he ought to doo was immediately called to answeare for his life as one that had wickedly vttered disdainful and haynous woordes against the Lawe against Moyses against the Temple and against God Or who is ignorant that in times past there were some whiche reproued the holy Scriptures of falsehed sayinge they conteined thinges bothe contrary and quite one against an other and howe that the Apostles of Christe did seuerally disagree betwixt them selues and that S. Paule did varie from them al And not to make rehersal of al for that were an endles labour who knoweth not after what sorte our Fathers were railed vpon in times paste whiche first began to acknowledge and professe the name of Christe how they made priuate conspiracies deuised secrete Counsels against the common wealth and to that ende made early and priuie meetinges in the darke killed yonge Babes fedde them selues with mens fleashe and like sauage and brute beastes did drinke their Bloude In conclusion how that after they had put out the candels they cōmitted Adulterie betwene them selues without regarde wrought incest one with an other that Brethern laie with their Sisters Sonnes with their Mothers without any reuerence of nature or kinne without shame without difference and that they were wicked men without al care of Religion and without any opinion of God being the very enimies of mankinde vnwoorthy to be suffered in the worlde and vnwoorthy of life Al these thinges were spoken in those daies against the people of God against Christe Iesus against Paule against Steuin and against al them whosoeuer they were whiche at the firste beginninge imbraced the truthe of the Gospel were contented to be called by the name of Christians whiche was then an hateful name amonge the common people And although the thinges whiche they saide were not true yet the Diuel thought it should be sufficient for him if at the least he coulde bringe it so to passe as they might be beleued for true and that the Christians might be brought into a common hatred of euery bodie and haue their death and destruction sought of al sortes Herevpon Kinges Princes beinge ledde then by suche persuasions killed al the Prophetes of God lettinge none escape Esay with a sawe Ieremie with stones Daniel with Lions Amos with an iron barre Paule with the swerde and Christe vpon the Crosse and cōdemned al Christians to imprisonmentes to tormentes to the pikes to be throwne downe headlong frō rockes and steepe places to be cast to wilde beastes and to be burnt and made great fiers of theyr quicke bodies for the onely purpose to giue light by night for a very scorne and mockynge stocke and did compte them no better then the vilest filthe the ofscouringes and laughinge games of the whole worlde Thus as ye see haue the Authours and professours of the truthe euer bene entreated M. Hardinge Who would not thinke these defenders were true men that in the beginninge of their Apologie speake so muche of the truthe Yet who knoweth not that oftentimes euil meaninge is hidde vnder good woordes Who hath not hearde that filthy queanes in time and place vse the honest talke of chaste matrones The theefe commendeth iuste dealinges and many times shewithe a stomake against false harlottes noman more Amonge al none pretende truthe in wordes so muche as Heretiques I feare me saithe S. Paule lest as the Serpente beguiled Eue by his sutteltie so your wittes be corrupted and fallen away from that plainenes Whiche is in Christe The Apostle feared because of the craftie Iewes who the rather to deceiue mingled scriptures with their owne traditions and truthe with fals head So bringeth the Heretique his hearer to errour in faithe by coloure and pretence of truthe They are muche like to the Manicheis who promised their hearers to discusse and set forthe the truthe moste euidently vnto them and to deliuer them from all maner of errours By whiche faire promises S. Augustine was allured to be a diligent scholar of theirs for the space of nine yeres Christe gaue vs a lesson howe to discerne them By their fruites ye shall knowe them saithe he And nowe to you Sirs Euen in the beginninge and as I may saie in the foreheade of your Apologie whiles I examine it diligently I finde two foule faultes the one in your Rhetorike the other in your Logike By whiche two faultes bothe the vns kil of your secretarie and the weakenes of your mater maie be espied as the Asse I spake of right nowe was by his two eares staringe out vnder the Lions skinne Your diuinitie is nothinge els in grosse but a lumpe of lies errours and Heresies First touching your Rhetorike emongst many faultie proemes one of the woorst is that which is suche as the aduersary may vse whiche by them is called Exordium commune that is to wite suche a beginninge as will serue the defendant no lesse then the Plaintife or contrariwise Of that sorte is the beginninge of your Apologie For declaringe at large that truthe hath euer beene persecuted what saithe it therein the faultes amended that we may not saie the same That ship-maister is accoumpted very bad who at the settinge out of the hauen driueth the Ship on the rockes Alleaginge Tertullian to healpe your cause ye iniurie the Doctor by alteringe his wordes Ye were not wise by falsifiyng the first sentence so muche to impaire your credite Tertullian saith not that truthe readily findeth enimies and sclaunderers amongst those that knowe her not but that truthe sone findeth enimies inter extraneos amongst aliantes and strangers Now the Christian Catholikes whom ye call Papistes be not in respecte of the truthe aliantes and strangers For your selues in sundry places of your Booke reproue them for resistinge the truthe whiche they knowe You haue geuen Tertullian a newe liuerie with your owne badge and haue made exchaunge of Extraneos with Ignotos Tertullian meante by aliantes no other then Infidels and Paynimes emonge whom Christen people then liued and were daily persecuted But after the Gospel had benne sounded abrode by the Apostles and their successours through al the earth after that the Emperours them selues and all the people euery where had receiued the faithe then was the truthe no more a wanderer strangers or Pilgrime in the earthe The Bishop of Sarisburie Touchinge this comparison of whoores and Théeues and other like M. Hardinges vngentle spéeches as I haue before protested I wil saye nothinge He is very doumbe and can speake but litle that cannot speake it It is true M. Hardinge that you saie Most Lyers oftentimes pretende most Truthe as if there were none other example maye soone appeare by the whole tenour and substance of your Bookes The Diuel him selfe the better to founde his Lyes beareth him selfe oftentimes as the Angel of Truthe But the example that ye bringe of the Iewes who as you saie the rather to deceiue mingled Scripture
Councel aboue the Pope In the Summone and firste Entrie of your Assemblie there Pope Paule had forgotten Christe and leafte him quite out of Companie and supplied the wante of him with the Authoritie of Peter and Paule An other of your Reuerende Fathers there maketh Marie the Blessed Virgine Equal vvith Christe and calleth her his most Faithful Felovve Fidelissimam Christi Sociam An other of the same Companie telleth vs that the Pope is the Light that is comme into the vvorlde Papa Lux venit in Mundum To be shorte the whole Issue and Conclusion of al your dooinges there by the ful agréemente of al your Fathers hangeth vpon the Popes onely pleasure And by your Doctrine the Pope maie not be controlled what so euer he doo neither by the Cleregie nor by al the whole Worlde And what so euer the Pope shal wil to staie or passe your Doctoures telle vs His onely Wil muste stande for Lavve For these and other like causes bothe the Emperoure Charles 5. also Francise the Frenche King biside sundrie other Christian Princes made open Protestatiō against your said Tridentine Conuenticle being then remoued to Bononia and said it was no lawful General Councel but onely an Assemblie of a fewe certaine personnes to serue one mans affection and to seeke for gaine Sutche is the opinion that your owne Princes haue of your Assemblies It becommeth vs not yée saie to calle the determinations of your General Councelles the Iudgementes of Mortal menne Yet it became S. Augustine to calle the same Concilia Contendentium Episcoporū The Councelles of quarrelling Bishoppes And againe Humanarum contentionum animosa perniciosa certamina The bolde and hurteful Contentions of worldly quarrelles But what néede wée many woordes Your owne Panormitane saith Leges Summorum Pontificum Conciliorū appellantur Statuta Humana fic strictè non possunt dici Ius Diuinum The Lawes and Determinations of Popes and Councelles are called the Determinations and Lavves of menne and so in streite manner of speache they cannot be called the Lavves of God Yee saie wée are no Bishoppes and therefore haue no Authoritie to holde a Synode Euen so your Fathers in olde time saide that S. Paule was no Apostle and that S. Basile and S. Hilarie were no Bishoppes Of S. Paule it is plaine S. Hilarie saithe of him selfe Auxentius de Persona mea calumniatus est damnatum me à Saturnino audiri vt Episcopum non oportere The Heretique Auxētius laith a quarrel to my personne and for as mutche as Saturninus the Heretique hath condemned me he saithe I maie not be hearde as a Bishop Likewise the Arian Heretiques vsed to saie that S. Basile and other like Learned and Catholique Fathers of that time were no Bishoppes S. Basile thereof writeth thus They calle the Councel of Catholique Bishoppes a Councel of vvicked menne neither wil they once vouchesaue to name them Bishoppes leste they should seeme to allowe the Decrees that they haue made againste them And they challenge them to be no Bishoppes for that as they saie they are the Captaines of a wicked heresie In like sorte he writeth vnto Patrophilus of the Heretique Eustathius He taketh greate heede leste he shoulde happily be forced to calle vs Bishoppes Thus M. Hardinge in denieing vs to be Bishoppes yée doo none otherwise but as other your Predecessours haue donne before you Of the Bishoppes and Prelates of your side I wil saie nothinge What your owne frendes haue thought of them I haue saide before As for vs it shal be sufficient if wée be onely the voice of a Crier in the Wildernesse S. Paule to auouthe his Apostleship saide openly thus Gratia Dei sum id quod sum By the Grace of God I am that I am Yée saie a Prouincial Councel maie not repeale a Councel General as if the Authoritie of your Councelles stoode onely in number and not in Truthe Howe be it the Simple Truthe of God shal ouerweigh Falsehedde be it neuer so General But euen thus saide Auxentius the Arian Heretique againste S. Hilarie These be his woordes Ego quidem pijssimi Imperatores existimo non oportere sexcentorum Episcoporum Vnitatem post rantos labores ex contentione Paucorum hominum refricari My moste Graceous Lordes in my Iudgemente it is not meete after so greate paines taken for the contentions striuinge of a fewe to hazarde the consente and Vnitie of Six hundred Bishoppes Thus the Heretique Auxentius alleged greate multitudes of his Companions againste S. Hilarie and the Catholiques whiche he saide were but a fewe Notwithstandinge it were no harde mater to shewe euidente Examples of General Councelles that haue benne ouerruled by Particulares The General Councel of Nice determined as you saie that al appeales out of al partes of the worlde shoulde lie to Rome Yet the Particulare or Prouincial Councel of Aphrica saithe Si prouocandum putauerint non prouocent nisi ad Aphricana Concilia Ad transmarina autem qui putauerit appellandum à nullo intra Aphricam in Communionem recipiatur If they shal thinke it good to appeale let them not appeale but onely to Coūcelles that shal be holden within Aphrica But who so euer shal appeale beyonde the Seas that is to saie to Rome let noman within Aphrica receiue him to his Communion The General Councel of Nice durste not to dissolue Priestes Marriage The Particulare Councel of Carthage dissolued it vtterly The order of Priuate or Auriculare Confession whiche in your fantasie was receiued generally throughout the whole Churche of God was notwithstandinge quite abolished in the Churche of Constantinople onely by the Particulare aduise of Nectarius Your Blacke Freers in theire Particulare Chapters haue controlled and cut of the General Determination of the Councel of Basile touchinge the conceiuing of our Lady in Original Sinne. And Albertus Pigghius by his like Particulare Authoritie telleth you that as wel this Councel of Basile as also the Councel of Constance beinge bothe General in that they saide The Councel is aboue the Pope Decreed plainely againste Nature againste the manifeste Scriptures againste al Antiquitie and againste the Catholique Faithe of Christe Certainely the Truthe of God is not bounde neither to Personne nor to Place Where so euer it be either in fewe or in many it is euermore Catholique euen bicause it is the Truthe of God In the Councel of Constantinople it is written thus Definierunt pariter vt si quid in Prouincia qualiber emergeret Prouinciae Concilio finiretur The Fathers agreed al togeather that if any mater should happen to growe in the Prouince by a Councel of the Prouince it shoulde be ended Likewise saith Isidorus Manifestum est quo'd illa quae sunt per vnamquanque Prouinciam ipsius Prouinciae Synodus dispenset sicut Niceno constat decretum esse Concilio It is cleare that maters happeninge in euery Prouince by a
Habitu victu instructu sensu ipso denique sermone Proauis renuÌ„tiastis Laudatis semper Antiquitatem nouè de die viuitis Per quod ostenditur dum à bonis Maiorum institutis deceditis ea vos retinere custodire quae non debuistis cùm quae debuistis non custoditis Where is your Religion where is the reuerence dewe to your forefathers You haue forsaken them in your apparel in your diet in your order in your meaning and in your speeche Ye change your life daily yet ye praise Antiquitie Whereby it appeareth while ye seaue the good orders of your Elders that yee keepe the thinges yee should not keepe seeinge ye keepe not the thinges ye should keepe The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 10. And that this mater should not seeme to be donne but vpon priuie sclaunder and to be tossed to and fro in a corner onely to spite vs there haue benne besides wilily procured by the Bishop of Rome certaine persons of eloquence yenough and not vnlearned neither whiche should put theire healpe to this cause nowe almost despaired of and shoulde polishe and set foorthe the same bothe in bookes and withe longe tales to the ende that when the mater was trimly and eloquently handled ignorant and vnskilful persons might suspecte there was somme greate thinge in it In deede they perceiued that theire owne cause did euery where goe to wracke that their steightes were now espied and lesse esteemed and that theire healpes did dayly faile them and that theire mater stoode altogeather in greate neede of a cunninge spokesman M. Hardinge VVee cannot despaire of this cause onlesse wee would forsake our Faithe as ye haue For beleuinge Christe whiche our faithe leadeth vs vnto wee cannot mistruste the continuance of this cause Heauen and Earthe shal passe but my woordes shal not passe saithe Truthe it selfe And his woordes tel vs that he wil be with his Churche al daies to the worlds ende And that he hath besought his Father to geue to it the Sprite of Truthe to remaine with it for euer Then be wee moste assured of this cause VVee tel you therefore it standeth and shal stande by Christes presence and by the Holy Ghostes assistance to the ende Your cause yet standeth not but wauereth and tottereth as that whiche S. Paule termeth a puffe of doctrine and doubtlesse shortely fall it shall as all Heresies haue fallen The authours and professours of them be dead and rotten in Helfire with weepinge and grintinge of teeth The like iudgement lookeye and your folowers to haue if ye repent not and reuoke your Heresies by time The B. of Sarisburie Wee cannot despaire saithe M. Hardinge of the continuance of our cause For Heauen and Earthe shal passe but Christes VVoorde shal not passe He wil be with vs al daies to the worlds ende c. These Woordes M. Hardinge be true and certaine and therefore our hope is the firmer Christe hath promised that the Sprite of Truthe shal remaine for euer but not in the Pope and his Cardinalles For thereof he made no promise Nay rather the Prophete Esai saithe The Sprite of God shal rest vpon the poore and méeke harted that trembleth at the Woorde of the Lorde The Churche of God shal stande stil yea though Rome were possessed with Antichriste It is true that Christe saithe Euery plante whiche my Heauenly Father hath not planted shal be rooted vp Vpon whiche woordes S. Hilarie saithe Significat Traditionem hominum cruendam esse cuius fauore transgressi sunt Praecepta Legis He meaneth that the Tradition of man for whiche Traditions sake they haue broken the Lawe of God shal be taken vp by the rootes Heauen and Earthe shal passe and your fantastes and diuises M. Hardinge shal passe the Lorde hath spoken it But the Woorde of God and his Churche shal endure for euer But M. Hardinges Almanake saithe Our Doctrine shal fal and that very shortly Herein I professe I haue no skil Goddes wil be donne It is his cause what so euer shal happen his name be blessed for euer In like sorte the Heathens in olde times as