doth not allow it He granteth that the Church of the fourth age florished aboue the former in externall glorie and splendure in wealth and plentie of learned men but that the Church of the former ages was equal with it or excelled as touching the orthodoxall rightnesse of faith and sinceritie of incorrupt discipline he is perswaded that none can make any doubt We finde euery where in the holy Fathers of the fourth age Basil Nazianzen Ierome Chrysostome Augustine and others most grieuous complaints of the faults and sundrie deprauations of their Churches Neither can it be doubted that the further men liued from the first originall the further also they departed from the originall puritie and sinceritie Wherefore when there is a serious purpose to clense and to sweepe the house of God why should not an especiall regard bee had to the time of the Apostles or the times neere the time of the Apostles It is true indeed that for the greatest part of that time the godly Christians did liue in obscuritie in pouertie and miserie by reason of perpetuall persecution yet consider well if in this sense also it be not better to goe into the house of mourning then into the house of mirth Pouertie and miserie are called the sisters of good minde riches and glorie haue not that honourable report And although many of the writers of those times be lost yet some are extant and those worthie of regard S. Cyprian that holy Martyr of Christ he alone if there were none else can better informe vs in the gouernment and discipline of the primitiue Church then many others which liued in the fourth age Wherefore the summe of his Maiesties answere vnto this obseruation is that he is well content there should be arguments brought out of the writings of the Fathers of the fourth and fifth ages but with this caution and condition that those things be allowed for ancient and necessarie to saluation which had not their beginning then but which may be cleerely proued to haue been continually obserued from the first originall of the Church vntill those times THE FIFTH OBSERVATION WHen there is question made about the vnanimitie and consent of Fathers some will haue it then to bee manifest when the matter controuerted is found in all the Fathers in expresse tearmes whose opinion being manifestly vniust it is more equitie for knowledge of consent of Fathers that these two rules be vsed First that the consent of Fathers should then be thought to be sufficiently proued when the worthiest of euery nation do consent in the auerring of any thing and that no man accounted orthodoxall doth oppose them So S. Augustine when he had praised eleuen of the principall writers of former times and the Fathers of the Ephesine Councell when they had brought out ten against Nestorius they all thought that they had giuen sufficient testimonie concerning the consent of the ancient Church The second rule is this When the Fathers do not speake as Doctors nor say that this or that is thus to be done or thus to bee beleeued but when as witnesses of those things which the vniuersall Church of their times beleeued or practised they affirme this to be the faith or practise of that Catholike Church through the whole world then they are so much to be honoured that such an affirmation must be held sufficient to proue the vnanimitie and consent of the Church HIS MAIESTIES ANSVVERE IT is an equall demaund that the parties which contend in these times should consent and agree how they may vse profitably the authoritie of the ancient Fathers For if the testimonie and authoritie of the primitiue Church bee taken away his Maiestie freely confesseth that on mans part the controuersies of these times can neuer haue an end nor by any disputation be determined Wherefore that it may be agreed vpon what and how much is to bee attributed to the Fathers and how farre their authoritie is to take place it will not be amisse that certaine rules be composed by the mutuall consent of the parties prescribing the manner hereof Amongst many other profitable and necessarie rules for this purpose his Maiestie thinketh that these two which you haue noted may haue their place But because the controuersies of these daies are not about ceremonies and other matters of lighter moment but about some articles of faith and opinions appertaining to saluation therefore his iudgement is that aboue all there be a generall agreement vpon this rule that opinions concerning matters of faith and whatsoeuer should be beleeued as necessarie to saluation ought to bee taken out of the sacred Scripture alone neither must they depend vpon the authoritie of any mortall man but vpon the word of God only wherein hee hath declared his will vnto vs by his holy Spirit Because the Fathers and the ancient Church had authoritie of deducting articles out of the sacred Scriptures and explaning but of coyning new articles of their owne they had no authoritie This foundation being laid both the maiestie of the Scriptures inspired by God shal remaine inuiolated and that reuerence shall be giuen to the holie Fathers which is due That this was the minde of all the Doctors of the ancient Church it may be easily demonstrated out of their owne writings For what words more frequent in their workes then these That the doctrine which is taught in the Church of God ought to bee taken out of the word of God And these For controuersies in matters of religion let the Scripture be iudge Or who knoweth not the golden words of S. Basil the Great in his booke De Fide It is a manifest fall from faith and argument of presumption to reiect any thing of the written word or to bring in any thing which is not written seeing it is the speech of