many that knowe the Gréeke and the Latine tongues be notwithstanding vngodly and many be godly that know them not Therefore it is very discretely saide by Beda Barbara est lingua quae Deum laudare non potest That tongue is Barbarous that can not praise God M. Hardinge maketh a longe discourse of the Apostles and other Apostolique mennes trauailes throughout the worlde If he had shewed to what ende wée might the better haue knowen his purpose If he wil saye The Apostles Preache in sundrie Countries Ergo The people had their Common Praiers in an vnknowen tongue This Argument wil hardely holde For to that ende God gaue vnto them the gifte of Tongues that they might deale with al nations in their owne Languages Here are wée required to shewe some euidence that in the Primitiue Churche the Publique Seruice was in the Syriacal or Arabike or Egyptian or any other Barbarous tongue and it is stoutely presumed that wee are hable to shewe none What so euer wée can shewe this is no indifferent dealinge For M. Hardinge beinge required of mée to shewe but one sentence of proufe for his side and hauinge as yet shewed nothinge suddainely altereth the whole state of the cause and shifteth his handes and requireth mée to shewe Whiche thinge although I be not bounde to doo by any order of Disputation yet that it may appeare that wée deale plainely and séeke nothinge but the truthe I am contente onely in one example or twoo presently to folow his wil referringe the reast to an other place more conuenient for the same And for as muche as the firste tongue that he nameth amongst others is the Syriacal let him reade S. Hierome describinge the pompe of Paulaes funeral These be his woordes Tota ad Funus eius Palaestinarum vrbium turba conuenit Hebraeo Graeco Latino Syroque Sermone Psalmi in ordine personabant At her Funeral al the multitude of the Cities of Palestine mette togeather The Psalmes were songe in order in the Hebrew Greeke Latine and Syrian tongue Here may he sée that in one Citie foure seueral nations in their Common Seruice vsed foure seueral tongues amonge whiche tongues is the Syriacal whiche thing M. Hardinge thinketh al the worlde cannot shew S. Augustine willing the Priestes to applie their studies to correcte the errours of their Latine speache addeth thereto this reason Vt populus ad id quod planè intelligit dicat Amen That the people vnto the thinge that they plainely vnderstande may say Amen This of S. Augustine séemeth to be spoaken generally of al tongues M. Hardinge him selfe at the ende of his treatie confesseth that the Armenians Russians Ethiopians Sclauons and Moscouites haue from the beginninge of their faithe in their publique Seruice vsed euermore their owne natural countrie tongues Wherefore by M. Hardinges owne graunte wée may iustly claime prescription and charge him with Antiquitie and require him to yeelde to the authoritie of the Primitiue Churche M. Hardinge The .4 Diuision Wherefore M. Iuel in his Sermon whiche he vttered in so solemne an audience and hath set foorthe in Printe to the woorlde saith more then he is hable to iustifie where he speaketh generally thus Before the People grevv to corruption whereby he meaneth the firste sixe hundred yeres after Christe al Christian menne throughout the vvorlde made their Common Praiers and had the holy Communion in their ovvne Common and knovven tongue This is soone spoaken sir but it wil not by you be so soone prooued The B. of Sarisburie That M. Iuel there saide is prooued sufficiently onlesse M. Hardinge be hable to bringe some example one or other to prooue the contrary Neither is the mater so harde of our side to be prooued Thomas of Aquine Nicolas Lyra M. Hardinges owne witnesses for some good parte wil prooue it for me M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision In deed wee finde that where as holy Ephrem Deacon of the Churche of Edessa wrote many thinges in the Syriacal tongue he was of so worthy fame and renome that as S. Hierome witnesseth his writinges were rehearsed in certaine Churches openly Post lectionem ScripturaruÌ„ after the Scriptures had beene reade whereof it appeareth to Erasmus that nothing was wonte then to be reade in the Churches biside the writinges of the Apostles or at least of suche men as were of Apostolike authoritie But by this place of S. Hierome it seemeth not that Ephrems woorkes were vsed as a parte of the Common Seruice but rather as Homilies or exhortations to he reade after the Seruice whiche consisted in manner wholy of the Scriptures And whether they were tourned into Greeke or no so soone it is vncertaine The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge contrary to the ordre of Rhetorique woulde confute our side before he confirme his owne But I maruel muche to what ende he should thus allege Ephrem onlesse it be to heape mater against him selfe For wil he thus frame his reason Ephrem wrote sundry thinges in his owne mother tongue Ergo The people had their Seruice in a strange tongue Wil he haue this to be allowed and goe for an argument If there were nothing els â–ª here to be geathered yet hath he touched twoo thinges expressely against him selfe The one is that nothinge was then redde in the Church sauinge onely the Scriptures or other maters of Apostolique authoritie whiche thinge is also straitely commaunded by the Councel of Carthage Yet M. Hardinge in his Churche euen in the Publique Seruice readeth Lessons and Legendes of childi she Fables The other is that Ephrems Homiliâ—s were pronounced vnto the people in the Uulgare tongue yet M. Hardinge him selfe pronounceth Gospels Epistles and Homilies and al what so euer vnto the people in a straunge tongue But to avoide this inconuenience he saithe â–ª The Homilies were no parte of the Seruice First how is he sure of that Certainely the Latine Homilies be redde in the Matins and accompted parte of the Romishe Seruice Againe what necessary Sequele is this The people vnderstoode Ephrems Homilies Ergo his Homilies were no parte of the Seruice Or what leadeth him to thinke It was profitable for the people to heare and vnderstande Ephrem and yet was not profitablé for them to heare vnderstande Peter Paule or Christe To be shorte be confesseth that Ephrems writinges were exhortations to the Gréeke people and yet doubteth whether they were translated into the Gréeke or no and so he endeth in vncertaintie and concludeth nothing Now let vs sée whether the same Ephrem wil conclude any thinge of our side First Theodoretus saithe He was vtterly ignorant of the Greeke tongue Whiche thinge is also confirmed by M. Hardinges owne Amphilochius For in the conference that was bitwéene him and Basil he saithe He spake by an Interpreter as beinge not hable to speake Greeke himselfe Yet was the same Ephrem a Minister in the Churche beinge as S. Hierome saithe a
â–ª and a Murtherer 243. Psalmes hable to chase avvay Diuelles 211. Psalmes songue by Laie people and artificers 213. Psalmes harde or easie 213. R. Reliques 52. Reseruation in bothe Kindes 131. 132. Againste Reseruation 413. 416. 622. Reseruation 414. The Sacramente reserued to be receiued of the people 415. The Faith of the vveast Churche came not first from Rome 56. 166. 167. 233. The Churche of Rome corrupted 56. 260. Al Churches must agree to the Church of Rome In what sense 244. Rome sixe times sackte vvithin the space of 140. yeeres 292. The noblenesse of the Citie of Rome 294. 304. Rome had the Faith from Hierusalem and from the Easte 295. S. Sacramente The Sacramente is a Signe 110. 380. 446. Sacramente generally taken 116. The Sacramente is material Breade 381. Sacramental Changinge 407. 427. The Sacramentâ— is a Creature 408. Sacramentes be Visible vvoordes 409. The Sacram. is not bare Breade 433. Difference bitweene the Sacramentes of the Olde Testament and of the Nevve 464. 468. 470. The Sacrament consisteth of two partes 603. The Sacramente is a Creature and no God 614. A Resemblance bitvveene the Sacramente and the thinge signified by the Sacramente 634. The Sacramente is one thinge and Christes Body is an other thinge 380. 383. 430. 584. 610. The Sacramente passeth into the nourishemente of our bodies 380. 383. The vvoorde of God is more truely Christes Body then the Sacramente 883. Vehemente speaches of the Sacramente 385. 400. 409. 428. 434. 448. 462. 471. 608. Sancta Sanctorum 385. The Anciente Fathers iudgemente touchinge the Sacramente 617. 618. The ende and vse of Sacramentes 446. 462 Abuses of the Sacramente 141. The Sacramente thrust into deade mennes mouthes 32. The Sacramente sentâ— vnto strangers 39. 40. The Sacramente deliuered to menne and vvemenne to carry home 43. 46. 47. The same forebidden 132. 140. The Sacramente sente home to the nevve married man and vvife 51. The Sacramente sente abroade into sundrie parishes 54. 55. The Sacramente buried 80. 84. 134. The Sacramente turned into a stoane 136. To take the Signe in steede of the thinge that is Signified a miserable seruitude of the soule 380. Sacrifice 555. To Sacrifice the Gospel the People c. 556. M. Hard. saith Christe offered his Body al be it not in respecte of offeringe 555. 557. The Sacrifice of thankesgeuinge is the Sacrifice of the Newe Testament 358. 556. 562. The daily Sacrifice what it meaneth 24. The Sacrifice of the holy Communion not daily offered 24. 50. 62. 91. In what sense Christe is daily Sacrificed 61. 578. To Sacrifice the token of Christes Body 386. The Sacrifice of Breade and VVine 386. 567. The pure Sacrifice prophesied by Malachie 559. 569. The Sacrifice of Remembrance 556. 557. 562. 563. 565. 568. 569. 570. 575. The Sacrifice of the Nevve Testamente 558. M. Hard. saith Christe sheadde his Bloude at his laste Supper 560. 570. Dreadful Sacrifice and vvhy dreadful 563. 568. M. Hard. saith Christe offered him selfe in HeaueÌ„ 565. Christes Sacrifice lasteth for euer 566. Christe him selfe is the Sacrifice 571. 572. The Sacrifice of Melchisedek 576. 577. Christe is bothe the Prieste and the Oblation 578. The Vnblouddy Sacrifice 579. 580. The Prieste in his Canon praieth for Christe 582. 583. Scriptures Readinge of the Scriptures necessary for the people 520. 529. 534. 537. 544. The Scriptures harde or easy 532. 533. The Scriptures hidden from the vvise 526. 527. 529. The ignorante maie reade the Scriptures 205. 523. 526. 527. The people commaunded to reade the Scriptures 518. 519. 521. 544. Not readinge the Scriptures is dangerous 530. 531. Knovvledge of the Scriptures breedeth humilitie 530. Knovvledge blovveth vp the minde 530. Discourraginge from readinge the Scriptures coÌ„meth from the studie and Closet of the Diuelâ— Chrysostome 521. 522. The readinge of the Scriptures is profitable although vvee can not fully vnderstande them 210. 211. The Scriptures translated into the Sclanon tongue by S. Hierome 157. The Scriptures readde openly by Chapters in the Churche 158. Dangerous to contende of Diuine maters 523. Ignorance of the Scriptures is dangerous 531. 538. 543. The Scriptures superstitiously hanged aboute mennes neckes 211. VVritinge and readinge in the Hebrevve tonge 528. The Scriptures translated into the SclauoÌ„ tongue by S. Hierome 540. The Scriptures translated into the Gotthian tongue by Vlphilas 540. The Scriptures translated into the Syrian the Palestine the Thebane the Pheâ—â—ike the Arabike the Lybike and the Frenche tongue 540. The Scriptures translated into al Christian tongues 540. The Scriptures translated into the Englishe tongue 54â— 542. Heretiques shutte vp the Scriptures 544. Serapion 134. Simplicitie pardonable 111. Vaine and fonde simplicitie 208. T. Theodoretus condemned of Heresie 252. Tertullian a married Prieste 44. Diuersitie of tongues 160. 163. Traditions vsed for the Scriptures 522. Transubstantiation 396. 397. Transubstantiation a late Fantasie 410. 421 The Greeke Churche neuer allovved Transubstantiation 422. The Breade in the Sacramente remaineth stil. 44. 382. 408. 423. 429. 437. 460. 635. The OmnipoteÌ„cie of God vvoorketh in Baptisme and in al Sacramentes 424. 426. The place of Cyprian ansvveared The Breade Changed not in fourme but in nature 424. Sacramental Change 427. In what sense the Breade is the Body of Christe 428. 436. The Breade nothinge in comparison of Christes Body 433. 434. V. Valdo 538. VVasshinge of feete 114. 116. The VVater of Baptisme and Christes Bloude are one thinge 382. Minglinge of vvater and vvine not necessary 34. Communion ministred in Norvvey vvithout vvine 32. Communion in Motheglen 113. VVine continevvinge longe 138. FINIS Errata Page Line Faulte Correction 103. 43. Leo Reade Iulius 113. 23. Ruscia Reade Russia 135. 36 Aransican Arausican Ibidem in margi Aransican Reade Arausican Ibidem in margi lib. 1. strike it out 281. in margi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 284. 20. Curche Reade Churche 415. 8. Chrystome Reade Chrysostome 429. 4. Fealt eas Reade Fealte as OF PRIVATE MASSE THE FIRST ARTICLE The Byshoppe of Sarisburie IF any learned man of our aduersaries or if al the learned men that be alyue be hable to bryng any one sufficient sentence out of any olde catholike Doctour or Father or out of any olde general Councel or out of the holy Scriptures of God or any one example of the Primitiue Churche whereby it may clearely aud plainely be proued that there was any priuate Masse in the whole worlde at that tyme for the space of sixe hundred yeres after Christ. c. The conclusion is this As I sayd before so say I now againe I am content to yelde and to subscribe M. Hardinge The first Diuision Euery Masse is publike concernynge bothe the oblation and also the Communion and none pryuate For no man offereth that dreadfull sacrifice priuately for him selfe alone but for the whole Churche of Christ in common The Communion likewise of the Sacrament is a publike feast by Christ through the ministerie of the priest in the same