S. Augustine saithe vaunted them selues against the Faithe of Christe Ad certum tempus sunt Christiani postea peribunt redibunt Idola redibit quod erat anteà Verùm tu cùm expectas miser Infidelis vt transtant Christiani transis ipse sine Christianis These Christians are but for a while â—al they shal and that shortly Then shal our Idols come againe and it shal be as it was before But O thou miserable Infidel while thou lookest that the Christians should passe thou possest awaie thee selfe without the Christians Againe be saithe Ecce veniet tempus vt finiantur non sint Christiani Sicut coeperunt ad aliquo tempore ita vsque ad certum tempus erunt Sed cùm ista dicunt sine fine moriuntur permanet Ecclesia praedicans brachium Domini omni generationi venturae They saie behold the daie wil come when al these Christians shal haue an ende As they had a time to beginne so shal they haue a time to continewe But while they make these crakes they them selues die without ende But the Churche contineweth stil praisinge the almighty arme of God to euery generation that is to come But ye saie The Authours and Professours of our Doctrine be damned in Hel fiere and crie Peccaui This is a very terrible kinde of talke But it is a rashe parte for you M. Harding so suddainely to skip into Goddes Chaire and there to pronounce your Sentence Definitiue like a Iudge But God wil iudge of your iudgemente S. Augustine saithe Alia est sella terrena aliud Tribunal Coelorum Ab inferiori Sententia accipitur à superiori Corona The earthly Chaier is one thinge the Iudgemente seate in Heauen is an other From the one wee receiue Sentence from the other we receiue a Crowne O M. Hardinge God graunte you maie once crie Peccaui lest the time come that ye shal crie out as it is written in the Booke of Wisedome These are they whom wee sometime had in derision and in a parable of reproche VVee fooles thoughte theire life madnesse and theire ende without honoure But nowe are they coumpted emonge the Children of God and theire portion is emonge the Sainctes The Apologie Cap. 3. Diuision 2. Nowe as for those thinges whiche by them haue benne laide againste vs in parte they be manifestly false condemned so by theire owne iudgementes which spake them partly againe though they be as false too in deede yet beare they a certaine shewe and coolour of truthe so as the Reader if he take not good heede maie easily be tripped and brought into errour by them specially when theire fine and cunninge tale is added thereunto And parte of them be of sutche sorte as we ought not to shunne them as crimes or faultes but to acknowledge and confesse them as
of Iudgemente without feare But to leaue the Ancient Fathers of olde time and to put the mater quite out of doubte One Antonius Marinarius in the late Councel of Tridente in open audience saide thus Si Coelum ruat si Terra euanescat si Orbis illabatur praeceps ego in eum erectus ero Si Angelus de Coelo aliud mihi persuadere contendat dicam illi Anathema O Foelicem Christiani pectoris fiduciam Yf the Heauen shoulde fal yf the Earthe shoulde vanishe yf the whole worlde shoulde come downe headlonge yet woulde I stande preste and bolde before God Yf an Angel from Heauen woulde tel mee otherwise I would accurse him O the Blessed truste and certainetie of a Christian Harte Certainely M. Hardinge it were a very Presumptuous parte to saye that these Fathers Greekes Latines Newe Olde your owne and ours were al Presumptuous Yf it be so Presumptuous a mater to put affiance in the Merites of Christe what is it then to put affiance in our owne Merites S. Paule hath taught vs to saye God forebidde that I shoulde glorie but onely in the Crosse of Christe S. Basile saithe Qui non fidit suis Meritis nec expectat ex Operibus Iustificati VnaÌ„ Solam spem habet salutis suae Misericordias Domini Who so trusteth not in his owne Merites nor looketh to be Iustified by his owne Woorkes hath his onely hope of Saluation in the Mercies of our Lorde So saithe Iob in al his miseries Etiamfi me occiderit sperabo in eum Veruntamen vias meas in conspectu eius arguam Although he kisse mee yet wil I put my trust in him Notwithstandinge I wil reprooue my waies before his sighte So yâ— Prophete Dauid In thee O Lorde haue I trusted I wil neuer be confouÌ„ded This is no Presumption but a patiente and an humble waitinge for the Redemption of the Children of God It is moste true that S. Paule saithe Wee must woorke our owne Saluation with feare and tremblinge But this feare riseth in consideration of our owne weakenesse and vnwoorthinesse not of any distruste or doubte in Goddes mercie But rather the lesse cause wée finde to truste in our selues the more cause wée haue to truste in God Therefore S. Augustine saithe Praesume non de Operatione tua sed de Christi Gratia Gratia enim saluati estis inquit Apostolus Non ergo hic Arrogantia est sed Fides Praedicare quod acceperis non est Superbia sed Deuotio Presume thou not of thine owne woorkinge but of the Grace of Christe For the Apostle saithe Ye are saued by Grace Heere therefore is not Presumption but Faithe To proclaime that thou haste receiued it is no Pride it is Deuotion Againe he saithe Non mea Praesumptione sed ipsius Promissione in iudicium non venio It is not of my Presumption but of his Promisse that I shal not comme into Iudgemente S. Basile saithe Paulus Gloriatur de contemptione Iustitiae suae Paule presumeth and boasteth of the contempte of his owne Righteousnesse So saithe S. Ambrose Non gloriabor quia iustus sum sed quia redemptus sum gloriabor Non quia vacuus sum à peccatis sed quia mihi remissa sunt peccara Non gloriabor quia profui neque quia profuit mihi quisquam sed quia pro me Aduocatus apud Patrem Christus est sed quia pro me Christi Sanguis effusus est I wil not glorie for that I am a iuste man But for that I am redeemed thâ—refore wil I glorie Not for that I am voide of sinne but for that my Sinnes be forgeeuen mee I wil not glorie for that I haue donne good to any man nor for that any man hath donne good to wee but for that Christe is my Aduocate with the Father and for that Christes Bloudde was shead for mee Therefore S. Augustine saithe Quid retribuam Domino quo'd recolit haec memoria mea anima mea non meruit inde VVhat shal I reâ—der vnto our Lorde for that I calle to remembrance al these my sinnes and yet my Soule thereof is not afraide To be shorte thus saithe S. Bernarde Vbi tura firmaque infirmis securitas requies nisi in vulneribus Saluatoris Tantâ— illic securior habâ—to quantâ— ille potentior est ad saluandum c. Peccaui peccatum grande turbatur conscientia sed non perturbabitur quoniam vulnerum Domini recordabor Nempe vulneratus est propter iniquitates nostras What safe teaste or surâ—tie can the weake Scule finde but in the wâ—â—â—des of our Saueour As he is mightier to saue so dwel I there with more safetie c. I haue committed a greate Since My conscience is troubled Yet shal it not bee shaken downe bicause I wil remember my Lordes woundes For he was wounded for our Sinnes Thus M. Hardinge to be assured of our Saluation S. Augustine saithe it is no arrogante stoutenesse It is our Faithe It is no Pride It is Deuotion It is no Presumption It is Goddes Promisse But your whole Doctine of the truste in Mennes Merites leadeth directly to Desperation And therefore S. Cyprian saithe wel of you Asserunt Noctem pro Die Interitum pro Salute Desperationem sub obtent Spei Perfidiani sub praetexâ—u Fidel Antichristum sub vocabulo Christi They teachâ— vs Nighte in steede of Daie Dei struction in tleede of Healthe Desperation vnder the coloure of Hope Infidelitie vnder the pretense of Faithe Antichriste vnder the name of Christe Nowe a litle to viewe the groundes of M. Hardinges longe discourse whereas he so often and so earnestly telleth vs of the Sense of the Scriptures as if wee had Scriptures without Sense his meaninge thereby is onely to leade vs awaye to the Sense of the Churche of Rome Whiche Sense Albertus Pigghius saithe Is the Infallible and Inflexible Rule of Truthe Echius saithe Scriptura nisi Ecclesiae Authoritate non est Authentica The Scriptures of God are not Authentical or of credite but onely by the warrante and Authoritie of yâ— Churche And Hosius in like manner Apostoli cùm Symbolum traderem nunquam dixerunt Credo Sancta Biblia aut Sanctum Euangelium sed dixerunt Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam The Apostles when they deliuered the Crede they neuer saide I beleeue the Holy Bible or the Holy Gospel but they saide I beleeue the Holy Churche Thus nowe the mater is sure yenough for euer Wee haue neither Scriptures nor Sense of Scriptures but onely from Rome I wil not here reporte the vnsauerie Senses that they haue imagined of the Scriptures One example or twoo for a taste maye be sufficient Pope Boniface saithe thus Ecce duo Gladij hâ—c Beholde here are twoo Swerdes That is to saye The Pope hath the power bothe of the Spiritual Swerde and of the Temporal An other saithe Omnia subiecisti sub pedibus eius id est
Hierome saithe Quid prodest Corporis pudicitia animo constuprato VVhen the Minde or Harte is defloured what auaileth the Chastitie of the Body S. Ambrose saithe Non imperari potest Virginitas sed optari Nam quae supra nos sunt in Voto magis sunt quà m in Magisterio Wee maie vvishe for Virginitie but commaunde it wee cannot For the thinges that be aboue vs and out of our power are rather of desire then of Commaundement Hereof Epiphanius maketh this Conclusion Vt ne confundantur apud homines occultè scortantur sub Solitudinis aut continentiae specie libidinem exercent Melius est itaque lapsum à cursu palà m sibi vxorem accipere secundum Leges Leste they should be shamed before menne they keepe Harlottes priuily and vnder the colour of Solitarie or Continent Life they practise theire filthy pleasure Better is it therefore for a man beinge fallen from his course openly to take vnto him selfe a vvife accordinge to the Lavve So saithe S. Hierome as I haue before alleged Huiusmodi Virginibus apertè dicendum est vt aut nubant si se non possunt continere aut contineant si nolunt nubere To sutche virgins wee muste saie plainely that either they Marrie if they cannot Conteine Or els that they Conteine if they wil not Marrie So saithe S. Bernard vnto his Sister Quod incautè vouisti ne impleas Impia est promissio quae scelere adimpletur That thou haste vnaduisedly Vowed see thou keepe it not It is a vvicked promisse that is perfourmed vvith vvickednesse To be shorte Iohannes Scotus saithe Si votum Continentiae est annexum Ordini Sacro solùm ex praecepto Ecclesiae sequitur quòd non simpliciter illegitimat ad contrahendum If the Vowe or promisse of Chastitie be annexed vnto Holy Orders Onely by force of the Constitution or Commaundement of the Churche then dooth it not of necessitie and fine force vnhable a man to contracte Matrimonie How be it hereof wée haue saide already so mutche as to a reasonable man maie seeme sufficient The Apologie Cap. 9. Diuision 1. Wee receiue and embrace al the Canonical Scriptures bothe of the Olde and Newe Testament geuinge thankes to our God who hath raised vp vnto vs that Light whiche wee might euer haue before our eies leaste either by the suttletie of man or by the snares of the Diuel wee should be carried awaie to errours and lies Also that these be the Heauenly Voices whereby God hath opened vnto vs his wil and that onely in them mannes harte can haue settled reste that in them be aboundantly and fully comprehended al thinges what so euer be needeful for our Healthe as Origene Augustine Chrysostome and Cyrillus haue taught That they be the very mighte and strength of God to attaine to Saluation That they be the Fundations of the Prophetes Apostles whereupon is builte the Churche of God That they be the very sure and infallible Rule whereby maie be tried whether the Churche doo swarue or erre and whereunto al Ecclesiastical Doctrine ought to be called to accoumpte and that against these Scriptures neither Lawe nor Ordinaunce nor any custome ought to be hearde no though Paule him selfe or an Angel from Heauen should comme teache the contrarie M. Hardinge But why doo yee not here plainely declare whiche be the Bookes of the Scriptures that ye allowe and whiche be they that ye reiecte In general ye saie that ye embrace al the Canonical Scriptures Yet if a man presse you with the place of the Machabees for Praier to be made for the Deade and with the woordes of S. Iames Epistle againste your Iustification of Faithe onely and likewise with certaine other places of the Scriptures whiche be accompted in the Canon of the Churche againste certaine other your false doctrines in this case your wonte is to denie those Scriptures to be Canonical Yet here ye beare the worlde in hande ye allowe al. VVould God there were in you either more truthe or lesse crafte VVel ye geue thankes to God for the Scriptures for that hauinge them before your eies ye are staied in Truthe assured that by the suttelty of man or snares of the Diuel ye be not caried awaie into Errours and Lies And is it so in deede I praie you syrs of what secte be ye or of whiche secte is eche one of you For I dare boldely saye and so the worlde seethe that yee agree not al in one If yee saie yee be Lutherans then muste I further demaunde of you of whiche sorte of Lutherans For that puddle runneth out by many sinckes Be yee Zuinglians Arians Osiandrines Libertines Adiaphoristes Anabaptistes Caluinistes or Sathanisâ—es VVhat Priuiledge haue ye before your felowes a matche beinge made betwene you I meane that newe Cleregie of Englande and the other sectes of our time c. If yee haue this lighte of the Scriptures before your eies how is it that ye agree not within your selues yea how is it that eche one of you oftentimes disagreeth with him selfe howe is it that so many times ye haue chaunged your Commâ—nion Booke the order of your Seruice your doctrine of the blessed Sacrament your Homilies c. VVho knoweth not how in the matter of the Sacrament your chiefe Capitaines haue shewed them selues inconstant and mutable and contrary to them selues I meane Cranmere Ridley Latimer and that greate Rabbin Peter Martyr him selfe As for the resâ— they be not woorthy to be named But what saie ye be these the Heauenly Voices whereby God hath opened vnto vs his wil Then howe dare yee to transgresse his wil declared in these Voices where ye reade expressely that he whiche heareth not the Churche is to be taken for no better then a Heathen and a Publicane As yee procede ye saye that onely in the Scriptures mans harte can haue setled reste and that in them be abundaÌ„tly and fully comprehended al thinges what so euer be needeful for our Saluation as Origen Augustine Chrysostome and Cyrillus haue taught Either you knowe not what you saie sir Defender nor the thinges of whiche you make affirmation as S. Paule saile of suche as ye are writinge to Timothe or you are fowly ouerseene If the harte of man haue setled rest in the Scriptures onely as you saye then in nothinge els but in the Scriptures By this you seeme to trouble and disqutet many hartes For if this be true then had good Abel no better reste in his harte then wicked restlesse Cain VVhen the Holy Booke of Scripture was loste whiche God restored by Esdras were there none in al that time whose hartes had setled reste VVhat foolishe and absurde doctrine is this VVhat if it had pleased God there had neuer benne letter written of the Olde or Newe Testament shoulde not Gods frendes haue founde his peace that passeth al sense as S. Paule saieth Had Paule Antony Hilarion
