alone For Head and Spouse alone he is in one respect not alone in an other respect According to the in ward influence of Grace Christe properly and onely is Head of his Mystical Body the Churche But as touching the outwarde Gouernment the being of a Head is common to Christe with others For in this respect certaine others maie be called Heads of the Churche as in Amos the Prophete the great States be called the Heads of the People So the Scripture speaketh of Kinge Saule VVhen thou were a litle one in thine owne eies thou wastinade Head emong the Tribes of Israel So Dauid saithe of him selfe he hath made me Head of Nations Men be called Heads in as muche as they be in stede of Christe and vnder Christe after which meaning S. Paule saith to the Corinthians For if I forgaue any thing to whom I forgaue it for your sakes forgaue I it In persona Christi In the Person of Christe And in an other place VVee are Ambassadours in the stede of Christe as though God did exhort you through vs. To conclude in fewe according to inwarde influence of grace into euery faithful member Christe onely is Head of the Churche according to outward gourning the Pope vnde Christ and in sted of Christ is hed of y◠same As touching the Bridegromesbip we saie and beleeue that if we would speake properly Christ is the onely Bridegrome of the Church his spouse of whom it is said he that hath a spouse is a Bridegrome For from one of the Churche he begetteth children to himselfe But others are called Bridegromes Working together with Christe outwardly to the begetting of spiritual children whom neuerthelesse they begette not to them selues but to Christe And suche are called the ministers of the Bridegrome in as muche as they done his stede And therefore the Pope who is instede of Christe the Bridegrome of the whole Churche is called also the Bridegrome of the vniuersal Churche a man maie terme him the vicegerent Bridegrome The B. of Sarisburie I trust Gentle Reader thou wilt not looke I should answeare al M. Hardinges ordinarie idle talke So should I lose good time without cause and be ouer troublesome to thine eates O saithe he VVhat a world it is to see these Defenders They whiche haue not keapt the vnitie of the Sprite in the band of Charitie whiche S. Paule requireth but haue seuered them selues from the Body of the Churche tel vs nowe for soothe that they beleeue that there is one Churche of God O M. Hardinge if wée haue herein saide il then beare witnesse of the il If wée haue saide wel wherefore make you these vitter outcries What so euer ye haue conceiued vs to be yet might ye suffer vs quietly to saie the Truthe specially sutche Truthe as you imagine maketh so mutche for your selfe Ye say wée confesse that our Churche beganne onely about fourtie yeeres sithence and was neuer before No M. Hardinge wée confesse it not and you your selfe wel knowe wée confesse it not It is your tale it is not ours Wée saie and haue sufficiently proued and you knowe it right wel if ye would be knowen of that ye know y◠our Doctrine is y◠Olde yours is y◠Newe Yf ye wil néedes force your selfe to the denial it may easily be proued that by sutch Authoritie as your selfe may not wel denie onlesse ye wil once againe do now as ye haue twise done before Wée saie that our Doctrine the order of our Churches is older then yours by fiue hundred whole yeeres and more If ye wil not beleeue vs yet beleeue M. Hardinge he wil tel you euen the same Marke wel his woordes These they be It standeth not with Christe his promises made to the Churche that he should suffer his Church to continue in darkenesse these thousand yeeres past And thus by secrete confession he leaueth vs fiuehundred three score and sixe whole yeeres at the least that is to saie the whole time of Christe of his Apostles and of al the Godly Learned Doctours and Fathers of the Primitiue Churche Whiche time notwithstanding is thought a great deale better and purer then al the time that hath folowed afterwarde In this Diuision M. hardinge being attente and eger vpon his cause and claiming as mutche as he thought with any modestie he might be hable hath claimed to him selfe onely a thousand yeeres of the night and hath leafte vs welneare sixe hundred yeeres of the daie This is your owne witnesse M. Harding Consider wel of it It is your owne Therefore ye doo your selfe great wronge and mutche deface your owne credite so suddainely to saie our Doctrine is Newe Gods name be blessed it hath the Testimonie not onely of Christe and his Apostles but also of the olde Learned Catholique Fathers of the Churche And this is it that so mutche greeueth you that wee refourme our Churches nowe according to the paterne and samplar of Christes and his Apostles firste Institution For thereby the disorder and deformitie of your Churches the more appeareth Lirinensis saithe That thing must be holden for Catholique that euerywhere euermore and of al menne hath benne beleeued These general notes must