ruleth ouer them And Pope Nicolas hath straitely commaunded vpon paine of Excommunication that no man shoulde be present to heare Masse saide by a Priest that he knoweth vndoubtedly to liue in aduoutrie How be it in déede it is not their life onely that the Churche of God is offended withal but also and specially the filthe and corruption of their Religion the oppressinge of Gods Woorde the open deceiuinge of the people and the manifest maintenance of Idolatrie And what if the Syluer of Rome be turned into Drosse What if the Citie that was Faithful be become an Harlot What if they can abide no sounde Doctrine What i◠they haue made the House of God a Caue of Theeues What if Rome be become the greate Babylon the Mother of Fornication imbrewed and dronken with the Bloud of the Sainctes of God And what if Abomination sit in the holy Place euen in the Temple of God Yet may wee not departe from thence Yet must that be the Rule and Standarde of Gods Religion Truely Christe saithe Take heede of the leauen of the Scribes and Phariseis And God him selfe saith Exite de illa populus meus ne participes sitis delictorum eius de plagis eius ne accipiatis O my people come away from her least yee be partakers of her sinnes and so receiue parte of her plagues Irenaeus saith Presbyteris illis qui sunt in Ecclesia obaudire oporter qui successionem habentab Apostolis qui cum Episcopatus successione charisma Veritatis certum secundum placitum Patris acceperunt Wee ought to obey the Bishoppes in the Churche that haue their Succession from the Apostles which togeather with the Succession of the Bishoprike haue receiued the certaine gifte of the Truthe accordinge to the wil of the Father This holy Father saith Bishops must be heard and obeied with a limitation that is not al what so euer they be or what so euer they say but that haue the vndoubted gifte of Goddes Truthe And for that M. Hardinge séemeth to claime by the Authoritie of the Scribes and Phariseis sayeinge They sit in Moses Chayre and that therefore wee ought to doo that they say S. Augustine expoundeth the same place in this sorte Sedendo in Cathedra Legem Dei docent Ergo per illos Deus docet Sua verò si illi docere velint nolite audire nolite facere By sittinge in the Chayre is meante they teache the law of God Therefore it is God that teacheth by them But if they wil teache any thinge of their owne as the Churche of Rome hath doone and yet doothe aboue number then saith S. Augustine heare it not then doo it not M. Hardinge The .23 Diuision Now that the Bishop of Rome had alwaies cure and rule ouer al other Bishops 109. speacially of them of the East for touchinge them of the weast Churche it is generally confessed beside a hundred other euident argumentes this is one very sufficient that he had in the East to doo his steede three Delegates or Vicares now commonly they be named Legates And this for the commoditie of the Bishoppes there whose Churches were farre distant from Rome The one was the Bishop of Constantinople as wee finde it mentioned In Epistola Simplicij ad Achatium Constantinopolitanum The Seconde was the Bishop of Alexandria as the Epistle of Bonifacius the Seconde to Eulalius recordeth The thirde was the Bishop of Thessalonica as it is at large declared in the 82. Epistle of Leo ad Anastasium Thessalonicensem By perusinge these Epistles euery man may see that al the Bishoppes of Grece Asia Syria Egypte and to be shorte of al the Orient rendred and exhibited their humble obedience to the Bishop of Rome and to his arbitrement referred their doubtes complaintes and causes and to him onely made their appellations The B. of Sarisburie What wée may thinke of the other Hundred proufes whiche M. Hardinge as he saith hath leafte vntouched it may the sooner appeare for that this one proufe that is here brought foorth in stéede of al is not onely vntrue but also vtterly without any shadow or coloure of truthe These authorities of Leo Symmachus and Bonifacius for as muche as they are alleged without woordes may likewise be past ouer without answeare Howbeit this Bonifacius the seconde in defence of this quarel is forced to saye that S. Augustine that Godly Father and al other the Bishops of Aphrica Numidia Pentapolis and other countreis adioyninge that withstoode the proude attempte of the Bishops of Rome and founde out their open forgerie in falsifieinge the Nicene Councel were altogeather inflamed and leadde by the Diuel But howe doothe this appeare to M. Hardinge that the Bishop of Rome had al the Bishops of the East in Subiection to vse and commaunde them as his Seruantes In what Councel was it euer Decréed it shoulde be so who subscribed it who recorded it who euer sawe suche Canons The best Plea that Pope Nicolas can make in this behalfe is that Peter was firste Bishop of Antioche and after of Rome and S. Marke his Scholar Bishop of Alexandria Hereof he thinketh it may verie wel and substantially be geathered that the Bishops of Rome ought to haue al the worlde in Subiection In déede in the counterfaite Chartar ▪ or Donation of the Emperour Constantine authoritie is geuen to the Bishop of Rome ouer the other foure Patriarkes of Antioche of Alexandria of Constantinople and of Hierusalem But the Bishops of Rome them selues and of them selues diuised and forged this Chartar and that so fondely that a verie Childe maye easily espie the folie For biside a greate number of other vntruethes at that very time when it is imagined that Chartar was drawen there was neither Patriarke nor Bishop nor Priest nor Churche in Constantinople nor the Citie it selfe yet builte nor knowen to the worlde by that name This notwithstandinge the Bishop of Rome vpon this simple title hathe besette his Miter with thrée Crownes in token that he hath the Uniuersal power ouer the thrée Diuisions of the worlde Europa Asia and Aphrica And so as the Kinge of Persia in olde tymes intitled him selfe Frater Solis Lunae euen so Pope Nicolas calleth him selfe The Prince of al Landes and Countreis But what dutie the Bishops of the East partes owed to the Bishops of Rome whosoeuer hath read and considered the storie and practise of the times may soone perceiue Firste the Councel of Nice appointed euery of the thrée Patriarkes to his seueral charge none of them to interrupte or trouble other and willed the Bishoppe of Rome as Rufinus reporteth the storie to ouersee Ecclesias Suburbanas which were the Churches within his Prouince and therefore Athanasius calleth Rome the Chiefe or Mother Citie of the Romaine Iurisdiction And for that cause the Bishops of the East in their Epistle vnto Iulius calle him their Felowe Seruante and
who at Antioche were in argument and contention concerninge liuinge after Moyses law muche more wee who are but smal and vile shal runne vnto your throne Apostolike that of you wee may haue salue for the sores of the Châ—â—ches there folow these woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id est per omnia enim vobis conuenit primas tenere That is to say For in al thinges perteininge to Faith or Religion so he meaneth it is meete that you haue the chiefe dooinges or that you haue the Primacie For your high seate or throne is endewed with many prerogatiues and priuileges The B. of Sarisburie Here might I say That this Theodorâ—t was a deadly enimy of S. Cyrillus and a Nestorian Heretique and condenmed by that name in the General Councel of Constantinople as appeareth by Euagrius Nicephorus and others Uerily although he were brought into the Councel of Chalcedon by the authoritie and fauour of the Emperour Martianus yet the Byshoppes of Illyricum Egypte and Palestine cried out against him Fides perit istum Canones eijciunt Mitte hunc foâ—as magistrum Nestorij Nolite istum dicere Episcopum Non est Episcopus Impugnatorem Dei foras mitte Haereticum foras mitte Iudaeum foras mitte The Faith is loste this man the Canons throw out Out with this felow out with Nestorius Scholemaister Cal him not Bishop He is no Bishop Out with him that fighteth against God Out with this Heretique Out with this Iewe. But I wil not vse this aduantage I iudge rather that this Theodoretus as he was a man of déepe learninge and great renoume so he was also a careful and godly Bishop As for the Nestorian Heresie he defied it in the Councel of Constantinople and openly pronounced Anathema Nestorio Accursed be Nestorius In these woordes that M. Hardinge hath here alleged he saith nothing that of our parte is denied Certainely here is not one woorde neither of the Head of the Churche nor of Uniuersal Byshop But if Theodoretus thinke S. Paule wente vp to Hierusalem either to visite Peter as the Head of the Churche as M. Hardinge seemeth to gheasse or els to be better resolued of his Doctrine as standing in some doubt whether he had thitherto preached the truthe or no then dooth he quite ouerthrow S. Paules whole meaninge For it is plaine that S. Paule knoweth not Peter for his Head but contrary wise taketh him as his equal For thus he saith Videbant mihi concreditum esse Euangelium praeputij sicut petro Circuncisionis They saw that I was put in truste with the Gospel ouer the Heathens euen as Peter was ouer the Iewes And againe Iames Peter and Iohn that seemed to be the pillers gaue vnto me and Bâ—rnabas the right handes of felowship Here wée sée betweene Peter and Paule a Couenante of equalitie and neither superioritie nor subiection And therefore S. Ambrose saith as it is before noted Inter Petrum Paulum quis cui praeponatur incertum est Between Peter and Paule whether ought to be preâ—â—rred before other I can not tel Neither wente he vp to be better informed of the Trueth as beinge doubtful of his owne Doctrine Al his reasoninge and the whole drifte of that 〈◊〉 is to the contrary For thus lie his woordes I neuer 〈◊〉 with Fleâ—she and Bloud that is to say with any man neither did I returne to Hierusalem to them 〈◊〉 had beene Apostles before me I receiued not the Gospel that I haue preached of any man but by the reuelation of Iesus Christe If any preache vnto you any other Gospel then that I haue preached accurseâ— be he They that were in chiefe regarde emonge the Apostles touchinge the Trueth of the Gospel added nothing vnto mee I withstoode Peter euen in the face and spake vnto him before al the people for he walked not vprightly but was woorthy to be blamed Hereby it may sufficiently appeare that S. Paules goeinge to Hierusalem was not to bringe from Peter a determination of any mater of Trueth that laâ— in Question as it is here supposed And therfore S. Hierome saith Ad hoc iuit Hierosoly maÌ„ vt videret Apostolum Petrum non discendi studio qui ipse eundem praedicaâ—oâ—s habereâ— authorem sed honoris priori Apostolo deferendi Paule wente to Hierusalem to the intent to see Peter the Apostle not to learne any thinge of him as hauing the same â—uthâ—ur of his preachinge that Peter had â—ut to shew reuerence vnto him thâ—t had been Apostle before hâ—m And againe Proptereà quindecim ponit dies vt ostendat non fuisse grande tempus quo poâ—uerit aliquid à Petro discere vt ad illum sensum a quo coepit cuncta referantur se non ab homine doctum esse sed a Deo Therefore he nameth fifteen daies to shew thâ—t he had no longe time that he might learne any thinge of Peter to the intente to driue al his woordes to that sense wherewith he beganne That he was tâ—ught not by man but by God Likewise saith Hugo Cardinalis a barbarous writer Secundum Literam â—struimur de mutua dilectione quam deberent habere praedicatores doctores quia Paulus venit videre Petrum quoniam bona audierat de eius doctrina Accordinge to the lâ—tter wee are here instructed of mutual loue whiche ought to be between al preachers and Doctours For Paule went to visite Peter bicause he had hearde good of his Doctrine But what can be so plaine as that is written by Chrysostome touchinge the same His woordes be these Paulus nihil opus habebat Petro nec eius egebat voce sed honoâ—e par erat illâ— nihil enim hîc dicam amplius Pauâ—e had no neede of Peter neither needed he to be taught at his mouthe but he was equal to him in honour I wil say no more And immediatly after Sicut nunc multi fratrum nostroruÌ„ ad viros sanctos proficiscunturâ—â—odem affectu tunc Paulus ad Petrum profectus est Like as now a daies many of our Brethren goe to holy men so then with like affection wente Paule vnto Peter As for the reast that the Bishop of Rome had an estimation and a credite and a prerogatiue before others it is not denied For of the foure Patriarkes he had the first place bothe in Councel and out of Councel and therefore the greatest authoritie direction of maters in al assemblies And this was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To haue the firste or highest roume and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A dignâ—tie or priuilege Whiche woordes M. Hardinge hath noted in the Margin Here M. Hardinge séemeth to reason thus The Bishoppe of Rome had a priuilege or dignitie aboue others Ergo He was an Vniuersal Bishop This Argument concludeth A genere ad speciem affirmatiuè and as M. Hardinge knoweth was neuer allowed in any Schooles Likewise he séemeth to say Paule wente vp to Hierusalem to
yet Goddes highe goodnesse hath so ordeined as eche thing may be prouided for according to his owne condition and nature Therfore where as mankinde dependeth most of sense and receiueth al learninge and institution of sensible thinges therefore it hath neede of a man to be a gouernour and ruler whome it may perceiue by outwarde sense And euen so the Sacramentes by whiche the Grace of God is geuen vnto vs in consideration of mannes nature beinge so made of God as it is are ordeined in thinges sensible Therefore it was behooueful this gouernement of the Churche to be committed to one man whiche at the firste was Peter and afterwarde â—che successour of Peter for his time as is afore declared Neither can this one man haue this power of any consent or companie of men but it is necessarie he haue it of God .104 For to ordeine and appointe the Vicare of Christ it perteineth to none other then to Christe For where as the Churche and al that is of the Churche is Christes as wel for other causes as specially for that we are bought with a greate price euen with his Bloude as S. Paule saithe howe can it perteine to any other then to him to institute and appointe to him selfe a vicare that is one to doo his steede The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge standeth very longe in discoursinge this mater by natural reason â–ª And for that he knewe S. Augustine saithe Si ratio contra Diuinarum Scripturarum authoritatem redditur quamlibet acuta sit fallit verisimilitudine Nam veta esse non potest If natural reason be alleged against the authoritie of the holy Scriptures be it neuer so suttle it beguileth menne by a likenes or colour of the Trueth for true it cannot be And for that he also sawe the reasons he hath brought are very simple and carrie no weight he hath therefore thrust a great many of them in a thronge togeather bothe to fil the Hearers senses also that the one might the better aide the other For his entrie in mirthe and game he calleth vs Gospellers God open the eies of his harte that he may sée the brightnesse of Goddes Gospel and consider what it is that he hath refused Surely it is an horrible thing for a Christian man thus to make mockerie of the Gospel of Christe S. Paule saithe Si opertum est Euangelium in illis qui pereunt est opertum If the Gospel be couered it is couered from them that perishe It misliketh him that we builde the vnitie of the Churche vpon Christe onely and not also vpon the Pope and this he calleth these New Gospellers Doctrine God be thanked these Gospellers haue good warrant for their Doctrine S. Paule saithe Eum dedit Caput super omnia ipsi Ecclesiae quae est Corpus eius God hath geuen Christe to be Heade ouer al euen to the Churche whiche is his Bodie And againe Ille est Caput qui dat salutem Corpori Christe is the Heade that geueth health vnto the Bodie Christe is our peace Al we are one in Christe Iesu. Therefore S. Gregorie saithe Nos quoque à vobis non longè sumus quoniam in illo qui vbique est vnum sumus Agamus ergo â—i gratias qui solutis inimicitijs in Carne sua fecit vt in omni orbe terrarum vnus esset Grex vnum Ouile sub se Vno Pastore We are not farre away from you bicause in him that is euery where we are al one Therefore let vs geue him thankes that enemitie beinge broken in his Fleashe hath caused that in al the worlde there shoulde be one Flocke and one Folde vnder him selfe beinge the one Shepehearde These places and infinite other like are good warrantes of our Doctrine Nowe if M. Hardinge be hable by the Scriptures or Holy Doctours to say as muche for the Bishop of Rome that he is the Heade of the Churche that is to say the Heade of Christes Bodie or that the Church receiueth influence or health from him Or that he is our Peace or that we are al one in him or that al the worlde is one Flocke and one Folde and he the one Sheepehearde Or that S. Paule as he saide There is one Lorde one Faithe one Baptisme so he saide also There is one Pope then haue we some cause to thinke accordinge to M. Hardinges fantasie that the vnitie of the whole Churche is founded and builte vpon the Pope Certainely it seemeth S. Augustine woulde not geue this priuilege vnto S. Paule His woordes be plaine Nec Paulus radix eorum erat quos plantauerat sed ille potius qui ait Ego sum vitis vos estis Sarmenta Caput etiam eorum quomodo esse poterat cum dicat Nos omnes vnum esse Corpus in Christo ipsumque Christum Caput esse vniuersi Corporis Neither was Paule the roote of them whome he had planted but rather he that saith I am the vine and you are the sprigges But the Heade of them how coulde he be seeinge he him selfe saithe Al we in Christe are one Bodie and That of the whole Bodie Christe him selfe is the Heade If S. Paule as S. Augustine saithe coulde not be Heade of the Churche howe may we then thinke that the Bishop of Rome may be Heade of the Churche But mankinde saithe M. Hardinge dependeth moste of sense Therefore the whole Churche must haue one man to rule and gouerne ouer it and that man is Peters successour and Christes Vicare in Earthe I maruel that none of the Olde Fathers coulde euer vnderstande either the necessitie of this reason or this special name and title of Christes Uicare How be it one true woorde M. Harding hath vttered amongst many others that is that to apointe Christe Uicare it perteineth onely vnto Christe and to none other Of whiche grounde we may wel reason thus Christe neuer ordeined nor appointed nor once named the Bishop of Rome or his Successoure to be his Uicare that is to be an Uniuersal Bishop ouer the whole Churche therefore by M. Hardinges owne position the Bishop of Rome hath of longe time vsurped a power againste Christe without Commission and in déede is not Christes Uicare S. Hierome saithe generally of al Bishoppes Nouerint Episcopi se magis Consuetudine quà m dispositionis Dominicae Veritate Presbyteris esse maiores Lette Bishoppes vnderstande that they be greater then the priestes by order and Custome of the Churche and not by the trueth of Goddes ordinance If Christe as S. Hierome saithe appointed not one priest aboue an other howe then is it likely he appointed one Priest to be as M. Hardinge saithe Prince and ruler ouer al Priestes throughout the whole worlde As for the Uniuersal supplieinge of Christes roome Tertullian saithe The Holy Ghoste is Christes Vicare For thus he writeth Sedet ad dextram Dei Patris misit Vicariam vim
