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
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
Petiliani speakinge of the place of the Psalme Sicut vnguentum in capite whiche the Heretike had alleaged saithe thus In hoc vnguento c. In this oinctement his will is to interpret the Sacramente of Chrisme he meaneth the Sacramente of Confirmation whiche in the kinde of visible signes is Holy as Baptisme is Lo S. Augustine calleth cofirmation a Sacramente S. Eusebius Pope namethe it a Sacramente in his third epistle written to al the Bisâ—hoppes of Tuscia and Campania Manus impositionis Sacramentum c. The Sacramente of imposition of Handes saithe he is to be kepte with greate reuerence whiche cannot be performed but by the high Priestes he vnderstandeth Bishoppes Melchiades nexte to Syluester before the Nicene Councel speakinge muche of Confirmation amonge other thinges saithe thus Duo haec Sacramenta Baptismi confirmationis separanda non sunt These twoo Sacramentes of Baptisme and Confirmation maye not be sundered Though these twoo Bishoppes were Popes yet they deserue credit forasmuche as they liued before that corruption crept into the Churche after your accoumpte and died Holy Martyrs That Penaunce is a Sacramente and so accoumpted amonge the Fathers it is so euident that who doubteth of it maie seeme not to haue perused their writinges S. Augustine in enchiridio ad Laurentium speakinge of Baptisme and Penaunce calleth bothe Salutaria Sacramenta healthful Sacramentes S. Ambrose signifieth him selfe to be of the same minde in his firste Booke de Poentientia Cap. 6. 7. and in the second Booke Cap. 2. though without puttinge thexpresse name of Sacramente But in the third Chapter of that Booke he putteth the name of Sacramente expressely Touchinge Order that is a Sacramente also by verdite of S. Augustine whom ye alleage for you Let vs heare what he saithe In his seconde Booke contra epist Parmentani Cap. 13. these be his wordes where he speaketh of Baptisme and of the Power to Baptize whiche is geuen in the Sacramente of Order Vtrunque euim Sacramentum est quadam consecratione vtiunque homini datur illud cum Baptizatur istud cum ordinatur Ideo in Catholica non licet vtrunque iterari Either of them is a Sacramente and with a certaine Consecration either is geuen to man the one when he is Baptized the other when he taketh Orders Therefore in the Catholike Churche it is not lawful either of them to be taken twise For the Sacramente of wedlocke besides other good and sufficient proufes that it is a Sacramente wee haue sundrie testimonies out of S. Augustine and other Doctours In the Churche saithe S. Augustine not onely the bande of mariage but also the Sacramente is so commended that it is not lauful for the husbande to deliuer his VVife to another He calleth wedlocke a Sacramente in many places of his workes De bono coniugali Cap. 7. 18. and in the. 24. Chapter of that Booke hee saithe Haec omnia bona sunt propter quae nuptiae bonae sunt Proles Fides SacramentuÌ„ All these thinges be good for whiche mariage is good issue Faithe the Sacramente Of extreme Vnction who doubteth whether it be a Sacramente let him reade the Epistle of Innocentrus the Firste ad Decentium Eugubinum Episcopum Cap. 8. where moste planely treatinge of it he nameth it a Sacramente Chrysostome interpreteth the place of S. Iames epistle for this Sacramente And so dothe Bede alleaging the place of S. Iames the sixth of Marke the Auctoritie of Innocentius and the custome of the Churche Seinge then we haue founde the seuen sacramentes expressely mentioned in the Fathers accordinge to the teaching of the Catholique Churche whereas ye teache men to beleeue there be but two and pretend that the Fathers spake of nomo I truste from henceforthe they wil take better aduise how they beleue your bare VVoorde without al prouse and with certaine danger of their soules forsake the Doctrine of the Churche whiche is the sure Pillour and ground of truthe as S. Paule saithe In this greate pointe Beza and ye of that side bee manifestly founde lyers The B. of Sarisburie To spende woordes without cause is affliction of the Sprite and losse of time M. Hardinge here bestoweth mutche laboure and allegeth many Doctours to winne that thinge that he might easily haue obteined without any sutche adoo For gentle Reader lefte that thou be deceiued and thinke there is somme weight in this heape of feathers wee wil graunt without force and freely that the Holy Catholique Fathers haue made mention not onely of Seuen as M. Hardinge here accoumpteth them but also of Seuenteene sundrie Sacramentes Tertullian calleth the Helue wherewith Elizaeus recouered the Axe out of the water Sacramentum Ligni the Sacramente of VVoode And the whole state of the Christian Faithe he calleth Religionis Christianae Sacramentum The Sacramente of Christian Religion S. Augustine in many places hathe Sacramentum Crucis The Sacrament of the Crosse Thus he saithe In hac Crucis Figura continetur Sacramentum In this Figure or Fourme of the Crosse there is conteined a Sacrament So saith Leo Crux Christi quae saluandis est impensa Fidelibus Sacramentum est exemplum The Crosse of Christe whiche was geuen to saue the Faitheful is bothe a Sacramente and also a Samplar S. Hierome saithe E latere Christi Baptismi atque Martyrij pariter Sacramente funduntur Out of Christes side the Sacramentes of Baptisme and Martyrdome are powred foorthe bothe togeather Leo calleth the promisse of Virginitie Sacramentum Quid eos manebit qui corruperine foedera Diuini Sacramenti VVhat shal becomme of them that haue broken the Couenante of the Heauenly Sacramente The Breade that was geuen vnto the Nouices or Beginners in the Faithe called Catechumeni before they were Baptized of S. Augustine is called a Sacramente S. Hilarie in sundrie places saith Sacramentum Orationis Sacramentum Esuritionis Sacramentum Scripturarum Sacramentum Fletus Sacramentum Sitis The Sacramente of Praier The Sacramente of Fastinge The Sacramente of the Scriptures The Sacramente of VVeepinge The Sacramente of Thirste S. Bernarde calleth the wasshinge of the Apostles foete a Sacramente Ablutio Pedum Sacramentum est quotidianorum peccatorum The VVasshinge of feet is the Sacramente of daily Sinnes Thus many and many moe Sacramentes it had benne easy for M. Hardinge to haue founde in the Catholique Learned Fathers Yet I trowe he wil not saie that either the Helue of an Axe or the whole Religion of Christe or a Crosse printed in the foreheade or Martyrdome or the Scriptures or a Vowe of Virginitie or the Breade geuen to the Catechumeni or Praier or Fastinge of Wéepinge or Thirste or Wasshinge of féete are the necessarie seuen Sacramentes of the Churche How be it wée wil not greately striue for the name It appeareth hereby that many thinges that in deede and by special propertie be no Sacramentes maie
we keapte it and vnderstode it before ye were borne and before youre heresie was hearde of But a Deuil comminge from hel for who is authour of diuision but Satan hath caried you awaie into an other Gospel whereas in deede there is but one true Gospel And here let any indifferent man consider howe vprightly you alleage S. Paule You write that Paule warneth you not to geue eare to an Angel comming from heauen if he goe about to drawe you from any parte of this Doctrine Of whiche this Doctrine meane you Of this whiche you haue declared in this Apologie Did S. Paule euer reade youre A pologie Howe then pronounced he of it that sentence VVee meane saie you by this Doctrine the Doctrine of the Gospel If you meane so wee saie the same But wee tel you that S. Paule spake not of euery Gospel generally but of a certaine Gospel qualified For he saieth Si quis vobis euangelizauerit praerer id quod accepistis anathema sit If any man preache a Gospel vnto you besides that ye haue receiued be he accursed Heare you the Gospel S. Paule speaketh of It is not euery Gospel It is a Gospel preached and receiued If ye preache that Gospel whiche ye receiued we ioine handes with you But if ye preach a Gospel whiche ye haue receiued of no Apostle nor Apostoiique preacher and whiche was not hearde of in the earth when Luther ranne out of his Cloister and forsooke his Religion then be ye assured that ye are the menne who are holden for accursed of S. Paule The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge ye woulde faine scape awaie with a Childishe Cauil Paul ye saie speaketh of a Gospel qualified whereby ye meane a Gospel deliuered and receiued As if ye woulde saie The Gospel of Christe onlesse it be deliuered by you is no Gospel But S. Paule meante not the Doctrine deliuered from hande to hande or from Pope to Pope But the Doctrine deliuered and receiued in the Scriptures And in this sense he saithe of him selfe Quod accept à Domino Hoc tradidi vobis The thinge that I haue receiued of the Lorde the same haue I deliuered vnto you In like sorte he calleth him selfe an Apostle not of menne nor by menne but by Iesus Christe Howe be it what neede many wordes The case is cleare S. Augustine saithe plainely Paulus ait Si Angelus de Coelo vobis annuntiauerit praeterquam quod in Scripturis legalibus Euangelicis accepistis Anathema sit If an Angel from Heauen preache vnto you any other thinge then ye haue receiued not by Tradition or by deliuerie from youre Elders but in the Scriptures of the Lavve and of the Gospel accursed be he These wordes be plaine M. Hardinge and quite disgrace al your Gloses Hereto Chrysostome addeth further Non dixit Paulus Si contraria annuntiauerint aut totum Euangelium subuerterint verùm Si vel paulùm Euangelizauerint praeter Euangelium quod accepistis etiamsi quiduis labefactauerint Anathema sint S. Paule saithe not If they teache the contrarie or if they ouerthrowe the whole Gospel But he saithe if they preache any little smal thinge besides the Gospel that ye haue receiued or if they loose or shake downe any thinge whatsoeuer it bee accursed bee they These woordes M. Hardinge touche you very neare Ye haue altered the whole fourme of the Churche of God Therefore repente youre selues leste ye remaine stil within the daunger of the Curse S. Augustine saithe Sancta Scriptura nostae Doctrinae Regulam figit Ne audeamus plus sapere quà m oporteat sapere The Holy Scripture hath laide a rule vnto oure Doctrine that we dare not to vnderstand more then is meete for vs to vnderstand The Apologie Cap. 22. Diuision 3. For where these menne bid the Holy Scriptures away as doumbe and frutelesse procure vs to comme to God him selfe rather who speaketh in the Churche in theire Councelles that is to saie to beleue their fansies and opinions this waie of finding out the Truthe is very vncertaine and exceeding dangerous and in manner a fantastical madde waie by no meanes allowed of the Holy Fathers M. Hardinge VVhere they saie we passe but litle on the Scriptures as dumbe and vnprofitable therein they slaunder vs as in other thinges VVe do not so But we saie that as euery act of Parlament must be executed by a lawful Iudge so the holy Scriptures haue their execution by lauful Iudges who are the bishoppes and fathers and wel in other places as specially when they be laufully assembled in general councelles Now saie these men that way is very vncertaine dangerous in maner mad and not allowed of the fathers VVho euer heard men thought to haue their right wittes talke after so loose a sorte Did the fathers disproue the order of comming together in general councelles Or thought they the same to be a way for men to be the soner deceiued If so many maie be deceiued with moste diligent studie and mature iudgement conferring together howe mutche soner may one or two alone leadde by priuate phansie and self wil be caried away into errour At the Nicene councel came together 318 bishops At the first of Cōstantinople 150. at the Ephesme coūcel 200. At that of Chalcedō 630 Al these foure councelles sundry ancient fathers namely S. Gregorie estemed as the foure Gospels Yea but saith he I haue the word of God But what if 300. farre holier and better learned men saie he hath it not Let the reader be iudge saith he A meete iudge in suche a cause The Scholers maie reade but iudge of their maisters they maie not by Christes doctrine who said Non est discipulus supra magistrum the scholer is not aboue his maister VVhy not for al that saie you if the Holy Ghost inspire him Sir is it not to be thought God doth assist his Churche represented in sutche solemne assemblies of three hundred or moe fathers gouernours of Christen people rather then one man The B. of Sarisburie Whether ye cal the Scriptures of God a Dumbe thing or no I reporte me to that is saide before One of you calleth it Mortuum Atramentum Dead Inke An other saith Scriptura est res inanimis muta The Scripture is a dead and a dumbe thinge An other calleth the Scriptures Nigrum Euangelium The blacke Gospel Nowe if the Scriptures be Dead and Doumbe and can not speake then must it needes folowe they are vnprofitable Neither doo we despise the Authoritie of Councelles Good Councelles be graue and reuerende But thus we saie Councelles are often against Councelles And if wee make rekening of number the Arian Heretiques haue had moe Councelles then the Christians S. Hierome saithe Spiritus Sancti Doctrina est quae Canonicis literis prodita est Contra quam si quid statuant Concilia nefas duco That is the Doctrine of the Holy Goste