be limited with this special restrainte VVhere as the Churches vvere not corrupted For otherwise there was neuer any Doctrine so Catholique ne not the Confessed Doctrine of Christe him selfe that hath benne receiued Euermore Eueryvvhere and of al menne without any exception But M. Hardinge these selfe same notes of Lirinests vtterly euerthrowe the greatest part of that whole Doctrine that you would so saine haue counted Catholique For neither reacheth to within fiue hundred yeeres of the Apostles time nor hath it that Antiquitte indeed that in face and countenance is pretended as it is plaine by your owne former Confession nor was it euer vniuersally receiued as herafter by Particulares it shal be proued It had neuer that vniuersalitie neither of al times and ages nor of al places and countries nor was it euer vniuersally receiued allowed of al men Therefore what so euer ye cal it ye cannot by your owne Definition cal it Catholique The Catholique Churche of God standeth not in multitude of Persones but in weight of Truthe Otherwise Christe him selfe and his Apostles had not ben Catholique For his flocke was very litle the Catholique or Vniuersal consent of the World stoode against it The Churche of God is compared to the Moone for that she waxethe and waneth as the Moone dothe sometime is ful sometime is emptie and therefore as S. Augustine saith is called Catholica quia Vniuersaliter perfecta est in nullo claudicat per totum Orbem diffusa est Bicause she is Vniuersally perfite and halteth in nothing and is not now shut vp in one onely Countrie as was the Churche of the Iewes but powred throughout the whole World Though the hartes of men haue often changes yet Gods
beare his owne guilte M. Caluine M. Martyr M. Musculus M. Bullinger and others whom you cal the Faithful Brothers of Englande misliked that enterprise and wrote againste it Wée knowe that God hath determined this mater longe sithence For thus he saith Si Homo moriatur absque Filio ad Filiam eius transibit Haereditas If a Man die without a Sonne his enheritance shal passe vnto his Daughter And S. Augustine saithe Lata est Romae Lex illa Voconia Ne quis Haeredem Foeminam faceret nec Vnicam Filiam Qua Lege quid iniquis dici aut cogitari possit ignoro There was a Lawe made in Rome called Lex Voconia That noman should conueie his Enheritaunce vnto a vvoman no not vnto his onely Daughter Then vvhiche Lavve I knovve not vvhat maie be more vvickedly thought or spoken But God be thanked that of his Mercie hath nowe raised vp vnto vs a Woman of sutche Wisedome Learninge Clemencie Grauitie Iudgement Gouernement and other Noble and Princely Vertues as haue not benne seene in many menne God encrease her dayly with his Holy Sprite and make her and olde Mother in Israel Amen Of your sturdy blastes and Secrete breathinges M. Hardinge I wil saie nothinge Yée maie yet remember whiche of your companie it was y◠in the time of that Noble Prince of Blessed Memorie Kinge Edvvarde the .6 saide in open Parlamente Woe be to that Kingedome the Prince whereof is a Childe And afterwarde séeinge y◠Queenes Maiestie that nowe is placed in her estate boldely openly confessed a greate euersighte and mutche folie in your former dooinges for that in the late time of your vnruely gouernmente ye had hewen downe the boughes leafte the Stocke standinge stil Goddes Secrete Prouidence M. Hardinge breathed againste you and confounded your dooinges Power onely ye lacked but good wil yée lacked none M. Hardinge For answeare to all this ye ioine your selues with Christe and his Apostles as though yee were gilty herein no more then they Presumptuously saide But the matter is not so answeared And yet yee runne at large in that common place and very vainely or rather Luciferlike compare your selues with the Apostles But Sirs staie here runne no farther Yee are soone stopped The case is not like pardie These be but your woordes In the Apostles was the Truthe in deede so was it in the Holy Prophetes and those firste Blessed men of the Churche The Truthe yee boaste and crake so muche of is not that Truthe Talke lesse like Rhetoricians and proue vs that yee haue Truthe like honest men And then talke on But that can ye neuer doo so longe as ye remaine out of the Churche and ennemies to the Churche But what spende I woordes in vaine Your hartes be hardened your Eies be blinded your Eares be stopped The B. of Sarisburie Here is profounde stuffe M. Hardinge for a Doctour of DIuinitie To answeare you with your owne vaine woordes in deede ye spende your woordes in vaine The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 2. Fourtie yeeres agoe and vpwarde it was an easy thinge for them to diuise against vs these accursed speaches other too soarer then these when in the middest of the darkenesse of that age firste beganne to springe and to geeue shine somme one glimmeringe beame of Truthe vnknowen at that time and vnhearde of when also Martine Luther and Hulderike