our owne Merites S. Paule hath taught vs to saye God forebidde that I shoulde glorie but onely in the Crosse of Christe S. Basile saithe Qui non fidit suis Meritis nec expectat ex Operibus Iustificati VnaÌ„ Solam spem habet salutis suae Misericordias Domini Who so trusteth not in his owne Merites nor looketh to be Iustified by his owne Woorkes hath his onely hope of Saluation in the Mercies of our Lorde So saithe Iob in al his miseries Etiamfi me occiderit sperabo in eum Veruntamen vias meas in conspectu eius arguam Although he kisse mee yet wil I put my trust in him Notwithstandinge I wil reprooue my waies before his sighte So yâ— Prophete Dauid In thee O Lorde haue I trusted I wil neuer be confouÌ„ded This is no Presumption but a patiente and an humble waitinge for the Redemption of the Children of God It is moste true that S. Paule saithe Wee must woorke our owne Saluation with feare and tremblinge But this feare riseth in consideration of our owne weakenesse and vnwoorthinesse not of any distruste or doubte in Goddes mercie But rather the lesse cause wée finde to truste in our selues the more cause wée haue to truste in God Therefore S. Augustine saithe Praesume non de Operatione tua sed de Christi Gratia Gratia enim saluati estis inquit Apostolus Non ergo hic Arrogantia est sed Fides Praedicare quod acceperis non est Superbia sed Deuotio Presume thou not of thine owne woorkinge but of the Grace of Christe For the Apostle saithe Ye are saued by Grace Heere therefore is not Presumption but Faithe To proclaime that thou haste receiued it is no Pride it is Deuotion Againe he saithe Non mea Praesumptione sed ipsius Promissione in iudicium non venio It is not of my Presumption but of his Promisse that I shal not comme into Iudgemente S. Basile saithe Paulus Gloriatur de contemptione Iustitiae suae Paule presumeth and boasteth of the contempte of his owne Righteousnesse So saithe S. Ambrose Non gloriabor quia iustus sum sed quia redemptus sum gloriabor Non quia vacuus sum à peccatis sed quia mihi remissa sunt peccara Non gloriabor quia profui neque quia profuit mihi quisquam sed quia pro me Aduocatus apud Patrem Christus est sed quia pro me Christi Sanguis effusus est I wil not glorie for that I am a iuste man But for that I am redeemed thâ—refore wil I glorie Not for that I am voide of sinne but for that my Sinnes be forgeeuen mee I wil not glorie for that I haue donne good to any man nor for that any man hath donne good to wee but for that Christe is my Aduocate with the Father and for that Christes Bloudde was shead for mee Therefore S. Augustine saithe Quid retribuam Domino quo'd recolit haec memoria mea anima mea non meruit inde VVhat shal I reâ—der vnto our Lorde for that I calle to remembrance al these my sinnes and yet my Soule thereof is not afraide To be shorte thus saithe S. Bernarde Vbi tura firmaque infirmis securitas requies nisi in vulneribus Saluatoris Tantâ— illic securior habâ—to quantâ— ille potentior est ad saluandum c. Peccaui peccatum grande turbatur conscientia sed non perturbabitur quoniam vulnerum Domini recordabor Nempe vulneratus est propter iniquitates nostras What safe teaste or surâ—tie can the weake Scule finde but in the wâ—â—â—des of our Saueour As he is mightier to saue so dwel I there with more safetie c. I haue committed a greate Since My conscience is troubled Yet shal it not bee shaken downe bicause I wil remember my Lordes woundes For he was wounded for our Sinnes Thus M. Hardinge to be assured of our Saluation S. Augustine saithe it is no arrogante stoutenesse It is our Faithe It is no Pride It is Deuotion It is no Presumption It is Goddes Promisse But your whole Doctine of the truste in Mennes Merites leadeth directly to Desperation And therefore S. Cyprian saithe wel of you Asserunt Noctem pro Die Interitum pro Salute Desperationem sub obtent Spei Perfidiani sub praetexâ—u Fidel Antichristum sub vocabulo Christi They teachâ— vs Nighte in steede of Daie Dei struction in tleede of Healthe Desperation vnder the coloure of Hope Infidelitie vnder the pretense of Faithe Antichriste vnder the name of Christe Nowe a litle to viewe the groundes of M. Hardinges longe discourse whereas he so often and so earnestly telleth vs of the Sense of the Scriptures as if wee had Scriptures without Sense his meaninge thereby is onely to leade vs awaye to the Sense of the Churche of Rome Whiche Sense Albertus Pigghius saithe Is the Infallible and Inflexible Rule of Truthe Echius saithe Scriptura nisi Ecclesiae Authoritate non est Authentica The Scriptures of God are not Authentical or of credite but onely by the warrante and Authoritie of yâ— Churche And Hosius in like manner Apostoli cùm Symbolum traderem nunquam dixerunt Credo Sancta Biblia aut Sanctum Euangelium sed dixerunt Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam The Apostles when they deliuered the Crede they neuer saide I beleeue the Holy Bible or the Holy Gospel but they saide I beleeue the Holy Churche Thus nowe the mater is sure yenough for euer Wee haue neither Scriptures nor Sense of Scriptures but onely from Rome I wil not here reporte the vnsauerie Senses that they haue imagined of the Scriptures One example or twoo for a taste maye be sufficient Pope Boniface saithe thus Ecce duo Gladij hâ—c Beholde here are twoo Swerdes That is to saye The Pope hath the power bothe of the Spiritual Swerde and of the Temporal An other saithe Omnia subiecisti sub pedibus eius id est
knewe What then shal I saie heere O ye principal Postes of Religion O ye Archegouernours of Christes Churche is this that your reuerence whiche yee geue to Goddes VVoorde The Holy Scriptures whiche S. Paule saithe came by the inspiration of God whiche God did commende by so many Miracles wherein are the moste perfite printes of Christes owne steppes whiche al the Holy Fathers Apostles Angels whiche Christe him selfe the Sonne of God as often as was needeful did allege for testimonie and proufe wil ye as though they were vilwoorthy for you to heare did them Auaunt That is wil ye enioine God to keepe silence who speaketh to you moste clearely by his owne mouthe in the Scriptures Or that VVoorde whereby alone as Paule saithe we are reconciled to God and whiche the Prophete Dauid saithe is Holy and Pure and shal laste for euer wil ye cal that but a bare and deade Letter Or wil ye saie that al our laboure is loste whiche is bestowed in that thinge whiche Christe hath commaunded vs diligently to searche and to haue euermore before our eies And wil ye saie that Christe the Apostles meante with suttletie to deceiue the people when they exhorted them to reade the Holy Scriptures that thereby they might flowe in al wisedome and knowledge No marueile at al though these men despise vs and al our dooinges seeinge they set so litle by God him selfe and his infallible saieinges Yet was it but wante of witte in them to the intent they mighte hurte vs to doo so extreme iniurie to the VVoorde of God But Hosius wil here make exclamation and saie that wee doo him wronge that these be not his owne woordes but the woordes of the Heretique zvvenkfeldius But how then if zvvenkfeldius make exclamation on the other side and saie that the same very woordes be not his but Hosius owne woordes For tel me where hath zvvenkfeldius euer written them Or if he haue written them and Hosius haue iudged the same to be wicked why hath not Hosius spoken so mutche as one woorde to confute them How so euer the mater goe although Hosius peraduenture wil not allowe of those woordes yet he dothe not disallow the meaninge of the woordes For welueare in al Controuersies namely touchinge the vse of the Holy Communion vnder Bothe Kindes although the woordes of Christe be plaine and euident yet dothe Hosius disdeinefully reiecte them as no better then Colde Dead Elementes and commaundeth vs to geeue Faithe to certaine Newe Lessons appointed by his Churche and to I wote not what Reuelations of the Holy Ghoste And Pighius saith Mēne ought not to beleue no not the most cleare manifeste woordes of the Scriptures onlesse the same be allowed for good by the Interpretation Authoritie of the Churche whereby he meaneth the Churche of Rome M. Hardinge How ignorantly wickedly and stubbornely the Authour of this Apologie burdeneth the reuerent Father in God and Honourable prelate Cardinall Hosius with that he neuer saide it is not vnknowen to al men who haue readen that Booke whiche he wrote De Expresso verbo Dei of the expresse VVoorde of God Here I aske so muche pardon as to detecte an hereticall touche or twoo before I make direct answeare to the foule slaunderinge of Hosius Firste I note with what fidelitie these newe Holy brethren doo their thinges It maie be thought that the Secretary of this newe Clergie at his penninge of the Apologie sawe not Hosius Booke of the expresse woorde of God But as they haue benne conuersant in S. Augustine Hierome Chrysostome and the Auncient Fathers so vse they Hosius at this time that is to saie they reade neither the Olde Fathers with any diligence neither the writers of our time But by snappes and pieces either them selues write out here and there a line or two or vse that whiche some of their owne secte hath taken out of them So that for moste parte they neuer knowe the true meaninge of the place whiche they alleage But vsinge patched note bookes and bringinge in scattered Authorities they be deceiued themselues and deceiue others And he that tooke the note knewe well they were not the woordes of Hosius and did but onely put the name of Hosius vnto them because they were taken out of his Booke The writer of this Apologie not knowinge or not remembringe so muche when he founde in the note booke the name of Hosius with suche woordes he did rashely put them in printe to his owne greate shame and discredite If this excuse be not true wee muste needes laie maruelous malice to the saide writer who wittingly and of set purpose did impute the woordes to Hosius whiche he reported by waie of mislikinge of them and shewinge whose Heresie they conteined Now let the Defenders chose whether they will haue their Secretarie condemned of ignorance or of malice How so euer it be marke yet the thirde pointe whiche hereof we wil gather The Apologie was skant Printed and published but that grosse errour was out of hande espied and woorde thereof brought to the Authour I meane him that penned it But what did he Did he confesse that he was deceiued Did he crie Hosius mercie No no. That is not the woonte of Heretikes They wil go forewarde with the matter once begonne what so euer come of it VVhat did he then VVhen it shoulde be set foorthe in Englishe and woorde came to him thereof he made an excuse I warraunt you meete for an Heretike whose propertie it is Proficere in peius as S. Paule saithe to proceede to worse and worse to take his degree backewarde and of a great faulte to make a farre greatter For whereas before as Charitiemoueth me to thinke he had made an errour supposinge Hosius to haue saide that whiche he had not after warde by stubborne mainteininge of it he sheweth what spirite he is of And when he mighte reasonably haue excused his ignorance chose rather spitefully to discouer his malice As it shall manifestly appeare by the circumstance of the thinge He laieth to Hosius charge and in his persone to all our charges that we do not esteeme the Holy Scriptures He proueth it by certaine woordes alleaged out of a treatise made by Hosius De Expresso verbo Dei The woordes are here put in the Apologie as the reader maie see The true argumente of Hosius booke is no other then to shewe that all Heretikes haue alleaged the woordes of God as they be written But none of them all haue taken the righte vnderstandinge of Goddes woordes as they doo in deede signifie For that onely the Catholike Churche atteineth vnto because onely it hath the Holy Ghoste All Heretikes haue brought for their opinions the written VVoorde of God so longe vntill at the laste saithe Hosius there were founde who by the woordes of the Scriptures toke vpon them to take away al Auctoritie from Scriptures Natum est saithe he nouum quoddam Prophetarum genus
of the Romaine Churche is the infallible Rule of Faithe from the vvhiche the Holy Scripture taketh her force And Indulgences and Pardonnes saithe he are not made knovven to vs by the Authoritie of the Scriptures but they are knovven to vs by the Authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishoppes of Rome vvhich is greater then the Scriptures Pigghius also letteth not to saie that without the licence of the Romaine Church we ought not to beleue the very Plaine Scriptures Mutch like as if any of those that cannot speake pure and cleane Latine and yet can babble out quickely and readily a litle somme sutche Lawe Latine as serueth the Courte woulde needes holde that al others ought also to speake after the same waie that Mammetrectus and Catholicon spake many yeeres agoe and whiche themselues doo yet vse in pleadinge in Courte for so maie it be vnderstoode sufficiently what is said mennes desires maie be satisfied that it is a fondenesse nowe in the later ende to trouble the worlde with a newe kinde of speakinge and to cal againe the olde finenesse and eloquence that Cicero and Caesar vsed in theire daies in the Latine tongue So mutche are these menne beholden to the folie darkenesse of the former times Many thinges as one writeth are had in estimation oftentimes bicause thei haue benne once dedicate to the Temples of the Heathen Goddes Euen so wee see at this daie many thinges allowed highly sette by of these menne not bicause they iudge them so mutche woorthe but onely bicause they haue benne receiued into a custome and after a sorte dedicate to the Temple of God M. Hardinge Ye haue neuer donne with the Churche of Rome I cannot blame you For so long as that standeth without ye repente and tourne ye shal neuer be taken but for sutche as ye be Schismatikes and Heretikes But alas poore soules what thinke ye to ouerthrowe that Churche builded vpon the rocke Peter againste whiche hitherto neither tyrauntes nor Heretikes farre passinge you in lerninge and honestie of common life coulde euer preuaile Trowe ye to extinguishe that faithe of the Romaine Churche whiche is the same that was the faithe of Peter for which Christe praied that it should neuer faile Ye laboure in vaine VVel may Sathan winne you the Churche whiche our Lorde praied for by you shal he neuer winne Geue ouer therefore your vaine and wicked attemptes Trust not in the patches that falsely ye allege out of Canonistes gloses scholemen riminge poetes Heretikes and who so euer be they neuer so bad Some ignorant persons maye ye deceiue whose sinnes deserue the same VVhat Syluester Prierlât saieth I minde not here to discusse Neither where he saithe that you alleage haue you thought good to tel vs lest by perusinge the place we shoulde take you in a lie as we haue almoste in al your other allegations The like sinceritie you use in alleaginge Pighius VVe binde our selues neither to the wordes of Syluester nor of Pighius If they erre what is that to vs Let them beare theire owne burthen If they tel truth we beleue them for truthes sake If otherwise we leaue that parte for you to carpe If Syluester Prierias saide that for pointes of belefe the Doctrine of the Romaine Churche is a squire to trie theire truthe by the same beinge wel vnderstanded is right true Likewise if Pighius saie that the Romaine Churche sheweth vnto vs which be the approued and vndoubted scriptures and whiche be not this is so true as your selfe I suppose wil yelde thereunto As for that the scripture receiued from the Churche of Rome Authoritie credite and force if in your meaninge you exclude God that is your lie not Syluesters sentence If relation be made to vs that we ought not geue credite vnto it onlesse it had ben shewed to be holy scripture by the Romaine Church whiche is the true Churche of Christe in this sense be it Syluester or who els so euer saithe it it is a true saieinge and agreable to S. Augustine Ego Euangelio non crederem nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commueret Authoritas I woulde not beleue the Gospel except the Auctoritie of the Catholike Churche moued me And for that you alleage out of him touchinge indulgences truthe it is the ful and whole knowledge of them is not plainely opened vnto vs by expresse and euident wordes of Scripture no more then the mysterie of the blessed Trinitie baptizinge of infantes and many other truthes but rather by the doctrine of the Romaine Churche VVhere you tel vs of Pighius that he letteth not to saie that without the licence of the Romishe Churche for in that word you please your selfe wel we ought not to beleue the very plaine scriptures we wil proclaime you a lyer vntil you shewe vs where he spake so farre beside reason and lerninge The holy Churche doth not wil vs to staie from belefe of the scriptures vntil we haue licence but by al waies and meanes inuiteth and stirreth vs to beleue the truthe in the scriptures vttered The B. of Sarisburie The greatest weight hereof vpon twoo of your Doctoures Syluester Prieriâs and Albertus Pigghius Whoe 's credite notwithstandinge yée woulde faine otherwise saue vpright yet here as it séemeth ye are contente for shame to géeue them ouer VVe binde our selues yée saie neither to the woordes of Syluester nor of Pigghius If they erre what is that to vs This shorte and blunte answeare notwithstandinge it séeme to like wel you yet perhaps Prieriâs and Pigghius it woulde not like I sée no greate cause to the contrarie but either of them might as wel renounce your Authoritie and saie of you Wée are not bounde neither to M. Hardinges woordes nor to his felowes For that yée doubte the Truthe of our allegations reade Syluester Prieriâs Maister of the Popes Palace in his Booke entituled Contra praesumptuosas Martini Lutheri Conclusiones de potestate Papae His wordes there emongest others be these Quicūque nō innititur Doctrinae Romanae Ecclesiae ac Romani pōlificis tanquam Regulae Dei infallibili à qua etiam sacra Scriptura robur trahit Authoritatem Haereticus est Who so euer leaneth not to the Doctrine of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishop of Rome as vnto the infallible Rule of God of vvhiche Doctrine the Holy Scripture taketh force and Authoritie he is an Heretique Againe he saithe Authoritas Romanae Ecclesiae Romanique pontificis maior est c. The Authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishop of Rome is greater then the Authoritie of Goddes woorde As for that is here alleged of Pigghius it is the very sounde and sense of the greatest parte of his Common place De Ecclesia Of whoe 's iudgemente herein M. Caluine writeth thus Pighius ait Nullius Scripturae Authoritate quantum libet Clarae nostro quidem
M. Hardinge here moueth and the whole contention of the Arians Epiphanius writethe thus Nomen Substantiae simpliciter nudè in veteri Noua Scriptura non proponitur Sententia autem eius nominis vbique ocâ—urrié This woorde Substance plainely and nakedly is not founde neither in the Olde not in the Newe Testamente But the sense and meaninge of that woorde is founde euerywhere In this conference and Iudgemente of the Holy Scriptures wée néede oftentimes the discretion and wisedome of Learned Fathers Yet notwithstandinge maye wée not géeue them herein greater crediâ—e then is conuenient or then they them selues if it were offered would receiue Wée maye reuerently saye of them as Seneca in the like case sommetime saide Non sunt Domini sed Duces nostri They are our Leaders but not our Lordes They are not the Truthe of God it selfe but onely witnesses vnto the Truthe Therfore S. Augustine saithe Alios Scriptores ita lego vt quanâ—alibet Sanctitate Doctrinaque praepolleant non ideò verum putem quòd ipsi ita senserint sed quòd id mihi vel per alios Authores Canonicos vel probabili ratione persuadere potuerint Other writers or Fathers bisides the Holy Scriptures I reade in this sorte that be theire Learninge or Holinesse neuer so greate I wil not thinke it true bicause they haue thought so but bicause they are hable to persuade me so either by other Canonical writers or els by some likely reason Likewise againe he saithe Hoc genus literatum noÌ„ cum credendi necessitate sed cum iudicandi libertate legendum est This kinde of writinges of the Holy Doctours and Fathers must be readde not with necessitie to beleeue eche thinge but with libertie to iudge of eche thinge And to that ende he saithe Ne Catholicis quidem Episcopis consentiendum est sicubi fortè falluntur vt contra Canonicas Dei Scripturas sentiant Wee maie not consente vnto the Bishoppes notwithstandinge they be Catholique if they iudge contrarie to the Holy Canonical Scriptures In this authoritie and credite wée haue and ought to haue the Holy Fathers Nowe let vs sée whethér the Bishoppes and others in these Councelles confuted these Heretiques as wée saye by the Scriptures or els as M. Hardinge séemethe to saye for wante or weakenesse of the Scriptures vsed therein the Authoritie of the Fathers Firste the Emperour Constantinus in the Councel of Nice instructinge the Bishoppes there howe they might beste debate theire quarrelles and ende al striues saithe thus vnto them Euangelicae Apostolicae Literae Veterum Prophetarum Oracula perspicuè nos instituunt quid oporteat sapere de voluntare sensu Dei. Ponentes ergo contentionem ex diuinitùs inspiraris oraculis quaeramus solutionem eorum quae proponuntur The Euangelistes and Apostles Writinges and the saieinges of the Olde Prophetes doo clearely instructe vs what iudgemente wee ought to haue of the meaninge and wil of God Therefore saieinge a fide al contention out of those Heauenly Oracles let vs seeke for the assoilinge of our questions Socrates also touchinge the same Councel of Nice saithe thus of the Arian Heretiques Explicantes Sacrosanctas Scripturas saepe illos euertimus By openinge and expoundinge the Holy Scriptures oftentimes wee ouerthrewe them Likewise S. Augustine disputinge againste the same Arians refusethe as I haue saide before bothe Councelles and Fathers and appealethe onely to the Scriptures Nec ego Nicenam Synodum tibi nec tu mihi Ariminensem debes obijcere Scripturarum Authoritatibus res cum re causa cum causa ratio cum ratione concertet Neither wil I allege the Councel of Nice against you nor shal you allege the Councel of Ariminum againste me By the Authoritie of the Scriptures let vs weigh mater with mater cause with cause reason with reason Touchinge the Councel holden at Constantinople against Macedonius and the Diuinitie of the Holy Ghoste Athanasius saithe Ne interroges sed solùm ex Sacris literis condiscas Sufficiunt enim documenta quae in illis reperias Neuer mooue question hereof but onely learne of the Holy Scriptures For the onely proufes that ye shal there finde are sufficient to warrant the Godhed of the Holy Ghoste So likewise saithe Euagrius of the other twoo Councelles of Ephesus and Chalcedon Ex Euangelicis Apostolicis de Domino vocibus scimus Viros illos Diuinos constituisse Wee knowe that these Godly Fathers concluded this mater by suche woordes as the Euangelistes and Apostles haue vttered of our Lorde Therefore the Auncient Father Origen saithe Vide quà m propè periculis illi sint qui negliguÌ„t exerceri in Diuinis Literis ex quibus Solis examinationis huiusmodi agnoscenda discretio est Consider in what daunger they be that haue no care to reade the Holy Scriptures For by the same Scriptures Onely the iudgement of this trial must be allowed Euen so saithe Chrysostome Etiamsi in ipsis Veris Ecclesijs quae Dei sunt dixerint Christum apparuisse nolite eis credere dicentibus ista de me Non enim digna est Diuinitatis meae haec notitia OsteÌ„dens per haec quòd ab ipsis saepè Veris Ecclesijs excunt seductores Proptereà ne ipsis quidem credendum est nisi ea vel dicant vel faciant quae conuenientia sint Scripturis Yea if they saie that Christe hathe appeared in the very true Churches of God yet beleeue them not For this is no woorthy or sufficient knoweledge of my Godhed By this he sheweth that out of the very true Churches oftentimes come foor the deceiuers Therefore wee maie not beleeue no not them that speake vnto vs in the name of the Churche onlesse they speake and doo suche thinges as are agreeable to the Scriptures In like manner againe saithe Origen Necesse nobis est in restimonium vocare Sancras Scripturas Sensus quippe nostri enarrationes sine ijs restibus non habent fidem Wee muste needes calle to witnesse the Holy Scriptures For our iudgementes and expositions without those witnesses carrie no credit And to leaue al other like authorities that might he alleged for shorte conclusion S. Augustine saithe Solis Canonicis Scripturis sine vlla recusatione coÌ„sensum debeo I owe my consente without gaine saieinge not vnto the Doctours or Fathers but Onely vnto the Canonical Scriptures But the Bishoppes in those Councelles saithe M. Hardinge brought foorthe and folowed the expositions of the Auncient Learned Fathers And wherefore might they not What man euer taught or saide the contrarie Yet notwithstandinge they alleged them not as the fundations or groundes but onely as approued and faitheful witnesses of the Truthe Whiche thinge if M. Hardinge happily wil denie maie easily appeare by the woordes of Cyrillus pronounced and published openly in the Councel of Chalcedon Gratulamur nobis mutuò quòd nostrae vestrae Ecclesiae Fidem habent