that is set abroade in the Canonical Scriptures Againste whiche Doctrine if Councelles determine any thing I thinke it vvicked S. Chrysostome saithe further in more earneste sorte Plus aliquid dicam Ne Paulo quidem obedire oportet si quid dixerit proprium si quid humanum I wil saie more Wee ought not to beleeue no not Paule him selfe if he speake any thinge of his owne or if he speake onely as a man And to encrease the vncertaintie hereof the whole weighte and iudgemente of Councelles hangeth nowe euermore vpon the Pope as it maie appeare by these woordes of the Conclusion of the late Chapter at Trident Saluasemper in omnibus Sedis Apostolicae Authoritate The Authoritie of the Apostolique See in al thinges euermore reserued But Platyna saithe as it is alleged before Acta priorum Pontificum sequentes Pontifices semper aut infringunt aut omnino ' tollunt The Popes that folowe doo euermore either breake or wholy abrogate the Decrees of the Popes that were before Whether the Scripture bee wel alleged or otherwise thereof ye saie the people maie not Iudge For Christe saithe The Scholar is not aboue his Maister Certainely M. Hardinge the simplest of al the people notwithstandinge by youre restrainte he maie not iudge of the Scriptures yet he maie easily iudge of you either that ye vnderstande not or that ye vnaduisedly abuse the Scriptures Whether it be the Woorde of God or no the people ye saie maie not Judge And that ye proue euen by the Scriptures God knoweth ful handsomely and ful discretely applied For the Scholar ye saie is not aboue his Maister Thus we maie learne by the Logique of Louaine that Populus is Latine for a Scholar that Scripture is Latine for a Maister And thus by youre vaine premisses without sense ye proceede vainely and conclude nothinge O M. Hardinge haue some regarde to that ye write The simpleste maie soone espie your dooinges Ye can no longer thus mocke the worlde with shewes of woordes Christe spake not these woordes of the vnderstandinge of the Scriptures but of persequution for the Scriptures For thus the woordes lie togeather When they shal persecute you in one Cittie flee into an other c. The Scholar is not aboue his Maister Nor the Seruant aboue his Lorde If they haue called the Maister of the house Beelzebub howe mutche more wil they so cal his housholde seruauntes Alas where learned you to frame sutche Argumentes The Apostles beeing the Scholars can nomore escape persecutioÌ„ then could Christe that vvas the Maister Ergo The people cannot vnderstande vvhat they reade in the Scriptures Here is neither Antecedente nor Consequente nor Sequele in Reason For the honour of yâ— Vniuersitie haue better regarde vnto your Logique Ye bewraie the weakenesse of youre cause when yee so sclenderly abuse the Scriptures The Apologie Cap. 22. Diuision 4. Chrysostome saithe There be many oftentimes vvhiche boaste them selues of the Holy Ghoste but truely vvho so speake of their ovvn head do falsely boast that thei haue the sprite of God For like as saith he Christe denied he spake of him selfe vvhen he spake out of the Lavve and Prophetes euen so novve if any tiauerint aut totum Euangelium subuerterint verùm Si vel paulùm Euangelizauerint praeter Euangelium quod accepistis etiamsi quiduis labefactauerint Anathema sint S. Paule saithe not If they teache the contrarie or if they ouerthrowe the whole Gospel But he saithe if they preache any little smal thinge besides the Gospel that ye haue receiued or if they loose or shake downe any thinge whatsoeuer it bee accursed bee they These woordes M. Hardinge touche you very neare Ye haue altered the whole fourme of the Churche of God Therefore repente youre selues leste ye remaine stil within the aunger of the Curse S. Augustine saithe Sancta Scriptura nostae Doctrinae Regulam figit Ne audeamus plus sapere quà m oporâ—eat sapere The Holy Scripture hath laide a rule vnto oure Doctrine that we dare not to vnderstand more then is meete for vs to vnderstand The Apologie Cap. 22. Diuision 3. For where these menne bid the Holy Scriptures away as doumbeand frutelesse procure vs to comme to God him selfe rather who speaketh in the Churche in theire Councelles that is to saie to beleue their fansies and opinions this waie of finding out the Truthe is very vncertaine and exceeding dangerous and in manner a fantastical madde waie by no meanes allowed of the Holy Fathers M. Hardinge VVhere they saie we passe but litle on the Scriptures as dumbe and vnprofitable therein they slaunder vs as in other thinges VVe do not so But we saie that as euery act of Parlament must be executed by a lawful Iudge so the holy Scriptures haue their execution by lauful Iudges who are the bishoppes and fathers as wel in other places as specially when they be laufully assembled in general councelles Now saie these men that way is very vncertaine dangerous in maner mad and not allowed of the fathers VVho euer heard men thought to haue their right wittes talke after so loose a sorte Did the fathers disproue the order of comming together in general councelles Or thought they the same to be a way for men to be the soner deceiued If so many maie be deceiued with moste diligent studie and mature iudgement conferring together howe mutche soner may one or two alone â—eadde by priuate phansie and self wil be caried away into errour At the Nicene councel came together 318 bishops At the first of CoÌ„stantinople 150. at the Ephesine couÌ„cel 200. At that of ChalcedoÌ„ 630 Al these foure councelles sundry ancient fathers namely S. Gregorie estemed as the foure Gospels Yea but saith he I haue the word of God But what if 300. farre holier and better learned men saie he hath it not Let the reader be iudge saith be A meete iudge in suche a cause The Scholers maie reade but iudge of their maisters they maie not by Christes doctrine who said Non est discipulus supra magistrum the scholer is not aboue his maister VVhy not for al that saie you if the Holy Ghost inspire him Sir is it not to be thought God doth assist his Churche represented in sutche solemne assemblies of three hundred or moe fathers gouernours of Christen people rather then one man The B. of Sarisburie Whether ye cal the Scriptures of God a Dumbe thing or no I reporte me to that is saide before One of you calleth it Mortuum Atramentum Dead Inke An other saith Scriptura est res inanimis muta The Scripture is a dead and a dumbe thinge An other calleth the Scriptures Nigrum Euangelium The blacke Gospel Nowe if the Scriptures be Dead and Doumbe and can not speake then must it needes folowe they are vnprofitable Neither doo we despise the Authoritie of Councelles Good Councelles be graue and reuerende But thus
that he heareth loseth the thinge that he heareth Therefore the Pope him selfe in his Pontifical géeueth this special Charge vnto the Reader Stude Lectiones Sacras distinctè apertè proferre ad Intelligentiam aedificationem Fidelium Endeuoure thee selfe to pronounce the Holy Lessons or Chapters distinctely and plainely not to a Spiritual doumbenesse but to the vnderstandinge and profite of the Faitheful Touching the Praiers that the simple people maketh in a tongue vnknowen Christe saithe This people honoureth me with theire lippes But theire hartes are far from mee The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 2. In these thinges haue they set al theire Religion teachinge the people that by the same God maie be duely pacified Spirites be driuen awaie and mens consciences wel quieted M. Hardinge VVhat shal I saie to al this but that ye lie I would saie as the manner is Sauing your worshippes but that your often and vnshamefaste lieing hath quite taken awaie from you al opinion of honestie Al Christes Religion whiche we professe consisteth not in these thinges neither by these be mennes consciences quieted By certaine of these euil and impure sprites be driued awaie in deede VVhich here by sundry Aunciente recordes and Testimonies I woulde declare to be moste true were it not wel yenough knowen by daily experience But as for you whereas neither Breade nor VVater nor Crosse driueth you awaie it semeth ye are worse to be coniured then the deuil himselfe Many of your secte Catholike Princes haue founde so stubborne as they could yet neuer ridde theire Countries of them but by coniuration of fire The B. of Sarisburie Yée saie yée ye neuer sought to quiet mennes Cōsciences by Oile Water Palmes c. And therefore ye stande vp a tipps toe and in your familiare manner crie oute yee lie For shorte trial hereof one example maie suffice in stéede of many Augustine Steuchus one of your special and woorthy Doctoures saithe thus Aquas Sale Orationibus Sanctificamus vt ad earum Aspersum nostra deleātur delicta We halowe VVater with Salte and Praiers that by the Sprinkelinge thereof our sinnes maie be foregeeuen Reade your owne Pontifical and ye shal finde in the halowinge of your VVater your Asshes your Palmes your Candels c. this clause euermore in the ende Vt sint nobis ad Salutem Animae Corporis That they maie be to vs to the Saluation of Body and soule Whereas in the ende ye vaunte your selfe of your Crueltie and so pleasantly make Sporte with the Bloude of your Brethern take it not for il if I answeare you with the Woordes of Salomon Viscera impiorum crudelia The bowelles of the wicked be alwaies cruel Therein M. Hardinge standeth your greateste puissance If ye were no better armed with Fire and Svverde then ye be with Scriptures and Doctoures no wise man woulde greately feare your force As for vs wée maie answeare you now as S. Cyprian sommetime answeared the Heathens Nobis ignominia non est pati à Fratribus quod passus est Christus neque vobis gloria est facere quod fecit Iudas It is no shame for vs to suffer of our Brethren the same violence that Christe suffered neither is it any praise for you to doo the same thinge that Iudas did Tertullian saith vnto your Fathers Crudelitas vestra gloria nostra est Semen est Sanguis Christianorum Your crueltie is our Glorie The Bloude of Christians is the seede of the Gospel I praie God al that innocente Bloude that hath benne sheadde in this cause be not required at your handes in the daie of Wrathe and at the declaration of the iuste iudgemente of God The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 1. For these lo be the oriente colours and Pretious sauours of Christian Religion these thinges dooth God looke vpon and accepteth thē thankefully these must cōme in place to be honoured must put quite awaie the Institutions of Christe of his Apostles And like as in times paste when wicked Kinge Ieroboam had taken from the people the right seruing of God had brought thē to woorship the Golden Calues leste perchaunce thei might afterward change theire minde and slippe awaie geatinge them againe to Ierusalem to the Temple of God there hee exhorted them with a longe tale to be stedfast saieinge thus vnto them O Israel these Calues be thy Goddes In this sorte commaunded your God you shoulde woorship him For it shoulde be wearisome and troublous for you to take vpon you a iourney so farre of yeerely to goe vp to Ierusalem there to serue and honoure your God Euen after the very same sorte when these menne had once made the Lawe of God of none effecte through theire owne Traditions fearinge that the people shoulde afterwarde open theire eies fal an other waie and shoulde sommewhence els seeke a surer meane of theire Saluation Iesu howe often haue they cried out This is the same woorshippinge that pleaseth God and whiche hee straitely requireth of vs and wherewith he wil be turned from his wrathe that by these thinges is conserued the Vnitie of the Churche that by these al sinnes be cleansed and consciences quieted and that who so departeth from these hath leafte vnto him selfe no hope of Euerlastinge Saluation For it were wearisome and troublous saie they for the people to resorte to Christe to the Apostles and to the Anciente Fathers and to obserue continually what theire wil and commaundement should be This ye maie see is to withdrawe the people of God from the Weake Elementes of the worlde from the leauen of the Scribes and Phariseis and from the Traditions of menne It were reason no doubte that Christes Commaundementes and the Apostles were remoued that these theire diuises might comme in place O iuste cause I promise you why that Anciente and so longe allowed Doctrine shoulde be nowe abolished and a newe Forme of Religion be brought into the Churche of God M. Hardinge It shoulde haue becomme Scoggin Patche Iolle Harry Pattenson or VVil Sommer to haue tolde this tale mutche better then your Superintendentships And if ye woulde nedes haue plaied the parte your selues it had ben more conuenient to haue donne it on the stage vnder a vices cote then in a booke set abrode to the worlde in defence of al your newe Englishe Churche Ye shal neuer make any reasonoble man beleue your scoffinge tale VVe esteme litle your railinge comparison with your spiteful woordes and so mutche deuilishe villany The Apologie Cap. 10. Diuision 2. And yet whatsoeuer it be these menne crie stil that nothing ought to be changed that mens mindes are wel satisfied here withal that the Churche of Rome the Churche whiche cannot erre hath decreed these thinges For Syluester Prieriàs saith that the Romishe Churche is the Squier and Rule of Truthe that the Holy Scripture hath receiued from thence Authoritie and Credite The Doctrine saith he