Pambus and many other Holy men liuinge in VVildernesse without letters no reste ne quiet at their hartes Nay who had the like And whereas you saie that al thinges needeful for our Saluation be abundantly and fully cōprehended in the Scriptures this is also as false as sundry other partes of your Doctrine For if al thinges necessary to Saluation be conteined in the Scriptures then what so euer is not in them conteined the same is not necessarie If not necessarie why shoulde we be laden with vnnecessarie burdens Then awaie with al Traditions at a clappe be they neuer so Apostolike neuer so Auncient neuer so Healthful neuer so longe time in the Churche continued Remember you not what the moste renoumed Fathers haue written of the necessitie of Traditions Or if you remember them what thought you when you wrote thus Let Learned and Holy Basil be hearde in steede of many if not to reuoke you from your errour yet to discredite you and staye others in the truthe His woordes be these Of the doctrines whiche be preached in the Churche certaine we haue out of the Scripture written certaine we haue receiued in secrete Mistery by tradition of the Apostles whiche bothe be of equal force to Godlines Neither concerninge these any man gainesaieth be he of neuer so smal knowledge For if we goe about to reiect the customes that be not set foorth in writinge as beinge of litle regarde then shal we condemne those thinges also whiche we haue in the Gospel necessarie to Saluation Yea rather we shal bringe the preachinge of the Faithe but to a bare name For so they were taken for Heretikes whiche regarded not the solemne faste of Lente receiued at the Apostles as we reade in S. Augustine De Haer. ad Quoduultdeum cap. 53. and in the Councel of Gangra in an Epistle to the Bishops of Armenia Euen so they whiche denied the distinction of a Bishop and a Prieste were condemned of Heresie as we finde in S. Augustine in the Booke and Chapter aforesaide and in Epiphanius Lib. 3. Cap. 75. In the Councel of Constance the same is to be founde Againe if al thinges necessarie to Saluation be expressed in the Scriptures to what purpose saide S. Paule concerninge order and maner to be vsed at the celebration of the holy Sacramente Coetera cùm venero disponam As for other thinges I wil take Order for them when I come VVhat meaneth S. Iohn to saye Hauinge other thinges to write to you of I woulde not write them in Paper and inke for I truste to be with you and speake to you mouthe to mouthe To conclude muche that might be obiected in fewe woordes for breuities sake what saie you sir Defender shal we finde al thinges necessarie to Saluation in the Scripture Howe thinke you of the Scripture it selfe How knowe you this to be the Scripture How knowe ye the Gospel of Mathewe Marke Luke and Iohn to be theirs whose names they beare This can you not finde in al the Scripture and yet is the same necessary to be beleeued VVhat Scripture have you to admitte these and to refuse the Booke bearinge the name of Peter the Gospel of Thomas of Bartholome we of Nicodeme VVhy admitte you not the Prophetes that Basilides would to be allowed but onely the foure greate and the twelue lesser what auctoritie haue you to staie your selfe by concerninge these but onely that of the Churche for Scripture haue you none for proufe hereof Then hath not Scripture al thinges in it necessarie for a Christen man Is it not necessarie to beleeue the Sonne of God to be Homousion that is to saie of the same Substance with the Father whiche if you denie you restore the olde condemned Heresie of the Arians The same can you not finde in the Scripture VVhere in al the Bible finde you that God the Father is Ingenitus VVhere finde you that the Holy Ghoste proceedeth frō the Father and the Sonne that the blessed Virgin Marie continued in her Virginitie that suche as be Baptized of Heretikes oughte to be Baptized againe That in fantes ought to be Baptized That the Foure Bookes of the Gospels were written by Mathewe Marke Luke and Iohn by what Scripture can you prooue it To ende where finde you expressely in al the Scriptures three Persons to be one God The B. of Sarisburie Here to weighe downe the Authoritie of Goddes Holy Woorde M. Hardinge hath brought in a heape of ordinarie stale quarrelles Of the difference bitwéene Priestes and Bishoppes of Lente of the Communion Booke of the Homilies of the Order of Seruice and of the Perpetual Virginitie of Our Lady His whole drifte herein is to beare vs in hande that there is very litle or none Authoritie in the Scriptures and that the whole Credite and certainetie of our Faithe resteth onely in the Churche of Rome He seemeth to take it in scorne that the Woorde of God shoulde be called the Light Yet notwithstandinge the Prophete Dauid saithe Thy Woorde is a Lanterne to my feete And againe The Commaundement of the Lorde is Lightsome geeuing Light vnto the eies And Theophylacte saith Verbum Dei est Lucerna qua Fur deprehenditur The Woorde of God is the Candel whereby ther Theefe or false Teacher is espied Whereas M. Hardinge demaundeth of vs so pleasauntly what Scriptures we allowe and what wée reiecte he troubleth him selfe with an idle and a néedelesse question For we embrace and reuerence euery parcel and title of the Scriptures without exception not refusinge any parte thereof that hath benne allowed by the Ancient Learned Catholique Fathers of the Churche of God Neither doo wee so scornefully calle Goddes Holy Woorde a Nose of vvaxe a Shipmannes Hose or a Dead letter as sundrie of that side haue delited to cal it Touchinge the Booke of the Machabees wee saie nothinge but that we finde written by S. Hierome S. Augustine other Holy Fathers S. Hierome saithe Machabaeorum Libros legit quidem Ecclesia Sed eos inter Canonicas Scripturas non recipit In deede the Churche readeth the Bookes of the Machabees but shee receiueth them not emonge the Canonical allovved Scriptures Or Praier for y◠Dead wee shal haue place more conuenient to speake hereafter The place of S. Iames touchinge the Iustification of Faithe Woorkes is answeared before Neither doo wee discredite any parte either of the Authoritie or of the Doctrine of that whole Epistle notwithstandinge Eusebius saithe It was written by somme other and not by S. Iames. His woordes be these Istius Iacobi qui lustus Oblias vocabatur dicitur esse Epistola quae prima scribitur inter Canonicas Sciendum autem est illam Epistolam esse Spuriam The Opinion is that the Epistle whiche is reckened the firste emonge the Canonicalles is of this Iames whiche was called Iustus and Oblias But wee muste vnderstande that
Man doothe moste abhorre vvith the pretense of this saieinge in the Gospel where as our Lorde saithe thus I haue many thinges to saie vnto you but as nowe ye are not hable to beare them Euen so saithe Tertullian Eadem dementia confitentur Apostolos quidem nihil ignorasse nec diuersa inter se praedicasse Sed non omnia volunt illos omnibus reuelasse Sed quaedam Palà m Vniuersis quaedam secretò Paucis demandasse By a like kinde of Madnesse they Confesse that the Apostles in deede were ignorante of no thinge nor taught any contrarie Doctrine emonge themselues But they saie The Apostles reucied not al thinges to al menne but shewed certaine thinges openly and to al and other certaine thinges secretely and vnto a fevve By sutche right helde sommetime the greate Heretique Arius For euen so saide he then as M. Hardinge saithe nowe Ex Electis Dei secundum Fidem Peritis Dei Rectigradis oui Sanctum Dei Spiritum acceperunt ego ita didici These thinges haue I learned not of y◠Scriptures but of the Chosen of God according to Faithe of the skilful in Godly vnderstandinge of them that walkte vprightly and had receiued the Sprite of God that is to sale by Tradition So Epiphanius saithe The Heretiques called Caiani auouched al theire solies and Heresies not by the Scriptures but by Tradition as they saide from S. Paule and tooke vpon them to knowe al those Secrete woordes that S. Paule had hearde in the Thirde Heauen If M. Hardinge maie haue leaue to handle the same weapons I doubte not but he wil soone be hable to proue that bothe his Holy Breade his Holy VVater and what so euer shal please him els came by Tradition directly from the Apostles and from Christe him selfe But S. Paule when he saide I vvil comme and take order he meante not to diuise any other Scripture or Newe Verities that they had not knowen before but onely to appointe them in what place at what time in what order and with what other Circumstances the Holy Ministration and other like Ecclesiastical Offices should be vsed As for these fantasies that M. Hardinge and his felowes haue imagined S. Augustine saithe cùm Christus ipse tacuerit quis nostrum dicat Ista vel illa sunt Aut si dicere audeat vnde probat Quis enim est tam vanus aut tam temeratius qui cùm dixerit etiam vera quibas voluerit quae voluerit fine vllo Testimonio Diuino affirmet ea esse quae tunc Dominus dicere noluit For as mutche as Christe him selfe hath not reuesed these thinges whiche of vs wil saie they be these or these Or if he so saie hovve can he proue it For who is there either so vaine or so rashe who notwithstanding he speake the Truthe to whom he listeth and what he listeth wil affirme vvithout any Testimonie of the Scriptures that these be the thinges that the Lorde then vvould not Open Sutche thinges they be S. Hierome saithe are cutte of with the Swerde that is to saie with the Woorde of God M. Hardinge saithe these expresse Woordes Persona Ingenitus Homousios are not found in the Scriptures So saide the Arian Heretiques too as wel as he But what foreeth that Epiphanius saith Nomen Substantiae non ponitur nudè nec in Veteri nec in Nouo Testamento Sensus autem eius Nominis vbique est This very woorde Substantia is not plainely expressed neither in the Newe nor in the Olde Temente But the sense and meaninge of that VVoorde is eueryvvhere So saith Anthanasius Tametfi haec voces in Scriptura non reperiuntur tamen habent earn Sententiam quam Scripturae volunt Notwithstanding these woordes be not founde expressed in the Scripture yet haue they the same sense and meaninge that the scripture willeth Touchinge the Perpetual Virginitie of that Blessed Virgine the Mother of Christe whiche M. Hardinge saithe cannot be proued by any Scriptures Gennadius writeth thus Heluidij prauitatem arguens Hieronymus Libellum Documentis Scripturarum Sufficienter factum aduersus cum edidu S. Hierome repreuinge the wilful lewdnesse of the Heretique Heluidius denieinge the Perpetual Virginitie of Christes Mother sette foorth a Booke against him furnished vvith sufficiēte Testimomonies of the Scriptures Gennadius saithe the Perpetual Virginitie of Our Lady is proued sufficiently by the Scriptures M. Hardinge onely to mainteine his quarrel saith It cannot be proued by any Scriptures but standeth onely by Tradition S. Hierome him selfe in so vaine a contention moued by an Heretique thought it sufficient to answeare thus Mariam nupsisse post partum non credimus quia non legimus Wee beleeue not that Marie was Married againe after her Childebearinge bicause vvee reade it not Here M. Hardinge thinketh to oppresse vs with the Olde Heretiques Ordinarie question Hovve knovve you saith he that the Scriptures be the Scriptures Hovv knovve you that the Gospel of Thomas Bartholomewe and Nicodeme are no Scriptures Thus they laboure to pulle al credite from the Woorde of God and sende vs onely to theire Traditions Of God and his Woorde they would euermore haue vs to stande in doubte but of the Pope and his Woorde they say in any wise wée male not doubte Hosius a special Proctoure of that side saithe Quod Ecclesia docet id est Expressum Verbum Dei What so euer the Churche teacheth he meaneth the Churche of Rome that is the very Expresse VVoorde of God A man might wel demaunde the like question of M. Hardinge Hovv knovv you that the Sonne is the Sonne Or that the Moene is the Moene Or hovve knovve you that the Churche is the Churche Or that the Congregation of the Wicked is not the Churche Sutche idle questions the Olde Heretiques the Manichées demaunded of S. augustine But S. Augustine answeared them Si quaeratis à nob is vnde nos sciamus Apostolorum esse istas literas breuiter vobis respondemus Inde nos scire vnde vos scitis illas literas esse Manichaei If you demaunde of vs hovve vvee knovve that these be the Apostles writinges wee make you this shorte answeare Euen so wee knowe that Oure writinges are of the Apostles as you knowe that your writinges are of the Heretique Manichee But for further answeare I recken M. Hardinge cannot be ignorant that the Gospel of Thomas Bartholomevve Nicodeme and sutche others were neuer written by them whoe 's names they beare but were wickedly and falsely countrefeited vnder their names by sundrie Heretiques S. Ambrose saithe Erant Pseudopropherae c. Erat autem populi gratia discernere Spiritus vt cogno scerer quos referre deberet in numerum Propherarum quos autem quasi bonus Nummularius reprobare Sic nunc in Nouo Testamento multi Euāgelia scribere conati sunt quae boni Nummularij non probauerunt There were False Prophetes c.
stringe of spiritual eatinge and shunninge the Faithe of the Catholike Churche touching the true presence of the Body and Violently wresting the Holy Scripture and Auncient Fathers to a contrary sense admittinge Figures for Truthe tropes for the letter shadowes for thinges plaie vs many a false lesson and teache horrible lies to the vtter subuersion of those that be lead by them The B. of Sarisburie Here is no mention saithe M. Hardinge of Real Presence and thereupon he plaieth vs many a proper Lesson Notwithstandinge here is as mutche mention made of Real Presence as either Christe or his Apostles euer made or in y◠Primutiue Catholique Churche of God was euer beléeued Farther he saithe VVhat reason or Scripture haue ye that a Peece of Breade and a Cuppe of VVine can sette the Death and Resurrection of Christe as it were before your eies Verily when al your tale is tolde ye seeme to saie nothinge els but that the Body of Christe remaineth in Heauen and that wee muste sende vp our soules thither to eate it there by a certaine imagination whiche ye cal Faithe Here ye doo greate wronge M. Hardinge to cal the Faithe of Christe an Imagination or as I trowe ye meane a fansie S. Paule saithe Fides est Substantia rerum sperandarum Faithe is not an Imagination but the Substance and grounde of the thinges that wee hope for If ye trauaile once againe to Rome being thus far instructed already ye wil easily learne the Lesson that one of your late Popes there as it is reported taught his Cardinalles O quantum nobis profuit illa Fabula de Christo That wée ought to sende vp our Faithe into Heauen and there to embrace the Body of Christe it is S. Augustines Doctrine it is not ours These be his woordes Dices Quomodò tenebo Christum Absentem Quomodò in Coelum manum mittam vt ibi sedentem teneam Fidem mitte tenuisti Parentes tui tenuerunt Carne tu tene Corde Thou wilt saie howe shal I holde Christe beeinge Absente Howe we shal I reache my hande into Heauen that I maye holde him sittinge there Sende vp thy Faithe and thou holdest him Thy Fathers the Iewes helde him in the fleashe Holde him thou in thy harte But for as mutche as H. hardinge thought it sufficient so pleasantly to passe ouer this mater with his Imaginations and fansies I thinke it therefore so mutche the more néedeful to shewe the iudgemente of the Auncient Learned Fathers in that behalfe First therefore S Augustine saithe Rerum Absentium Praesens est Fides rerum quae foris sunt intus est Fides rerum quae non videntur videtur Fides Of thinges that be Absente Faithe is Presente of thinges that be without Faithe is within and of thinges that be not seene Faithe is seene Againe be saithe Cùm non obliuiscimur munus Saluatoris nonne nobis quotidiè Christus immolatur Ex ipsis reliquijs cogitationis nostrae id est ex ipsa memoria Christus quotidiè nobis sic immolatur quasi quotidiè nos innouet When wee foregeate not the gifte of our Saueoure is not Christe offered vnto vs euery daye Of the very remanentes of our thoughtes that is to say of our very memorie Christe is so daily offered vnto vs as though he renewed vs euery daie And the more liuely to expresse this mater S. Hierome saith Tibi Conuiuium Christus est Cogitatio Christus est Gaudium Christus est Desiderium Christus est Lectio Christus est quies Christus est Christe is thy banket Christe is thy thought Christe is thy ioie Christe is thy desire Christe is thy readinge Christe is thy reate Likewise S. Ambrose In animis vestris quotidiè pro Redemptione Corporis Christus offertur In your mindes Christe is daily offered for the Redemption of the Body And to passe ouer others for that it pleaseth M. Hardinge to make himselfe sutche mirthe with Imaginations Euthymius a Gréeke Authour writing pourposely of this mater saith thus Non oportet simpliciter ea intueri sed aliud quiddam imaginari interioribus oculis ea perspicere tanouam Mysteria Wee maie not sooke barely vpon these thinges that is vpon the Breade and Wine but muste thereof imagine somme other mater and behold the same with our in vvarde Spiritual eies as it is meete to beholde Mysteries And leaste M. Hardinge shoulde saie This Imagination is vaine and fantastical as is the greatteste parte of his Religion S. Augustine saith Magis sunt illa quae intelligimus quà m ista quae cernimus The thinges that wee vnderstande or imagine by Faithe are more certaine then the thinges that wee see vvith our eies Neither maie you thinke M. Hardinge that these thinges beinge graunted the Ministration of the Holy Supper woulde be superfluous For these twoo Kindes of Eatinge muste euermore necessarily be ioined togeather And who so euer commeth to the Holy Table auaunceth not his Minde vnto Heauen there to feede vpon Christes Body at the Right hande of God he knoweth not the meaninge of these Mysteries but is voide of vnderstandinge as the Horse or the Mule and receiueth onely the bare Sacramentes to his Condemnation Therefore the Mystical Supper of Christe notwithstandinge this Doctrine is not superfluous But your Transubstantiation your Real Presence and a greate parte of this your idle talke is moste vaine and moste superfluous But ye saie Howe can Breade and VVine bringe vs to the hope of Resurrection or of Euerlasting Life and why maie not a man in like manner demaunde of you Haw can a fewe Droppes of colde VVater bringe vs to the hope of Resurrection If VVater maie doo it why maie not Breade and VVine likewise doo it Touchinge the VVater S. Basile saith Baptismus est Potentia Dei ad Resurrectionem Baptisme is the Povver of God to Resurrection Againe he saith Resurrectionis Gratiam in Die Resurrectionis recipiamus Vpon the Daie of Resurrection let vs receiue Baptisme whiche is the Grace of Resurrection S. Hierome saith Non solùm propter Remissionem Peccatorum Baptizamur sed etiam propter Resurrectionem Carnis nostrae Wee are Baptized not onely for Remission of Sinnes but also for the Resurrection of our Fleashe And therefore the Greekes calle Baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the VVeede of immortalitie Here M. Hardinge it were somme pointe of skil to shewe vs howe so greate Power maie be in so litle VVater Howe be it it is not the VVater in déede that woorketh the force of Resurrection but the Bloude of Christe that is Signified by the VVater And therefore S. Ambrose saithe Baptismus Resurrectionis Pignus Imago est Baptisme is the Pleadge and Image of Resurrection Likewise Ignarius Credentes in Mortem eius per Baptisma Participes Resurrectionis eius efficimur Beleeuinge in the Death of Christe by Baptisme wee are made Partakers of