not amisse to submitte him selfe and to aske counsel of other Bishoppes Therefore this saieinge of M. Hardinges neither is vniuersally true nor prooueth his purpose For if he wil saye Some menne in cases of doubte sought to Rome for counsel Ergo the Bishop there was called the Heade of the Churche this Conclusion will hardely folowe Kinge Iosias in a greate case of Religion sent to a woman named Olda the wife of Sellum to knowe her Counsel And it was a prouerbe emonge the Iewes Qui interrogat interroget in Abila Who so wil seeke Councel let him seeke it in Abila Yet neither was Olda the Heade of the Churche nor Abila the chiefe towne in Israel or Iuda But al the worlde saithe M. Hardinge hath receiued lighte from Rome But al the worlde seethe this is an other manifest vntrueth and neuerthelesse beinge graunted yet woulde it not conclude of his side In deede in a kinde of speache bothe Rome and Antioche and Alexandria and any other greate Cittie famous for Religion maie be called the Heade or Springe of the Gospel So. S. Iohn callethe Babylon Magna mater fornicationuÌ„ abominationum terrae The greate mother of the Fornications and of the Abominations of the earthe And so Arnobius calleth Hethruria which is the countrie wherein Rome standeth and S. Ambrose calleth Rome it selfe Caput superstitionis The Heade of Superstition But if we seeke the place it selfe from whence the light of Religion firste sprange foorthe we must néedes confesse it was Hierusalem and not Rome For so it is written in the Prophete Esaie De Sion exibit lex verbum Domini de Hierusalem The Lawe shal proceede from Sion and the Woorde of God from Hierusalem And therefore the Bishops of the East beinge in a Conuocation at Constantinople cal Hierusalem The Mother of al Churches Yet neuerthelesse euery greate Metropolitane Cittie within her owne Prouince maye be honoured with the like Title So saithe Nazianzenus of the Cittie of Caesarea where S. Basile was Bishop Caesarea propâ— Mater est omnium Ecclesiarum câ— Caesarea is in a manner the Mother of al Churches and the whole Christian Common wealth so embraceth and beholdeth it as the Circle embraceth and beholdeth the Center So Chrysostome likewise auaunceth the Citie of Antioche Cogita Vrbis magnitudinem quòd non de vna vel de duabus vel de tribus vel de decem animabus nunc nobis est consideratio sed de millibus infinitis de totius Orbis Capite Consider the greatnesse of this Citie wee haue to deale not for one two three or tenne soules but for infinite thousandes euen for the Head of the world Thus Chrysostome calleth Antioche the Head of the worlde for that in that Prouince of Syria it was the Head like as Rome also was the Head Citie and principal Churche of the Weast M. Hardinge The .30 Diuision Now for a briefe answeare to M. Iuel who denieth that within 600. yeeres after Christ the Bishop of Rome was euer called an Vniuersal Bishop or Head of the Vniuersal Churche and maketh him selfe very suer of it although it be a childishe thing to sticke at the name any thing is called by the thing by the name signified being sufficiently prooued yet to th'intente good folke may vnderstande that al is not trueth of the olde Gospel which our new Gospellers either affirme or denie I wil bring good and sufficient witnesse that the bishop of Rome was then called bothe Vniuersal Bishop or Oecumenical Patriarke which is one to witte Bishop or principal father of the whole worlde and also Head of the Church Leo that worthy B. of Rome was called the Vniuersal Bishop and Vniuersal Patriarke of sixe hundred and thirtie Fathers assembled togeather from al partes of the worlde in General Councel at Chalcedon whiche is bothe 118 expressed in that Councel and also clearely affirmed by S. Gregorie in three sundrie Epistles to Mauritius the Emperour to Eulogius Patriarke of Alexandria and to Anastasius Patriarke of Antioche Thus that name was deferred vnto the Pope by the Fathers of that greate Councel whiche by them had not beene doone had it beene vnlawful In very deede neither Leo him selfe nor any other his successour euer called or wrote him selfe by that name as S. Gregorie saith muche lesse presumed they to take it vnto them But rather vsed the name of humilitie callinge them selues eche one Seruum Seruorum Dei The Seruant of the Seruantes of God Yet sundriâ— holy Martyrs Bishops of Rome vsed to cal them selues Bishops of the vniuersal Churche 119 which in effecte is the same as the fathers of Chalcedon vnderstoode So did Sixtus in the time of Adrianus the Emperour in his Epistle to the Bishops of al the worlde So did Victor writing to Theophilus of Alexandria So did Pontianus writing to al that beleeued in Christe before 1300. yeeres past So did Stephanus in his Epistle to al Bishops of al Prouinces in the time of S. Cyprian And al these were before Constantine the greate and before the Councel of Nice whiche times our aduersaries acknowlege and confesse to haue been without corruption The same title was vsed like wise after the Nicene Councel by Felix by 120 Leo and by diuers others before the sixe hundred yeeres after Christâ— were expired Neither did the Bishops of Rome vse this title and name onely them selues to their owne aduauncement as the aduersaries of the Churche charge them but they were honoured there with also by others â–ª as namely Innocentius by the Fathers assembled in Councel at Carthago and Marcus by Athanasius and the Bishoppes of Egypte The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge secretely confesseth that in al he hath hitherto alleged he hath not yet founde that the Bishop of Rome was knowen in the worlde within the space of the first sixe hundred yéeres after Christe by the name either of the Uniuersal Bishop or of the Head of the Uniuersal Churche notwithstandinge he hath muche gheassed aboute the mater bothe by misreportinge the practise of gouernement that then was vsed and also by wreastingâ— and misconstruinge the woordes of the Holy Fathers Thus hitherto he hath taken greate paines to smal purpose But hereunto he puttâ—th his Rhetorical Correction and saith It is a Childis he thinge to sticke at the name of any thinge And so al this longe talke is driuen in the ende to a Childishe Conclusion How be it it appeareth S. Gregorie was not so perswaded of it not thought the mater to be so childish For after yâ— Iohn of Constantinople had intitled him selfe the Uniuersal Bishop Gregorie being then Bishop of Rome withstoode him earnestly wrote against him in this wise Deus ab vnitate atque humilitate Ecclesiae hoc malum Superbiae Confusionis auertat God turne away this mischiefe of Pride and Confusion from the vnitie and humilitie of the Churche Againe
they wil in no wise be called for that the name of a Kinge emonge them then was odious How be it he saith in deede thei are very Kinges So Augustus Caesar notwithstanding he were a Tyran had oppressed the people yet the chose to be called Tribunus plebis The Defender and Patrone of the people And Uerres notwithstanding he had miserably wasted and consumed the whole Ilelande of Sicilie yet in his title he woulde be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Keper and Saueour of that Ilelande Thus they dissemble openly and as one saith With faire names they couer foule faultes But it was not any suche Dissimulation or countenaunce of Humilitie that moued Leo Gregorie or any other Godly Bishop of Rome to refuse this name as M. Hardinge imagineth but the very iniquitie and iniurie therein conteined For thus saith S. Gregorie Si vnus Patriarcha Vniuersalis dicitur Patriarcharum nomen cocteris derogatur c. If one be called the Vniuersal Patriarke then is the name of Paâ—riatkes taken from others But God keepe it farreâ—from any Christian minde that any man should take so muche vpon him The consenting vnto this wicked name is the loosinge of the Faith Therefore in the Councel of Carthage it is decréed thus Primae sedis Episcopus ne appelletur Princeps SacerdotuÌ„ vel Summus Sacerdos vel aliquid huiusmodâ— â–ª sed tantùm Primae Sedis Episcopus Vniuersalis autem nec etiam Romanus pontifex appelletur Let not the Bishop of the first See be called the chiefe of Bishoppes or the Highest Bishop or by any other like name But the Bishop of Rome him selfe may not be called the Vniuersal Bishop This later clause of that Canon Vniuersalis autem Episcopus nec etiam Romanus pontifex appelletur one Peter Crabbe the setter foorth of the Councels of purpose and contrary to good Faith dissembled least out How be it the fraude is soone discouered For yâ— same Clause is to be founde whole bothe in written examples of the Councels and also in Gratian that compiled the Decrées and in the very Barbarous Glose vpon the same by these woordes Hîc dicitur quòd Papa non debet vocari Vniuersalis Here it is saide that the Pope may not be called The Vniuersal Bishop M. Harding saith The Pope was called by that name and for prouse thereof allegeth a Councel without a Canon But the whole General Councel of Carthage saith The Bishop of Rome may not in any wise be so called and the Canon therof is apparent and may be seene Now let the Christian Reader iudge to whether he wil geue greater credite This Councel saith M. Harding woulde not haue offered this name vnto Leo onlesse it had beene lawful Yet he knoweth al is not law that is mooued in Councel Leo Gelasius as it is before said condemned certaine Decrées of this same CouÌ„cel of Chalcedon as Unlawful notwithstanding the Determination of .630 Bishops The Fathers in the Councel of Nice attempted contrary to Gods commaundements to breake the lawful Matrimonie of Priestes Bishops But their attempte bicause it was vnlawful was reprooued staied by Paphnutius M. Harding therefore might better conclude thus Leo Gregorie other holy Fathers Bishops of Rome refused the name of Uniuersal Bishop as it appeareth by their woordes for that it was iniurious vnto other Bishops a corruption of the Faith and for the same cause the General Councel of Carthage determined that the Bishop of Rome should not ne might not so be called Therefore that name was not lawful Al this notwithstanding true it is that M. Harding saith Leo in that Councel of Chalcedon was thus called The places be knowen and may not be denied He is so saluted in thrée sundrie Epistles the one sent by one Athanasius a Priest the other by one Ischyrion a Deacon the thirde by one Theodorus likewise a Deacon But of that whole number of sixe hundred and thirtie Bishoppes there assembled I trow M. Hardinge is not wel hable to shew that any one euer saluted or called him so Therefore whereas M. Hardinge the better to put his Reader in remembrance hath sette this note in the Margine that the Bishop of Rome was called the Uniuersal Bishop and Heade of the Churche aboue a thousand yéeres sithence he mighte with more truethe and muche better haue noted his booke thus S. Gregories vvoordes misalleged The Councel falsified This onely Canon lost al the reast vvhole and safe A straunge Priest and tvvo poore Deacons in their Priuate suites for their goodes and Legacies named Leo the Vniuersal Bishop â–ª But of the sixe hundred and thirtie Bishops that had voices in the Councel not one euer named him so Thus muche M. Hardinge mighte truely haue noted in the Margine Yet saithe M. Hardinge the Bishops of Rome â–ª that were godly Fathers and holy 〈◊〉 vsed this name as it appeareth by their Epistles And here are brought in the titles of letters vnder the names of Sixtus Pontianus and certaine others written as it is before declared a longe time after the writers were deade Suche ruinous fundations M. Hardinge hath chosen to builde vpon But what are these Olde Fathers taught to saye Or howe is M. Hardinge relieued by their woordes In the Salutation before their letters they write thus Sixtus Pontianus Victor Bishop of the Vniuersal Churche This saithe M. Hardinge is euen alone thinge with Vniuersalis Episcopus â–ª there is no manner difference O what ranginge and huntinge here is to beate vp that thinge that wil not be founde M. Hardinge bicause he can not finde the Uniuersal Bishop that he sought for therefore he hath sought out the nexte of kinne that is The Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche and these two he saithe be both one Howbeit this mater néedeâ— no greate séekinge euery Childe might soone haue founde it But if an Uniuersal Bishop and a Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche be al one thinge howe then is it true that S. Gregorie saithe Nemo decessorum c. None of my Predâ—cessours woulde euer consent to this name Or how can he finde suche faulte with the name of Uniuersal Bishop and beare so easily with the name of Bishop of the Uniuersal Churche which he knew his Predecessours had vsed if he tooke them bothe for one thinge without difference To be shorte if these names as M. Hardinge assureth him selfe be bothe one howe is the one Godly the other Ungodly the one Arrogant the other not Arrogant the one blasphemous the other not blasphemous This errour riseth of misvnderstandinge these woordes Vniuersalis Ecclesia For the Churche Uniuersal and the Churche Catholique the one beinge Gréeke the other Latine are bothe one and are commonly vsed of the learned Fathers as contrary to a Particular Churche as be the Churches of Heretiques Schismatiques In this sence euery Godly Bishop is a Bishop
Rome in consideration of that Bishoppes supreme authoritie Ecclesiam principalem vnde vnitas Sacerdotalis exorta est The principal or chief Churche from whence the vnitie of Priestes is spronge Eusebius Caesariensis speakinge of Peter sent to Rome by Goddes prouidence to vanquis he Simon Magus calleth him Potentissimum maximum Apostolorum reliquoruÌ„ omnium principeÌ„ The mightiest of power and greatest of the Apostles and Prince of al the reaste Augustine commonly calleth Peter Primum Apostolorum First or chief of the Apostles Hierome Ambrose Leo and other doctours Prince of the Apostles Chrysostome vpon the place of Iohn cap. 21. Sequere me Folowe me amonge other thinges sayth thus If any woulde demaunde of me howe Iames tooke the See of Hierusalem that is to saie howe he became Bishop there I woulde answeare that this he meaneth Peter maister of the whole worlde made him gouernoure there And in an other place bringinge in that God saide to Hieremie I haue sette thee like an yron Piller and like a brasen walle But the father saith he made him ouer one nation but Christe made this man meaninge Peter ruler ouer the whole worlde c. And leaste these places shoulde seme to attribute this supreme Auctoritie to Peter onely and not also to his Successours it is to be remembred that Irenaeus and Cyprian acknowledge and cal the Churche of Rome chief and principale And Theodoretus in an Epistle to Leo calleth the same in consideration of the Bishop of that See his primacie Orbi terrarum praesidentem President or 122 bearinge rule ouer the worlde Ambrose vpon that place of Paule 1. Timoth. 3. where the Churche is called the pilloure and staie of the trueth saith thus CuÌ„ totus mundus Dei sit Ecclesia tamen domus eius dicitur cuius hodie rector est Damasus VVhere as the whole worlde is Gods yet the Churche is called his howse the ruler whereof at these daies is Damasus I woulde not werie and trouble the Reader with such a number of allegations were it not that M. Iuel beareth the worlde in hande we haue not one sentence or clause for vs to proue either this or any other of al his Articles But perhappes some one wil say yet I heare not the Bishop of Rome called Heade of the Vniuersal Churche what forceth it whether that very terme be founde in any auncient writer or no Other termes of the same vertue and power be oftentimes founde Is it not one to saye Heade of the vniuersal Church and to saie Ruler of Gods howse which Ambrose saith whereof this argument maie be made The Churche yea the Vniuersal Churche is the howse of God But Damasus Bishop of Rome is ruler of the howse of God after Ambrose Ergo Damasus is ruler of the Vniuersal Churche And by like right and title is the Pope who is Bishop of Rome nowe also ruler of the same VVhat other is it to cal the Churche of Rome the principal Churche respecte had to the Bishop there and not otherwise wherein a figure of speache is vsed as Irenaus and Cyprian doo and President or 123 sette in auctoritie ouer the whole worlde as Leo dothe then to cal the Bishop of Rome Heade of the Vniuersal Churche VVhat meaneth Chrysostome callinge Peter totius orbis magistrum The Maister and teacher of al the worlde and saieinge in an other place that Christ made Peter not ruler â—uer one nation as the father made Ieremie ouer the Iewes but ouer the whole worlde VVhat other I saye meaneth he thereby then that he is heade of the whole worlde and therefore of the Vniuersal Churche The 〈◊〉 of Sarisburie Touchinge the name of the Uniuersal Bishop M. Hardinge hath but one authoritie and yet the same can not be founde Touchinge the other name of Heade of the Churche he commeth in onely with ioyly bragges and great vauntes as if he were plaieinge at poste and shoulde winne al by vicinge He saithe If M. Iuel know this then he speaketh againste his conscience If he know it not then is he not learned To contende for learninge it were a childishe folie He is sufficiently learned that saith the trueth But if M. Hardinge with al his learninge be hable to finde out his Heade of the Churche he shal haue his request I wil graunt him to be learned He saithe The Bishop of Rome is so named either in termes equiualent or expressely Thus he doubteth at the mater and stammereth and faltereth at the beginninge But if the Bishop of Rome were the Heade of the Churche in déede and so allowed and taken in the worlde why was he neuer expressely and plainely named so Was there no man then in the worlde for the space of sixe hundred yéeres hable to expresse his name His termes of like force and meaninge whiche he calleth equiualent must néedes importe thus muche That the Bishop of Rome is aboue al General Councelles that he onely hath power to expounde the Scriptures and cannot erre nor be iudged of any man and that without him there is no health and that al the worlde ought to know him for the Uniuersal Heade vpon paine of damnation Thus muche the Pope him selfe claimeth by that name If M. Hardinges termes sounde not thus they are not equiualent It had beene the simpler and plainer dealinge for M. Hardinge to haue saide This name can not yet be founde and so to haue taken a longer daie As for the mater the question is moued of the Bishop of Rome the answeare is made of S. Peter as if S. Peter continued there Bishop stil vntil this daie But it is presumed that what so euer priuilege was in Peter the same muste néedes be in the B. of Rome by Succession yea although he haue not one sparke of Peter S. Peter in the Olde Fathers is diuersely called the First the Chiefe the Toppe the Highe Honour of the Apostles and in Eusebius and S. Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Princeps Apostolorum In which last woordes of S. Augustine Eusebius I muste doo thée good Reader to vnderstande that Princeps is not alwaies takeÌ„ for a Prince or a Gouernour indewed with power but oftentimes for the first man or best of a companie So we reade in the Scriptures Princeps Familiae princeps legationis princeps Coquorum that is The Chiefe of the house or stocke The chiefe of the embassage the chiefe of the Cookes In this sense Cicero saithe Seruius Princeps in iure ciuili Philosophorum Princeps Aristippus Seruius the Chiefe in the Ciuile Lawe Aristippus the Chiefe of Philosophers So is S. Peter called Princeps Apostolorum And therefore S. Augustine calleth him Primum Praecipuum that is The First and the Chiefe of the Apostles We may not imagine as M. Hardinge seemeth to doo that Peter was made a Lorde or Prince and had Power and Dominion ouer his brethren
verae ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas Alioqui si ad alia respexerint scandalizabuntur peribunt non intelligentes quae sit vera Ecclesia per hoc incident in Abominationem desolationis quae stat in Sanctis Ecclesiae locis Therfore he commaundeth that Christian men that wil be assured of the true Faithe resorte vnto nothinge els but onely vnto the Scriptures For els if they haue regarde to any other thinge they shal be offended and shal perishe not knowinge whiche is the true Churche and by meane thereof they shal fal into the Abomination of desolation that standeth in the Holy places of the Churche In like sorte writeth Origen vpon the same place Animae imperitae verbi Iustitiae quia facilé Seducuntur non possunt inseducibiliteâ— permanere in conspectu Abominationis desolationis stantis in loco Sancto The soules that be vnskilful of the Woorde of Iustice bicause thei are easily deceiued cannot stande without erroure in the sight of the Abomination of desolation standinge in the Holy place S. Hierome saithe In aduentu Messiae populus qui sub Magistris fuerat consopitus ibit ad montes Scâ—ipturarum ibique inuenient montes Mosen montes Propheras Montes Nouâ— Testamenti Et in talium montium lectione versatus si non inuenerit qui doceat tamen illius studium comprobabitur quòd confugerint ad Montes At the comminge of Christ the people that was laide a sleape vnder their teacheâ—s shal goe to the Mountaines of the Scriptures There shal they finde these Mountaines Moses the Prophetes and the Newe Testamente And beinge occupied in the readinge of these Mountaines notwithstandinge they finde noman to teache them yet shal their good wil be wel allowed for that they haue fleadde vnto the Mountaines So S. Bastle Diuinae Scripturae faciunt ad certitudinem bonorum ad confusionem malorum The Holy Scriptures are hable both to confirme the godly and also to confounde the vngodly So Chrysostome Nec ipsis omninò Ecclesiis credendum est nisi ea dicant vel faciant quae conuenientia sint Scripâ—uris We maye in no wise beleeue the Churches them selues onles they say and doo suche thinges as be agreeable to the Scriptures M. Hardinge The .13 Diuision The peril of it is knowen by sundry examples bothe of times paste and also of this present age For out of this roote hath spronge the secte of the Valdenses otherwise called Pauperes de Lugduno For Valdo a Marchaunt of Lions their firste Authour of whom they were named Valdenses being an vnlearned Laye man procured certaine Bookes of the Scripture to be translated into his owne language whiche when he vsed to Reade and vnderstoode not he fel into many errours Of the same welspringe issued the filthy puddles of the Sectes called Adamitae or Picardi Bogardi and Turelupini and of late yeeres beside the same secte of Adâ—mites newly reuiued also the Anabaptistes and Suenckfeâ—dians VVherefore that Edicte or Proclamation of the woorthy Princes Ferdinando and Elizabeâ—th Kinge and Queene of Spaine is of many muche commended by whiche they gaue streighte â—â—mmâ—undement that vnder greate penalties noman shoulde translate the Bible into the vulgarâ— â—pâ—nishe tongue and that noman shoulde be founde to haue the same translated in any wise These and the like be the reasons and considerations whiche haue moued many men to thinke the settinge foorthe of the whole Bible and of euery parte of the Scripture in the vulgare tongue for al sortes of persons to reade without exception or limitation to be a thinge not necessary to Saluation nor other wise conuenient nor profitable but contrarywise dangerous and hurteful The B. of Sarisburie The Storie of Ualdo is here brought in vpon the reporte and credite of Frier Alphonsus Touchinge whiche Ualdo whether be were learned or vnlearned it forceth not greatly Origen saith Vide quà m prope periculis sint hi qui negligunt exerceri in Diuinis Literis ex quibus solis huiusmodi examinationis agnoscenda discretio est Marke how neare vnto danger they be that refuse to exercise them selues in the Scriptures For thereby onely the iudgement of this trial must be knowen If he were learned then is this no true reporte if he were vnlearned then was Gods woorke so much the greater who as S. Paule saith oftentimes chooseth the weake thinges of the worlde to condemne the stronge and the foolishe thinges of the worlde to reprooue the wise The greatest Heresies that he mainteined stoode in reproouing the Idolatrous woorshipping of Images of Extreme Unction of Exorcismes Coniurations of Eare Confessions of vnséemely Singing in the Churche of Fained Miracles of the idlâ— and sclaunderous liues of Priestes Bishops of the liues and manners of the Churche of Rome of the oultrage Tyrannie of the Pope of Monkes Freers Parâ—ons Pilgrimages Purgatorie And notwithstanding the reproouing hereof were then iudged Heresie yet sithence that time infinite numbers of godly men haue receiued it as Gods vndoubted Trueth M. Harding in parte hath yelded vnto the same He addeth farther Out of this welâ—pâ—inge of Vâ—ldo issued foorth the Anabaptistes and the Swenkefeldians I maruel M. Hardinge can either speake so vnaduisedly or so soone forgeate what he hath spoken For immediatly before he wrote thus Out of Luther haue spronge three diuers Heresies The Anabaptistes the Sacramentaries and the Confessionistes If the Anabaptistes sprange out of Ualdo and were so longe before Luther how coulde they then afterwarde springe out of Luther If they sprange first out of Luther how were they then before Luther By this reporte the Father is yonger then the Childe and the Childe was borne before the Father These be mere Monsteâ—s in speache Contradictions in Nature If the one of these reportes be true the other of necessitie must néedes be false But M. Harding taketh it for no greate inconuenience what so euer may healpe to deface the Trueth The Proclamation of Ferdinandus and Elizabeth the Kinges of Spaine for not â–ª Transâ—atinge the Bible into the Spanish tongue as it is of very smal Authoritie being made within these thréescoare tenne yeeres that is to say welneare fifteene hundred yeeres after Christe so it is likely it was first diuised not against the Christian people of that Countrie but onely against the Renegate Iewes there who by dissimulation and feare of the law beinge become Christians afterwarde returned againe to their Olde Errours and bothe by their example and also by misunderstanding of certaine places of the Scriptures hardened and confirmâ—d others in the same Against whom also was diuised the Spanish Inquisitiâ—n and that by the same Princes and at the same time So Iulianus the Renegate Emperour thought it good policie to suffer no Christian mannes Childe to be sette to Schoole So the wicked princes Antiochus and Maximinus for like policie burnte the Bookes of God to the intent the
seene your Epistles neuer VVritten your Amphilochius your Abdias your Clemens your Leontius your Hippolytus and other like fabulous pamflettes and forgeries so lately founde out so longe lacked and neuer missed your Additions your Diminutions your Alterations your Corruptions of the Doctours your Contrarieties and Contradictions against your selfe your Surmises your Gheasses your Dreames your Visions your Elenches your Fallacies your seely Syllogismes without either Moode or Figure or Sequele in Reason and to conclude your Vntruethes so plaine so euidente so manifest and so many can neuer be answeared Is Simple Trueth become so weake Or is Errour and Falshead growen so stronge O M. Hardinge you know right wel the weakenesse of your side Noman seeth it better then your selfe If you wil dissemble and say ye â—e it not Open your eies beholde your owne Booke and you shal see it You haue forced the Olde Doctours and Anciente Fathers to speake your minde and not their owne And therefore they are now your Children they are no Fathers they are now your Scholars you haue sette them to Schoole they are no Doctours You shoulde haue brought some Trueth for proufe of your purpose The VVorlde wil not now be leadde with Lies These be cases not of VVitte but of Faithe not of Eloquence but of Truethe not inuented or diuised by vs but from the Apostles and Holy Fathers and Founders of the Churche by longe succession brought vnto vs. VVe are not the Diuisers thereof but onely the Keepers not the Maisters but the Scholars Touchinge the Substance of Religion wee Beleeue that the Anciente Catholique Learned Fathers Beleeued wee doo that they did wee saie that they saide And marueile not in what side so euer ye see them if ye see vs ioine vnto the same It is our greate Comforte that wee see their Faithe and our Faithe to agree in one And wee pitie and lament your miserable case that hauinge of your selues erected a Doctrine contrarie to al the Anciente Fathers yet woulde thus assay to coloure the same and to deceiue the people onely with the names and titles of Anciente Fathers S. Cyprian saithe Lies can neuer deceiue vs longe It is Night vnâ—il the Day spriâ—ge But vvhen the day appeareth and the Sunne is vp bothe the Darkenesse of the Night and the Theaftes and Robberies that in the darknesse vvere committed are faine to geue place Now the Sonne is vp your Smooder is scattered God with his Truthe wil haue the victorie The Heauens and the Earthe shal perishe But the VVoorde of God shal neuer perishe O M. Hardinge O fight no lenger against GOD. It is harde to kike against the spurre To maineteine a faulte knowen it is a double faulte Vntrueth cannot be shielded but by Vntrueth Errour cannot be defended but by Errour And the mouthe that speaketh Vntrueth killeth the soule God directe our Hartes that wee be not ashamed of his Gospel but that wee may see it and be seene to see it God make vs the vessels of his mercie that wee may haue pitie of Sion and builde vp againe the broaken walles of his Hierusalem to the Honoure and Glorie of his Holy Name Amen Vigilius contra Eutychem li. 1. Haec est Fides professio Catholica quam Apostoli tradiderunt Martyres roborauerunt Fideles hucusque custodiunt This is the Faithe and Catholique profession whiche the Apostles haue deliuered the Martyrs haue Confirmed and the Faithful keepe vntil this day FINIS Plato in Apologia Socratis Hieronym contrae Luciferiaenos 〈…〉 In Concil Chalcedon â–ª Action 1. August â–ª de Moribâ— Maâ—â—chae 〈◊〉 â— ca. 16. 3. Esdr. 4. Aduersus error IohaÌ„ Hierosolymitani Extra De Constitu Licet De Electio Elect. potestate Significasti 9. quae 3. Nemo De Maioritate Obedientia Vnam Sanctam In glosa In Concil Lateran Sub Iulio Lib. 4. epist. 32. August epis 165. In the 3. Article and in the 15. Diuision 11. quaest 3. Nolite Extra de Maiorita Obedi Vnam Sanctam Dist. 22. Omnes Matthae 23. 1. Corin. â— The Canon Gregor lib. 6. epist. 30. Ibidem Luke 16. Extra 10. 22. Cum inter In Glosa Dist. 96. Satis euidenter Gregor lib. 7. epist. 63. Durand libro 4. parte 2. 1. Timoth. 2. The Prieste a Mediatour bytweene God and Christe In a Sermon preached in S. Maries Churche in Oxforde Chrysostom De Poeniten hom 4. Chrysostom De profectu Euangelij Ambros. in 1. cap. ad Roman Hieremi 7. Esai 1. Hieremi 9. Matth. 10. Matthae 15. Matth. 26. Leo in Epist. ad Palaestinos Naziaenzenus In Apologetico Anno Domini 1551. anno Eduardi 6. quinto Liberatus cap. 16. Matthae 11. Termes vsed commonly by M. Hardinge through his whole Booke Augustin De Gene. contra Manichae Psalm 142. Iohan. 14. Iohan. 8. Hierony in praefa in Abdiam 2. Corin. 11. 1. Corin. 15. Polydor. de Inuent rer li. 8. c. 1. Tertull. aduersus ValeÌ„tinian lib. 1. Augustin in Iohan. tract 7. Chrysostom de Laudibus Pauli hom â–ª 5. Ecclesi 4. Iohan. 9. a The first vntruthe for there is no suche preparatioÌ„ b The secoÌ„de vntruthe there appeareth no such vvil in the Minister Pag. 182. b. M. Hardinge maketh coÌ„mon priuate and priuate coÌ„mon These reasons be answeared afterwarde more at large Hermannus Contractus Nicolaus Lyra in 14. cap. Danielis Ambro. 1. Cor. 11 Hieron 1. Cor. 11 3. Vntruth Matthaei 4. 2. Corinth 12. 2. Concil VaseÌ„ Cap. 4. Concil Triburien Decretal lib. 3. tit 41. C. 2. De consecrat dist 1. ex Augustâ— quod quidaÌ„ Gregor tribuuÌ„t Grego ex Regist. lib. 2. ad CasteriuÌ„ c. 9. b. 3. Parte Summae q. 83. In the Bishops booke Alber. Pigghius in locis Communib De Priuata Missa â—ar 3. q. 83 â–ª ar 5. Publike Masse Priuate Masse 3. Par. q. 183. ar 4. In explanatione Missae Romanae Dominica Iudica Galat. 6. 1. Corint 11. Albertus Pigghius de priuata Missa The 4. Vntruthe The oldâ— Fathers neuer commonly called it so Pro sacrificio cruento rationale incruentum ac mysticum sacrificium instituit quod in mortem domini per Symbola corporis sanguinis ipsiâ—â— celebratur Clemens constitutionuÌ„ Apostolicarum lib. 6. cap. 23. The .5 Vntruthe Christ speaketh not one vvoorde of any Sacrifice The .6 vntruthe S. Andrevve saide the Communion and not the Masse Abdiae li. 7. Historiae Apostol The .7 vntruthe This Abdias neuer savve Christe in the fleshe It is a very Legende of lies Concilium CoÌ„stantinopol in Trullo Cap. 32. Epistol ad Burdega li. Constir Apostolicarum 8. Cap. â—lt The .8 Vntruthe There is no manner token or shevv of priuate Masse The .9 vntruthe It is the verye form of the Communinion and nothing like the priuate Masse In Eccles. hiâ—rach Cap. 3. Act. 17. * Faith confirmed vvith out vvords S. Paule saithe Faith coÌ„meth by hearinge Lib. 4. Contra haeres Cap. 32. A burthen of vntruthes The .11 vntruthe Thei conteine the very order of the