of the Romaine Churche is the infallible Rule of Faithe from the vvhiche the Holy Scripture taketh her force And Indulgences and Pardonnes saithe he are not made knovven to vs by the Authoritie of the Scriptures but they are knovven to vs by the Authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishoppes of Rome vvhich is greater then the Scriptures Pigghius also letteth not to saie that without the licence of the Romaine Church we ought not to beleue the very Plaine Scriptures Mutch like as if any of those that cannot speake pure and cleane Latine and yet can babble out quickely and readily a litle somme sutche Lawe Latine as serueth the Courte woulde needes holde that al others ought also to speake after the same waie that Mammetrectus and Catholicon spake many yeeres agoe and whiche themselues doo yet vse in pleadinge in Courte for so maie it be vnderstoode sufficiently what is said mennes desires maie be satisfied that it is a fondenesse nowe in the later ende to trouble the worlde with a newe kinde of speakinge and to cal againe the olde finenesse and eloquence that Cicero and Caesar vsed in theire daies in the Latine tongue So mutche are these menne beholden to the folie darkenesse of the former times Many thinges as one writeth are had in estimation oftentimes bicause thei haue benne once dedicate to the Temples of the Heathen Goddes Euen so wee see at this daie many thinges allowed highly sette by of these menne not bicause they iudge them so mutche woorthe but onely bicause they haue benne receiued into a custome and after a sorte dedicate to the Temple of God M. Hardinge Ye haue neuer donne with the Churche of Rome I cannot blame you For so long as that standeth without ye repente and tourne ye shal neuer be taken but for sutche as ye be Schismatikes and Heretikes But alas poore soules what thinke ye to ouerthrowe that Churche builded vpon the rocke Peter againste whiche hitherto neither tyrauntes nor Heretikes farre passinge you in lerninge and honestie of common life coulde euer preuaile Trowe ye to extinguishe that faithe of the Romaine Churche whiche is the same that was the faithe of Peter for which Christe praied that it should neuer faile Ye laboure in vaine VVel may Sathan winne you the Churche whiche our Lorde praied for by you shal he neuer winne Geue ouer therefore your vaine and wicked attemptes Trust not in the patches that falsely ye allege out of Canonistes gloses scholemen riminge poetes Heretikes and who so euer be they neuer so bad Some ignorant persons maye ye deceiue whose sinnes deserue the same VVhat Syluester Prierlât saieth I minde not here to discusse Neither where he saithe that you alleage haue you thought good to tel vs lest by perusinge the place we shoulde take you in a lie as we haue almoste in al your other allegations The like sinceritie you use in alleaginge Pighius VVe binde our selues neither to the wordes of Syluester nor of Pighius If they erre what is that to vs Let them beare theire owne burthen If they tel truth we beleue them for truthes sake If otherwise we leaue that parte for you to carpe If Syluester Prierias saide that for pointes of belefe the Doctrine of the Romaine Churche is a squire to trie theire truthe by the same beinge wel vnderstanded is right true Likewise if Pighius saie that the Romaine Churche sheweth vnto vs which be the approued and vndoubted scriptures and whiche be not this is so true as your selfe I suppose wil yelde thereunto As for that the scripture receiued from the Churche of Rome Authoritie credite and force if in your meaninge you exclude God that is your lie not Syluesters sentence If relation be made to vs that we ought not geue credite vnto it onlesse it had ben shewed to be holy scripture by the Romaine Church whiche is the true Churche of Christe in this sense be it Syluester or who els so euer saithe it it is a true saieinge and agreable to S. Augustine Ego Euangelio non crederem nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commueret Authoritas I woulde not beleue the Gospel except the Auctoritie of the Catholike Churche moued me And for that you alleage out of him touchinge indulgences truthe it is the ful and whole knowledge of them is not plainely opened vnto vs by expresse and euident wordes of Scripture no more then the mysterie of the blessed Trinitie baptizinge of infantes and many other truthes but rather by the doctrine of the Romaine Churche VVhere you tel vs of Pighius that he letteth not to saie that without the licence of the Romishe Churche for in that word you please your selfe wel we ought not to beleue the very plaine scriptures we wil proclaime you a lyer vntil you shewe vs where he spake so farre beside reason and lerninge The holy Churche doth not wil vs to staie from belefe of the scriptures vntil we haue licence but by al waies and meanes inuiteth and stirreth vs to beleue the truthe in the scriptures vttered The B. of Sarisburie The greatest weight hereof vpon twoo of your Doctoures Syluester Prieriâs and Albertus Pigghius Whoe 's credite notwithstandinge yée woulde faine otherwise saue vpright yet here as it séemeth ye are contente for shame to géeue them ouer VVe binde our selues yée saie neither to the woordes of Syluester nor of Pigghius If they erre what is that to vs This shorte and blunte answeare notwithstandinge it séeme to like wel you yet perhaps Prieriâs and Pigghius it woulde not like I sée no greate cause to the contrarie but either of them might as wel renounce your Authoritie and saie of you Wée are not bounde neither to M. Hardinges woordes nor to his felowes For that yée doubte the Truthe of our allegations reade Syluester Prieriâs Maister of the Popes Palace in his Booke entituled Contra praesumptuosas Martini Lutheri Conclusiones de potestate Papae His wordes there emongest others be these Quicūque nō innititur Doctrinae Romanae Ecclesiae ac Romani pōlificis tanquam Regulae Dei infallibili à qua etiam sacra Scriptura robur trahit Authoritatem Haereticus est Who so euer leaneth not to the Doctrine of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishop of Rome as vnto the infallible Rule of God of vvhiche Doctrine the Holy Scripture taketh force and Authoritie he is an Heretique Againe he saithe Authoritas Romanae Ecclesiae Romanique pontificis maior est c. The Authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishop of Rome is greater then the Authoritie of Goddes woorde As for that is here alleged of Pigghius it is the very sounde and sense of the greatest parte of his Common place De Ecclesia Of whoe 's iudgemente herein M. Caluine writeth thus Pighius ait Nullius Scripturae Authoritate quantum libet Clarae nostro quidem
iudicio euidentis aduersus Claram consonantemque Orthodoxorum Patrum SeÌ„tentiam aduersus communem Ecclesiae Definitionem aliquid credere cuiquam licere Pighius saithe that noman maie lawfully beleeue any thinge by the Authoritie of any Scripture be the same in our iudgement neuer so plaine and euidente againste the cleare and agreeable iudgemente of the Catholique Fathers and againste the Common determination of the Churche By whiche he meaneth onely the Churche of Rome Therefore M. Hardinge it maie please you nowe a litle to spare your voice and to staie your Proclamation But for as mutche as yée séeme so litle to estéeme these twoo Doctoures Prieriâs and Pigghius beinge otherwise not longe sithence the chiefe Leaders and Captaines of al your bandes ye maie therefore ioine others to them to better theire credite and to encrease the Companie And for as mutche as wée speake of the Churche of Rome let vs heare the iudgement of a Cardinal of the Churche of Rome notwithstandinge otherwise alleged before Cardinal Cusanus therefore hereof saithe thus Haec est omnium sanè intelligentium Sententia qui Scripturarum Authoritatem intellectum in Ecclesiae approbatione fundant non è conuerso Ecclesiaeâ— Fundamentum in Scripturarum Authoritate locant Nulla sunt Christi praecepta nisi quae per Ecclesiam pro talibus accepta sunt Sequuntur igitur Scripturae EcclesiaÌ„ non è conuerso This is the iudgemente of al them that thinke rightly that founde the Authoritie and vnderstandinge of the Scriptures in the allowance of the Churche and not contrariewise laie the Fundation of the Churche in the Authoritie of the Scriptures There be no Commaundementes of Christe but sutch onely as so be taken and holden by the Churche Therefore the Scriptures folovve the Churche but contrarievvile the Churche folovveth not the Scriptures Likewise saithe Iohannes Maria Verractus Humiliter confitemur Ecclesiae Authoritatem esse Supra Euangelium We doo humbly confesse that the Authoritie of the Churche is aboue the Authoritie of the Gospel Likewise Albertus Pigghius saithe Apostoli quaedam Scripserunt non vt Scripta illa praeessent Fidei Religioni nostrae sed potiùs vt subessent Scripturae sunt Muti Iudices Scripturae sunt veluti Cereus Naâ—us The Apostles haue written certaine thinges not that theire saide Writinges shoulde rule our Faithe or Religion but rather that they should be vnder and be ruled by our Faith The Scriptures are doumbe Iudges The Scriptures are like a Nose of vvaxe By theise and other like vnreuerente and godlesse speaches they séeke to leade the poore simple deceiued people from the Holy Scriptures and Voice of God to the Authoritie of theire Churche by whiche Churche they vnderstande onely the Pope and his Cardinalles But yée saie These be the Priestes of the House of Leui The Pope is the Iudge for the time in the place that our Lorde hath Chosen Somme others of you sale Papa est tota Ecclesia Virtualiter The Pope is by Power and vertue the whole Churche What so euer these shal happen to saie wée maie not swarue from theire Iudgemente neither to yâ— Right hand nor to the Lefte hand Whereupon the Hebrevve Glose noteth thus Si dixerint tibi quòd Dextra sit Sinistra aut quòd Sinistra sit Dextra talis Sententia tenenda est Although they tel thee yâ— thy Right hande is thy Lefte hande or that thy Lefte hande is thy Right hande yet sutche a Sentence muste be holden as good S. Augustine ye saie holdeth harde of your side He saithe Non crederem Euangelio nisi me Ecclesiae Catholicae Authoritas commoueret I woulde not beleue the Gospel excepte the Authoritie of the Catholique Churche moued me These fewe poore woordes haue benne tossed of your parte and wroonge and pressed to the vttermoste to yeelde out that was neuer in them For hereby yée would faine proue that the Authoritie of the Churche whereby yee euermore vnderstande your Churche of Rome and none other is aboue the Authoritie of Goddes VVoorde that is to saie that the Creature is aboue the Creatoure that made Heauen and Earthe But what if S. Augustine as he saithe I beleue the Gospel bicause of the Churche haue likewise saide I beleue the Churche bicause of the Gospel Then I trowe yee muste turne your tale and saie The Gospel is aboue the Churche His woordes be plaine Ex ore Veritatis Ecclesiam agnosco participem Veritatis By the Mouthe of God that is the Truthe I knowe the Churche that is partetaker of the Truthe Againe he saithe Nolo Humanis Documentis sed Diuinis Oraculis Ecclesiam Sanctam demonstrari Ecclesiam quaerere debemus in Verbis Christi qui est Veritas optim è nouit Corpus suum Ecclesiam sine vlla ambiguitate Sancta Scriptura demonstrat In Scripturis Sanctis Ecclesia manifestè cognoscitur Ecclesiam sicut ipsum Caput in Scripturis Sanctis Canonicis debemus agnoscere I woulde the Churche shoulde be shewed not by the Decrees of Menne but by the Heauenly Oracles or VVordes of God VVee muste seeke the Churche in the VVoordes of Christe whiche is the Truthe and beste knoweth his owne Body The Holy Scripture sheweth vs the Churche without doubtinge In the Holy Scripture the Churche is plainely knowen VVee muste knowe the Churche by the Holy Canonical Scriptures as we know Christe that is the Heade Likewise saithe Chrysostome Nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit Vera Ecclesia nisi tantummodò per Scripturas It is not any waies knowen whiche is the True Churche of Christe but Onely by the Scriptures And thus for as mutche as wée knowe bothe Christe by the Churche and the Churche by Christe the one geeuinge euidence to the other by this reckeninge M. Hardinge and by your shiftinge of turnes wee muste sometimes place Christe aboue the Churche and sommetimes the Churche aboue Christe Now be it S. Augustines minde was not to commence an Action bitwene Christe and his Churche in comparison of theire Dignities or for trial and keepinge of their boundes or to teache vs that the Truthe of God taketh Authoritie of the Churche but onely to shewe vs that the Churche is a witnesse to Goddes Truthe And certainely it hath greate weight of persuasion to moue the Conscience of any man to sée so many Kingedomes Countries to ioine togeather in yâ— profession and obedience of one Truthe And I doubte not but euen this daie many thousandes are the sooner leadde to humble them selues vnto the Gospel of Christe for that they see the whole worlde that is to saie the whole Churche of God is contented so willingly so humbly to embrace the same Dauid to testifie the Truthe and certainetie of the Gospel saithe thus The sounde of the Apostles wente oute into al the Barthe and the VVoordes of them into the endes of al the VVorlde This is