our Lord Iesus Christ My sheepe heare my voyce And thus much be spoken concerning the obseruations proposed Now follow the foure instances For your illustrious honour being come to the hypothesis to the end that you might euince that his excellent Maiestie doth not beleeue those things which the Catholike Church did anciently beleeue you goe about to demonstrate it by foure arguments drawne from such things as concerne the outward worship of God or the liturgie and matters of daily practise in religion and afterwards you giue this reason why especially you bring these instances because if there were agreement concerning these the rest would bee easily agreed vpon His excellent Maiestie most illustrious Cardinall could wish that this might be hoped for but considering with himselfe what it is which at this day is vrged by your writers with chiefe care and eager contention there appeares no great hope of peace no not if there were agreement about these foure heads which you haue proposed For now adaies there is as eager contention about the Empire of the Bishop of Rome as for these or any other points of Christian religion
Catholike yea many not a Christian His Maiestie at the first thought the strife about those names not to be materiall whilest he held that which was meant by them which his Maiestie desires to doe and fullie trusts in the mercie of God that he doth But because the common sort of men doe thus interpret that to be depriued of such names is all one as to bee depriued of the things vnderstood by those names therefore hee doth not thinke it wisedome to take no notice of this wrong As concerning the name of Christian there is no strife no controuersie betwixt you and him For neither of your Epistles doth deny this title to be due vnto him The question is then concerning the title of Catholike For after that according vnto your excellent eloquence in your first Epistle you had signified that you acknowledged in the King of Great Britaine the perfect and absolute Idea of the greatest Prince in the end you put this exception if vnto the other gifts of his minde the glorious name of Catholike might bee added and when by his Maiesties commandement it was answered that that title could not be denied to him which acknowledged the three Creeds of the Church Catholike and the foure first generall Councels and which beleeued all things that were beleeued as necessarie to saluation in the foure first ages with this answere in your last accurate and subtile letters you appeared not to be so well satisfied Those letters perswade your selfe that they were not read hastily and cursorily for he read them through and examined the waight of your reasons with wonderfull equitie and gentlenes of minde But whereas after the reading of your answere hee departeth not from his former opinion and yet neuerthelesse by the helpe of Gods grace trusteth he is a true Catholike his Maiestie would haue you know what reasons he hath for this resolution Wherefore most illustrious Cardinall receiue this short answere to your last letters which receiuing from his Maiesties owne mouth I was commanded to comprise in words and to send vnto you I will not now request of you that in the reading of these you would vse such equitie as hee did in the reading of yours I know full well your excellent wisedome and moderation worthie of all praise The whole disputation in your last letters consisteth of two parts In the former part are brought fiue reasons which do illustrate and shew the acception of this thesis in what sense you would haue it taken This thesis Catholici appellatio c. The name of Catholike can be denied to none which admits of the three namely the Apostles the Nicene and the Athanasian Creeds and of the foure first generall Councels the Nicene the Constantinopolitane the Ephesine and that of Chalcedon lastly which beleeues all those things that were thought necessarie to be beleeued to saluation in the first foure ages This thesis in the Kings answere hath the place of the maior proposition The second part of your disputation bringeth in foure instances against the hypothesis or assumption THE FIRST OBSERVATION THe name of Catholike doth not simply signifie faith but also a communion with the Catholike Church Therefore the ancients would not haue them called Catholikes which departed from the communion of the Church albeit they retained the same faith For they said there was but one Church Catholike out of which a man might haue the faith and Sacraments but saluation hee could not haue To this purpose you bring many things out of S. Augustine HIS MAIESTIES ANSVVERE TO beleeue the Catholike Church and to beleeue the communion of Saints are set downe in the Apostles Creed distinctly as two diuers things And the former of these two articles seemes to be inserted especially to the end that a difference might bee made betwixt the Iewish Synagogue and the Christian Church Which was not to bee confined within the bounds of one nation as that was but to be scattered farre and wide thorow all the regions of the world Wherefore there is no manifest reason why in the beginning of this obseruation the name of Catholike should be said to signifie communion Indeed these two are very neere ioyned but they are two diuers things as I haue shewed Now his Maiestie beleeues vnfainedlie that there is but one Church of God truly and in name Catholike or vniuersall diffused ouer the whole world out of which he affirmeth also that no saluation is to be hoped for Hee condemneth and detesteth those which either long since or more lately haue either departed from the faith of the Catholike Church and so become heretikes as the Manichies or