Papae Pecora campi id est homines viuentes in terra Pisces maris id est animas in Purgatorio Volueres Coeli id est animas Beatorum These woordes S. Paule applieth onely vnto Christe meaninge thereby that God hath auanced him aboue al Powers Dominions and that al thinges are subiecte vnto him But the Romaine Sense is far otherwise Thou haste made al thinges subiecte vnto him that is to saye to the Pope The Cattaile of the Fielde that is to saye Menne liuinge in the Earthe The Fishes of the Sea that is to saye the Soules in Purgatories The Birdes of the Heauens that is to saye the Soules of the Blessed in Heauen I leaue M. Hardinges owne peculiar Expositions Drinke ye al of this that is to saye as he geathereth in Conclusion Drinke ye not al of this It is the Substance that is to saye It is the Accidens By sutche prety Senses I wil not saie as S. Hierome saithe De Euangelio Christi facitis hominis Euangelium aut quod peius est Diaboli Of the Gospel of Christe ye make the Gospel of a Man or that is woorse the Gospel of the Diuel I wil not so saye But thus maye I saye with the Prophete Esal Ye make Lighte Darkenesse and Darkenesse Lighte Yet muste wée néedes beléeue vpon M. Hardinges Woorde that the Scripture without the Sense of the Churche of Rome is no Scripture And therefore Hasius saithe Si quis haâ—eat interpretationem Ecclesiae Romanae de loco aliquo Scripturae etiamsi nec sciat nec intelligat an quomodo ' cùm Scripturae verbis conueniat tamen habet ipsissimum Verbum Dei If a man haue the exposition of the Churche of Rome touchinge any place of the Scriptures although he neither knowe nor vnderstande whether and howe it agreeth with the woordes of the Scripture yet he hath the verie Woorde of God So saithe Rabbi Abraham Hispanus speakinge of the expositions of the Rabbines Licet videantur nobis verba nostra esse vera recta nobis tamen Veritas abijcienda est in terram quia Veritas cum illis est Not withstandingâ— our Expositions seeme to vs neuer so True and righte yet muste wee throwe our Truthe to the grounde For the Truthe in deede is with them Lyra likewise reporteth the common opinion the Iewes had of their Rabines Recipienduâ—r est quicquid hoc modo proponatur etiamsi dicant Dextrant esse Sinistram Wee muste needes receiue what so euer they laye vnto vs yea although they tel vs The Righte hande is the Lefte Nowe gentle Reader that thou maiste the better see the constancie and certainetie of these Senses and Expositions whereunto M. Hardinge laboureth so earnestly to haue thee bounde it maye please thee to consider these woordes of Nicolaus Cusanus sometime Cardinal in the Churche of Rome Non est mirum si Praxis Ecclesiae vno tempore interpreâ—atur Scripturam vno modo alio tempore alio modo Nam lntellectus currit cum Praxi Intellectus enim qui cum Praxi concurrit est Spiritus Viuificans Sequuntur ergo Scripturae Ecclesiam non è conuerso It is no marueile though the Practise of the Churche expounde the Scriptures at one time one waye and at an other time an other waie For the vnderstandinge or Sense of the Scriptures renneth with the practise and that sense so agreeinge with the practise is the quickeninge Sprite And therefore the Scriptures folowe the Churche but contrariewise the Churche foloweth not the Scriptures For sutche kindes of Expositions of the Scriptures S. Hilarie saide sometime vnto the Arians Fides ergo temporum magis est quà m Euangeliorum The Faithe therefore foloweth the time and not the Gospel This is the Sense of the Churche of Rome whereby onely M. Hardinge willeth vs to measure and to weighe the Woorde of God But the Ancient Father Origen saithe Sicut omne Aurum quodcunque fuerit extra Templum non est Sanctificatum sic omnis Sensus qui fuerit extra Diuinam Scripturam quamuis admirabilis videatur quibusdam non est Sanctus quia non continetur à Sensu Scripturae As what so euer Golde is without the Temple is not Sanctified so what so euer Sense is without the Holy Scripture although vnto some it seeme wounderful yet is it not Holy bicause it is not conteined in the Sense of the Scripture To conclude where as M. Hardinge saithe wee cannot vnderstande the Scriptures without Tradition the ancient Father Irenaeus saithe This is one special marke whereby wee maye knowe an Heretique These be his woordes Haeretici cùm arguuntur ex Scripturis in accusationem Scripturarum conuertuntur quasi non rectè habeant nec sint ex authoritate quòd variè fint dictae quòd ex his non possit inueniri Veritas ab illis qui Traditionem nesciunt Heretiques when they be reprooued by the Scriptures they falle to the accusinge of the Scriptures as though either they were not wel and perfite or wanted authoritie or were doubtefully vttered or that they that knowe not the Tradition were neuer hable by the Scriptures to finde out the Truthe The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 2. Menne saie that Sophocles the Tragical Poete when in his old daies he was by his owne Sonnes accused before the Iudges for a dotinge and sottishe man as one that fondely wasted his owne Substance and seemed to neede a gouernour to see vnto him to the intent he might cleere him self of the faulte he came into the place of Iudgemente and when he had rehearsed before them his Tragedie called Oedipus Colonaeus whiche he had written at the very time of his accusation marueilous exactely cunningly did aske the Iudges in his owne behalfe whether they thought any sottishe or dotinge man coulde doo the like peece of Woorke In like manner bicause these menne take vs to be madde and appeache vs for Heretiques as menne whiche haue nothinge to doo neither with Christe nor with the Churche of God wee haue iudged it should be to good purpose and not vnprofitable if wee doo openly and frankely set foorthe our Faithe wherein wee stande and shewe al that confidence whiche wee haue in Christe Iesu to the intent al menne maye see what is our iudgement of euery parte of Christian Religion maye resolue with them selues whether the Faithe whiche they shal see confirmed by the Woordes of Christe by the Writinges of the Apostles by the Testimonies of the Catholique Fathers and by the Examples of many ages be but a certaine rage of Furious and madde menne and a conspiracie of Heretiques This therefore is our beliefe M. Hardinge The comparison whiche ye make betweene your selues and Sophocles gladly we admitte Yet we acknowledge that as in many respectes ye are like so in some vnlike Sophocles was a Poet that is to saie a fainer and deuiser of thinges that be
Hardinge be hable easily to winne the price He saithe Our Doctrine is but in a Corner of the worlde and that therefore Christe hathe geuen this watche woorde of vs Beleeue them not How be it if he would aduisedly consider the mater and looke wel about him he shoulde finde that so many Kingdomes and Countries and Commonweales as this day professe the Gospel of Christe would make a good large Corner in the Churche of God Certainely in respecte thereof Rome it selfe were a very poore Corner Vnto whom Christe specially pointed when he saide these woordes Beleeue them not bicause it is a Prophesie it is harde to iudge But it is very likely he meante Antichriste that Man of Sinne the Childe of destruction that auanceth him selfe aboue al that is called God Verily Chrysostome thereof saithe thus Non dico si dixerint vobis Ecce in Haereticis Ecclesijs illis vel in illis apparuit Christus sed etiam si in ipsis veris Ecclesijs quae Dei sunt id est domus vestrae dixerint vobis Christum apparuisse nolite eis credere dicentibus ista de me quia non est digna Diuinitatis meae notitla haec Ostendens per haec quomodò ex ipsis Ecclesijs veris frequenter exeunt Seductores Proptereà nec ipsis omninò credendū est nisi ea dicant vel faciant quae conuenientia sint Scripturis I saie not if they tel you Behold Christe hathe appeared in these or these Churches of Heretiques But if they shal saie vnto you that Christe bathe appeared in the very true Churches that are of God that is to saie that are your houses Beleeue them not if they saie thus of me for this is no woorthy knowledge of my Diuinitie By these he sheweth hovv that out of the very true Churches oftentimes come foorthe deceiuers Therefore wee maie not beleue no not them onlesse they speake or doo those thinges that are agreeable to the Scriptures Verily how so euer M. Hardinge wil shifte this mater the plaine woordes séeme rather to touche him and his companie then either Luther or Zuinglius or any other For they can pointe with theire fingers and saie Here is Christe and There is Christe Behold In this Pyre are three Christes in that fiue in that seuen in that moe Therefore it is likely that Christe géeueth vs this special watche woorde of them and sutche others Beleeue them not Here M. Hardinge maketh mutche adoo about Consecration and yet are not his Felowes wel agreed what to make of theire owne Consecration Gabriel saithe Chritus potuit sine verbo tanquam verus Deus Substantiam Panis Vini Consecrare Vel potuit verba quaedam secretò proferre per illa Consecrare Vel per haec Verba Hoc est Corpus meum Consecrare potuit Vel potuit priùs Consecrare posteà distribuere Vel primùm distribuere posteà Consecrare Quid autem horum fecerit ex Sacris Scripturis non constat Christe as beinge very God might Consecrate the Substance of Breade and VVine vvithout vvoorde Or els he might speake certaine wordes in secrete and by them Consecrate Or els he might Consecrate by these woordes This is my Body Or els he might firste Consecrate and after deliuer Or els firste deliuer and after Consecrate But vvhiche of al these he did in deede by the Holy Scriptures it appeareth not Cardinal Bessarion saithe that in the Latine Churche Consecration is wrought by the vvoordes of Christe in the Gréeke Churche by other Praiers that folowe afterwarde Catharinus intreatinge pourposely hereof saithe Christe Consecrated not vvith the same vvordes that are nowe vsed in the Masse This is my Body Durandus saithe Christe Consecrated by his Diuine povver and after Consecration saide This is my Body Petrus Alliacensis yeldeth this reason hereof Quia nisi antè fuisset Corpus Christi Christus non verè dixisset Hoc est Corpus meum If it had not benne Christes Body before Christe coulde not haue said truely This is my Body It is concluded in a Booke called Antididagma lately set foorth by the Chapter of Colaine that the bare woordes of Christes Institution without the woordes of the Canon of the Masse are not sufficient to woorke Consecration Bonauentura saithe To haue the true Fourme of Consecration wée muste séeke not to the Gospel of Christe but to the Canon Howe be it thereof groweth a greate inconuenience that Christe and his Apostles for that they had not the woordes of the Canon had therefore no Consecration Againe Bonauentura saithe that these woordes Noui Aeterni Testamenti are not of the substance of Consecration but are vsed onely as a fourniture Iohannes Scotus saithe Quod ergo est consilium Dico quòd Sacerdos intendens facere quod facit Ecclesia legens distinctè verba Canonis à Principio vsque ad finem verè consicit nec est tutum alicui reputare se valde peritum in scienua sua dicere volo uti praecisè istis verbis pro Consecratione The mater beinge so doubteful what then is your Counsel I saie that the Prieste intendinge to doo what so euer the Churche doothe and readinge the woordes of the Canon distinctly and plainely from the beginninge to the ende doothe verily Consecrate Neither is it good for a man to recken him selfe very skilful in his knowledge and to saie I vvil vse precisely these or these vvoordes to vvoorke Consecration Where also these woordes are specially noted in the Margine Nota quòd de hae materia Doctor nihil hîc asserit sed probabiliter aliquid dicens sub dubio relinquit Here marke that touching this mater of Consecration the Doctour auoucheth nothing but speakinge sommewhat by the waie of likelyhoode he leaueth the vvhole mater vnder doubte In the ende Scotus vncertainely and doubtefully concludeth thus Vnde dicunt aliqui quòd Forma Graecorum Forma nostra quaecunque scripta in Euangelijs sufficiens est ad Consecrationem Whereof somme saie thus that the Fourme of vvoordes that the Greekes vse and the Fourme that vvee vse and any Fourme els vvritten in the Gospels is sufficient to Consecration The like certainetie Bonauentura teacheth vs For thus he endeth De hoc est vtilius dubitare Quis enim potest scire vtrùm Euangelistae aut Apostolus ipse intenderint describete Formam Igitur melius est hîc piè dubitare quà m praesumptuosé definire Hereof it is best to stande in doubte For who can tel whether the Euangelistes or the Apostle Paule him selfe meante to write vs the Fourme of Consecration Therefore in this pointe it is better Soberly to doubte then presumptuously to determine By these fewe good Christian Reader thou maiste sée the grounde and certainetie of M. Hardinges Doctrine He saithe Wée haue no Consecration for that wée lacke a Thing but what Thinge it should be he and his Felowes cannot tel How be it in deede wée vse the
Sacramente no more but a Token or Signe specially sith ye teache in your articles that Baptisme at the best is but a Signe and Seale of our newe birthe ye seme not to attribute to Baptisme so mutche as the Scripture dothe Neither is Baptisme onely a Signe or TokeÌ„ that sinnes be remitted but wee beleeue as the Catholique Churche according to the Scriptures teacheth that in and by Baptisme sinnes be fully and truely remitted and put awaie and that not through the Faithe onely of the geuer or receiuer or of any other though hereunto it be necessarie in thâ—se that be come to age of discretion but through the power and vertue of the Sacrament and Gods promise And therefore to whom it is geuen of them it is rightly saide that they be Baptized for remission of their sinnes The scriptures be plaine Firste Ezechiel speakinge of this Holy Sacrament saithe in the person of God I wilshed vpon you cleane water and ye shal be made cleane from al your defilinges and from your Idols wil I clense you Nexte S. Paule saithe That God hath saued vs by the wasshinge of Regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy Ghoste whom he hath powred vpon vs aboundantly by Iesus Christe our Sauiour That I maie adde to these manifest Scriptures the Auctoritie of a Learned Father not whereby to strengthen the truthe of them but to witnesse our right vnderstandinge of them S. Augustine Lib. 3. contra duas epist Pelagian Cap. 3. shewinge the sclaunder of the Pelagians againste the Catholikes saithe thus in theire Persone Againe they that is after theire meaninge the Catholikes auouche that Baptisme maketh not in deede newe menne againe that is to witte that it geueth not ful remission of sinnes c. Thereto eftsones answearinge S. Augustine saithe Mentiuntur iusidiantur tergiuersantur They lye they studye howe to deceiue they seeke shiftes wee saie not this And after certaine sentences retourninge to Baptisme he concludeth thus VVherefore Baptisme wassheth awaie al sinnes vtterly al of dedes wordes thoughtes be they Original or Actual be they done ignorantly or wittingly But it taketh not awaie the infirmitie whiche the regenerate resisteth c. VVhiche place doth not onely set foorthe the vertue of Baptisme but also destroieth the Doctrine of our New Gospellers that affirme concupiscence whiche remaineth after Baptisme to be verily sinne â–ª VVherein they erre manifestly againste the Scripture and sense of the Fathers The B. of Sarisburie Il wil is euer plenetiful of ili wordes M. Hardinge here maketh him selfe mutche mater without cause He teacheth our Newe Cleregie that Baptisme is not onely a Signe or a Token of Remission of sinnes He telleth vs of the Faithe of the Geeuer of the Faithe of the Receiuer Of the Povver of the Sacramente Of Concupiscence that it is no sinne And more I trowe he would haue saide if more had presently comme to minde Verily the poore Newe Cleregie speaketh not one woorde in al this whole place neither of Signe nor of Token nor of the Receiuer nor of the Geeuer nor of the Povver of the Sacrament nor of Concupiscence whether it be Sinne or not Sinne nor of any other like thinge Yet in yâ— ende he taketh S. Augustines vvoordes vvithout his meaninge and crieth againste vs They lie they studie to deceiue they seke shiftes And why so Certainely bicause wée saie Baptisme is a Sacrament of Remission of Sinnes And that the Children of the Faitheful for that they be borne in Sinne and perteine to the people of God ought therefore to be Baptized Other causes then these in any Our Woordes he can finde none True it is that the Sacramente dependeth not neither of the Minister nor of the Receiuer nor of any other For though they be al the Children of sinne yet is Baptisme the Sacramente of Remission of Sinne. S. Augustine saithe Securum me fecit Magister meus de quo spiritus eius dicit Hic est qui Baptizat Christe my Maister hath assured me of whom his owne Sprite saithe this is he that Baptizeth Neuerthelesse concerninge the Faithe of the Parentes and others the Holy Doctours haue sommetimes written otherwise S. Augustine saithe Satis piè recteque creditur Prodesse paruulo eorum Fidem à quibus Consecrandus offertur It is good and Godly to beleue that the Child is holpen by the Faithe of them by whom he is offered or brought vnto Baptisme Againe he saithe Accommodat illis Mater Ecclesia aliorum pedes vt veniant aliorum Cor vt credant Our Mother the Churche lendeth them other mennes fecte that they maie comme â–ª and other mennes hartes that they maie beleeue The like saieings might be alleged out of Iustinus Martyr S. Cyprian S. Hierome and others For thus they write Howe truely I wil not saie But theire woordes be plaine The Prophets Abacuc saithe Iustus ex Fide sua viuet The Juste man shal liue not by the Faithe of his Parentes but by his ovvne Faithe Of this Faith S. Hierome saith Qui plena Fide non suscipiunt Salutare Baptisma accipiunt quidem Aquam sed non accipiunt Spiritum They that receiue not Baptisme with perfite Faithe receiue the VVater But the Holy Ghoste they receiue not S. Augustine saithe Verus Baptismus constat non tam ablutione Corporis quà m Fide Cordis Sicut Apostolica Doctrina tradidit dicens Fide mundans Corda eorum Et alibi Saluos facit Baptisma non Carnis depositio sordiuÌ„ sed conscientiae bonae interrogatio in Deum per Resurrectionem Iesu Christi True Baptisme standeth not so mutche in wasshinge of the Body as in the Faithe of the harte As the Doctrine of the Apostles hathe tought vs saieinge By Faithe purifieinge theire hartes And in an other place Baptisme maketh vs safe not yâ— putting awaie of the filth of the Fleash but the examining of a good conscience before God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christe Likewise againe he saith Vnde ista tanta Virtus Aquae vt corpus tangat Cor abluat nisi faciente Verbo Non quia dicitur sed quia creditur VVhence is al this so greate Vertue or Power of the VVater that it toucheth the Body and wassheth the Harte but by the woorkinge of the VVoord Not for that it is spoken by the Minister but for that it is beleeued of the Faitheful Somme man wil saie Children or Infantes beléeue nothinge but are vtterly voide of Faithe S. Augustine answeareth Qui non crediderit condemnabitur Sicut eos renasci per Ministerium Baptizantium ita etiam eos credere per corda ora confitentium confitemur He that beleeueth not shal be damned VVee confesse that as they be borne againe by the Ministerie of the Baptizers so they beleue by the hartes and mouthes of the Confessours Againe he saithe Habent Fidem propter Fidei Sacramentum Theie haue Faithe bicause they haue
Bernardes iudgemente of your Churche that it woulde heare no sounde Doctrine and that it for that cause seemed vtterly paste recouerie Therefore so certainely to assure your selfe of a thinge vncertaine it was no wisedome Wee maie saie of your Popes and Bishoppes whome onely ye meane by the name of your Churche as S. Hierome saide sometime of certaine others your Fathers longe agoe Non tam indignentur â—obis haec exponentibus Prophetis vaticinantibus quà m Dominum deprecentur studiosâ— agant ne de Sacerdoâ—ibus qui violant Sancta Domini esse mereantur Let them not take stomake againste vs that expounde these thinges nor againste the Prophetes that foretolde these thinges But let them praie vnto God and take good heede that they be not of those Priestes that defile the Holy thinges of the Lorde Churches ye saie not without profane malice ye cal Temples Malice comme vnto him M. Hardinge that Malice meaneth The Prophete Dauid saithe The Lorde in his Holy Temple S. Paule saithe Your Bodies be the Temples of the Holy Ghoste Know ye not that ye be the Temple of God If any man defile the Temple of God the Lorde wil destroie him Ye are the Temple of the Liuinge God What agreemente is there bitweene the Temple of God and an Idole So many times S. Paule nameth Temples togeather in one place and yet I thinke without any greate profane Malice But it shal be lawful for you M. Hardinge to make newe Sinnes and to saie The Apostles of Christe were malicious wicked onely for that they called the Churche of God by the name of Temple Would God ye had not turned Goddes Temple into the Synagoge of Sathan Wée sée by your practise it is true that S. Chrysostome saithe Sicut de Templo omne bonum egreditur ita etiam de Templo omne Malum procedit As euery good thinge proceedeth from the Temple so euery il thinge proceedeth likewise from the Temple In defence of your Halfe Communion ye saie For good causes ye teache the people to be contente with one Kinde And thus ye force the poore people contrarie to the expresse Woorde of Christe contrarie to the example of the Apostles and al the Holy Fathers in the Primitiue Churche and contrarie to the general vse and order of a whole thousande yéeres to geeue care to your good causes But these causes no doubte are greate and woorthy Otherwise yée would not weigh them againste God But wherefore are they dissembled Why are they not tolde vs Your owne Doctours Alphonsus de Castro and Iohn Gerson haue laide them out in this wise Particularely and at large The daunger of sheaddinge The carrieiâ—ge from place to place The fowlinge of the Cuppes The trouble of Mennes Beardes The Reseruinge for the Sicke The turninge of the VVine into Vineger The engendringe of Plees The Corruption or Putrefaction The Lothesomenesse that maie happen for so many to Drinke of one Cuppe The impossibilitie of prouidinge one Cuppe that maie be sufficiente to serue al the People In somme places VVine is deare in somme other places the VVine wil be frorne These M. Hardinge be the fairest and greattest of your good causes And yet haue you thus concluded in your late Chapter at Tridente Si quis dixerit â–ª Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam non iustis causis rationibus adductam fuisse vt Laicos atque etiam Clericos non conficientes sub Panis tantummodâ— specie Communicaret aut in eo errasse Anathema sit If any man shal saie that the Holy Catholique Churche without iuste Causes and reasons her mouinge doothe Communicate bothe the Laitie and also Priestes onlesse they Minister vnder the onely Fourme of Breade or that the Churche hath erred in the same Accursed be he Therefore Tertullian saithe rightly of you Credunt sine Scripturis vt Credant Contra Scripturas They Beleeue vvithout the Scriptures that they maie Beleeue againste the Scriptures But specially I beseche you M. Hardinge consider wel these woordes of S. Hierome and sée whether ye maie applie them to your selues or no In Consummatione Mundi scrutabitur Dominus Hierusalem id est Ecclesiam suam cum Lucerna vlciscetur super viros Contemptores qui noluerunt Seruare Custodias suas id est Mandata Domini Contempserunt insuper Ratione se peccare dicentes blasphemauerunt in Cordibus suis In the ende of the VVorlde our Lorde shal searche Hierusalem that is to saie his Churche with a Candel and shal wreake him selfe vpon the despisers that woulde not keepe their watches that is to saie that despised the Commaundementes of God and ouer and bisides this saieinge they hadde good Causes and Reasons vvherefore they shoulde offende breake Goddes Commaundementes they blasphemed in their Hartes That ye surmise of Gelasius is moste vntrue He speaketh not one Woorde there of the diuidinge of Christe as you imagine nor had he any cause so to speake But he saithe in moste plaine wise It is Sacrilege to doo the same thinge that you doo that is to saie to diuide the Sacramente to Minister the One parte as ye doo without the other Looke better on your Bookes and Confesse the Truthe as ye shal finde it The woordes be these Aut integra Sacramenta percipiant aut ab integris arceantur Quia diuisio vnius eiusdemque Mysterij sine grandi Sacrilegio non potest peruenire Either lette them receiue the vvhole Sacramentes or els let them be driuen from the vvhole For the Diuision ofone and the same Mysterie or Sacramente cannot happen without greate Sacrilege He speaketh not of the diuision of One Christe as you tel vs but of the diuision of One Mysterie Otherwise touchinge Christe wée saie with S. Paule Vnus Dominus Iesus Christus There is One Lorde Iesus Christe And wée proteste with the Bishoppes of the Easte in the Councel of Chalcedon Accursed be he that parteth Christe Accursed be he that diuideth him That you saie The order of your Latine Seruice hath euermore benne vsed in the Latine Churche from the beginning it is vtterly vntrue For proufe whereof I remitte you to my Former Replie in the thirde Article the fiftéenth Diuision The reste that ye allege is not woorthe the answearinge The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 2. Al these thinges muste they of necessitie saie onlesse perchaunce thei had rather saie thus That al Lavve and Right is locked vp in the treasurie of the Popes breaste and that as once one of his soothinge Pages and Clawbackes did not sticke to saie the Pope is hable to dispense againste the Apostles againste a Councel and againste the Canons and Rules of the Apostles and that he is not bounde to â–ª stande neither to the examples nor to the ordinaunces nor to the Lawes of Christe M. Hardinge To saie that al Lawe and right your Latine terme is Fas is locked vp in the