A REPLIE VNTO M. HARDINGES ANSVVEARE By perusinge whereof the discrete and diligent Reader may easily see the weake and vnstable groundes of the Romaine Religion whiche of late hath beene accompted Catholique By Iohn Iewel Bishoppe of Sarisburie 3. Esdrae 4. Magna est Veritas praeualet Greate is the Trueth and preuaileth Ex Edicto Imperatorum Valent in â–ª Martiani â–ª in Concil Chalcedon Actione 3. Qui post semel inuentam veritatem aliud quaerit Mendâ—â— cium quaerit non veritatem After the Trueth is once founde vvho so euer seeketh further he seeketh not for the Trueth but for a Lie Imprinted at London in Fleetestreate at the signe of the Blacke Oliphante by Henry VVykes Anno. 1565. VVith special Priuilege Vnto the Christian Reader PErusinge a certaine booke lately set foorthe in the name of M. Hardinge and weighinge the substance and parcelles of the same good Christian Reader I called to minde these woordes spoken sometime by Socrates the Philosopher touchinge his Accusers in his owne defence before the Iudges My Lordes in vvhat sorte your affections haue been sturred vvith mine Accusers eloquence vvhile ye hearde them speake I cannot tel But vvel I vvote for mine ovvne parte I mee selfe vvhom it toucheth moste vvas almost persuaded to beleeue that al they saide vvas true yea although it vvere against mee selfe So handesomely thei can tel their tale and so likely and so smoothely they conueigh their maters Euery vvorde they spake had appearance of truth And yet in good soothe they haue scarcely vttered one vvoorde of trueth Thus then saide Socrates of his Accusers Euen so may I say now of M. Harding For bothe in trueth of mater and also in probabilitie of vtterance they are muche alike Aristotle touching the darckenesse and doubtefulnesse of natural worldly thinges saith thus Quaedam falsa probabiliora sunt quibusdaÌ„ veris Certaine fals heades by meane of good vtterance haue sometimes more likelyhoode of Trueth then Trueth it selfe For Trueth is many times brought in simple and naked in poore araye But Falsheade must needes apparel and attiere her selfe with al her furnitures Thus many times wee are deceiued and embrace Falsheade in steede of Trueth And this is the miserie of the Simple For neither are they hable to teache them selues nor haue they where with to discerne their teachers There was neuer neither errour so horrible but the Simple haue receiued it nor poison so deadly but the Simple haue dronken it In this sorte S. Hierome saithe Infidelitie vvas sometime published emonge the Simple vnder the name of Faithe And Antichriste shal be adoured and honoured in steede of Christe Touchinge the state and issue of the mater where as I vpon iust occasion offered and onely in regarde of the trueth sometime saide in great audience that in any of these cases here mooued our Aduersaries are not hable to allege either any one sufficient clause or sentence out of the Scriptures Councels or Ancient Fathers or any certaine vsage or example of the primitiue Churche M. Hardinge hath here alleged and published not onely one or other but as he him self saith and as it is thought of many great numbers of suche Authorities of Scriptures Councelles and Doctours bothe Greeke and Latine and many anciente and euident examples to the contrary The places are noted the woordes are cleare It cannot be denied and as it is supposed al the worlde is not hable to answeare it It seemeth now an vndoubted trueth that as wel these as also al other the Doctrines and Orders of the Church of Rome haue beene deriued directly from Christe him selfe and his Apostles and haue continued the space of fifteene hundred and thertie yeeres at the least Therefore some haue wisshed my woordes had been more warily qualified and vttered with more circumspection Euen this is it that Aristotle saide The shevv of trueth beareth often more likelyhoode then truth it selfe There is no way so easy to beguile the Simple as the name and countenance of Ancient Fathers The Arian Heretiques alleged for them selues the Ancient Father Origen The Nestorian heretiques alleged the Councel of Nice the Donatian Heretiques alleged S. Cyprian the Pelagian Heretiques alleged S. Ambrose S. Hierome and S. Augustine Dioscorus the Heretique alleged Gregorius Cyrillus and Athanasius and complained openly in the Councel euen in like sorte and as iustly as M. Hardinge dooth now Ego defendo dogmata Santorum patrum Ego illorum habeo testimonia non obiter nec in transcursu sed in ipsorum libris posita Ego cum Patribus eiicior I mainteine the Doctrine of the Holy Fathers I haue their vvitnesses not vttered by chaunce or by the vvaye but vvritten in their bookes I am excommunicate and cast out and bannisshed vvith the Fathers If the Diuel can shew him selfe as the Angel of light and if False Prophetes can come in the name of Christeâ— muche more may some others come in the name and vnder the coloure of certaine Fathers But good Christian Reader for thy better vnderstanding least happily thou be deceiued it may please thee to know that these Authorities alleged here by M. Harding are neither new nor strange nor vnknowen to any man of meane learning but haue beene bothe often brought in and alleged by others and also weighed and examined and thorowly confuted longe a goe In deede M. Harding hath added of him self some bewtie of his eloquence and maiestie of woordes â–ª and yet not so much nor suche but it may easily be answeared although not with like eloquence whereof in these cases there is no neede yet at leaste with more trueth I trust by indifferent conference hereof thou shalt soone see the Ancient Fathers Some that neuer were by M. Hardinge surmised and countrefeited Some vntruely alleged Some corruptely translated Some peruersly expounded Some vnaptly and guiâ—efully applied Their woordes sometimes abbridged â–ª sometimes enlarged sometimes altered â–ª sometimes dissembled Fabulous and vnknowen Authorities newly founded Childish Argumentes fondly concluded To be shorte infinite Vntruethes and knowen Vntruethes boldely auouchedâ— In consideration hereof S. Augustine crieth out O rerum Naturae obscuritas quantum â—egmen est Falsitatis O the Darkenesse of Natural thinges VVhat a coouerâ—e haue lies to luâ—ke in Therefore Socrates saith VVee may not beleeue euery Argumente that is shevved vs vpon the sight But must open it and searche it and looke it through For oftentimes it seemeth otherwise then it is It seemeth stronge without and is weake within Kinge Agesilaus when he vnderstoode his Enimies of policie to coouer the smalnesse and weaknes of their bodies had bomebasted and embossed out their coates with greate quarters that they might seeme bigge and mighty men and that his souldiers therewith were muche dismaide after he had ouerthrowen and slaine them in the fielde pulled of their coates and stript them and left them naked and when he had caused his Souldiers to beholde the poore lither sclender
Clemens Gelasius writeth thus and for that he was Bishop of the same see it is the more likely he should know the truthe Pauca quae ad memoriam venerunt Catholicis vitanda sunt decreuimus esse subdenda In primis Ariminensem synodum à Constantino Caesare Constantini filio congregaâ—am mediante Tauro praefecto ex tunc in aeternum confitemur esse damnatam Item Itinerarium nomine Petri Apostoli quod appellatur sancti Clementis libri Octo Apocryphi We haue thought good sayth Gelasius to note certaine bookes whiche are come to knowledge and ought to be auoyded of Catholike people First the Councel holden at Ariminum geathered by Constantiâ—us the Emperour the sonne of Constantinus by meane of Taurus the lieutenante from thenceforth and for euer we iudge woorthy to be condemned lykewise the Iournal of Peter the Apostle bearinge the name of Clement eight bookes are secrete vnlawful writinges Thus we sée diuers bookes of Clement condemned by name and but one epistle onely allowed for good and this volume here alleged by M. Hardinge conteininge eight bookes as it is noted by Peter Crabbe fully agréeyng in number of bookes with the other condemned by Gelasius To be shorte Cardinal Bessarion allegynge parcel of the same booke of Clement that hath bene hidden so longe writeth thus of it Licet haec Clementis verba inter Apocryphas scripturas commemorari solâ—ant placet tamen eis inpraesentiarum tanquam veris assentiamus Albeit the woordes of Clement be accompted amongst secrete vnlawful writinges yet for once we are content to receiue them as if they were true Thus M. Hardinges Clement is disallowed by Eusebius and by S. Hierome mistrusted by Bessarion condemned by Gelasius kepte forth comminge in close pryson for the space of a thousande and fiue hundred yeres yet muste we now without refusal stoupe vnto him and take him as the Apostles fellow One other of these witnesse is Abdias and he is brought in with al his titles the Bishop of Babylon planted there by the Apostles one that was conuersant with Christe and hearde him preache and sawe him in the fleashe and was present al the martyrdome of S. Andrew with al other circumstances that may geather credit amonge the simple Of this Abdias somewhat must be spoken and so much the more for that his name is so glorious He was sought out and founde and set abroade of very late yeres vnder the name of Abdias by one Wolphgangus Zazius a man that taketh greate paynes to force men to beléeue it is the very selfe same Abdias that he maketh him selfe to be and therefore he saith he was one of the .lxxij. Disciples ordred Bishop by the Apostles and that S. Luke the Euangelist writyng the Actes of the Apostles borowed many whole stories woorde by woorde out of him Then was S. Luke verie vnthankeful that neuer once made mention of his author But who so euer or what so euer this Abdias were his owne woordes doo so bewraye him that a blinde man may see it was not he He maketh manie shamelesse lies that he was present with Christe and at the moste parte of the Apostles dooynges yet were the Apostles then accordyng to Christes coÌ„maundement gone into the whole worlde some into Italie some into Asia minor some into Scythia some into India some into Ethiopia and were many thousand myles a sundre In his fable of Iphigenia he sayth that the people tooke her brother Bâ—or beyng then Christened by S. Mathew and made him Kynge and that he reigned afterwarde in Ethiopia the space of .lxiij. yeres and further maketh mention of Egesippus that liued aboue one hundred and thrée score yéeres after Christe If Abdias were aliue al this while he mighte be likened to Iohannes de temporibus who as the Frenche storie recordeth liued in Fraunce aboue thrée hundred yéeres A lier muste be circumspecte and mindeful what he say If he sawe Christe in the fleashe it is not likely he euer sawe Egesippus that was so longe after Christe If he sawe Egesippus it is not likely he euer saw Christe Thus if he reporte truthe in the one he lieth in the other and so whether he lie or saie truthe he cannot be Abdias Touchinge the substance of his booke it is nothinge els for the more parte of it but a vayne péeuishe tale laide out with falsheade wicked doctrine and curious conference and talke with Diuels thinges farre vnméete for that grauitie and Maiestie of the Apostles of Christe as it maye soone appeare vnto the reader It may be geathered by S. Augustine in sundrie places that some parte of this booke was written by certaine Heretikes named the Manichées and auoutched by them as the very true storie of the Apostles For he reporteth the fables of S. Thomas of S. Mathew of S. Andrew of the Lion that slewe the man that had striken S. Thomas of the Dogge that brought the same mannes hande vnto the table of Maximilla wife vnto Egis and other like tales euen in suche order as they be sette foorthe by this Abdias Againste one Adimantus he writeth thus They that is the Manichées reade Secrete Scriptures whiche they them selfe saye are pure and perfecte in whiche Scriptures it is written that S. Thomas cursed a man and that afterwarde a Lion slewe him c. And in an other place he saithe Attendite qualia sint quae scribuntur de Maximilla vxore Egetis illam noluisse viro debitum reddere donasse supposuisse Eucliam ancillam alias similes fabulas Beholde what thinges they be that be written of Maximilla wife vnto Egis that she beyng once Christened woulde no more yelde duetie vnto her husbande but sette Euclia her mayde in her owne place and other like fables Al these and suche like tales thus disallowed by S. Augustine are reported by M. Hardinges Abdias in great soothe I thought it not amisse to speake hereof the more at large for that I sawe a booke so ful of tales so lately founde out without any good shewe of credite to be fathered vpon the Apostles disciple and sente into the worlde with suche a countenaunce S. Augustine séemeth in diuerse places to haue geuen his iudgement of the same Writinge against the aduersarie of the lawe Prophetes he hath these woordes He hath brought foorth witnesses out of Secrete Scriptures vnder the names of the Apostles Iohn and Andrew whiche writinges if they had ben theirs they had ben receiued of the Churche The like iudgement hereof séemeth to be geuen by Gelasius who also saithe that suche writinges accordinge to an auncient custome and by a singular prouision were not reade in the Churche of Rome for that they were thought to be writen by Heretikes Thus is this Abdias a booke as it is apparent ful of manifest lies and as it may be supposed by S. Augustine Gelasius written and
without his Body Why shoulde this man thus delite him selfe to vpholde one falsehead with an other First he saithe The Councel of Ephesus decreed against Bothe Kindes This is vntrue and was neuer yet prooued Next some cause must be diuised that shoulde leade the Fathers to that Decrée Whiche as it is here surmised was this errour of Nestorius A cause that neuer was is good yenough to prooue the effecte that neuer was Thus is M. Hardinge driuen not onely to forge New Doctours and New Decrées of Councels but also to imagine New Heresies such as were neuer hearde of before euen in like sorte to like purpose as by some it is supposed that Aristotle sometime imagined straunge and monstrous opinions to be taught by Democritus Parmenides Melyssus and other olde Philosophers not bicause they had euer taught or written so in déede but to the ende to finde occasion of talke and the better to set abroade his owne learninge If it be true that is surmised by Nestorius then M. Hardinges whole defence standeth but vpon an Heresie if it be vntrue as in deede it is then it standeth vpon an open falsehead and so whether it be true or false it hath a very weake fundation As for Nestorius it is knowen he was a wicked and a blasphemous Heretique and was woorthely condemned by sundrie holy Fathers and Councelles Philastrius Epiphanius and S. Augustine haue written namely of his errours The Councel of Ephesus the Councel of Chalcedon Coelestinus Gelasius Leo Bishops of Rome Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria haue ripte vp and condemned al the braunches of his Heresies Yet none of them al euer charged Nestorius with this newe Heresie of M. Hardinges makinge If there had béene in it any shewe of truethe M. Hardinge as he is eloquente woulde haue layed out al the Circumstances When this strange errour first beganne Where and Howe longe it continued Who wrote againste it and by Whom and in What Councel it was condemned Uerely this great silence declareth some wante It must néedes be a very strange Heresie that neuer had neither beginninge nor endinge nor defender nor reprouer nor mouthe to vtter it nor eare to heare it nor penne to write it nor time to last in nor place to reast in And if al this had béene true of Nestorius yet had it béene no reason that for any one mans priuate errour Christes Institution shoulde be broken But that the vayne folie and manifest falshead of these men may appeare vnderstande Good Reader that where as Nestorius dwelte and his Heresie tooke place in those countreis they haue euermore kepte Christes Institution in bothe kindes but in these countreis where as neither the name of Nestorius was euer hearde of but onely vnto a fewe nor his Heresie euer receiued there haue they made greate Prouisoes against Nestorius yea a thousande yéeres after Nestorius was dead The reast of the causes whiche he calleth so weighty are scarcely woorthe any answeare Some men dooe lothe wine some people can hardâ—ly geate some can hardely keepe wine Ergo there must be made a lawe general that the whole worlde shal Communicate in one kinde If the Conclusion had béene that suche as haue these impedimentes or wantes might so Communicate it had béene more tolerable For as it is wel noted by Pomponius Lawes must touche thinges that happen commonly and for the most parte not thinges that happen to fewe or seldome Otherwise the like reason may be made for the Priestes some Priestes by meane of disease can taste no wine some in certaine countreis can hardely geate some can hardely kéepe wyne therefore it were wel prouided that al priestes shoulde minister vnder one kinde Certainely where as wine may be prouided for the priest there may also wine be prouided for the people For it were straunge to heare that a carte or a whole shippe shoulde come loaden onely with one bottle of wine into a countrie Some saye that the Priestes in Ruscia for lacke of wine vsed to Consecrate in Metheglen Some other saye that Innocentius the eighth for the like wante dispensed with the Priestes of Norweye to Consecrate without wine It were no reason to bynde the whole Churche to the necessitie or imbecillitie of a fewe For otherwise the same wante and impossibilitie that M. Hardinge hath here founde for the one parte of the Sacrament may be founde also for the other For Arrianus de rebus Indicis and Strabo in his Geographie haue written that there be whole Nations and Countreis that haue no breade Therefore it shoulde séeme necessary by this Conclusion that in consideration of them the whole Churche shoulde absteyne from the other portion of the Sacrament also and so haue no Sacrament at al. M. Hardinge The .9 Diuision Nowe in very deede if we woulde graunte to our aduersaries whiche in no wise we doo not graunte that it hath bene commaunded of Christe the laye people shoulde Communicate vnder bothe kindes by these woordes Drinke ye al of this yet this notwithstandinge the exacte streightnesse of Goddes ordinance may without sinne in cases be omitted in suche thinges whiche be not necessarily to be obserued of them selues or of the prescripte of the lawe of nature so that great and weightie causes the rule of charitie exactely obserued require the same For euident proufe of this we haue examples bothe of the Olde and also of the Newe Testament Did not â—od commaunde that none shoulde eate of the Shew breade but the Priestes onely Dauid eate thereof and yet Christe cleareth him of al blame The lawe of Circumcision so straitely commaunded was for the space of fourtie yeeres by the people of Israel quite omitted whiles they passed from Aegypte to the lande of Promisse and God founde no faulte with them for it God gaue the lawe of keepinge holy the Sabothe day without exception The Machabees notwithstandinge stickte not to arme them selues againste Antiochus and to spende that daye in the fielde in their defence hauinge no scruple of conscience for breache of that lawe Many the like examples we finde in the olde Testament But let vs come to the Newe testament and to the Sacramentes of the time of Grace In due consideration of whiche we may finde that Christe hathe scarcely commaunded any outwarde thinge the moderation qualiâ—â—â—ing and orderinge whereof he hath not lefte to his churche as accordinge to the condition of the time it hath been seen moste expedient for the common preferment and edifieinge of the same So that notwithstandinge there be no swaruinge from the scope and principal intente and no creature defrauded of that good whiche by the outwarde thinges is to be atteinâ—d Toâ—chinge the Sacrament of Baptisme though nothinge be saide of the reaching of them that should be Baptized neither of the dippinge of them into the water which Christes charge in this behalfe geuen seemeth plainely to require go you saith he to his Apostles