Zvvinglius beinge most excellente menne euen sente of God to geeue lighte to the whole worlde firste came vnto the knowlege and preachinge of the Gospel when as yet the thinge was but newe and the successe thereof vncertaine and when mens mindes stoode doubtful and amased and their eares open to al sclaunderous tales and when there coulde bee imagined againste vs no facte so detestable but the people then woulde soone beleeue it for the noueltie and strangenesse of the matter For so did Symmachus so did Celsus so did Iulianus so did Porphyrius the olde foes to the Gospel attempte in times past to accuse al Christians of Sedition and Treason before that either Prince or people were able to knowe who those Christians were what thei professed what they beleeued or what was their meaninge M. Hardinge As ye runne foorthe your race and with lieinge amplification boaste and bragge of the Truthe of your Doctrine and of the Innocencie of your demeanour yee fall into a greate inconuenience and ouersighte VVas the lighte extinguished in all Israell till that lewde Friere came and Zwinglius the swarte Rutter Shall we now change the olde songe of Micheas the Prophete Out of Sion shal come the Lawe and the woorde of our Lorde from Ierusalem and singe a new Songe Out of VVittenberg is come the Gospel and the woorde of the Lorde from Zurich and Geneua If Luther and Zwinglius firste came to the knowledge and preachinge of the Gospel what meante Christe to breake his promise who saide I wil be with you al daies til the ende of the worlde Againe howe forgate ye the olde prouerbe a lier it behoueth to be mindeful Remember ye not howe this is contrary to al your owne Doctrine For saie ye not other where 's that God had alwaies his number of the electe and his inuisible Churche Therefore this muste ye recante and cal backe againe or els shal ye pul al the rable of sundry your owne sectes vpon your shoulders whose filthy railinges and vile vpbraidinges poore soules ye shal neuer be able to abide The B. of Sarisburie It is not woorthe the while to answeare him that saithe nothinge Sion from whence ye saie the Lawe of God issued firste was in those daies as mutche disdeigned of you Fathers as is this daie of your Geneua or Wittenberg Origen saith of Celsus the Heathen Christianum Dogma affirmat à Barbaris cepisse ortum hoc est à Iudaeis He saithe that the Christian Faith tooke her first beginning from Barbarous people that is to saie from the Ievves Cicero saithe Iudaei Syri Gentes natae seruituti The Ievves and Syrians Nations borne to Bondage And Chrysostome speaking of Iulianus the Renegate saith thus Galilaeos nos pro Christianis in Edictis suis appellauit In his proclamatiōs in the steede of Christians he called vs scornefully Galileans Notinge thereby the vilenesse of the place from whence the Gospel of Christe firste proceded But Nazianzene saith Honora paruam Bethleem quae te induxit in Paradisum Despise not but rather Honour that litle Bethleem that hath leadde thee into Paradise The sounde of this simple Barbarous despised people was hearde throughout the whole worlde God causeth his Light to shine out of the Darke His Holy Sprite breatheth where he thinketh good He hath no regarde of Personnes or choise of places but as S. Peter saide vnto Cornelius In euery Nation who so euer feareth him and woorketh righteousnesse is accepted before him God chuseth the weake
to be of the Churche For they be not ignorant howe greate the auctoritie of the Churche is Of whose gouernours Christe saied he that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And againe Tell the Churche They consider in what credite the Churche is with all Christen people howe they staye themselues by it as beinge the pillour and grounde of the truthe howe they Loue her euen as their common Mother howe they honour it as the Body and fulnes of Christe as the spouse of Christe through Faithe accordinge to that is written I will despouse thee to me in faithe As the true Syon whiche our Lorde hath chosen to be his habitation and his restinge place for euer As the safe Arke to keepe vs from drowninge in the dangerous Seas of this worlde out of whiche nolesse then once out of the Arke of Noe is nosaluation Againe they know the Churche must needes be greatly esteemed amonge all the godly for the singular promiser Christe hath made to it that he would be with it all daies to the ende of the worlde That he would pray to his father for the holy Ghost to be giuen to it the spirite of truthe to remaine withit for euer But as Heretikes impugne the lawe by the woordes of the lawe 〈◊〉 S. Ambrose saithe so to ouer throwe the Churche they presume to take vnto them the name of the Churche But what doo 〈◊〉 when they are vrged and wroonge when by force of argumentes they are straighted and as it were driuen to the walle when it is plainely proued to their face whiche is sone done that they be not in nor of the Churche specially beinge of Heresie