some are sicke And by that voice the Deacon dâ—uideth these from them For that voyce of his fallinge into our eares as it were a hande remoueth and shutteth foorthe some and other some it taketh in and presenteth them to the Congregation I sende thée not vnto other places of Chrysostome which be both many moe and farre plainer then this but onely vnto this same place out of which M. Hardinge hath piked as muche as he thought good Chrysostome saithe The people resorted dayly to the Churche The Deacon sundred them with his voice the sounde from the sicke the one porte to receiue the other to absteine the one parte he shut out at the time of the Holy Communion the other he broughâ— in and presented to the Congregation This was the ordinarie practise of the Churche in Chrysostomes time where wée sée plainely by his owne reporte that he receiued not alone Yet saith M. Hardinge For proufe of this these folowinge be suche places as I am perswaded with al. By this colde conclusion he cutteth of credite from al that he hath hitherto saide as not makinge shewe sufficient to winne his purpose and so condemneth his note made in the Margin whiche was Proufes for Priuate Masse and laieth al the burthen of his groundes vpon these other gheasses that hereafter folowe Uerely hitherto for any thinge that may appeare by his Booke notwithstandinge his longe time his muche readinge and greate conference with al his felowes he hath not yet founde either the name of Priuate Masse in any olde Catholique writer or the Sole Receiuing of the Priest If he wil haue the world to beléeue him and subscribe he must leaue his gheasses and bring some sounde and substantial proufes M. Hardinge The .29 Diuision Soter Bishop of Rome aboute the yere of our Lorde 170. who suffered Martyrdome vnder Antoninus Verus the Emperour for order of celebratinge the Masse made this statute or decree Vt nullus Presbyterorum solennia celebrare praesumat nisi duobus praesentibus sibique respondentibus ipse tertius habeatur quia cum pluraliter ab eo dicitur Dominus Vobiscum illud in secretis Orate prome apertissimè conuenit vt ipsius respondeatur salutaâ—ioni This hath beene ordeined that no Priest presume to celebrate the solemnitie of the Masse excepte there be twoo present and answeare him so as he him selfe be the thirde For where as he saith as by way of speakinge to many Our Lorde be vvith you and likewise in the Secretes Pray you for me It seemeth euidently conuenient that aunsweare be made to his salutation accordingly whiche auncient decree requireth not that al people of necessitie be present 37 muche lesse that al so often times should Communicate Sacramentally whiche thinge it requireth neither of those twoo that ought to be present If of the bare woordes of this Decree a sufficient argument may not be made for our purpose inducinge of the affirmation of that one thinge there specified the denial of that other thinge wee speake of whiche manner of argument is commonly vsed of our aduersaries then more weight may be put vnto it in this case for that where as the receiuinge of Christes Body is a farre greater mater then to answeare the Priest at Masse if that holy Bishop and Martyr had thought it so necessarie as that the Masse might not be doone without it Doubtlesse of very reason and conuenience he woulde and shoulde haue specially spoken of that rather then of the other But for that he thought otherwise he required onely of necessitie the presence of twoo for the purpose aboue mentioned The B. of Sarisburie Some say this Decree was made by Pope Anacletus some others say by Soter and so they séeme not to be yet throughly resolued vpon the Authour But if wée had not good cause to doubte of the authoritie of these Decrees and Epistles Decretal wée woulde the lesse doubt of their doctrine It was euermore the CommoÌ„ practise of deceiuers to blase their dooinges by the names of such as thei knew to be in estimation in the worlde For to passe by Homer Hefiod Cicero Plautus and suche others counted learned and famous amonge the Heathens in whose names many counterseite bookes were set abroade S. Paule him selfe willeth the Thessaloniens not to suffer them selues to be drawen from their faithe Neither by spirite nor by talke nor by letter as sent from him By whiche laste woordes he signifieth that letters sometime were falsified and set abroade in his name So were there geuen out Gospels in the name of Peter Thomas and other the Apostles and other maters of smal weight in the names of Augustine Hierome Ambrose Cyprian and other like This was vnto some a common pastime and many godly Fathers complaine muche of it Wherefore wée ought the lesse to maruel if the like haue happened vnto Anacletus Euaristus Soter and suche others as folowed immediatly in Rome after the Apostles time Gratian sheweth that the Decretal Epistles haue béene doubted of amonge the learned And Doctor Smithe although his authoritie be not greate declared openly at Paules Crosse that they can not possibly be theirs whose names they beare And to vtter some reasons shortely for proufe thereof These Decretal Epistles manifestly depraue and abuse the Scriptures as it may soone appeare vnto the godly Reader vpon the sight They mainteine nothinge so muche as the state and kingedome of the Pope and yet was there no such state erected in many hundred yeres after the Apostles time they publishe a multitude of vaine and superstitious Ceremonies other like fantasies farre vnlike the Apostles doctrine They proclaime suche thinges as M. Hardinge knoweth to be open and knowen lies Anacletus that was next after Peter willeth and straitly commaundeth that al Bishops once in the yere doo visite the entrie of S. Peters Churche in Rome whiche they cal Limina Petri. Yet was there then no Churche yet builte there in the name of Peter For Pope Cornelius saith as he is alleged that he first tooke vp S. Peters body and buried the same in Appolloes Churche in Rome at the leaste one hundred and fortie yeres after that Anacletus was dead Pope Antherus maketh mention of Eusebius Alexandrinus and Felix whiche liued a longe time after him and therefore was it not possible for him to know them Fabianus writeth of the cominge of Nouatus into Italy And yet it is cleare by S. Cyprian and by Eusebius that Nouatus came first into Italy in the time of Cornelius whiche was next after him And to leaue a number of other coniectures which may be hereafter more aptly touched some otherwhere neither S. Hierome nor Gennadius intreatinge of the Ecclesiastical writers nor Damasus writinge purposely of the liues of the Bishoppes of Rome before him euer made any mention either of suche Epistles or of any suche Decrees whiche they
Doctours doo affirme it plainely and the woordes conferred with the woordes of our Lordes Supper doo agree and that it is not needeful of our owne head to adde thereto thâ—â—ministraâ—tion of the Cuppe as our aduersaries doo by their figure Synecdoche it appeareth by that those â—wo Disciples declared to the .xij. Apostles assembled togeather in Hierusalem howe they knewe our Lorde in fractione Panis in breakinge of the Breade to them which cannot be taken for the wine And as soone as they knewe him in breakinge of the Breade he vanished away from their sight er that he tooke the Cuppe into his handes and blissed it and gaue it vnto them 56 as it appeareth euidently inough to S. Augustine to Bede and to al other that be not wilfully opinatiue Againe what neede is it to vse violence in this Scripture and ioygne vnto it a patche of our owne diuise by so simple a warrant of a figure sithe that accordinge to the minde of the learned Fathers Christe gaue here to the two Disciples not a peece of the Sacrament but the whole Sacrament as it is proued by the effecte of the same and the effecte presupposeth the cause For S. Augustine confesseth by that Sacrament of Breade so he calleth it Vnitate corporis participata remoueri impedimentum inimici vt Christus posset agnosci that thereby they were made partakers of the vnitie of Christes bodie that is to saye made one Body with Christe and that al impediment or let of the enemie the Diuel was taken away so as Christe might be acknowleged What more shoulde they haue gotten if they had receiued the Cuppe also The B. of Sarisburie If I woulde speake onely by authoritie and proue nothinge as M. Hardinges woonte is I might answeare al this mater in thrée woordes First that the Breade that Christe brake at Emaus was common table Breade and not the Sacrament Secondly that al be it some writers séeme to cal it the Sacrament yet none of them saithe it was ministred in One kinde as M. Hardinge by his sclender gheasses woulde séeme to geather Thirdely althoughe he were hable to proue that Christe so ministred at that time and in that place yet were al this nothinge to proue his purpose For we ioyne issue of the People he answeareth of the Priestes I speake of the Curche he speaketh of an Inne And to conclude by this example it appeareth that Christe him selfe receiued in one kinde whiche one thinge ouerthroweth al that M. Hardinge hathâ— builte And bicause he maketh him selfe so sure and certaine that Christe at Emaus ministred the Sacrament it may please him to remember that euen the same Doctours that he hathe here alleged and diuerse others of late yéeres vpon good consideration haue saide it was not the Sacrament S. Augustine saithe the breakinge of Breade there was hospitalitie and intertaininge of strangers His woordes be these Quia hospitalitatem sectati sunt eum quem in expositione Scripturarum non agnouerunt in panis fractione cognoscunt Bicause they were geuen to hospitalitie they knewe him in the breakinge of Breade whome they knewe not in the expoundinge of the Scriptures Whiche thinge S. Gregorie vttereth in plainer manner Mensam igitur ponunt Panes cibósque offerunt Deum quem in scripturarum expositione non cognouerant in panis fractione cognoscunt They laye the table and set foorthe Breade and Meate and God whome they knewe not in the expoundinge of the Scriptures they knowe in the breakinge of breade It were harde to saye the settinge foorthe of Breade and Meate vpon a table in an Hosterie was the Ministration of the Sacrament And to leaue Beda and others that folowe the same exposition Dionysius one of late yéeres and therefore ledde away with many errours accordinge to the weakenes of that time saithe thus Accepit panem Benedixit non tamen in suum Corpus conuertit sicut in coena sed vt moris est benedicere cibum He tooke breade and Blissed it but he turned it not into his Bodie as he did at his Supper but onely as the manner is to saye grace or to blisse the meate So likewise saithe Antonius Iulianus Accepit panem benedixit fregit porrigebat illis sicut consueuerat ante passionem He tooke Breade blist it brake it and gaue it vnto them as his manner was before his Passion Lyra saithe they knewe him for that he brake the Breade so euen as if he had cutte it with a knife By these writers it appeareth it was Common Breade that Christe gaue to his Disciples and not the Sacrament And whereas M. Hardinge allegeth S. Augustine to the contrary if he had considered the woordes of one William Wideforde a Doctour of his owne side whiche he vseth against Wicklife I recken either he woulde haue better aduised him selfe or els woulde haue refused his owne Doctour Wildefordes woordes be these Hic dico quod non habetur ex textu vel ex Glosa Lucae 24. vel per antiquos Doctores quod ille Panis quem Christus fregit post Resurrectionem fuit Consecratus vel Sacramentalis Ideo ineptè consequenter dico quod falsò allegat authoritateÌ„ Augustini This I say it cannot be geathered neither by the texte of S. Luke nor by the Glose nor by the auncient Doctours that the Breade that Christe brake after his Resurrection was the Consecrate or Sacramental Bread And therefore I say that foolishely and by consequence that falsely he allegeth S. Augustine to this purpose The twoo Councels of Constance and Basil thus vnderstoode the woorde of S. Luke and that saithe M. Hardinge in a Catholike mans iudgement ought to weigh muche The former of these twoo Councels was holden but of late daies aboue fouretéene hundred yeres after Christe and the weight of them is already determined by others For al the Dominike Fréers and al others that helde with Thomas of Aquine whiche thought them selues to be the best learned that were then aliue vtterly refused the Councel of Basil and saide it was neuer lawfully called togeather And Albertus Pigghius saithe that bothe these Councels as wel that of Basil as the other of Constance Decreed against the order of Natâ—re against the manifest Scriptures against thoutoritie of al Antiquitie and against the Catholike faith of the Churche These be the twoo Councels that M. Hardinge woulde haue to weigh so déepely in a Catholike mans conscience Neither can it iustly be replied that any of these were Lutherans For the Dominike Fréers were a hundred yeres before Luther euer preached And Albertus Pigghius wrote namely and of purpose against Luther Uerily these Councels seeme ouer light to weigh downe al the olde Councels of graue and Catholike Fathers that were before them Touching the authoritie of Councels bicause they séeme ofteÌ„times to vary Gelasius thought it best to take vp the mater thus In gestis Conciliorum
his woordes Omnipotens Dominus coruscantibus nubibus Cardines Maris operuit quia emicantibus praedicatorum miraculis ad fidem etiam terminos mundi perduxit Ecce enim penâ— cunctarum â—am gentium corda penetrauit Ecce in vna fide Orientis limitem Occidentisque coniunxit The almightie Lorde with his shininge Clowdes hath couered the Corners of the Sea for he hath broughte the endes of the worlde vnto the Faithe at the sight of the glorious Miracles of the Preachers For beholde he hath welneere perced through the hartes of al Nations and hath ioygned togeather the borders of the Easte and the Weast in one Faithe Nowe saithe M. Hardinge Gregorie is a witnesse of right good authoritie that this Realme of Englande had the Seruice in an vnknowen tongue Uerily Gregories authoritie in this case were right good if he woulde say the woorde But saithe M. Hardinge S. Gregorie reporteth that the Englishe people in the praisinge of God pronounced the Hebrewe Halleluia Ergo he is witnesse to the Latine Seruice This argument may be perfited and made thus The Englishe people in their praiers saide Halleluia Halleluâ—a is an Hebrewe woorde Ergo The Englishe people had the Latine Seruice This is an other Syllogismus of M. Hardinges God wote he might haue made it better Of S. Gregories woordes he might rather haue concluded thus The people of Englande in their praiers pronounced the Hebrewe Halleluia Ergo they had the Hebrewe Seruice Whiche doubtelesse in the Englishe Churches had beene very strange and yet as muche reason in that as in the Latine As for these Hebrewe woordes Halleluia Amen Sabbaoth and other like they may as wel be vsed in the Englishe Seruice as in the Latine and at this daie are vsed and continued stil in the reformed Churches in Germanie and therefore can importe no more the one then the other M. Hardinge The .24 Diuision Bede in the ende of his seconde booke sheweth that one Iames a Deacon of the Churche of Yorke a very conninge man in songe soone after the faithe had beene spred abroade here as the number of beleuers grewe beganne to be a Maister or teacher of singinge in the Churche after the maner of the Romaines The like he writeth of one Eddi surnamed Stephanus that taught the people of Northumberlande to singe the Seruice after the Romaine maner and of Putta a holy man Bishop of Rochester commendinge him muche for his greate skil of singinge in the Churche after the vse and maner of the Romaines whiche he had learned of the Disciples of S. Gregorie These be testimonies plaine and euident enough that at the beginninge the Churches of Englande had their diuine seruice in Latine and not in Englishe One place more I wil recite out of Bede most manifest of al other for proufe hereof In the time of Agatho the Pope there was a reuerende man called Iohn Archicantor that is chiefe Chaunter or singer S. Peters Churche at Rome and Abbot of the Monasterie of S. Martin there Benedicte an Abbot of Britaine hauinge builded a Monasterie at the mouthe of the Riuer Murus Bede so calleth it sued to the Pope for confirmations liberties fraunchisies priuileges c. as in suche case hath beene