from communion and so haue become schismatikes as the Donatists against which two sorts of men chiefly al those things were written by S. Augustine which are brought in this obseruation Likewise his Maiestie commends the wisedome of those godly Bishops which in the fourth Councell of Carthage as is here well obserued did adde vnto the forme of examination of Bishops an interrogation concerning this point Neither is the King ignorant that the fathers of the ancient Church did oftentimes many things by way of condescent pro bono pacis as they ysed to say that is for desire of maintaining vnitie and for feare of breaking mutuall communion Whose example he professeth himselfe readie also studiously to imitate and to follow in the steps of those that follow after peace ad aras vsque to the altars that is as farre as he may considering the state of the Church in these daies with the safetie of a good conscience For hee is as much grieued as any man for the distraction of the members of the Church so much abhorred by the holy Fathers and as earnestly desireth to communicate if it were possible with all that are members of the mysticall bodie of our Lord Iesus Christ Neuerthelesse his Maiestie thinketh that he hath most iust cause to dissent from those which simply without any distinction or exception doe perpetually vrge this communion He acknowledgeth it to be very necessarie and one of the proper notes of the Church yet doth not account it for the true forme of the Church and that which the Philosopher calls the essentiall being His Maiestie hath learned by his reading of the holie Scriptures according to the minde of all ancient fathers that the true and essentiall forme of the Church is this that the sheepe of Christ heare the voyce of their shepheard and that the Sacraments be rightly and lawfully administred namely as the Apostles haue giuen example and those which followed neere to the Apostles times Those Churches which are thus instituted they must needes be linked together by a manifold communion They are vnited in Christ their head who is the fountaine of life whereby all live whom the Father hath chosen to be redeemed by his precious blood and to be rewarded with eternall life They are vnited in the vnion of faith and doctrine in
such chiefe points as are necessarie to saluation For there is but one sauing doctrine there is but one way to heauen They are vnited in coniunction of mindes in true charitie and the duties of charitie especially of mutuall prayers Lastly they are vnited in the communion of one hope and expectation of promised inheritance knowing that before the foundations of the world they were predestinate I speake of the elect to be fellow heires and of the same bodie and partakers of the promise of God in Christ through the Gospell as saith the diuine Apostle Yet his Maiestie addes further that the same Church notwithstanding if any member thereof depart from the rule of faith will more esteeme of the loue of truth then the loue of vnitie He knowes that the supreme lawe in the house of God is the sinceritie of celestiall doctrine which if any man forsake he forsakes Christ which is Truth it selfe hee forsakes the Church which is the pillar and establishment of truth and by this meanes ceaseth to appertaine vnto the body of Christ With such Apostates a true Catholike neither will nor can communicate for what concent betwixt Christ and Belial Wherefore the Church will flie from communion with these and wil say with Greg Nazianzen that disagreement for godlinesse is better then ill affected concord Neither will he doubt if need be to say with the same blessed father that there is a holy contention Now that such a necessarie separation should sometimes be in the Church both wee are taught in other places of holie Scripture and that admonition also of the holie Ghost not without cause giuen to the Church doth openly declare saying Goe out of Babylon my people lest you communicate with her sinnes What that Babylon is whereout the people of God are commanded to depart the King disputes not in this place nor affirmes hee any thing concerning it yet thus much the matter it selfe doth plainly shew that whether some priuate Church be vnderstood in that place by the name of Babylon or the greater part of the whole it was before this a true Church with which the religious might religiously communicate but after it was more depraued the religious are commanded to goe out and to breake off communion Whereby it may be easilie vnderstood that not all communion with those that be called Christians is to bee desired of the faithfull but that only which may stand with the integritie of doctrine reuealed from heauen Now to come neerer to the purpose his Maiestie denies those places of S. Augustine to belong at all to him For he affirmes that all those testimonies doe euince this only that there remaines no token of saluation for them which depart from the faith of the Catholike Church or from communion with the same Church Which thing as I said before the King willingly grants But here his Maiestie desires of you most illustrious Cardinall that you would call to minde and perpend what great difference there is betwixt the times of S. Augustine and these of ours How much the Church now called Catholike differs from the ancient how the face of the Church is changed and the outward forme to say nothing of the inward For then the Church Catholike was like a citie seated vpon an hill which as Christ saith cannot be hid knowne to all conspicuous and certaine whereof no sound minde could make question Which was not as the foolish Donatists prated lying I know not where in the South driuen into some