they more holinesse in the thinges by you scoffed at them Elias did in his Mantell and letherne girdle wherewith he girded his loines then Iohn Baptist did in Eatinge of Locustes and wilde Honie in wearinge a garmente of Camelles heare and in girdinge him selfe aboute the loines with a skinne But I praie you Sirs who be ye if we woulde folowe your lightnes haue we not like matter of diuersitie in outwarde thinges to twite you withall but that your diuersitie is with breache of due order and Lawe and that of religious men is accordinge to order and rule If ye thinke diuersitie in thinges of their owne Nature indifferent as meates apparell shauinge c. woorthy to be reprehended and deduce from thence an argumente of mutuall dissension amonge your ministringe Cleregie is not likewise diuersitie founde Do not some amonge you weare square Cappes some rounde Cappes some butten Cappes some onely Hattes Doo not some weare side gownes hauinge large sleeues with Tippettes whiche is not wel liked of your secte some of more perfection Turkey gownes Gaberdeines Frockes or night gownes of the moste laye fashion for auoidinge of Superstition The thinge is indifferent and maye be yelded vnto saithe the one secte They be the Popes ragges and maie not be worne saith thother Secte And therefore they will rather be iustly put from that whiche iustely they cannot keepe then yelde one iote Neither her Maiesties commaundement nor their Metropolitans decree care they for They had rather seeme to the people whome they vse for their Clawebackes and to whose iudgement they stande or fall stoute Champions of their owne Gospell then meeke folowers of Christes Gospell Suche mighty Samsons suche constant Laurences your ioyly Gospell breedeth Some saie the Body of Christe in the Communion is torne and crusshed with Teethe some denie it Yea forsothe and bothe meane right well The hundred and thirtene Bishoppes assembled in Councell at Rome vnder Pope Nicolaus the seconde prescribed suche forme of Recantation to Berengarius the firste Auctor of the Sacramentarie Heresie openly there to pronounce acknowledge and with subscription to ratifie as he should confesse the very true Body of Christe not onely the Sacramente thereof sensibly and in veritie to be handled with the handes of the Priestes to be broken and crusshed with Teethe of the Faithefull By whiche woordes these Fathers minde was to expresse a veritie of Reall Presence a true Eatinge of Christes Body in deede and to exclude the onely spirituall eatinge so as the olde Fathers did Eate Christe in their Manna Neither is thus Doctrine dissonant from the Fathers specially froÌ„ Chrysostome who hath the like woordes Homilia 45. in Iohan. How so euer our Sauiour Christe consecrated with a certaine diuine power or with his Almightie Blessinge or with vtterance of woordes or with repetinge the same woordes what so euer the Pronoune Hoc pointeth or signifieth in the woordes of Consecration what so euer your Dogges and Mise haue Eaten or your selues haue troden vnder your wicked feete whether the Accidentes doo nourrishe or Substance retourne what narrow pointes so euer the schoolemen after tossinge of argumentes too and fro as their manner is haue agreed or disagreed vpon the matter is subtile and curious neither determined by definitiue sentence of the Churche in any Councell And therefore sith is conteineth no Article of our Faithe let vs not be offended with the whettinge and sharpeninge of their subtile wittes in matters neither to the Truthe of Gods woorde preiudiciall nor to the vnderstandinge and iudgement of any man hurtefull The B. of Sarisburie Touchinge your Nominalles Realles M. Hardinge if ye had benne so cunninge skilful as ye make your selfe ye would not haue sente vs backe to learne your Firste and Seconde Intentions emongest Children But that ye maie vnderstande your owne erroure and certainely see that these twoo Houses your Nominalles and your Realles haue heretofore keapt a sturre not onely in Logique but also in your Scholastical maters of Diuinitie without further searchinge of yâ— bottome thereof I praie you onely to consider these fewe Authorities Veselus sometime for his greate fame in Learninge named Lux Mundi writeth thus In Nominalibus si quid Fidei contrarium putarem hodiè remearem vel ad Formales vel ad Realles If I thought there were any thinge in the Nominalles contrarie to the Faith I would presently leaue them and goe either to the Formalles or to the Realles An other saithe Ex Sententiarijs alij Terminales aut Nominales esse volunt alij Reales Of the Doctours of the Scholastical Diuinitie somme wil be called Terminales or Nominales and somme Reales An other saithe Citiùs è Labyrinthis temet explices quà m ex inuolucris Realium Nominalium c. in quibus omnibus tantum est cruditionis vt putem Apostolis ipsis opus fore alio Spiritu si cogerentur istis de rebus cum hoc Nouo Theologorum genere conserere manus Ye maie sooner winde your selfe out of a Maze then out of the shiftes and Corners of these Realles and Nominalles c. in whom there is sutche abundance of Learninge yâ— I thinke the Apostles them selues should haue neede of an other Sprite if at any time they should be driuen to encounter with this Nevve kinde of Diuines Here M. Harding your Nominalles and Realles are called a Nevve kinde not of Logicians but of Diuines And if ye consider wel Vdalrichus Zasius ye shal finde that your saide Nominalles Realles haue intruded them selues not onely into Diuinitie but also into the Ciuile Lavve Therefore it was somewhat out of season to tel vs this tale of your Seconde and Firste Intentions Concerninge apparel ye saie ye sette not greate Holinesse neither in shooes nor in Sandales c. Whereby ye would séeme to geeue vs to vnderstande that ye sette somme Holinesse in these thinges although not Greate Neither doothe it appeare that the Phariseis euer made any greate accoumpte of Holinesse of their garmentes Yet notwithstandinge vnder the coloure and shadowe thereof they deceiued the people And therefore Christe saithe vnto them Woe be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis And vnto the people he saithe Beware of them that loue to goe in longe Roobes Of sutche menne Seneca saithe Personam habere malunt quà m faciem They wil rather weare a Visarde then a Natural face An other saithe Dolosi Hominis dolosae vestes Crafty man Crafty Cote But if noman euer reckened any Holinesse to be in your apparel wherefore then was this Decrée so longe agoe written in the Councel of Gangra Si quis Virorum putauerit Sancto proposito id est continentiae conuenire vt pallio vâ—atur tanquam ex eo Iustitiam habiturus c. Anathema sit If any man thinke it agreeable to his holy purpose of Continente life to weare a Cloke as
free liberalitie For otherwise of dewtie by youre iudgemēte they shoulde haue nothinge Notwithstandinge Christe saithe Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye not onely the Apostles but Drinke ye al of this Whiche woordes Paschasius expoundeth thus Bibite ex hoc omnes Hoc est tam Ministri quà m reliqui Credentes Drinke ye al of this that is to saie as vvel the Ministers as the reste of the Faithful An other saithe thus Bibite ex hoc Omnes Omnes scilicet sine personarum acceptione Drinke ye al of this Al that is to saie without difference or choise of personnes But hereof we haue spoken more at large in other places The Apologie Cap. 21. Diuision 2. 3. Very rightely and aptely doth Chrysostome write against these menne Heretikes saithe he shutte vp the gates against the Truethe for they knowe ful wel if the gate were open the Churche shoulde be none of theires Theophylacte also Goddes VVoorde saithe he is the Candel whereby the Theefe is espied The Apologie Cap. 21. Diuision 4. And Tertullian saith The Holy Scripture manifestly findeth out the fraude and theafte of Heretiques For why doo they hide why doo they keepe vnder the Gospel whiche Christe woulde haue preached alowde from the house toppe Why whealme they that light vnder a Busshel whiche ought to stande on the Candelsticke M. Hardinge The Scripture saithe There shal be menne standing in their owne conceite vnchaste louing pleasure more then God VVho are vnchaste they that exhorte al menne to Chastitie and them selues abstaine from wedlocke for the better meane to serue God or ye that bidde menne whiche haue vowed chastitie to breake their vowes The B. of Sarisburie I leaue youre Chastitie to the iudgemente of the Worlde Yet you maie remember there were somme in olde times whome Christe likened to Painted graues outwardely in appearance faire glorious but inwardly ful of stinking boanes It appeareth by the whole course and order of youre liues that Single Life and Chastitie are sundrie thinges S. Hierome saithe thus Super Concupiscentiam foeminarum non intelliget De Antichristo facilior interpretatio est quoód ideó simulet Castitatem vt plurimos decipiat He shal haue no skil touching the desiere of weemen The better exposition hereof is to applie these woordes to Antichriste For that he shal Countrefeite Chastitie to the ende to deceiue many S. Augustine saithe of the Heretiques called the Manichees Vitae Castae memorabilis continentiae imaginem praeferunt They beare a countenance of continent life and notable Chastitie S. Ambrose saithe Multi sunt Haereticorum qui praetendere volunt Corporis continentiam There be many Heretiques that wil countrefeite and pretende Chastitie of body that by the witnesse thereof they maie winne Credit to theire Doctrine Therefore M. Hardinge when you thus vaunte your selues of this Coloure of Chastitie ye make boaste of that thing that other Heretiques and Antichriste him selfe shal haue as wel as you S. Paule where he foretelleth vs of the Disciples of Antichriste emongest other markes whereby they maie be knowen saithe thus Prohibentes nubere whereby he meante that Antichriste shoulde geue out a greate shine of Chaste life and forbidde Marriage Of sutche S. Hierome saithe Iactant pudicitiam suam impudenti facie They make bragges of their Chastitie with whoorishe Countenance The Apologie Cap. 21. Diuision 5. 6. Why truste they more to the blindenesse of the vnskilful multitude and to ignorance then to the goodnesse of their cause Thinke they their sleightes are not already perceiued and that they can walke nowe vnspied as though they hadde Gyges ring to goe inuisible by vpon their finger No no. The Apologie Cap. 21. Diuision 7. Al menne see nowe wel and wel againe what good stuffe is in that cheste of the Bishop of Romes bosome This thing alone of it selfe maie be an argument sufficient that they woorke not vprightly and truely M. Hardinge You are mutche troubled with the cheste of the Popes bosome wherein be is thought to haue al lawes At this you scoffe foure or fiue times in your Apologie medlinge with a matter that you vnderstande not For it is a Lawiers phrase VVho presupposeth the Prince of euery common weale to knowe the lawe of the same no lesse then if it were written in his breaste And therefore when he maketh a newe lawe he repealeth the former lawe whereunto the latter is contrary The B. of Sarisburie For as mutche as this matter of the Popes breaste is so deepe and full of darkenesse specially being as you saie a Lavviers phrase that no man maie safely enter into it but onely you that neuer were student in any Lavve lette vs therefore see what your owne Canonistes and Lavviers them selues haue meante hereby Firste of al Baldus of Perusium saithe Papa est Doctor vtriusque Iuris Authoritate non Scientia The Pope is Doctour of bothe Lawes as wel Ciuile as Canon by Authoritie but not by knowledge Here wee finde howe so euer the Pope be stoared of Learninge yet at the leaste he is a Doctoure by Authoritie Further youre Glose saithe Etsi totus mundus sententiaret in aliquo negotio contra Papam tamen videtur quo'd standum fit sententiae Papae Iura enim omnia in Scrinio pectoris sui habere videtur Quod ergo Papa approbat vel reprobat nos approbate vel reprobare debemus Quisquis ergo non obedit Statutis Romanae Ecclesiae Haereticus est censendus Et Sacrilegij instar esset disputare de facto Papae Although al the worlde woulde iudge in any mater againste the Pope yet it seemeth wee ought to stande to the iudgemente of the Pope For he seemeth to haue al Lavves in the Cheaste of his bosome Therefore what so euer the Pope either alloweth or disalloweth wee are bounde likewise to allowe or disallowe the same And who so euer is not obedient to the Lawes of the Churche of Rome muste be deemed an Heretique And it were as great sinne as Churcherobbinge to reason of any of the Popes dooinges Further youre Lavviers saie thus Papa dicitur habere Coeleste arbitrium Vnde in his quae vult est ei pro Ratione Voluntas Nec est qui dicat illi Domine cur ita facis Quia sicut ex Sola Voluntate potest per Papam Lex creari ita per Solam Voluntatem potest cum ea dispensari The Pope is saide to haue a heauenly iudgemente Therefore in sutche thinges as he willeth his Wil standeth in steede of Reason Neither maie any man saie vnto him O sir VVhy doo yovv thus Like as a Lavve maie be made by the Onely VVil of the Pope so maie the same Lavv bee dispensed withal onely by the vvil of the Pope This M. Hardinge is the exposition of youre Lavviers phrase Theise are the treasures that wee are taughte to seeke in the Closet of the
of the Romaine Churche is the infallible Rule of Faithe from the vvhiche the Holy Scripture taketh her force And Indulgences and Pardonnes saithe he are not made knovven to vs by the Authoritie of the Scriptures but they are knovven to vs by the Authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishoppes of Rome vvhich is greater then the Scriptures Pigghius also letteth not to saie that without the licence of the Romaine Church we ought not to beleue the very Plaine Scriptures Mutch like as if any of those that cannot speake pure and cleane Latine and yet can babble out quickely and readily a litle somme sutche Lawe Latine as serueth the Courte woulde needes holde that al others ought also to speake after the same waie that Mammetrectus and Catholicon spake many yeeres agoe and whiche themselues doo yet vse in pleadinge in Courte for so maie it be vnderstoode sufficiently what is said mennes desires maie be satisfied that it is a fondenesse nowe in the later ende to trouble the worlde with a newe kinde of speakinge and to cal againe the olde finenesse and eloquence that Cicero and Caesar vsed in theire daies in the Latine tongue So mutche are these menne beholden to the folie darkenesse of the former times Many thinges as one writeth are had in estimation oftentimes bicause thei haue benne once dedicate to the Temples of the Heathen Goddes Euen so wee see at this daie many thinges allowed highly sette by of these menne not bicause they iudge them so mutche woorthe but onely bicause they haue benne receiued into a custome and after a sorte dedicate to the Temple of God M. Hardinge Ye haue neuer donne with the Churche of Rome I cannot blame you For so long as that standeth without ye repente and tourne ye shal neuer be taken but for sutche as ye be Schismatikes and Heretikes But alas poore soules what thinke ye to ouerthrowe that Churche builded vpon the rocke Peter againste whiche hitherto neither tyrauntes nor Heretikes farre passinge you in lerninge and honestie of common life coulde euer preuaile Trowe ye to extinguishe that faithe of the Romaine Churche whiche is the same that was the faithe of Peter for which Christe praied that it should neuer faile Ye laboure in vaine VVel may Sathan winne you the Churche whiche our Lorde praied for by you shal he neuer winne Geue ouer therefore your vaine and wicked attemptes Trust not in the patches that falsely ye allege out of Canonistes gloses scholemen riminge poetes Heretikes and who so euer be they neuer so bad Some ignorant persons maye ye deceiue whose sinnes deserue the same VVhat Syluester Prierlât saieth I minde not here to discusse Neither where he saithe that you alleage haue you thought good to tel vs lest by perusinge the place we shoulde take you in a lie as we haue almoste in al your other allegations The like sinceritie you use in alleaginge Pighius VVe binde our selues neither to the wordes of Syluester nor of Pighius If they erre what is that to vs Let them beare theire owne burthen If they tel truth we beleue them for truthes sake If otherwise we leaue that parte for you to carpe If Syluester Prierias saide that for pointes of belefe the Doctrine of the Romaine Churche is a squire to trie theire truthe by the same beinge wel vnderstanded is right true Likewise if Pighius saie that the Romaine Churche sheweth vnto vs which be the approued and vndoubted scriptures and whiche be not this is so true as your selfe I suppose wil yelde thereunto As for that the scripture receiued from the Churche of Rome Authoritie credite and force if in your meaninge you exclude God that is your lie not Syluesters sentence If relation be made to vs that we ought not geue credite vnto it onlesse it had ben shewed to be holy scripture by the Romaine Church whiche is the true Churche of Christe in this sense be it Syluester or who els so euer saithe it it is a true