calleth Periculosum Haeresis Decretum A dangerous Decree of Heresie Nowe touchinge simple errour and wilful defence S. Hilary saithe Illis in eo quod nesciunt potest adhuc in tuto esse salus si credant Tibi verò iam omnia ad salutem clausa sunt qui negas quod iam ignorare no◠potes They for so mutche as they knowe not the Truthe maye haue theire saluation in safetie if afterwarde they beleeue But al hope of health is shut from thee for as mutche as thou deniest that thinge that thou canste not chuse but knowe To conclude vnto you M. Hardinge who oftentimes of smal errours oftentimes of vndoubted knowen Truthes ▪ without regard of Definition haue fansied great horrible Heresies Alphonsus de Castro a Doctour of your owne saith thus Idcirco sit vt hi qui tam leuiter de Haeresi pronunciant non expendentes de qua re loquātur saepe sua ipsorū sagitta feriantur incidantque in eam foueam quam alijs parabant Nam velle humanas Scripturas in Diuinarum ordinem connumerare hoc veriùs ego dixerim Haeresim quod faciunt hi qui humanis Scriptis diffentire impium autumant perinde ac Diuinis There fore it happeneth that they that so rashly pronounce and cal euery thing Heresie not considering wherof they speake be often striken with their own dart and fal into the same pit that them selues haue digged for others For this would I rather cal Heresie to accoumpt men◠writinges emonges the Scriptures of God So doo they that thinke it a wicked mater to dissent from the writinges of man nolesse then if it were the Judgement of God The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 3. But this was euer an olde and solemne propertie with them their forefathers if any did complaine of their errours and faultes and desired to haue true Religion restored streight waie to condemne sutche for Heretiques as men new fangled and factious Christe for no other cause was called a Samaritane but onely for that he was thought to haue fallen to a certaine new Religion and to be the authour of a new secte And Paule the Apostle of Christe was called before the Iudges to make answeare to a mater of Heresie and therefore he saide Accordinge to this way whiche they cal Heresie I doo worship the God of my Fathers beleeuinge althinges whiche be written in the Lawe and in the Prophetes M. Hardinge Yf ye meane Hus Hierome of Prague Wickle◠Almaricke Abailard the Apostolikes Peterbrusians Berengarians Waldenses Albingenses Imagebreakers or suche like which euer founde faulte with the Churche in their time and cried for a restoringe of Religion as though it had ben quite lost and would them selues haue the glory of it by bringing in their Heresie in place of the Catholique Doctrine vnder the name of Goddes woorde whiche hath alwaies ben the propertie of al Heretikes if I say ye meane these or any of these we also cal them Heretikes and for such wee condemne them But Sirs ye forget your selues fouly How agreeth this with that ye saie hereafter oftentimes that the Light of the Truthe was quite put out and that Luther and Zuinglius first brough the Gospel abroade into the worlde VVere it true that Christe was called a Samaritane for the cause ye assigne thereof what conclude ye VVe see where about ye go Ye woulde seeme to ioine with Christ with Paule and with the first Christians But truely they refuse your companie But we tel you Christ was the true Samaritane in deede that is to say the Keeper as he that is Keeper of mankinde and therefore he shunned not the name Yet was he not a Samaritane as the Iewes ment Paule likewise who was not as ye say to speake properly called before the Iudges to make ausweare to a mater of Heresie being accused to Felix by Tertullus that he was of the secte or Heresie of the Nazarens so were the Christians first called did not onely not denie but openly confessed that according to that way or state of life which the Iewes called a secte or Heresie he worshipped God For it is to be considered that in those times the name of Heresie was not so infamous as it may be iudged by the place of the Actes cap. 5. onlesse somewhat be added whereby it may be vnderstanded to be taken in rate of a vice as 1. Cor. 11. Galat. 5. So the woorde was then indifferent and might be taken in good part or euil part Tertullian vseth it in good part where speaking of the Christians he calleth them Sectam a Secte into which Latine woord the Greeke woorde Heresis is turned Now these examples of Christ Paule and the first Christians serue not your defence Christ was called of the Iewes a Samaritane vnwoorthely after the sense of their thought Ye are called Heretikes woorthely Paule burdened with the name of Heresie for as muche as thereby was signified the kinde of life of those that beleeued in Christ the woorde being indifferent was honoured rather then reutled And Tertullian calleth the Christian people a Secte as he might without blemishe or note of any euil Your case is not like For ye are charged with Heresie as it is taken in the worst part The B. of Sarisburie O howe many waste woordes hath M. Hardinge to spare Here once againe he comneth in with Hus Hierome of Prage Wicklefe Almarik Abailard Apostolikes Peterbrusians Berengarians Waldenses Albingenses Image-breakers to fraye his simple reader with a terrour of strange names Wée saie Luther and Zuinglius were the first Publishers of the Gospel and yet againe we saie the same Luther and Zuinglius were not the firste Wée haue forgotten our selues fouly Wée write contradiction against our selues Wée would séeme to toine with Christe and Paule but truely they refuse our companie And so foorthe I knowe not what verily M. Hardinge wée neuer saied Luther and Zuinglius were the firste Publishers of the Gospel Yf wée should so saie wée should reporte vntruthe as you doo often Christe and his Apostles were the firste These woorthy and Learned Fathers Luther and Zuinglius and other like Godly and zelous men were appointed of God not to erecte a newe Churche but to reforme the olde whereof you had made a Caue of Théeues to kendle againe the Light that you had quenched and to heare witnesse to the Truthe of GOD. You saie Christ and Paule wil none of our companie as if you were priuie of theire counsel But perhappes M. Hardinge this is Clauis errans and therefore can neither open nor shutte Or as S. Hierome saithe Pars aliqua supercilij Pharisaici some parte of the high lookes of the Phariseis Christe him selfe hath saide Who so loueth me wil keepe my woorde and my Father loueth him And my Father and I wil come to him and dwel with him S. Peter saithe Who so trusteth in him shal not
nor Deacons this daie in the Churche of Englande he might the more easily claime the whole right vnto himselfe And in déede if it were certaine that the Religion and Truthe of God passeth euermore orderly by Succession and none otherwise then were Succession whereof he hath tolde vs so longe a tale a very good substantial Argumente of the Truthe But Christe saithe In Cathedra Mosi sedent Scribae Pharisaei By order of Succession the Scribes and Phariseis sitte in Moses Chaire Annas and Caâ—pâ—as touchinge Succession were as wel Bishoppes as Aaron Eleazar Of Succession S. Paule saithe to the Faithful at Ephesus Scio quâ—d post discessum meum intrabunt Lupirapaces Ex Vobis ipsis exurgent viri peruersa loquentes I knowe that after my departure hence Râ—ueninge Woulues shal enter and Succede me And out of your selues there shal by Succession springe vp menne speakinge peruersely Therefore S. Hierome saithe Non Sanctorum filij sunt qui tenent loca Sanctorum They be not alwaies the Children of Holy Menne that by Succession haue the places of Holy Menne Notwithstandinge the Pope him selfe wil saie as it is before alleged In Papa si desint bona acquisita per merirum sufficiunt quae à Loci Praedecessore Praestantur If the Pope wante good thinges gotten by his owne merites the good thinges whiche he hath by Succession of Peter his Predecessour are sufficient And the Glose thereupon Petrus fecit Papas Haeredes bouitatis suae Peter made the Popes Heires of his goodnesse by Succession And againe Papa Sanctitatem recipit à Cathedra The Pope receiueth his Holinesse by Succession of his Chaire Sutche affiance sometime had the Scribes and Phariseis in their Succession Therefore they saide VVee are the Children of Abraham Vnto vs hath God made his promises Arte thou greatter then our Father Abraham As for Christe wee knowe not from whence he came or what he can shewe for his Succession And when Christe beganne to refourme their Abuses and Errours they saide vnto him By what Power dooest thou these thinges And who gaue thee this Authoritie where is thy Succession Vpon whiche woordes Beda saithe Intelligi volunt Diaboli esse quod faciâ— They woulde haue the People vnderstande for that he had no solemne Succession that al that he did was of the Diuel And Cyrillus frameth their woordes in this sorte Tu Ortus ex Iuda commissos nobis fasces vsurpas Thou beinge of the Tribe of Juda and therefore hauinge no right by Succession vnto the Priesthoode takest vpon thee the office that is committed vnto vs. Likewise Chrysostome imagineth the Phariseis thus to saie Tu de Sacerdotali Familia natus non es Senatus tibi hoc non coucessit Caesar non donauit Thou arte not of the house of Priestes The Councel hath not graunted it thee The Emperour hath not geeuen it thee Thus to maineteine them selues in credite for that they had Succession and continuance from Aaron and sate in Moses Chaire they kepte Christe quite out of possession and saide vnto him then euen as M. Hardinge saithe nowe vnto vs Who euer taught vs these thinges before thee What ordinarie Succession and Vocation haste thou What Bishop admitted thee Who confirmed thee Who allowed thee Therefore good Christian Reader lette not these M. Hardinges greate woordes mutche abasshe thee The Scribes and Phariseis in the like cases vsed the like language longe agoe Touchinge the Churche of Rome I wil saie nomore for this presente but onely that was spoken openly by Cornelius the Bishop of Bitonto in the late Councel of Tridente Vtinam non à Religione ad Superstitionem à Fide ad Infidelitatem à Christo ad Antichristum velut prorsus Vnanimes declinassent VVoulde God they were not al gonne by consente togeather from Religion to Superstition from Faithe to Jufidelitie from Christe to Antichriste These fewe woordes consideringe either the speaker or the place where they were spoken maye seeme sufficient They are gonne from Faithe to Infidelitie from Christe to Antichriste And yet al other thinges failinge they muste holde onely by Succession and onely bicause they sitte in Moses Chaire they muste claime the possession of the whole This is the right and vertue of their Succession The woordes of Tertullian M. Hardinge whiche you haue here alleged were spoken of certaine your Ancient Fathers that had raised vp a Newe Religion of them selues as you haue also donne without either Woorde of God or example of the Apostles and Holy Fathers And therefore he saithe not vnto vs but vnto you and sutche as you be Edant Origines Ecclesiarum suarum Lette them shewe foorthe the Originalles of theire Churches Euen so wée saie vnto you shewe vs the Originalles of your Doctrine Shewe vs any one of the Apostles of Christe or of the Learned Catholique Doctours of the Churche that euer saide your Priuate Masse Shewe one at the leaste either Greeke or Latine S. Augustine saithe of so many Bishoppes of Rome there coulde not one be founde that had benne a Donatiste Euen so in like sorte saie wée to you of al the same Bishoppes of Rome there cannot one be founde that euer agreed with M. Hardinge in saieinge Masse Or if there were any sutche shewe vs his name with other Circumstances when and where and who were witnesses of the dooinge Shewe vs your Originalles M. Hardinge Confesse the Truthe Deceiue vs no lenger It is a newe Diuise ye haue it onely of your selues and not by Succession from the Apostles But wherefore telleth vs M. Hardinge this longe tale of Succession Haue these menne their owne Succession in so safe Recorde Who was then the Bishop of Rome nexte by Succession vnto Peter Who was the Seconde Who the Thirde Who the Fourthe Irenaeus reckeneth them togeather in this order Petrus Linus Anacletus Clemens Epiphanius thus Petrus Linus Cletus Clemens Optatus thus Petrus Linus Clemens Anacletus Clemens saithe that he him selfe was nexte vnto Peter And then muste the reckeninge goe thus Petrus Clemens Linus Anacletus Hereby it is cleare that of the foure firste Bishoppes of Rome M. Hardinge cannot certainely telle vs who in order Succeded other And thus talkinge so mutche of Succession they are not wel hable to blase their owne Succession I might farther saie that Peters See Apostolike was ouer the Iewes and not at Rome ouer the Heathene For so S. Paule saithe Mihi concreditum est Euangelium Praepuiij sicut Petro Circumcisionis Qui potens erat Petro in Apostolatu Circumcisionis Potens erat in me inter Gentes The Gospel of the Vncircumcision was committed vnto me as the Gospel of the Circumcision vnto Peter God that was mighty in Peter in the Apostleship of the Circumcision was mighty in me emonge the Heathens Therfore if the Pope this daie wil claime onely by Peters Title and require nomore then Peter had then muste he séeke
Pambus and many other Holy men liuinge in VVildernesse without letters no reste ne quiet at their hartes Nay who had the like And whereas you saie that al thinges needeful for our Saluation be abundantly and fully cōprehended in the Scriptures this is also as false as sundry other partes of your Doctrine For if al thinges necessary to Saluation be conteined in the Scriptures then what so euer is not in them conteined the same is not necessarie If not necessarie why shoulde we be laden with vnnecessarie burdens Then awaie with al Traditions at a clappe be they neuer so Apostolike neuer so Auncient neuer so Healthful neuer so longe time in the Churche continued Remember you not what the moste renoumed Fathers haue written of the necessitie of Traditions Or if you remember them what thought you when you wrote thus Let Learned and Holy Basil be hearde in steede of many if not to reuoke you from your errour yet to discredite you and staye others in the truthe His woordes be these Of the doctrines whiche be preached in the Churche certaine we haue out of the Scripture written certaine we haue receiued in secrete Mistery by tradition of the Apostles whiche bothe be of equal force to Godlines Neither concerninge these any man gainesaieth be he of neuer so smal knowledge For if we goe about to reiect the customes that be not set foorth in writinge as beinge of litle regarde then shal we condemne those thinges also whiche we haue in the Gospel necessarie to Saluation Yea rather we shal bringe the preachinge of the Faithe but to a bare name For so they were taken for Heretikes whiche regarded not the solemne faste of Lente receiued at the Apostles as we reade in S. Augustine De Haer. ad Quoduultdeum cap. 53. and in the Councel of Gangra in an Epistle to the Bishops of Armenia Euen so they whiche denied the distinction of a Bishop and a Prieste were condemned of Heresie as we finde in S. Augustine in the Booke and Chapter aforesaide and in Epiphanius Lib. 3. Cap. 75. In the Councel of Constance the same is to be founde Againe if al thinges necessarie to Saluation be expressed in the Scriptures to what purpose saide S. Paule concerninge order and maner to be vsed at the celebration of the holy Sacramente Coetera cùm venero disponam As for other thinges I wil take Order for them when I come VVhat meaneth S. Iohn to saye Hauinge other thinges to write to you of I woulde not write them in Paper and inke for I truste to be with you and speake to you mouthe to mouthe To conclude muche that might be obiected in fewe woordes for breuities sake what saie you sir Defender shal we finde al thinges necessarie to Saluation in the Scripture Howe thinke you of the Scripture it selfe How knowe you this to be the Scripture How knowe ye the Gospel of Mathewe Marke Luke and Iohn to be theirs whose names they beare This can you not finde in al