openly denounced and by iust Excommunication cutte of from the Churche In this case the practise of the Gospellers is vtterly to sette the Churche as taught and with a hote raging spirite to defie it and to saye that themselues be the Catholike Churche and that the Catholikes be the Papisticall Churche the Churche of Antichrist the where of 〈◊〉 a deune of Theeues and I can not tell what The Answeare by the Bishop of Sarisburie TO answeare M. Hardinge to euery parcel of his Booke beinge so longe it would be too tedious Wherefore leauinge many his impertinent speaches other vnnecessarie and waste woordes whiche sundrie his frendes thinke he might better haue spared I wil touche onely so mutche thereof as shal beare somme shewe of substance may any way seeme woorthy to be answeared Firste touchynge the Churche of God we beleue and confesse al that M. Hardinge hath here saide or otherwise can be saide It is the Piller of the Truthe the Body the Fulnesse and Spouse of Christe Al these woordes are vndoubtedly true and certaine And therefore M. Hardinge you are the more blamewoorthy that of the House of God beyng so glorious haue made a caue of Théeues haue turned the beutie of Sion into the confusion of Babylon True it is that Heretiques haue euermore apparelled them selues with the name of the Churche as Antichriste also shal procure him selfe credite vnder the name of Christe Thus did your Fathers M. Harding loÌ„ge agoe They saide then euen as you say now We are the Children of Abraham we are the Euheretours of Goddes promises we haue the Temple of God the Temple of God The Lawe shal neuer passe froÌ„ the Prieste nor counsel from the wise nor the woorde from the prophete Thus coutinuinge wilfully in the open breache of Goddes commaundement neuerthelesse they chearished them selues then as you doo nowe onely with the bare title of the Churche in whose name what so euer credit ye can any wise winne your meaninge is skilfully to conueigh the same ouer wholy to the Churche of Rome as if that Churche onely were the Churche of God without that there were no hope of Saluation And therefore you defende and holde for trueth that your Churche hath authoritie aboue Goddes Woorde And Pope Nicolas saithe Who so denieth the Priuilege and Supremacie of the See of Rome hath renounced the Faithe and is an Heretique And thus as Leo saithe Ecclesiae nomine armamini contra Ecclesiam dimicatis Ye arme your selues with the name of the Churche and yet ye fight against the Churche Likewise saithe S. Cyprian Diabolus excogitauit nouam fraudem vt sub ipso nominis Christiani titulo fallat incautos The Diuel hath diuised a new kinde of policie vnder the very title of the name of Christe to deceiue the simple Nowe concerninge that hote raginge Sprite wherewith M. Hardinge saithe the Gospellers deste the Churche and set it at naught verily I thinke it a harde matter for any Gospeller be he neuer so hote in suche kinde of eloquence to matche M. Hardinge Neither yet maye he wel condemne al suche as in the like cases haue bene hote earnest Esay the Prophete saithe O ye Princes of Sodome and ye people of Gomorrha Iohn the Baptist saithe to the Scribes and Phariseis O ye Serpentes ye generation of Vipers and Adders Christe saithe vnto them Woe be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis ye hypocrites Ye are of your Father the Diuel In these eramples wée sée the Sprite of God can sometimes be hote and earnest against the deceiuers of the people and the professed enimies of the Crosse of Christe Neither did either Esay the Prophete or Iohn the Baptiste or Christe desie the Churche of God and set it at naught as M. Hardinge imagineth of vs but rather by these seruent speaches vttered the vehement zele and iuste griefe they had conceiued against them that vnder the name of the Churche abused Goddes people and defaced the Churche For they are not al Heretiques M. Hardinge that this daie espie your grosse and palpable errours and mourne to God for reformation S. Augustine saithe Non debet Ouis pellem suam deponere quâ—d Lupi aliquando se ea contegant It is no reason the Sheepe should therefore leaue of his fliese for that he seeth the Woulfe sometime in the same apparel Likewise it is no reason that wée should therfore geue ouer the right and enheritance wée haue in the Churche of God for that you by intrusion and vniuste meanes haue intituled your selues vnto the same It behooueth vs rather to searche the Scriptures as Christe hath aduised vs thereby to assure our selues of the Churche of God For by this trial onely and by none other it maye be knowen Therfore S. Paule calleth the Churche the Spouse of Christe for that she ought in al thinges to geue eare to the voice of the Bridegrooms Likewise he calleth the Churche the Piller of the Truthe for that shée staieth her selfe onely by the Woorde of God Without whiche Woorde yâ— Churche were it neuer so bewtiful should be no Churche The Ancient Father Irenaeus saithe Columna firmamentum Ecclesiae est Euangelium Spritus vitae