saieinge and agreable to S. Augustine Ego Euangelio non crederem nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commueret Authoritas I woulde not beleue the Gospel except the Auctoritie of the Catholike Churche moued me And for that you alleage out of him touchinge indulgences truthe it is the ful and whole knowledge of them is not plainely opened vnto vs by expresse and euident wordes of Scripture no more then the mysterie of the blessed Trinitie baptizinge of infantes and many other truthes but rather by the doctrine of the Romaine Churche VVhere you tel vs of Pighius that he letteth not to saie that without the licence of the Romishe Churche for in that word you please your selfe wel we ought not to beleue the very plaine scriptures we wil proclaime you a lyer vntil you shewe vs where he spake so farre beside reason and lerninge The holy Churche doth not wil vs to staie from belefe of the scriptures vntil we haue licence but by al waies and meanes inuiteth and stirreth vs to beleue the truthe in the scriptures vttered The B. of Sarisburie The greatest weight hereof vpon twoo of your Doctoures Syluester Prieriâs and Albertus Pigghius Whoe 's credite notwithstandinge yée woulde faine otherwise saue vpright yet here as it séemeth ye are contente for shame to géeue them ouer VVe binde our selues yée saie neither to the woordes of Syluester nor of Pigghius If they erre what is that to vs This shorte and blunte answeare notwithstandinge it séeme to like wel you yet perhaps Prieriâs and Pigghius it woulde not like I sée no greate cause to the contrarie but either of them might as wel renounce your Authoritie and saie of you Wée are not bounde neither to M. Hardinges woordes nor to his felowes For that yée doubte the Truthe of our allegations reade Syluester Prieriâs Maister of the Popes Palace in his Booke entituled Contra praesumptuosas Martini Lutheri Conclusiones de potestate Papae His wordes there emongest others be these Quicūque nō innititur Doctrinae Romanae Ecclesiae ac Romani pōlificis tanquam Regulae Dei infallibili à qua etiam sacra Scriptura robur trahit Authoritatem Haereticus est Who so euer leaneth not to the Doctrine of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishop of Rome as vnto the infallible Rule of God of vvhiche Doctrine the Holy Scripture taketh force and Authoritie he is an Heretique Againe he saithe Authoritas Romanae Ecclesiae Romanique pontificis maior est c. The Authoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishop of Rome is greater then the Authoritie of Goddes woorde As for that is here alleged of Pigghius it is the very sounde and sense of the greatest parte of his Common place De Ecclesia Of whoe 's iudgemente herein M. Caluine writeth thus Pighius ait Nullius Scripturae Authoritate quantum libet Clarae nostro quidem
of him selfe but of Freere Eckius that disputed against him Eckius and his felowes neuer beganne this mater for Goddes sake nor for Goddes sake wil they ende it For he sawe they had begonne were bente to ende it againste God as beinge enflamed with ambition and malice and procured and hired by the Pope Euen so M. Hardinge maie wée also truely saie You and your Felowes haue not begonne these your Contentious Vanities for Goddes sake nor for Goddes sake wil you ende them The Apologie Cap. 16. Diuision 8. Wherefore if thei wil weigh al these thinges with a quiet minde fully bente to heare to learne thei wil not onely allowe this determination of ours whoe haue foresaken Errours folowed Christe and his Apostles but themselues also wil foresake their owne selues and ioine of theire owne accorde to our side to goe with vs. Here endeth the Fifthe Parte The Sixthe Parte The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 1. BVt peraduenture they wil saie it was treason to attempt these maters without a sacred General Councel For that therein consisteth the whole force of the Churche there Christe hath promised he wil euer be a presente assistant Yet they themselues without tarrienge for any General Councel haue broken the Commaundementes of God and the Decrees of the Apostles and as wee said a little aboue they haue spoiled and disanulled almoste al not onely the Ordinaunces but euen the Doctrine of the Primitiue Churche And where they saie It is not lawful to make a chaunge without a Councel what was he that gaue vs these Lawes or from whence had they this Iniunction M. Hardinge If general Councels continewe in that estimation and Auctoritie they haue euer had theire priuate conspiracies and false conueiances in corners be like to be dasshed Nowe priâ—keth foorth theire Secretary who thinketh him self a fresh souldier in Rhetorike and geueth the onsette vpon vs with a blinde peraduenture But Sir what so euer you imagine vs to saie touchinge a General Councel we are not so simple as to graunt whiche your Peraduenture semeth to surmise of vs that your Heretical and moste vngodly matters whiche you speake of might without blame be attempted by licence of any Councel Sutche wicked changes in religion as ye haue made neither is it lawful to make with a Councel nor without a Councel The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 2. In deede King Agesilaus did but fondely who when he had a determinate answeare made him of the opinion and wil of mighty Iuppiter woulde afterwarde bringe the whole matter before Apollo to knowe whether he woulde allowe thereof as his Father Iuppiter had donne or no. But yet shoulde wee doo mutche more fondely when we heare God him selfe plainely speake to vs in his most Holy Scriptures and maie vnderstande by them his wil and meaninge if wee would afterwarde as though this were of none effecte bring our whole cause to be tried by a Councel which were nothinge els but to aske whether menne would allowe as God did and whether menne woulde confirme Goddes Commaundemente by theire Authoritie M. Hardinge For as mutche as the scriptures wherein God speaketh vnto vs be in sundrie places not moste open and plaine to humaine senses and many by mistakinge them be deceiued were it not wel done of you for the more suretie and better vnderstandinge of that ye goe about I meane in matters concerninge religion to folowe the iudgemente of the Catholike Churche represented in general councels Yea we saie boldely that surer it is in pointes of faithe to leane to the exposition of the Fathers agreinge togeather and to folowe the tradition of the Churche then to trust to your selues or to the letter of the scriptures scanned onely by your owne wittes For the Churche is promised to be lead into al Truthe by the holy Ghost Ye cannot saie any such promise hath ben made to your particulare company Therefore it were not fondly done as ye saie but wisely saie we if ye tried and examined your Doctrine which ye pretende to be according vnto the Scriptures by the rule of Ecclesiastical Tradition which is the chiefe rule to trie euery Doctrine by The B. of Sarisburie Wée neuer despised the iudgemente of the Learned and Holy Fathers but rather take them and embrace them as the Witnesses of Goddes Truthe And therein wée finde you the more blame woorthy M. Hardinge for that hauinge without cause renounced the iudgemente and orders of the Primitiue Churche and Anciente Fathers as to the wise and Learned it maie soone appeare yet neuerthelesse yée euermore make vaunte of your Antiquitie and fraie the world with a visarde of the Churche a shewe of Olde Fathers as if a poore Sommonere that had loste his Commission would serue Citations by the vertue of his emptie bore And thus haue ye set al your vaine fantasies in place of Goddes Churche and your Churche in place of God as by the woordes and witnesse of your owne Felowes I haue before shewed more at large For example Cardinal Cusanus saith Nulla sunt Christi Praecepta nisi quae per Ecclesiam pro talibus accepta sunt The Commaundementes of Christe are no Commaundementes Onlesse they be so allowed by the Churche Thus yée leaue Iuppiter and renne to Apollo or rather yée foresake God séeke to Man as it is written in the Prophete Hieremie Yee leaue the Fountaine of the Water of Life and rippe vp broken and filthy Cesternes that can holde no Water Tertullian thus vpbraideth the Heathens Apud vos de humano arbitratu Diuinitas pensitatur Emonge you the right of God is weighed by the iudgemente of menne But Clemens Alexandrinus saithe Quoniam ipsum Verbum ad nos venit de Coelo noÌ„ est nobis ampliùs eundum ad Humanam Doctrinam For so mutche as the Worde it selfe that is Christe is comme to vs from Heauen wee maie not nowe any more seeke vnto the Doctrine of Man Likewise S. Chrysostome saithe Fuisset extremae absurditatis eum qui edoctus fuerat à Deo postea cum hominibus communicate It had benne greate folie for S. Paule hauing receiued his Doctrine from God him selfe afterward to conferre thereof with menne that is to saie with Peter or Iames or with any others The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 3. Why I beseche you except a Councel wil and commaunde shal not Truthe be Truthe or God be God If Christe had meante to doo so from the beginninge as that he woulde preache or teache nothinge without the Bishoppes consente but referre al this Doctrine ouer to Annas Caiphas where shoulde nowe haue benne the Christian Faithe Or who at any time shoulde haue hearde the Gospel taught Peter verily whom the Pope hath oftener in his mouthe more reuerently vseth to speake of then he dooth of Iesus Christe did boldely stand against the Holy Councel saieing It is better to obey God then Men. And after yâ— Paule
abbridged in the Councel of Hippo as it maie appeare by my answeare in this Booke Fol. 519. Whereas contrariwise the Councel of Hippo was abbridged in the Councel of Carthage This in deede of my parte was an erroure And I thanke M. Dorman that hathe geeuen mée occasion better to consider the same Notwithstandinge as I saide before the woordes be plaine Praeter quas Scripturas alia non legantur The Apologie Par. 5. Cap. 11. Diui. â— The Canonistes this date vse to saie of the Pope that for so mutche as he is Lorde of al benefices though he sel Bishoprikes Monasteries Benefices and Spiritual promotions for monie yet he cannot committe Simonie though he would neuer so faine M. Hardinge 15. Vntruthe VVhereas it is written in Summa Angelica In Curia Romana titulus De Simonia non habet locum The selfe same Summe vseth this distinction saieinge Verum est in ijs quae sunt Simoniaca de Iure positiuo solùm sed non in ijs quae sunt Simoniaca de lure Diuino VVhereby he meaneth that concerninge Simonie whiche properly is so called the Pope is no lesse subiecte thereto then any other man Thus haue you shamefully belied Summa Angelica The Replie Hereby it appeareth that M. Hardinge vnderstaÌ„deth not his owne Summa For by Simonia de Iure positiuo is meante the sale of Bishoprikes and Benefices c. whiche as this Summa saithe the Pope maie freely selle for monie without empeachemente of any manner of Simonie For beter proufe whereof Theodoricus saithe Papa non potest committere Simoniam Sic tenent Iuristae Quia Simonia excusatur per Authoritatem Papae De Schismate inter Vrban Clemen lib. 2. cap. 32. An other saithe Papa non committit Simoniam recipiendo pecuniâ—m pro collatione Beneficiorum 〈◊〉 shamefully wee belie Summa â—â—gelica 16. Vntruthe In the fourthe parte 7. chapter and. 4. Diuision of this Booke touchinge that most vile and shameful abusing of Franciscus Dandalus Gentleman of Venice that was driuen to wallowe vnder the Popes table in a chaine like a Dogge reported as M. Hardinge saithe by Sabellicus in the first Booke of his Seconde Decade I haue answeared as then I thought accordinge to truthe that Sabellicus wrote no Decades but onely Enneades as it might appeare by his woorkes printed either at Basile by Heruagius or otherwhere by any other Sithence I vnderstande that there is nowe extante an other Booke of Sabellicus by the name of Decades set foorthe of late at Basile by Coelius Secundus Curio An. 1560. Vnderstande thou therefore good Reader that herein I folowed sutche Bookes of Sabellicus as had benne long abroade and were wel acquainted amoÌ„g the learned But that there should any other newe Booke of Sabellicus be printed afterwarde specially so longe after the Authours death I coulde not prophesie These and sutche other good Christian Reader be our Vntruthes so many in number and of sutche weighte that M. Hardinge thinketh him selfe wel hable easily with the same to lode a Carte To al these so many and so many so horrible and so blasphemous Lies Goddes Holy name be blessed wée maie truely saie with S. Paule Tanquam seductores ecce veraces Wee are called deceiuers and yet wee saie the Truthe How be it I doo not so warrante euery parcel of any my writinges as though there were nothinge therein conteined but might safely be iustified in al respectes and againste al quarrels Sutche reuerence by S. Augustines iudgemente wée ought to géeue onely to the VVoorde of God Nomans Learninge or memorie was euer infinite But of al others I acknowledge mine to be the weakeste If I haue at any time mistaken either Authoure for Authoure or Name for Name or Chapter for Chapter or Booke for Booke as whereas in the allegatioÌ„ of Pope Leo in stéede of these woordes Indiuiduam VnitateÌ„ I wrote Indiuiduam Trinitatem or whereas in stéede of these woordes Paulinus ad Romanianum I wrote Paulinus ad Augustinum the saide Epistle of Paulinus beinge mingled with a whole Booke of the Epistles of S. Augustine Or if vpon any other like 〈◊〉 I haue alleged either Liberius for Athanasius or the Arians for the Euty 〈◊〉 or any one Father or Doctoure for an other sutche errours beinge bolde of malice were neuer hitherto accoumpted damnable The beste Learned haue oftentimes fallen into them For prouse whereof it were easy to saie that Cicero notwithstanding otherwise a great Learned man alleged Aiax in stéede of Hector Agamemnon in stéede of Vlysses Eupolis in stéede of Aristophanes That Aristotle alleged Calypso in stéede of Circe That Gratian allegeth Aniceus for Anicetus Ambrosius for Augustinus Calixtus for Anacletus Greeke for Latine Nevve for Olde That Hippolytus allegeth the Apocalyps of S. Iohn in stéede of Daniel That S. Chrysostome nameth Abacuk for Sophonias and Agar for Sara If thou be desirous to sée these seueral errours further proued it maie please thee to sée mine Answeare to this s Fol. 362. That in the alleginge of Liberatus I leaste out this woorde Quodammodò it was onely an Erroure For why I should of pourpose doo it there was no cause specially that woorde bearinge in that place no greatter weight But M. Hardinge alleginge these woordes of S. Augustine Christus quodammodò ferebatur in manibus suis not of erroure but as it maie be thought of set pourpose leafte out Quodammodò as knowinge that in that one woorde reasted the meaninge of the whole Briefely what so euer other like erroure shal be found in any my writinges I wil discharge bothe my Clerke and the Compositoure the Printer of the same take the whole vpon mée self I speake not this for that I thinke my Booke can be printed without erroure for that in sutche a number varietie of allegations were scarcely possible But if any erroure what so euer shal escape as I doubte not but there wil many I proteste before him that séeth the harte it walbe wholy againste my wil. And yet maie not these menne so charge others as if they them selues onely were priuileged and exempted from al sutche dangers M. Hardinge maie remember that he him selfe in stéede of the Prophete Osee hath alleged vs the Noble Iosua and that by an other like ouersight he hath alleged the Eighth Booke of Socrates Scholasticus whereas Socrates neuer wrote but Seuen As likewise also M. Dorman allegeth the Seuenth Booke of the Storie of Theodoretus whereas Theodoretus him selfe neuer wrote but Fiue And againe he fraieth al Christian Princes with the horrible Examples of the Tvvoo Kinges as he saith Ozias and Oza Yet he might easily haue learned that Oza was a poore Priuate man and neuer knowen to be a Kinge Notwithstandinge in one of his late litlewoorthe Pamflettes confessinge his ouersight herein he stumbleth into an other Erroure as fowle as the first and bewraieth his ignorance more then before For nowe he telleth vs