the Scripture and yet is the same necessary to be beleeued VVhat Scripture have you to admitte these and to refuse the Booke bearinge the name of Peter the Gospel of Thomas of Bartholome we of Nicodeme VVhy admitte you not the Prophetes that Basilides would to be allowed but onely the foure greate and the twelue lesser what auctoritie haue you to staie your selfe by concerninge these but onely that of the Churche for Scripture haue you none for proufe hereof Then hath not Scripture al thinges in it necessarie for a Christen man Is it not necessarie to beleeue the Sonne of God to be Homousion that is to saie of the same Substance with the Father whiche if you denie you restore the olde condemned Heresie of the Arians The same can you not finde in the Scripture VVhere in al the Bible finde you that God the Father is Ingenitus VVhere finde you that the Holy Ghoste proceedeth frō the Father and the Sonne that the blessed Virgin Marie continued in her Virginitie that suche as be Baptized of Heretikes oughte to be Baptized againe That in fantes ought to be Baptized That the Foure Bookes of the Gospels were written by Mathewe Marke Luke and Iohn by what Scripture can you prooue it To ende where finde you expressely in al the Scriptures three Persons to be one God The B. of Sarisburie Here to weighe downe the Authoritie of Goddes Holy Woorde M. Hardinge hath brought in a heape of ordinarie stale quarrelles Of the difference bitwéene Priestes and Bishoppes of Lente of the Communion Booke of the Homilies of the Order of Seruice and of the Perpetual Virginitie of Our Lady His whole drifte herein is to beare vs in hande that there is very litle or none Authoritie in the Scriptures and that the whole Credite and certainetie of our Faithe resteth onely in the Churche of Rome He seemeth to take it in scorne that the Woorde of God shoulde be called the Light Yet notwithstandinge the Prophete Dauid saithe Thy Woorde is a Lanterne to my feete And againe The Commaundement of the Lorde is Lightsome geeuing Light vnto the eies And Theophylacte saith Verbum Dei est Lucerna qua Fur deprehenditur The Woorde of God is the Candel whereby ther Theefe or false Teacher is espied Whereas M. Hardinge demaundeth of vs so pleasauntly what Scriptures we allowe and what wée reiecte he troubleth him selfe with an idle and a néedelesse question For we embrace and reuerence euery parcel and title of the Scriptures without exception not refusinge any parte thereof that hath benne allowed by the Ancient Learned Catholique Fathers of the Churche of God Neither doo wee so scornefully calle Goddes Holy Woorde a Nose of vvaxe a Shipmannes Hose or a Dead letter as sundrie of that side haue delited to cal it Touchinge the Booke of the Machabees wee saie nothinge but that we finde written by S. Hierome S. Augustine other Holy Fathers S. Hierome saithe Machabaeorum Libros legit quidem Ecclesia Sed eos inter Canonicas Scripturas non recipit In deede the Churche readeth the Bookes of the Machabees but shee receiueth them not emonge the Canonical allovved Scriptures Or Praier for y◠Dead wee shal haue place more conuenient to speake hereafter The place of S. Iames touchinge the Iustification of Faithe Woorkes is answeared before Neither doo wee discredite any parte either of the Authoritie or of the Doctrine of that whole Epistle notwithstandinge Eusebius saithe It was written by somme other and not by S. Iames. His woordes be these Istius Iacobi qui lustus Oblias vocabatur dicitur esse Epistola quae prima scribitur inter Canonicas Sciendum autem est illam Epistolam esse Spuriam The Opinion is that the Epistle whiche is reckened the firste emonge the Canonicalles is of this Iames whiche was called Iustus and Oblias But wee muste vnderstande that
propriè in renatis Peccatum sit sed quia ex Peccato est ad Peccatum inclinat Si quis autem contrarium senserit Anathema sit The Concupiscence whiche the Apostle S. Paule sommetime calleth Sinne this Holy Councel declareth that the Cathosique Churche neuer vnderstoode it to be called sinne for that it is so in deede and in Proper manner of Speache in them that be Baptized but bicause it is of Sinne and enclineth vs vnto Sinne. And if any man thinke the Contrarie accused be he Thus wée see that by the Decrée of this woorthy Couente S. Ambrose and S. Augustine other Holy Fathers that haue written the same are al accursed As for that M. Hardinge here toucheth as an errour defended by certaine I knowe not by whom that Baptisme géeueth not ful Remission of Sinne he maiâ— commaunde it home againe to Lâ—uaine emongest his felowes and ieine it with other of his and theirâ— Vanities For it is no parte nor portion of our Doctrine Wée Confesse and haue euermore taught that in the Sacramente of Baptisme by the Deathe and Bloude of Christe is géeuen Remission of al manner Sinnes and that not in halfe or in parte or by waie of Imagination or by fansie but ful whole and Perfite of al togeather so that nowe as S. Paule saithe There is no damnation vnto them that be in Christe Jesu Nowe iudge thou indifferently gentle Reader what Sprite forced M. Hardinge thus terribly to crie oute They Lie they studie to deceiue they seeke shiftes c. The Apologie Cap. 12. Diuision 1. Wee saie that Eucharistia that is to saie the Supper of the Lorde is a Sacramente that is an euident Representation of the Body and Bloude of Christe wherein is sette as it were before our eies the Deathe of Christe and his Resurrection and what so euer he did whilest he was in his Mortal Body to th ende wee maie geene him thankes for his Deathe and for our deliueraunce And that by the often receiuinge of this Sacramente wee maie daily renewe the remembraunce thereof to thintente wee beinge fedde with the Body and Bloude of Christe maie be brought into the hope of the Resurrection and of Euerlastinge Life and maie moste assuredly beleeue that as our bodies be fedde with Breade and Wine so our Soules be fedde with the Body and Bloude of Christe M. Hardinge Amonge al these gay woordes we heare not so mutche as one Syllable vttered whereby we may vnderstande that ye beleue the Very Body of Christe to be in deede Presente in the blessed Sacrament of the Aulter Ye confesse the Eucharistia whiche commonly ye cal the Supper of the Lorde to be a Sacramente and al that to be none other then an euident token of the Body and Bloud of Christe As for that ye adde to make the matter seme sommewhat of the Deathe of Christe and his Resurrection and his actes done in fleshe VVhat reason or scripture haue ye that a peece of Bread and a Cuppe of VVine for in your belefe more make ye not of this Sacramente can set them as it were before our eies Dothe not rather a faire Painted table set foorth the actes of our Sauiour before our eies more liuely and more expressely And be we not moued therewith to geue God thankes for his greate benefites as wel as if we haue Breade and VVine on a table But I praie you sithens al is but Breade and VVine after your teachinge howe shal we by eatinge and drinkinge thereof be fedde with the Body and Bloude of Christe Againe can we by Breade and VVine be brought into hope of the Resurrection and Euer lastinge life as ye saie And howe shal we by Eatinge of Breade and Drinking of VVine be assured that Christes Body and Bloude doth in like manner feede our soules as Breade and VVine feedeth our bodies Though your imagination be neuer so stronge yet by eatinge of that whiche is Breade onely and Drinkinge of that whiche is VVine onely we see not how your soules can be fedde with the True Body and Bloude of Christe no more then ye be at your common meales Verily when al your tale is tolde ye seme to saie nothinge els touchinge the eatinge of our Lordes Body but that the Body of Christe remaineth in Heauen and that we muste sende vp our soules thither to eate it there by a certaine Imagination whiche ye cal faithe For this is your Maister Caluines Doctrine By this Doctrine al standeth vppon your faithe your faithe doth al alone And he that beleueth in Christe so as ye teache eateth his Body and Drinketh his Bloude For by your Gospel to eate the Body is nothinge els but to beleue in Christe If this be true then is your Supper superfluous For declaration of the Truthe herein it is to be considered that when we speake of this blessed Sacramente we meane specially the thinge receiued to be the very Real Body of Christe not onely a Signe or Token of his Body Yet we thinke it necessarie the Doctrine of the Fathers be clerely taught whiche is that here is a Sacramente and the thinge of the Sacramente The Forme of Breade and VVine whiche is sene is the Sacramente that is to saie a Signe of the Holy thinge For a Sacramente besides the outwarde shape whiche it representeth to the senses causeth an other thinge to come into knowledge The thinge of this Sacramente is of two sortes the one in tho same conteined and signified the other signified but not conteined The firste is the Body of Christe borne of the Virgine Mary and his Bloude shed for our Redemption the Seconde is the Vnitie of the Churche in these that be predestinate called iustified and glorified VVhiche Churche is Christes Body mystical So that here are three distincte thinges vnderstanded The one is a Sacramente onely the other a Sacramente and the thinge the thirde the thinge and not a Sacramente The firste is the visible shape or Forme of Breade and VVine the seconde is the proper and very Fleashe and Bloude of Christe the thirde his Mystical Body And as there be two thinges of this Sacrament so be there also two meanes or waies of eating The one Sacramental after whiche bothe good and euil eate the true Body of Christe they to saluation these to damnation The other spiritual after whiche the good only do eate These Defenders as al other the Sacrament aries speakinge of these distinct thinges indistinctly cause confusion and deceiue the vnlearned readers In sutche a sense and meaninge the place commonly alleged out of S. Augustine as also many other the like maye wel be vnderstanded without preiudice of the Truthe of Christes Body in the Sacrament Vt quid paras dentem Venttem Crede manducasti To what pourpose makest thou ready teeth and bely Beleue and thou hast eaten Nowe these Defenders harpingâ—â—â—nâ—ly vpon this one
stringe of spiritual eatinge and shunninge the Faithe of the Catholike Churche touching the true presence of the Body and Violently wresting the Holy Scripture and Auncient Fathers to a contrary sense admittinge Figures for Truthe tropes for the letter shadowes for thinges plaie vs many a false lesson and teache horrible lies to the vtter subuersion of those that be lead by them The B. of Sarisburie Here is no mention saithe M. Hardinge of Real Presence and thereupon he plaieth vs many a proper Lesson Notwithstandinge here is as mutche mention made of Real Presence as either Christe or his Apostles euer made or in y◠Primutiue Catholique Churche of God was euer beléeued Farther he saithe VVhat reason or Scripture haue ye that a Peece of Breade and a Cuppe of VVine can sette the Death and Resurrection of Christe as it were before your eies Verily when al your tale is tolde ye seeme to saie nothinge els but that the Body of Christe remaineth in Heauen and that wee muste sende vp our soules thither to eate it there by a certaine imagination whiche ye cal Faithe Here ye doo greate wronge M. Hardinge to cal the Faithe of Christe an Imagination or as I trowe ye meane a fansie S. Paule saithe Fides est Substantia rerum sperandarum Faithe is not an Imagination but the Substance and grounde of the thinges that wee hope for If ye trauaile once againe to Rome being thus far instructed already ye wil easily learne the Lesson that one of your late Popes there as it is reported taught his Cardinalles O quantum nobis profuit illa Fabula de Christo That wée ought to sende vp our Faithe into Heauen and there to embrace the Body of Christe it is S. Augustines Doctrine it is not ours These be his woordes Dices Quomodò tenebo Christum Absentem Quomodò in Coelum manum mittam vt ibi sedentem teneam Fidem mitte tenuisti Parentes tui tenuerunt Carne tu tene Corde Thou wilt saie howe shal I holde Christe beeinge Absente Howe we shal I reache my hande into Heauen that I maye holde him sittinge there Sende vp thy Faithe and thou holdest him Thy Fathers the Iewes helde him in the fleashe Holde him thou in thy harte But for as mutche as H. hardinge thought it sufficient so pleasantly to passe ouer this mater with his Imaginations and fansies I thinke it therefore so mutche the more néedeful to shewe the iudgemente of the Auncient Learned Fathers in that behalfe First therefore S Augustine saithe Rerum Absentium Praesens est Fides rerum quae foris sunt intus est Fides rerum quae non videntur videtur Fides Of thinges that be Absente Faithe is Presente of thinges that be without Faithe is within and of thinges that be not seene Faithe is seene Againe be saithe Cùm non obliuiscimur munus Saluatoris nonne nobis quotidiè Christus immolatur Ex ipsis reliquijs cogitationis nostrae id est ex ipsa memoria Christus quotidiè nobis sic immolatur quasi quotidiè nos innouet When wee foregeate not the gifte of our Saueoure is not Christe offered vnto vs euery daye Of the very remanentes of our thoughtes that is to say of our very memorie Christe is so daily offered vnto vs as though he renewed vs euery daie And the more liuely to expresse this mater S. Hierome saith Tibi Conuiuium Christus est Cogitatio Christus est Gaudium Christus est Desiderium Christus est Lectio Christus est quies Christus est Christe is thy banket Christe is thy thought Christe is thy ioie Christe is thy desire Christe is thy readinge Christe is thy reate Likewise S. Ambrose In animis vestris quotidiè pro Redemptione Corporis Christus offertur In your mindes Christe is daily offered for the Redemption of the Body And to passe ouer others for that it pleaseth M. Hardinge to make himselfe sutche mirthe with Imaginations Euthymius a Gréeke Authour writing pourposely of this mater saith thus Non oportet simpliciter ea intueri