corner of the world but diffused farre and wide thorow the whole earth flourishing vnder the Emperours whose dominion extended from the East to the West and from North to South You might see the Bishops of the East and West daily communicating and when need required assisting one another For that which is written in the Constitutions of Clement that the Catholike Church is the charge of all the Bishops and by that meanes that euery one is an Oecumenicall Bishop we wonder now when we reade it neither can wee beleeue it which then daily practise did shew to be most true and may easily be demonstrated out of historie by infinit examples There were then also in frequent vse literae formate that is demissatie or testimoniall letters by commerce whereof and as it were by tokens communion was held amongst the members of the Church although farre remoued by distance of place Furthermore when it stood in neede they had Councels truly Occumenicall not as since we haue seene Occumenicall in name only but indeed assembled out of some Prouinces of Europe And in those ancient times this was the fastest bond whereby all the members of the Catholike Church were knit together in the ioynture of one bodie which bodie was for that cause very eminent conspicuous and in the faire view of all which no man could chuse but know There was one faith one state one body Catholike frequent mutuall visitation wonderfull consent of all the members a wonderfull sympathie Was any man lapsed by heresie or schisme from the communion of any one Church I speake not of any one of the chiefe which were the seates of the foure Patriarchs but of any one much smaller that man as soone as it was knowne was held to be excluded from the communion of the whole Catholike Church For whereas wee meete with some examples obserued to the contrarie that was not right but vsurpation Was any man bold to corrupt the truth a little by being of another opinion it was easie euen for a child to deprehend him Wherefore such a steale-truth being once discouered all the shepheards of the whole world if need was were raised and were neuer quiet vntill they had rooted out this euill and prouided for the securitie of Christs sheepe By these signes and markes the Church at that time was conspicuous but this happinesse continued not many ages For after that the Empire was ouerturned and the forme of the Common-wealth altered there sprung vp many new states differing as well in manners and language as in ordinances and lawes Then vpon the distraction of the Empire followed the distraction of the Catholike Church and by little and little all those things ceased which had been before of singular vse for the preseruation of vnion and communion in the outward Catholike bodie of the Church From that time the Catholike Church hath not ceased to be for it shall continue euer neither shall the gates of hell at any time preuaile against it seeing it is founded vpon Christ the true rock and vpon the faith of Peter and the rest of the Apostles but it began to be lesse manifest being diuided into many parts which as touching externall communion were quite separated from one another Then which is chiefly to be lamented it came to passe by this dissipation that there was lesse strength in the parts then before in the whole bodie to resist the enemie of mankind who is
readie at al times as our Sauiour teacheth to scatter tares amongst the good seede And considering in these times wee see with our eyes that this is come to passe and it is so grosse that wee may almost grope it with our hands it is ridiculous and most absurd to dispute whether this thing could heretofore happen or hath now happened Therefore the Church of Rome the Greek Church the Church of Antioch and of Aegypt the Abyssine the Moschouite and many others are members much excelling each other in sinceritie of doctrine and faith yet all members of the Catholike Church whose ioynture in regard of the outward forme was long since broken For which cause his Maiestie doth much wonder when hee considers how some Churches which heretofore were but members of the bodie once entire doe now ingrosse all the right of the whole and appropriate to themselues the name of Catholike excluding from their communion and affirming boldly that they belong not to the Catholike Church whosoeuer doe dissent from them in anything or refuse the yoke of their bondage Neither do you only challenge to your selues this right there are others that do the same For his Maiestie speakes it with griefe there are at this day many priuate Churches which beleeue that they onely are the people peculiar which they call the Church Giue them that strength which the Church of Rome hath and they shall doe the same with her and pronounce of all others as hardly as she doth What shall wee say are there not sundrie sects now adaies which are certainly perswaded that they only haue insight into the Scriptures and as the Poet saith that they only are wise that all others walke like shadowes It is true indeed that in euery age there were conuenticles of sectaries and dissemblies which did boast themselues of the Catholike Church and by this prouocation did allure many vnto them but it is the peculiar and famous calamitie of these latter times that the Catholike Church vnto which of necessitie a man must adhere either really and actually or at the least in will and vow is become lesse manifest then it was of old lesse exposed to the eyes of men more questionable and doubtfull For which cause his excellent Maiestie thinketh that he ought more carefully in such a deluge of variable opinions to betake himselfe to the mountaines of the sacred Scripture and as S. Augustine