plura defendunt posteriora aduersus priora suscipiunt It is meete that we expounde the fewer places accordinge to the moe But this is the very caste of al Heretiques For bicause there be few thinges to be founde in the wood or in the multitude therefore they defende a fewe thinges againste many and thinges lately diuised againste the firste Thus doothe M. Hardinge as we plainely sée and this saithe Tertullian is the very cast of al Heretiques M. Hardinge The .15 Diuision For this purpose wee haue a not able place in the Hebrew Gospel of S. Matthew whiche S. Hierome saith he saw in the librarie of Caesarea and translated it This place is cited by S. Hierome in his booke De Ecclesiasticis Scriptoribus in Iacobo fratre domini The woordes touchinge the Communion that S. Hierome rehearseth agree throughly with those of S. Luke 24. Chapter Matthaeus sic refert Dominus autem c. Matthew reporteth thus when our Lorde had geuen his shrowde vnto the Bishops seruaunte he wente to Iames and appeared to him for Iames had made an othe that he woulde not eate Breade from that hower he dranke of the Cuppe of the Lorde vntil he saw him raysed from the dead It followeth a litle after Aâ—â—erte ait dominus mensam panem Statimque addit Tulit Panem benedixit fregit ac dedit Iacobo iusto dixit ei Frater comede Panem tuum quia resurrexit filius hominis a dormientibus Bringe the table and set on Breade quoth our Lorde and by and by it is added he tooke Breade and blessed it and brake it and gaue it to Iames the Iuste and saide vnto him my brother eate thy Breade for the sonne of man is risen againe from the Dead No man can doubte but this was the Sacrament And wine was there none geuen for any thinge that may be geathered For it is not likely that S. Iames had wine in his house then for as muche as Egesippus who was not longe after him witnesseth of him that he neuer dranke wine but at our Lordes supper The B. of Sarisburie What shal néede longe answeare to him that alleadgeth nothinge Here is no woorde spoken of the Sacrament no more then when Christe did eate of the broiled Fishe and of the Hony combe And other proufe thereof there is none brought but woordes and boldenesse For shew and countenaunce of somewhat there is brought foorth the Gospel of S. Matthew and that written in Hebrew as though S. Matthew had written twoo Gospels in twoo sundrie tongues and not onely twoo but also diuers I know it is thought of some that S. Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew by reporte of Theophylactus S. Iohn the Euangelist translated the same into Greeke But that there should be any contrarietie or diuersitie of storie or mater as M. Hardinge séemeth to meane I haue not hearde But S. Hierome in the place here alleged as he not once nameth the Sacrament so he speaketh not one woorde of S. Matthew Whiche thinge addeth some more distrust to M. Hardinges dealing S. Hierome onely nameth the Gospel of the Hebrewes which he saith he him selfe translated both into Gréeke and Latin and is often alleged by Origen But Eusebius accompteth it for no Gospel but onely amonge the bastarde Scriptures How be it what so euer the credite of the Booke be thus it is written Christe tooke Breade and blist it and brake it Here saith M. Harding no man can doubte but it was the Sacrament I sée wel he woulde faine haue it so Yet is there here neither by the Hebrewes Gospel nor by S. Hierome any one woorde spoaken of the Sacrament Neither had S. Iames vowed that he woulde not minister or receiue the Communion but that he woulde eate no Common Breade before he had seene Christe risen againe from the dead As for the blessynge of the Breade it was not a thinge peculiar to the Sacrament but a general manner that Christe obserued when so euer be vsed Goddes creatures as it may appeare throughout the storie of the Gospels That Christe should then minister the Sacrament it is but M. Hardinges gheasse No olde writer euer saw so muche before no not S. Hierome that wrote the storie Yet M. Harding as though he had learned it in the thirde heauen saith It is so plaine that no man may doubt of it But be it the Sacrament Ergo saith M. Hardinge There was but one kinde And how may that be proued Now must one gheasse healpe an other For it is likely saith M. Harding that there was no wine in the house And why so Bycause S. Iames dranke no wine If gheasses goe for argumentes this mater is doone How be it it seemeth a very séely gheasse to say S. Iames dranke no wine Ergo He had no wine in his house Uerely the same Egesippus that saithe S. Iames neuer dranke wine saithe also That he neuer was annointed neuer ware woollen clothe neuer eate fleashe in al his life Hereof by M. Hardinges Logique wée may conclude that he had neither ointment nor woollen clothe nor fleashe in his house Yet is there here an other greater inconuenience S. Hierome saith that S. Iames continued Bishop in Hierusalem the space of thirtie yeres vntil the seuenth yere of Nero if it be true that is here auouched that in al his life he neuer dranke Wine but onely at Christes last Supper then must it follow that being Bishop in Hierusalem the space of thirtie yeres he neuer saide Masse whiche thing M. Harding may not wel graunt Or els that he consecrated in one kinde which thing by Gelasius is adiudged Sacrilege Whiche way so euer M. Harding turne him selfe into one of these inconueniences he must néedes fal Againe if here be mention in déede of the Sacrament no Wine to be had in S. Iames house then did Christe him selfe receiue in one kinde to whose example as these men say Bishoppes and Priestes are bounde to stande Therefore let them no longer defraude the people but by Christes example let both Bishops and Priestes content them selues with the halfe Communion as wel as others M. Hardinge The .16 Diuision But bicause perhaps our aduersaries wil caste some myste ouer these allegations to darken the truth with their cloudie gloses whiche be cleare yenough to quiet and sobre wittes that geue eare to the holy ghost speaking to vs by the mouthe of the Churche I wil bring foorthe suche witnesses and proufes for this purpose out of auncient Fathers as by no reason or Sophistical shifte they shal be hable to auoide Many of the places that I alleged in the article before this for Priuate Communion may serue to this purpose very wel and therefore I wil not let to recite some of them here also The B. of Sarisburie God wote it were greate wronge to cast a myste ouer darkenesse But M. Hardinge hauing alleged suche mater for his halfe
al the worlde By these and other like authorities of the Scriptures they conclude that the Pope holdeth his authoritie not by any ordinance of man but De Iure diuino That is euen by the right of Goddes vndoubted Lawe And therefore Pope Bonifacius determineth the mater in this wise to holde for euer Declaramus Dicimus Definimus Pronuntiamus omninò esse de necessitate salutis omni humanae creaturae subesse Romano Pontifici Wee declare say determine and pronounce that vndoubtedly it standeth vpon the necessitie of Saluation for euery mortal creature to be subiecte to the Bishop of Rome Likewise saith the Glose vpon the same Quicquid saluatur est sub summo pontifice What so euer is saued is vnder the highest Bishop If â—â—ese claimes be good it is no harde mater to holde by Scriptures But for as muche as they seeme to make greatest accompte of these woordes of Christe Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I vvil builde my Churche Therefore for answeare herevnto vnderstande thou good Christian Reader that the Olde Catholique Fathers haue written pronounced not any Mortal man as Peter was but Christe him selfe the Sonne of God to be this Rocke Gregorius Nyssenus saith Tu es Petrus c. Thou arte Peter and vpon this Rocke I vvil builde my Churche He meaneth the Confession of Christe for he had saide before Thou arte Christe the Sonne of the liuinge God So saith S. Hilarie Haec est vna foâ—lix fidei Petra quam Petrus ore suo confessus est This is that onely Blessed Rocke of Faithe that Peter confessed with his mouthe Againe he saith Vpon this Rocke of Peters Confession is the buildinge of the Churche So Cyrillus Petra nihil aliud est quà m firma inconcussa Discipuli Fides The Rocke is nothinge els but the stronge and assured Faithe of the Disciple So likewise Chrysostome Super hanc PetraÌ„ id eâ—t In hac Fide Confessione aedificabo Ecclesiam meaÌ„ Vpon this Rocke that is to say vpon this Faithe and this Confession I wil builde my Churche Likewise S. Augustine Petra erat Christus super quod fundamentum etiam aedificatus est Petrus Christe was the Rocke vpon which â—undation Peter him selfe was also builte And addeth further bisides Non me aedificabo super te sed te aedificabo super me Christe saithe vnto Peter I wil not builde mee selfe vpon thee but I wil builde thee vpon mee Al these Fathers be plaine but none so plaine as Origen His woordes be these Petra est quicunque est Discipulus Christi Et super talem petraÌ„ construitur omnis Ecclesiastica Doctrina Quod si super vnuÌ„ illum Petrum tantùm existimas aedificari totaÌ„ EcclesiaÌ„ â–ª quid dicturus es de Iohanne Filio Tonitrui Apostolorum vnoquoque Num audebimus dicere quòd aduersus Petrum vnum non praeualiturae sint portae Inferorum An soli Petro danâ—ur a Christo Claues Regni Coâ—lorum He is the Rocke who so euer is the Disciple of Christe And Vpon suche a Rocke al Ecclesiastical learninge is builte If thou thinke that the whole Churche is builte onely vpon Peter what then wilt thou say of Iohn the Sonne of the Thunder and of euery of the Apostles Shal wee dare to say that the Gates of Hel shal not preuaile onely against Peter Or are the keyes of the Kingedome of Heauen geuen onely vnto Peter By these few it may appeare what right the Pope hath to claime his authoritie by Goddes woorde and as M. Hardinge saith De Iure diuino In déede touchinge the same woordes of S. Mathew S. Hierome writeth thus Istum locum Episcopi Presbyteri non intelligentes aliquid sibi de Pharisaeorum assumunt supercilio Bishoppes and Priestes not vnderstandinge this place take vpon them some parte of the proude lookes of the Phariseis And againe he saithe Nouerint Episcopi se magis consuetudine quà m dispositionis Dominicae veritate Presbyteris esse maiores Let Bishoppes vnderstande that they are greater then the Priestes more of Custome then of the truthe of Goddes ordinance By this it appeareth that the Bishop of Rome holdeth by Custome and not as M. Hardinge saith De Iure diuino As for the Decrées of Councels the Edictes of Princes the saieinges of holy Fathers the Necessitie of Reason and the Practise of the Churche how iustly they be auouched by M. Hardinge they shal be seuerally examined as they come M. Hardinge The .3 Diuision But I in this treatise seekinge to auoide prolixitie hauinge purposed to say somewhat to this number of the other Articles and knowinge this matter of the Primacie to be already largely and learnedly handeled of others wil but Trippe as it were lightly ouer at this time and not set my fast footinge in the deepe debatinge and treatinge of it First as concerning the right of the Primacie by Goddes lawe by these auncient authorities it hath beene auouched Anacletus that holy Bishop and Martyr S. Peters Scholar and of him Consecrated Priest in his Epistle to the Bishops of Italie writeth thus In Nouo Testamento post Christum c. In the New Testament the order of Priestes beganne after our Lorde Christe of Peter bicause to him Bishoprike was first geuen in the Churche of Christe where as our Lorde saide vnto him Thou arte Peter and vpon this Rocke I vvil builde my Churche and the gates of Hel shal not preuaile against it and vnto thee I vvil geue the keyes of the kingedome of Heauen VVherefore this Peter receiued of our Lorde first of al power to binde and to loose and first of al he brought people to the faithe by vertue of his Preachinge As for the other Apostles they receiued honour and power in like felowship with him and willed him to be their Prince or chiefe gouernour In an other Epistle to al Bishops alleging the same texte for the Primacie of the see of Rome speakinge of the disposition of Churches committed to Patriarkes and Primates saith thus moste plainely This holy and Apostolike Churche of Rome hath obteined the Primacie not of the Apostles â–ª but of our Lorde and Sauiour him selfe and hath gotten the preeminence of power ouer al Churches and ouer the whole flocke of Christen people euen so as he saide to blessed Peter the Apostle Thou arte Peter and vpon this Rocke c. The B. of Sarisburie The authorities here alleged are full of Fogge and false grounde and can abide no falt footinge and therefore M. Hardinge Trippeth them so lightly ouer Touchinge this Epistle of Anacletus and other like Epistles Decretal I wil onely geue a taste and leaue the iudgement thereof vnto the Reader First one Petrus Crabbe the compiler of the Councelles complaineth muche that the examples from whence he tooke them were woonderfully corrupted and not one of them agreeing with an other and expresseth
vnto them aboue al others Noli altum sapere sed time Be not highe minded but stande in awe Wherefore it is the lesse to be marueled if they haue so ambitiousely at al times attempted dominion ouer others But M. Hardinge saithe the preeminence of power and authoritie of the Bishop of Rome is commended to the worlde by many and sundrie Councelles Wherein I maruel he allegeth not the Councel of Carthage of Hippo Regius and of Aphrica in whiche it was decreed thus Vt primae sedis Episcopus non appelletur Princeps sacerdoâ—um aut Summus sacerdos aut aliquid huiusmodi sed tantùm primae Sedis Episcopus That the Bishop of the firste See be not called the chiefe of Priestes or the highest Prieste or by any other like name but onely the Bishop of the firste See Or the Councel of Aphrica where toutchinge appeale to Rome it was specially prouided thus Si prouocandum putauerint non prouocent nisi ad Aphricana Concilia vel ad primates prouinciarum suarum Ad transmarina qui putauerit appellandum à nullo intra Aphricam in CoÌ„munionem suscipiatur If they thinke it needeful to appeale from their owne Bishoppes let them not appeale but onely vnto Councelles to be holden within the countrie of Aphrica But who so euer shal thinke it needeful to appeale to the iudgement of any beyonde the Sea that is to the Bishop of Rome let no man within Aphrica receiue him to his Communion Why doothe M. Hardinge so warily leaue these Councelles that be ertant and to be séene the authoritie whereof was neuer doubted of and allege onely a patche of the Councel of Nice whiche he him selfe confesseth was burnte and al the Bishoppes of the East parte who are supposed to haue made it protest openly vnder their handes and seales it was neuer made But M. Hardinge herein doothe muche like vnto the Arrians that accused Athanastus who were not ashamed to bringe in the names of certaine menne as beinge aliue to witnesse againste him and yet not withstandinge charged Athanasius with the same menne that he had slaine them Neither doo I sée wherefore M. Hardinge shoulde néede in this case to leane to the authoritie of any Councel For his Anacletus thought it better to make men beleeue he had his superioritie Not from the Apostles but from Christe him selfe And Faustinus Episcopus Potentinus claiminge for the Bishop of Rome in the Councel of Carthage and findinge him selfe to haue smal holde in this Canon of the Nicene Councel alleged rather Custome and prescription These be his woordes Tractandum est cum vestra beatitudine de Nicenis Canonibus vt conseruentur constituta eoruÌ„ Consuetudo Quia aliqua ordine Canone tenentur aliqua Consuetudine firmata sunt â–ª We must deale with your holines of the Canons of the Councel of Nice that thei maie be keapte both the Constitutions thereof and also the Custome For certaine thinges are holden by order and by Canon and certaine thinges are made good by Custome But Pope Nicolas the first vtterly refuseth not onely the Councel of Nice and al other Councelles in this behalfe but also the authoritie of Prescription and Custome For thus he saithe Animaduertendum est quia non Nicena non denique vlla Synodus quicquam Romanae contulit Ecclesiae priuâ—legij quae in Petro nouerat eam totius iura potestatis pleniter meruisse cunctarum Christi ouium regimen accepisse Ye muste consider that neither the Councel of Nice nor any other Councel euer gaue any priuilege to this Churche of Rome For this Churche knoweth that in Peter she hath fully deserued the right of al power and hath atteined the gouernement of al the sheepe of Christe But touchinge the forgerie of this Councel of Nice the very beginninge of the quarel and the whole storie standeth thus One Apiarius a Priest of the Churche of Sicca in Aphrica as it appeareth a very il man beinge iustly excommunicate bothe by his owne Bishop and also by a great number of other Bishoppes togeather in the Councel there appealed from them al vnto Zosimus then Bishop of Rome Zosimus without further knowlege of the cause neuer hearinge the other partie pronounced Apiarius to be innocent restoared him to the CoÌ„munion And vnderstandinge there was a Councel geathered in Aphrica touchinge the same sent thither Faustinus the Bishop of Potentia with twoo other priestes of Rome Philippus Asellus not onely to sée that the saide Apâ—arius without any further trial might be restoared vnto his right but also to make plea in the open Councel that it should be lawful for any prieste to appeale from his owne ordinarie or Metropolitane or Councel vnto the Apostolique See of Rome The Bishoppes of Aphrica answeared there was no law it shoulde be so Faustinus laide foorth this Canon of the Councel of Nice not made by the authoritie of the Bishops there but onely diuised by the Bishop of Rome The Bishops there emonge whome was S. Augustine that famous learned Father thought it was a forged mater therfore saide they woulde sende vnto Alexandria Antioche Constantinople for the very Original copies of the saide Councel and desired the Bishop of Rome to doo the same and saide that in the meane while they woulde doo as they had done before Upon this Message and returne of the answeare with the true Authentique copies from Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople it appeared plainely vnto the worlde that the Canons were corrupted that the Pope had falsified the holy Councel and to thintent to auaunce his Apostolique Sée of Rome had diuised Priuileges and Prerogatiues of his owne Here mightâ— M. Hardinge wel bestowe his termes Here mighte he truely say The Pope coggeth and foisteth the die The Pope bombasteth the Canons of Councelles and the Decrees of holy Fathers vvith his counterfeite stuffinge The Bishoppes in the Councel of Aphrica hauinge thus throughly examined the trueth hereof wrote vnto Coelestinus beinge then Bishop of Rome in this wise Decreta Nicena c. The Decrees of the Councel of Nice haue committed both the inferior Clerkes and also the Bishopes vnto their Metropolitanes For it was discreetely and rightly considered that al maters are to be determined in the places where they began and that no Prouince canne lacke the Holy Goste whereby the Bishoppes of Christe may be hable bothe wisely to see and also constantely to mainteine the right and specially for that it is lawful for euery man that shal mislike the discretioÌ„ of his Iudges to appeale either to a Particular Councel within the same Realme or elles to the vniuersal Councel of the whole worlde Onles perchaunce some man wil saie God is hable to inspire the trial of Iustice into one man alone bicause he is Bishop of Rome and vvil not inspire the same into a