Reading of the Scriptures by the special prouidence of God that pretious stoanes should not be throwen before Swine In sutche regarde these menne haue as wel the Holy Scriptures as also the People of God The scriptures they resemble to common Harlottes and the vileste creatures of the stewes The people of God they calle Vngodly Rascalles Rifferaffe and Filthy Svvine Thus he suffereth thée not to reade either my poore Booke whereof thou shouldest Iudge or the Holy VVoorde of God whereby thou mightest he hable to Iudge but onely biddeth thée to folowe him and to saie as he saithe and al is safe Thus firste he blindeth thine eies and then willeth thee to looke aboute and to condemne the thinge thou neuer kneweste So saithe S. Hierome Isti tantam sibi assumunt Authoritatem vt siue dextra doceant siue sinistra id est siue bona siue mala nolint Discipulos ratione discutere sed se praecessores sequi These menne take so mutche vpon them selues that whether they teache with the Right hande or with the Lefte that is to saie whether they teache good thinges or badde they wil not haue theire Hearers or Learners to enquire causes wherefore they shoulde doo this or that but onely to folowe them beeing theire Leaders But beware I beséeche thée good Christian Reader A simple eie is soone beguiled It is very course Woolle that wil take no coloure It is a desperate cause that with woordes and eloquence maie not be smoothed Be not deceiued Remember of what maters and with what Aduersaries thou haste to deale With feace and reuerence be careful of thine owne Saluation Laie downe al affection and fauoure of parties Iudge iustely of that shal be alleged Onlesse thou knowe thou canste not Iudge Onlesse thou heare bothe sides thou canste not knowe If thou like ought knowe why thou likeste it A wise man in eche thinge wil searche the cause He that cannot iudge golde by sounde or insight yet maie trie it by the poise If thou canste not weigh these maters for want of Learninge yet so sensible and so grosse they are thou maiste féele them with thy fingers Thou maiste soone finde a difference bitwéene Golde and Brasse bitweene Iacob and Esau bitwéene a Face and a Visarde bitweene a fuile Body and an emptie Shadowe Saie not Thou arte settled in thy Beliefe before thou know it Vaine Faith is no Faithe S. Augustines counsel is good Beleeu nomore of Christe then Christ hath willed thee to beleeue Nemo de Christo credat nisi quod de se credi voluit Christus Likewise he saithe Fides stulta non prodest sed obest Fonde Faith is hurtful and dooth no good S. Hilarie saithe Non minus est Deum fingere quà m negare To diuise fansies of God it is as horrible as to saie There is no God The Anciente Father Tertullian speakinge of the Enimies of the Crosse of Christe that disdeigned to submitte theire willes to the wil of God saithe thus Amant ignorare cùm alij gaudeant cognouisse Malunt nescire quod iam oderunt Adeo ' quod nesciunt praeiudicant id esse quod si scirent odisse non possent They desire to be ignorante whereas other folkes desire to knowe They woulde not knowe the Truthe bicause they hate it What so euer it be they imagine it to be the same thinge that they hate But if they knewe it in deede thei coulde not hate it Let Reason leade thee let Authoritie moue thée let Truthe enforce thée The VViseman saithe Who so feareth the Lorde wil not be wilful againste his Woorde God of his mercie confounde al Errours géeue the Victorie to his Truthe and Glorie to his Holy name Amen From London 27. Octobris 1567. ⧠AN ANSWEARE TO A CERtaine Booke lately set foorth by M. Hardinge and entituled A Confutation of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande The Title of the Apologie AN Apologie or answeare in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe and plaine declaration of the true Religion professed and vsed in the same The Confutation by M. Hardinge Whereas these defenders take vpon them the name of the Churche of Englande settinge forth thereby a face of auctoritie they do muche like the Asse that Esope telleth of whiche to make the beastes afrayed had put on him a Lions skinne and therewith ietted abroade terribly For as the Lions skinne was but lapped about him and grewe not to his bodie so they beinge in deede no liuely members nor parte of the Churche couer them selues vnder the title and name of the Churche the rather to begyle the simple And verely herein they folowe the wonte of all Heretikes For neuer was there any secte of Heretikes hitherto whiche hath not claimed to be accōpted and called the Church For whiche cause of certaine auncient Fathers they haue bene likened to Apes whose propertie is though they be Apes yet to counterfeit men and to court to seeme men Nouatianus at saithe S. Cyprian after the manner of Apes woulde chalenge to him selfe the auctoritie of the Catholike Churche And where as himselfe was not in the Churche but contrariwise a rebell against the Churche tooke vpon him to affirme that al other were Heretikes and presumed tovpholde the Churche was on his side Irenaeus and Tertullian who were before him write that Heretikes made so much adoo to perswade that the Churche was amonge them selues onely that they feared not to call the right beleuinge and Catholike Churche Hereticall and Schismaticall S. Hilary declaringe how patiently he demeaned himselfe towardes the Arians his enemies by whome he was bannisshed writeth that in fiue yeares space whiles he liued in bannishment he neuer spake nor wrote euill woorde against them whiche falsely said them selues to be the Churche of Christe and were the Synagoge of Antichrist The Donatisles against whome S. Augustine wrote muche saide that the Christianitie was quite loste and gone out of so many nations that be in the worlde and remained onely in Aphrike and that the Churche was onely there In S. Bernardes time also the Heretikes who would be called Apostolikes as they of our time call themselues Gospellers saide that they were the Churche But what meane all Heretikes maye we iudge by couetinge so muche to be seene that whiche they are not Forsooth they meane none other thinge then their Father the Deuill meaneth when he goeth about to begile man For then what dothe he vseth he not this policie to chaunge his owggly hewe and put himselfe in goodly shape of an Angell of light For he is not vnwittinge that if he shewed himselfe in his owne forme suche as he is that euery one woulde flie from him and none lightly woulde be deceiued by him Heretikes doo the like Although they hate the Churche neuer so deadly yet to haue the more oportunitie to hurte it pretende themselues
to be of the Churche For they be not ignorant howe greate the auctoritie of the Churche is Of whose gouernours Christe saied he that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And againe Tell the Churche They consider in what credite the Churche is with all Christen people howe they staye themselues by it as beinge the pillour and grounde of the truthe howe they Loue her euen as their common Mother howe they honour it as the Body and fulnes of Christe as the spouse of Christe through Faithe accordinge to that is written I will despouse thee to me in faithe As the true Syon whiche our Lorde hath chosen to be his habitation and his restinge place for euer As the safe Arke to keepe vs from drowninge in the dangerous Seas of this worlde out of whiche nolesse then once out of the Arke of Noe is nosaluation Againe they know the Churche must needes be greatly esteemed amonge all the godly for the singular promiser Christe hath made to it that he would be with it all daies to the ende of the worlde That he would pray to his father for the holy Ghost to be giuen to it the spirite of truthe to remaine withit for euer But as Heretikes impugne the lawe by the woordes of the lawe 〈◊〉 S. Ambrose saithe so to ouer throwe the Churche they presume to take vnto them the name of the Churche But what doo 〈◊〉 when they are vrged and wroonge when by force of argumentes they are straighted and as it were driuen to the walle when it is plainely proued to their face whiche is sone done that they be not in nor of the Churche specially beinge of Heresie openly denounced and by iust Excommunication cutte of from the Churche In this case the practise of the Gospellers is vtterly to sette the Churche as taught and with a hote raging spirite to defie it and to saye that themselues be the Catholike Churche and that the Catholikes be the Papisticall Churche the Churche of Antichrist the where of 〈◊〉 a deune of Theeues and I can not tell what The Answeare by the Bishop of Sarisburie TO answeare M. Hardinge to euery parcel of his Booke beinge so longe it would be too tedious Wherefore leauinge many his impertinent speaches other vnnecessarie and waste woordes whiche sundrie his frendes thinke he might better haue spared I wil touche onely so mutche thereof as shal beare somme shewe of substance may any way seeme woorthy to be answeared Firste touchynge the Churche of God we beleue and confesse al that M. Hardinge hath here saide or otherwise can be saide It is the Piller of the Truthe the Body the Fulnesse and Spouse of Christe Al these woordes are vndoubtedly true and certaine And therefore M. Hardinge you are the more blamewoorthy that of the House of God beyng so glorious haue made a caue of Théeues haue turned the beutie of Sion into the confusion of Babylon True it is that Heretiques haue euermore apparelled them selues with the name of the Churche as Antichriste also shal procure him selfe credite vnder the name of Christe Thus did your Fathers M. Harding loÌ„ge agoe They saide then euen as you say now We are the Children of Abraham we are the Euheretours of Goddes promises we haue the Temple of God the Temple of God The Lawe shal neuer passe froÌ„ the Prieste nor counsel from the wise nor the woorde from the prophete Thus coutinuinge wilfully in the open breache of Goddes commaundement neuerthelesse they chearished them selues then as you doo nowe onely with the bare title of the Churche in whose name what so euer credit ye can any wise winne your meaninge is skilfully to conueigh the same ouer wholy to the Churche of Rome as if that Churche onely were the Churche of God without that there were no hope of Saluation And therefore you defende and holde for trueth that your Churche hath authoritie aboue Goddes Woorde And Pope Nicolas saithe Who so denieth the Priuilege and Supremacie of the See of Rome hath renounced the Faithe and is an Heretique And thus as Leo saithe Ecclesiae nomine armamini contra Ecclesiam dimicatis Ye arme your selues with the name of the Churche and yet ye fight against the Churche Likewise saithe S. Cyprian Diabolus excogitauit nouam fraudem vt sub ipso nominis Christiani titulo fallat incautos The Diuel hath diuised a new kinde of policie vnder the very title of the name of Christe to deceiue the simple Nowe concerninge that hote raginge Sprite wherewith M. Hardinge saithe the Gospellers deste the Churche and set it at naught verily I thinke it a harde matter for any Gospeller be he neuer so hote in suche kinde of eloquence to matche M. Hardinge Neither yet maye he wel condemne al suche as in the like cases haue bene hote earnest Esay the Prophete saithe O ye Princes of Sodome and ye people of Gomorrha Iohn the Baptist saithe to the Scribes and Phariseis O ye Serpentes ye generation of Vipers and Adders Christe saithe vnto them Woe be vnto you ye Scribes and Phariseis ye hypocrites Ye are of your Father the Diuel In these eramples wée sée the Sprite of God can sometimes be hote and earnest against the deceiuers of the people and the professed enimies of the Crosse of Christe Neither did either Esay the Prophete or Iohn the Baptiste or Christe desie the Churche of God and set it at naught as M. Hardinge imagineth of vs but rather by these seruent speaches vttered the vehement zele and iuste griefe they had conceiued against them that vnder the name of the Churche abused Goddes people and defaced the Churche For they are not al Heretiques M. Hardinge that this daie espie your grosse and palpable errours and mourne to God for reformation S. Augustine saithe Non debet Ouis pellem suam deponere quâ—d Lupi aliquando se ea contegant It is no reason the Sheepe should therefore leaue of his fliese for that he seeth the Woulfe sometime in the same apparel Likewise it is no reason that wée should therfore geue ouer the right and enheritance wée haue in the Churche of God for that you by intrusion and vniuste meanes haue intituled your selues vnto the same It behooueth vs rather to searche the Scriptures as Christe hath aduised vs thereby to assure our selues of the Churche of God For by this trial onely and by none other it maye be knowen Therfore S. Paule calleth the Churche the Spouse of Christe for that she ought in al thinges to geue eare to the voice of the Bridegrooms Likewise he calleth the Churche the Piller of the Truthe for that shée staieth her selfe onely by the Woorde of God Without whiche Woorde yâ— Churche were it neuer so bewtiful should be no Churche The Ancient Father Irenaeus saithe Columna firmamentum Ecclesiae est Euangelium Spritus vitae
The Piller and buttresse of the Churche is the Gospel and the Sprite of life S. Augustine saithe Sunt certi Libri Dominici quorum authoritari vtrique consentimus Ibi quaeramus Ecclesiam ibi discutiamus causam nostram There be certaine Bookes of our Lorde vnto the authoritie whereof eche parte agreethe There let vs seeke for the Churche thereby sette vs examine and trie our maters And againe Nolo humanis documentis sed Diuinis oraculis sanctam Ecclesiam demōstrari I wil ye shewe me the holy Churche not by decrees of menne but by the woorde of God Likewise saithe Chrysostome Nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit vera Ecclesia Christi nisi tantummodo ' per Scripturas It can no waye be knowen what is the Churche but onely by the Scriptures And againe Christus mandat vt volentes firmitatem accipere Verae Fidei ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas Alioqui si ad alia respexerint Scandalizabuntur peribunt non intelligentes quae sit vera Ecclesia Et per hoc incident in Abominationē Desolationis quae stat in Locis Sanctis Ecclesiae Christe commaundeth that who so wil haue the assurance of True Faithe seeke to nothinge els but vnto the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to any thinge els they shal be offended and shal perishe not vnderstanding whiche is the True Churche And by meane here of they shal fal into the Abomination of Desolation whiche standeth in the Holy Places of the Churche By these Ancient learned Fathers it is plaine that the Churche of God is knowen by Godde◠Woorde onely none otherwise And therfore M. Hardinge you so carefully flée the same and condemne it for Heresie and often burne it leste thereby the deformities of youre Churche should be knowen For the il dooer fleeth the light Nowe where as it so wel liketh M. Hardinge to cal vs al Heretiques and for his pleasures sake to liken vs to Apes to Asses and to the Diuel notwithstanding we might safely returne the same whole from whence it came yet I thinke it not séemely nor greatly to purpose to answeare al suche intemperate humours Salomons aduise is good Answeare not folie with like folie Notwithstandinge the poore simple Asse vnto whome wée are compared was hable sometime to sée the Angel of God and to open his mouthe and to speake and to reproue the lewde attempte of Balaam the false Prophete What so euer accoumpt it pleaseth M. Hardinge to make of vs by the grace of God wée are that wée are Yf wée be hable to beare Christe with his Crosse it is sufficient But who they be that haue of longe time ietted so terribly vnder the Lions skinne and onely with a painted Visarde or emptie name of the Churche haue feared al the cattel of the fielde it is néedelesse to speake it the worlde now seeth it it can no longer be dissembled Euen he that lately bare him selfe as the Lion of the tribe of Iuda called him selfe Kinge of Kinges and said he had power ouer the Angels of God and amased the hartes of the simple with the terrour of his Lions pelte onely for that he sate in Peters Chaire is now reuefled and better knowen and estéemed as he is woorthy he may nowe iette vp and downe with more ease and lesse terrour And why so These poore Asses whome M. Hardinge so muche disdeigneth haue stripte of his counterfeite skinne that made him so hardy and haue caused him to appeare euen as he is The Apologie Cap. 1. Diuision 1. It hath bene an olde complainte euen from the first time of the Patriarkes and Prophetes and confirmed by the writinges and testimonies of euery age that the Truthe wandereth here and there as a straunger in the worlde dothe readily finde enimies and sclaunderers amongst those that knowe her not Albeit perchaunce this may seeme vnto some a thinge harde to be beleeued I meane to suche as haue scante wel and narowly taken heede thereunto specially seing al mankinde of natures very motion without a teacher doth coueite the Truthe of their owne accorde and seinge our Saueour Christe him self when he was on earth would be called the Truthe as by a name moste fitte to expresse al his diuine power Yet we whiche haue bene exercised in the holy Scriptures and whiche haue both reade seene what hath happened to al godly menne commonly at al times what to the Prophetes to the Apostles to the Holy Martyres and what to Christe him selfe with what rebukes reuilinges and despites they were continually vexed whiles they here liued that onely for the Truthes sake Wee I saye doo see that this is not onely no newe thinge or harde to be beleued but that it is a thinge already receiued and commonly vsed from age to age Nay truely this might seeme muche rather a merueile and beyonde al beliefe if the Diuel who is the Father of lies enimie to al Truthe would now vpon a suddaine chaunge his nature and hope that Truthe might otherwise be suppressed then by belieinge it Or that he would beginn◠to establish his owne kingdome by vsinge nowe any other practises then the same whiche he hath euer vsed from the beginninge For since any mans remembrance we can skante finde one time either when Religion did first growe or when it was setled or when it did afreshe springe vp againe wherein Truthe Innocencie were not by al vnwoorthy meanes most despitefully intreated Doubtlesse the Diuel wel seeth that so longe as truthe is in good safetie him selfe cannot be safe nor yet maintaine his owne estate For letting passe the auncient Patriarkes Prophetes who as we haue said had no parte of their life free from cōtumelies sclaunders We knowe there were certaine in times paste whiche saide and commonly Preached that the olde auncient Iewes of whome we make no doubte but they were the woorshippers of the onely true God did worship either a Sowe or an Asse in Goddes steede and that al the same Religion was nothinge els but sacrilege and a plaine contempt of al godlines We know also that the Sonne of God our Saueour Iesus Christe when he taught the Truth was coumpted a Sorcerer an Enchaunter a Samaritane Beelzebub a deceiur of the People a Drunkarde a Glutton Againe who woteth not what woordes were spoken against S. Paule the moste earnest and vehement Preacher maintainer of the Truthe Sometime that he was a seditious and busie man a raiser of tumultes a causer of rebellion sometime againe that he was an Heretique sometime that he was mad sometime that onely vpon strife and stomake he was bothe a blasphemer of Gods lawe and a despiser of the Fathers ordinances Further who knoweth not how S. Steuin after he had throughly and sincerely embraced the truthe and beganne frankly stoutly to preache and set forth the same as