The Piller and buttresse of the Churche is the Gospel and the Sprite of life S. Augustine saithe Sunt certi Libri Dominici quorum authoritari vtrique consentimus Ibi quaeramus Ecclesiam ibi discutiamus causam nostram There be certaine Bookes of our Lorde vnto the authoritie whereof eche parte agreethe There let vs seeke for the Churche thereby sette vs examine and trie our maters And againe Nolo humanis documentis sed Diuinis oraculis sanctam Ecclesiam demōstrari I wil ye shewe me the holy Churche not by decrees of menne but by the woorde of God Likewise saithe Chrysostome Nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit vera Ecclesia Christi nisi tantummodo ' per Scripturas It can no waye be knowen what is the Churche but onely by the Scriptures And againe Christus mandat vt volentes firmitatem accipere Verae Fidei ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas Alioqui si ad alia respexerint Scandalizabuntur peribunt non intelligentes quae sit vera Ecclesia Et per hoc incident in Abominationē Desolationis quae stat in Locis Sanctis Ecclesiae Christe commaundeth that who so wil haue the assurance of True Faithe seeke to nothinge els but vnto the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to any thinge els they shal be offended and shal perishe not vnderstanding whiche is the True Churche And by meane here of they shal fal into the Abomination of Desolation whiche standeth in the Holy Places of the Churche By these Ancient learned Fathers it is plaine that the Churche of God is knowen by Godde◠Woorde onely none otherwise And therfore M. Hardinge you so carefully flée the same and condemne it for Heresie and often burne it leste thereby the deformities of youre Churche should be knowen For the il dooer fleeth the light Nowe where as it so wel liketh M. Hardinge to cal vs al Heretiques and for his pleasures sake to liken vs to Apes to Asses and to the Diuel notwithstanding we might safely returne the same whole from whence it came yet I thinke it not séemely nor greatly to purpose to answeare al suche intemperate humours Salomons aduise is good Answeare not folie with like folie Notwithstandinge the poore simple Asse vnto whome wée are compared was hable sometime to sée the Angel of God and to open his mouthe and to speake and to reproue the lewde attempte of Balaam the false Prophete What so euer accoumpt it pleaseth M. Hardinge to make of vs by the grace of God wée are that wée are Yf wée be hable to beare Christe with his Crosse it is sufficient But who they be that haue of longe time ietted so terribly vnder the Lions skinne and onely with a painted Visarde or emptie name of the Churche haue feared al the cattel of the fielde it is néedelesse to speake it the worlde now seeth it it can no longer be dissembled Euen he that lately bare him selfe as the Lion of the tribe of Iuda called him selfe Kinge of Kinges and said he had power ouer the Angels of God and amased the hartes of the simple with the terrour of his Lions pelte onely for that he sate in Peters Chaire is now reuefled and better knowen and estéemed as he is woorthy he may nowe iette vp and downe with more ease and lesse terrour And why so These poore Asses whome M. Hardinge so muche disdeigneth haue stripte of his counterfeite skinne that made him so hardy and haue caused him to appeare euen as he is The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 1. It hath bene an olde complainte euen from the first time of the Patriarkes and Prophetes and confirmed by the writinges and testimonies of euery age that the Truthe wandereth here and there as a straunger in the worlde dothe readily finde enimies and sclaunderers amongst those that knowe her not Albeit perchaunce this may seeme vnto some a thinge harde to be beleeued I meane to suche as haue scante wel and narowly taken heede thereunto specially seing al mankinde of natures very motion without a teacher doth coueite the Truthe of their owne accorde and seinge our Saueour Christe him self when he was on earth would be called the Truthe as by a name moste fitte to expresse al his diuine power Yet we whiche haue bene exercised in the holy Scriptures and whiche haue both reade seene what hath happened to al godly menne commonly at al times what to the Prophetes to the Apostles to the Holy Martyres and what to Christe him selfe with what rebukes reuilinges and despites they were continually vexed whiles they here liued that onely for the Truthes sake Wee I saye doo see that this is not onely no newe thinge or harde to be beleued but that it is a thinge already receiued and commonly vsed from age to age Nay truely this might seeme muche rather a merueile and beyonde al beliefe if the Diuel who is the Father of lies enimie to al Truthe would now vpon a suddaine chaunge his nature and hope that Truthe might otherwise be suppressed then by belieinge it Or that he would