that he heareth loseth the thinge that he heareth Therefore the Pope him selfe in his Pontifical géeueth this special Charge vnto the Reader Stude Lectiones Sacras distinctè apertè proferre ad Intelligentiam aedificationem Fidelium Endeuoure thee selfe to pronounce the Holy Lessons or Chapters distinctely and plainely not to a Spiritual doumbenesse but to the vnderstandinge and profite of the Faitheful Touching the Praiers that the simple people maketh in a tongue vnknowen Christe saithe This people honoureth me with theire lippes But theire hartes are far from mee The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 2. In these thinges haue they set al theire Religion teachinge the people that by the same God maie be duely pacified Spirites be driuen awaie and mens consciences wel quieted M. Hardinge VVhat shal I saie to al this but that ye lie I would saie as the manner is Sauing your worshippes but that your often and vnshamefaste lieing hath quite taken awaie from you al opinion of honestie Al Christes Religion whiche we professe consisteth not in these thinges neither by these be mennes consciences quieted By certaine of these euil and impure sprites be driued awaie in deede VVhich here by sundry Aunciente recordes and Testimonies I woulde declare to be moste true were it not wel yenough knowen by daily experience But as for you whereas neither Breade nor VVater nor Crosse driueth you awaie it semeth ye are worse to be coniured then the deuil himselfe Many of your secte Catholike Princes haue founde so stubborne as they could yet neuer ridde theire Countries of them but by coniuration of fire The B. of Sarisburie Yée saie yée ye neuer sought to quiet mennes Cōsciences by Oile Water Palmes c. And therefore ye stande vp a tipps toe and in your familiare manner crie oute yee lie For shorte trial hereof one example maie suffice in stéede of many Augustine Steuchus one of your special and woorthy Doctoures saithe thus Aquas Sale Orationibus Sanctificamus vt ad earum Aspersum nostra deleātur delicta We halowe VVater with Salte and Praiers that by the Sprinkelinge thereof our sinnes maie be foregeeuen Reade your owne Pontifical and ye shal finde in the halowinge of your VVater your Asshes your Palmes your Candels c. this clause euermore in the ende Vt sint nobis ad Salutem Animae Corporis That they maie be to vs to the Saluation of Body and soule Whereas in the ende ye vaunte your selfe of your Crueltie and so pleasantly make Sporte with the Bloude of your Brethern take it not for il if I answeare you with the Woordes of Salomon Viscera impiorum crudelia The bowelles of the wicked be alwaies cruel Therein M. Hardinge standeth your greateste puissance If ye were no better armed with Fire and Svverde then ye be with Scriptures and Doctoures no wise man woulde greately feare your force As for vs wée maie answeare you now as S. Cyprian sommetime answeared the Heathens Nobis ignominia non est pati à Fratribus quod passus est Christus neque vobis gloria est facere quod fecit Iudas It is no shame for vs to suffer of our Brethren the same violence that Christe suffered neither is it any praise for you to doo the same thinge that Iudas did Tertullian saith vnto your Fathers Crudelitas vestra gloria nostra est Semen est Sanguis Christianorum Your crueltie is our Glorie The Bloude of Christians is the seede of the Gospel I praie God al that innocente Bloude that hath benne sheadde in this cause be not required at your handes in the daie of Wrathe and at the declaration of the iuste iudgemente of God The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 1. For these lo be the oriente colours and Pretious sauours of Christian Religion these thinges dooth God looke vpon and accepteth thē thankefully these must cōme in place to be honoured must put quite awaie the Institutions of Christe of his Apostles And like as in times paste when wicked Kinge Ieroboam had taken from the people the right seruing of God had brought thē to woorship the Golden Calues leste perchaunce thei might afterward change theire minde and slippe awaie geatinge them againe to Ierusalem to the Temple of God there hee exhorted them with a longe tale to be stedfast saieinge thus vnto them O Israel these Calues be thy Goddes In this sorte commaunded your God you shoulde woorship him For it shoulde be wearisome and troublous for you to take vpon you a iourney so farre of yeerely to goe vp to Ierusalem there to serue and honoure your God Euen after the very same sorte when these menne had once made the Lawe of God of none effecte through theire owne Traditions fearinge that the people shoulde afterwarde open theire eies fal an other waie and shoulde sommewhence els seeke a surer meane of theire Saluation Iesu howe often haue they cried out This is the same woorshippinge that pleaseth God and whiche hee straitely requireth of vs and wherewith he wil be turned from his wrathe that by these thinges is conserued the Vnitie of the Churche that by these al sinnes be cleansed and consciences quieted and that who so departeth from these hath leafte vnto him selfe no hope of Euerlastinge Saluation For it were wearisome and troublous saie they for the people to resorte to Christe to the Apostles and to the Anciente Fathers and to obserue continually what theire wil and commaundement should be This ye maie see is to withdrawe the people of God from the Weake Elementes of the worlde from the leauen of the Scribes and Phariseis and from the Traditions of menne It were reason no doubte that Christes Commaundementes and the Apostles were remoued that these theire diuises might comme in place O iuste cause I promise you why that Anciente and so longe allowed Doctrine shoulde be nowe abolished and a newe Forme of Religion be brought into the Churche of God M. Hardinge It shoulde haue becomme Scoggin Patche Iolle Harry Pattenson or VVil Sommer to haue tolde this tale mutche better then your Superintendentships And if ye woulde nedes haue plaied the parte your selues it had ben more conuenient to haue donne it on the stage vnder a vices cote then in a booke set abrode to the worlde in defence of al your newe Englishe Churche Ye shal neuer make any reasonoble man beleue your scoffinge tale VVe esteme litle your railinge comparison with your spiteful woordes and so mutche deuilishe villany The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 2. And yet whatsoeuer it be these menne crie stil that nothing ought to be changed that mens mindes are wel satisfied here withal that the Churche of Rome the Churche whiche cannot erre hath decreed these thinges For Syluester Prieriàs saith that the Romishe Churche is the Squier and Rule of Truthe that the Holy Scripture hath receiued from thence Authoritie and Credite The Doctrine saith he
there be any regarde of Honestie if there be any Hope or waie to liue wel An other saithe O nos miseros qui Christiani dicimur Genres agimus sub nomine Christi Miserable are wee that are called Christians VVe liue as Heathens vnder the name of Christe An other saithe O lugenda Roma quae nostris Maioribus clara Patrum Lumina protulisti nostris temporibus monstrosas tenebras futuro saeculo famosas offadisti O miserable Rome whiche in the time of oure Elders haste brought foorthe the lightes of woorthy Fathers but in our daies haste broughte foorthe Monstrous Darkenesse shameful and sclaunderous to the time to comme Petrarcha calleth Rome a Schoole of Erroure and a Temple of Heresie Brigitta whose woordes and Prophesies yée haue in reuerence saithe in her Reuelations Christus sumer Benedictionem à Clero Romano dabit eam alteri Genri facienti voluntatem Domini Christe shal take his blessinge from the Cleregie of Rome and shal geue the same vnto a people that shal doo his wil. By these sewe wée maie conceiue the whole state of the Churche of Rome whiche onely Churche aboue al others M. Hardinge telleth vs is so founded in the Truthe that it can neuer haue power to be deceiued Wee haue departed therefore from Shepeheardes that spoiled the flocke From Bishoppes that destroied the Churche that oppressed the Sprite of God that defied the voice of the Prophetes that persequuted Christe in his members that bothe perished them selues and killed others that walowed in monsters of filthinesse that liued as Heathens vnder the name of Christe That were voide of Charitie voide of Faithe voide of Discipline voide of Religion that were Christians onely in Titles and Ceremonies From whom Christe had vvithdravven his Blessinge To be shorte wée haue departed from the Temple of Heresie and from the Schoole of Erroure This M. Hardinge is the bewtie and face of your Romaine Cleregie this is that blessed Companie that wée haue foresaken Yet saie you It had benne better to haue died then to haue broken the Vnitie of sutche a Churche For your frendes tel you that without the Obedience of the Bishop of Rome there is no Hope of Saluation Notwithstanding your owne Clemens whom ye commonly cal the Apostles Felovve saithe thus Schisma efficit non qui ab Impijs secessionem facit sed qui à Pijs He maketh no Schisme or Diuision in the Churche that departeth from the Wicked but he that departeth from the Godly And therefore he addeth further Laici cum ijs qui contraria sententiae Dei dogmata defendunt nolite societatem habere neque participes illorum Impietatis fieri Ait enim Dominus Recedite de medio horum hominum ne cum eis pereatis Yee Laie menne haue no Felowship with them nor be you Partetakers of their VVickednesse that defende Doctrines contrarie to the doctrine of God For Our Lorde saithe Departe from the middes of this people leste yee perishe togeather with them Pope Pius 2. saithe Resistendum est quibuscunque in faciem siue Paulus siue Petrus sit qui ad Veritatem non ambulat Euangelij VVee muste withstande any man vnto the face be it Peter be it Paule if he walke not after the Truthe of the Gospel S. Augustine saithe Ne Catholicis quidem Episcopis consentiendum est sicubi fortè falluntur contra Canonicas Scripturas aliquid sentiant VVee maie not agree no not with the Catholique Bishoppes if they happen to be deceiued and thinke any thinge contrarie to the Canonical Scriptures S. Chrysostome saithe Ex ipsis Veris Ecclesijs frequenter exeunt seductores Propterea nec ipsis omninò credendum est nisi ca dicant vel faciant quae conuenientia sint Scripturis Euen oute of the very True Churches oftentimes there comme deceiuers Therefore wee maie not in any wise beleeue no not them notwithstandinge they be the True Churches of God onlesse they speake or doo sutche thinges as be agreeable to the Scriptures Anselmus a late VVriter expoundinge these woordes of S. Paule Tunc Reuelabitur ille iniquus saithe thus Romanus Pontifex qui tenet nunc Ecclesias teneat illas donec de medio fiat id est donec ab ipsa Romana Ecclesia quae est Medium Cor Ecclesiarum fiat iniquitas ob quam ab ea multae discedant Ecclesiae Let the Bishop of Rome that nowe holdeth the Churches holde them stil vntil it be taken awaie from the middes that is to saie vntil Wickednesse be wought of the Churche of Rome that is the Middest and harte of Churches for vvhiche vvickednesse many Churches shal departe from her S. Ambrose saithe Nullus pudor est ad meliora transire It is no shame to goe to the better S. Augustine saithe vnto Faustus the Heretique Ille me quondam de gremio tuo Error excusserat Expertus fugi quod experiri non debui That Erroure shooke me once out of thy bosome Beinge taught by proufe I haue fledde that thinge that I should not haue proued Ambrosius Ansbertus one of your owne Doctoures saithe Per Hieremiam Prophetam dicitur Exite de medio eius populus meus saluet vnusquisque animam suam ab ira faroris Domini Nequaquā enim in hac vita de medio Ciuitatis reprobae id est de medio malorum quos Babylon illa significat electorum aliquis valet exire nisi detestādo quod ab ipsis agitur agēdo quod ab ipsis detestatur The Prophete Hieremie saith O my people goe foorth frō the middes of them and saue euery man his owne soule frō the rage of oure Lordes furie For none of the Electe of God can in this life goe foorthe from the middes of that Wicked Cittie that is to saie from the middes of the euil whiche that Babylon signifieth but by defieinge that they doo and by dooinge that they defie And whereas yee would so faine daste our eies and couer your deformities with the name of the Churche S. Cyprian saithe Non est Pax sed Bellum nec Ecclesiae iungitur qui ab Euangelio separatur It is no Peace but VVarre neither is he ioined to the Churche that is diuided from the Gospel S. Chrysostome saithe Mihi Ciuitas non habens pios ciues Omni villa vilior est quacunque Spelunca ignobilior A Cittie that hathe not Godly Citizens is vnto me viler then any Village and more lothe some then any Caue And this he saithe of the Cittie of Antioche whiche by expresse woordes he more esteemeth then the Cittie of Rome Wee graunte wée haue departed from you vpon sutche occasion and in sutche sor te as Moses sommetime departed from oute of Aegypte or as S. Augustine from the Manichees How be it in very deede you naue rather departed from out of vs. Chrysostome saithe Sic de ista Noua Hierusalem id est
aske me Wherefore would ye haue al sutche other Authorities put away I answeare Bicause I would haue the Holy Churche to he proued not by the Doctrines of menne but by the VVoorde of God So saithe S. Augustine vnto other the Donatistes Auferantur de medio Chartae nostrae procedat in medium Codex Dei Audi Christum dicentem audi Veritatem loquentem Take a waie from emongst vs any our own Bookes Let the Booke of God comme emongste vs. Heare what Christe saithe Herken what the Truthe speaketh Againe he saithe Audi dicit Dominus Non dicit Donatus aut Rogatus aut Vincentius aut Hilarius aut Ambrosius aut Augustinus sed dicit Dominus Heare this The Lorde saithe Heare not this Donatus saithe Rogatus saithe Vincenius saithe Hilarius saithe Ambrose saithe Augustine saithe But herken to this The Lorde saithe In like fourme of woordes saithe S. Ambrose Nolo nobis credatur Scriptura recitetur Non ego dico à me In principio erat Verbum sed audio Non ego effingo sed lego I would not ye should beleeue vs But reade the Scriptures I saye not of mee selfe In the beginninge was the Woorde But I heare it I make it not but I reade it Likewise saithe Chrysostome Oro vos omnes vt relinquatis quid huic aut illi videatur de his à Scripturis haec omnia inquirite I beseeche you al weigh not what this man or that man thinketh but touching al these thinges searche the Scriptures Nowe where as it pleaseth M. Hardinge to telle vs of an Argumente Negatiue from Special to General and so to cal vs to the remembrance of our Logique pleaseth it him also to remeÌ„ber that the Argument that wee grounde of S. Augustines woordes holdeth not as it is here imagined froÌ„ Special to General but froÌ„ the imperfection and weakenesse of the wisedome of man to the stabilitie and certainetie of Goddes Holy Woorde And therefore the Olde Learned Father Origen saithe as it is alleged before Sensus nostri Enarrationes fine his testibus non habent fidem Our iudgementes and Expositions without these witnesses of the Scriptures haue no credite In like sorte S. Hierome Quamuis SaÌ„ctus sic aliquis post Apostolos quamuis disertus sit non habet Authoritatem After the Apostles of Christe notwithstandinge somme man be Holy notwithstandinge he be eloquente yet he wanteth Authoritie Therefore S. Augustine saithe Cedamus consenuamus Scripturae Sacrae quae nec falli potest nec fallere Let vs yeeld and consente to the Holy Scripture whiche can neither deceiue nor be deceiued For this cause M. Hardinge S. Augustine not onely in the mater that laye bitweene him and Pettlianus but also in al other maters what soeuer so often appealed from al Fathers and Councelles vnto the Scriptures The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 3. Likewise S. Hierome Al those thinges saithe he whiche without the Testimonie of the Scriptures are holden as deliuered from the Apostles be throughly smitten downe by the Swerde of Goddes Woorde M. Hardinge Ye would falne remoue vs from a good hold I see wel whiche is the Authoritie of the Holy Faâ—thers of Ancient Traditions and of the Vniuersal Churche Al these would ye to be of no force against Heretiques For ye knowe the Fathers and the Churche to be againste you and that so longe as they are beleued your Doctrine shal not be receiued as alwaies founde to be newe and of priuate deuâ—se If we were driuen from these ye doubt not but to matche vs wel yenough in the Scriptures And as ye would handle the mater I thinke so my selfe verely For when al Authoritie and iudgemente of the Fathers and of the Churche is shakeÌ„ quite of in any coÌ„trouersie by whome shal we be tried By the Scriptures ye saie But when bothe ye and we alleage Scriptures to a contrary purpose and when we vary about the sense of the Scriptures by whom then shal we be iudged Perhaps ye wil referre the iudgement of doubtful maters to the Holy Ghoste VVe refuse not tharbitrement and Vmpiership of the Holy Ghoste For the same hath ben promised by Christe to the Churche to remaine with the Churche for euer to teache what thinges so euer he saide to lead men into al Truthe And thus for iudgemente and trial of Truthe we shal be retourned to the Churche and to the Fathers by whom the Holy Ghoste speaketh vnto vs whose Authoritie and due estimation ye go aboute to remooue from vs. But let vs see what force ye bringe to driue vs from this holde Makinge your batterie against it what shoote ye of but VVinde and Paper Your Artillerie makethe a noâ— es but it geueth no blowe As in the laste allegation ye falsified the sense of S. Augustine so in this ye falsifie bothe the sense and woordes of S. Hierome The woordes as ye allege them seeme to be spoken against what so euer Tradition of the Apostles VVhiche woordes or any the like to sutche purpose were neuer vtered by any Catholike Doctour of the Churche mutche lesse by S. Hierome Looke ye againe and vewe better the place ye shal saye your selues that I finde the faulte of falsefyeinge in you not without cause S. Hierome in his Commentaries vpon those woordes of the Prophete Aggaeus Et vocaui siccicitatem super tâ—â—ram super Montes I haue called the drought to come vpon the Earthe and vpon the Hilles c. First she winge the literal sense accordingly as the Hebrew woorde there by him noted signifieth Siccitatem drought theÌ„ treatinge Mystically as the seuenty Interpreters haue turned that woorde into Romphaeam that is a swerde and vnderstandinge by the swerde the VVoorde of God thereof takethe occasion briefly to saie what this swerde doothe how it destroieth the negligent soule whiche is expounded to be drie earthe and howe it plaguethe Montaines that lifte vp them selues against the knowledge of God whereby he meanethe Heretikes Of whom he tellethe howe they flatter the deceiued peoples with theire Breade Wine and Oile by whiche he meaneth theire Heresies as it were with meates and drinkes and refection There Breade saithe he any man maie very aptly cal it the Bread of VVaylinge and theyr VVine the madnesse of Dragons and the madnesse of Serpentes incurable And theire Oile the promisinge of Heauenly thinges wherewith they doo as it were anointe theire Disciples and promise them rewardes of theire labours which the Prophete detesteth sayeinge the Oile of the sinner shal not anoint my head After this folowe the woordes of S. Hierome whiche ye haue falsified to the intent they might seeme to serue your false meaninge Sed alia quae absque Authoritate Testimonijs Scripturarum quasi Traditione Apostolica reperiunt atque coÌ„fingunt percutit gladius Dei But the Swerde of God strikethe also other thinges whiche the Heretiques for of theâ— he speaketh deuise and faine of theire owne