knoweth that Tertullian speaketh namely and onely of suche Aliens and Strangers as knewe not the Truthe of God Whether of these two woordes it shal like him to leaue vs the sense is al one it forceth nothing If he wil néedes refuse this woorde Ignotus so that he receiue the other woorde Extraneus and graunte that he and his felowes be Strangers to Goddes Truthe it shal be sufficiente Howe be it he addeth farther that they of his side are nowe no Strangers but knowe God as his deare frendes and kinsfolke Euen so saide the Phariseis of them selues Nunquid nos Coeci sumus What be we blinde too But Christe answeared them Yf ye were blinde then had ye no sinne Now ye say that ye see Therefor your sinne remaineth stil And againe I am come to Iudgemente into the worlde that they that see maie be made blinde And againe The Children of the kingdome shal be throwen foorthe into vtter darknesse Yet further M. Hardinge saithe After that the Gospel had benne sounded abroade by the Apostles and theire Successours then was the Truthe nomore a Stranger or a Pilgrime in Earth Whereby he woulde closely conclude that his Churche of Rome can neuer erre But this is too vaine a Paradise For Daniel speakinge of the later daies saithe Veritus prosternetur in â—erra The Truthe shal be ouerthrowen in the Earthe Chrysostome saithe Abornihatio Desolationis stabit in Sanctis Locis Ecclesiae The Abomination of desolation shal stande in the Holy places of the Churche S. Augustine saithe Vsque ad huius sâ—eculi finem inter persecutiones mundi consolationes Dei peregtinando procurrit Ecclesia Vntil the worldes ende the Churche goeth foreward as it were in a Pilgrimage bytweene the persecutions of the worlde and the comfortes of God And againe Tota Ciuitas Dei peregrinatur in terris The whole Cittie of God which is the Churche is a Stranger and a Pilgrime in the Earthe Verily as longe as Satan the Prince of darkenesse is Prince of this world so longe the Truthe of God passeth in this world as a Stranger and beinge emonge Strangers as Tertullian saithe easily findeth enimies is it intreated He saithe further Caeterum vnum hoc gestit ne ignorata damnetur This onely thinge Truthe desireth that noman condemne her before he knowe her The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 1. Wherfore we ought to beare it the more quietly whiche haue taken vpon vs to professe the Gospel of Christe if we for the same cause be handled after the same sorte and if we as our Forefathers were longe agoe be likewise at this daye tormented and baited with raylinges with spiteful dealinges and with lies and that for no desert of our owne but onely bicause we teache acknowledge the Truthe M. Hardinge O blessed folowers of the Patriarkes Prophetes Apostles Martires and Christe him selfe that suffer so much persecution in your innocencie hauinge deserued nothinge at all and onely bicause ye acknowledge and teache the Truthe But Sirs by your leaue how foloweth this VVherfore of your former common place so largely treated This is your fowle faulte whiche you make in your Logike Howe proue ye this argument The Truthe is persecuted and the professours of the Truthe haue euer bene euill treated wherefore wee ought to beare it quietly beinge likewise handled for the same cause c. If you make this argument whiche ye seeme priuely to make leauinge out the Minor The professours of the Truthe be persecuted for the Truthes sake wee be professours of the Truthe Therefore we suffer persecution for the Truthes sake Yf ye saye thus we embarre you from your Conclusion by deniynge your Minor whiche ye can neuer proue And if ye reason thus whiche waye also ye seeme to vse The professours of the Truthe suffer persecution VVee suffer persecution Ergo wee are professours of the Truthe VVe graunt your Minor is true but your argument is naught So might all Heretikes saye and by that argument proue them selues right beleuers VVherefore vntil ye proue that ye succede the Patriarkes Prophetes Apostles Martyrs and Christe himselfe in professinge the Truthe boast not as ye doo of your Forefathers For not they whome ye name in your Proeme but Hus VViklese Peter Bruse Berengarius VValdenses Albingenses Donatistes Aëâ—ians Manichees and suche the like Heretikes iustly condemned of the Churche were your Forefathers The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge pretendeth Logique and endeth in Sophistrie The argument wée make wherewith he playeth so pleasantly is founded vpon these woordes of Christe The Scholare is not aboue his Maister nor the Seruant aboue his Lorde If they haue persecuted me they wil persecute you Al these thinges shal they doo vnto you for my names sake bicause they knowe neither my Father nor me The Minor is this wée succede the Apostles and Martyrs and are the professours of the Truthe Whiche Minor by M. Hardinges iudgement we can neuer proue But Goddes holy name be blessed for euer The greatest parte of Christendome this daye seeth this Minor is true and that bothe we are the professours of Goddes knowen Truthe and you the professours of manifest salsehed Touchinge the Donatistes and Manichees and al other like condemned Heretiques and Heresies we vtterly abhorre them euen as the gates of Hel. As for Iohn Wicklese Iohn Husse Valdo and the reste for ought wée knowe I beleue settinge malice aside for ought you know they were godly menne Theire greatest Heresie was this that they complained of the dissolute and vitious liues of the Cleregie of woorshippinge of Images offeined Miracles of the tyraÌ„nical pride of the Pope of Monkes Freeres Partans Pilgrimages and Purgatorie and other like deceiuinge and mockinge of the people and that they wisshed a reformation of the Churche Wée succede not them nor beare theire names Wée succede him whose woorde wée professe whose woorde M. Hardinge they of your side haue so often condemned and vnder a colour of false Translation haue burnte for Heresie Hereof we fourme our argument in this sorte Christe the Sonne of God was persecuted carried as a Lauuye vnto the Slauterhouse for speakyng the Truthe Therefore it behooueth vs for the same cause sufferinge the like to take it with patieuce So saithe S. Peter Christe died for vs leauing vs an example that we should folowe his steppes If wee suffer patiently for dooinge wel this thinge is thankes woorthy before God So the holy Father and Martyr Ignatius comforted him selfe when he was in the middes of his tormentes laÌ„ incipio esse Discipulus Christi Now beginne I to be Christes Disciple So Tertullian Quid debeo nisi sanguinem quem pro me fudit Filius Dei What thinge owe I els but the Bloude whiche the Sonne of God hath shedde for me The like comforte in like cases Christe geueth to his Disciples Reioice ye saithe he and he gladde for your rewarde is greate in Heauen For
be it I haue spoken hereof more at large in my Former Replie to M. Hardinge Neither make wée Christe as it liketh M. Hardinge to saye a Minister of Signes Figures Wée knowe that Christe is the Fulfillinge Perfection of the Lawe and that Grace and Truthe are wrought by him Yet neuerthelesse wée saye that the Sacramentes of the Newe Testamente are Signes and Figures The olde Father Tertullian expoundeth Christes Woordes in this sorte Hoc est Corpus meum Hoc est Figura Corporis mei This is my Body that is to saye This is a Figure of my Body S. Augustine saithe Christus adhibuit Iudam ad conuiuium in quo Corporis Sanguinis sui Figuram Discipulis suis commendauit tradidit Christe receiue Iudas vnto his Banket whereat he deliuered to his Disciples the Figure of his Body and Bloude And againe Non dubitauit Dominus dicere Hoc est Corpus meum cùm daret Signum Corporis sui Christe doubted not to saye This is my Body whereas he gaue a Token of his Body I leaue other Holy Fathers of like Woordes and sense welneare innumerable Yet were they neither Giantes nor Rebelles against God nor accursed Creatures If they had neuer vsed these Woordes nor called the Sacramente the Figure or Token of Christes Body then might M. Hardinge haue â—enne bolde to saye somewhat and to leade awate his Reader with a Tragical exclamation of Signes and Figures How be it he him selfe as I haue shewed in my Former Answeare in the exposition of these woordes of Christe This is my Body and other like Phrases incident vnto the same to auoide one vsual and common Figure is forcâ—d to shifte him selfe into thirtie other vnnecessarie childishe Figures as knowinge that not so mutche as his open Untruthes can wel stande without Figures The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 6. That wee despise al good deedes that wee vse no discipline of Vertue no Lawes no Customes that wee esteeme neither righte nor order nor equitie nor Iustice that wee geue the brydel to al naughtinesse and prouoke the people to al licentiousnesse and â—ust M. Hardinge Ye teache men to Faste for policie not for Religion And by your Statute of Wednesdaies faste who so euer shal write or saye that forebearinge of Fleas he is a Seruice of God otherwise then as other polytike lawes are they shal be punished as spreaders of false Newes are and ought to be VVhen ye Preache onely Faithe not to remoue the merite of woorkes before Baptisme as S. Paule meante it but also after Baptisme VVhen ye take awaye the Sacrament of confession and Absolution geue ye not the brydel to al naughtinesse Do not some of your Gospelling maides of London refuse to serue except they maye haue libertie to heare a Sermon before noone and a playe at after noone The B. of Sarisburie I thought M. Hardinge had knowen a difference bitwéene Fastinge and Abstinence or choise of meates True Fastinge is a Religiouse woorke ordeined to testifie our humilitie to make the Fleashe the more obedient vnto the Sprite that wée maye be the quicker to Praier to al good Woorkes But Abstinence from this or that meate with opinion of Holinesse Superstitious it maye easily make a man but Holy it can not S. Paule saithe Cibus nos non commendat Deo it is not meate that maketh vs acceptable vnto God Againe It is good to confirme the harte with Grace and not with meates Wherein they that haue walked haue founde no profite The meate serueth for the Belly and the Belly for the meate The Lorde wil destroye them bothe And againe The Kingedome of God is not Meate and Drinke Likewise Christe saithe The thinge that entreth into the mouthe defileth not the man Hereby it is easie to see that Fastinge is one thinge Abstinence from Fleashe is an other The Nazareis in the old Testamente absteined not from Fleashe yet they Fasted Elias was sedde with Fleashe Iohn the Baptiste eate the Fleash of Locustes yet they both Fasted Socrates saithe That many Christians in the Lente season did eate Fishe Byrdes many absteined vntil thrée of the clocke in the after noone then receiued al kindes of meate either Fishe or Fleashe without difference Likewise Epiphanius saithe Some eate al kindes of Birdes or Fowle absteininge onely froÌ„ the Fleashe of fower footed beastes And yet they kepte their Lente truely fasted as wel as any others Wherfore Abstinence from any one certaine kinde of meate is not of it self a woorke of Religion to please God but onely a mere positiue Policie S. Augustine saithe Non quaeto quo Vescaris sed quo Delecteris I demounde not what thou Eatest but wherein thou haste Pleasure And S. Hierome saithe of the Manicheis Ieiunant illi quidem Sed illorum leiunium est saturitate deterius They Foste in deede but theire Fastinge is woorse then if they filled theire Bellies Of onely Faithe and Confession wée shal speake hereafter The Apologie Cap. 2. Diuision 7. That wee labour and seeke to ouerthrowe the state of Monarchies and Kingdomes and to bringe al thinges vnder the rule of the rashe inconstante People and vnlearned multitude M. Hardinge Can Monarkes and Princes seeme to be mainteined by your sectes who teache the people to rebel for pretensed Religion Allow ye the Monarchie of the Romaine Empire Who so muche complaine in your Apologie that the Pope made Charlemaigne Emperour of the VVeste Hathe the Queene of Scotland cause to praise the procedinges of your Gospel through occasion whereof she ruleth not her subiectes but is rather ruled of her subiectes The B. of Sarisburie Here is an other greate Vntruthe emonge the reste For M. Hardinge right wel knoweth that wée neuer armed the people nor taught them to rebel for Religion against the Prince If any thinge haue at any time happened otherwise it was either some wilful rage or some fatal furie It was not our Counsel it was not our Doctrine Wée teache the people as S. Paule doothe to be subiecte to the higher powers not onely for feare but also for conscience Wée teache them that who so striketh with the Swerde by Priuate authoritie shal perish with the Swerd Yf the Prince happen to be wicked or cruel or burthenous wée teache them to saye with S. Ambrose Arma nostra sunt Preces Lachrymae Teares and Praiers be our Weapons Notwithstandinge what Rebellion hathe benne moued in Englande by some of your side in the late Raignes of Kinge Henrie the eight Kinge Edward the sixte in defence of your Religion ye maie wel remember The displacinge of the Emperour of Constantinople and the placinge of Charlemaigne the Frenche Kinge serueth M. Hardinge to smal purpose onlesse it be to disclose the Popes conspiracie against the Emperour Certainely as any man maye sensibly see it was the aduauncinge of the
that is a good Light answeare Euen in sutche Light sorte Iulianus the Apostata wrote sometime vnto the Christian Bishoppes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue readde your reasons I know them wel yenough and therefore I haue condemned them But the same Christian Bishoppes answeared him againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It may be ye haue readde our reasons but ye vnderstoode them not For if ye vnderstoode them ye would not condemne them As S. Paule also likewise saithe Nam si cognouissent nunquam DominuÌ„ Gloriae crucifixissent Yf they had knowen they would neuer haue Crucified the Lord of Glorie But vnto many of your side M. Hardinge I feare me wée may ouer truely say as S. Hilarie saithe vnto the Arian Heretiques Verè Deum nesciunt atque vtinam nâ—scirent Cum procliuiori enim venia ignorarent In deede they know not God and would God they knâ—w him not Then theire ignorance were the easier to be pardoned You saie There is no Disputation to be had with Heretiques Yet your Fathers in the Councel of Basile and your Frendes in the last Councel of Trident I wil not say had Disputations but certainely yelded and gaue place vnto the Bohemiens vnto sutche others as you cal Heretiques But ye haue reason ye can foresée your best aduantage It were the readiest way to disclose your shame You neuer yet cà me to Disputation but some of your companie shranke away from you As I before haue reported out of Tertullian Veritas nihil veretur nisi abscondi Truthe feareth nothing but lest shee be hid If the God of Israel come into the Temple the Idole of Dagon must needes fal downe The Apologie Cap. 6. Diuision 1. But bicause he hath already so noted vs openly lest by holdinge our peace we should seeme to graunt a fault and specially bicause we can by no meanes haue audience in the Publike assemblie of the General Councel wherin he would no creature should haue power to geue his voice or to declare his opinion excepte he were sworne and straightly bounde to mainteine his Authoritie For we haue had good experience hereof in the last Conference at the Councel of Irident where the Embassadours Diuines of the Princes of Germanie and of the free Cities were quite shut out from theire companie Neither can we yet forgeate how Iulius the thirde aboue tenne yeres past prouided warely by his write that none of our fort shoul be suffered to speake in the Councel excepte that there were some man peraduenture that would recante chaunge his opinion For this cause chiefly we thought it good to yelde vp an accoumpte of our Faith in writtinge truely and openly to make answeare to those thinges wherewith we haue ben openly charged to the end the worlde maye see the partes fundations of that Doctrine in the behalfe wherof so many good men haue litle regarded theire owne liues And that al men may vnderstand what manner of people they be what opinion they haue of God of Religion whom the Bishop of Rome before they were called to tel theire tale hath condemned for Heretiques without any good consideration without