beginn◠to establish his owne kingdome by vsinge nowe any other practises then the same whiche he hath euer vsed from the beginninge For since any mans remembrance we can skante finde one time either when Religion did first growe or when it was setled or when it did afreshe springe vp againe wherein Truthe Innocencie were not by al vnwoorthy meanes most despitefully intreated Doubtlesse the Diuel wel seeth that so longe as truthe is in good safetie him selfe cannot be safe nor yet maintaine his owne estate For letting passe the auncient Patriarkes Prophetes who as we haue said had no parte of their life free from cōtumelies sclaunders We knowe there were certaine in times paste whiche saide and commonly Preached that the olde auncient Iewes of whome we make no doubte but they were the woorshippers of the onely true God did worship either a Sowe or an Asse in Goddes steede and that al the same Religion was nothinge els but sacrilege and a plaine contempt of al godlines We know also that the Sonne of God our Saueour Iesus Christe when he taught the Truth was coumpted a Sorcerer an Enchaunter a Samaritane Beelzebub a deceiur of the People a Drunkarde a Glutton Againe who woteth not what woordes were spoken against S. Paule the moste earnest and vehement Preacher maintainer of the Truthe Sometime that he was a seditious and busie man a raiser of tumultes a causer of rebellion sometime againe that he was an Heretique sometime that he was mad sometime that onely vpon strife and stomake he was bothe a blasphemer of Gods lawe and a despiser of the Fathers ordinances Further who knoweth not how S. Steuin after he had throughly and sincerely embraced the truthe and beganne frankly stoutly to preache and set forth the same as
terrarum VVhat greate portion art thou of the whole Worlde As for your Councel of Tridente God wote it was a séely Couente for ought that maye appeare by theire Conclusions Wée offered the Defense and profession of our Doctrine vnto the whole Churche of God so vnto the Pope the Councel too if they be any parte or member of the Churche by Goddes mercie shal euer be hable in al places bothe with our handes and with our Bodies to yelde an accoumpte of the hope wee haue in Iesus Christe Whereas it liked you to terme our Apologie a Sclaunderous Libel I doubt not but who so euer shal iudifferently consider your Booke shal thinke M. Hardinges tonge wanteth no sclaunder The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 3. But wee truely seeinge that so many thousandes of our brethren in these last twentie yeeres haue borne witnesse vnto the Truthe in the middes of most paineful tormentes that coulde be diuised and when Princes desirous to restraine the Gospel sought many waies but preuailed nothinge that nowe almost the whole worlde dothe beginne to open theire eies to beholde the lighte wee take it that our cause hathe alreadie benne sufficiently declared and defended and thinke it not needeful to make many woordes seinge the very mater saithe yenoughe for it selfe M. Hardinge The reasons and examples ye bringe for it conclude nothinge Bicause lackinge Truthe ye builde vpon a false grounde what so euer ye set vp eftsones it falleth beinge stated by no iuste proufe Here ye goe foorthe and faine woulde ye proppe vp that matter but your reasons be as weake as before There haue not so many thousandes of your Brethren benne burnte for Heresie in these laste twentie yeeres as yee pretende But when ye come to boastinge then haue ye a greate grace in vsinge the Figure Hyperbole Then Scores be Hundreds Hundreds be Thousands Thousands be Millions But what was Michael Seruetus the Arian who was burnte at Geneua by procurement of Caluine a Brother of yours Dauid George that tooke vpon him to be Christe who was taken vp after he was buried and burnte at Basile was he your Brother To come neare home Ioan of Kent that filâ—h who tooke foorthe a lesson further then you taught her I trowe or yet Preache was she a Sister of yours So many Adamites so many Zwenck feldians so many hundreds of Anabaptistes and Libertines as haue within your twentie yeeres benne ridde out of their liues by fiere swoorde and water in sundry partes of Christendome were they al of your blessed Brotherhed And this is the chiefe argument yee make in al that Huge Dungehil of your stinkinge Martyrt whiche yee haue intituled Actes and Monumentes But we tel you It is not deathe that iustifieth the cause of dyinge But it is the cause of dyinge that iustifieth the Death Princes ye saye were desirous to restraine your Gospel and though they went about it by many waies yet preuailed they nothinge Therefore your Doctrine must needes be the true Gospel As good an Argumente as this is may Theeues make in their Defence For Princes be desirous to keepe their Dominions from Robbinge and haue euer deuised straight Lawes and punishmentes for restrainte of Theeues yet be Theeues euery where and thefte is dayly committed And