praetendunt Spiritum SanctuÌ„ They that speake of them selues falsely pretende the Holy Ghoste And againe Si quid praeter Euangelium sub titulo Spiritus obtrudatur ne credamus Quia sicut Christus Legis Prophetarum impletio est ita est Spiritus Euangelij If any thinge be brought vnto vs vnder the Name of the Holy Ghoste bisides the Gospel let vs not beleue it For as Christe is the fulfillinge of the Lawe and the Prophetes so is the Holy Ghoste the fulfillinge of the Gospel Nowe with what Sprite the Bishoppes of Rome haue expounded vnto vs the Holy Scriptures of God wée shal shewe it hereafter as fitter occasion shal require Here you saye wée haue corrupted bothe the woordes and the sense of S. Hierome That we haue taken Omnia in stéede of Alia And that you haue diuised and made nothinge of your selues that S. Hierome meante not heereby the Traditions of the Apostles but onely the fonde fantastes and dreames of the Heretiques called Tatians Of al these thinges wée must néedes confesse one thinge is true In déede wée tooke Omnia in stéede of Alia and so by ouersight gaue some occasion vnto the quareler Howe be it I doubt not but the indifferente gentle Reader wil soone pardonne that faulte It procéeded onely of negligence not of malice Notwithstandinge this wante maie easily be supplied by a sufficient Commentarie For Christe saith Omnis plantatio quam non plantauerit Pater meus Coelestis eradicabitur Euery plante that my heauenly Father hathe not planted shal be rooted out Here M. Hardinge ye may borrowe Omnia to healpe S. Hierome Or if this like you not S. Cyprian maye telle you Adulterum est Impium est Sacrilegum est quodcunque humano furore instituitur vt Dispositio Diuina violetur It is aduoùterous it is wicked it is abominable what so euer is ordered by the rashenesse of man that Goddes order shoulde be broken It is true S. Hierome speakethe not these woordes of the Traditions of the Apostles It is true Yet M. Hardinge he speakethe these woordes of sutche fantasies as were brought into the Churche of God and magnified vnder the name and colour of the Traditions of the Apostles So Eusebius saithe The Heretique Cherinthus brought vs in his owne Monstrous Diuises vnder the pretense of Reuelations as written by some greate Apostle Sutche M. Hardinge be your Inuentions wherewith ye haue of longe time deceiued the worlde One of your companions the Suffragane of Sidon at the late diete at Augusta in the presence of the whole Empiere doubted not to saie that your whole Canon woorde by worde euen as it is nowe vsed in your Masses came directly from the Apostles Your Hosius of Polonia saithe that the Apostles appointed your orders of Monkes An other of your side saithe Christus Dux Signifer Vitae Monasticae Christe was the Captaine and standerd bearer of Monkes life Imagininge I trowe that Christe was an Abbate And yet afterwarde the same Doctour either by some obliuion or els vpon somme better remembrance saithe thus Elias Elizaeus Dâ—ces Instituti Benedictini Elias and Elizaeus were the firste Captaines of S. Benettes Order And you M. Hardinge haue tolde vs often that ye haue your Priuate Masse your Halfe Communion and I knowe not what els al from the Apostles And al this ye prooue God wote by ful simple coniectures bicause Christe saithe to his Apostles I haue many thinges to saye vnto you but ye are not hable to beare them yet And bicause S. Paule saithe to the Corinthians I wil order the reste when I comme Hereby ye beare vs in hande that al your moste triflinge Vanities were brought vnto you by S. Paule euen from the thirde Heauens And although it were true that ye saie ye haue not diuised these thinges of of your selues but haue receiued them al from the Apostles and Holy Fathers whiche thinge your conscience knowethe to be moste vntrue yet notwithstanding the same thinges so receiued ye haue sithence fouly defaced with sundry your superstitions Ye haue made them necessarie to Saluation ye haue bounde the people to them no lesse then to the Lawe of God so haue ye made them snares of Christian consciences Although the thing it selfe came from the Fathers yet the abuse therof came from your selues and for the same ye haue taught the people to breake Goddes expresse commaundement Thus haue you blended Goddes heauenly wine with your puddle water Thus haue ye strained gnattes and swalowed camelles This is the very Leauen of the Scribes Phariseis whiche Christe calleth Hypocrisie Therfore al be it the thinge it selfe ye haue thus receiued in respecte of substance be al one yet now beinge thus abused in respecte of your Superstitions and deformities it is not one The Apostles and Holy Fathers vsed Oile yet they vsed it not as ye doo for the Saluation of Body and Soule Moses erected vp the Brasen Serpente in the wildernesse Yet not to be adoured with Godly honoure as it folowed afterwarde God commaunded the people to faste yet not with Hypocrisie as the wicked fasted And therefore God saithe vnto them Non est hoc leiunium quod ego elegi This is not the fastinge that I haue chosen God commaunded the people to kepe the Calendes and Newe Moones Yet not with sutche Superstition and Abuses as the people kepte them And therfore God saide vnto them Who required these thinges at your handes God commaunded sundrie Bathinges and Wasshinges yet vnto them that moste precisely vsed the same Christe saide VVoe be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis in vaine they woorship mee teachinge the Commaundementes and Doctrines of menne Yet you M. Hardinge haue infeaffed the Apostles of Christe not onely with the Substance of the thinges whiche ye saye ye haue receiued by Tradition but also with al your Abuses Superstitions Corruptions and Idolatries whiche ye haue diuised of your selues And therein ye wel resemble the Tatian Heretiques of whome onely ye saye S. Hierome speaketh But whether S. Hierome meante onely I knowe not what fantastical dreames of the Tatians as you imagine onely of your selfe without proufe in particulare naminge nothinge or els also al sutche Superstitious Vanities as wee haue often and iustly reprooued in you it maye soone appeare by these woordes immediately folowinge Omnem laborem manuum Ieiunia corum obseruationes varias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est humi dormitiones Al theire hande Labour and theire Fastinges and their Obseruations and Vsages and harde Sleepinge on the grounde These and sutche other like be the thinges whiche menne imagine came from the Apostles and are striken consumed with the Swerde of Goddes Woorde Thus M. Hardinge notwithstandinge your longe Glose biside the Texte séemeth to be the very meaninge of S. Hierome Yf ye wil yet force the contrarie and turne al from your selues to the Tatians as you
Father Athanasius Nos ista Hausimus à Magistris diuinitùs afflatis qui Sacros Libros euoluerunt These thinges haue we learned of our Maisters or Fathers inspired from Heauen whiche haue Readde and perused the Holy Scriptures For S. Augustine very wel saithe Secundum hos Libros de coeteris Literis vel Fidelium vel Infidelium liberè iudicamus Accordinge to those Bookes of the Scriptures wee iudge frankely of al other writinges whether they be of the Faitheful or of the Vnfaitheful Therefore S. Hierome saithe Omni studio legendae nobis sunt Scripturae in Lege Domini meditandum die ac nocte vt probati trapezitae sciamus quis numus probus sit quis adulterinus Wee muste Reade the Scriptures with al diligence and muste bee occupied in the Lawe of our Lorde bothe daie and nighte that wee maye become perfite exchangers and be hable rightly to discerne what Monie is lawful and what is Counterfaite S. Hilarie saithe Hoc proprium est Apostolicae Doctrinae Deum ex Lege ac Prophetis in Euangelijs praedicare This is the very order of the Apostles Doctrine in the Gospel to Preache God out of the Lawe and the Prophetes Otherwise touchinge the discourse of natural reason S. Ambrose saithe No Creature either in Earthe or in Heauen is hable to reache the deapthe of these thinges Thus he saithe Mens deficit Vox silet non mea tantùm sed Angelorum Supra potestates supra Angelos supra Cherubim supra Seraphim supra omnem sensum est The minde is astonned the voice faileth not onely mine but also of the Angelles It is aboue the powers aboue the Angelles aboue the Cherubius aboue the Seraphins and aboue al manner vnderstandinge And therefore he saithe as it is alleaged once before Nolo nobis credatur Scriptura recitetur Non ego dico à me In principio erat Verbum Sed audio I woulde not ye shoulde beleeue mee Lette the Scriptures be readde I saye not of mee selfe In the beginninge vvas the VVoorde but I heare it spoken And againe he saithe in the same Booke vnto the Emperour Gratian Facessat nostra Sententia Paulum interrogemus Let our Iudgemente stande aparte and let vs aske S. Paule the question But M. Hardinge saithe VVhoso euer maketh this argumente whiche in your VVoorde is implied The Scriptures are to be asked Ergo the Holy Fathers are not to be asked maketh a foolishe argumente It seemeth no greate pointe of Wisedome M. Hardinge to vpbraide others with folie without cause God encrease bothe you and vs in al wisedome and vnderstandinge in Christe Iesu How be it our Argumente howe so euer it hathe pleased you to fashon and to handle it as we meante it and made it had no sutche Folie Wherefore what so euer Folie is nowe come to it it is your owne it is not ours For wée denie not the Learned Fathers expositions and iudgementes in doubteful cases of the Scriptures Wée reade them our selues Wée folowe them Wée embrace them and as I saide before wée moste humbly thanke God for them But thus wée saie The same Fathers opinions and iudgementes for as mutche as they are sometimes disagréeable one from an other and sometimes implie contrarieties and contradictions therefore alone and of them selues without farther authoritie and guidinge of Goddes Woorde are not alwaies sufficient Warrantes to charge our Faithe And thus the Learned Catholique Fathers themselues haue euermore taught vs to esteeme and to weighe the Fathers The Ancient Father Origen saithe thus as it is reported before Ex Solis Scripturis examinationis nostrae discretio petenda est The discussinge of our Iudgemente muste be taken Onely of the Scriptures And againe Sensus nostri enarrationes sine Scripturis testibus non habent fidem Our Iudgementes and Expositions without witnesse of the Scriptures haue no credite Likewise S. Augustine Ego Solis Canonicis Scripturis debeo sine vlla recusatione consensum My consent without exception I owe not vnto any Father were he neuer so wel learned but Onely to the Holy Canonical Scriptures His reason is this Nam cùm Dominus â—acuerit quis nostrum dicat Illa vel illa sunt Aut si dicere audet vnde probat For where as the Lorde him selfe hath not spoken who of vs can saie It is this or that Or if he dare saie so howe can he prooue it And therefore he concludeth directly and in like woordes with S. Ambrose Ego vocem Pastoris inquiro Lege hoc mihi de Propheta Lege de Psalmo Recita de Lege Recita de Euangelio Recita de Apostolo I require the voice of the Shephearde Reade me this mater out of the Prophete Reade it mee out of the Psalmes Reade it out of the Lawe Reade it out of the Gospel Reade it out of the Apostles The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 1. Wherefore if wee he Heretiques and they as they woulde faine be called be Catholiques why doo they not as they see the Fathers whiche were Catholique men haue alwaies donne Why doo they not conuince and maister vs by the Diuine Scriptures Why doo they not calle vs againe to be tried by them Why doo they not laye before vs howe wee haue gonne awaye from Christe from the Prophetes from the Apostles and from the Holy Fathers Why sticke they to doo it Why are they afraide of it It is Goddes cause Why are they doubteful to commit it to the trial of Goddes Woorde Yf wee be Heretiques whiche referre al our controuersies vnto the Holy Scriptures reporte vs to the selfe same Woordes whiche wee knowe were sealed by God him selfe and in comparison of them sette litle by al other thinges what so euer maye be diuised by menne how shal wee saye to these folke I praye you what manner of men be they and howe is it meete to calle them whiche feare the iudgement of the Holy Scriptures that is to saie the Iudgement of God him selfe and doo preferre before them theire owne dreames and ful colde inuentions and to maintaine theire owne Traditions haue defaced and corrupted nowe these many hundred yeeres the ordinances of Christe and of the Apostles M. Hardinge VVe doo so For they condemned those that went against the Tradition of the Fathers and so doo wee The Scriptures consiste not in inke and paper but in the sense VVhiche sense the Holy Ghoste by Christes promise hath taught the Churche Epiphanius refutinge the Heretikes whiche named them selues Apostolikes saithe that the Scriptures haue neede of Speculation that is to witte to be wel studied and considered to the ende the force and power of euery argument maye be knowen It behoueth vs also saithe he to vse the Tradition For wee can not haue al thinges of the Holy Scripture Thus Epiphanius By Tradition without doubte he meaneth the sense and vnderstandinge receiued of the Fathers For that is the Keie of the VVoorde of God
Pambus and many other Holy men liuinge in VVildernesse without letters no reste ne quiet at their hartes Nay who had the like And whereas you saie that al thinges needeful for our Saluation be abundantly and fully cōprehended in the Scriptures this is also as false as sundry other partes of your Doctrine For if al thinges necessary to Saluation be conteined in the Scriptures then what so euer is not in them conteined the same is not necessarie If not necessarie why shoulde we be laden with vnnecessarie burdens Then awaie with al Traditions at a clappe be they neuer so Apostolike neuer so Auncient neuer so Healthful neuer so longe time in the Churche continued Remember you not what the moste renoumed Fathers haue written of the necessitie of Traditions Or if you remember them what thought you when you wrote thus Let Learned and Holy Basil be hearde in steede of many if not to reuoke you from your errour yet to discredite you and staye others in the truthe His woordes be these Of the doctrines whiche be preached in the Churche certaine we haue out of the Scripture written certaine we haue receiued in secrete Mistery by tradition of the Apostles whiche bothe be of equal force to Godlines Neither concerninge these any man gainesaieth be he of neuer so smal knowledge For if we goe about to reiect the customes that be not set foorth in writinge as beinge of litle regarde then shal we condemne those thinges also whiche we haue in the Gospel necessarie to Saluation Yea rather we shal bringe the preachinge of the Faithe but to a bare name For so they were taken for Heretikes whiche regarded not the solemne faste of Lente receiued at the Apostles as we reade in S. Augustine De Haer. ad Quoduultdeum cap. 53. and in the Councel of Gangra in an Epistle to the Bishops of Armenia Euen so they whiche denied the distinction of a Bishop and a Prieste were condemned of Heresie as we finde in S. Augustine in the Booke and Chapter aforesaide and in Epiphanius Lib. 3. Cap. 75. In the Councel of Constance the same is to be founde Againe if al thinges necessarie to Saluation be expressed in the Scriptures to what purpose saide S. Paule concerninge order and maner to be vsed at the celebration of the holy Sacramente Coetera cùm venero disponam As for other thinges I wil take Order for them when I come VVhat meaneth S. Iohn to saye Hauinge other thinges to write to you of I woulde not write them in Paper and inke for I truste to be with you and speake to you mouthe to mouthe To conclude muche that might be obiected in fewe woordes for breuities sake what saie you sir Defender shal we finde al thinges necessarie to Saluation in the Scripture Howe thinke you of the Scripture it selfe How knowe you this to be the Scripture How knowe ye the Gospel of Mathewe Marke Luke and Iohn to be theirs whose names they beare This can you not finde in al the Scripture and yet is the same necessary to be beleeued VVhat Scripture have you to admitte these and to refuse the Booke bearinge the name of Peter the Gospel of Thomas of Bartholome we of Nicodeme VVhy admitte you not the Prophetes that Basilides would to be allowed but onely the foure greate and the twelue lesser what auctoritie haue you to staie your selfe by concerninge these but onely that of the Churche for Scripture haue you none for proufe hereof Then hath not Scripture al thinges in it necessarie for a Christen man Is it not necessarie to beleeue the Sonne of God to be Homousion that is to saie of the same Substance with the Father whiche if you denie you restore the olde condemned Heresie of the Arians The same can you not finde in the Scripture VVhere in al the Bible finde you that God the Father is Ingenitus VVhere finde you that the Holy Ghoste proceedeth frō the Father and the Sonne that the blessed Virgin Marie continued in her Virginitie that suche as be Baptized of Heretikes oughte to be Baptized againe That in fantes ought to be Baptized That the Foure Bookes of the Gospels were written by Mathewe Marke Luke and Iohn by what Scripture can you prooue it To ende where finde you expressely in al the Scriptures three Persons to be one God The B. of Sarisburie Here to weighe downe the Authoritie of Goddes Holy Woorde M. Hardinge hath brought in a heape of ordinarie stale quarrelles Of the difference bitwéene Priestes and Bishoppes of Lente of the Communion Booke of the Homilies of the Order of Seruice and of the Perpetual Virginitie of Our Lady His whole drifte herein is to beare vs in hande that there is very litle or none Authoritie in the Scriptures and that the whole Credite and certainetie of our Faithe resteth onely in the Churche of Rome He seemeth to take it in scorne that the Woorde of God shoulde be called the Light Yet notwithstandinge the Prophete Dauid saithe Thy Woorde is a Lanterne to my feete And againe The Commaundement of the Lorde is Lightsome geeuing Light vnto the eies And Theophylacte saith Verbum Dei est Lucerna qua Fur deprehenditur The Woorde of God is the Candel whereby ther Theefe or false Teacher is espied Whereas M. Hardinge demaundeth of vs so pleasauntly what Scriptures we allowe and what wée reiecte he troubleth him selfe with an idle and a néedelesse question For we embrace and reuerence euery parcel and title of the Scriptures without exception not refusinge any parte thereof that hath benne allowed by the Ancient Learned Catholique Fathers of the Churche of God Neither doo wee so scornefully calle Goddes Holy Woorde a Nose of vvaxe a Shipmannes Hose or a Dead letter as sundrie of that side haue delited to cal it Touchinge the Booke of the Machabees wee saie nothinge but that we finde written by S. Hierome S. Augustine other Holy Fathers S. Hierome saithe Machabaeorum Libros legit quidem Ecclesia Sed eos inter Canonicas Scripturas non recipit In deede the Churche readeth the Bookes of the Machabees but shee receiueth them not emonge the Canonical allovved Scriptures Or Praier for y◠Dead wee shal haue place more conuenient to speake hereafter The place of S. Iames touchinge the Iustification of Faithe Woorkes is answeared before Neither doo wee discredite any parte either of the Authoritie or of the Doctrine of that whole Epistle notwithstandinge Eusebius saithe It was written by somme other and not by S. Iames. His woordes be these Istius Iacobi qui lustus Oblias vocabatur dicitur esse Epistola quae prima scribitur inter Canonicas Sciendum autem est illam Epistolam esse Spuriam The Opinion is that the Epistle whiche is reckened the firste emonge the Canonicalles is of this Iames whiche was called Iustus and Oblias But wee muste vnderstande that
Man doothe moste abhorre vvith the pretense of this saieinge in the Gospel where as our Lorde saithe thus I haue many thinges to saie vnto you but as nowe ye are not hable to beare them Euen so saithe Tertullian Eadem dementia confitentur Apostolos quidem nihil ignorasse nec diuersa inter se praedicasse Sed non omnia volunt illos omnibus reuelasse Sed quaedam Palà m Vniuersis quaedam secretò Paucis demandasse By a like kinde of Madnesse they Confesse that the Apostles in deede were ignorante of no thinge nor taught any contrarie Doctrine emonge themselues But they saie The Apostles reucied not al thinges to al menne but shewed certaine thinges openly and to al and other certaine thinges secretely and vnto a fevve By sutche right helde sommetime the greate Heretique Arius For euen so saide he then as M. Hardinge saithe nowe Ex Electis Dei secundum Fidem Peritis Dei Rectigradis oui Sanctum Dei Spiritum acceperunt ego ita didici These thinges haue I learned not of y◠Scriptures but of the Chosen of God according to Faithe of the skilful in Godly vnderstandinge of them that walkte vprightly and had receiued the Sprite of God that is to sale by Tradition So Epiphanius saithe The Heretiques called Caiani auouched al theire solies and Heresies not by the Scriptures but by Tradition as they saide from S. Paule and tooke vpon them to knowe al those Secrete woordes that S. Paule had hearde in the Thirde Heauen If M. Hardinge maie haue leaue to handle the same weapons I doubte not but he wil soone be hable to proue that bothe his Holy Breade his Holy VVater and what so euer shal please him els came by Tradition directly from the Apostles and from Christe him selfe But S. Paule when he saide I vvil comme and take order he meante not to diuise any other Scripture or Newe Verities that they had not knowen before but onely to appointe them in what place at what time in what order and with what other Circumstances the Holy Ministration and other like Ecclesiastical Offices should be vsed As for these fantasies that M. Hardinge and his felowes haue imagined S. Augustine saithe cùm Christus ipse tacuerit quis nostrum dicat Ista vel illa sunt Aut si dicere audeat vnde probat Quis enim est tam vanus aut tam temeratius qui cùm dixerit etiam vera quibas voluerit quae voluerit fine vllo Testimonio Diuino affirmet ea esse quae tunc Dominus dicere noluit For as mutche as Christe him selfe hath not reuesed these thinges whiche of vs wil saie they be these or these Or if he so saie hovve can he proue it For who is there either so vaine or so rashe who notwithstanding he speake the Truthe to whom he listeth and what he listeth wil affirme vvithout any Testimonie of the Scriptures that these be the thinges that the Lorde then vvould not Open Sutche thinges they be S. Hierome saithe are cutte of with the Swerde that is to saie with the Woorde of God M. Hardinge saithe these expresse Woordes Persona Ingenitus Homousios are not found in the Scriptures So saide the Arian Heretiques too as wel as he But what foreeth that Epiphanius saith Nomen Substantiae non ponitur nudè nec in Veteri nec in Nouo Testamento Sensus autem eius Nominis vbique est This very woorde Substantia is not plainely expressed neither in the Newe nor in the Olde Temente But the sense and meaninge of that VVoorde is eueryvvhere So saith Anthanasius Tametfi haec voces in Scriptura non reperiuntur tamen habent earn Sententiam quam Scripturae volunt Notwithstanding these woordes be not founde expressed in the Scripture yet haue they the same sense and meaninge that the scripture willeth Touchinge the Perpetual Virginitie of that Blessed Virgine the Mother of Christe whiche M. Hardinge saithe cannot be proued by any Scriptures Gennadius writeth thus Heluidij prauitatem arguens Hieronymus Libellum Documentis Scripturarum Sufficienter factum aduersus cum edidu S. Hierome repreuinge the wilful lewdnesse of the Heretique Heluidius denieinge the Perpetual Virginitie of Christes Mother sette foorth a Booke against him furnished vvith sufficiēte Testimomonies of the Scriptures Gennadius saithe the Perpetual Virginitie of Our Lady is proued sufficiently by the Scriptures M. Hardinge onely to mainteine his quarrel saith It cannot be proued by any Scriptures but standeth onely by Tradition S. Hierome him selfe in so vaine a contention moued by an Heretique thought it sufficient to answeare thus Mariam nupsisse post partum non credimus quia non legimus Wee beleeue not that Marie was Married againe after her Childebearinge bicause vvee reade it not Here M. Hardinge thinketh to oppresse vs with the Olde Heretiques Ordinarie question Hovve knovve you saith he that the Scriptures be the Scriptures Hovv knovve you that the Gospel of Thomas Bartholomewe and Nicodeme are no Scriptures Thus they laboure to pulle al credite from the Woorde of God and sende vs onely to theire Traditions Of God and his Woorde they would euermore haue vs to stande in doubte but of the Pope and his Woorde they say in any wise wée male not doubte Hosius a special Proctoure of that side saithe Quod Ecclesia docet id est Expressum Verbum Dei What so euer the Churche teacheth he meaneth the Churche of Rome that is the very Expresse VVoorde of God A man might wel demaunde the like question of M. Hardinge Hovv knovv you that the Sonne is the Sonne Or that the Moene is the Moene Or hovve knovve you that the Churche is the Churche Or that the Congregation of the Wicked is not the Churche Sutche idle questions the Olde Heretiques the Manichées demaunded of S. augustine But S. Augustine answeared them Si quaeratis à nob is vnde nos sciamus Apostolorum esse istas literas breuiter vobis respondemus Inde nos scire vnde vos scitis illas literas esse Manichaei If you demaunde of vs hovve vvee knovve that these be the Apostles writinges wee make you this shorte answeare Euen so wee knowe that Oure writinges are of the Apostles as you knowe that your writinges are of the Heretique Manichee But for further answeare I recken M. Hardinge cannot be ignorant that the Gospel of Thomas Bartholomevve Nicodeme and sutche others were neuer written by them whoe 's names they beare but were wickedly and falsely countrefeited vnder their names by sundrie Heretiques S. Ambrose saithe Erant Pseudopropherae c. Erat autem populi gratia discernere Spiritus vt cogno scerer quos referre deberet in numerum Propherarum quos autem quasi bonus Nummularius reprobare Sic nunc in Nouo Testamento multi Euāgelia scribere conati sunt quae boni Nummularij non probauerunt There were False Prophetes c.