great number of Bishoppes meetinge togeather in Councel And howe may suche beyondesea Iudgement be thought good whereunto the personnes of the witnesses which in trial of trueth are thought necessary either for that thei be wemen or for the infirmitie of their age or for many other incident lettes cannot be brought Now that any should be sente abroade as it were from your holmes side we finde it not decreed in any Councel As for that you sent vs lately by our Brother Faustmus as parte of the Councel of Nice we must doo you to wite that in the true Councelles whiche we haue receiued from our Holy Felowbishop Cyrillus of Alexandria and the Reuerende Father Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople taken out of the very Originalles it cannot be founde And sende you not any your Clerkes hither to execute Iustice at any mannes request leaste we seeme to bringe the smokie puffe of the worlde into the Churche of Christe Thus farre the woordes of the Councel The Bishop of Rome when he sawe he was taken with the manner and found an open falsarie for that the Canons of his makinge disagreed from the very Originalles thought it good policie to saye the Originalles were burnte by the Arians and so no true copie nowe remaininge but his onely And therefore he imagined a letter to be written in the name of Athanasius and other Bishops of Aegypte vnto Marcus the Bishop of Rome wherein they besought him a copie of the Nicene Councel for that al their Bookes were vtterly destroyed But this shifte was to simple For it were harde for M. Hardinge to shewe what helpe Athanasius coulde haue founde in any of those Canons that are nowe presumed to be burnte wherewith either to relieue him selfe in that case or els to molest and greeue his aduersaries But bothe Iulius the Bishop of Rome and also Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria make mention hereof Therefore there is no cause saith M. Hardinge why this mater shoulde be suspected of any vntruethe This remouinge of suspition I know not howe séemeth somwhat to increase suspicion If there were not a soare what shoulde it thus neede to be salued In deede Iulius allegeth a Canon of the Councel of Nice But M. Hardinges Canon he allegeth not And the compiler of the Councelles gaue this note in the Margine touchinge the same Hoc Statutum solùm reducibile est ad quintum sextum Caput Niceni Concilij Verùm apertè non inuenitur This Decree maye onely be reduced to the fifth and sixth Chapter of the Councel of Nice But expressely it is not founde Suche credite is to be geuen to this Iulius in his allegations As for M. Hardinges Athanasius his tale is so simple that it wil soone bewray it selfe For as I noted before he writeth vnto Marcus the Bishop of Rome of the burninge of the Bookes and yet Athanasius him selfe certainely knewe that Marcus was deade at the least nine yéeres before that burninge happened Euen so the vaine forger of the Emperour Constantines greate Dotation imagineth him to Decrée that the Bishop of Constantinople shoulde be subiecte vnto the See of Rome And yet neither was the Citie of Constantinople at that time builte nor any suche name yet knowen in the worlde nor any Bishoprike there erected A man might saye Non satis commodè diuisa sunt temporibus tibi Daue haec Againe the same Athanasius writinge vnto Foelix saithe The Arianes had falsified the Nicene Councel but writinge vnto Marcus of the same mater as a man that had vtterly forgotten him selfe he saith The Arrianes had burnte the Councel of Nice But if it were burnte howe was it falsified If it were falsified how was it burnte These tales hange not wel together But for as much as M. Harding woulde so faine haue the Pope to holde by burnte euidence if it may please thée gentle Reader discretely to weigh the whole circumstance of the mater thou shalte soone finde that al this great adoo was nothinge els but a greate fable For firste it appéereth by Theodoretus that the whole Actes and Copies of the Councel of Nice were sente abroade vnto al Bishops that were awaye And Marius Uictorinus writinge against Arius saith that the same Actes were sente abroade into the whole worlde that many thousande Bishops subscribed and agréed vnto them Whiche thing being vndoubtedly true it were very muche for M. Hardinge to saye that al these copies in al partes of the worlde coulde be destroyed vpon the suddayne and that altogeather in one place and with one fyer and at one commaundement The Arianes neither were so mightie to atchieue it nor so foolishe to attempte it Cetainely the like neuer happened to any other Councel But what néedeth woordes where the mater is plaine The Bishoppes of Aphrica had the very copies of these Canons Alypius the Bishop of Tagasta in this conference with Faustinus saide Adhuc tamen me mouet quoniam cùm inspiceremus Graeca exemplaria huius Synodi Nicenae ista ibi nescio qua ratione minimè inuenimus But this one thinge muche moueth me that conferringe and examininge the Greeke examples of this Nicene Councel these maters of the superioritie of the See of Rome that is alleged I know not how we founde not there And Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria beinge desired for trial of this mater to sende the true Original of this Councel made answeare in this sorte Necesse habui fidelissima exemplaria ex authētica Synodo vestrae charitati dirigere I thought it needeful to sende vnto you the true examples of the very authentique Councel Likewise Atticus the Bishop of Constantinople to the same request answeareth thus Canones sicut statuti sunt in Nicaea Ciuitate à Patribus in integro ad vos direxi I haue sente vnto you the Canons in the whole euen as they were made and ratified by the Fathers in the Citie of Nice Nowe if these Canons were quite burnte as M. Hardinge saith how were they afterwarde founde whole as the godly Father Atticus and the learned Bishop Cyrillus saithe And if they were afterwarde founde whole how then were they quite burnte before Or howe is it that no man neither in Aphrica nor in Europa nor in Asia neither in the East Churche nor in the Weast was euer hable to sée these Canons but onely the Bishop of Rome that so ambitiously claimeth by them And if he haue them in déede and that of suche authentique recorde vnder the handes of the thrée hundred and eightéene Bishops as it is boldely auouched why are they not shewed Why haue they béene for the space of these thertéene hundred yeeres still kepte inuisible Uerily the Councel of Nice were wel woorthe the shewinge Al these thinges rightly weighed may seeme sufficient to discrie a Forger Yet gentle Reader the better to satisfie thy minde marke how earnestly with what cunninge M. Hardinges Athanasius forceth on
to whom if there be not geuen a power peereles and surmounting al others in the Churches we shal haue so many schismes as there be priestes The B. of Sarisburie This place of S. Hierome is notably wel noted But if it might haue pleased M. Hardinge to note but the twoo lines that wente before he should soone haue séene that this note was not woorthe the notinge For it is certaine that S. Hierome there speaketh generally of al Bishops and not one woorde specially of the Bishop of Rome He intreateth there of the order of Confirmation which he saith by the vsage of the Churche for quietnesse vnitie in many places was ministred onely by the Bishop and not by any other Priest and that he saith Ad honorem magis Sacerdotij quà m ad necessitatem Legis More for the honour of the state of Bishops then for the necessitie of the Law And this as I saide he speaketh generally of al Bishops Immediatly after he addeth these woordes that M. Harding here allegeth Ecclesiae salus c. The safetie of the Church hangeth of the dignitie of the high priest Herein S. Hierome agréeth throughly with S. Cyprian that is That for auoiding of Sectes and Schismes one high Priest that is to saye one Byshop was by good policie appointed in euery Diuision to whose dooinges and Doctrine the reast of the Clergie should câ—nforme them selues And by this order the vnitie of the Churche was wel preserued S. Cyprian saith Ecclesia cohaerentium sibi inuicem SacerdotuÌ„ glutino copulatur The Churche is ioined togeather by the consent of Bishops agreeinge in one So saith S. Hierome Singuli EcclesiaruÌ„ Episcopi singuli Archiepiscopi singuli Archidiaconi omnis ordo Ecclesiasticê° suis Rectoribê° nititur There be seueral Bishops of Churches seueral Archbishops and seueral Archedeacons and al the Ecclesiastical order is staied by the gouernours And the Glose therevpon saith thus Hieronymus probat hâ—c plures praelatos non debere esse in vna Ecclesia sed singulos debere esse in singulis Ecclesâ—s S. Hierome here proueth that there may not be twoo or mo Byshops in one Churche But that a seueral Bishop must be in euery seueral Churche To the like purpose S. Hierome writeth vpon the Epistle vnto Titus Haec proptereà vt ostenderemus apud veteres â—osdem fuisse Presbyteros quos Episcopos Paulatim verò vt dissensionum plantaria euellerentur ad vnum omnèm sollicitudinem esse delatam These thinges haue I spoken to the intent to shew that in olde time Priestes and Bishoppes were al one and that in processe and by degrees the whole charge was brought vnto one man he meaneth within one Diocese that the occasions of dissension might be rooted out And therefore as it is before declared â–ª S. Cyprian saith Hereof springe Schismes for that the Priest of the Lorde is not obeyed And therefore also saith S. Hierome Vnlesse the Byshop haue a special power aboue others there wil be as many Schismes in the Church as there be Priestes But al these thinges thus vttered generally of al Bishops M. Hardinge wreasteth and forceth onely vnto one Bishop and thus that is General he maketh Special and that is Special he maketh General at his pleasure and as before he misreported S. Cyprian euen so dooth he nowe likewise misreporte S. Hierome and so shoareth vp a ruinous mater with the falsification of his Doctours But M. Hardinge wil say S. Hierome vseth these special woordes Summus Sacerdos The highest Priest whiche can not otherwise be taken but onely of the Pope And therefore he gaue this note with a special Parenthesis He meaneth the Pope Peters successour Yet M. Hardinge knoweth there is no suche necessitie wherefore these woordes shoulde so be taken His owne Amphilochius calleth S. Basile Summus Sacerdos and yet he knoweth S. Basile was neuer Bishop of Rome Euery Bishop within his owne Diocesse may be called the highest Priest in respecte of other Priestes that liue vnder him And in this sense Lactantius séemeth to cal euery Bishoprike Maximum Sacerdotium As for the Bishop of Rome S. Hierome auaunceth him not so high as M. Hardinge woulde séeme but rather maketh him equal and leuel with al other Bishoppes For thus he writeth vnto Euagriâ—s Si authoritas quaeritur Orbis maior est Vrbe Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus siue Romae siue Eugubij siue Constantinopoli siue Rhegij c. eiusdem est meriti eiusdem Sacerdotij If wee seeke for Authoritie the Worlde is greater then the Citie of Rome Wheresoeuer there is a Bishoppe whether he be at Rome or at Eugubium or at Constantinople or at Rhegium c. He is of like woorthinesse and of lyke Priesthoode Here S. Hierome specially and by name rekeneth the Bishoppe of Rome amonge others and maketh him equal vnto the rest And againe he saithe Quid mihi profers Vnius Vrbis consuetudinem What shewest thou mee the order or manner of one Citie So muche S. Hierome seemeth to set by the Sée of Rome And to this ende S. Cyprian saith Hoc erant coeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti Honoris Potestatis The reast of the Apostles were the same that Peter was al indewed with like felowship bothe of Honour and also of Power And so S. Cyprian calleth Cornelius Bishop of Rome his Brother and Cyrillus calleth Coelestinus likewise Bishop of Rome his Felowseruant And therefore when I heare M. Harding by his strange interpretation geue vnto the Bishop of Rome A power peereles and surmounting al others Me thinketh I heare Doctour Durandus say Hic est Melchisedech cuius Sacerdotium non est coeteris comparatum Ille est Caput omnium PontificuÌ„ a quo illi tanquâ—m a capite membra descendunt de cuius plenitudine omnes accipiunt This is Melchisedâ—â—â— whose priesthoode is not comparable vnto others He is the Head of al Bishoppes from whom al they grow as members grow from the head and of whose fulnesse al they receiue Me thinketh I heare that is written by the Canonistes Dominus 〈…〉 Our Lorde God the Pope And where as he further saithe The safetie of the Church hangeth of the high priest whom he supposeth to be the Bishop of Rome Uerily S. Gregorie saith Quando is qui appellatur Vniuersalis cadit vniuersa Ecclesia 〈…〉 suo corruit When so euer he that is called the Vniuersal Bishoppe falleth the whole Churche from her state must needes fal to the grounde M. Hardinge The .16 Diuision There is an Epistle of Theodoretus Bishop of Cyrus extant in Greeke written to Leo Bishop of Rome wherein we finde a worthy witnesse of the primacie of the See Aposâ—â—like His woordes may thus be engliâ—â—ed If Pâ—ule saith he the preacher of the truthe and trumpet of the â—oly Ghoste ranne to Peter to bringe from him a determination and declaration for them
his letters that he sate in iudgement and hearde bothe parties Now if receiuing of appeales necessarily importe this Uuiuersal power then was the Emperours power Uniuersal for he receiued al appeales out of al Countries without exception and that euen in Causes Ecclesiastical Againe then was the Bishop of Romes power not Uniuersal for it was lawful then to refuse him and to appeale to some other And thus M. Hardinges reasons renne roundely against him selfe M. Hardinge The .22 Diuision For whiche cause â–ª that See hath euer hitherto of al Christian Nations and now also ought to be hearde and obeied in al pointes of Faith For that See though it hath failed sometimes in Charitie and hath beene in case as it might truely say the woordes of the Gospel spoken by the foolishe Virgins Our Lampes be vvithout lighte Yet it neuer failed in faithe as Theodoretus witnesseth and S. Augustine affirmeth the same VVhiche special Grace and singular Priuilege is to be imputed vnto the praier of Christe by whiche he obteined of God for Peter and his successoues 108 that their Faith should not faile Therefore the euil life of the Bishops of Rome ought not to withdrawe vs from beleeuinge and folowinge the Doctrine preached and taught in the holie Church of Rome For better credite hereof that is earnestly to be considered whiche S. Augustine writeth Epistola 165. where after that he hath rehearsed in order al the Popes that Succeeded Peter euen to him that was Pope in his time he saithe thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum c. In to that rewe of Bishops that reacheth from Peter him selfe to Anastasius which now sitteth in the same Chayre if any traitour had creapte in it shoulde nothinge hurte the Churche and the innocent Christen folke ouer whom our Lorde hauinge prouidence saithe of euil rulers VVhat they saye vnto you doo ye but what they doo doo ye not For they saye and doo not to thintent the hope of a faithful person may be certaine and suche as beinge set not in man but in our Lorde be neuer scattered abroade with tempest of wicked Schisme And in his 166. Epistle he satthe Our Heauenly Maister hath so farre forewarned vs to be ware of al euil of dissension that he assured the people also of euil rulers that for their sakes the seate of holsome doctrine should not be forsaken in whiche seate euen the very euil men be compelled to saye good thinges For the thinges whiche they saye be not theirs but Goddes who in the seate of vnitie hath put the doctrine of veritie By this we are plainely taught that al be it the successours of Peter Christes Vicares in earthe be found blame woorthy for their euil life yet we ought not to dissent from them in Doctrine nor seuer our selues from them in Faithe For as muche as notwithstandinge they be euil by Gods prouidence for the suretie of his people they be compelled to saye the thinges that be good and to teache the truthe the thinges they speake not beinge theirs but Gods who hath put the doctrine of veritie in the seate or chayer of vnitie whiche singular Grace commeth specially to the See of Peter eyther of the force of Christes prayer as is saide before or in respecte of place and dignitie whiche the Bishops of that See holde for Christe as Balaam coulde be brought by no meanes to curse that people whom God woulde haue to be blessed And Caiphas also prophesied bicause he was high Bishop of that yeere and prophesied truely beinge a man otherwise most wicked And therefore the euil dooinges of Bishops of Rome make no argument of discreditinge their Doctrine To this purpose