whereas your Gospel is a grosse Gospel a Carnal Gospel a Belly Gospel wonder it is not if those people be not wholy withdrawen from assentinge to the same who be not of the finest wittes and be muche geuen to the Seruice of the Belly and of the thinges beneath the Belly Yet where the Princes haue vsed most diligence and best meanes to stoppe the course of your Heresies there the people remaine most Catholike As euery man may iudge by vewe of Italy Spaine Base Almaine and Fraunce before that weightie Sceptre by Gods secrete prouidence for punishement of sinne was committed to feeble handes that for tender age were not able to beare it Your other argument whereby ye would persuade your Gospel to be the trueth is that nowe as ye crake almost the whole world doth beginne to open their eies to behold the light This argument seruethe maruelous wel for Antichrist And truely if he be not already come ye may very wel seme to be his foreronners Nay Sirs if it be true that ye saye that almost the whole world loketh that waye knowinge that in the latter dayes and towarde the ende of the world iniquitie shal abounde and the Charitie of the more parte shal wexe colde VVee maye rather make a contrarie argument and iudge your Gospel to be erroneous and false because the multitude is so ready to receiue it Againe Christe hathe not loued his Churche so little as that the world should nowe beginne to open their eies to behold the light For the same presupposeth a former general darkenes It standeth not with Christes promises made to the Churche touchinge his being with the Churche al daies to the worldes ende and the Holy Ghostes remaininge with it the Sprite of Truthe for euer that he should suffer his Churche to continewe in darkenes and lacke of Truthe these thousand yeres past and now at the latter daies to reuele the Truthe of his Gospel by Apostates Vowebreakers Churcherobbers and sutche other most vnlike to the Apostles The B. of Sarisburie What so euer wée saye here appeareth smal weight in M. Hardinges saieinges Wée make no boaste of the numbers and multitudes of our Martyrs And yet as S. Paule saithe if wée should needes boaste wée would chiefly boaste of sutche our infirmities But wée reioise with them and geue God thankes in theire behalfe for that it hath pleased him to prepare theire hartes vnto temptation to trie and purifie them as Gold in Fornace and to kéepe them faitheful vnto the ende As for Dauid George and Seruete the Arian and sutche other the like they werè yours M. Hardinge they were not of vs You brought them vp the one in Spaine the other in Flaunders Wée detected theire Heresies and not you Wée arreigned them Wée condemned them Wée putte them to the Exequution of the Lawes It séemethe very mutche to calle them our Brothers because wée burnte them It is knowen to Children it is not the deathe but the cause of the deathe that maketh a Martyr S. Augustine saithe Tres erant in Cruce Vnus Saluator Alter Saluandus Tertius Damnandus Omnium par Poena sed dispar causa There were three hanginge on the Crosse The first was the Saueour The seconde to be Saued The third to be Damned The Paine of al three was one but the cause was diuerse Your Anabaptistes and Zuenkfeldians wée knowe not They finde Harbour emongste you in Austria Slesia Morauia and in sutche other Countries and Citties where the Gospel of Christe is suppressed but they haue no Acquaintance withe vs neither in Englande nor in Germanie nor in France nor
the Councel greater then yâ— Pope And your owne Panormitane saithe as it is alleged before Papa tenetur confiteri in illo actu Sacerdos est Maior illo The Pope is bound to make his Confession and in so dooinge the Prieste is aboue the Pope Againe he saithe Papa non potest cogere Sacerdotem vt reuelet CoÌ„fessionem quia in illo actu Sacerdos est Maior quà m Papa Children knowe that Faithe and Confession are Spiritual Causes and not Temporal Ye sée therefore M. Hardinge by the Iudgemente of your owne Doctoures that the Pope maie haue a Superioure euen in Spiritual causes Nowe let vs weighe the greate force of your Reason Thus you saie The Pope sitteth in Peters Chaire Ergo in Spiritual Causes he can haue no Superioure Who taught you thus to piece your Arguments What Childe what Sophister woulde so reason Who euer gaue sutche Power and Vertue to Peters Chaire In Temporal maters ye saie it maie be that in one age the Pope hath acknowledged the Emperoure as Lorde of that Prouince where he liued Graceously considered It was the Popes Courtesie Humilitie no doubte but not his duetie Now be it Aaron the Highe Bishop in Israel was contented to submit him selfe to Moses and of duetie to calle him Lorde Tertullian saith thus Colimus Imperatorem vt hominem à Deo secundum Solo Deo Minorem Sic enim Imperator Omnibus Maior est dum Solo vero Deo Minor est Wee honoure the Emperours Maiestie as a man nexte vnto God For so is the Emperoure greater then Al menne while he is leasse then