stringe of spiritual eatinge and shunninge the Faithe of the Catholike Churche touching the true presence of the Body and Violently wresting the Holy Scripture and Auncient Fathers to a contrary sense admittinge Figures for Truthe tropes for the letter shadowes for thinges plaie vs many a false lesson and teache horrible lies to the vtter subuersion of those that be lead by them The B. of Sarisburie Here is no mention saithe M. Hardinge of Real Presence and thereupon he plaieth vs many a proper Lesson Notwithstandinge here is as mutche mention made of Real Presence as either Christe or his Apostles euer made or in y◠Primutiue Catholique Churche of God was euer beléeued Farther he saithe VVhat reason or Scripture haue ye that a Peece of Breade and a Cuppe of VVine can sette the Death and Resurrection of Christe as it were before your eies Verily when al your tale is tolde ye seeme to saie nothinge els but that the Body of Christe remaineth in Heauen and that wee muste sende vp our soules thither to eate it there by a certaine imagination whiche ye cal Faithe Here ye doo greate wronge M. Hardinge to cal the Faithe of Christe an Imagination or as I trowe ye meane a fansie S. Paule saithe Fides est Substantia rerum sperandarum Faithe is not an Imagination but the Substance and grounde of the thinges that wee hope for If ye trauaile once againe to Rome being thus far instructed already ye wil easily learne the Lesson that one of your late Popes there as it is reported taught his Cardinalles O quantum nobis profuit illa Fabula de Christo That wée ought to sende vp our Faithe into Heauen and there to embrace the Body of Christe it is S. Augustines Doctrine it is not ours These be his woordes Dices Quomodò tenebo Christum Absentem Quomodò in Coelum manum mittam vt ibi sedentem teneam Fidem mitte tenuisti Parentes tui tenuerunt Carne tu tene Corde Thou wilt saie howe shal I holde Christe beeinge Absente Howe we shal I reache my hande into Heauen that I maye holde him sittinge there Sende vp thy Faithe and thou holdest him Thy Fathers the Iewes helde him in the fleashe Holde him thou in thy harte But for as mutche as H. hardinge thought it sufficient so pleasantly to passe ouer this mater with his Imaginations and fansies I thinke it therefore so mutche the more néedeful to shewe the iudgemente of the Auncient Learned Fathers in that behalfe First therefore S Augustine saithe Rerum Absentium Praesens est Fides rerum quae foris sunt intus est Fides rerum quae non videntur videtur Fides Of thinges that be Absente Faithe is Presente of thinges that be without Faithe is within and of thinges that be not seene Faithe is seene Againe be saithe Cùm non obliuiscimur munus Saluatoris nonne nobis quotidiè Christus immolatur Ex ipsis reliquijs cogitationis nostrae id est ex ipsa memoria Christus quotidiè nobis sic immolatur quasi quotidiè nos innouet When wee foregeate not the gifte of our Saueoure is not Christe offered vnto vs euery daye Of the very remanentes of our thoughtes that is to say of our very memorie Christe is so daily offered vnto vs as though he renewed vs euery daie And the more liuely to expresse this mater S. Hierome saith Tibi Conuiuium Christus est Cogitatio Christus est Gaudium Christus est Desiderium Christus est Lectio Christus est quies Christus est Christe is thy banket Christe is thy thought Christe is thy ioie Christe is thy desire Christe is thy readinge Christe is thy reate Likewise S. Ambrose In animis vestris quotidiè pro Redemptione Corporis Christus offertur In your mindes Christe is daily offered for the Redemption of the Body And to passe ouer others for that it pleaseth M. Hardinge to make himselfe sutche mirthe with Imaginations Euthymius a Gréeke Authour writing pourposely of this mater saith thus Non oportet simpliciter ea intueri sed aliud quiddam imaginari interioribus oculis ea perspicere tanouam Mysteria Wee maie not sooke barely vpon these thinges that is vpon the Breade and Wine but muste thereof imagine somme other mater and behold the same with our in vvarde Spiritual eies as it is meete to beholde Mysteries And leaste M. Hardinge shoulde saie This Imagination is vaine and fantastical as is the greatteste parte of his Religion S. Augustine saith Magis sunt illa quae intelligimus quà m ista quae cernimus The thinges that wee vnderstande or imagine by Faithe are more certaine then the thinges that wee see vvith our eies Neither maie you thinke M. Hardinge that these thinges beinge graunted the Ministration of the Holy Supper woulde be superfluous For these twoo Kindes of Eatinge muste euermore necessarily be ioined togeather And who so euer commeth to the Holy Table auaunceth not his Minde vnto Heauen there to feede vpon Christes Body at the Right hande of God he knoweth not the meaninge of these Mysteries but is voide of vnderstandinge as the Horse or the Mule and receiueth onely the bare Sacramentes to his Condemnation Therefore the Mystical Supper of Christe notwithstandinge this Doctrine is not superfluous But your Transubstantiation your Real Presence and a greate parte of this your idle talke is moste vaine and moste superfluous But ye saie Howe can Breade and VVine bringe vs to the hope of Resurrection or of Euerlasting Life and why maie not a man in like manner demaunde of you Haw can a fewe Droppes of colde VVater bringe vs to the hope of Resurrection If VVater maie doo it why maie not Breade and VVine likewise doo it Touchinge the VVater S. Basile saith Baptismus est Potentia Dei ad Resurrectionem Baptisme is the Povver of God to Resurrection Againe he saith Resurrectionis Gratiam in Die Resurrectionis recipiamus Vpon the Daie of Resurrection let vs receiue Baptisme whiche is the Grace of Resurrection S. Hierome saith Non solùm propter Remissionem Peccatorum Baptizamur sed etiam propter Resurrectionem Carnis nostrae Wee are Baptized not onely for Remission of Sinnes but also for the Resurrection of our Fleashe And therefore the Greekes calle Baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the VVeede of immortalitie Here M. Hardinge it were somme pointe of skil to shewe vs howe so greate Power maie be in so litle VVater Howe be it it is not the VVater in déede that woorketh the force of Resurrection but the Bloude of Christe that is Signified by the VVater And therefore S. Ambrose saithe Baptismus Resurrectionis Pignus Imago est Baptisme is the Pleadge and Image of Resurrection Likewise Ignarius Credentes in Mortem eius per Baptisma Participes Resurrectionis eius efficimur Beleeuinge in the Death of Christe by Baptisme wee are made Partakers of
and in sundrie other Christen Prouinces is so feruent in frequentinge the Holy Communion as if ye sawe it ye would be ashamed of your sclaunderous reporte Let wise men and good men iudge whether we be Churcherobbers or ye vnshamefaste liers The B. of Sarisburie Where nothinge is answeared it were not amisse to replie nothinge If M. Hardinge can onely vouchesaue to calle vs sclaundâ—rous Reporters â— vnshamefast Liers and the Lordes Supper a Schismatical Mutable pollutted Communion it is sufficient the mater needeth no farther proufe To this whole matter M. Hardinge saithe He hath sufficiently answeared M. Iewel He hath answeared I graunte but how sufficiently the mater it selfe wil declare How be it he maie not in any wise forgeate that in the same twoo shorte Treaties to M. Jewel conteininge onely twoo and fourtie litle leaues of Paper he hath sente vs ouer and published threescore and foure notable and greate Vntruthes whereof I thinke he hath no greate cause so mutche to glorie He saithe That the Sacramente shoulde be deliuered to the peple in bothe kindes neither Christe euer commaunded it nor the Apostles euer ordeined it Thus M. Hardinge saithe onely bicause it liketh him thus to saie Yet this owne Catholique Doctours the Chiefe Champions of that side saie far otherwise Gerardius Lorichius saithe Ipsius Sacramenti Institutio vult vt Omnes vnà manducemus bibamus The very Institution of the Sacramente it selfe willeth that vvee Eate and Drinke al togeather And Ruardus Tapper the Deane of Louaine saithe thus Habito respectu ad Sacramentum eiusque perfectionem magis conueniret sub Vtraque specie fieri Communionem quà m sub Altera tantùm Hoc enim magis consonum est eius Institutioni integritati refectioni Corporali imò Exemplo Christi Patrum Primitiuae Ecclesiae Consideration had vnto the Sacramente and to the perfection of the same it were more conuenient that the Communion were Ministred vnder Bothe Kindes then vnder One alone For this were more agreable to the Institution and fulnesse thereof and to the outwarde refection of the Body Yea and to the Example bothe of Christe and also of the Fathers of the Primitiue Churche Certainely these woordes of Christe Drinke ye al of this Doo this in my Remembrance are very plaine woordes of commaundemente and Institution Therefore Chrysostome saithe Et in Pane in Calice Christus dixit Hoc facite in meam Commemorationem Christe bothe in the Breade and also in the Cuppe saide Doo this in Remembrance of mee Likewise Theophylactus Tremendus Calix pari cunctis conditione traditus est The Reuerende Cuppe is in equal manner deliuered to al. And whereas Christe saithe Drinke ye al of this Paschasius to make the mater the plainer putteth thereto these woordes Tam Ministri quà m reliqui Credentes As wel the Ministers as the reste of the Faitheful In like manner S. Augustine saithe Simul hoc sumimus simul bibimus quia simul viuimus VVee receiue togeather VVee drinke togeather bicause we liue togeather Notwithstandinge any Promisse of Constancie made to the contrarie yet I truste M. Hardinge of his courtesie wil beleeue either S. Chrysostome or S. Augustine or Theophylacte or Paschasius or Lorichius or Tapper or his Nevve Doctours or the Olde or his owne or others Otherwise if he be fully determined to beleeue noman it is reason that noman beleeue him Perhaps he wil saie Notwithstandinge Christes woordes be plaine yet they are not of force sufficient to binde vs for euer For so writeth Cardinal Cusanus Scripturae ad tempus adaptantur variè intelliguntur ita vt vno tempore secundum currentem Ecclesiae ritum exponantur mutato verà ritu iterum sententia mutetur The Scriptures are applied to the states of diuers times and so are taken in diuers senses So that at one time they are expounded accordinge to the currente order of the Churche But the order of the Churche beinge changed the sense of the Scripture is like wise changed So S. Augustine saithe of the Heretiques the Manichees Expendunt ista non in statera aequa Diuinarum Scripturarum sed in statera dolosa Consuetudinum suarum They weighe these maters not in the equal balance of the Diuine Scriptures but in the deceiteful Balance of their ovvne Customes Of the like sorte of Herâ—tiques S. Hilarie saith Qui ea quae Scripta sunt negas quid testat nisi vt ea quae non scripta sunt credas Seeinge thou deniest the thinges that be written in the Scriptures what remaineth there but that thou must beleeue sutche thinges as be not written in the Scriptures But where haue these menne the Institution of theire Halfe Communion Who ordeined it Who commaunded it What Apostle what Ancient Doctour what Holy Father euer vsed it M. Hardinge him selfe is forced to confesse by the reporte of Leo that the Firste knowen Diuisers Authours of it were the olde Heretiques called the Manichees Sutche is the Institution and Antiquitie of their Doctrine It sprange firste of Heresie and was founded by Heretiques Touchinge Gelasius I haue already in my Former Replie saide so mutche as then vnto me seemed sufficient The woordes be plaine yenough of them selfe and neede no Commentarie Aut integra Sacramenta percipiant aut ab integris aâ—ceantur Quia diuisio vnius eiusdemque Mysterij sine grandi sacrilegio non potest peruenire Either let them receiue the vvhole Sacramentes in Bothe Kindes or els let them be driuen from the vvhole Farther M. Hardinge saithe God doothe knowe how mutche howe often and how earnestly the Catholique Churche exhorteth her Children to prepare them selues to receiue their Maker O M. Hardinge why should you so fondely mocke the world with so manifest folies By what woordes by what examples exhorte you them When euer saide you as Chrysostome saith vnto the people Departe yée hence yée haue nomore right to staÌ„de here then Heathens Infidelles yée are VVicked ye are shamelesse ye are Impudente that stande by wil not Communicate And if the Catholique Churche doo so often so earnestly exhorte her Children how is it then that yâ— Pope his Cardinalles doo so seldome Communicate scarcely once through the yéere Maie wée thinke that the Pope his Cardinalles be not the Children of the Churche Laste of al ye saie ye exhorte the people to receiue their Maker I beseche you M. Hardinge what Scripture what Father what Doctour euer taught you thus to saie The Sacramente is a Sacramente it is not God It is the Breade of our Lorde as S. Augustine saithe it is not our Lorde It is a Creature corruptible it is not the Maker of Heauen and Earthe Accursed is he that geueth the name and glorie of God vnto a Creature that is no God S. Chrysostome saithe Nolimus quaeso Creatorem cum Creatura confundere Ne illud audiamus
lighter Personne Wée knowe that as S. Augustine saithe Gratia Christi non Consumitur morsibus The Grace of Christe is not Consumed by moreselles Ye might haue made the like answeare to S. Augustine For he saith to you as I haue alleaged him before What prepareste thou thy Toothe and thy Belly O M. Hardinge the Eatinge of the Body of Christe is a woorke Spiritual and needeth neither brusinge of toothe nor swallowinge of throte nor healpe of the owtwarde and bodily mouthe If ye know thus mutche why doo you dissemble it If ye know it not ye comme too rathe to speake of these thinges S. Basile saith Est Spirituale Os Interioris Hominis quod nutritur recipiens Verbum vitae quod Verbum est Panis qui descendit de Coelo There is a Spiritual Mouthe of the Inner man whiche is nourished by receiuinge Christe the Woorde of Life whiche is the Breade that came from Heauen Againe he saith Gustare videâ—e quòd suauis est Dominus Saepe obseruauimus vires animi habere nomina ab aliqua similitudine Membrorum Corporis Quoniam ergo Dominus noster est Verus Panis eius Caro est Verus Cibus necesse est eam voluptateÌ„ quae ex illius Panis delectatione affertur in nobis per gustum existere Spiritualem Taste ye and see that our Lorde is groceous Wee haue oftentimes marked that the Powers of the minde haue theire names from somme likenesse of the partes of the Body Therefore seeinge our Lorde is Breade in deede and his Fleashe is Verily Meate it cannot be chosen but the pleasure and sweetenesse of that Breade muste be wrought in vs not by our bodily mouthe but by the Spiritual taste of the soule S. Cyprian saith Esus Carnis eius quaedam est auiditas quoddam desiderium manendi in eo The Eating of that Fleashe is a certaine greedinesse and a certaine desire to dwelle in him S. Augustine saith Ipse est Panis Cordis nostri Christe is the Breade not of our Belly but of our Harte And againe Intus Esuri Intus siti Hunger thou vvithin Thirste thou vvithin Likewise againe he saithe videâ—e Fratres Panem Coelestem Spirituali Ore manducate O my Brethren beholde this Heauenly Breade Eate it with the Spiritual or Inner Mouthe of the Minde Thus are wee taught to eate that Spiritual Meate without chewinge or swallowinge or vse or office of the bodily Mouthe Therefore S. Augustine saith Non manducans manducat manducans non manducat He that eateth not eateth and he that eateth eateth not But Chrysostome saith Quod omnium Maximum est atque Praecipuum in terra non conspicaris tantùm sed etiam tangis nec tangis tantùm sed etiam comedis The greattest and woorthiest thinge that is thou dooste not onely beholde in the Earthe but also toucheste it Neither dooste thou onely touche it but also catest it Here I beseche you M. Hardinge dissemble no lâ—nger but speake plainely Howe doo you beholde the Body of Christe in the Sacramente With what senses With what eies doo you sée it If ye saie with your bodily eies why saie you Christes Body is there Inuisible couered with Accidentes and cannot be séene If ye saie as it is in deede that yée see the same Body onely with the Spiritual eies of your Minde then ye allege Chrysostome directely and plainely againste your selfe But S. Augustine saithe Habet Fides oculos suos Faithe hath her eies to see vvithal And S. Bernarde saithe Visio animae intellectus est The seeinge of the Soule is vnderstandinge With these eies wée sée Christe that is to saie wée vnderstande Christe or beléeue in Christe S. Augustine saith Velamen positum erat contra faciem eorum ne viderent Christum in Scripturis There was a vele laide ouer theire face that they shoulde not see Christe in the scriptures Chrysostome saithe Non tantum praestare possunt Corporales oculi qui visibilia cernunt quantum oculi piritus qui ea quae non videntur néque subsistunt videre possunt These bodily eies that see thinges visible cannot doo so mutche as the eies of the Sprite For theise eyes are hable to see the thinges that be not seene and haue no beeinge Likewise againe he saithe Oculi animi etiamsi Parietes etiami moenia etiamsi montium moles etiami coelorum Corpora compererint obstantia omnia facilè praetercurrunt The eies of the minde notwithstandinge they finde VValles or Mountaines or the Bodies of the Heauens to stande againste them yet wil they easily passe through them al. With these eies saithe Chrysostome wee see that moste woorthy and moste glorious Body of Christe Therefore he saithe Credamus videmus Praesentem Iesum Let vs beleeue and vvee see Iesus Presente before vs. Likewise S. Hierome saithe Est intelligentia Spiritualis qua Christus cernitur There is a Spiritual vnderstandinge vvherevvith Christe is seene Otherwise S. Ambrose saithe Christum nunc secundum veritatem videre non possumus As now according to the Truthe with bodily sight vvee cannot see Christe Nowe as the Body of Christe is seene so is it touched and as it is touched so is it Eaten But it is not seene with Bodily eies It is not touched with bodily fingers For S. Ambrose saith Fide tangitur Christus Fide Christus videtur By Faithe Christe is touched By Faithe Christe is seene Therefore the Body of Christe is not Eaten with the bodily mouthe but onely by Faith whiche is the Spiritual mouthe of the Soule Iudas ye saye who had but a meane Faithe bicause he receiued the Sacramente receiued Him also O howe mutche is poore Iudas beholden to these menne Christe calleth him the Childe of Perdition S. Iohn saithe The Diuel was entred into him Againe Christe saithe He was a Diuel Therefore this Meane Faithe that you allowe him muste néedes be a very litle prety Faithe euen sutche a Faithe as ye might wel allowe the Diuel Yet with the same Meane Faith ye saie Receiuinge the Sacrament he receiued Christe also Firste it is not wel and thorowly agreed vpon that Iudas receiued the Sacrament or was present at al at the Laste Supper S. Hilarie saithe plainely He was gonne foorthe aboute his wicked pourpose and receiued it not But be it that S. Hilarie were deceiued and that Iudas receiued the Sacramente Yet as it is saide before Christes Body is one thinge and the Sacramente of Christes Body is an other thinge S. Augustine saithe Discipuli manducabant Panem Dominum Iudas Panem Domini contra Dominum The Disciples did eate the Breade vvhiche is the Lord But Judas did eate not the Lorde but the Sacrament whiche is the Breade of the Lorde against the Lorde And yet in plainer sorte he saithe Christus adhibuiâ— Iudam ad Conuiuium in quo Corporis Sanguinis sui Figuram Discipulis suis Commendauit tradidit Christe