gaue counsell to the Donatists to seeke the Church of Christ in the words of Christ And so S. Chrysostome both elsewhere and of purpose in his 33. Homilie vpon the Acts of the Apostles handling the question How the true Church might be discerned amongst many Societies which challenge to themselues that name teacheth that there be two meanes of deciding that question first the word of God and secondly antiquitie of doctrine not inuented by any new author but alwaies knowne from the birth and beginning of the Church These two trials the King and Church of England embracing doe auouch that they acknowledge that doctrine onely for true and necessarie to saluation which flowing from the fountaine of sacred Scripture through the consent of the ancient Church as it were a conduit hath been deriued vnto these times Wherefore to make an end of this obseruation his Maiestie answeres that it is faultie many waies and cannot stand with the hypothesis propounded Because saith he the Church of England is so farre from forsaking the ancient Catholike Church which she doth reuerence and admire that she departeth not from the faith of the Church of Rome in any point wherein that Church agreeth with the ancient Catholike If you question the succession of persons behold the names of our Bishops and their continuance from the first without any interruption if the succession of doctrine come make triall let vs haue a free Councell which may not depend vpon the will of one The Church of England is readie to render an account of her faith and by demonstration to euince that the authors of the reformation here had no purpose to erect any new Church as the ignorant and malicious doe cauill but to repaire the ruines of the old according to the best forme and in their iudgement that is best which was deliuered by the Apostles to the Primitiue Church and hath continued in the ages next ensuing His Maiestie grants that his Church hath departed from many points of that doctrine and discipline which the Pope of Rome now stifly defendeth but they doe not thinke this to be a reuolting from the Catholike Church but rather a returning to the ancient Catholike faith which in the Romane Church by new deuices hath been manifoldly and strangely deformed and so a conuersion to Christ the sole Master of his Church Wherefore if any man grounding vpon the doctrine of this obseruation will inferre from it that the Church of England because it reiects some ordinances of the Romane hath therefore departed from the ancient Catholike Church his Maiestie will not grant him this vntill he prooue by sound reasons that all things taught by them of Rome especially those which they will haue to be beleeued as necessarie to saluation were allowed of from the beginning and established by the ancient Catholike Church Now that no man can euer doe this at least neuer yet hath done it his Maiestie and the reuerend Bishops of the English Church doe hold it to be as cleere as when the Sunne shineth at mid-day Lastly his Maiestie thinketh it a great offence to forsake the Church but hee vtterly denieth that hee or his Church are guiltie of this crime For saith his Maiestie we depart not voluntarily but we are driuen away And your Honour well knoweth how many and how excellently learned and godly men for these fiue hundred yeeres at the least haue wished the reformation of the Church both in the head and members What grieuous complaints haue been often heard of worthie Kings and Princes lamenting the estate of the Church in their times But what auailed it for vnto this day we see not any one thing amended of all those which were thought most needfull of reformation Wherefore the Church of England in this separation feareth not any fellowship with the Donatists if the matter be debated by ingenuous men They willingly and without cause left the Catholike Church which at that time the consent of all nations did approue whose doctrine or discipline they could not blame but England being enforced by great necessitie separated her selfe from that Church which innumerable Christian people did not grant to be the true Catholike and vniuersall Church nay more which many of your owne writers haue heretofore ingenuously confessed to haue varied much from the ancient Church in matters of faith and discipline to haue patched many new things to the old and euill to the good which indeed is now better knowne to the vniuersall world then that any man can denie or be ignorant
to Christ but through the mediation of many Saints Moreouer some others haue openly taught that our Sauiour Christ hath reserued the seueritie of iustice vnto himselfe but indulgence and mercie he hath granted to the blessed Virgin Againe how haue they distributed offices and powers of healing amongst the Saints with wonderfull curiositie or rather detestable superstition And heretofore their suffrages only were desired that being gracious with God almightie they would make intercession for men but afterwards the world was filled with bookes concerning the proper seruice of this or that Saint and peculiar formes of prayer to be made vnto them Wherefore in place of that diuine booke of the Psalter which the ancient Christians neuer laid out of their hands which was the solace of men and women yong and old rich and poore learned and vnlearned there haue succeeded the Houres of our Ladie and Legends or rather impious and doting fables I speake not of the true histories of Martyrs and such vile stuffe And yet further as if it were not iniurie enough to robbe Christians of so necessarie and diuine a booke one of your men hath turned all the Psalmes to the honour of the blessed Virgin attributing vnto