sed aliud quiddam imaginari interioribus oculis ea perspicere tanouam Mysteria Wee maie not sooke barely vpon these thinges that is vpon the Breade and Wine but muste thereof imagine somme other mater and behold the same with our in vvarde Spiritual eies as it is meete to beholde Mysteries And leaste M. Hardinge shoulde saie This Imagination is vaine and fantastical as is the greatteste parte of his Religion S. Augustine saith Magis sunt illa quae intelligimus quà m ista quae cernimus The thinges that wee vnderstande or imagine by Faithe are more certaine then the thinges that wee see vvith our eies Neither maie you thinke M. Hardinge that these thinges beinge graunted the Ministration of the Holy Supper woulde be superfluous For these twoo Kindes of Eatinge muste euermore necessarily be ioined togeather And who so euer commeth to the Holy Table auaunceth not his Minde vnto Heauen there to feede vpon Christes Body at the Right hande of God he knoweth not the meaninge of these Mysteries but is voide of vnderstandinge as the Horse or the Mule and receiueth onely the bare Sacramentes to his Condemnation Therefore the Mystical Supper of Christe notwithstandinge this Doctrine is not superfluous But your Transubstantiation your Real Presence and a greate parte of this your idle talke is moste vaine and moste superfluous But ye saie Howe can Breade and VVine bringe vs to the hope of Resurrection or of Euerlasting Life and why maie not a man in like manner demaunde of you Haw can a fewe Droppes of colde VVater bringe vs to the hope of Resurrection If VVater maie doo it why maie not Breade and VVine likewise doo it Touchinge the VVater S. Basile saith Baptismus est Potentia Dei ad Resurrectionem Baptisme is the Povver of God to Resurrection Againe he saith Resurrectionis Gratiam in Die Resurrectionis recipiamus Vpon the Daie of Resurrection let vs receiue Baptisme whiche is the Grace of Resurrection S. Hierome saith Non solùm propter Remissionem Peccatorum Baptizamur sed etiam propter Resurrectionem Carnis nostrae Wee are Baptized not onely for Remission of Sinnes but also for the Resurrection of our Fleashe And therefore the Greekes calle Baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the VVeede of immortalitie Here M. Hardinge it were somme pointe of skil to shewe vs howe so greate Power maie be in so litle VVater Howe be it it is not the VVater in déede that woorketh the force of Resurrection but the Bloude of Christe that is Signified by the VVater And therefore S. Ambrose saithe Baptismus Resurrectionis Pignus Imago est Baptisme is the Pleadge and Image of Resurrection Likewise Ignarius Credentes in Mortem eius per Baptisma Participes Resurrectionis eius efficimur Beleeuinge in the Death of Christe by Baptisme wee are made Partakers of
Vides Aquam Cogita de virtute Dei quae latet in Aqua Cogita A quam esse plenam Ignis Diuini Thou seeste the Water Thinke thou of the Power of God that lieth in the VVater Thinke thou that the Water is ful of Heauenly Fier Yet I trowe ye wil not haue vs beléeue as an Article of our Faithe that this fire whereby is ment the Bloude of Christe is in déede and Really in the Water These and sutche other the like maie not alwaies be taken as phrases of Precise Truthe but rather as Amplifications or heates of speache the better to sturre vp and to enflame the mindes of the Hearers And in this sorte and sense to leaue other Authorities Hosius your owne Doctour saithe Opera nostra respersa sunt Sanguine Christi Our Woorkes be sprinkled vvith the Eloude of Christe So saith Pope Innocentius 3. Virtutes nostiae Crucis Christi Sanguine Purpurantur Our Vertues are died as redde as Purple in the Bloude of the Crosse of Christe Thus the Holy Fathers saie The Breade of the Holy Mysteries and the Water of Baptisme are ful of fiere Further Theophylacte saithe The Body of Christe is Eaten But the Godheade is not Eaten bicause it is vntoucheable and vncomprehensible vnto our senses Hereof you woulde séeme to reason thus If Faith wrought al this mater then might wee Eate God For by Faithe wée beléeue in God Firste touchinge the Eatinge of God God him selfe saith Gustate videre quòd suauis est Dominus Taste and see that the Lord is delectable S. Augustine saith Panis est Panis est Panis est Deus Pater Deus Filius Deus Spiritus Sanctus It is Breade It is Breade and it is Breade God the Father God the Sonne and God the Holy Ghoste Againe he saith Deus Panis intus est animae meae God is the Invvarde Breade of my Soule Therefore it is not so thorowly and vndoubtedly true that you saie the Nature of God cannot be Eaten Notwithstandinge for sparinge of woordes and time herein I wil refer you to my Former Replie There shal you finde this whole Obiection fully answeared You saie Theophylactes reason standeth thus God cannot be Eaten bicause be cannot be comprehended either vvith eies or vvith teethe But Christes Body maie be eaten Therefore it muste folowe in the Conclusion that with our eies vvee maie see it and with our teethe receiue it Here woulde I faine learne of you M. Hardinge when ye sawe Christes Body visibly in the Sacramēte with your eies or when ye pressed it with your téeth If your téeth can receiue it why saithe S. Augustine Quid paras Dentem Ventrem Why preparest thou thy Toothe and they Belly If your Bodily eie can sée it why saye you It is Inuisible If it be Inuisible howe is it séene If it be séene how is it Inuisible It appeareth that either Theophylacte the Maister or you the Scholare are deceiued or one of you vnderstandeth not the others meaninge Certainely as Christes Body is seene in the Sacramente so is it eaten in the Sacramente But it is not Really or Fleashely séene Therefore it is not Really or Fleashely Eaten To auoide errour herein it behooueth vs to vnderstande that To eate God is to haue the fruition of the Diuine Nature and to be Incorporate into God But the Maiestie of God so far surmounteth the capacitie of man that as he is in him selfe in Nature and Godhedde no mortal creature is hable to conceiue him but onely in the Face and sight of Iesus Christe the Sonne of God Therefore S. Paule saithe Christus est Splendor Gloriae Character Substantiae Dei Christe is the Brightnesse of the Glorie and the expresse Image of the Substance of God S. Augustine saithe Tu quomodò contingis Deum Quia Verbum Caro factum est habitauit in nobis Howe doest thou touche God He answeareth Bicause the Woorde became Fleashe and dwelte in vs. Againe he saithe Si Christus sic veniret vt Deus non agnosceretur If Christe came so as he is God noman coulde knovve him S. Gregorie saithe Dominus murus nobis non esset si forinsecùs non fuisset Intus nos non protegeret si exteriùs non appareret Our Lorde were no wal vnto vs if he had not benne in the Fourme of Man He coulde not inwardely defende vs if he had not outvvardely appeared So saithe Dionysius Si cupimus Communionem habere cum Deo oportet nos in Diuinissimam illius vitam quam egit in Carne intueri If wee desire to haue Communion with God wee muste beholde that heauenly life that he leadde in the Fleashe Thus as God is God in Maiestie and in him selfe wée vnderstande him not wee conceiue him not wee knovve him not That is to saie wee haue no fruition of him vvee eate him not Therefore S. Augustine saithe Iesum Christum secundum id quod erat Verbum apud Deum Paruuli non capiunt Quomodò ergo capiunt qui Lac capiunt Iesum Christum inquit hunc Crucifixum Suge quod pro te factus est cresces ad id quod est Litle ones vnderstande not Iesus Christe accordinge to that he was the Woorde with the Father How then doo they receiue him y◠receiue milke S. Paule saithe they receiue Iesus Christe Crucified Sucke that thinge that he vvas made for thee and thou shalt growe to that he is Thus in the Holy Mysteries there is represented vnto vs not the Diuine Nature of Christe whereby he is Equal to the Father But his Death and Humilitie whereby he abased him selfe and was made Equal vnto vs. This is the Spiritual Meate and Drinke and the onely feedinge of the Soule ◠Thereof S. Paule saithe As often as ye shal eate of this Breade and drinke of this Cuppe ye shal publishe not the Diuine Nature or Godhedde but the Lordes Deathe vntil he comme So saithe Hesychius Comedimus hunc Cibum sumentes eius memoriam Passionis Wee Eate this Foode receiuinge the memorie not of his glorie but of his Passion So saith S. Ambrose Quia Morte Domini liberati sumus huius rei memores in Edēdo Potando Carnem Sanguinem quae pro nobis oblata sunt significamus Bicause wee are deliuered by our Lordes Deathe beinge mindeful thereof in Eatinge and Drinkinge VVe Signifie or Represente the Fleashe and Bloude that vvere offered vp for vs. Thus in the Holy Mysteries wee Eate and Drinke the Sacramente of Christe Crucified in the Humilitie of his Fleashe But his Diuine Nature in Godhed and Maiestie cannot be Represented or expressed by any Sacramentes It was al vaine and loste laboure for you M. Hardinge so earnestly to proue that Christes Body quickeneth and geuéeth life Wee knowe it Wée Confesse it Wée féele it Christe him selfe saithe it I am the Breade of Life He that eateth
Fornicationem non esse peccatum Martinus de Magistris in suo libro De Temperantia quaestione secunda de Luxuria dicit se fateri Fornicationem Simplicem esse Peccatum Mortale Tamen dicit insuper quòd oppositum credere non sit Haereticum quia vt dicit Testimonia Scripturae Sacrae non sunt expressa The Greekes as Guido chargeth them saie that Simple Fornication is no Sinne. Martinus de Magistris in his Booke Of Temperance and in the seconde question disputinge of Lecherie graunteth in deede that Simple Fornication is deadly Sinne. And yet he saithe It is no Heresie to beleeue the contrarie for that as he saithe the Testimonies of the Scriptures touching this mater are not plaine Here M. Hardinge ye haue your owne Doctours minde Martinus saithe It is no Heresie to beleeue that Simple Fornication is no Sinne And this he saithe euen in the very same Booke that he hath written De Temperantia So daungerously M. Hardinge and so shamefully are we deceiued in alleginge your Peltinge Doctours And therefore Alphonsus concludeth thus Sed cum pace illius dixerim ego credo Martinum alioqui virum Doctum in hac parte errasse But to speake with his fauour I beleeue that Martinus de Magistris in this behalfe was mutche deceiued M. Hardinge After this fowle lye foloweth an other Let him remember say these Defenders that they be his men that haue decreed that a priest for fornication ought not to be remoued from his cure To this we may saye that although he be not depriued of his cure yet he may be punished other wise But let vs see how they would proue that they saye By their note in their margent they send vs for proufe to the canon lawe 3. quaest 7. Lata Extra de bigamis Quia circa As touching the chapter Lata in the decrees we finde none suche And in Causa 3. quast 7. there is nothinge to this purpose The paragraphe Quia circa Extra is vnderstanded of them who being in the state of bigamie are not to be promoted to holy orders and not of one who is already made priest that he be not for Fornication remoued But to vnderstande what was donne to a priest that had committed fornication by order of lawe in case any Bishop or priest or deacon after degree of deaconship taken had benne conuict of fornication or aducutrie he was deposed and castout of the Churche and enioined to doo penaunce amonge the lartie VVhiche thinge S. Syluester at length mercifully changed enioininge ten yeres penaunce after a prescript forme whiche to oure newe cleregie woulde seeme very harde and straite Yea further the lawe of the Churche in this case so litle beareth with the sinnefull life of Clerkes that if any Bishop in his Dioces had consented and borne with the fornication of Priestes or Deacons or with the crime of incest for money or praier or had not by Auctoritie of his Bishoply Office duly punished sutche faultes committed the same shoulde be suspended from his Office And this muche wee haue shewed touchinge the remouinge of a Prieste not onely from his benefice but also from his office for cause of fornication wherein these menne moste falsely haue slaundered the Churche as now to any man it may appeere The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge ye shewe your selfe to be mutche vnskilful in your owne Canons The simpleste Proctour in your Courtes coulde soone haue tolde you that yee are ouer farre deceiued For thus it is written by expresse woordes in your owne Glose vpon the Decrees Dicunt neminem hodiè propter Fornicationem esse deponendum nisi in ea perdurat They saie that for Fornication noman ought this daie to be deposed onlesse he continewe in the same And leste ye shoulde in any wise mistrust or doubte your Glose it is also thus noted of pourpose in faire great letters in the Margine Fornicationis causa hodiè nemo est deponendus Novv a daies noman maie be deposed for Fornication Were there nothinge els to be saide yet this thinge onely were sufficiente But Panormitane also your greateste Canoniste like wise saithe Ad varietatē temporū debent mutari statuta humana Ideò hodie ex Simplici Fornicatione Clericus non deponitur The Lawes of Menne ought to be altered accordinge to the change of times And therefore nowe a daies for Simple Fornication no Prieste is deposed from his benefice Likewise ye haue it noted vpon your Decrees Communiter dicitur quod pro Simplici Fornicatione Clericus deponi non debet Quia pauci sine illo vitio inueniuntur It is commonly saide that for Simple Fornication no Prieste ought to be depriued For that fevve Priestes are founde vvithout that faulte Againe Panormitane saithe to like effecte Clericus Concubinarius in officijs vitandus non est nisi sit notorius A Prieste that keepeth a Concubine onlesse he be notorious maie not be refused in his Seruice Sundrie other sutche like Authorities your pooreste Proctoure coulde haue brought you Howe be it you saie S. Syluester in sutche cases enioineth tenne yeeres penance This was true in deede M. Hardinge But it was true in Olde forne yeeres aboute twelue hundred yeeres agoe Nowe Syluester is paste quite out of minde and his Lawe with him Your owne folke nowe can saie Nunc aliud tempus alij pro tempore mores Martinus Poenitentiarius saith Ecclesia multos huiusmodi Canones exufflauit quia onerosi sunt The Churche hathe blowen awaie many sutche Canons for that thei be too burthenous Looke better on your Bookes M. Hardinge Your owne Lawe saithe Fornicationis causa nemo hodiè deponendus est Quia corpora hodiè sunt fragiliora Noman nowe a daies ought to be depriued for Fornication and that bicause our bodies are frailer then they were woonte to be And therefore touchinge that cruel tenne yeeres Faste appointed by Syluesters Constitution the Glose there saithe thus Potest ieiunare per alium vel potest dare numum pro Ieiunio Hee maie Paste by somme other man or els He mai geeue a good Penny and so redeeme his whole tenne yeeres Faste But there is graciousely added a special prouiso In the behalfe of him that shal receiue this Penny Sed debet iste Donarius esse talis quòd non euincatur ab illo cui donatur Alias non contingeret liberatio But it muste be sutche a Penny that it be neuer euicted againe by Lawe from him that receiued it Otherwise he shoulde not be discharged of his penance In like manner saithe Pope Pelagius Defectus nostri temporis quibus corpora ipsa hominum defecerunt districtionis illius non patitur manere censuram The weakenesse of our time by meane whereof the very bodies of menne are decaied doothe not suffer the rigoure of that Lawe to continewe Otho Bonus in his Constitution Legantine saithe Remoueant ipsas