accustomed Amonge other thinges he obteined this cunninge Chaunter Iohn to come with him into Britaine to teache songe Bicause Bedes Ecclesiastical storie is not very common I haue thought good here to recite his owne woordes thus Engliâ—hed This Abbot Benedicte tooke with him the foresaide Iohn to bring him into Britaine that he should teache in his Monasterie the course of Seruice for the whole yeere so as it was doone at S. Peters in Rome Iohn did as he had commaundement from the Pope bothe in teachinge the singinge men of the saide Monasterie the order and rite of singinge and readinge with vtterance of their voice and also of writing and prickinge those thinges that the compasse of the whole yeere required in the celebration and keepinge of the holy daies Which be kepte in the same Monasterie til this day and be copied out of many rounde about on euery coaste Neither did that Iohn teache the Brethren of that Monasterie onely but also many other made al the meanes they coulde to get him to other places where they might haue him to teache This farre Bede I trowe no man wil thinke that this Romaine taught and wrote the order and manner of singinge and pronouncinge the Seruice of the Churches of this lande in the Englishe tongue If it had beene deemed of the learned and godly gouernours of Christen people then a necessary pointe to saluation to haue had the Seruice in the Englishâ— no man had beene so apte and fitte to haue translated it as he who in those daies had by special grace of God a singular gifte to make songes and sonets in Englishe Meter to serue religion and deuotion His name was Cednom of whome Bede writeth marueilouse thinges Howe he made diuerse songes conteininge mater of the holy Scripture with suche exceedinge sweetenesse and with suche a grace as many feelinge their hartes compuncte and prickte with hearinge and readinge of them withdrewe themselues from the loue of the worlde and were enkendled with the desire of the heauenly life Many saithe Bede of the Englishe Nation attempted after him to make religious and godly Poetries but none coulde doo comparably to him For he was not saith he alludinge to S. Paules woordes taught of men neither by man that Arte of makinge godly songes but receiued from God that gifte freely And therefore he coulde make no wanton triflinge or vaine ditties but onely suche as perteined to godly Religion and might seeme to proceede of a head guided by the holy Gost. Lib. 4. Cap. 24. This diuine Poete Cednom though he made many and sundrie holy workes hauing their whole argumeÌ„t out of holy Scripture as Bede reporteth yet neuer made he any peece of the Seruice to be vsed in the Church Thus the faith hath continued in this lande amongâ— the English people from the .14 yeere of the reigne of Mauritius Themperour almost these .1000 yeeres and vntil the late King Edwardes time the English Seruice was neuer hearde of at least way neuer in the Churche of Englande by publike authoritie receiued and vsed The B. of Sarisburie I litle thought M. Harding would so much haue bewraied his wante to prooue his mater by Pipers Poetes specially beinge al without the compasse of .600 yéeres For it is plaine by Beda that this Iames the Deacon liued vnder Kinge Edwine about the yéere of our Lorde 640. Putta Edda in the yeere .668 Iohn the ArchechauÌ„ter Cednom or Cedman for so his name is readde in Beda written in parchement in the time of Pope Agatho in the yéere .680 in whose name this Decree is written Sic omnes sanctiones Apostolicae Sedis accipiendae
the same by these woordes Exemplarium intolerabilis nimiaque differentia deprauatio Againe Gratian him selfe vpon good aduise is driuen to say that al suche Episâ—les ought to haue place rather in debatinge of mater of Iustice in the Consistorie then in determininge and weighing the truthe of the Scriptures Bisides this neither S. Hierome nor Gennadius nor Damasus nor any other olde Father euer alleged these Epistles or made any accompte of them nor the Bishops of Rome them selues no not when suche euidence might haue stande them in best steede namely in their ambitious contention for the Superioritie ouer the Bishops of Aphrica The contentes of them are such as a very childe of any iudgement may soone be hable to discrie them Clemens informeth S. Iames of the order and manner of S. Peters death yet it is certaine and Clement vndoubtedly knew it that Iames was putte to death seuen yeeres bâ—â—ore S. Peter Antherus maketh mention of Eusebius Bishop of Alexandria and of Felix Bishop of Ephesus yet was neither Eusebius nor Felix neither Bishoppe nor borne al the time that Antherus liued Marcellinus saith The Emperour might not attempte to presume any thinge against the Gospel Yet was there then no Emperour aliue that vnderstoode Christe or knew the Gospel Marcellus writeth to the Emperour Maxentius and chargeth him straitely with the authoritie of Clement yet was Maxentius an Infidel a cruel Tyran and a persequutor of the Churche and neither knew nor cared for the name of Clement Zephyrinus saithe Christe commaunded his Apostles to appointe the threescore and twelue Disciples Yet S. Luke saith Christe him selfe appointed them S. Luke saithe Iohn the Baptist gaue this counsel to the Souldiers Be ye contented with your wages c. Yet Meltiades quite altereth the whole storie and nameth Christe in steede of Iohn It woulde be tedious and needlesse to open al these few notes may suffice for a taste Now touchinge this Anacletus whom M. Harding hath fournished with his titles as though it were the very true Anacletus in déede First he saith Clemens was his predecessour Contrary wise Irenaeus that liued immediatly afterwarde and Eusebius saie Anacletus was predecessour vnto Clement Whereby it may appeare that Anacletus wrote this Epistle after that he him selfe was deade He maketh mention of S. Peters Churche yet was there no churche built in the name of Peter within thrée hundred yeeres after Anacletus Againe he allegeth the Decrées and Canons of the olde Fathers His woordes be these Haec ab antiquis Apostolis patribus accepimus These thinges haue we receâ—ued of the Olde Apostles and auncient Fathers as if the Apostles had béene longe before him notwithstanding S. Iohn the Apostle was yet aliue and Anacletus him selfe was one of the oldest Fathers Although by that I haue thus shortly touched the likelyhoode hereof may soone appeare yet I beseeche thee good Christian Reader consider also these and other like phrases and manners of speache whiche in these Epistles are very familiar and may easily be founde Persequutiones patieÌ„ter portare peâ—o vt pro me orare debeas Episcopi obediendi sunt non insidiandi Ab illis omnes Christiani se cauere debent Here is not so muche as the very congruitie and natural sounde of the Latine Tongue And shal wee thinke that for the space of three hundred yeeres and more there was not one â–ª Bishop in Rome that coulde speake true Latine And specially then when al the whole people there bothe wemen and children were hable to speake it naturally without a teacher Uerily the Pope him selfe saith Falsa Latinitas vitiat rescriptum Papae False Latine putteth the Popes owne write out of credite As for the substance and contentes of these Epistles they touche nothing neither of the state of the Churche in that time nor of Doctrine nor of Persequution nor of Heresie nor of the office of the Ministers nor of any other thinge either agreable vnto that age or in any wise greatly worthy to be considered Al their drifte is by salsiâ—ieinge of the Scriptures by al other meanes onely to stablishe the state and Kingdome of the See of Rome Anacletus thus interâ—aceth the woordes of Christe Super hanc Petram id est super Ecclesiam Romanam aedifieabo Ecclesiam meam Vpon this Rocke that is to say vpon the Churche of Rome I wil builde my Churche And againe Romana Ecclesia Cardo Caput est omnium Ecclesiarum Vt enim Cardine ostium regitur ita huius sanctae Sedis authoritate omnes Ecclesiae reguntur The Churche of Rome is the Hooke and the Head of al Churches For as the doore is ruled by the Hooke so al Churches are ruled by th â–ª authoritie of this holy See of Rome Pope Stephanus saith Haeâ— Sacrosancta Domina nostra Romana Ecclesia This holy our Lady the Churche of Rome And what néeded M. Hardinge to allege onely Anacletus beinge so wel stoared of sundrie others For Pope Euaristus Alexander Sixtus Telesâ—horus Higinus Pius Anicetus Soter Eleutherius Uictor and al the reast of the ancient Bishops of Rome whose names haue beene abused to this purpose agrée in one Al they are made to say Wee are the Vniuersal Bishops wee are the headdes of the Vniuersal Churche Al appeales ought of right to lie to vs wee cannot erre wee may not be controlled For it is written The Scholer is not aboue his Maister If these authorities were sufficient then were the case cleare of M. Hardinges side But he saw they were forged ful of vntrueth and therefore he thought it best to trippe so lightly ouer them As for Anacletus him selfe that was Peters Scholar and the reast of the ancient Bishoppes of Rome they were holy men and godly Fathers and liued in continual persecution and were daily taken and put to death and had no leisure to thinke vpon these ambitious and vaine titles M. Hardinge The .4 Diuision S. Gregorie writinge to Mauritius the Emperour against Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople ambitiousely claiminge and vsurpinge the name of an vniuersal Bishop prooueth the Bishop of Rome succeedinge in Peters Chaier to be Primate and to haue charge ouer al the Churche of Christe by Scriptures thus Cunctis Euangelium scientibus liquer c. It is euident to al that know the Gospel that the Cure and charge of the whole Churche hath beene committed by the woorde of our Lorde to the Holy Apostle Peter prince of al the Apostles For to him it is saide Peter louest thou mee Feede my sheepe To him it is saide Beholde Sathan hath desired to sifte you as it were wheate and I haue praied for thee Peter that thy faith faile not And thou beinge once conuerted strengthen thy brethren To him it is saide Thou arte Peter and vpon this Rocke wil I builde my Churche and the Gates of Hel shal
of Rome in the highest state of the Churche as Athanasius with al the Fathers of that Alexandrine Councel recordeth If this I saye be true then is it easely seene vpon howe good grounde this doctrine standeth whereby it is affirmed that the Bishop of Rome his primacie hath his force by Goddes Lawe and not onely by mans Lawe muche lesse by vniuste vsurpation The Scriptures by whiche as wel these as al other holy and learned Fathers were leadde to acknowlege and confesse the Primacie of Peter and his successours were partely suche as Anacletus and Gregorie here allegeth and Cyprian meaneth as it appeareth by his thirde treatise De simplicitate praelatorum and sundry moe of the Newe Testament as to the learned is knowen of whiche to treate here largely and piâ—hâ—hely as the weight of the matter requireth at this time I haue no leysure neither if I had yet might I conueniently performe it in this treatise whiche othervvise vvil amounte to a sufficient bignesse and that matter throughly handled wil â—il a right great volume VVherefore referringe the readers to the credite of these woorthy Fathers who so vnderstâ—â—de the Scriptures as thereof they were perswaded the primacie to be attributed to Peters successour by â—od him selfe I wil proceede keepinge my prefixed order Where at the preeminence of power and auctoritie whiche to the Bishop of Rome by special and singular priuilege God hath graunted is commended to the worlde by many and sundrie Councelles for auoidinge of tediousnesse I wil rehearse the testimonies of a fewe Amonge the Canons made by three hundred and eightene Bishops at the Nicene Councel which were in number 70 and 96 al burnt by heretikes in the East Churche saue .xx. and yet the whole number 97 was kepte diligently in the Churche of Rome in the original it selfe sent to Syluester the Bishop there from the Councel subscribed with the saide 318. Fathers handes the. 44. Canon whiche is of the power of the Patriarche ouer the Metropolitanes and Bishops and of the Metropolitane ouer Bishops in the ende hath this Decree Vt autem cunctis ditionis suae nationibus c. As the Patriarke beareth rule ouer al Nations of his iurisdiction and geueth lawes to them and as Peter Christes Vicare at the beginninge sette in auctoritie ouer Religion ouer the Churches and ouer al other thinges perteining to Christe was 98 Maister and Ruler of Christian Princes Prouinces and of al Nations so he whose Principalitie or Chieftie is at Rome like vnto Peter and equal in auctoritie obteineth the rule and soueraintie ouer al Patriarkes After a fewe woordes it foloweth there If any man repine againste this Statute or dare resist it by the Decree of the whole Councel he is accursed Iulius that woorthy Bishop of Rome not longe after the Councel of Nice in his epistle that he wrote to the. 90. Arriane Bishops assembled in the Councel at Antioche against Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria reprouinge them for their vniuste treatinge of him saithe of the Canons of the Nicene Councel then freshe in their remembrance that they commaunde Non debere praeter sententiam Romani pontificis vllo modo Concilia celebrari nec Episcopos damnari That without the auctoritie of the Bishop of Rome neither Councelles ought to be keapte nor Bishoppes condemned Againe that nothinge be Decreed without the Bishop of Rome Cui haec maiora Ecclesiarum negotia tam ab ipso Domino quà m ab omnibus vniuersorum Conciliorum Fratribus speciali priuilegio contradita sunt To whom these and other the weightie matters of the Churches be committed by special Priuilege as wel by our Lorde him selfe as by al our Brethern of the whole vniuersal Councelles Amonge other principal pointes whiche he reciteth in that Epistle of the Nicene Councelles Canons this is one Vt omnes Episcopi c. That al Bishoppes who susteine wronge in weightie causes so often as neede shal require make their appeale freely to the See Apostolike and flee to it for succour as to their Mother that from thence they may be charitably susteyned defended and deliuered To the disposition of whiche See the auncient auctoritie of the Apostles and their successours and of the Canons hath reserued al weightie or great Ecclesiastical causes and iudgementes of Bishoppes Athanasius and the whole companie of Bishoppes of Egypte Thebaida and Lybia assembled togeather in Councel at Alexandria complaininge in their Epistle to Felix the Pope of great iniuries and griefes they susteined at the Arrians allegeth the determination of the Nicene Councel touching the Supreme auctoritie and power of that See Apostolike ouer al other Bishoppes Similiter à supradictis Patribus est definitum consonanter c. Likewise say they it hath beene determined by common assent of the foresaide Fathers of Nice that if any of the Bishoppes suspecte the Metropolitane or their felowe Bishoppes of the same Prouince or the Iudges that then they make their appeale to your holy See of Rome to whome by our Lorde himselfe power to binde and louse by special priuilege aboue other hathe been graunted This muche alleged out of the Canons of the Nicene Councel gathered partely out of Iulius Epistle who wrote to them that were present at the makinge of them whiche taketh away al suspicion of vntrueth and partely out of Athanasius and others that were a great parte of the same Councel The B. of Sarisburie A scarcrowe stufte with strawe and set vpright may séeme a farre of to be a man Euen so a forger of lies and fables prickte vp in the apparel of auncient names may séeme to the ignorant an Olde Catholique Father No maruel though this authoritie like M. Hardinge beste aboue al others for it is moste vaine and shameles aboue al others and therefore méetest to helpe vp a shameles Doctrine It is no newe practise in the Churche of Rome to forge euidence in the name of Olde Fathers as God willinge hereafter it shal better appeare But as for this Epistle and certaine others that are carried aboute vnder the name of that Godly Bishop Athanasius I wil onely rippe vp the stuffinge and open some parte of the contentes of them and so wil not refuse M. Hardinge him selfe to be the Iudge First that they were neuer written in Gréeke and therefore not by Athanasius it may appeare by sundrie tokens and namely by the allusion of these two Latine woordes Vertex and Vertuntur Romana Sedes est sacer vertex in quo omnes verâ—untur The Latine is rude and barbarous and many times vtterly voide of sense The manner of vtterance is childishe and bablinge emptie of mater and ful of woordes without measure The substance of the whole is nothinge els but flatteringe and auancinge of the Sée of Rome farced vp and set out with lies without shame The authour hereof speaking of the Churche of Rome saith Inde Ecclesiae sumpsere Praedicationis exordium