admitted Judas vnto his Table whereat he gaue and deliuered vnto his Disciples a Figure of his Body Againe S. Augustine saithe as in the Personne of Christe Qui in me non manet in quo ego non manco ne se dicat aut existimet manducare Corpus meum aut Sanguinem meum bibere He that abideth not in me and I in him let him not saie or thinke that he either eateth my Body or drinketh my Bloude The obiection that ye make of the Resurrection of our bodies is light and vaine and to smal pourpose For if noman shal haue parte in the Resurrection but onely they that haue receiued the Sacramente of Christes Body then are al the Holy Fathers Patriarches and Prophetes of the Olde Testamente Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Aaron and sutche others then are infinite numbers of Christian Children then are many Godly Martyrs whiche beinge Baptized in the Bloude of Christe were taken out of this life before they coulde receiue the Sacramente vtterly excluded for euer from al hope of Resurrection But Christe when he spake these Woordes meante not the reciuinge of the Sacramente but the Spiritual Eatinge of his Very Body and the Spiritual Drinkinge of his Very Bloude Whereof he is made partetaker vnto Resurrection and Life Euerlastinge who so euer beleeueth in the Death of Christe And therefore S. Basile saith of the Sacramente of Baptisme Baptisma est vis efficacia ad Resurrectionem Baptisme is a Povver and a strength vnto Resurrection But hereof wee shal haue occasion offered to saie more hereafter Further Howe can ye assure your selues saye you that your Faithe receiueth the Body of Christe VVhiche was neuer promised to your Faithe By the waie I beséeche you M. Hardinge when or where was Christes Body euer promised to your Mouthe Verily Christe promised his Body to he receiued by Faithe and by Faithe Onely and none othervvise For thus he saithe Ego sum Panis ille Vitae qui venit ad me non esurier qui credit in me non sitiet vnquam I am that Breade of Life He that commeth vnto me shal neuer hunger and he that Beleeueth in me shal neuer thirste Here haue you M. Hardinge a plaine promisse made vnto our Faithe But of your Mouthe wée heare nothinge If you haue ought to shewe out of the Scriptures Doctours or Councelles let it appeare that in plaine woordes without coloure Otherwise if ye cauil in woordes wée muste saie ye haue nothinge Therefore the Auncient Father Origen saith Idcircò dicitur Panis vitae vt habeat Gustus Animae quod deguster Therefore is Christe called the Breade of Life that our Faithe whiche is the Taste of our soule maie houe what to taste Clemens Alexandrinus saithe Comedite Carnes meas Bibite Sanguinem meum Euidenter Fidei Promissionis quod est Esculentum Poculentum dicens allegoricè Eate my Fleashe and Drinke my Bloude Meaninge hereby vnder an Allegorie or by vvaie of a Figure the Meate and Drinke that is of our Faithe and his Promisse Tertullian saith Eundem Sermonem Christus etiam Carnem suam dixit quia Sermo Caro factus est Proinde in causa vitae recipien dus Deuorandus auditu Ruminandus intellectu Fide Digerendus est The same Woorde Christe called his Fleashe For the Woorde was made Fleashe Therefore he muste be receiued in cause of Life He muste be Deuoured by hearing He muste be chevved by vnderstandinge He muste be Digested by Faithe S. Cyprian saithe Quod est esca Carni hoc est Animae Fides As Meate is to the Fleashe so is Faithe vnto the Soule S. Augustine saithe Credere in eum hoc est Manducare Illud Eibere quid est nisi viuere To Beleeue in him is to Eate him That Drinkinge of him what is it els but to liue by him I truste M. Hardinge it maie appeare hereby there is somme promisse made hereof vnto our Faithe Nowe shewe you as euidente Promisse made to your Mouthe and Belly and then your Reader happily wil beleeue you The Apologie Cap. 14. Diuision 2. And therefore in celebratinge these Mysteries the People are to good pourpose exhorted before they comme to receiue the Holy Communion to lifte vp theire Hartes and to directe theire mindes to Heauen warde bicause he is there by whom wee muste be fedde and liue M. Hardinge I praie you Whiche these Mysteries meane ye Those that ye haue in your newe communion or those that we haue at the aulter of God in the Catholike Churche of Christe If ye meane your owne newe deuised toye thereof ye cannot bringe any sufficient reason againste the Churche pardy whiche condemneth the same If ye meane the Holy Mysteries of the Catholike Churche ye misreporte the mater For by that exhortation ye speake of the people are not prepared to receiue the Communion onely nor chifely but to dispose them selues accordingly and as it becommeth them to praie for to that ende be these woordes Sursum corda vp with your hartes pronounced by the Prieste in the Preface before prayer Reade S. Cyprian in Sermone 6. De Oratione Dominica And ye shal finde him to referre the whole to praier But what if we admitte your woordes refusinge your Heretical meaninge VVe graunte the people are to good purpose so exhorted as ye saie and that he is in Heauen whose fleash we feede on in this Sacramente thereby to attaine to life Euerlastinge VVhat conclude ye of this Ergo he is not here For at that marke ye shoote euery man maye see Here we tel you that your Rhetorike is better stuffe then your Logike for your argumente is foolishe VVith the one ye maie leade the simple perhaps with the other ye moue the Learned to laugh at you For Christe is in Heauen and also here as Chrysostome saithe Et hic plenus existens illic plenus Vnum Corpus He is here fully and there fully one Body These two propositions Christe is in Heauen and Christe is here may wel stande togeather without iuttinge the one the other out of place He is there at the right hande of the Father visibly he is here vnder the Formes of Breade and VVine inuisibly there in glorie here in Mysterie ▪ yet as truly and fully here as there concerninge his Substance as Chrysostome saith Ye procede foorth and saie The B. of Sarisburie It maye becomme you M. Hardinge as wel to cal the reuerende Ministration of Christes Holy Mysteries a Toie as to cal the Gospel of Christe Erroure and Heresie So likewise Libanius the Heathen although a man I trow not of your Profession saide sommetime that al the Bookes either of the Scriptures or of any y◠Christian Fathers in comparison of Iulianus the Renegates Bookes were toies and trifles Howe be it Our Toies be the same Toies that were once vsed and allowed vniuersally throughout the Catholique
Fornicationem non esse peccatum Martinus de Magistris in suo libro De Temperantia quaestione secunda de Luxuria dicit se fateri Fornicationem Simplicem esse Peccatum Mortale Tamen dicit insuper quòd oppositum credere non sit Haereticum quia vt dicit Testimonia Scripturae Sacrae non sunt expressa The Greekes as Guido chargeth them saie that Simple Fornication is no Sinne. Martinus de Magistris in his Booke Of Temperance and in the seconde question disputinge of Lecherie graunteth in deede that Simple Fornication is deadly Sinne. And yet he saithe It is no Heresie to beleeue the contrarie for that as he saithe the Testimonies of the Scriptures touching this mater are not plaine Here M. Hardinge ye haue your owne Doctours minde Martinus saithe It is no Heresie to beleeue that Simple Fornication is no Sinne And this he saithe euen in the very same Booke that he hath written De Temperantia So daungerously M. Hardinge and so shamefully are we deceiued in alleginge your Peltinge Doctours And therefore Alphonsus concludeth thus Sed cum pace illius dixerim ego credo Martinum alioqui virum Doctum in hac parte errasse But to speake with his fauour I beleeue that Martinus de Magistris in this behalfe was mutche deceiued M. Hardinge After this fowle lye foloweth an other Let him remember say these Defenders that they be his men that haue decreed that a priest for fornication ought not to be remoued from his cure To this we may saye that although he be not depriued of his cure yet he may be punished other wise But let vs see how they would proue that they saye By their note in their margent they send vs for proufe to the canon lawe 3. quaest 7. Lata Extra de bigamis Quia circa As touching the chapter Lata in the decrees we finde none suche And in Causa 3. quast 7. there is nothinge to this purpose The paragraphe Quia circa Extra is vnderstanded of them who being in the state of bigamie are not to be promoted to holy orders and not of one who is already made priest that he be not for Fornication remoued But to vnderstande what was donne to a priest that had committed fornication by order of lawe in case any Bishop or priest or deacon after degree of deaconship taken had benne conuict of fornication or aducutrie he was deposed and castout of the Churche and enioined to doo penaunce amonge the lartie VVhiche thinge S. Syluester at length mercifully changed enioininge ten yeres penaunce after a prescript forme whiche to oure newe cleregie woulde seeme very harde and straite Yea further the lawe of the Churche in this case so litle beareth with the sinnefull life of Clerkes that if any Bishop in his Dioces had consented and borne with the fornication of Priestes or Deacons or with the crime of incest for money or praier or had not by Auctoritie of his Bishoply Office duly punished sutche faultes committed the same shoulde be suspended from his Office And this muche wee haue shewed touchinge the remouinge of a Prieste not onely from his benefice but also from his office for cause of fornication wherein these menne moste falsely haue slaundered the Churche as now to any man it may appeere The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge ye shewe your selfe to be mutche vnskilful in your owne Canons The simpleste Proctour in your Courtes coulde soone haue tolde you that yee are ouer farre deceiued For thus it is written by expresse woordes in your owne Glose vpon the Decrees Dicunt neminem hodiè propter Fornicationem esse deponendum nisi in ea perdurat They saie that for Fornication noman ought this daie to be deposed onlesse he continewe in the same And leste ye shoulde in any wise mistrust or doubte your Glose it is also thus noted of pourpose in faire great letters in the Margine Fornicationis causa hodiè nemo est deponendus Novv a daies noman maie be deposed for Fornication Were there nothinge els to be saide yet this thinge onely were sufficiente But Panormitane also your greateste Canoniste like wise saithe Ad varietatē temporū debent mutari statuta humana Ideò hodie ex Simplici Fornicatione Clericus non deponitur The Lawes of Menne ought to be altered accordinge to the change of times And therefore nowe a daies for Simple Fornication no Prieste is deposed from his benefice Likewise ye haue it noted vpon your Decrees Communiter dicitur quod pro Simplici Fornicatione Clericus deponi non debet Quia pauci sine illo vitio inueniuntur It is commonly saide that for Simple Fornication no Prieste ought to be depriued For that fevve Priestes are founde vvithout that faulte Againe Panormitane saithe to like effecte Clericus Concubinarius in officijs vitandus non est nisi sit notorius A Prieste that keepeth a Concubine onlesse he be notorious maie not be refused in his Seruice Sundrie other sutche like Authorities your pooreste Proctoure coulde haue brought you Howe be it you saie S. Syluester in sutche cases enioineth tenne yeeres penance This was true in deede M. Hardinge But it was true in Olde forne yeeres aboute twelue hundred yeeres agoe Nowe Syluester is paste quite out of minde and his Lawe with him Your owne folke nowe can saie Nunc aliud tempus alij pro tempore mores Martinus Poenitentiarius saith Ecclesia multos huiusmodi Canones exufflauit quia onerosi sunt The Churche hathe blowen awaie many sutche Canons for that thei be too burthenous Looke better on your Bookes M. Hardinge Your owne Lawe saithe Fornicationis causa nemo hodiè deponendus est Quia corpora hodiè sunt fragiliora Noman nowe a daies ought to be depriued for Fornication and that bicause our bodies are frailer then they were woonte to be And therefore touchinge that cruel tenne yeeres Faste appointed by Syluesters Constitution the Glose there saithe thus Potest ieiunare per alium vel potest dare numum pro Ieiunio Hee maie Paste by somme other man or els He mai geeue a good Penny and so redeeme his whole tenne yeeres Faste But there is graciousely added a special prouiso In the behalfe of him that shal receiue this Penny Sed debet iste Donarius esse talis quòd non euincatur ab illo cui donatur Alias non contingeret liberatio But it muste be sutche a Penny that it be neuer euicted againe by Lawe from him that receiued it Otherwise he shoulde not be discharged of his penance In like manner saithe Pope Pelagius Defectus nostri temporis quibus corpora ipsa hominum defecerunt districtionis illius non patitur manere censuram The weakenesse of our time by meane whereof the very bodies of menne are decaied doothe not suffer the rigoure of that Lawe to continewe Otho Bonus in his Constitution Legantine saithe Remoueant ipsas
it appeareth by youre reckening ye make no greate accoumpte of it Christe saie you praied for Peter Ergo the Romaine Faithe can neuer faile Fewe children woulde willingly make sutche Argumentes Ye presume very mutche of the Simplicitie and Ignoraunce of youre Reader For thinke you that Christe praied onely for Peter and for no body els Or thinke you that Christes praiers tooke place in none other of al the Apostles but onely in Peter Awake for shame and shake of these dreames Christe him selfe saithe O Father I praie nor onely for these but also for them that by their woorde shal beleue in me And S. Augustine thus reporteth the same praier as it is alleaged before Ego rogaui Paitem pro vobis ne deficiat Fides vestra I haue praied vnto my Father not for Peter onely but for you that youre Faithe maie not faile Againe he saithe Nunquid pro Petro rogabat Pro Iohanne Iacobo non rogabat Did Christe praie for Peter And did he not praie for Iohn and Iames Certainely Origen saithe as likewise I haue before alleged Omnia quaeque priùs dicta sunt quaeque sequuntur velut ad Petrum dicta sunt omnium Communia Al the thinges that either paste before or folowe after as spoken vnto Peter are common vnto al the Apostles But S. Paule saithe vnto the Romaines Youre Faithe is spoken of throughout the worlde And S. Cyprian saithe The agreeing with the Bishop of Rome was the Vnitie of the Catholique Churche And yet it maie please you to be remembred by the waie that the same S. Cyprian reproued Cornelius and Stephanus bothe Bishoppes of Rome and tolde them they were bothe deceiued and therefore woulde not agree vnto them Neuerthelesse hereof ye conclude thus Ergo the Holy Ghoste hath signified that the Churche of Rome cannot erre It pitieth me M. Harding in youre behalfe to see into howe streite and miserable holes ye are faine to creepe For what if the Faithe and the Constancie of the Romaines in olde times for the Nobilitie of that Empiere and Cittie were then published throughout the whole worlde Yet where did the Holy Ghoste euer tel you that therefore the Churche of Rome shoulde neuer erre By what Woorde By what Promisse By what Reuelation Yee saie The Faithe of the Romaines was heard of throughoute the whole Worlde So was the Greate capitol there So was the bewtie of their Princely buildinges Whiche notwithstanding are nowe made smoothe and euen with the grounde So likewise is it written of Hierusalem De Sion exibit Lex Verbum Domini de Hierusalem The Lawe shal comme foorth from Sion and the Woorde of God from Hierusalem So in the Cittie of Antioche the Faithful were firste called Christians And therefore Chrysostome calleth the same Cittie Caput totius orbis The Head of the whole worlde Thus was Eusebius Samosatensis called Regula Fidei The Rule and Standerde of the Faithe Thus was Athanasius called Orbis oculus Fundamentū Fidei The Eie of the world and the Fundation of the Faithe Would ye hereof conclude M. Harding that therfore the Faithe of these Churches can neuer faile Ye knowe that al this notwithstandinge the Churches as wel of Hierusalem and Antioche as also of Asia Syria Graecia and of al the Easte are nowe subiecte to the Turke and scarcely a fewe leafte there that dare to professe the name of Christe What a fonde Paradise is this to saie bicause ye had once the Faith of Christe therefore nowe ye can neuer erre Sutche a fantastical Paradise had they built vnto them selues that cried out in olde times euen as you do now The Temple of God The Temple of God VVee are the Children of Abraham But who so euer wel cōsidereth the storie of the time shal soone finde y◠then they cried moste The Temple of God when they had moste shamefully abused and defaced the Temple of God and that then they claimed moste to be called the Children of Abraham when they had forsaken bothe the Faithe and life of Abraham and as Christe saithe vnto them were becomme the Children of the Diuel Sutche a fantasie had they that saide Non peribit Lex à Sacerdote Nec consilium à Sapiente Nec Verbum à Propheta The Lawe shal not departe from the Prieste Nor Counsel from the Wise Nor the VVoorde from the Prophete But God saith vnto them Obstupescent Sacerdotes Prophetae terrebuntur Lex peribit à Sacerdote Consilium à Senioribus Nox vobis erit pro Visione tenebrae pro Diuinatione Youre Priestes shal be amased and youre Prophetes shal be at their wittes ende The Lawe shal perishe from the Prieste and Counsel shal wante in the Elders Ye shal haue Nighte in steede of a Vision and Darkenesse in steede of Prophesie S. Paule saithe vnto the Galathians Ye beganne wel who hathe thus bewitched you that yee shoulde not obeie the Truthe S. Peter saithe As there were False Prophetes emongest the people in olde time euen so emong you there shal be False Prophetes bringing in Sectes of Perdition Of sutche a chaunge the Prophete Esaie cōplaineth Quomodò facta est Meretrix Ciuitas Fidelis Howe is this Faithful Cittie now become an Harlot Deceiue not thus youre selfe M. Harding with vaine hope Harken rather to the voice of our Lorde Put nothing to his Worde take nothing from the same turne neither to the Right hande nor to the Leafte So shal ye be sure ye shal not erre The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 2. For our partes if wee could haue iudged Ignoraunce Error Superstition Idolatrie mennes Inuentions and the same commonly disagreeing with the Holy Scriptures either to please God or to be sufficient for thobteining of Euerlasting Saluation or if we could ascertaine our selues that the Woorde of God was written but for a time onely and afterwarde againe ought to be abrogated and put away or els that the Saienges Cōmaundementes of God ought to be subiecte to mans wil that whatsoeuer God saithe and commaundethe excepte the Bishop of Rome wil and Commaunde the same it must be taken as voide and vnspoken If we coulde haue brought our selues to beleue these thinges we graūt there had benne no cause at al why we shoulde haue leafte these mennes Companie M. Hardinge God forbid that either ye or any Christen man shoulde iudge that ignorance errour superstition idolatrie mennes inuentions contrarie to the Scriptures either pleased God or to be sufficient to saluation Bicause ye laie this to the catholique Churche we can saie no lesse of you but that ye be false liers and diuelishe slaunderers And who teacheth that Gods worde was written but for a time onely ‡ That his commaundementes be subiecte to mans wil ‡ That Gods saienges and preceptes be voide except the Bishop of Rome ratifie them Here would I saie vnto you at least fie for shame but that I thinke I should preuaile
we keapte it and vnderstode it before ye were borne and before youre heresie was hearde of But a Deuil comminge from hel for who is authour of diuision but Satan hath caried you awaie into an other Gospel whereas in deede there is but one true Gospel And here let any indifferent man consider howe vprightly you alleage S. Paule You write that Paule warneth you not to geue eare to an Angel comming from heauen if he goe about to drawe you from any parte of this Doctrine Of whiche this Doctrine meane you Of this whiche you haue declared in this Apologie Did S. Paule euer reade youre A pologie Howe then pronounced he of it that sentence VVee meane saie you by this Doctrine the Doctrine of the Gospel If you meane so wee saie the same But wee tel you that S. Paule spake not of euery Gospel generally but of a certaine Gospel qualified For he saieth Si quis vobis euangelizauerit praerer id quod accepistis anathema sit If any man preache a Gospel vnto you besides that ye haue receiued be he accursed Heare you the Gospel S. Paule speaketh of It is not euery Gospel It is a Gospel preached and receiued If ye preache that Gospel whiche ye receiued we ioine handes with you But if ye preach a Gospel whiche ye haue receiued of no Apostle nor Apostoiique preacher and whiche was not hearde of in the earth when Luther ranne out of his Cloister and forsooke his Religion then be ye assured that ye are the menne who are holden for accursed of S. Paule The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge ye woulde faine scape awaie with a Childishe Cauil Paul ye saie speaketh of a Gospel qualified whereby ye meane a Gospel deliuered and receiued As if ye woulde saie The Gospel of Christe onlesse it be deliuered by you is no Gospel But S. Paule meante not the Doctrine deliuered from hande to hande or from Pope to Pope But the Doctrine deliuered and receiued in the Scriptures And in this sense he saithe of him selfe Quod accept à Domino Hoc tradidi vobis The thinge that I haue receiued of the Lorde the same haue I deliuered vnto you In like sorte he calleth him selfe an Apostle not of menne nor by menne but by Iesus Christe Howe be it what neede many wordes The case is cleare S. Augustine saithe plainely Paulus ait Si Angelus de Coelo vobis annuntiauerit praeterquam quod in Scripturis legalibus Euangelicis accepistis Anathema sit If an Angel from Heauen preache vnto you any other thinge then ye haue receiued not by Tradition or by deliuerie from youre Elders but in the Scriptures of the Lavve and of the Gospel accursed be he These wordes be plaine M. Hardinge and quite disgrace al your Gloses Hereto Chrysostome addeth further Non dixit Paulus Si contraria annuntiauerint aut totum Euangelium subuerterint verùm Si vel paulùm Euangelizauerint praeter Euangelium quod accepistis etiamsi quiduis labefactauerint Anathema sint S. Paule saithe not If they teache the contrarie or if they ouerthrowe the whole Gospel But he saithe if they preache any little smal thinge besides the Gospel that ye haue receiued or if they loose or shake downe any thinge whatsoeuer it bee accursed bee they These woordes M. Hardinge touche you very neare Ye haue altered the whole fourme of the Churche of God Therefore repente youre selues leste ye remaine stil within the daunger of the Curse S. Augustine saithe Sancta Scriptura nostae Doctrinae Regulam figit Ne audeamus plus sapere quà m oporteat sapere The Holy Scripture hath laide a rule vnto oure Doctrine that we dare not to vnderstand more then is meete for vs to vnderstand The Apologie Cap. 22. Diuision 3. For where these menne bid the Holy Scriptures away as doumbe and frutelesse procure vs to comme to God him selfe rather who speaketh in the Churche in theire Councelles that is to saie to beleue their fansies and opinions this waie of finding out the Truthe is very vncertaine and exceeding dangerous and in manner a fantastical madde waie by no meanes allowed of the Holy Fathers M. Hardinge VVhere they saie we passe but litle on the Scriptures as dumbe and vnprofitable therein they slaunder vs as in other thinges VVe do not so But we saie that as euery act of Parlament must be executed by a lawful Iudge so the holy Scriptures haue their execution by lauful Iudges who are the bishoppes and fathers and wel in other places as specially when they be laufully assembled in general councelles Now saie these men that way is very vncertaine dangerous in maner mad and not allowed of the fathers VVho euer heard men thought to haue their right wittes talke after so loose a sorte Did the fathers disproue the order of comming together in general councelles Or thought they the same to be a way for men to be the soner deceiued If so many maie be deceiued with moste diligent studie and mature iudgement conferring together howe mutche soner may one or two alone leadde by priuate phansie and self wil be caried away into errour At the Nicene councel came together 318 bishops At the first of Cōstantinople 150. at the Ephesme coūcel 200. At that of Chalcedō 630 Al these foure councelles sundry ancient fathers namely S. Gregorie estemed as the foure Gospels Yea but saith he I haue the word of God But what if 300. farre holier and better learned men saie he hath it not Let the reader be iudge saith he A meete iudge in suche a cause The Scholers maie reade but iudge of their maisters they maie not by Christes doctrine who said Non est discipulus supra magistrum the scholer is not aboue his maister VVhy not for al that saie you if the Holy Ghost inspire him Sir is it not to be thought God doth assist his Churche represented in sutche solemne assemblies of three hundred or moe fathers gouernours of Christen people rather then one man The B. of Sarisburie Whether ye cal the Scriptures of God a Dumbe thing or no I reporte me to that is saide before One of you calleth it Mortuum Atramentum Dead Inke An other saith Scriptura est res inanimis muta The Scripture is a dead and a dumbe thinge An other calleth the Scriptures Nigrum Euangelium The blacke Gospel Nowe if the Scriptures be Dead and Doumbe and can not speake then must it needes folowe they are vnprofitable Neither doo we despise the Authoritie of Councelles Good Councelles be graue and reuerende But thus we saie Councelles are often against Councelles And if wee make rekening of number the Arian Heretiques haue had moe Councelles then the Christians S. Hierome saithe Spiritus Sancti Doctrina est quae Canonicis literis prodita est Contra quam si quid statuant Concilia nefas duco That is the Doctrine of the Holy Goste