her as if there were no difference betwixt the creature and the Creator whatsoeuer was prophecied concerning the onely Sonne of God His excellent Maiestie doth extoll the happinesse of the most glorious virgin mother of our Lord affirming that she is eleuated vnto the highest degree of honour which God the Creator could impart to any humane creature he reioyceth also that the Church of England vpon set daies in the yeere doth solemnize the honoured memorie of that most blessed Virgin but the Sophisters of these times can by no cunning euer perswade him to allow or endure that Psalter of our Ladie For as touching Cardinall Bellarmine which hath lately defended it his Maiestie is perswaded that he is distasted of your owne as many as haue but any small sense of pietie Considering then that the Church of Rome is almost deadly sicke of such inward diseases his Maiestie wondred most illustrious Cardinall when hee read in your epistle that the inuocation of Saints as your men doe now practise it is the same which was in vse in the primitiue Church Wherefore his Maiestie answereth in few words First it cannot be proued that in the beginning of the primitiue Church any other but the almightie God was inuoked secondly that there is no precept in the word of God for it no one footstep of any example God onely was adored God onely was implored through the intercession of his onely begotten Sonne the one and only Mediatour betwixt God and man Afterwards was brought in the vse of praying at the sepulchres of Martyrs then began the making of apostrophees vnto Saints besides the worship of God then the making of vowes and prayers not primarily to pray them but that they should pray God Yet if these new examples had gone no further his Maiestie would not greatly haue reprooued the custome of those times at the least not so much condemned it as the abuses which hereupon ensued For his Maiestie doth honour the blessed Martyrs and other Saints which now raigne with Christ the head of both Churches triumphant and militant neither doubteth he of their continuall prayers for the necessities of the Church beleeuing stedfastly the benefit thereof but hee confesseth ingenuously that hee knoweth no reason whereby any man can promise or warrant vs that they heare our prayers and that wee should account them as our household gods and protectors Wherefore hee exceedingly disliketh that which followed in after-ages For by degrees it came to that which I haue shewed which the Church of England affirmeth to be impious in the extreame And if there bee examples extant in the Fathers of the fourth age for this inuocation as no doubt there are neither doth the King denie it yet this is a testimonie of the decay of ancient simplicitie and of an euill then growing but in no respect comparable with that which in the Church of Rome at this day is openly practised tolerated and defended Lastly although the holy Fathers did allow the custom of that time amongst things profitable or lawfull yet they neuer accounted of it as a thing necessarie to saluation which is the present argument of our speech And thus much concerning the foure obiections against the English Liturgie Now his Maiestie commendeth your iudgement that amongst all the things which you dislike in his religion you haue made choice especially of those which concerne matters of Church assemblies and diuine seruice For the communion of the faithfull consisteth much in the publike exercises of pietie and this is the chiefe bond of vnion so much desired by good men Wherefore if Christians could but agree about this why might not all Europe communicate together only granting a libertie to schoole-Diuines with moderation to debate other opinions Which were a thing much to be wished and that foundation once laid by the helpe of God much hope might be conceiued of the rest For this cause his excellent Maiestie greatly commending your iudgement herein hath himselfe likewise heere deliuered what things in your Liturgie he thinketh worthie to bee reprooued But if for the want of these foure things in the English Liturgie you think there is iust cause that they which vse it should neither be accounted nor called Catholikes then consider I pray you what his Maiestie may pronounce of the Church of Rome in whose Liturgie for hee passeth other points of your religion godly men haue obserued so many things manifestly repugnant to the word of God and the ancient Catholike faith Which things neuerthelesse the Pope had rather maintaine then reforme when the truth now shineth so cleerely And here although his Maiesty could easily rehearse many grieuous abuses in the Romane Liturgie yet it pleaseth him to name only foure which he opposeth to the other foure named by you The first is the vse of an vnknowne tongue contrarie to the precept of S. Paul and the practise of the primitiue Church to whom in their assemblies nothing was dearer then the good and edification of the hearers Wherefore the Fathers prouided the translation of Scripture into all languages and as Epiphanius noteth in the end of his third booke they had their Interpreters who if need were did translate one language into another in their readings as hee speaketh that is when the Scriptures were read vnto the people Surely that the things read were generally vnderstood this alone is sufficient proofe that in most of the Homilies of the Greeke and Latin Fathers wee meete with these words vt audistis legi or vt hodie lectum est as you heard it read or as it was read to day Which if your preachers should say were it not ridiculous when the poore people vnderstand nothing that is read out of the Scriptures notwithstanding they haue more