shalt walke ouer the aspe and the cockatrise Then he was contente that the Emperoure should be called Procurator Ecclesiae Romanae The Proctoure or steward of the Churche of Rome Then as if had béene Nabucodonozor or Alexander or Antiochus or Domitian he claimed vnto him selfe the name and title of almighty God and said further That beinge God he might not be iudged of any Mortal man Then he suffred menne to saie Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope Tu es omnia super omnia Thou art al and aboue al. Al power is geuen vnto thee as wel in Heauen as in Earthe I leaue the miserable spoile of the Empier the loosinge of sundrie great Countries and Nations that sometimes were Christened the weakeninge of the Faithe the encourraginge of the Turke the ignorance and blindenes of the people These other like be the effectes of the Popes Uniuersal power Would to God he were in deede that he would so faine be called woulde shewe him selfe in his owne particular Churche to be Christes Uicare the Dispenser of Gods Mysteries Then shoulde godly men haue lesse cause to coÌ„plaine against him As nowe although that he claimeth were his very right yet by his owne iudgement he is worthy to loose it For Pope Gregorie saith Priuilegium meretur amittere qui abutitur potestate He that abuseth his authoritie is worthy to loose his priuilege And Pope Syluerius saith Etiam quod habuit amittat qui quod non accepit vsurpat He that vsurpeth that he receiued not let him loose that he had Nowe briefely to laye abroade the whole contentes of this Article Firste M. Hardinge hath wittingly alleged suche testimonies vnder the names of Anacletus Athanasius and other Holy Fathers as he him selfe knoweth vndoubtedly to be forged and with manifest Absurdities and Contradictions doo betraye them selues and haue no manner colour or shewe of trueth He hath made his claime by certaine Canons of the Councel of Nice and of the Councel of Chalcedon and yet he knoweth that neither there are nor neuer were any suche Canons to be founde He hath dismembred and mangled S. Gregories woordes and contrary to his owne knowledge he hath cutte them of in the middest the better to beguile his Reader He hath violently and perforce drawen and rackte the Olde godly Fathers Ireneus Cyprian Ambrose Cyrillus Augustine Theodoretus Hierome and others contrary to their owne sense and meaninge Touchinge appeales to Rome the gouernement of the East parte of the worlde Excommunications Approbations of orders allowance of Councelles Restitutions and Reconciliations he hath openly misreported the whole Uniuersal order and practise of the Churche Al this notwithstandinge he hath as yet founde neither of these two glorious Titles that he hath so narrowly sought for notwithstandinge greate paines taken and greate promises and vauntes made touchinge the same Therefore to conclude I must subscribe and rescribe euen as before That albeit M. Hardinge haue trauailed painefully herein bothe by him self and also with conference of his frendes Yet cannot he hitherto finde neither in the Scriptures nor in the olde Councelles nor in any one of al the auncient Catholique Fathers that the Bishop of Rome within the space of the firste sixe hundred yéeres after Christe was euer intitled either the Uniuersal Bishop or the Heade of the Uniuersal Churche FINIS THE FIFTHE ARTICLE OF REAL PRESENCE The B. of Sarisburie Or that the people was then taught to beleue that Christes Bodie is Really Substantially Corporally Carnally or Naturally in the Sacrament M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision 126 Christen people hath euer ben taught that the Bodie and Bloude of Iesus Christ by the vnspeakeable workinge of the grace of God and vertue of the holy Ghoste is present in this most holy Sacrament and that verily and in deede This doctrine is founded vpon the plaine wordes of Christ â–ª which he vttered in the institution of this Sacrament expressed by the Euangelistes aâ—d by S. Paule As they were at Supper saieth Matthewe Iesus tooke breade and blissed it and brake it and gaue it to his Disciples and saith Take ye eate ye This is my Bodie And takinge the Cuppe he gaue thankes and gaue it to them saieinge Drinke ye al of this For this is my Bloude of the Newe Testament which shal be shedde for many in remission of sinnes VVithe like wordes almost Marke Luke and Paule doo describe this diuine institution Neither saide our Lorde onely This is my Bodie but least some sholde doubte how his wordes are to be vnderstanded For a plaine declaration of them he addeth this further VVhiche is geuen for you Likewise of the Cuppe he saith not onely This is my Bloude but also as it were to put it out of al doubte whiche shal be shedde for many Nowe as faithful people doo beleue that Christ gaue not a figure of his Bodie but his owne true and verie Bodie in substance and likewise not a figure of his Bloude but his verie pretious Bloude it self at his passion and death on the Crosse for our Redemption so they beleue also that the wordes of the institution of this Sacrament admitte no other vnderstandinge but that he geueth vnto vs in theise holy Mysteries his self same Bodie and his selfe same Bloude in trueth of substance â–ª which was crucified and sheadde forth for vs. Thus to the humble beleuers Scripture it self ministreth sufficient argument of the trueth of Christes Bodie and Bloude in the Sacrament against the Sacramentaries who holde opinion that it is there but in a figure signe or token 127 onely The B. of Sarisburie I knowe not wel whether M. Hardinge doo this of purpose or elles it be his manner of writinge But this I see that beinge demaunded of one thinge he alwaies turneth his answeare to an other The question is here moued whether Christes Bodie be Really and Corporally in the Sacrament His answeare is That Christes Bodie is ioyned and vnited Really and Corporally vnto vs And herein he bestoweth his whole treatie and answeareth not one woorde vnto the question In the former Articles he was hable to allege some forged Authorities Some contrefeite practise of the Churche Some woordes of the ancient Doctours although mistaken Some shewe of natural worldly reason or at the leaste wise some coloure or shifte of woordes But in this mater for directe proufe he is hablâ— to allege nothinge no not so muche as the healpe and drifte of natural Reason Where he saieth Christen people hath euer beene thus taught from the beginninge It is greate maruel that either they shoulde be so taught without a teacher or theirs teacher shoulde thus instructe them without woordes or such woordes shoulde be spoken and neuer written Uerily M. Hardinge by his silence and wante herein sécretely confesseth that theisâ— woâ—rdes Really Carnally c. in this mater of the Sacrament were
Inner Spiritual sight and the Contemplation of the minde The woordes be plaine Ne proposito Pani Poculo humiliter intenti simus That we consider not basely the Breade and the Wine that are sette before vs. And therefore S. Augustine saithe In Sacramentis Fidelium dicitur Surium corda In the Sacramentes of the Faithful it is saide Lifte vp your hartes By whiche woordes we are put in remembrance that there is nothing in the action to be considered but onely Christ the Lambe of God that hath taken away the sinnes of the worlde And therefore Chrysostome saithe We must become Egles and soare aboue if we list to come neare to that Bodie Thus with the Spiritual eyes of our hartes we see the Lambe of God And as S. Ambrose saith Magis videtur quod non videtur The thinge is better seene that with our bodily eies is not seene For the same cause S. Augustine saithâ— In Sacramentis videÌ„dum est non quid sint sed quid ostendant Signa enim rerum sunt aliud existentia aliud Significantia In Sacramentes we must consider not what they be in deede but what they represent For they are Tokens of thinges beinge one thing in them selfe and signifieing an other And as touchinge our beholdinge of Christe in the Sacrament in moste plaine wise he wrâ—teth thus Sic nos facit moueri tanquam videamus Praesentem DominuÌ„ in Cruce It worketh such motions in vs as if we saw our Lorde him selfe Present vpon the Crosse. And this is it that Eusebius Emissenus writeth as he is alleged of Gratian Vt colererur iugiter per Mysterium perennis illa Victima viueret in Memoria Semper praesens esset in Gratia That the Bodie that was once offered for our Price should euermore be worshipped by a Mysterie and that that Euerlastinge Sacrifice should liue in Remembrance and be Present â—n Grace for euer In this spiritual sorte is Christe Layde Presente vpon the Table but not in M. Hardinges Grosse and Fleashely manner And therefore S. Augustine saithe in like sense vnto the Faithful Communicantes Vos estis in mensa vos estis in Calice You are vpon the Table you are in the Cuppâ— As S. Augustine saithe The people is laide vpon the Table euen so and none otherwise the Councel of Nice saith The Lambe of God is Laide vpon the Table The other Gréeke woorde that M. Hardinge holdeth by is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is Uerily or Truely and that in his iudgement soundeth no lesse then Really or Fleashely And thus although he hunte like a wanton Spaniel and range at riot and beate vp Butterflies yet at the laste he thinketh â–ª he hath founde somewhat How be it I maruel he séeth no better his owne errour For he mighte soone haue knowen that these twoo woordes Truely and Fleashely haue sundrie meaninges and that in the sense that Christe spake vnto the Iewes the one of them doothe vtterly exclude the other For neither doothe he that eateth grossely and sensibly with his téethe eate Truely and Verily as Christe meante nor doothe he that eateth Spiritually with his Faithe eate Grossely and Fleashely as the Capernaites meante Therefore it is greate folie to saye Uerily and Fleashly are al one thinge In déede the Spiritual Eatinge of Christes Bodie by Faithe is the true Eatinge And he that Eateth the same moste Spiritually Eateth moste truely Otherwise Christe saithe Ego sum vitis vera I am the True Vine S. Hierome calleth the Faithful people Vitem Veram The True Vine Cyrillus calleth Christe Verum Manna The True Manna S. Hierome saieth Nos verâ— sumus vnis Panis We are Verily one Breade Origen saith Apostoli verè erant Coeli The Apostles verily were the Heauens And to be shorte they were wonte to singe at the blissinge of the Paschal Taper Haec sunt festa Paschalia in quibus verè Agnus occiditur This is the Paschal Feaste wherein verily and indeede the Lambe is slaine By these fewe examples bothe the difference bytwéene these twoo woordes Truely and Fleashely and also the sclendernes of M. Hardinges Collection may soone appeare For notwithstandinge we doo verily Eate Christe yet it followeth not that we doo Grossely and Naturally Eate him with our bodily mouthes and although Christe be verily meate yet it foloweth not that he is therefore Really and Fleashely in the Sacrament And therefore S. Augustine in this respecte vtterly remooueth the natural office of the Bodie His woordes be plaine Quid paras dentem aut ventrem Crede manducasti What preparest thou thy toothe or thy bellie Beleeue and thou hast Eaten Againe Credere in eum hoc est manducare Panem Viuum Beleeuinge in him is the Eatinge of the Breade of life M. Hardinge The .9 Diuision And touchinge these termes first Verily or 136 whiche is al one Really and Substantially me thinketh M. Iuel shoulde beare the more with vs for vse of the same sithe that Bucer him selfe one of the greattest learned men of that side hathe allowed them yea and that after muche writinge againste Luther in Defence of Zwinglius and Oecolampadius by him sette foorthe and after that he had assured him selfe of the trueth in this Article by Diuine Inspiration as moste constantly he affirmeth with these woordes Haec non Dubitamus diuinitus nobis per ScripturaÌ„ reuelata de hoc Sacramento VVe doubte not saithe he but these thinges concerninge this Sacrament be reueled vnto vs from God and by the Scripture If you demaunde where this maye be founde in the Actes of a Councel holden betweene the Lutheranes and Zwinglianes for this very purpose in Martine Luthers house at VVittenberge in the yeere of our Lorde .1536 you shal finde these woordes Audiuimus D. Bucerum explicantem suam sententiam de Sacramento Corporis Sanguinis Domini hoc modo Cum Pane Vino verè Substantialiter adest exhibetur Sumitur Corpus Christi Sanguis Et Sacramentali Vnione Panis est Corpus Christi porrecto Pane verè adest verè exhibetur Corpus Christi VVe haue hearde M. Bucer declaring his minde touching the SacrameÌ„t of the Bodie and Bloude of our Lorde in this sorte VVith the Breade and VVine the Bodie of Christe and his Bloude is presente exhibited and receiued verâ—ly and Substantially And by Sacramental Vnion the Breade is the Bodie of Christe and the Breade beinge geuen the Bodie of Christe is verely present and verely deliuered Though this opinion of Bucer by whiche he recanted his former Zwinglian Heresie be in sundrie pointes false and Heretical yet in this he agreeth with the Catholique Churche against M. Iuels negatiue assertion that the Bodie and Bloude of Christe is present in the Sacrament Verily that is Truely and Really or in Deede and Substantially 137 wherein he speaketh as the Auncient Fathers spake longe