To make shorte ye haue also of great prouidence diuised a special Premunire to embolden your Priestes in Fornication and to warrante them free from al daunger of any your Lawes made in that behalfe For thus you saie Si Laicus instigante Diabolo accuset Clericum incontinentiae statim repellitur Laici in accusatione Episcopi audiendi non sunt If a Laieman by the instigation of the Diuel accuse a Prieste of incontinent life streight waie he is thruste backe and put to silence The Late sorte maie not be hearde in the accusation of a Bishop And againe Laicus non potest Clericum de Fornicatione accusare A Laieman maie not accuse a Prieste of Fornication This i◠that extremitie and vnmerciful rigoure M. Hardinge that ye shewe your Priestes in these cases No Laieman maie accuse them No Bishop maie depriue them No Lavve maie touche them M. Hardinge The thirde lye is that Cardinal Campegius Albertus Pighius and certaine others haue taught that a Prieste liueth more Holily and more Chastely that keepeth a Concubine then he that hathe taken a wife in Matrimonie VVhy doo ye not tell vs where they haue taught so VVill ye that wee beleeue your bare woorde Howe can wee hauinge taken you tardy in so many and so manifestlye◠Aristotel once asked ▪ what a common lyer gained by his lyeinge that quoth hee when he telleth truthe no man will beleeue him VVisedome woulde syrs ▪ yee tooke good heede that yee proue not suche gayners Nowe wee require you to bringe foorthe proufe of that ye charge these learned menne withal VVee are sure ye cannot The woordes of Pighius be these But put case saithe hee they whiche haue vowed chastitie all doo not that they maie and ought to doo to atteine the grace of continencie and therefore they be not onely tempted but also ouercome with temptation for the more parte VVhat then Shall it be a lesse euill for them to marie For to saie it is better thou maiest not whiche the Apostle imputeth to damnation if they breake their firste Faithe For these I saie shall it be lesse euill and lesse damnable to marie then to be ouercome with lustes Therefore where ye impute vnto him that he maketh the kepinge of a Concubine to be a more Holy and a more chaste life in a Prieste then takinge of a wife in Matrimonie it is a fowle lie and a false slaunder Neither is there in that Doctrine any filthinesse at al whiche Philip Melanchthon whom here ye folow chargeth him withall Touchinge that pointe of doctrine it selfe S. Paule confirmeth it to whom the Mariage of those that be bounde to vowe of continencie seemed so wicked and hainous a Sinne that he pronounceth the will to marie to be damnable Now your coniunctions with your yokefellowes we meane onely so many of you as haue vowed Chastitie are not in deede VVedlockes but Incestuous Aduoutries And righte so we finde them named by Cyprian Basil Chrysostome Ambrose Hierome Photius and other Holy and learned Fathers But perhaps ye saie bothe are Aduoutries whether a vowed person Marie or committe Fornication Let it be so Yet is not that sinne more greeuous which a man committeth of set and determined purpose then that which he falleth into by humaine frailtie And that euill which contineweth is it not muche worse then that which hath intermission and no ende The B. of Sarisburie The Apologie saithe that Campegius Pighius and others moe of your side haue tolde vs that a Prieste kéepinge a Concubine liueth more Holily and more Chastely then a Prieste that hath a wife and liueth in Matrimonie Here ye crie out as your woonte is Sclaunders Lies foule lies and I knowe not what For thus onely they saie saie you That Fornication in this case is lesse il then Mà tris monie How be it M. Hardinge laieinge al Cauilles and shiftes aside the lesse il in vse of speache is commonly called the greatter good And in this sense it is written Better it is to Die then to wante And againe Better is the iniquitie of a Man then a woman dooinge wel So Ionas saithe Deathe vnto me is better then Life So S. Peter saithe Better had it benne for them not to haue knowen the waie of righteousnesse then knowinge the same to be turned backe from the Holy Commaundemente that is geuen vnto them These and other like phrases are often vsed in the Holy Scriptures not for that Deathe or Iniquitie or Ignorance of Goddes Iustice be good in deede but for that in comparison of other woorse thinges they seeme to importe somme lesse il Fornication ye saie is not better then Mariage But Mariage is vvoorse then Fornication Thus it seemeth you good to shadowe your maters by shifte of woordes from vvoorse to better and from better to vvoorse And yet in al plaine mennes iudgementes If Mariage be vvoorse then Fornication then is Fornication better then Mariage But to lette you vnderstande wée haue dealte simply and plainely herein Hulderichus the Bishop of Augusta in Germanie writinge vnto Pope Nicolas againste the restrainte of Priestes Mariage aboue seuen hundred yeeres paste vseth like manner of speache as wee haue vsed Thus he saithe Huius imperij ne dicam confilij tam fatuam tamque turpem addunt suggestionem vt dicant Honestius est Pluribus occultè implicari quà m apertè in hominum vultu conscientia cum vna ligari Quod profectò non dicerent si ex illo in illo essent qui dicit Vae vobis Pharisaeis qui omnia facitis propter homines Vnto this commaundemente I wil not saie vnto this Counsel they sette so foolishe and so shameful a suggestion that they saie It is an Honester thinge for a Prieste to be entangled vvith many Concubines in Secrete and priuily then Openly and in the light and knovvledge of the vvorlde to be ioined in Mariage vvith one VVife Whiche thinge Verit they woulde not vtter if they were either of him or in him that saithe Woe be vnto you ye Phariseis that doo al thinges to please menne In like sorte the Councel of VVormes wrote sommetime againste Pope Hildebrande for that he had diuised greate rigoure tyrannie to sunder Priestes from theire Wiues Scorta pudicis Coniugibus Stupra incestus adulteria casto Connubio praefert He pleaceth strumpettes before honeste Wiues and Fornication Inceste Aduoutesie before chaste Mariage Notwithstandinge your Doctoure Hosius saithe Turpis Philippo videtur haec oratio Catholicis autem honestissima These woordes vnto Philip Melancthon seeme shameful but vnto the Catholiques they seeme moste Honeste What néede wée many woordes in so cleare a case The whole practise of your Churche M. Hardinge professeth the same If a Prieste marie a Wife ye Suspende him ye Excommunicate him ye Depriue him ye Disquiet and trouble the whole Churche But if he kéepe a Concubine one twoo or moe yée
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
of Sisters and Brothers there wanted not menne whiche forged false tales vpon the same saieinge that the Christians made no difference amonge them selues either of age or of kinde but like brute beastes without regarde had to doo one with an other And whereas to praie and to heare the Gospel they mette often togeather in secrete and byplaces bicause Rebelles sometime were woonte to doo yâ— like therefore Rumours were euery were spreadde abroade that they made priuie confederacies tooke counsel togeather either to kil the Magistrates or to subuerte the Common Wealthe And whereas in Celebratinge the Holy Mysteries after Christes Institution they tooke Breade and VVine thei were therefore thought of many to woorship not Christe but Bacchus and Ceres for somuche as those vaine Goddes were woorshipped of the Heathen in like sorte after a prophane Superstition with Breade VVine These thinges were beleeued of many not bicause thei were true in deede for what coulde be more vntrue but bicause they were like to bee true and through a certaine shadowe of truthe mighte the more easily deceiue the simple On this fashon likewise doo these menne sclaunder vs as Heretiques and saie that wee haue leafte the Churche and Felowship of Christe not bicause thei thinke it is true for they doo not mutche force of that but bicause to ignoraunte folke it mighte perhaps somme waie appeare true Wee haue in deede put oure selues aparte not as Heretiques are woonte from the Churche of Christe but as al good menne oughte to doo from the infection of naughty personnes and Hypocrites Neuerthelesse in this pointe they triumphe maruciloully that they bee the Churche that their Churche is Christes Spouse the Piller of Truthe the Arke of Noe and that without it there is no hope of Saluation Contrariewise they saie that wee bee Renegates that we haue torne Christes seate that wee are plucked quite of from the Body of Christe haue foresaken the Catholique Faithe And when they leaue nothinge vnspoken that maie neuer so falsely and malitiousâ—y be saide againste vs yet this one thinge are they neuer hable truely to saie that we haue swarued either from the Woorde of God or from the Apostles of Christe or from the Primitiue Churche Surely wee haue euer iudged the Primitiue Churche of Christes time of the Apostles and of the Holy Fathers to be the Catholique Churche neither make wee doubte to name it Noes Arke Christes Spouse the Piller and vpholder of al Truthe nor yet to fixe therein the whole meane of oure Saluation It is doubtlesse an odious mater for one to leaue the felowship whereunto he hathe benne accustomed and specially of those menne whoe though they be not yet at leaste seeme to be and be called Christians And to saie truely wee doo not despise the Churche of these men how so euer it be ordered by them now a daies partely for the names sake it selfe and partely for that the Gospel of Iesus Christe hath once benne therein truely and purely set â—oorthe Neither had we departed therefrom but of very necessitie and mutche againste our willes M. Hardinge VVee graunt that in olde time slaunders were made vpon the Faithefull But no like slaunder is made by vs vpon you in the matter whereof ye speake For let vs graunt that ye haue in deede put your selues aparte and are gone from the contagion of naughtie persons and Hypocrites This is the very thinge we laie to your charge For though we were suche as for a great number ye shall neuer be able to prooue yet by Christes owne sentence ye muste doo that whiche they that sit in the chaire of Moses bid you doo although they be Hypocrites as the Scribes and Phariseis were of whome Christe spake c. But it shal be inoughe for you to doo as the Successours of Peter bid you to doo and so to folowe their saieinges and not their dooinges The Primitiue Churche is continewed with our time by the Successours of S. Peter for whose Faithe neuer to faile Christe praied and whome onely he made Shepeherde to feede all his Flocke of Sheepe and Lambes Christe now requireth of you not to obeie Peter and Paule but to obeie him who sitteth in their chaire VVhere ye saie it is an odious matter to forsake vs and yet haue foresaken vs where ye confesse that ye despise not the Churche we be of and yet graunt that ye haue departed from it how standeth this togeather Remember ye what ye saie Knowe ye what ye doo VVho will regarde your woorde whiche with one breathe saie and vnsaie If it be odious why doo ye it If ye despise not the Churche why departe ye from it The B. of Sarisburie Christe saithe The Scribes and Phariseis sitte in Moses Chaire Doo that they saie but doo not that they doo Ergo saie you Wee maie not departe awaie from the Pope How so euer it fare with your Conclusion M. Hardinge verily in your premisses yée compare the Pope and his Cardinalles with the Scribes and Phariseis And yet the Scribes and Phariseis sate in the Chaire and taught the Lavve Your Pope and Cardinalles sitte stil and teache nothinge Notwithstandinge let vs wel allowe of this Comparison Ye maie remember that Christe also saithe Woe be vnto you yee Scribes and Phariseis that shutte vp the Kingedome of Heauen before menne and neither doo you enter in your selues nor wil you suffer other that faine woulde enter Woe be vnto you yee blinde Guides Woe be vnto you that haue taken awaie the keie of Knovvledge Likewise he saithe of them vnto his Disciples Beware of the leauen of the Scribes and Phariseis Let them goe Blinde they are and the Leaders of the blinde To sitte in Moses Chaire was truely and rightly to instructe the people and to open vnto them the Lawe of Moses S. Augustine saithe Hoc ipsum quòd bona dicebant ea quae dicebant vtiliter audiebantur fiebant non erat ipsorum Cathedram enim inquit Mosi sedent That they spake good thinges vnto the people and that the thinges that they saide were profitable to the hearers and dooers of the same it was not of them selues For Christe saithe They sitte vpon Moses Chaire Againe he saithe Sedendo super Cathedram Mosis legem Dei docent Ergo per illos Deus docet Sua verò illi si velint docere nolite audire nolite facere Certè enim tales sua quaerunt non quae Iesu Christi Sittinge vpon Moses Chaire they teache the Lawe of God Therefore it is God that teacheth by the meane of them But if they wil teache you thinges of their owne then heare them not then doo it not For certainely sutche menne seeke their owne and not the thinges that perteine to Christe Jesus Ye sée therefore M. Hardinge wée are bounde to heare the Pope and his Cardinalles and other like Scribes and Phariseis not absolutely or without