the example of Gregorie Nazianzene maye very fittely be applied of the Golden Siluerne and Leaden Seale As touchinge the value of Metalles Golde and Siluer are better but for the goodnesse of the Seale as wel dooth Leade imprinte a figure in waxe as Siluer or Golde For this cause that the See of Rome hathe neuer ben defiled with stinkinge Heresies as Theodoretus saithe and God hath alwaies keapte in that Chaire of Vnitie the doctrine of Veritie as Augustine writeth For this cause I saye it sitteth at the sterne and gouerneth the Churches of the whole worlde For this cause Bishops haue made their Appellations thither iudgement in doubtes of Doctrine and determination in al controuersies and strifes hath bene from thence alwaies demaunded The B. of Sarisburie This is a very poore healpe in déede M. Hardinge here is faine to resemble the Bishops of Rome touchinge their Doctrine to Balaam to Caiphas and to a Leaden Seale and touchinge their liues to confesse they are Lampes without light Yet saithe he al this notwithstandinge we may not therefore departe from them For Christe saith The Scribes and Phariseis sitte in Moses Charie Doo ye that they saye but that they doo doo ye not for they saye and doo not For as muche as it liketh M. Hardinge to vse these comparisons it may not muche mislike him if some man vpon occasion hereof happen to say as Christe sayde in the like case Wo be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis ye blinde Guides ye painted Graues Ye shutte vp the Kingedome of Heauen before men ye neither enter your selues nor suffer others that woulde enter Ye haue made the House of God a Caue of Theeues Certainely Balaam not withstandinge he were a False Prophete yet he opened his mouthe and blissed the people of God Caiphas although he were a wicked Bishop yet he prophesied and spake the trueth A seale although it be cast in leade yet it geueth a perfit printe The Scribes and Phariseis although they were Hypocrites and liued not wel yet they instructed the Congregation and saide wel The Manichées although they were Heretiques and taught not wel yet outwardly in the conuersation and sight of the worlde as S. Augustine saith they liued wel But these vnto whom M. Hardinge claimeth the Uniuersal power ouer al the worlde neither blisse the people of God nor preache Goddes Trueth nor geue any printe of good life or Doctrine nor instructe the Congregation nor say wel as the Scribes and Phariseis did nor by M. Hardinges owne Confession liue wel as the Manichees did S. Augustine saith Qui nec regiminis in se rationem habet nec sua crimina detersit nec filiorum culpam correxit Canis impudicus dicendus est magis quà m Episcopus He that neither regardeth to rule him selfe nor hath washte of his owne sinnes nor corrected the faâ—ltes of his Children may rather be called a filthy dogge then a Bishop Yet al this corruption of life notwithstandinge M. Hardinge saithe The Sée of Rome can neuer faile in Faithe For Christe saide vnto Peter I haue praied for thee that thy Faithe may not faile The like confidence and trust in them selues the Priestes had in the olde times as it may appeare by
roughly to deale with the nobles of the Courte and to rebuke their faultes the Emperour Ualentinian saide Al this I knew before and therefore I not onely saide not naie but also gave my Voice and Assent to his Election Touchinge the Election of Nâ—ctarius Sozomenus writeth in this wise The Bishoppes that were present at the Election gaue vnto the Emperour in writinge sundrie names of suche as they thought meete for that roome The Emperour weighinge the persons set his seale vpon Nectarius name and elected him Gratianus the Emperour at his comminge to Constantinople embraced Gregorie Nazianzene and after some conference with him had saide vnto him O Father vnto thee and vnto thy labours God through vs committeth this Churche Beholde I geue vnto thee this Holy House and the Stal And the people besought the Emperour to set the Bishop in his Chaire The like might be saide of the Consent and Allowance of the people Anacletus as he is commonly alleged writeth thus Sacerdotes à proprio ordinentur Episcopo ita vt Ciues alij Sacerdotes assensum praebeant Let Priestes be ordred by their owne seueral Bishoppes so that the people and other Priestes geue their assent thereunto S. Cyprian saithe likewise The people beinge obedient vnto Goddes commaundementes hath power specially either to choose woorthy Priestes or to refuse the vnwoorthy Thus many voices were then thought necessary to the Admission of any Bishop Therefore this seemeth no sufficient grounde to prooue that the Bishop of Rome is Heade of the Churche For M. Hardinge might soone haue seene that the Bishop of Rome him selfe touchinge his owne Election was wonte to be allowed by other Bishoppes Uerily S. Cyprian writeth thus of the Allowance of Cornelius Bishop there Vt Cornelium noueris Coepiscoporum testimonio quorum numerus vniuersus per mundum concordi vnanimitate consensit That thou maiste know Cornelius by the testimonie of his Felowbishoppes the whole number of whome throughout the worlde hath agreed to the allowinge of his election with one consent Afterwarde in an Epistle vnto Cornelius himselfe he writeth thereof more at large Ad comprobandam ordinationem tuam facta authoritate maiore placuit vt per Episcopos omnes omninò in ista Prouincia positos literae fierent vt te vniuersi Collegae nostri Communicationem tuam id est Ecclesiae Catholicae vnitatem pariter charitatem probarent pariter tenerent To allowe thy Consecration more authoritie beinge geathered I thought it good that letters shoulde be sente vnto al the Bishops of this Prouince that al our bretherne might bothe allowe and holde bothe thee and thy Communion that is to say the Vnitie of the Catholique Churche If M. Hardinge wil say This was not the Confirmation of the Election of Cornelius it foloweth immediatly Sic Episcopatus tui veritas pariter dignitas apertissima luce manifestissima firmissima confirmatione fundata est Thus is the trueth and dignitie of thy Bishoprike founded in the open light and with moste manifest and most certaine Confirmation Thus when so euer any Bishop was eyther installed or deposed knowledge thereof was geuen vnto the other Bishops and the same either allowed or disallowed by his brethren But that the Bishop of Rome ordered and admitted al the Bishops throughout the worlde bysides that it hath no possibilitie or coloure of trueth in it selfe it is also easie by good recorde and authoritie to be reproued Agapetus Bishop of Rome about the yeere of our Lorde 540. after he had vpon occasion Consecrate Menna the Bishop of Constantinople he vttered these woordes in commendation of the partie Et hoc dignitati eius Mennae accedere credimus quòd à temporibus Petri Apostoli nullum alium vnquam Orientalis Ecclesia suscepit Episcopum manibus nostrae Sedis ordinatum And this is an augmentation of Mennaes dignitie that fithens the time of Peter the Apostle the East Churche neuer receiued any other Bishop Consecrate by the handes of our See Nowe aduise thée selfe good Reader whether thou wilt beleue Pope Agapetus or M. Hardinge And let not M. Hardinge finde faulte for that I place the Orderinge of Bishops in stéede of their Confirmation For he him selfe séemeth to make Confirmation and Ordering bothe one thinge or at least to ioine them bothe togeather These be his woordes Leo woulde not in any wise order and Confirme Anatolius Truely Liberatus saithe the manner was in Alexandria that who so euer was chosen Bishop there shoulde come to the Beare and laye his Predecessours hande vpon his heade and put on S. Markes Cloke and then was he sufficiently Confirmed Bishop without any mention made of Rome And S. Cyprian writeth vnto the Bishops of Spaine that Sabinus whom they had lawfully chosen Bishop shoulde so continue stil yea notwithstandinge Cornelius beinge then Bishop of Rome misliked him and woulde not Confirme him And that very Counterfeite Decrée of Anacletus â–ª that requireth al Bishops once in the yéere to present them selues in Rome extendeth not his commaundement throughout al the world but onely to the Bishops of the Prouince of Rome Thus staÌ„de the woordes Omnes Episcopi qui huius Apostolicae Sedis ordinationi subiacent c. Al Bishops that be bounde to haue their Orders Confirmed by this Apostolique See c. Whereby it maye be geathered the other Bishops were not subiecte to the Ordinaunce of that See And this was the faulte that Gregorie founde in the Bishop of Salonae that being within the Iurisdiction of his Prouince he was Consecrate without his knowledge And that Gregorie meant it not of al Bishops but onely of yâ— Bishop within his owne charge it is euident by his woordes For thus he writeth Episcopi mei Episcopi mihi commissi My Bishops Bishops beinge within my Cure And that the Citie of Salonae standinge in Illyricum was sometime within the Prouince of Rome it is plaine by the Epistle that Damasus the Bishop of Rome sent vnto the Bishops of Illyricum These be his woordes Par est omnes qui sunt in orbe Romano magistros consentire It is meete that al the teachers that be within the precinctes of the Romaine Iurisdiction agree togeather Where as it is alleged that the Bishop of Rome was required to ratifie the Election of Flauianus Anatolius and of the Arrian Bishops that was meante of a General allowance suche as was common to al Bishops specially to the foure Principal Patriarkes and not onely to the Bishop of Rome Neither was the Bishop of Romes Admission thought so necessarie as if he onely had a Uoice Negatiue to take in and to put out whom he listed but onely of Congruitie and Consent that it might appeare there was no Bishop in the Churche but was liked and allowed of al his Brethren For otherwise the Bishoppes of the East wrote thus vnto Iulius Si
the Emperours haue lost their Ciuile power and the Popes haue lost their holines In olde times the Emperour confirmed the Pope Now the Pope confirmeth the Emperour In olde times the Emperour called the Pope to the Councel now contrarywise the Pope calleth the Emperour As touching the restoaring of Athanasius Pope Iulius intreated Themperour in his behalfe whiche as it appeareth was his greatest request For thus he writeth vnto Liberius Precamur vt vestris exhortationibus tam per vos quà m per Apocrisiarios vestros adiuuemur We beseche you that through your good exhortations bothe by your selfe and by other your agentes we may be holpen More ouer for that he was a Patriarke he summoned a particular Councel and laboured the Bishoppes For the Arians saide There was on Ecclesiastical Canon That noman beinge once deposed should be restoared againe onlesse he had first cleared him selfe before a Councel and that the Bishoppes that woulde restoare him ought to be moe in number then were they that had deposed him And therfore Chrysostome was muche blamed of his aduersaries for that he beinge once deposed had recouered his roome without a Councel of other Bishoppes And therefore Flauianus beinge wrongefully put from his Bishoprike offred vp his Bille of Appeale not vnto the Bishop of Rome alone but vnto him with other Bishoppes The trueth hereof may wel appeare by these woordes of Leo Bishop of Rome vnto the Emperour Theodosius Omnes partium nostrarum Ecclesiae omnes mansueâ—udini vestrae cum gemitibus lachrymis supplicant Sacerdotes vt quia eisdem Libellum Appellationis Flauianus Episcopus dedit generalem Synodum iubeatis intra Italiam celebrari Al the Churches of these our countries and al the Priestes with sighes and teares beleeche your highnes that for as muche as Flauianus hath offred vp his Bille of Appeale vnto them it may please you to commaunde a General Councel to be keapte in Italie In suche Councelles the Bishop of Rome beinge sometimes the chiefe pronounced the partie woorthy either to be restoared or to be deposed But that Sentence was not alwaies put in Execution The Councel of Antioche deposed Pope Iulius yet was not Iulius therfore deposed The Councel of Basile deposed Pope Eugenius yet Eugenius continued Pope stil. The Decree of Bishoppes in suche cases without the Emperours authoritie was then of smal force And therfore Athanasius him selfe reporteth that the Emperour gaue his consent to the determination of the Councel of Sardica and so commaunded him to be sente for home But M. Harding wil saie The woordes be plaine that Iulius restoared Athanasius It is true and not denied But the meaninge of these woordes is that Iulius pronounced him cleare in that he was accused of and therefore woorthy to be restored For it is certaine and M. Hardinge wel knoweth that Athanasius vpon Pope Iulius letters was not restoared The like is also written of others Cassiodorus saith Maximus quoque restituit beato Athanasio Communionem dignitatem Maximus also restoared vnto Athanasius bothe his Communion and also his dignitie That is to say pronounced him worthy to be restored For Maximus was not the Bishop of Rome These thinges considered M. Hardinge may make vp his reason thus The Pope had no authoritie to restore them that were deposed Ergo The Pope was not Head of the Churche Or thus The Emperour restoared suche as were deposed Ergo The Emperour was Head of the Churche M. Hardinge The .28 Diuision Concerninge the Reconciliation of the Prelates of the Churche bothe Bishoppes and Patriarkes to the Bishop of Rome 114 whereby his Primacie is acknowledged and confessed I neede not say much the mater beinge so euident After that the whole Churche of Aphrica had continued in Schisme and withdrawen them selues from the obedience of the See Apostolike through the entisement of Aurelius Archebishop of Carthago for the space of one hundred yeeres during which time by Goddes punishement they came into captiuitie of the Barbarous and cruel Vandales who were Arians at the length when it pleased God of his goodnesse to haue pitie on his people of that Prouince sending them Bellisarius the valiant Captaine that vanquished and destroied the Vandales and likewise Eulalius that godly Archebishop of Carthago that brought the Churche home againe and ioined the diuided members vnto the whole body the Catholike Churche a publike instrument conteininge the forme of their repentance and of their humble submission was offred and exhibited solemnely to Bonifacius the seconde then Pope by Eulalius in the name of that whole Prouince whiche was ioifully receiued and he therevpon foorthwith reconciled Of this reconciliation and restoaringe of the Aphricane Churches to the Catholike Churche the mystical body of Christe Bonifacius writeth his letters to Eulalius Bishop of Thessalonica requiringe him with the Churches there aboute to geue almightie God thankes for it But here if I woulde shew what Bishoppes diuidinge themselues through Heresie Schisme or other enormitie from the obedience of the See of Rome haue vpon better aduise submitted them selues to the same againe and therevpon haue beene reconciled I had a large fielde to walke in As inferiour Bishops of sundrie prouinces haue doone it so haue the greate Patriarkes doone likewise Amonge them that to satisfie the malicious minde of Eudoxia the Empresse practised their wicked conspiracie against Chrysostome through whiche he was deposed and caried away into bannishement Alexander Bishop of Antioche and Primate of the Orient was one 115 who at lengthe stroken with repentance for that he had beene bothe a consenter and a promotour of that wicked acte submitted him selfe humbly to Innocentius the Pope and by al meanes sought to be assoiled and reconciled And therefore sent his Legates to Rome to exhibite to Innocentius a solemne instrument of his repentance and lowly submission and to accepte what should be enioyned By whiche his humblenesse Innocentius mooued graunted to his petitions receiued him into the lappe of the Catholike Churche againe and thus was he reconciled Sundrie the like reconciliations of the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Hierusalem to the See the Rome in like cases might easely be recited whiche for auoidinge of tediousnesse I passe ouer as likewise of the Patriarkes of Constantinople whiche as wee reade in auncient stories haue forsaken the Churche of Rome twelue times and haue been reconciled to the same againe The B. of Sarisburie First M. Hardinge supposeth that this Latine woorde Reconciliatio can in no wise stande emongst equalles and bisides that touching the Reconciliation of the Churche of Antioche as it shal appeare he misreporteth the whole storie Upon suche groundes these proufes be builded For M. Harding knoweth that as Submission is made by the subiecte towardes his Prince so Reconciliation in proper manner of speache is made bitwéene equal frendes Concerning that is here touched of Eulalius the mater néedeth no longe