them selues Iewes that is The people of God but they are the Synagoge of Satan O fight not M. Hardinge thus against God fight not against your owne Conscience It is harde for you thus to kike against the pricke The more ye fight the more ye bewray your owne nakednesse These coloures and shadowes must néedes vade God with his Trueth wil haue the Uictorie Amen M. Hardinge The .12 Diuision Now to be shorte where as the chiefe argumentes that be made against the beinge of Christes Bodie in many places at once be deduced of nature in respecte that this article seemeth to them to abolishe nature it may please theÌ„ to vnderstande that God who is auctour of nature can by his power doo with a Bodie that whiche is aboue the nature of a Bodie nature not destroied but keapte and preserued whole VVhiche Plato the Heathen Philosopher woulde soone haue been induced to beleue if he were aliue VVho asked what was nature answeared Quod Deus vult that whiche God wil. And therefore wee beleeue that Enoch and Elias yet mortal by nature doo by power of God liue in Bodie and that aboue naâ—ure Abacue was by the same power caught vp and in a moment caried from Iewrie to Babylon his nature reserued whole S. Peter by God accordinge to nature walked on the earth the same by God bisides nature walked vpon the waters Christe after condition of nature assumpted suffred death in Bodie the same Christe by his diuine power entred with his Bodie in to his Disciples through doores closed The B. of Sarisburie Our proufes are grounded not onely vpon Natural Reason but also vpon the expresse and knowen Wil of God And by suche Argumentes the learned Fathers were wonte in olde times to dispute of Christes Humanitie against Apollinarius Manichaeus Eutyches and other like Heretiques without controlment For Natural Reason holden within her bandes is not the enimie but the daughter of Goddes Trueth And therefore he must be very vnreasonable that wil thus without cause be angrie with Reason But it appeareth that M. Hardinge as he is vtterly without Scriptures and Doctours in these cases so is he also voide of Reason As touchinge Plato it seemeth there was harde holde when a Natural Philosopher must stande foorth to proue Christes Mysteries This mater within these fewe hundred yeeres hath benne atteÌ„pted many waies by Logique by Philosophie by the Metaphysiques by the names of Olde Fathers But when none of al these healpes woulde serue they imagined brought foorth Animosam Fidem a Faith without any woorde of God bolde to beleeue they knewe not what In the ende findinge theire wante and weakenes herein for that this Faith had no grounde they diuised Miracles and fieres yenough and ioined them with it Then was the mater sufficiently and fully prooued But Plato saith Natura est quod Deus vult Nature is that thinge that God wil. First what if M. Hardinge vnderstande not what Plato meante And what if Plato neuer vnderstoode what M. Hardinge meaneth Yet must Platoes name serue to prooue al M. Hardinges faÌ„tasies Plato saith Nature is what so euer God wil. Must we therefore conclude That Colde is Hoate White is Blacke Accident without Subiecte Subiecte without Accident a Bodie is no Bodie a Nature Finite is Infinite What a strange kinde of Philosophie hath M. Hardinge founde out It is a simple weapon that these menne wil refuse to serue theire turne The Philosophers called Epicuraei helde this fantasie that God sitteth in Heauen idly and at ease neuer incombringe or troublinge him self with the rule of the worlde and that therefore Nature ruleth it self onely by chance and at aduenture without any certaine direction of Goddes gouernement and that what so euer is donne therein is no parte of Goddes dooinge Contrary wise the Philosophers called Stoici helde an other fantasie that God him self is nothinge elles but nature and that therefore al thinges are wrought by necessitie and force of Destine and that God is hable to woorke no Miracle nor to doo any thinge contrary to the common course of Nature Both these folies Plato reproued by this shorte answeare Natura est quod Deus vult His meaninge is that Nature is subiecte and obedient vnto God and that there is neither Chance nor Necessitie in the course of Nature but al thinges are ordred by Goddes appointement and Natural Causes are onely the instrumentes of Goddes Wil. And therefore some compare Nature to the horse and God to the horseman that bridleth her and turneth her whither he listeth And for the same cause Origen saith Anima mundi est Virtus Dei The Soule of the Worlde is the power of God And S. Baâ—ile saith The Worlde is the schoole of our soules to leade vs to knowe God Therefore God was hable by his power to diuide the Sea to pul backe and to staye the Sonne to open the Earth to make the water of Iordane to stande as a walle to staie the Fier from burninge and the water from drowninge If any man liste to knowe the cause hereof there is none other but Goddes Wil. In this sense the Philosopher Simonides was wonte to saie Solus Deus est Metaphysicus God alone is Supernatural And Pindarus for the same called God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The best or skilfullest Artificer Likewise S. Augustine saith Quomodo est contra Naturam quod Dei fit voluntate cùm voluntas tanti Conditoris sit cuiuscunque rei Natura Howe is it against Nature that is donne by Goddes Wil seeinge the Wil of so noble a Creator is the Nature of euery thinge This vndoubtedly was Platoes meaninge Nowe let vs examine M. Hardinges reasons Nature is what so euer God wil Elias and Enoch are yet alieue in theire bodies Abacuc was caught and carried to Babylon S. Peter walkte vpon the Sea Ergo Christes Bodie is at one time in a thousande places These argumentes holde A posse ad Esse and might haue stande the Heretiques Manichaeus and Eutyches in some good steede but in Catholique Schooles they haue no place But howe is M. Hardinge so wel assuered of Goddes wil Howe knoweth he that God wil haue Christes Bodie to be in a thousande places at one time to be euerywhere to be infinite to be no Bodie Uerily the Ancient Fathers for any thinge that may appeare neuer knew it Contrary wise he might haue saide Gods holy Wil was that Christe should take the Natural Substance of a Mans Bodie and that in al thinges he should be like vnto his Brethren and that his Bodie shoulde be a Creature and as S. Augustine saith should be in one place This is Goddes knowen and expresse Wil therefore by Platoes iudgement this is Nature Certainely S. Augustine saith as it is before alleged Christus Corpori suo Immortalitatem dedit Naturam non abstulit Christe gaue Immortalitie to his Bodie but he tooke not from it the
better staie of his Churche so wrought that both the trueth should be confessed by the enemies of trueth and also for vttering of vntrueth the one should be condeÌ„ned of the other that by the warre of Heretikes the peace of the Churche might be established and by their discorde the Catholike people might the faster grewe togeather in concorde Now hauing sufficiently prooued by the Scriptures and that with the Zuinglians also adoration and Godly Honour to be dewe vnto Christes Bodie where so euer it please his Diuine Maiestie to exhibite the same present let vs see whether we can finde the same Doctrine affirmed by the Holie and Auncient Fathers The B. of Sarisburie Where as M. Harding thus checketh vs with some dissension that hath béene bitweene Doctour Luther and Doctour Zuinglius touchinge this mater of Adoration I may iustly say vnto him as one sometime saide vnto Philippus the Kinge of Macedonie intreatinge a peace bitweene Peloponnesus and the reast of Graecia Goe firste and conclude a peace in thine owne house at home For at the same time his owne wife Olympias and his owne sonne Alexander were knowen to liue in deadely dissension And therefore he seemed no fitte instrument to conclude a peace bitweene others M. Hardinge shoulde haue remembred that the greatest Buttresses and Pillers of his Gospel sithence the first beginninge of his Newe Doctrine haue euermore liued in Contradiction and coulde neuer yet be reconciled He should haue remembred that his owne Doctours and chiefest Doctours Pope Innocentius Scotus teache contrary Doctrines That Scotus is against Thomas Ockam against Scotus Petrus de Alliaco against Ockam and the Nominales against the Reales and not onely thus but also Scotistes againste Scotistes and Thomistes againste Thomistes at Ciuile warre within one bande and that touchinge the very Woordes of Consecration and other like maters bothe greate and many whereof to shewe the Particulars it would be tedious But the maters hange stil in mortal enemitie and are neuer like to be reconciled Hauinge suche Bloudy fieldes at home M. Hardinge should not be so ready to reproche others for some one or other mater of dissension It were muche to be wished and God of his Mercie so graunte it if it be his holy Wil that the Gospel of Christe may passe foorthe freely without any suche occasion of offense or hinderance How be it from the beginning it hath béene otherwise For euen at the first plantinge of the Gospel whiles the Martyrs Bloude was yet warme there were some that saide I holde of Paule some others that saide I holde of Peter thus were they diuided emonge them selues S. Paule withstoode and gaine saide Peter vnto his face S. Hierome chargeth S. Augustine with Heresie S. Augustine willeth S. Hierome to recante S. Hierome despiseth S. Ambrose and findeth faulte with S. Basile S. Cyprian in iudgement is contrary to S. Cornelius Pope Sabinianus woulde haue burned al S. Gregories his Predecessours bookes Hereby it appeareth That Sainctes haue beene againste Sainctes and Martyrs against Martyrs euen in maters and cases of Religion And hereof Heretiques and other wicked and godlesse people haue euermore taken occasion to sclaunder the Gospel Marcion the Heretique thought he had founde Contrarieties bitweene the Newe Testament and the Olde and therefore saide He was hable to prooue falseheade in the Scriptures S. Hierome saithe Hunc locum nobis obiecit Iulianus Augustus de dissonantia Euangelistarum This place of the disagreeinge of the Euangelistes the Heathen Emperour Iulianus charged vs withal Againe he saithe Sceleratus Porphyrius in primo libro quem scripsit aduersus nos obiecit Petrum à Paulo esse reprehensum quòd non recto pede incederet ad EuangeliuÌ„ That wicked man Porphyrius in the firste Booke that he wrote againste vs layed to our charge that Peter was rebuked of Paule for that he walked not vprightly towardes the Gospel So Socrates and Sozomenus saye That the Christians bicause of their Dissensions were scorned at of the Infidels in open assemblies market places and pointed at with their Fingers Notwithstandinge suche diuersitie of iudgement as it is an offense vnto the weake and an occasion of il vnto the wicked that séeke occasions against God Euen so vnto the Godly it is occasion of muche good For vnto them that God hath called accordinge to his purpose al thinges healpe and further vnto good Nicolas Lyra saithe Expositorum diuersitas excitat attentionem The diuersitie of Expositours sturreth vp attention in the hearers and causeth them to consider that men be men and sée vnperfitely as in a Glasse as hauinge receiued Faithe onely by measure and therefore to searche and examine the Scriptures and not to glorie in men that who so wil glorie may glorie in the Lorde These twoo woorthy members of Goddes Churche whome it liketh M. Hardinge thus to control neuer differed or dissented in any Fundation or Principle of the Christian Faithe but onely of one certaine Conclusion and Phrase of the Scriptures Either of them knew and confessed that Christes Bodie ought to be Adoured with godly honour for that it is ioined in one person with the Diuinitie But the one of them saithe Notwithstandinge Christes Bodie be Present in the Sacrament yet it is not there to that vse and purpose to be honoured neither haue wée any warrant of Goddes woorde so to honour it So is Christes Bodie in vs Naturally Really Corporally Carnally Substantially and in deede Yet may wée not therefore one kneele downe to an other so to Adoure Christe beinge there Presente with godly honour Thus the whole disagreement of these twoo learned Fathers stoode onely in this one pointe of the manner of Christes Presence Otherwise their whole hartes were ioined and bente togeather to the discloasing of Falsehead and Hypocrisie and to the auancinge of Gods Glorie Wee woonder not as M. Hardinge thinketh at his strange terme Concomitantia whiche he hath here brought in as a special stay of his ruinous Doctrine notwithstanding S. Paule hath charged vs to beware of such New Fangled wicked woordes But wée woonder to see the same terme so childishely applied to so vaine a purpose In deede these termes Homousios Humanatio Incarnatio are not founde expressed in the Scriptures Yet is the sense and meaning of the same termes as Epiphanius saithe easy euerywhere to be founde Neither was that name first diuised in the Councel of Nice For longe before the time of that Councel it was vsed by Origen and by other Ancient learned Byshoppes as appeareth wel by Socrates whose woordes be these Doctos quosdam ex veteribus illustres Episcopos Homoâ—sij dictione vsos esse cognoâ—imus Wee knowe that of the Olde writers certaine Learned menne and notable Bishoppes haue vsed this woorde Homousion And therefore S. Augustine saithe not This name Homousios was inuented or