that is set abroade in the Canonical Scriptures Againste whiche Doctrine if Councelles determine any thing I thinke it vvicked S. Chrysostome saithe further in more earneste sorte Plus aliquid dicam Ne Paulo quidem obedire oportet si quid dixerit proprium si quid humanum I wil saie more Wee ought not to beleeue no not Paule him selfe if he speake any thinge of his owne or if he speake onely as a man And to encrease the vncertaintie hereof the whole weighte and iudgemente of Councelles hangeth nowe euermore vpon the Pope as it maie appeare by these woordes of the Conclusion of the late Chapter at Trident Saluasemper in omnibus Sedis Apostolicae Authoritate The Authoritie of the Apostolique See in al thinges euermore reserued But Platyna saithe as it is alleged before Acta priorum Pontificum sequentes Pontifices semper aut infringunt aut omnino ' tollunt The Popes that folowe doo euermore either breake or wholy abrogate the Decrees of the Popes that were before Whether the Scripture bee wel alleged or otherwise thereof ye saie the people maie not Iudge For Christe saithe The Scholar is not aboue his Maister Certainely M. Hardinge the simplest of al the people notwithstandinge by youre restrainte he maie not iudge of the Scriptures yet he maie easily iudge of you either that ye vnderstande not or that ye vnaduisedly abuse the Scriptures Whether it be the Woorde of God or no the people ye saie maie not Judge And that ye proue euen by the Scriptures God knoweth ful handsomely and ful discretely applied For the Scholar ye saie is not aboue his Maister Thus we maie learne by the Logique of Louaine that Populus is Latine for a Scholar that Scripture is Latine for a Maister And thus by youre vaine premisses without sense ye proceede vainely and conclude nothinge O M. Hardinge haue some regarde to that ye write The simpleste maie soone espie your dooinges Ye can no longer thus mocke the worlde with shewes of woordes Christe spake not these woordes of the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures but of persequution for the Scriptures For thus the woordes lie togeather When they shal persecute you in one Cittie flee into an other c. The Scholar is not aboue his Maister Nor the Seruant aboue his Lorde If they haue called the Maister of the house Beelzebub howe mutche more wil they so cal his housholde seruauntes Alas where learned you to frame sutche Argumentes The Apostles beeing the Scholars can nomore escape persecutioÌ„ then could Christe that vvas the Maister Ergo The people cannot vnderstande vvhat they reade in the Scriptures Here is neither Antecedente nor Consequente nor Sequele in Reason For the honour of yâ— Vniuersitie haue better regarde vnto your Logique Ye bewraie the weakenesse of youre cause when yee so sclenderly abuse the Scriptures The Apologie Cap. 22. Diuision 4. Chrysostome saithe There be many oftentimes vvhiche boaste them selues of the Holy Ghoste but truely vvho so speake of their ovvn head do falsely boast that thei haue the sprite of God For like as saith he Christe denied he spake of him selfe vvhen he spake out of the Lavve and Prophetes euen so novve if any tiauerint aut totum Euangelium subuerterint verùm Si vel paulùm Euangelizauerint praeter Euangelium quod accepistis etiamsi quiduis labefactauerint Anathema sint S. Paule saithe not If they teache the contrarie or if they ouerthrowe the whole Gospel But he saithe if they preache any little smal thinge besides the Gospel that ye haue receiued or if they loose or shake downe any thinge whatsoeuer it bee accursed bee they These woordes M. Hardinge touche you very neare Ye haue altered the whole fourme of the Churche of God Therefore repente youre selues leste ye remaine stil within the aunger of the Curse S. Augustine saithe Sancta Scriptura nostae Doctrinae Regulam figit Ne audeamus plus sapere quà m oporâ—eat sapere The Holy Scripture hath laide a rule vnto oure Doctrine that we dare not to vnderstand more then is meete for vs to vnderstand The Apologie Cap. 22. Diuision 3. For where these menne bid the Holy Scriptures away as doumbeand frutelesse procure vs to comme to God him selfe rather who speaketh in the Churche in theire Councelles that is to saie to beleue their fansies and opinions this waie of finding out the Truthe is very vncertaine and exceeding dangerous and in manner a fantastical madde waie by no meanes allowed of the Holy Fathers M. Hardinge VVhere they saie we passe but litle on the Scriptures as dumbe and vnprofitable therein they slaunder vs as in other thinges VVe do not so But we saie that as euery act of Parlament must be executed by a lawful Iudge so the holy Scriptures haue their execution by lauful Iudges who are the bishoppes and fathers as wel in other places as specially when they be laufully assembled in general councelles Now saie these men that way is very vncertaine dangerous in maner mad and not allowed of the fathers VVho euer heard men thought to haue their right wittes talke after so loose a sorte Did the fathers disproue the order of comming together in general councelles Or thought they the same to be a way for men to be the soner deceiued If so many maie be deceiued with moste diligent studie and mature iudgement conferring together howe mutche soner may one or two alone â—eadde by priuate phansie and self wil be caried away into errour At the Nicene councel came together 318 bishops At the first of CoÌ„stantinople 150. at the Ephesine couÌ„cel 200. At that of ChalcedoÌ„ 630 Al these foure councelles sundry ancient fathers namely S. Gregorie estemed as the foure Gospels Yea but saith he I haue the word of God But what if 300. farre holier and better learned men saie he hath it not Let the reader be iudge saith be A meete iudge in suche a cause The Scholers maie reade but iudge of their maisters they maie not by Christes doctrine who said Non est discipulus supra magistrum the scholer is not aboue his maister VVhy not for al that saie you if the Holy Ghost inspire him Sir is it not to be thought God doth assist his Churche represented in sutche solemne assemblies of three hundred or moe fathers gouernours of Christen people rather then one man The B. of Sarisburie Whether ye cal the Scriptures of God a Dumbe thing or no I reporte me to that is saide before One of you calleth it Mortuum Atramentum Dead Inke An other saith Scriptura est res inanimis muta The Scripture is a dead and a dumbe thinge An other calleth the Scriptures Nigrum Euangelium The blacke Gospel Nowe if the Scriptures be Dead and Doumbe and can not speake then must it needes folowe they are vnprofitable Neither doo we despise the Authoritie of Councelles Good Councelles be graue and reuerende But thus
iudicio euidentis aduersus Claram consonantemque Orthodoxorum Patrum SeÌ„tentiam aduersus communem Ecclesiae Definitionem aliquid credere cuiquam licere Pighius saithe that noman maie lawfully beleeue any thinge by the Authoritie of any Scripture be the same in our iudgement neuer so plaine and euidente againste the cleare and agreeable iudgemente of the Catholique Fathers and againste the Common determination of the Churche By whiche he meaneth onely the Churche of Rome Therefore M. Hardinge it maie please you nowe a litle to spare your voice and to staie your Proclamation But for as mutche as yée séeme so litle to estéeme these twoo Doctoures Prieriâs and Pigghius beinge otherwise not longe sithence the chiefe Leaders and Captaines of al your bandes ye maie therefore ioine others to them to better theire credite and to encrease the Companie And for as mutche as wée speake of the Churche of Rome let vs heare the iudgement of a Cardinal of the Churche of Rome notwithstandinge otherwise alleged before Cardinal Cusanus therefore hereof saithe thus Haec est omnium sanè intelligentium Sententia qui Scripturarum Authoritatem intellectum in Ecclesiae approbatione fundant non è conuerso Ecclesiaeâ— Fundamentum in Scripturarum Authoritate locant Nulla sunt Christi praecepta nisi quae per Ecclesiam pro talibus accepta sunt Sequuntur igitur Scripturae EcclesiaÌ„ non è conuerso This is the iudgemente of al them that thinke rightly that founde the Authoritie and vnderstandinge of the Scriptures in the allowance of the Churche and not contrariewise laie the Fundation of the Churche in the Authoritie of the Scriptures There be no Commaundementes of Christe but sutch onely as so be taken and holden by the Churche Therefore the Scriptures folovve the Churche but contrarievvile the Churche folovveth not the Scriptures Likewise saithe Iohannes Maria Verractus Humiliter confitemur Ecclesiae Authoritatem esse Supra Euangelium We doo humbly confesse that the Authoritie of the Churche is aboue the Authoritie of the Gospel Likewise Albertus Pigghius saithe Apostoli quaedam Scripserunt non vt Scripta illa praeessent Fidei Religioni nostrae sed potiùs vt subessent Scripturae sunt Muti Iudices Scripturae sunt veluti Cereus Naâ—us The Apostles haue written certaine thinges not that theire saide Writinges shoulde rule our Faithe or Religion but rather that they should be vnder and be ruled by our Faith The Scriptures are doumbe Iudges The Scriptures are like a Nose of vvaxe By theise and other like vnreuerente and godlesse speaches they séeke to leade the poore simple deceiued people from the Holy Scriptures and Voice of God to the Authoritie of theire Churche by whiche Churche they vnderstande onely the Pope and his Cardinalles But yée saie These be the Priestes of the House of Leui The Pope is the Iudge for the time in the place that our Lorde hath Chosen Somme others of you sale Papa est tota Ecclesia Virtualiter The Pope is by Power and vertue the whole Churche What so euer these shal happen to saie wée maie not swarue from theire Iudgemente neither to yâ— Right hand nor to the Lefte hand Whereupon the Hebrevve Glose noteth thus Si dixerint tibi quòd Dextra sit Sinistra aut quòd Sinistra sit Dextra talis Sententia tenenda est Although they tel thee yâ— thy Right hande is thy Lefte hande or that thy Lefte hande is thy Right hande yet sutche a Sentence muste be holden as good S. Augustine ye saie holdeth harde of your side He saithe Non crederem Euangelio nisi me Ecclesiae Catholicae Authoritas commoueret I woulde not beleue the Gospel excepte the Authoritie of the Catholique Churche moued me These fewe poore woordes haue benne tossed of your parte and wroonge and pressed to the vttermoste to yeelde out that was neuer in them For hereby yée would faine proue that the Authoritie of the Churche whereby yee euermore vnderstande your Churche of Rome and none other is aboue the Authoritie of Goddes VVoorde that is to saie that the Creature is aboue the Creatoure that made Heauen and Earthe But what if S. Augustine as he saithe I beleue the Gospel bicause of the Churche haue likewise saide I beleue the Churche bicause of the Gospel Then I trowe yee muste turne your tale and saie The Gospel is aboue the Churche His woordes be plaine Ex ore Veritatis Ecclesiam agnosco participem Veritatis By the Mouthe of God that is the Truthe I knowe the Churche that is partetaker of the Truthe Againe he saithe Nolo Humanis Documentis sed Diuinis Oraculis Ecclesiam Sanctam demonstrari Ecclesiam quaerere debemus in Verbis Christi qui est Veritas optim è nouit Corpus suum Ecclesiam sine vlla ambiguitate Sancta Scriptura demonstrat In Scripturis Sanctis Ecclesia manifestè cognoscitur Ecclesiam sicut ipsum Caput in Scripturis Sanctis Canonicis debemus agnoscere I woulde the Churche shoulde be shewed not by the Decrees of Menne but by the Heauenly Oracles or VVordes of God VVee muste seeke the Churche in the VVoordes of Christe whiche is the Truthe and beste knoweth his owne Body The Holy Scripture sheweth vs the Churche without doubtinge In the Holy Scripture the Churche is plainely knowen VVee muste knowe the Churche by the Holy Canonical Scriptures as we know Christe that is the Heade Likewise saithe Chrysostome Nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit Vera Ecclesia nisi tantummodò per Scripturas It is not any waies knowen whiche is the True Churche of Christe but Onely by the Scriptures And thus for as mutche as wée knowe bothe Christe by the Churche and the Churche by Christe the one geeuinge euidence to the other by this reckeninge M. Hardinge and by your shiftinge of turnes wee muste sometimes place Christe aboue the Churche and sommetimes the Churche aboue Christe Now be it S. Augustines minde was not to commence an Action bitwene Christe and his Churche in comparison of theire Dignities or for trial and keepinge of their boundes or to teache vs that the Truthe of God taketh Authoritie of the Churche but onely to shewe vs that the Churche is a witnesse to Goddes Truthe And certainely it hath greate weight of persuasion to moue the Conscience of any man to sée so many Kingedomes Countries to ioine togeather in yâ— profession and obedience of one Truthe And I doubte not but euen this daie many thousandes are the sooner leadde to humble them selues vnto the Gospel of Christe for that they see the whole worlde that is to saie the whole Churche of God is contented so willingly so humbly to embrace the same Dauid to testifie the Truthe and certainetie of the Gospel saithe thus The sounde of the Apostles wente oute into al the Barthe and the VVoordes of them into the endes of al the VVorlde This is
benne founde wicked menne and Heretiques An other saithe Et Papa Episcopi sunt deuiabiles à Fide Both Popes and Bishoppes maie wander from the Faithe An other saith Papa mandans aliquid fieri quod sonet in Haeresim turbat statum Ecclesiae non est ei parendum The Pope commaundinge any thing to be donne that soundeth of Heresie troubleth the state of the Churche and we maie not obeie him An other saithe Papa potest else Haereticus de Haeresi iudicari The Pope maie be an Heretique and of Heresie maie be iudged Al these were the Popes vndoubted frēdes But now let vs heare the Pope him self Pope Pius 2. otherwise called Aeneas Syluius saith thus Quid si criminosus Papa contraria Fidei praedicet Haereticisque Dogmatibus imbuat Subditos What if a notorious vvicked Pope teache thinges contrarie to the Faithe and with Heretical Doctrine peruerte his Subiectes I would not stand so long in so cleare a case were it not that M. Harding al this notwithstandinge telleth vs so sadly and biddeth vs beleue it vpon his warrante that the Pope vndoubtedly can neuer erre Stanislaus Hosius the greatest stickler of that side blussheth not to saie thus Numerētur omnes c. Recken al the Popes that euer were from Peter vntil this Iulius that now is There neuer sate in this Chaire any Arian any Donatiste any Pelagian or any other that professed any manner Heresie Yet neuerthelesse your owne Doctour Alphonsus saithe Non credo aliquem esse adeò Impudentem Papae Assentatorem vt ei tribuere hoc velit vt nec Errare nec in Interpretatione Sacrarum Literarum hallucinari possit I beleue ther 〈◊〉 so shamelesse a Flatterer of the Pope that wil graunte him this Prerogatiue that he can neuer erre nor be deceiued in the expoundinge of the Scriptures Here M. Hardinge your owne principal Doctoure Alphonsus calleth al them y◠mainteine your Doctrine and saie as you saie The shamelesse Flatterers of the Pope Certainely I thinke it maie safely be said If a mā wil take y◠viewe of al Christendome he shal not find so many Heretiques in any one See what so euer as maie be found in the See of Rome And for y◠cause perhaps Frāciscus Petrarcha calleth Rome Asylū Haeresum Errorū The Sainctuarie of Errours and Heresies And in his Italian Sonetres he calleth it The Schole of Erroure and the Temple of Heresie As for Nicolaus Lyra yée doubte of our dealinge for that the Printer hath not quoted the place It maie please you therefore to peruse his notes vpon the xvi Chapter of S. Mathevve There emonge other ye shal finde these woordes Ex hoc patet quo'd Ecclesia non consistit in hominibus ratione Potestatis vel Dignitatis Ecclesiasticae vel Saecularis Quia multi principes Summi Pontifices inuenti sunt apostatasse à Fide Hereby it appeareth that the Church standeth not in men in consideration either of theire Power or of theire Dignitie either Ecclesiastical or Temporal For many Princes and Popes haue benne founde to haue straied from the Faithe Therefore Baldus saithe Cautela est quo'd quis dicat Credo quod credit Sancta Mater Ecclesia non quod credit Papa It is to be marked that a man many saie I beleue that the Churche beleueth but not I beleue that the Pope beleueth Yée saie Christe praied for Peter Ergo the Pope cannot erre But where was Christes Praier then when so many Heretiques were Popes in Rome Wil yée saie that Christe praied for Arians for Nestorians for Montanistes for Monothelites for Simonistes for Idolaters for Necromancers for Poisoners for Murtherers for Dame Iohane too Or that by the vertue of Christes Praier none of these could euer Erre Or y◠the Popes Erroures must goe for Truthe or his Heresies be holden as Right Religion onely bicause you telle vs that what so euer he saie He cannot Erre O M. Hardinge I shewed you before y◠Christe praied not onely for Peter but also for al the reste of his Disciples Origen saithe as he is before alleged Num audebimus dicere quo'd aduersus vnum Petrum non praeualiturae sint Porrae Inferorum aduersus coeteros Apostolos praeualiturae sint Shal wee dare to san◠that the Gates of Helle shal not preuaile againste onely Peter and that the same Gates shal preuaile against al other the Apostles S. Cyprian saith Rogabat pro delictis nostris sicut iple declarat cùm dicit ad Petrum Ego Rogaui pro te ne deficiat Fides tua Christe praied not for Peter onely but for our sinnes as he him selfe declareth saieing vnto Peter I haue praied for thee that thy Faith should not faile S. Augustine expoūding the same woordes saithe thus Ego rogaui Patrem pro vobis ne deficiat Fides vestra I haue praied not onely for Peter but also for you that your Faith shoulde not faile Chrysostome saithe Omnis Christianus qui suscipit Verbum Petri Thronus fit Petri petrus sedet in co Euery Christian man that receiueth the word of Peter is made Peters Chaire and Peter him selfe sitteth in him Otherwise M. Hardinge they are not al Peters that sitte in place of Peter S. Ambrose saithe Non habent Haereditatem Petri qui Fidem Petri non habent They haue not Peters Enheritance that haue not the Faithe of Peter S. Hierome saith Auferet Dominus nomina vanae gloriae admirationis falsae quae versantur in Ecclesia God wil take a waie these names of vaine Glorie and false ostētation that are vsed in the Churche Where wée saie Pope Liberius fauoured the Arians that ye saie is starke false And yet yée knowe S. Hierome is the reporter of that falsehed But S. Hierome ye saie vvas deceiued In sutche Reuerence and Regarde yée haue the Doctoures and Learned Fathers of the Churche Yee beleue them no further then yée liste I doubte not but S. Hierome might better saie M. Hardinge is deceiued Certainely Alphonsus your owne Doctoure saith De Liberio Papa Constat fuisse Arianum Touchinge Pope Liberius it is wel knowen he vvas an Arian Platyna saith Liberius vt quidam volunt in rebus omnibus sensit cum Haereticis Pope Liberius as somme saie was in al pointes of one iudgemente with the Arian Heretiques Antoninus the Archebishop of Florence saith Liberius Papa consensit praeceptis Augusti Ariani vt vnà cum Haereticis Communicaret Pope Liberius so consented to the Commaundementes of the Arian Emperoure that he communicated with the Heretiques So saithe louerius in the Abbriedgement of Councelles So saith Hermannus Gigas so saith your very Legende cōmonly called Historia Longobardica Emong others Erasmus saith Ariana Haeresis Romanum Pontificē inuoluit ipsos Imperatores The Ariās Heresi entangled and wrapt bothe Pope and Emperoure By the Pope namely he meaneth Liberius Yet you doubte not to saie