the Lordes Supper vnto Christes Institution and haue made it a Communion in very deede common and indifferent to a greate number accordinge to the name But these menne haue chaunged al thinges contrarie to Christes Institution and haue made a Priuate Masse of the Holy Communion And so it commeth to passe that we geeue the Lordes Supper vnto the people and thei greue them a vaine Pagent to gase vpon Wee affirme togeather with the Ancient Fathers that the Body of Christe is not eaten but of the good Faithful and of those that are endued with the Sprite of Christe Theire Doctrine is that Christes very Body Effectually and as thei speake Really and Substantially maie not onely be eaten of the wicked and vnfaithful menne but also whiche is monstrous and horrible to be spoken of Mise and Dogges We vse to praie in our Churches after that fashion as according to Paules lesson the people maie knowe what wee praie and maie answeare Amen with a general consent These menne like soundinge Metal yelle oute in the Churches vnknowen and strange woordes without vnderstandinge without knowledge and without deuotion yea and doo it of pourpose bicause the people should vnderstande nothinge at al. M. Hardinge As comparison can not duely be made betweene Lighte and Darkenes betweene Truthe and Lieing betwene Christe and Belial so neither betwene the Catholike Churche and startinge holes of Heretiques You saie muche and proue nothinge The moste ye haue to crake of whiche yee haue neuer doone withal is youre ministringe of bothe kindes vnto the people youre newe founde holy daie the Englishe Communion your Seruice in the vulgare tonge â–ª and your vile obiection of Mise and Dogges This is the storeboxe of M. Iuelles high Diuinitie whiche he maketh no greate store of but shaketh it abroade euery where To euery pointe I haue saide so mutche as is yenough to staie the hartes of those that feare God in mine answeare to M. Iuelles chalenge To the mater of bothe kindes and the obiection made out of Gelasius in the seconde article To that of Priuate Masse in the firste article To al that is saide for the Churche Seruice in the vulgare tongue in the thirde Article To the obiection of Mise Dogges and VVormes in the 23. Article The same here to reherse againe I thinke it nedeles But where ye affirme the Body of Christe not to bee eaten but of the good and faithful onely if ye meane the Sacramental eating so as it is eaten vnder the Sacrament in the visible forme of Bread and VVine and not of the Spiritual eating onely that is false In that ye saie the Fathers be on your side meaninge the * Sacramental eatinge ye belie them And so like wise reporting our Doctrine to be that wicked and vnfaithful menne maie eate the Body of * Christe effectually ye beâ—â—e vs. VVe teache that the euil maie eate the Body of Christe Really that is in deede but not effectually They onely eate effectually who eatinge it worthely obteine the effecte of Christes Body VVhiche is the vnitie of the mystical body of Christe and increace of grace There is verely saithe S. Gregorie in sinners and in them whiche receiue vnworthely the true Fleashe of Christe and his true Bloude sed essentia non salubri efficentia but in substance not in holesome effecte That euil menne receiue the true Body of Christe Sacramentally no lesse then good where I might alleage in manner al the Olde Fathers S. Augustine only maie suffice who affirmeth the same speakinge thus of Iudas Tolerat ipse Dominus Iudam diabolum furem venditorem suum finit accipere inter innocentes Discipulos quod norunt fideles pretium nostrum Our Lorde him selfe doth tolerate Iudas and suffereth a Deuil a Thefe and him that solde him to receiue amongest his innocent Disciples our Price whiche the Faithful doo knowe But what nede any man to require the testimonies of Fathers sithe S. Paule teacheth vs so to beleue VVho so euer saithe he eateth this Bread and drinketh of the Cuppe of our Lorde vnworthely he shalâ—e gilty of the Body and Bloude of our Lorde The B. of Sarisburie There is no better comparison to bee made M. Hardinge then bitweene Light and Darkenesse Truthe and Falsehed Christe and Belial For one of these contraries doothe euermore bewraie the other And therefore Christe saithe He that doothe il hateth the Light and commeth not to it leste his euil dooinges shoulde bee espied And this is it M. Hardinge that you so carefully keepe the people from the Lighte of Goddes vvoorde leste by comparison thereof they shoulde beginne to lothe youre Darkenesse Plinie saithe Tritico reperto continuò damnatum est Hordeum quadrupedum refectibus traditum As soone as VVheate was once founde by comparison thereof streight waie Barly was refused and geuen to Cattel to feede vpon S. Cyprian saithe Haec est frater vera dementia non cogitare quòd mendacia non diu fallant Noctem tam diu esse donec illucescat dies This is very mere madnesse my Brother not to consider that lies cannot longe deceiue the world RemeÌ„ber it is Night no lenger but vntil the Daie spring And therefore Chrysostome saithe as it is alleged before Haeretici claudunt Ianuas Veritatis Heretiques shut vp the Gates of the Truthe For they knowe right wel if the Truthe maie appeare theire falsehedde wil soone be espied and the Churches shal be none of theires Tertullian saithe Ipsa Doctrina Haereticorum cum Apostolica comparata ex diuersitate contrarietate sua pronuntiabit neque Apostoli alicuius Authoris esse neque Apostolici Viri The very Doctrine of Heretiques compared togeather with the Apostles Doctrine euen by the diuersitie and contrarietie that is in it beareth witnesse of it selfe that it neuer came neither from any Apostle of Christe nor from any Apostolique Man When the Emperoure Adrianus hadde yeelded to graunte the Christians one Church within the Cittie of Rome certaine of his Priuie Counsel aduised him in any wise not so to doo For that they saide if the Christians might haue but one Churche within the Cittie the whole people woulde becomme Christians and by comparison thereof theire Idolles Churches should be forsaken Restore you the Holy Communion M. Hardinge and ye shal see youre Masses and Mockeries soone falle to grounde as did the Idole Dagon at the presence of the Arke of God S. Hierome saithe Mendacium Antichristi Christi veritas deuorabit The Truthe of Christe shal deuoure and consume the Lieinge of Antichriste Touchinge the Shakinge out of Stoareboxes yee hadde no greate cause to complaine For there is not one of al these maters one onely of Priuate Masse excepted that hitherto throughout this Apologie hathe to my remembraunce benne touched or mentioned more then once But it is a smal mater M. Hardinge that maie
Doctrine did Shaxtonâ— did Campegius did Bishop Audley Briefly did euer any Bishop of that See before you teache your Doctrine It is moste certaine they did not If you cannot shewe your Bishoply Petigree if you can proue no Succession then whereby holde you VVil you shewe vs the Letters Patentes of the Prince VVel may they stande you in some steede before men before God who shal cal you to accoumpt for preswninge to take the Highest office in his Churche not duely called thereto they shal serue you to no propose You know what Tertullian saithe of sutch as ye be EdaÌ„t Origines Ecclesiarum suarum c. VVe saye likewise to you M. Iewel and that we saye to you we saye to eche one of your Companions Tel vs the Original and firste springe of your Churche She we vs the Register of your Bishoppes continually succedinge one an other from the beginninge so as that firste Bishop haue some one of the Apostles or of the Apostolike men for his Authour and Predecessour For by this waye the Apostolike Churches shewe what reputation they be of As the Churche of Smyrnae telleth vs of Polycarpe by Iohn the Apostle placed there The Churche of the Romaines telleth vs of Clement ordeined by Peter S. Augustine hauinge reckened vp in order the Bishoppes of Rome to An astasius Successour to Siricius who was the Eighte and thirteth after Peter saithe that in al that Number and rolle of Bishoppes there is not founde One that was a Donatisie and thereof he concludeth Ergo the Donatistes be not Catholikes So after that wee haue reckened al the Bishoppes of Salisburie from Bishop Capon vpwarde we shal come at length in respecte of Doctrine and Orders to S. Augustine the Apostle of the Englishe who was made Bishop by Gregorie and from Gregorie vpwarde to S. Peter And in al that rewe of Bishops wee shal finde neuer a one that beleued as M. Iewel beleueth Ergo your Zwinglian and Caluinian Belefe M. Iewel and of the rest of your felowes is not Catholike Therefore to go from your Succession whiche ye cannot proue and to come to your Vocation how saie you Syr You beare your selfe as though you were Bishop of Salisburie But howe can you proue your Vocation By what Authoritie Vsurpe you the Administration of Doctrine and Sacramentes VVhat can you alleage for the right and Proufe of your Ministerie who hathe called you VVho hathe laide handes on you By what example hathe he done it Howe and by whom are you consecrated VVho hathe sent you VVho hathe committed to you thâ—ffice you take vpon you Be you a Prieste or be you not If you be no â–ª how dare you Vsurpe the name and Office of a Bishop If you be tel vs who gaue you Orders The Institution of a Prieste was neuer yet but in the Power of a Bishop Bishoppes haue alwaies after the Apostles time accordinge to the Ecclesiastical Canons ben consecrated by three other Bishoppes with the consente of the Metropolitane and confirmation * of the Bishop of Rome Macarius a Prieste of Athanasius as it was laide to his Charge by his accusers pulled Ischyras froÌ„ the Aulâ—ar as he was at Masse ouerthrew the Holy Table brake the Chalice The matter brought to iudgement Athanasius and those Bishops both denied the facte and also though it were graunted yet defended the same as wel done because Ischyras was not a lawful Minister of the Churche And why so bicause he was not lawfully made Prieste nor with Churchely laieing on of handes coÌ„secrated By which example besides other pointes wee are taught what to iudge of your pretensed CoÌ„munion Againe what saye you to Epiphanius who writeth againste one Zacchaeus of his time for that beinge but a Laye man with wicked Presumption tooke vpon him to * handle the Holy Mysteries and rashely to do the office of a Prieste Hereof S. Hierome saâ—the not ably Hilarius cùm Diaconus de Ecclesia recesserit c. Hilary for asmutche as he went from the Churche beinge a Deacon and is onely as he thinketh the multitude of the worlde can neither consecrate the Sacramente of Th aulter beinge without Bishops and Priestes nor deliuer Baptisme without the â—uchariste And whereas nowe the man is deade with the man also the secte is ended because beinge a Deacon he coulde not consecrate any Clerke that shoulde remaine after him And Churche is there none whiche hath not a Prieste But lettinge goe these fewe of litle regarde that to them selues be bothe Laie and Bishoppes listen what is to be thought of the Churche Thus S. Hierome there In whome leauinge other thinges I note that if there be no Churche where is no Prieste VVhere is your Churche like to become after that our Apostates that nowe be fledde from vs to you shal be departed this Life Therefore this beinge true it remaineth M. Iewel you tel vs whether your Vocation be Ordinarie or Extraordinarie If it be Ordinarie shewe vs the letters of your Orders At least shewe vs that you haue receiued Power to doo the Office you presume to exercise by due order of laieinge on of handes and Consecration But Order and Consecration you haue not For who coulde geue that to you of al these Newe Ministers how so euer els you cal them whiche he hath not him selfe If it be Extraordinarie as al that ye haue done hitherto is besides al good Order shewe vs some Signe or Miracle If you faile in al these why ought not you to be put awaie Finally what can you answeare to that whiche maye be obiected to you out of S. Cyprians Epistle to Magnus touchinge Nouatian It was at those daies a question whether Nouatian Baptized and offered specially where as he vsed the Forme Maner and Ceremonies of the Churche Cyprian denieth it For he can not saithe he be compred a Bishop who settinge at nought the Tradition of the Gospel and of the Apostles Nemini succedens à seipso ordinatus est Succedinge no man is ordeined Bishop of him selfe For by no meanes maye one haue or holde a Churche that is not ordeined in the Churche This beinge so we doo you no wronge as ye complaine in tellinge you and declaringe to the VVorlde that touchinge the exercise of your Ministerie ye doo nothinge orderly or comely but al thinges troublesomely and without Order Onlesse ye meane suche Order and comelinesse as Theeues obsâ—rue amonge them selues in the distribution of their Robberies Lastly if ye allowe not euery man yea and euery VVoman to be a Prieste why driue ye not some of your felowes to recante that so haue Preached VVhy allow ye the Bookes of your Newe Euangelistes that so haue written The B. of Sarisburie Here hath M. Hardinge taken some paines more then ordinarie He thought if he coulde by any coloure make the worlde beléeue wee haue neither Bishoppes nor Priestes