whiche thinge is not denied he might also as wel haue noted that the same woorde Iteretur importeth likewise one and the selfe same Minister and none other For if the Seconde Communion be Ministred by an other Priest and not by the same it cannot rightly be saide Iteratur And further the same woorde necessarily signifieth that one Communion was then in suche cases ministred successiuely and in order after an other and not twoo Masses or thrée or foure or sixe or tenne togeather al at once as the manner is now in the Churche of Rome Hereof M. Hardinge frameth vs this formal Syllogismus The cause that mooued Leo to take this order was that al and euery of the deuoute people might heare Masse But it is likely the people resorted to the Churche at sundrie times some rather some later and not al at once Ergo It is likely that to satisfie the peoples deuotion there were sundrie Masses saide in one day It is likely that M. Hardinge neuer examined the partes and likelyhoode of this Argument For first the Maior or Head Proposition is apparent false grounded as it is termed in Logique A non causa vt causa Presuming that thing to be the cause whiche in déede is no cause For the cause that mooued Leo was not the hearinge of Masse as it is already prooued but the receiuinge of the Holy Communion The Minor or Seconde Proposition notwithstandinge in some parte it may seeme true yet it is nothinge agréeable to Leoes meaning For Leo speaketh not of one man or twoo nor of the ordinarie course of euery daye but onely of greate Solemne Feastes and of suche resorte of people as might fil vp the whole Churche His woordes be plaine Cùm solennior Festiuitas conuentum populi numerosioris indixerit And Quoties Basilicam praesentia nouae plebis impleuerit Therefore to beare vs thus in hande that Leo had suche a special care either for the Terme time in London or for the people aboute Paules or for hearinge the Postels masse it is a very vaine and a childishe fantasie like as this also is that he addeth The people should be denied that Spiritual Comforte For alas what Comforte can the people receiue where as they can neither see nor heare nor vnderstande nor know nor learne but stande onely as men amased vtterly berefte of al their senses Let M. Hardinge once lay aparte dissimulation and tel vs by what waies or meanes the people at his Masse can possibly receiue this Spiritual Comforte If he woulde speake truely and that he knoweth as he seldome dooth he shoulde rather cal it Spiritual Blindenesse And where as he pleadeth his toâ—ies quoties and thereby woulde erecte a whole totquot of Masses sans number if he had aduisedly considered out the whole sentence he shoulde better haue espied out his owne folâ—e and haue had lesse occasion to deceiue the people For Leo saithe not as M. Hardinge woulde force him to say As often as any deuoute people cometh to Churche but as it is saide before Quoties Basilicam praesentia nouae plebis impleuerit As often as the presence of â— newe companie shal haue filled vp the whole Churche In suche cases it was lawful to beginne againe the whole Communion and not otherwise By these woordes M. Hardinges Totquot is muche abbridged In the ende he concludeth not onely against Leo his Authour but also against the very expresse order of his owne Churche That one Priest for Leo speaketh onely of one and of no moe may say Masse boldely without stickinge or staggeringe as often as any people resorteth to him For now it is thought sufficient for one Priest to saie one Masse vpon one day and no moe So it is determined by Pope Alexander Sufficit Sacerdoti vnam Missam in vno die celebrare It is sufficient for a Prieste to say one Masse vpon a day Onlesse it be in case of great necessitie whiche the Glose as it is before alleged wel expoundeth Causa Honestatis vel vtilitatis In case of Honestie or of Profite as if some greate personage happen vpon the suddaine to come to Churche Likewise the Councel of Salesgunstadium hath straitely charged that no Priest presume to say more then three Masses vpon one daie the one in course Of the Day Present the other For the Deade the third to pleasure some noble personage whiche also is a great stopple to M. Hardinges Totquot In these prouisoes there is no manner consideration had to the Deuotion of the people but contrary to M. Hardinges Newe Canon they are vtterly leafte without their Spiritual Comforte And therefore Pope Clement the seuenth caused one Frier Stuppino in Rome to be whipte naked through the streates for that he had saide v. or vi or moe Masses in one day to satisfie the Deuotion of the people Thus good Reader thou maiest see bothe the partes and the force of M. Hardinges Syllogismus The Maior is false The Minor farre from Leoes purpose The Conclusion contrary to him selfe Certainely if it had then beene thought lawful to saie so many Corner Masses as sithence that time haue béene vsed in the Churche of Rome it had béene greate folie either for Dioscorus to moue this question or for Leo to take this order M. Hardinge The .5 Diuision VVherefore they that reprooue the pluralitie of Masses in one Churche in one daie after the iudgement of this woorthy Father be reiectours of the Faithful people and robbers of their deuotion But they that haue vtterly abrogated the Masse whiche is the outwarde and euer enduringe Sacrifice of the Newe Testamente 199 by verdite of Scripture be no lesse then the forerenners of Antichriste The B. of Sarisburie The former parte of this Conclusion is already answeared But for the Seconde parte If they that haue refourmed the horrible Abuses of the Masse be the Forerenners of Antichriste what then may we thinke of them that haue wilfully and of purpose inuented and erected al those Abuses That haue taken from the people of God not onely the Holy Communion but also the vnderstandinge and swéetenes and comforte of the same That haue spoiled Goddes Children of the Breade of Lyfe and haue feadde them with the Breade of Confusion that is with Ignorance Superstition and Idolatrie That haue mangled and corrupted Christes Blissed Mysteries and haue wickedly defiled the Campe of the Lorde And hauinge thus donne yet notwithstandinge haue faces to mainteine and vpholde al their wilful doinges What maie Goddes people thinke of them And before whome doo they renne Uerily Gerardus Lorichius M. Hardinges owne Doctour saithe thus Missae priuatae quae absente populo Catholico fiunt abominatio veriùs quà m Oblatio dicendae sunt Priuate Masses whiche are saide without presence of the people are rather an Abomination then a Sacrifice And S. Augustine saith Si Iohannes ita diceret Si quis peccauerit me habetis Mediarorem apud Patrem
to know Goddes Holy Wil for whome then is it séemely The danger of Fantasies and il thoughtes that may thereby be moued is but a fantasie The Prophete Dauid saithe Eloquia Domini eloquia casta The Woordes of God be holy and Chaste VVoordes Againe he saithe VVhereby shal a yonge man amende his life He answeareth not by fleeinge but by keepinge the holy VVoordes And may we thinke that M. Hardinge meaneth any good Faithe that to the intent as he saith to pul yonge men from euil thoughtes thus withdraweth them from the readinge of Goddes Woorde whiche euerywhere reprooueth Sinne and neuerthelesse geueth them leaue to reade Ouide Terence Propertius and suche others whiche for the most parte are nothinge els but examples and Schooles of Sinne Uerily if Goddes holy Woorde be a prouocation of il thoughtes whiche blasphemous Woordes I maruel M. Hardinge can vtter without horrour the worlde thinketh that many Unmaried Priestes in the Churche of Rome are as muche inclined to the same as any Woman Maiden or Yonge man For it is not a Gowne or a Cappe that mortifieth the affections of the minde Nazianzene speaketh not of readinge the Scriptures but of coÌ„tentious disputinge and reasoninge of God or godly thinges whiche as S. Paule saithe oftentimes woorketh the subuersion of the hearers And in this sense S. Cyprian seemeth to say De Deo etiam vera dicere periculosum est Of God it is dâ—ungerous to speake yea although ye speake the trueth Hereof M. Hardinge maketh vp a very sâ—leÌ„der reason It is not seemely for euery man to contende and dispute of God Ergo it is not seemely for the Laye People to reade the Scriptures I graunte the Rabines did not amisse to restraine the people from readinge certaine Chapters of the Olde Testament vntil they were growen in yeeres and iudgement For the Scriptures of God are not al of one sorte Some partes be easy Some partes be harde Some meete for beginners some méete for them that know more But al meete and made for the people of God Yet were it greate folie and wante of discretion to beginne firste with the hardest So Iustinian the Emperour appointeth an order for the readinge of the what Bookes and Titles he woulde haue read the First yeere what the Seconde so foorth For otherwise who so would wade without order shoulde lose his time But where as M. Harding saithe It is not seemely nor conuenient the Scriptures shoulde be read of al personnes without exception it had benne good skil and some credite vnto his cause yf he coulde haue told vs plainely owt of al the whole people what personnes he thinketh meete to be excepted Yf he saie Olde Menne that were muche vnseemely If he saie Children S. Paule saith Timothee was brought vp from his Childhoode in the Scriptures and neuer thought it vnconuenient Yf he saie The Unlearned Chrysostome answeareth Nihil opus est Syllogismis Rustici aniculaeque intelligunt To vnderstande Goddes Woorde wee neede no Syllogismes or knowledge of Logique Husbande menne and Olde wemen doo vnderstande it Yf he saie Wemen This same was it that Iulianus the wicked Emperoure charged the Christians withal for that their wemen were so skilful in the Scriptures But Nazianzenus answeareth for his sister Gorgonia that she was skilful both in the Olde Testamente and also in the Newe Yf he saie Maidens S. Hierome answeareth That al the Maidens aboute Lady Paula were forced daily to learne the Scriptures Yf he saie Yonge Menne or Boies Cyrillus answeareth In Sacris Literis educati fiunt posteà religiosissimi quaÌ„uis noÌ„ aequè eloqueÌ„tes Beinge brought vp in the Scriptures afterward they become most godly â–ª men al be it perhaps not so eloquente Yf he saie the Poore S. Paule answeareth NoÌ„ multi genere nobiles At Corinthe emonge them that first receiued the Gospel There were not many of greate birth or muche wealthe Yf he saie Heretiques S. Augustine beinge inclined to the Heresie of the Maniches by readinge the Scriptures was conuerted Yf he saie Heathens S. Luke wil saie that Queene Candaces Chamberlaine beinge an Heathen read the Scriptures without controlment Nowe if neither Olâ—e menne nor Children nor the Learned nor the Unlearned nor Wemen nor Maidens nor yonge menne nor Boies nor the Poore nor the Riche nor Heretiques nor Heathens be excepted from the readinge of Goddes Woorde what other sorte of menne then is there that M. Hardinge would haue excepted Yf it be conueniente for euery of these to reade the Scriptures for whome then is it not conueniente M. Hardinge The .6 Diuision And the Scripture it selfe saie they sheweth plainely that of conuenience the Scriptures ought not be made common to al persons For Christe affirmeth the same with his owne woordes where he saithe to his Apostles Vnto you it is geuen to knowe the Secretes of the kingedome of God but to others in Parables that when they see they shoulde not see and when they heare they should not vnderstande 205 They to whom it is geuen to knowe these secretes be none other then the Apostles and their Successours or Disciples They to whom this is not geuen but must learne Parables be they for whom it were better to be ignorant of the Mysteries then to knowe them least they abuse them and be the more greeuousely condemned if they sette little by them whiche wee see commonly doone amonge the common people The B. of Sarisburie It were muche better for M. Hardinge not to knowe the Woorde of God then thus wilfully to abuse it They vnto whom Christe woulde not open the Secretes of the Kingdome of Heauen were not the Common sorte of the Laie People as M. Hardinge supposeth but the Bishoppes the Priestes the Doctours the Scribes and the Phariseies and other like reprobates whom God had geuen ouer in the hardenesse of their hartes as it is plaine by the Woordes that Christe allegeth owt of the Prophete Esai O Lorde harden the harte of this people stoppe their eares blinde their eies least happily they be conuerted and so be saued And thus that Ancient Father Irenaeus immediatly after the Apostles time expounded it and applieth thereto these woordes of S. Paule In quibus Deus huius saeculi excoecauit corda infidelium vt non fulgeat illis illuminatio Euangelij Gloriae Dei In whome God hath blinded the hartes of them that be vnfaithful that the brightenesse of the Gospel of the Glorie of God may not shine vnto them And likewise these woordes Tradidit illos Deus in reprobum sensum God hath deliuered them ouer into a reprobate vnderstandinge And in the ende he compareth them with Pharao and Antichriste So likewise Dionysius the Carthusian whose authoritie I trowe M. Hardinge wil not denie saithe of them Iusto Dei Iudicio negata est illis praedicatio Euangelij tanquam indignis intelligentia Spirituali The
whereof some misconstrue them to their owne damnation some vnderstande not what thinges they speake nor of what thinges they affirme and to some the Gospel that S. Paule Preached is hidden euen to them whiche perisâ—e If the Scriptures were plaine how erred Arius how Macedonius how Eunomius how Nestorius how many moe men of greate learninge specially seeinge they al tooke occasion of their errours of the Scripture not rightly vnderstanded Luther saithe that S. Hierome was ouerseene in the vnderstandinge of the Scripture that S. Augustine erred in the same that S. Ambrose Cyprian Hilary Basile and Chrysostome the best learned Doctours of Christes Churche were oftentimes deceiued And yet in the Preface of his Booke De Captiuitate Babylonica he speaketh of them very honourably and graunteth that they haue laboured in the Lordes Vineyarde woorthâ—ly and that they haue emploied greate diligence in openinge the Scriptures If these beinge of so excellent learninge after longe exercise in the holy letters after longe studie and watche after longe and feruent praier after mortification of them selues and purgation of carnal affections were deceiued as he witnesseth how can he sâ—ye they are cleare plaine and easie to be vnderstanded And if these woorthy Fathers were deceiued in one pointe or twoo is it not likely the common people may be deceiued in many specially their diligence and study not beinge comparable 〈◊〉 theirs and their liues not beinge suche as the cleannesse of their inwarde affectes might lighten their vnderstandinge and the annointinge of God might teache them The B. of Sarisburie Certaine places in the Scriptures haue euermore beene iudged darke bothâ— for many other causes and also for the mater it selfe and for the deepe Mysteries therein conteined whiche thinge D. Luther also hath confessed in sundrie places But vnto them that haue eies and cannot see and delite more in darkenesse then in the light the Sonne beames may séeme darke The Prophet Osée saith Rectae viae Domini Praeuaricatores autem corruent in eis The waies of the Lorde be streight but the wicked shal falle in them Therefore Cyrillus saithe Ea quae perspicua sunt difficilia fiunt Haereticis The thinges that of them selfe are plaine vnto Heretiques are made darke But in these cases the Sprite of God is bounde neither to sharpenesse of wit nor to abundance of learninge Oftentimes the Unlearned seeth that thinge that the learned cannot see Christe saithe I thanke thee O Father the Lorde of Heauen and Earthe for that thou hast hidden these thinges from the wise and the politique and hast reueled the same vnto the litle ones Therefore Epiphanius saithe Solis Spiritus Sancti Filijs facilis est omnis Scriptura dilucida Onely to the ChildreÌ„ of the Holy Ghost al the Holy Scriptures are plaine and cleare Hereof M. Harding seemeth to conclude thus There be certaine darke places in the Scriptures Ergo The Scriptures are ful of Darkenesse This is a guileful kinde of reasoninge knowen vnto Children called Fallacia a secundum quid ad simpliciter In like fourme of argumente he might haue saide Albertus Pigghius graunteth there be certaine errours in the Masse Ergo The Masse is ful of errours Or thus The Cardinalles them selues confesse There be certaine Abuses in the Churche of Rome Ergo The Churche of Rome is ful of Abuses Certainely notwithstandinge a fewe certaine places in the Holy