to see maie easily finde that this is youre owne onely sense M. Hardinge and not S. Hieromes For I beseeche you howe was Niniue fully destroied or what Gospelles were there written at the Firste Comming of Christe into the vvorlde S. Hieromes meaninge and speache is plaine The people before the seconde Comminge of Christe vvhiche shal be in Glorie shal leaue theire negligente and idle Scholemaisters vvhiche haue of longe time deceiued them and shal flee to the Mountaines of the Scriptures And al be it they finde not one to teache them yet shal theire desire and endeuoure be accepted before God for that thei haue sought vnto these Mountaines and the negligence and slouthefulnesse of theire Maisters shal be reproued To like pourpose S. Chrysostome saithe Fieri non potest vt is qui Diuinis Scripturis magno studio feruentique desiderio vacat semper negligatur Licet enim desit nobis hominis Magisterium tamen ipse Dominus supernè intrans in corda nostra illustrat mentem rationi iubar suum infundit detegit occulta doctorque fit eorum quae ignoramus tantùm si nos ea quae à nobis sunt afferre velimus It cannot possibly be that he that with earneste studie and feruente desire readeth the Scriptures shoulde euermore be foresaken For although wee wante the instruction of man yet God him selfe from aboue entringe into our hartes lighteneth our minde poureth his beames into our wittes openeth thinges that were hidden and becommeth vnto vs a Scholemaister of that wee knowe not onely if wee wil doo so mutche as in vs lieth So saithe S. Hierome Postquà m conuersi fuerint Clarum Christi Lumen aspexerint pascent in vijs in semitis sanctarum Scripturarum dicent Dominus pascit me nihil mihi deerit When they shal be turned and shal beholde the cleare light of Christe they shal feede in the pathes and waies of the Holy Scriptures and shal saie The Lorde feedeth me and I shal vvante nothinge Againe he saithe Circundabit sibi quasi murum firmissimum Scripturarum doctrinam ne ad interiora eius possit hostis irrumpere He wil enclose him selfe with the Doctrine of the Scriptures as with a stronge walle that the Enimie maie not enter into his harte Againe he saithe Haec est via Ambulate in ca. Neque ad Dextram neque ad Sinistram Tunc omnes Errores Idola Similitudines Veritatis comminnes atque disperges ita iudicabis immunda vt â—a menstruatae mulieris sordidissimo Sanguini compares This is the waie walke in it Goe neither to the Right hande nor to the Leafte Then shalt then breake and scatter al Errours and Idoles and Countrefeite likenesse of the Truthe and shalt iudge them to be so filthy that thou shalt liken them to moste vile and lothesome bloude But for as mutche as yee saie Al these woordes of S. Hierome perteiue vnto somme other mater I know not what and not vnto the ouerthrowe of Babylon or fal of Antichriste that shal be before the ende of the worlde notwithstandinge S. Hieromes woordes of them selfe be plaine yenough yet maie it please you to consider these woordes of S. Chrysostome touchinge the same Thus he saithe Tunc qui in Iudaea sunt fugiant ad Montes id est qui sunt in Christianitate conferant se ad Scripturas Montes sunt Scripturae Apostolorum Prophetarum c. Sciens Dominus tantam confusionem rerum in nouissimis diebus esse futuram ideò mandat vt Christiani qui sunt in Christianitate volentes firmitatem accipere Fidei verae ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas Alioqui si ad alias res respexerint scandalizabuntur peribunt non intelligentes quae sit Vera Ecclesia Et per hoc incident in abominationem desolationis Then let them that be in Ievvrie flee vnto the Mountaines that is to saie let them that be in Christes profession flee to the Scriptures The Scriptures of the Apostles and Prophetes be the Mountaines c. Our Lorde knowinge that there shoulde be sutche confusion in the laste daies therefore commaundeth that Christian menne that beleue in Christe willinge to haue an assurance of the True Faith shoulde haue recourse to nothinge els but vnto the Scriptures Otherwise if they haue regarde to any other thinge they shal be offended and perishe not vnderstandinge what is the true Churche And by meane hereof they shal falle into the Abomination of desolation Here M. Hardinge no Glose wil serue Certainely these woordes were spoken not of the Firste comminge of Christe into the worlde as you imagine but of the Kingedome of Antichriste and of the Ende consummation of the worlde Hereof S. Gregorie saithe thus Ecclesia post eosdem dies quibus deprimitur tamen circa finem temporum grandi praedicationis Virtute roborabitur The Churche after these daies of her affliction shal afterwarde notwithstandinge be strengthened with greate Power and mighte of preachinge The Apologie Cap. 20. Diuision 1. But by youre fauoure somme wil saie these thinges ought not to haue benne attempted without the Bishop of Romes commaundemente forsomutche as he onely is the knotte and bande of Christian Societie He onely is that Prieste of Leuies order whom God signified in the Deuteronomie from whome counsel in maters of weight and true iudgemente ought to be sette and who so obeieth not his iudgemente the same man ought to bee killed in the sight of his brethren and that no Mortal Creature hathe Authoritie to be Iudge ouer the Pope whatsoeuer he doo that Christe reigneth in Heauen and the Pope in Earthe that the Pope alone can doo as mutche as Christe or God him selfe can doo bicause Christe and the Pope haue but one Consistorie That without him is no Faithe no Hope no Churche and who so goeth from him quite casteth awaie and renounceth his owne Saluation Sutche talke haue the Canonistes the Popes Parasites but with smal discretion or sobrenesse For they coulde scantly saie more at leaste they coulde not speake more highly of Christ him selfe M. Hardinge VVhat somme wil saie wee knowe not VVee tel you that your change of Religion and manifolde Heresies ought not to haue benne attempted at al neither without the Bishop of Romes commaundemente nor with his commaundemente Touching the Bishop of Rome him selfe you haue neuer donne with him He is a great blocke in youre waie And so hath he euer bene in the waie of al Heretikes Yet could he neuer by you or them be remoued To your scoffes againste him and belieinge of the Canonistes before by you vttered and here idly repeted my former answeare maie suffise The Apologie Cap. 20. Diuision 2. As for vs truely we haue fallen from the Bishop of Rome vpon no manner of worldly respect or commoditie And would to Christe he so behaued him selfe that this falling away needed not But so the case stoode that onlesse we
abroade shee was no wiser then other wemen Thus your Doctours saie as it is before reported Veritas adhaeret Cathedrae Papa sanctitatem recipit à Cathedra The Popes Truthe is fastened vnto his Chaire The Pope from his Chaire receiueth his Holinesse It shameth mee M. Hardinge to see you so vainely occupied about these vanities Yee maie wel be liberal in dealinge hereof They coste you but litle they are onely your owne Scriptures Doctoures or Councels to witnesse your saieinges yee allege none For further declaration of this whole mater I beseche thee good Christian Reader to consider the shorte treatie that I haue written before touchinge the sundrie Erroures and euidente Heresies that haue benne notably founde in Popes Alphonsus de Castro one of M. Hardinges owne special Doctours saithe Non dubitamus an Haereticum esse Papam esse coire in vnum possint c. Non enim credo aliquem esse adeò Impudentem Papae Assentatorem vt ei tribuere hoc velit vt nec Errare nec in Interpretatione Sacrarum Literarum hallucinari possit Wee doubte not whether one man maie be a Pope and an Heretique bothe togeather For I beleue there is none so shamelesse a flatterer of the Pope that wil saie as you saie M. Hardinge The Pope can neuer Erre nor be deceiued in the Exposition of the Scriptures Likewise Erasmus saithe Si verum est quod quidam asseuerant Romanum Pontificem Errore Iudiciali Errare non posse quid opus est Generalibus Concilijs quid opus est in Concilium accersere Iurisconsultos ac Theologos eruditos Si Papa pronuntians labi non potest cur datus est Appellationi locus vel ad Synodum vel ad eundem rectiùs edoctum Quorsum attinet tot Academias in tractandis Fidei quaestonibus distorqueri cùm ex Vno Pontifice quod verum est audire liceat Imò qui fit vt huius Pontificis decreta cum illius Pontificis decretis pugnent If it be true that somme menne saie that the Bishop of Rome can neuer Errre in Erroure of Iudgemente what neede wee then so many General Councelles And in the same what neede wee so many Lavviers and learned Diuines If the Pope cannot Erre in geeuinge sentence wherefore lieth there any Appeale from the Pope either to a Councel or els to the Pope him selfe beinge better enfourmed What neede wee to trouble so many Vniuersities in discussinge of Maters of Faithe whereas wee maie learne the Truthe of the Pope alone Naie howe commeth it aboute that one Popes Decrees are founde contrarie to an others if it bee so certaine that the Pope who so euer he be and what so euer he saie can neuer Erre That yee speake of Peters Succession is vaine and childishe Of suche folie Athanasius saithe Persuasus est in Magnitudine Vrbium Religionem esse sitam This wise man imagineth that Religion standeth in the Greatenesse of Citties S. Hierome saithe Potentia Diuitiarum Paupertatis Humilitas vel Sublimiorem vel Inferiorem Episcopum non facit Caeterùm omnes Apostolorum successores sunt The Wealthe of Richesse and the Basenesse of Pouertie maketh a Bishop neither Higher nor Lower But al Bishoppes be the Apostles Successours The Apologie Cap. 21. Diuision 1. Yet notwithstandinge bicause wee wil graunte somme what to Succession tel vs hath the Pope alone Succeded Peter And wherein I praie you in what Religion in what Office in what peece of his life hathe he Succeded him What one thing tel me had Peter euer like vnto the Pope or the Pope like vnto Peter Except peraduenture thei wil saie thus That Peter when he was at Rome neuer taught the Gospel neuer Fedde the Flocke toke away the Keies of the Kingdome of Heauen hid the Treasures of his Lorde sat him downe onely in his Castle of S. Iohn Laterane pointed out with his finger al the places of Purgatorie and kindes of pounishementes committinge somme poore Soules to be tormented and other somme againe suddainely releasing thence at his own pleasure takinge monie for so doinge or that he gaue order to saie priuate Masses in euery corner or that he mumbled vp the Holy Seruice with a lowe voice and in an vnknowen language or that he hanged vp the Sacrament in euery Temple and on euery Aultar and caried the same about before him whither soeuer he wente vpon an amblinge Iannet with lightes and belles or that he Consecrated with his Holy Breath Oile VVaxe VVulle Belles Chalices Churches and Aultars or that he solde Iubilees Graces Liberties Aduousons Preuentions Firste fruites Palles the vvearinge of Palles Bulles Indulgences and Pardons or that he called him selfe by the name of the Head of the Churche the Highest Bishop Bishop of Bishoppes alone moste Holy or that by vsurpation he tooke vpon him selfe the Right Authoritie ouer other Bishoppes Churches or that he Exempted him selfe from the Power of any Ciuil gouernemente or that he mainteined Warres and set Princes togeather at variance or that he sittinge in his Chaire with his triple Crovvne ful of labelles with sumptuous and Persianlike gorgiousnesse with his Roial Scepter with his Diademe of gould and glitteringe with stones was caried about not vpon palfraie but vpon the shoulders of Noble Menne These thinges no doubt did Peter at Rome in times paste and leafte them in charge to his Successours as you would saie from hand to hande for these things be nowe a daies donne at Rome by the Popes and be so donne as though nothing els ought to be donne M. Hardinge The Pope alone hath succeded S. Peter Aske you wherein in what Religion in what office VVee tel you he succeded in Peters Chaire in whiche he sate at Rome and ruled the Churche in Christian Religion in that office whiche Christe committed to Peter when he saide Pasce oues meas Fede my Sheepe Then whiche office he neuer gaue greater nor with like circumstance of charge nor to any other gaue he it then to Peter For to him alone he saide Fede my Sheepe VVhat aske ye vs of this officers life You aske what thinge had Peter euer like vnto the Pope or the Pope like vnto Peter VVe tel you Peter had authoritie to fide Christes shepe like vnto the Pope And the Pope hath authoritie to fede Christes Shepe like vnto Peter Like power like commission He that gaue them authoritie to fede gaue them also authoritie to doo what so euer maie perteine to feding The B. of Sarisburie For that yee telle vs so many faire tales of Peters Succession wee demaunde of you wherein the Pope succedeth Peter You answeare He succedeth him in his Chaire as if Peter had benne sommetime enstalled in Rome and had sate solemnely al daie with his Triple Crovvne in his Pontificalibus and in a Chaire of goulde And thus hauing loste bothe Religion and Doctrine yee thinke it sufficient at leaste to holde by the Chaire
propriè in renatis Peccatum sit sed quia ex Peccato est ad Peccatum inclinat Si quis autem contrarium senserit Anathema sit The Concupiscence whiche the Apostle S. Paule sommetime calleth Sinne this Holy Councel declareth that the Cathosique Churche neuer vnderstoode it to be called sinne for that it is so in deede and in Proper manner of Speache in them that be Baptized but bicause it is of Sinne and enclineth vs vnto Sinne. And if any man thinke the Contrarie accused be he Thus wée see that by the Decrée of this woorthy Couente S. Ambrose and S. Augustine other Holy Fathers that haue written the same are al accursed As for that M. Hardinge here toucheth as an errour defended by certaine I knowe not by whom that Baptisme géeueth not ful Remission of Sinne he maiâ— commaunde it home againe to Lâ—uaine emongest his felowes and ieine it with other of his and theirâ— Vanities For it is no parte nor portion of our Doctrine Wée Confesse and haue euermore taught that in the Sacramente of Baptisme by the Deathe and Bloude of Christe is géeuen Remission of al manner Sinnes and that not in halfe or in parte or by waie of Imagination or by fansie but ful whole and Perfite of al togeather so that nowe as S. Paule saithe There is no damnation vnto them that be in Christe Jesu Nowe iudge thou indifferently gentle Reader what Sprite forced M. Hardinge thus terribly to crie oute They Lie they studie to deceiue they seeke shiftes c. The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 1. Wee saie that Eucharistia that is to saie the Supper of the Lorde is a Sacramente that is an euident Representation of the Body and Bloude of Christe wherein is sette as it were before our eies the Deathe of Christe and his Resurrection and what so euer he did whilest he was in his Mortal Body to th ende wee maie geene him thankes for his Deathe and for our deliueraunce And that by the often receiuinge of this Sacramente wee maie daily renewe the remembraunce thereof to thintente wee beinge fedde with the Body and Bloude of Christe maie be brought into the hope of the Resurrection and of Euerlastinge Life and maie moste assuredly beleeue that as our bodies be fedde with Breade and Wine so our Soules be fedde with the Body and Bloude of Christe M. Hardinge Amonge al these gay woordes we heare not so mutche as one Syllable vttered whereby we may vnderstande that ye beleue the Very Body of Christe to be in deede Presente in the blessed Sacrament of the Aulter Ye confesse the Eucharistia whiche commonly ye cal the Supper of the Lorde to be a Sacramente and al that to be none other then an euident token of the Body and Bloud of Christe As for that ye adde to make the matter seme sommewhat of the Deathe of Christe and his Resurrection and his actes done in fleshe VVhat reason or scripture haue ye that a peece of Bread and a Cuppe of VVine for in your belefe more make ye not of this Sacramente can set them as it were before our eies Dothe not rather a faire Painted table set foorth the actes of our Sauiour before our eies more liuely and more expressely And be we not moued therewith to geue God thankes for his greate benefites as wel as if we haue Breade and VVine on a table But I praie you sithens al is but Breade and VVine after your teachinge howe shal we by eatinge and drinkinge thereof be fedde with the Body and Bloude of Christe Againe can we by Breade and VVine be brought into hope of the Resurrection and Euer lastinge life as ye saie And howe shal we by Eatinge of Breade and Drinking of VVine be assured that Christes Body and Bloude doth in like manner feede our soules as Breade and VVine feedeth our bodies Though your imagination be neuer so stronge yet by eatinge of that whiche is Breade onely and Drinkinge of that whiche is VVine onely we see not how your soules can be fedde with the True Body and Bloude of Christe no more then ye be at your common meales Verily when al your tale is tolde ye seme to saie nothinge els touchinge the eatinge of our Lordes Body but that the Body of Christe remaineth in Heauen and that we muste sende vp our soules thither to eate it there by a certaine Imagination whiche ye cal faithe For this is your Maister Caluines Doctrine By this Doctrine al standeth vppon your faithe your faithe doth al alone And he that beleueth in Christe so as ye teache eateth his Body and Drinketh his Bloude For by your Gospel to eate the Body is nothinge els but to beleue in Christe If this be true then is your Supper superfluous For declaration of the Truthe herein it is to be considered that when we speake of this blessed Sacramente we meane specially the thinge receiued to be the very Real Body of Christe not onely a Signe or Token of his Body Yet we thinke it necessarie the Doctrine of the Fathers be clerely taught whiche is that here is a Sacramente and the thinge of the Sacramente The Forme of Breade and VVine whiche is sene is the Sacramente that is to saie a Signe of the Holy thinge For a Sacramente besides the outwarde shape whiche it representeth to the senses causeth an other thinge to come into knowledge The thinge of this Sacramente is of two sortes the one in tho same conteined and signified the other signified but not conteined The firste is the Body of Christe borne of the Virgine Mary and his Bloude shed for our Redemption the Seconde is the Vnitie of the Churche in these that be predestinate called iustified and glorified VVhiche Churche is Christes Body mystical So that here are three distincte thinges vnderstanded The one is a Sacramente onely the other a Sacramente and the thinge the thirde the thinge and not a Sacramente The firste is the visible shape or Forme of Breade and VVine the seconde is the proper and very Fleashe and Bloude of Christe the thirde his Mystical Body And as there be two thinges of this Sacrament so be there also two meanes or waies of eating The one Sacramental after whiche bothe good and euil eate the true Body of Christe they to saluation these to damnation The other spiritual after whiche the good only do eate These Defenders as al other the Sacrament aries speakinge of these distinct thinges indistinctly cause confusion and deceiue the vnlearned readers In sutche a sense and meaninge the place commonly alleged out of S. Augustine as also many other the like maye wel be vnderstanded without preiudice of the Truthe of Christes Body in the Sacrament Vt quid paras dentem Venttem Crede manducasti To what pourpose makest thou ready teeth and bely Beleue and thou hast eaten Nowe these Defenders harpingâ—â—â—nâ—ly vpon this one