Apostles saithe S. Ambrose onely S. Iohn excepted were al married yet neuerthelesse the same S. Iohn onely excepted as it is thought were al Martyrs Spiridion was a Married Bishop and yet as Sozomenus writeth he was thereby nothinge hindred neither to discharge his deutie nor to any other godly purpose Tertullian was a Prieste as appeareth by S. Hierome and Married as appeareth by his owne Booke written to his Wife and yet notwithstandinge as some reporte was a Martyr S. Hilarie was a Reuerende Father and Bishop of Poiters and yet Maried as may be geathered by his Epistlâ— written to his daughter Abra. And to leaue infinite others S. Chrysostome saithe Ita pretiofa res est Matrimonium vt possis cum eo ad Sanctum Episcopatus Solium subuehi Vtere moderatè nuptijs eris primus in Regno Coelorum So pretious a thinge is Matrimonie that with the same thou maiste be promoted euen vnto the Bishoppes Chaire Vse Marriage with discretion and thou shalt be the Chiefe in the Kingedome of Heauen S. Hierome saithe Hodiè quoque plurimi Sacerdotes habent Matrimonia Euen nowe a greate number of Priestes liue in Matrimonie Thus the Apostles of Christe and many other Learned Fathers and godly Bishoppes were married and as M. Hardinge saithe in his mirthe and pleasance had their Sisters and Yoke fellowes But howe and with what Sisters or Felowes a greate number of the Wiâ—elesse sorte of M. Hardinges side be Yokte for very regarde of honestie it may not be vttered Epiphanius writeth thus of certaine of his time Repudiant nuptias at non libidinem In honore enim apud illos est non Sanctitas sed Hypocrisis They refuse Marriage but not filthy luste For they esteeme not Holines but Hypocrisie Who seethe not that in the Churche of Rome Priestes Bishops and Cardinalles notwithstandinge they be vtterly forebidden to haue Wiues yet are easily allowed to haue Concubines They them selues haue confessed it by these woordes vnto the world Etiam in hac vrbe Romana Meretrices vt Matronae incedunt per vrbem seu mula vehuntur quas assectantur de Media die Nobiles familiares Cardinalium Clericique Euen here in this Citie of Rome harlottes passe through the streetes or ride vpon their Mules like honest Gentleweâ—men And Gentlemen of the Cardinalles bandes and Priestes at noone daies waite vpon them As touchinge them whome it so muche gréeueth you M. Hardinge to be called Martyrs you haue slaine not onely suche and suche whome it liketh you by your owne Name if ye haue not forgotten your owne Name to cal Renegates but also great numbers of others moe Married Unmarried Learned Unlearned Olde Yonge Boies Maides Laiemenne Priestes Bishoppes Archebishoppes without mercie Ye scourged them with roddes ye sette burninge torches to their handes ye cutte of their tongues ye hanged them ye beheadded them ye burnte them to ashes ye tooke the poore innocent babe fallinge from the mothers wombe and threwe it cruelly into the fier Briefly ye did with them what so euer your pleasure was The worste woorde that procéeded from them was this O Lord forgeue them They knowe not what they doo O Lorde Iesu receiue my Sprite In the meane while ye stoode by and delited your eies with the sight Ye digged vp the poore carkasses of Goddes Sainctes that had béene buried longe before ye serued them solemnely with processe and ascited them to appeare at your Consistories and by Publique sentence adiudged them to die the seconde death and so to the perpetual shame of your cruel folie ye wreakte your anger vpon the dead O M. Hardinge your conscience knoweth these are no lies They are written in the eies and hartes of many thousandes These be the markes of your Religion O what reckeninge wil you yéelde when so muche innocent Bloude shal be required at your handes And where you saie Wée must pulle the Olde Martyrs out of Heauen to place our owne for that our Doctrine and theirs as you beaâ—e vs in hande is quite contrary al this is but a néedeles ostentation of idle woordes Yf vauntes were proufes then were this mater fully ended But wée say that in these cases that I haue mooued you are not hable to allege one sufficient Clause or SenteÌ„ce of your side out of any of al the Olde learned Fathers And hitherto your muster appeareth but very simple notwithstandinge the great promise of your Stoare Certainely the Holy Fathers Martyrs of God wil say vnto you Wée know not your Priuate Masses Wee knowe not your Halfe Communion wée knowe not your Strange Unknowen Praiers wée knowe not your Adoration of Corruptible Creatures wee know not this Sacrificinge of the Sonne of God wée knowe not your Newe Religion wée knowe not you God open the eies of your Hartes that ye may sée the miserable state ye stande in recouer the place that ye haue loste and finde your Names written in the Booke of Life M. Hardinge The .12 Diuision Leauinge no smal number of places that might be recited out of diuerse other Doctours I wil bringe two of two woorthy Bishops one of Chrysostome the other of S. Ambrose confirminge this Truethe Chrysostomes woordes be these Pontifex noster ille est qui hostiam mundantem nos obtulit ipsam offerimus nunc quae tunâ— oblata quidem coÌ„sumi non potest Hoâ— autem quod nos facimus in commemorationem sit eius quod factum est Hoc â—â—im facite inquit in mei commemorationem He is our Bishop that hath offered vp the Hoste whiche cleanseth vs. The same doo we offer also nowe whiche thoughe it were then offered yet can not be consumed But this that we doo is done in Remembraunce of that whiche is done For doo ye this saithe he in my Remembraunce S. Ambrose saithe thus Vidimus principem Sacerdotum ad nos venientem vidimus audiuimus offerentem pro nobis sanguinem suum sequamur vt possumus sacerdotes vt offeramus pro populo sacrificium ersi infirmi merito tamen honorabiles Sacrificio Quia etsi Christus non videtur offerre tamen ipse offertur in terris quando Christi Corpus offertur VVee haue seene the Prince of Priestes come to vs we haue seene and hearde him offer for vs his Bloude Let vs that be Priestes folowe him as we may that we maie offer Sacrifice for the people beinge though weake in merite yet honorable for the Sacrifice Because albeit Christe be not seene to offer yet he is offered in earthe when the Body of Christe is offered Of these our Lordes woordes whiche is geuen for you and whiche is shedde for you and for many here S. Ambrose exhorteth the Priestes to offer the Body and Bloude of Christe for the people And willeth them to be more regarded then commonly they be nowe a daies for this Sacrifice sake though otherwise they be of
obseruinge of the Gospel and for the keepinge of the Feaste of the true and firme Easter and for thy reuerent and pure Image whiche thy holy Apostles haue leafte to me by Tradition to haue and keepe for a representation of thine Incarnation Then quod our Lorde if this be the mater for whiche thou arte inuaded and set against be not dismaied be of good comforte in harte and minde being assured hereof that who so denieth Easter or my cleane Image I shal deny him before my heauenly Father and his chosen Angels And he that suffereth persecution with me for keepinge of Easter the same shal also be glorified with me Hast not thou heard what I commaunded Moyses the Lawgeuer to doo Make me saide I twoo Cherubins iâ— the Tabernacle of the Testimony to be a prefiguration or foretokening of my Image c. The B. of Sarisburie I trowe This good Olde Monumente of Antiquitie hath laine longe in the dust at Uerona with M. Hardinges Amphilochius The Churche piteously bemoaneth her selfe vnto Christe that she is soare persecuted and vexed for his Image Christe to comforte her with al saith Who so denieth mine Image shal be denied before my Father In the ende he confirmeth the vse of suche Images by the Example of the Cherubines Here M. Hardinge to increase some credite to his new Doctour shoulde haue shewed vs when the Churche was thus vexed for hauinge the Image of Christe and whoo vexed her and what kinde of vexation it was and how longe it continewed and in what countrie and when it ceassed The Churche is builte vpon a Mounte her Persequutions cannot be hidden If she euer were thus vexed for hauinge of Images I meane before the time of Athanasius it must néedes appeare If neuer then was she a very Wanton thus to complaine without cause If these threates be true that who so denieth the grauen or painted Image of Christe shal be denied before God the Father then must Epiphanius the Bishop of Cyprus and Serenus the Bishop of Massilia both Godly and Zelous Bishops and a greate number of other godly Learned Fathers that rente brake downe and defaced Christes Images be vtterly denied before God To be shorte to say that God commaunded Moyses to make the golden Cherubines purposely to be Figures of these Images of Wood or Stoane it is a very Fabulous and a Childish fantasie without any grounde how be it good yenough to mainteine and colour a Childishe Doctrine Notwithstanding if there be any weight either in this hidden Athanasius or in his sayeinges then may wee wel coniecture that he vseth this Worde Image in this place not for any suche material forme painted or grauen by mans hande but for the whole Conuersation of the Sonne of God in this mortal life whiche is as muche as Verbum Caro factum est The woorde became Fleashe and is expressed and set foorthe as an Image before our eies in the whole Doctrine and Policie of the Churche as the déepest grounde and very fundation of the Christian Faithe And thus S. Paule saithe Christus est Imago patris Christe is the Image of the Father Otherwise God is Inuisible S. Iohn saithe Noman euer saw God But the Sonne that is in the Fathers bosome he hath reueled the Fathers wil. In his conuersation in the Fleashe as in an Image wee beholde God the Father So in the booke of the Apocalyps Imago bestiae The Image of the Beast is called not any material Image Painted or Grauen but the Doctrine the Seduction the Errours the Lies the Blasphemies the Idolatrie and the whole Conuersation of Antichriste So S. Basile saith Christe called his Fleashe and Bloud the whole Mystical Doctrine of his Gospel whiche he published in his dispensation in the Fleashe So S. Augustine séemeth to saye Eius Passionis Imaginem in Ecclesia Celebrandam dedit He gaue the Image of his Passion to be frequented in the Churche And Pachymeres the Gréeke Paraphrast expoundeth this woorde Imago thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He calleth Pictures the Images or inwarde and deepe considerations of our Mysteries For this Image of Christe the Churche of God was often persecuted This Image as some of the Olde Fathers saye was represented and figured by the Cherubines and vndoubtedly who so euer denieth this Image Christe shal denie him before God his Father This Exposition is agréeable bothe to the tenour of Goddes Woorde and also to the storie of the Time and therefore wée may safely iudge if this were Athanasius in déede that this was his very meaninge Otherwise the common and knowen Athanasius that is extant and abroade writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The inueÌ„tion of Images is of il and not of good And the thinge that hath an il beginning can neuer be iudged good in any thinge as beinge in al respectes and altogeather il This is this holy Fathers moste cleare iudgement not cast vp in corners and hidden in the dust but open to the eies and sight of al the Worlde M. Hardinge The .9 Diuision Of al the Fathers none hathe a plainer testimonie bothe for the vse and also for the woorshippinge of Images then S. Basile whose auctoritie for learninge wisedome and holinesse of life beside antiquitie is so weightie in the iudgemente of al men that al our Newe Maisters laied in balance against him shal be founde lighter then any feather Touchinge this mater makinge a confession of his faithe in an Epistle inueighinge against Iulian the renegate he saithe thus Euen as we haue receiued our Christian and pure Faithe of God as it were by right of heritage right so I make my confession thereof to him and therein I abide I beleeue in one god father almightie God the Father God the Sonne God the Holy Ghoste One God in substance and these three in personnes I adore and glorifie I confesse also the Sonnes Incarnation Then afterwarde S. Mary who accordinge to the Fleashe brought him foorthe callinge her Deiparam I reuerence also the holy Apostles Prophetes and Martyrs whiche make supplication to God for me that by their mediation our moste benigne God be merciful vnto me and graunte me freely remission of my sinnes Then this foloweth Quam ob causam historias imaginum illorum honoro palam adoro hoc enim nobis traditum à Sanctis Apostolis non est prohibendum sed in omnibus Ecclesijs nostris eorum Historias erigimus For the whiche cause I doo bothe honour the stories of their Images and openly Adâ—â—re them For this beinge deliuered vnto vs of the holy Apostles by tradition is not to be forbidden And therefore we set vp in al our Churches their stories Lo M. Iuel here you see a sufficient testimonie that Images were set vp in the Churches longe before the ende of your sixe hundred yeeres and that they were honoured and woorshipped not onely of the simple Christian people but of Bishop
Basile who for his excellente learninge and wisedome was renoumed with the name of Great The B. of Sarisburie In déede as S. Basile for his learninge wisedome and constancie in Goddes truth was worthily called Greate so was his authoritie alwaies accoumpted very weighty If M. Hardinge had in him some parte of that poise he woulde not so lightly be blowen away from Christe and his Gospel with so weake blastes of light fantasie But this Basile is not Basile nor are these woordes S. Basiles woordes Onely Pope Adrian in his Synodical Epistle emonge other vaine authorities allegeth these woordes in the name of Basile But in S. Basiles Bookes whiche are extant and abroade they are not founde And where as this Basile is made to protest that he wil honoure and Adoure Images and that openly to the example of others M. Hardinge knoweth this Doctrine is contrary not onely to common sense but also to his owne Councelles For in the Councel of Mens it is written thus Imagines non ad id proponuntur vt Adoremus aut Colamus eas Images are not set vp to thintent we should honoure or woorship them Neither doth Gregorie calle them Goddes to be honoured but onely bookes to be read neither bookes of profounde knowledge to instructe S. Basile or other like learned Bishoppes but Libros Laicorum Poore simple bookes to teache the ignorant And for as muche as M. Hardinge woulde haue vs to make so deepe accoumpte of the authoritie of this Councel for the better satisfaction of the Reader in this behalfe I thinke it necessary briefely and by the waie to touche some parte of those weighty reasons whereby the Bishoppes and Fathers there after longe deliberation were forced to erecte and stablishe the vse and Adoration of Images and to condemne the gainesaiers as Blasphemers and Heretiques Their special groundes are these Moses saith God tooke claie and made man after his owne Image and likenes Esai saith There shal be a Signe and a Testimonie to the Lorde in the LaÌ„de of Egypte Dauid saith Confession and bewtie is before him Lorde I haue loued the bewtie of thy House O Lorde ini face hath sought for thee O Lorde I wil seeke after thy countenance O Lorde the light of thy countenance is sealed ouer vs. Of euery of these seueral clauses Pope Adrian concludeth thus Ergo we must erecte Images in the Churche An other reasoneth thus Sicut audiuimus ita vidimus As we haue hearde so haue we seene Ergo there must be Images to looke vpon An other saith Mirabilis Deus in Sanctis suis God is marueilous in his Sainctes Ergo the Churche must be deckte with Pictures An other saith Noman lighteth a candle and putteth it vnder a bushel Ergo Images must be set vpon the Aultar Of al these and other like Authorities Isidorus concludeth Ergo A Churche is nothinge woorth onles it be ful freight with Images To prooue the Adoration and Woorshippinge of Images they haue these authorities Dauid saith Adoure ye the footestoole of his feete Adoure ye in his holy hille O Lorde Al the riche of the people shal praie before thy countenance Ergo saie they Images must be woorshipped Nowe to recken vp the vanities and Idolatrous Fables of that Councel it would be tedious The Diuel promiseth by his honestie that he wil no lenger tempte and trouble a holy man if he wil leaue woorshippinge of the Image of Our Lady An other sendeth for an Image to featche home water to his cesterne An other goeth on Pilgrimage and biddeth our Lady in his absence to see to her owne Candel She did al thinges accordingly as she was commaunded Until his returne the Candel went neuer owt Thus muche onely for a tast These proufes be greate and weighty And in comparison hereof al our Newe Maisters as M. Hardinge saith shal be founde lighter then a feather And for as muche as these menne so often charge our Doctrine with noueltie thereby to bringe it owt of credit as if it had neuer benne knowen before these later daies it shal therefore be good to touche some parte of the most Ancient Fathers iudgement and the Olde Practise of the Churche concerninge the same Origen saith Dei vt Inuisibilis Incorporei Imaginem nullam â—â—â—igiamus We make no Image of God as knowinge him to be Inuisible and without body Againe he saith Celsus obijcit nobis quòd non habeamus Altaria â–ª Imagines Celsus the Heathen chargeth vs that we haue neither Aultar nor Images Clemens Alexandrinus that liued at the same time writeth thus Nobis apertâ— veâ—itum est Artem fallacem exerceâ—e Non facies enim â–ª inquit Propheâ—a cuiusuis rei Similitudinem We are plainely forebidden to vse thâ—s deceiteful arte of Paintinge or Grauinge For the Prophete saith Thow shalt not make the likenes of any thinge Arnobius that folowed immediatly after ClemeÌ„s and Origen writeth thus vnto the Heathens Accusatis nos quòd non habeamus Imagines Alâ—aria Ye accuse vs for that we haue neither Images nor Aultars Laâ—tatius sometime Scholar to Arnobius saith Non est dubium quin Religio nulla sit vbi Simulachrum est Out of doubte where so euer is any Image there is no Religion S. Augustine muche commendeth this saieinge of Uarro Qui primi Simulachra Deorum populis posuerunt illi Ciuitatibus suis metum dempserunt errorem verò addiderunt They that first erected the Images of the Goddes vnto the people tooke awaye feare and ReligioÌ„ and increased erroure vnto their Cities And addeth thereto this reason Quia Dij facilè possunt in Simulachrorum stoliditate conteÌ„ni Bicause the Goddes in the folie of Images maie soone be despised The Councel holden at Eliberis decréeth thus Placuit Picturas in Ecclesijs esse noÌ„ debere ne quod colitur aut Adoratur in parietibus depingaâ—ur We thinke it good there be no Picture in the Churches least the thinge that is honoured or Adoured be painted on the Walles The like might be saide of the Councel holden at Constantinople The godly Emperours Ualens and Theodosâ—us gaue owt this General Proclamation throwghout al Christendome Cum sit nobis cura diligens in rebus omnibus Superni Numinis Religionem â—ueri Signum Saluatoris nostri Christi nemini concedimus coloribus lapide aâ—aâ—e materiâ— fingere sculpere aut pingere Sed quocunque reperitur loco tolli tubemus grauissima poena eos mulctando qui contrarium Decreâ—s nostris Imperio quicquam tentauerint For as muche as we haue ad ligent care in al thinges to maineteine the Religion of the most highe God therefore we suffer noman to facion to graue or to painte the Image of our Saueoure Christe either in colours or in stoane or in any other kinde of Metal or mater But where so euer any suche Image shal be founde we commaunde it