Scriptures be obscure yet generally The Scriptures are a Candel to guide our feete generally Goddes commaundement is light and lighteneth the eies and therfore generally the Woorde of God is ful of comforte Therfore Chrysostome saithe Omnia clara plana sunt in Scripturis Diuinis quae cunque necessaria sunt manifesta sunt Al thinges are cleare and plaine in the holy Scriptures What so euer thinge there is necessary for vs is also manifest So saithe Clemens Alexan drinus Audite qui estis longâ— Audite qui propâ— Nullis celatum est Verbum Lux est Communis omnibus illucescit hominibus nullus est in Verbo Cymmerius Herken ye that be farre of herken ye that be neare The woorde of God is hid from noman It is a light common vnto al men There is no darkenesse in Goddes Woorde So Irenaeus Scripturae in aperto sunt sine ambiguitate similiter ab omnibus audiri possunt The Scriptures are plaine and without doubtfulnesse and may be hearde indifferently of al men So the Olde Father Origen Clausum est negligentibus inuenitur autem a quaerentibus pulsantibus It is shut from the negligente but it is opened vnto them that seeke and knocke for it So S. Hierome Dominus per Euangelium suum Ioquutus est non vt pauci intelligerent sed vt omnes The Lorde hath spoken by his Gospel not that a few shoulde vnderstande him but that al. So saith Fulgentius In Scripturis Diuinis abundat quod robustus comedat quod paruulus sugat In the Scriptures of God there is plentie sufficient bothe for the stronge to eate and also for the litle one to sucke To be shorte so S. Gregorie saithe Est flumen in quo agnus ambulet elephas naâ—et It is a Floudde wherein the litle Lamme may wade and the great Elephant may swimme Thus notwithstandinge certaine clauses and sentences in the Holy Scriptures be harde and darke yet by these Holy Fathers iudgementes the Scriptures generally are easy and cleare But M. Hardinge vpon a false position maketh vp the like Conclusion For thus he saithe The Scriptures are darke Therefore the people may not reade them Uerily as he woulde violently take the Scriptures from the simple bicause as he saithe they vnderstande them not So by the same force he maye take the Scriptures from al the Olde Doctours and learned Fathers bicause as it appeareth by their dissension and by M. Hardinges owne Confession they vnderstoode them not M. Hardinge The .11 Diuision And lest al the vnlearned lay people should seeme hereby vtterly reiected from hope of vnderstandinge Goddes woorde without teachinge of others it may be graunted that it is not impossible a man be he neuer so vnlearned exercised in longe Praier accustomed to feruent contemplation being brought by God into his inwarde cellares may from thence obteine the true vnderstandinge and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures nolesse then any other alwayes brought vp in learninge Of what sorte S. Antonie that Holy and perfecte man the Eremite of Egypt was VVho as S. Augustine writeth without any knowledge of letters bothe canned the Scriptures by harte with hearinge and vnderstoode them wisely with thinkinge And that holy man whom S Gregorie speaketh of who lieinge Bedread many yeeres for sickenesse of Bodie through earnest praier and deuoute meditation obteined health of minde and vnderstandinge of the Scriptures neuer hauinge learned letters so as he was hable to expounde them to those that came to
verae ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas Alioqui si ad alia respexerint scandalizabuntur peribunt non intelligentes quae sit vera Ecclesia per hoc incident in Abominationem desolationis quae stat in Sanctis Ecclesiae locis Therfore he commaundeth that Christian men that wil be assured of the true Faithe resorte vnto nothinge els but onely vnto the Scriptures For els if they haue regarde to any other thinge they shal be offended and shal perishe not knowinge whiche is the true Churche and by meane thereof they shal fal into the Abomination of desolation that standeth in the Holy places of the Churche In like sorte writeth Origen vpon the same place Animae imperitae verbi Iustitiae quia facilé Seducuntur non possunt inseducibiliteâ— permanere in conspectu Abominationis desolationis stantis in loco Sancto The soules that be vnskilful of the Woorde of Iustice bicause thei are easily deceiued cannot stande without erroure in the sight of the Abomination of desolation standinge in the Holy place S. Hierome saithe In aduentu Messiae populus qui sub Magistris fuerat consopitus ibit ad montes Scâ—ipturarum ibique inuenient montes Mosen montes Propheras Montes Nouâ— Testamenti Et in talium montium lectione versatus si non inuenerit qui doceat tamen illius studium comprobabitur quòd confugerint ad Montes At the comminge of Christ the people that was laide a sleape vnder their teacheâ—s shal goe to the Mountaines of the Scriptures There shal they finde these Mountaines Moses the Prophetes and the Newe Testamente And beinge occupied in the readinge of these Mountaines notwithstandinge they finde noman to teache them yet shal their good wil be wel allowed for that they haue fleadde vnto the Mountaines So S. Bastle Diuinae Scripturae faciunt ad certitudinem bonorum ad confusionem malorum The Holy Scriptures are hable both to confirme the godly and also to confounde the vngodly So Chrysostome Nec ipsis omninò Ecclesiis credendum est nisi ea dicant vel faciant quae conuenientia sint Scripâ—uris We maye in no wise beleeue the Churches them selues onles they say and doo suche thinges as be agreeable to the Scriptures M. Hardinge The .13 Diuision The peril of it is knowen by sundry examples bothe of times paste and also of this present age For out of this roote hath spronge the secte of the Valdenses otherwise called Pauperes de Lugduno For Valdo a Marchaunt of Lions their firste Authour of whom they were named Valdenses being an vnlearned Laye man procured certaine Bookes of the Scripture to be translated into his owne language whiche when he vsed to Reade and vnderstoode not he fel into many errours Of the same welspringe issued the filthy puddles of the Sectes called Adamitae or Picardi Bogardi and Turelupini and of late yeeres beside the same secte of Adâ—mites newly reuiued also the Anabaptistes and Suenckfeâ—dians VVherefore that Edicte or Proclamation of the woorthy Princes Ferdinando and Elizabeâ—th Kinge and Queene of Spaine is of many muche commended by whiche they gaue streighte â—â—mmâ—undement that vnder greate penalties noman shoulde translate the Bible into the vulgarâ— â—pâ—nishe tongue and that noman shoulde be founde to haue the same translated in any wise These and the like be the reasons and considerations whiche haue moued many men to thinke the settinge foorthe of the whole Bible and of euery parte of the Scripture in the vulgare tongue for al sortes of persons to reade without exception or limitation to be a thinge not necessary to Saluation nor other wise conuenient nor profitable but contrarywise dangerous and hurteful The B. of Sarisburie The Storie of Ualdo is here brought in vpon the reporte and credite of Frier Alphonsus Touchinge whiche Ualdo whether be were learned or vnlearned it forceth not greatly Origen saith Vide quà m prope periculis sint hi qui negligunt exerceri in Diuinis Literis ex quibus solis huiusmodi examinationis agnoscenda discretio est Marke how neare vnto danger they be that refuse to exercise them selues in the Scriptures For thereby onely the iudgement of this trial must be knowen If he were learned then is this no true reporte if he were vnlearned then was Gods woorke so much the greater who as S. Paule saith oftentimes chooseth the weake thinges of the worlde to condemne the stronge and the foolishe thinges of the worlde to reprooue the wise The greatest Heresies that he mainteined stoode in reproouing the Idolatrous woorshipping of Images of Extreme Unction of Exorcismes Coniurations of Eare Confessions of vnséemely Singing in the Churche of Fained Miracles of the idlâ— and sclaunderous liues of Priestes Bishops of the liues and manners of the Churche of Rome of the oultrage Tyrannie of the Pope of Monkes Freers Parâ—ons Pilgrimages Purgatorie And notwithstanding the reproouing hereof were then iudged Heresie yet sithence that time infinite numbers of godly men haue receiued it as Gods vndoubted Trueth M. Harding in parte hath yelded vnto the same He addeth farther Out of this welâ—pâ—inge of Vâ—ldo issued foorth the Anabaptistes and the Swenkefeldians I maruel M. Hardinge can either speake so vnaduisedly or so soone forgeate what he hath spoken For immediatly before he wrote thus Out of Luther haue spronge three diuers Heresies The Anabaptistes the Sacramentaries and the Confessionistes If the Anabaptistes sprange out of Ualdo and were so longe before Luther how coulde they then afterwarde springe out of Luther If they sprange first out of Luther how were they then before Luther By this reporte the Father is yonger then the Childe and the Childe was borne before the Father These be mere Monsteâ—s in speache Contradictions in Nature If the one of these reportes be true the other of necessitie must néedes be false But M. Harding taketh it for no greate inconuenience what so euer may healpe to deface the Trueth The Proclamation of Ferdinandus and Elizabeth the Kinges of Spaine for not â–ª Transâ—atinge the Bible into the Spanish tongue as it is of very smal Authoritie being made within these thréescoare tenne yeeres that is to say welneare fifteene hundred yeeres after Christe so it is likely it was first diuised not against the Christian people of that Countrie but onely against the Renegate Iewes there who by dissimulation and feare of the law beinge become Christians afterwarde returned againe to their Olde Errours and bothe by their example and also by misunderstanding of certaine places of the Scriptures hardened and confirmâ—d others in the same Against whom also was diuised the Spanish Inquisitiâ—n and that by the same Princes and at the same time So Iulianus the Renegate Emperour thought it good policie to suffer no Christian mannes Childe to be sette to Schoole So the wicked princes Antiochus and Maximinus for like policie burnte the Bookes of God to the intent the
people should not reade them But the godly and first Christened Emperour Constantinus caused the Bible to be written out and to be sent abroade into al Kingedomes Countries and Citties of his Dominion Kinge Adelstane the Kinge of Englande caused the Bible to be Translated into the Englishe tongue S. Hierome Translated the same into the Sclauon Tongue Ulphilas likewise into the Gotthian tongue Whereto Socrates addeth also these woordes Instituit Barbaros vt discerent sacra eloquia He gaue occasion to the Barbarous people of that Countrie to learne the Scriptures M. Hardinge The .14 Diuision Yet it is not meante by them that the people be keapte wholy from the Scripture so as they reade no parte of it at al. As the whole in their opinioÌ„ is to stroÌ„ge a meate for their weake stomakes so much of it they may right holesomely receiue and brooke as that whiche perteineth to pietie and necessary knowledge of a Christian man VVherein they woulde the examples of the Olde Holy Fathers to be folowed S. Augustine hath gathered togeather into one booke al that maketh for good life out of the Scriptures whiche booke he intituled SpeculuÌ„ that is to say a Myrrour or a lookinge glasse as Possidonius witnesseth in his life S. Basile hath set foorth the like argument almost in his fourescoare moral rules perteininge altogeather to good manners S. Cyprian also hath doone the like in his three Bookes Ad QuirinuÌ„ Suche godly Bookes they thinke to be very profitable for the simple people to reade The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge alloweth the people to reade the Scriptures how be it not what they list but with restrainte and at deliuerie that is to saye not cases of question or perteining to Knowledge but onely maters belonginge to manners and order of life And so he reserueth Knowledge to him selfe and his Brethren and leaueth Good Life vnto the People Touching the Bookes of S. Augustine S. Basile and S. Cyprian it is vntrue that they were written namely and purposely for the Unlearned Or if they were why are they not Translated Why are they not deliuered vnto the people for whose sakes they were written Moreouer it is vntrue that in these Bookes is conteined onely mater of life manners and nothing perteining to Religion For the first woordes in this booke of S. Augustine called Speculum are these Non facies tibi Sculptile Thou shalt make to thee selfe no grauen Image whiche is now a Special case of Religion And the greatest parte of S. Cyprians Booke Ad Quirinum conteineth a ful disputation of Christes Incarnation Natiuitie and Passion and other like cases of Religion against the Iewes Touching S. Basile as he wrote this Booke of Moralles concerning Manners so he had written an other Booke before concerning Faith and bothe these Bookes for the people He maketh his entrie into his Moralles with these woordes Cùm de Sana Fide in PraecedeÌ„ribê° sufficienter ad praesens dictuÌ„ esse putemê° c For as much as I thinke I haue intreated sufficiently in my former bookes coÌ„cerning Faith c. Therefore this Assertion was vntrue and so no firme grounde for M. Harding to stande vpon Neither did any of the Olde Fathers euer withdraw the people from the Uniuersal and free reading of Gods Woorde and restraine them onely to such shorte Collections S. Basile saithe The Scriptures are like vnto a Shoppe ful of Medicines for the Soule where as euery man may freely take not onely one kinde of salue but also a special and a peculiar remedie for euery soare And Irenaeus saith De omni ligno Paradisi manducate id est ab omni Scriptura Diuina manducate Eate yee of al the fruite of Paradise that is to say Eate ye not onely of maters concerning maÌ„ners but also of euery parte of the holy Scriptures How be it by M. Hardings iudgement the people may learne the .x. Commaundementes but may not meddle with their Crede M. Hardinge The .15 Diuision But how muche and what parte of the Scripture the common people may reade for their confort and necessary instruction and by whome the same may be Translated it belongeth to the iudgement of the Churche VVhiche Churche hath alreadie condemned al the vulgare Translations of the Bible of late yeeres 210 for that they be founde in sundrie places erroneous and partial in fauour of the Heresies whiche the Translatours mainteine And it hath not onely in our time condemned these late Translations but also hitherto neuer allowed those fewe of olde time I meane S. Hieromes translation into the Dalmatical tongue if euer any suche was by him made as to some it seemeth a thinge not sufficiently prooued And that whiche before S. Hierome Vlphilas an Arian Bishop made and commended to the Nation of the Gothes who first inuented letters for them and proponed the Scriptures to them translated into their owne tongue and the better to bringe his ambassade to the Emperour Valens to good effecte was perswaded by the Heretikes of Constantinople and of the Courte there to forsake the Catholike Faithe and to Communicate with the Arians makinge promise also to trauaile in bringinge the people of his Countrie to the same secte whiche at length he perfourmed moste wickedly The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge alloweth the people to reade certaine parcels of the Scriptures for their comforte but yet he alloweth them no Translation that is to say he alloweth them to eate the kernel but in no wise to breake the shale By these it appeareth that of sufferance and special fauour the simple ignorant people maye Reade the Woorde of God in Latine Gréeke or Hebrew but none otherwise The Churche saith M. Hardinge for the space welneare of sixteene hundred yeeres neuer yet allowed any manner Translation in the Uulgare tongue Yet notwithstanding it is certaine that the Churche not only in the Primitiue time vnder the Apostles and holy Fathers but also longe sithence hath bothe suffered and also vsed the Uulgare Translations in sundrie tongues Whereof wee may wel presume that the Churche then allowed them And that the Scriptures were not onely in these three tongues Greeke Hebrew and Latine it appeareth by S. Hierome that saithe The Psalmes were Translated and songe in the Syrian Tongue by S. Basile that affirmeth the same of the Palestine Thebane Phenike Arabike and Libyke toÌ„gues By Sulpitius in the life of S. Martine that seemeth to say The Lessons and Chapters were Translated and readde openly in the Churches of Fraunce in the Frenche Tongue And by Isidorus that auoucheth the like of al Christian tongues M. Hardinge misliketh the Translation of Ulphilas into the Gotthian tongue for that the Authour was an Arian Notwithstanding it appeareth not that euer the Churche misliked it But by this rule he may as wel condemne al the Greeke Translations what so euer of Symmachus of Aquila of Theodotion and of the Septuagintes the whole