onely the True God Origen saithe Petrus Iohannes nihil habebant quod Caesari redderent Dixit enim Petrus Aurum Argenium non habeo Qui hoc non habet nec Caesari habet quod reddat nec vnde Sublimioribus Potestatibus subiaceat Qui verò habet PecuniaÌ„ aut Possessiones aut aliquid in hoc saeculo audiat Omnis anima Potestatibus Sublimioribus subiaceat Peter and Iohn had nothing to geue vnto the Emperoure For Peter saide Golde and Siluer I haue none whiche who so hath not hath nothing to geeue to Caesar not wherein he shoulde be subiecte to the Higher Powers But who so euer hath either Monie or Landes or any thinge in this worlde let him heare what S. Paule saith Let euery soule submit it selfe to the Higher Powers And for proufe of the practise hereof Pope Leo thus submitteth him selfe humbly vnto Levves the Emperoure Nos si incomperenter aliquid egimus in Subditis iustae Legis tramitem non conseruauimus vestro admissorum nostroruÌ„ cuncta volumus emendare iudicio If wee haue donne any thinge disorderly and ouer our Subiectes haue not keapte the dewe trade and course of Lawe by your Maiesties Iudgemente vve vvil redresse al our faultes So likewise long before Pope Leo Pope Gregorie wrote vnto the Emperoure Mauritius Ecce per me Seruum vltimum suum vestrum respondebit Christus Sacerdotes meos manui tuae commisi c. Ego quidem vestrae iussioni subiectus Legem vestraÌ„ per diuersas terrarum partes traÌ„smitti feci Behold thus wil Christe answeare you by me beinge both his and your most humble Seruante I haue committed my Priestes vnto thy hand As for my parte I being subiecte vnto youre Maiesties Commaundemente haue caused your Order to be proclaimed through diuers partes of the worlde Againe he saithe Christus dominari Imperatorem non solùm Militibus sed etiam Sacerdotibus concessit Christe hath geuen power vnto the Emperoure to beare rule not onely ouer souldiers but also ouer Priestes Againe he saithe Et Imperatori obedientiam praebui pro Deo quod sensi minimè tacni I haue shewed my duetie towardes my Lorde the Emperoure and touchinge God I haue not conceled what I thought And this is it that S. Paule saithe â—et euery soule be subiecte to the Higher Powers Vpon whiche woordes S. Chrysostome saithe Etiamsi sis Apostolus etiamsi Euangelista etiamsi Propheta fiue quisquis taÌ„dem fueris Neque enim Pietatem subuertit ista Subiectio Thoughe thou be an Apostle though thou be an Euangelist though thou be a Prophete or what one so euer els thou be yet be thou subiecte to the Heigher Powers For this Subiection is no hinderance to Godlinesse But afterwarde the Popes beganne to looke alofte bothe to saie them selues also to cause others theire parasites to saie Romanus pontifex supra Reges in Temporalibus The Bishop of Rome is aboue Kinges euen in thinges Temporal Againe Papa totius orbis obtinet potestatem The Pope hath the power of al the worlde Againe Solus Papa est verus Dominus Temporalium Onely the Pope is the very true Lorde of Temporal thinges And againe Omnis potestes secularis immediatè data est Papae Al manner Temporal Povver is geuen immediately to the Pope Ye saie Pope Gregorie might cal the Emperoure Mauritius his Lorde not of deutie but either of Custome or of Courtesie Yet saie you further our holy Father Pope Pius the Fourth shal not now be bound to do the like Here I beseech you M. Hardinge What strange kinde of Spiritual Povver hath Pope Pius nowe gâ—tteÌ„ that was not before in Pope Gregorie what Learninge what Vertue what Woorthinesse what Holynesse What good reason caÌ„ ye allege wherefore Christe and his Apostles and al other Holy Fathers and Martyrs shoulde be Subiectâ— to the Prince and onely your late Popes and Cardinales shoulde stande so frèe Ye saie This Custome hath longe sithence benne discontinewed And in one age the Pope maie acknowledge the Emperour as the Lorde of the Land where he dwelleth and in an other age he maie be Lorde thereof him selfe That is to saie In one age the Pope maie be subiecte to the Emperoure and in an other age the Emperoure maie be subiecte to the Pope This is your whole and onely reason Thus wée see your obedience towardes your Prince goeth not by Goddes VVoorde but onely by Ages Therefore wée maie saie to you as S. Hilarie sommetime saide to yâ— Arian Heretiques Fides temporum est non Euangeliorum Your Faithe passeth by Ages and not by Gospels And yet it is written Veritas Domini manet in Aeternum The Truth of our Lorde endureth not for one age or other but for Euer It were a highe pointe of Learning for an Astronomer skilfully to Prognosticate betwéene yâ— Emperour and the Pope whether of them shoulde be Dominus Anni How be it here maie I wel and iustly answeare you with these woordes of S. Bernarde Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit Si omnis vestra Quis vos excepit ab vniuersitate Si quis tentat Excipere conatur Decipere Noli illorum acquiescere consilijs qui cùm sint Christiani Christi tamen vel sequi facta vel