Exaplus of Origen For there is not one of al these but may be chalenged in like sorte Touchinge S. Hieromes Translation of the Bible into the Sclauon tongue M. Hardinge seemeth to stande in doubte How be it Hosius his companion saith In Dalmaâ—icam Linguam Sacros Libros Hieronymum vertisse constat It is certaine and out of doubte that S. Hierome Translated the Bible into the Sclauon tongue The like wherof is reported by Alphonsus Neither can M. Harding shew vs any errour or ouersight in that whole Translation of S. Hierome And therefore he seemeth to condemne that godly Father and yet knoweth no cause why Allate Translations saith he haue beene made in fauour of Heresies and therefore they may woorthily be mystrusted But wil these men neuer leaue these childishe colours deale plainely If there be errours and such errours in these Late Translations why doo they not discrie them If there be none why doo they thus condemne them But the greatest Heresie that can be holden and that toucheth them nearest is the reuelinge of the vsurped Authoritie and Tyrannie of the Churche of Rome For so it is determined by Pope Nicolas Qui Romanae Ecclesiae Priuilegium auferre conatur hic procul dubio in Haeresim labitur est dicendus Haereticus Who so euer attempteth to abbridge the Authoritie of the Churche of Rome falleth doubtlesse into an Heresie and ought to be called an Heretique M. Hardinge The .16 Diuision As for the Churche of this lande of Britaine the Faith hath continued in it thirteene hundred yeeres vntil nowe of late 211 without hauinge the Bible translated into the Vulgare tongue to be vsed of al in common Our Lorde graunte we yeelde no woorse soules to God nowe hauinge the Scriptures in our owne tongue and talkinge so muche of the Gospel then our auncesters haue doone before vs. This Ilande saithe Beda speakinge of the estate the Churche was in at his daies at this present accordinge to the number of Bookes that Goddes Lawe was written in doothe serche and confesse one and the selfe same knowledge of the highe truethe and of the true highth with the tongues of fiue Nations of the Englishe the Britons the Scottes the Pightes and the Latines Quae meditatione Scripturarum caeteris omnibus est facta communis VVhiche tongue of the Latines saithe he is for the studiâ— and meditation of the Scriptures made common to al the other Verely as the Latine tongue was then common to al the Nations of this lande â–ª beinge of distinct languages for the studie of the Scriptures as Beda reporteth so the same onely hathe alwaies vntil our time beene common to al the Countreis and Nations of the Occidental or VVeast Churche for the same purpose and thereof it hathe beene called the Latine Churche VVherefore to conclude they that shewe them selues so earnest and zelous for the translation of the Scriptures into al vulgare and barbarous tongues it behoueth them after the opinion of wise men to see first that no faultes be founde in their Translations 212 as hitherto many haue beene founde And a smal fault committed in the handling of Gods woorde is to be taken for a great crime Nexte that for as much as such traÌ„slations perteine to al Christen people they be referred to the iudgement of the whole Churche of euery language and commended to the Laitie by the wisedome and auctoritie of the Clergiâ— hauinge charge of their soules Furthermore that there be some choise exception and limitation of time place and persons and also of partes of the Scriptures after the discrete ordinaunces of the Iewes Amongest whom it was not lauful that any shoulde reade certaine partes of the Bible before he had fulfilled the time of the Priestly Ministerie whiche was the age of thirtie yeeres as S. Hierome witnesseth Lasâ—ly that the settinge foorthe of the Scriptures in the common language be not commended to the people as a thing vtterly necessary to Saluation least thereby they condemne so many Churches that hitherto haue lackâ— the same and so many learned and Godly Fathers that haue not procured it for their flocke Finally al that haue gone before vs to whom in al vertue innocencie and holinâ—sse of life we are not to be compared As for me in as muche as this mater is not yet determined by the Churche whether the common people ought to haue the Scriptures in their owne tongue to reade and to heare or no I define nothinge As I esteeme greately al Godly and holsome knowledge and wishe the people had more of it then they haue with charitie and meekenesse so I woulde that these hoate talkers of Goddes woorde had lesse of that knowledge whiche maketh a man to swel and to be proude in his owne conceite and that they woulde deepely weigh with them selues whether they be not conteined within the listes of the saiynge of S. Paule to the Corinthians If any man thinke that he knoweth any thinge he knoweth nothinge yet as he ought to know God graunte al our knowledge be so ioyned with meekenesse humilitie and charitie as that be not iustly saide of vs which S. Augustine in the like case saide very dreadfully to his deere frende Alypius Surgunt indocti Coelum rapiunt nos cum doctrinis nostris sine Corde ecce vbi volutamur in Carne â–ª Sanguine The vnlearned and simple arise vp and catche Heauen awaye from vs and wâ— with al our greate learninge voyde of harte lo where are we wallowinge in Fleashe and Bloude The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge seemeth secretely to graunt that thinge which without blusshing no man can denie that is that the Scriptures longe â—ithence in olde times haue beene Translated into the natural speache of this countrie But he addeth withal a poore exception that notwithstandinge the Translation were in Englishe yet it serued not for Englishe people And yet for what people els it should serue it were not easy to coniecture Doubtlesse if they had meante as these men doo to barre the Englishe people from Goddes Woorde they woulde haue keapte it stil as it was before in Latine Greeke or Hebrew and woulde not haue suffered any suche Translation But Beda him selfe that wrote the Storie of this Iland in these very woordes that M. Harding hath here alleged seemeth to witnesse that the Scriptures were then Translated into sundrie tongues and that for the better vnderstandinge of the people For thus he writeth Haec Insula quinque Gentium linguis scrutatur vnam eandemque Scientiam Veritatis This Ilande searcheth out the knowledge of one Trueth with the tongues of fiue Nations It is not likely he woulde haue written thus of fiue seueral Tongues if the Scriptures had béene written then onely in one tongue In like manner and to like purpose he writeth thus Quicunque gentium linguis vnam eandemque veritatis Scientiam Scrutantur Who so euer
they be that searche the knowledge of one Truethe not onely in the Latine tongue as M. Hardinge saith but gentium Linguis that is In the Natural and Vulgare Tongues of this countrie Doubtlesse it were very muche to say that the mere Englishe man or Scotte or Picte or Britton that vnderstoode no Latine was hable neuerthelesse to Reade and search the Scriptures in the Latine Tongue But to leaue coniectures Beda saithe expressely and in moste plaine woordes that one Cedman an Englishe Poete Translated the Creation of the worlde and the whole storie of the Genesis the Exodus and sundrie other stories of the Bible into Englishe Rime Likewise as it is saide before kinge Adelstane aboute niene hundred yéeres past caused the whole Bible to be Translated into Englishe And Sir Iohn Treuisa saith that Beda him self turned S. Iohns Gospel into English And againe he saith the Kinge Aluredus caused the Psalter to be turned into English And vntil this day there be diuers suche Translations yet remaininge to be seene whiche for many causes beare good proufe of greate Antiquitie Therefore that this Iland hath continued thirtéene hundred yéeres without hauinge the Scriptures in Englishe it can beare no manner appearance or shew of Trueth But beinge admitted and graunted for true If prescription of wante maye make good proufe then maye wee saye This Ilande stoode and continued foure thousande whole yéeres not onely without the Englishe Bible but also without any knowledge of Christe or God Likewise wée may truely say The Gospel and the Truethe of God stoode and continued in this Iland for the space of many hundred yeeres without either the Supremacie of Rome or Transubstantiation or Priuate Masses or any other like fantasies True it is our Fathers of late yeeres haue beene leadde in ignorance haue beene violently forced from the Scriptures But the examples and wantes of our Fathers are not alwaies sufficient Rules of Faith The Heretique Eutyches saide Sic a progenitoribus meis accipiens credidi In hac Fide genitus sum consecratus Deo in ea opto mori This Faithe haue I receiued from mine Ancesters In this Faithe I was borne and Baptized and in the same I desire to die And yet the same Faithe was an Errour and no Faithe So saide the Arian Heretique Auxentius Quemadmodum ab infantia edoctus sum ita credidi credo As I haue beene taught from my Childehoode so I haue beleeued and so I beleeue stil. So likewise the Idolatrous Iewes saide vnto the Prophet Hieremie Sic fecimus nos Patres nostri Reges nostri Principes nostri Et saturati sumus panibus bene nobis erat Thus haue wee doone and our Fathers before vs and our Kinges and our Princes And we had stoare and plentie of al things and a mery worlde and did ful wel But God saith vnto them In statutis patrum vestrorum nolite ambulare c. Ego Dominus Deus vester Walke not in the statutes of your Fathers I am the Lorde your God How be it wee sitte not in Iudgement to condemne our Fathers God onely is their Iudge S. Paule saithe Solidum Dei fundamentum stat habens hoc signaculum Nouit Dominus qui sint sui This fundation standeth sounde hauinge this seale The Lorde knoweth who be his owne God was hable to preserue the Bushe in the middest of the Flame and Daniel in the Caue in the middest of the Lions and the three Children in the middest of the Fornace of Flaminge Fier and his people of Israel in the middest of the Red Sea Euen so was he hable to preserue his owne in the middest of that deadly time of darkenesse S. Cyprian saithe Ignosci potuit simpliciter erranti Post inspirationem verò Reuelationem factam qui in eo quod errauerat perseuerat sine venia ignorantiae peccat Praesumptione enim atque obstinatione superatur He that erreth of simplicitie as our Fathers did may be pardoned But after that God hath once inspired the harte and reueled his trueth who so continueth stil in his errour offendeth without pardon of ignorance For he is ouer borne by presumption and wilfulnesse Upon these woordes of Beda M. Hardinge Concludeth thus The Latine tongue for the studie of the Scriptures was common to al the Nations of this Realme Ergo The Scriptures were not translated into Englishe A very Childe may soone see the simplicitie and the weakenesse of this reason For euen now notwithstandinge the whole Bible be Translated into the Englishe tongue extante in euery Churche and common to al the people yet the Latine tongue is neuerthelesse Common to al the Nations of this Lande for the readinge of Olde Commentaries and the Aâ—cient Doctours and so for the meditation and studie of the Scriptures Now let vs weigh M. Hardinges Considerations in this behalfe First if there had any faultes escaped in the Englishe Translation as he vntruely saithe there haue many he woulde not thus haue past them vncontrolled He lackte neither eloquence nor good wil to speake but onely good mater to speake of Secondly the Scriptures Translated into English haue béene deliuered vnto the people by suche Bishoppes and other Spiritual guides as in déede haue had a care for their soules and haue geuen their liues and Bloud for their sheepe But the Bishops of M. Hardinges side can onely espie faultes in Translations but they can amende none They haue burnte a greate number of Bibles but they haue hitherto Translated none Christes Woordes are rightly verified of them Neither doo yee enter your selues nor wil you suffer others that woulde entre For the highest Principle of their Religion is this Ignorance is the Mother of True Religion To limite and to diet the people what they may reade and what they ought to leaue was sometime the Superstitious discretion of the Rabbines Herein wee may saye as S. Hilarie saithe Archangeli nesciunt Angeli non audiuerunt Propheta non fensit Filius ipse non edidit The Archangels know it not the Angels haue not hearde it the Prophete hath not fealte it the Sonne of God him selfe hath reueled to vs no suche thinge Certainely now the Uele being drawen aside and our faces being open to beholde the Glorie of God S. Paule saithe Omnis Scriptura diuinitùs inspirata vtilis est c. Not onely one parte of the Scriptures but Al and euery parte thereof is profitable c. And againe Quae cunque Scripta sunt ad Nostram Doctrinam Scripta sunt Al thinges that are written are written for our instruction And therefore Irenaeus saith as it is before alleged Ex omni Scriptura Diuina manducate Eate you of euery parte of the Holy Scripture Humilitie and good life whereof M. Hardinge woulde séeme to make some great accoumpte is sooner learned of Knowledge then of