any example and vtterly without Lawe or right onely bicause he heard tel that they did dissente from him and his in some pointe of Religion M. Hardinge Ye alleage t'woo causes The first is lest by holding your peace ye should seeme to graunte a fault The second which ye make more specialie because by no meanes ye could haue audience in the late general Councel Your second cause is false as hereafter it shal be shewed Your first is naught as that which sheweth youre pride vaine glorie and pertinacie VVel ye do but as Heretikes before you haue euer done It must not be looked for at your handes that ye acknowlege any fault For that were Humilitie which vertue al Heretikes be farre from c. To geue a voice or suffrage and vtter Sentence definitiue it perteineth onely to Bishops Now ye be no Bishops but some of you mere laie men and most of you Apostates VVhether the Ambassadours and Diuines of the Princes of Getmanie and of the free Citties there were at any time vpon any consideration of their misliked demeanour or for any other iust cause restrained from the companie of the Fathers in the late general Councel at Trenâ— Againe whether Pope Iulius the third prouided by any write that none of your sort should be suffred to speake in the Councel the cause of recantation excepted what ye say touching this mater because ye say it without proufe We haue found you in so many other pointes of greater importance so farre to steppe aside from truth that for this we cannot beleue you But that your selues by no meanes could haue audience in the Councel at Trent and that the Ambassadours and Diuines of the Princes and free Citties of Germanie were from thence quite shutte out how true that is I reporte me to the three safe conductes whiche the three Popes vnder whom that Councel was holden graunted forth and confirmed in that behalfe VVherfore belie the councel nomore complaining that ye coulde not there haue audience and be heard Ye yeld vp an accoumpt of your faithe in writing ye say But to whom doe ye yeld it vp and by whom is it yelded from whom commeth the same Do ye acknowlege no lauful â—udge no lauful consiliorie in the whole world Committe ye your whole mater to the temeritie of the people VVhy haue ye not set your names to the Booke that conteineth the profession of your faithe and of your whole conscience The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge thought it answeare sufficient to vpbraide vs with suspicion of Untruthe How be it I haue no doubte but both the Truthe and the Untruthe by the particulares wil soone appeare First that al Bishoppes hauing voice Definitiue and interest in Councelles are solemnely sworne in al theire Decrées Canons to vphold the Authoritie of the Pope he thought it the wisest way to dissemble it For it had ben great wante of modestie to denie it The fourme of the othe recorded in the Popes owne Decretalles is this Ego N. c. Papaâ—um Romanae Ecclesiae regulas Sanctorum Patrum adiutor no ad defendendum retinenduÌ„ saluo ordine meo contra omnes homines IN. sweare that I wil be an helper to defende and mainteine the Papacie of the Churche of Rome and the Rules of the Holy Fathers the Popes mine owne order saueds against ol men aliue But these Rules Priuileges of the Holy Fathers the Popes are these That the Pope is aboue al General CouÌ„celles That his bare wil must be holden as a lawe That what so euer he doo noman may say vnto him why doo you thus That his iudgement is more certaine then the iudgement of al the worlde That if the whole world
haue not without iust cause left these men rather haue returned to yâ— Apostles olde Catholique Fathers And iâ— we shal be founde to do the same not colourably or craftily but in good Faith before GOD Truely Honestly Cleerely and Plainely and if they theim selues whiche flie our Doctrine and would bee called Catholiques shal manifestly see howe al these titles of Antiquitie whereof they boaste so mutche are quite shaken out of their handes and that there is more pith in this our cause then they thought for we then hope and trust that none of them wil be so negligent carelesse of his owne Saluation but he wil at length studie bethinke him selfe to whether parte he were best to ioine him Vndoubtedly excepte one wil altogeather harden his hart and refuse to heare he shal not repent him to geue good heede to this our Defence and to marke wel what we saie and how truely and iustly it agreeth with Christian Religion M. Hardinge I see wel we must looke to your fingers Ye spit foorth your gal and cholar by and by at the first Through your whole Booke in woorde ye pretend Truthe zeale plainnes and sober dealing But in deede power out litle other then Lieing Spite Scoffes and immoderate railing The effecte of the rest in this Ye haue ioined your selues to the Synagog of Antichriste Ye serue the stage ye haue begonnt to playe your Tragedie on falsely shamefully darkely and guilefully your bragges and promises your crakes of Goddes Holy woorde your errours your Heresies your contagious poison your sclaunders your newe Cleregies Doctrine c. The B. of Sarisburie The Saieing of S. Hierome is auouched by yâ— like Saiyng of Ruffinus an Auncient writer Thus he saithe Vnam notam Haereseos qui dissimulat non est Christianus Who so dissembleth when he is called Heretique is no Christian man For the rest blame me not good Christian Reader yf I vse no moe woordes then néede requireth If I thought it woorthy the while I could answeare al these thinges more at large I trust in our whole Apologie there appeareth no sutche immoderate kinde of railing But if I should folow M. Hardinges humoure and write but the one halfe of that he writeth then perhappes I might woorthily be called a railer The Apologie Cap. 7. Diuision 2. For where they cal vs Heretiques it is a crime so hainous that onlesse it maie be seen vnlesse it may be felt in manner may be holden with handes fingers it ought not lightly to be iudged or beleued when it is laied to the charge of any Christian For Heresie is a forsaking of Saluation a renouncing of Gods Grace a departing from the Body and Sprite of Christe M. Hardinge The Definition ye seeme to make of Heresie is not sufficient For as ye define it so euery deadly sinne is Heresie For euery deadly sinne is a forsaking of Saluation a renouncing of Gods Grace a departing from the Body and Sprite of Christe Heresie is a false Doctrine against the right beleefe by him that professeth the Faithe stubbournly either auouched or called in doubte In which Definition this woorde stubbournly is added bicause it is not errour onely in those thinges that be of Faithe but stubbournes in errour that maketh an Heretike as S. Augustine teacheth VVho saithe he in the Church of Christe sauer any thing that is vnholsome and crooked if being sharply admonished to sauer that is hole and right they resist stubbournly and wil not amend their venemous and deadly Doctrines but stande to defend them theâ— be Heretikes But now the lawe of vpright dealing specially in Gods cause so requiring ye must pardon vs. if as among husbandmen we cal a rake a rake a spade a spade a mattocke a mattocke so among Diuines we cal Heresie heresie and likewise falsehed lieing sclaundering crafte hypocrisie Apostasie malice blasphemie euery such crime by his proper name without al glosing The B. of Sarisburie Ye saie This is not the right Definition of Heresie Verily M. Hardinge this is but a simple quarrel It was not my minde in this place to vtter any Definition of Heresie either right or wronge You knowe right wel that sutche curiositie in this kinde of writinge is not néedeful It is sufficient our woordes be true although they include no Definition For iust proufe of Heresie three thinges necessarily are required First that it be an errour Secondly that it be an errour againste the Truthe of Goddes woorde For otherwise euery errour maketh not an Heresie Thirdly that it be stoutly and wilfully maineteined Otherwise an errour in Goddes Truthe without wilful mainteinance is not an Heresie S. Augustine saith Errare possum Haereticus esse non possum In an errour I may be but an Heretique I cannot be It was not so necessarie in this mater so precisely to séeke vp Definitions I thought it sufficient onely to declare the horrour of Heresie For as touchinge the Definition S. Augustine saithe Quid sit Haeresis regulari quadam Definitione comprehendi sicut ego existimo aut omnino non potest aut difficillimâ— potest To expresse by orderly Definition what thinge maketh an Heretique as I iudge it is either impossible or very harde Therefore you M. Hardinge and your felowes are the more blame woorthy for yâ— of euery your fantasies ye haue made an Heresie Ludouicus Viues one of your owne Schoole thus complaineth thereof Haeresis nomen rebus leuissimis impingitur Idem facerent Scotistae de Thomistis nisi Scholarum consuetudo aures emolliuisses The name of Heresie is laide vpon euery light mater So would the Scotistes handle the Thomistes sauinge that the custome of the Schooles hath brought theire eares in vre Thus Pope Nicolas saithe Qui Romanae Ecclesiae Priuilegium auferte conatur hic procul dubio labiâ—ur in Haeresim Who so euer goeth about to abrogate the priuilege of the Churche of Rome be no doubte is an Heretique That ye speake of stubbernenesse in defence of Heresie I praye God M. Hardinge it doo not ouer neare touche your selfe I praye God you doo not wilfully defende that thinge wherein you knowe and sée manifest and open errour Verily S. Hierome saithe Quicunque aliter Scripturam intelligit quà m sensus Spiritus Sancti flagitat quo scripta est licet ab Ecclesia non recesserit tamen Haereticus appellari potest VVho so euer expoundeth the Scriptures otherwise then the sense of the Holy Ghoste by whome they were written dothe require although he be not yet departed from the Churche yet maye he wel be called an Heretique Likewise the old Father Tertullian saithe Quicquid contra veritatem sapit Haeresis est etiam vetus Consuetudo VVhat so euer thinge â—â—uoureth against the Truthe it is an Heresie be it neuer so mutche an old custome Likewise your Tyrannical and filthy restraininge of Priestes lauful mariage Vdalricus the Bishop of August a
be confounded Of Abailard and Almarik and certaine other your strange names wée haue no skil They are none of ours Of Iohn Hus Hierome of Prage and Berengarius and other like vertuous Learned men wée haue no cause to be ashamed Theire Doctrine standeth stil and encreaseth daily bicause it is of God But as for yours bicause it is onely of your selues therefore it falleth daily and is now forsaken the worlde through You saie that the simple namè of Secte or Heresie wherewith S. Paule was charged was not so infamous or odious in those daies and that Tertullian called the Religion of Christe a Secte or Heresie without any manner blemmishe or note of euil It was néedelesse for M. Harding to auouche Vntruthe so earnestly without cause I graunte the name of Heresie or Secte emonge the Philosophers was not infamous Cicero saithe Cato in ea Haeresi est quae nullum sequitur florem Orationis But in case of Religion it was euermore emongst al men taken in il parte and condemned and coumpted odious Touchinge S. Paule in howe good parte the Iewes called him Heretique it may easily appeare by these woordes of Tertullus his accuser Inuenimus hunc virum pestilentem mouentem seditionem omnibus Iudaeis per vniuersum orbem ac Principem Sectae Nazaraeorum We haue founde this man to be a Pestilent and a wicked felowe mouinge sedition emonge the Jewes throughout the whole worlde and a Captaine of the Heresie of the Nazareines In sutche good parte they saide vnto Christe Arte thou greater then was our Father Abraham Thou arte a false Prophete and deceiuest the People Thou arte a Samaritane and hast the Diuel The like good parte Christ promised afore hande to his Disciples They shal caste you out of theire Synagoges Ye shal be hated of al men for my names sake In sutche good parte and meaninge was S. Paule called an Heretique And so M. Hardinge bisides others your owne Doctour Nicolaus Lyra would soone haue tolde you But muche more I marueile ye should so vnaduisedly saye that Tertullian called the Christian people a Secte or Heresie in good parte and as you saye without any blemishe or note of euil For the same Tertullian in the same Apologie saithe the Heathens commonly called the Christians Incestos Homicidas Infanticidas Sacrilegos Pessimos Nocentissimos Publicum odium Hostes humani generis Omnium Scelerum reos Deorum Imporatorum Legum Morum Naturae totius inimicos Aduouterours against kinde Mankillers killers of Children Churcherobbers moste wicked moste husteful the publique hatred the enemies of Mankinde guiltie of al kinde of wickednesse Enimies against the Goddes against the Emperours against the Lawes against good order against Nature it selfe Where so euer they sawe them they made an outcrie vpon them Christianos ad Leonem Non licet esse Christianos Haue these Christians to the Lion It is not lawful these Christians shoulde liue So S. Augustine saithe Factum est vulgi Prouerbium Pluuia defecit cause Christianorum It is nowe become a common Prouerbe emonge the people our raine faileth vs bicause of these Christians So Eusebius saithe the Religion of Christe was called Impiorum Christianorum Haeresis The Heresie of the Godlesse Christians These woordes M. Hardinge I trowe were neuer vttered without al manner blemishe and note of euil S. Hierome saithe Quod magis mirum sit etiam illud de Actibus Apostolorum videtur esse relegendum Fidem nostram in Christum Ecclesiasticā Disciplinā iam tunc à peruersis hominibus Haeresim nuncupatam And that wee maye the more marueile wee maye once againe reade this place of the Actes of the Apostles where we finde that the Christian Faithe and Ecclesiastical Discipline was euen then of wicked menne called on Heresie Euen as rightly M. Hardinge and vpon as good groundes you haue againe this daye condemned the same Gospel of Christe and in ans good parte meaninge haue called it Heresie But wée maye truely and simply saye with S. Paule Accordinge to this Secte whiche you calle Heresie wee woorship the God of our Fathers whiche is the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe The Apologie Cap. 8. Diuision 1. But the more sore and outragious a crime Heresie is the more it ought to be proued by plaine stronge argumentes especially in this time when menne beginne to geue lesse credite to theire woordes to make more diligent searche of their Doctrine then thei were wonte to doo For the people of God are otherwise instructed nowe then they were in times paste when al the Bishoppes of Romes Saieinges were allowed for Gospel and when al Religion did depende onely vpon theire Authoritie Nowe a dayes the Holy Scripture is abroade the writinges of the Apostles and Prophetes are in Printe whereby al Truthe and Catholique Doctrine maye be prooued and al Heresie maye be disproued and confuted M. Hardinge VVhere ye require your Heresie for so muche as it is so hainous a crime by plaine and stronge are gumentes to be prooued it is not vnfoowen how sufficiently and substantially that is perfoormed already by men of excellent learninge as wel of this age as of times paste VVas not Berengarius the first Author of your Sacramentarie Heresie by most plaine and stronge argumentes confuted of Lanfrancus B. of Canturbury and Guinundus B. of Auersa VVere not the Peterbrusians so whose Heresie ye holde against the Blessed Sacrifice of the Masse of the learned Abbot Petrus Cluniaccensis VVas not VVicklef so of Thomas VValden a learned man of Englande hathe not Luther and Oeclampadius benne so confuted in our time of that Holy and learned Father Bishop Fisher But whatshal I speake of particular men were they newer so excellent by whome they haue benne confuted sithe by Publike sentence of the Churche they haue bene condemned bothe in General and Prouincial Councels Therefore we thinke it not noede no we againe to prooue your doctrine so sufficiently condemnèd to be Heresie That the people be no we otherwise instructed then they were in times paste we confesse But whether better nowe then in our Forefathers dayes they that can consider the liues of them no we and of them that were then maye easily Indge The saieinges of the Bishop of Rome were neuer allowed for the Gospel His priuate sayinges and common talke might be erroneous notesse then other mennes But what he saith by waie of iudgement and sentence definitiue in doubteful pointes touchinge Religion suche saieinges of Peters successour for whome Christe prayed that his Faithe might not faile and who was commaunded by Christe to strengthen his Brethren we take for Truthe and the same obediently receiue So the Fathers assembled in Councel at Chalcedon receiued and agreed to the sayinge and writinge of Pope Leo nolesse then if Peter the Apostle and firste Bishop of Rome him selfe had spoken The Popes auctoritie we acknowledge
c. Folo winge the Holy Fathers wee doo al with one accorde teache men to confesse one and him selfe the Sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe persite him selfe in Godhead and perfite himselfe in Manhood And for Auctoritie of the Fathers in high pointes of Faith a Bishop in that reuereÌ„d assemblie named Eudoocius pronounced a notable sentence sayeing thus Euery one that consentethe not to the exposition of the Holy Fathers doothe alienate him selfe from al Pristely Communion and from the presence of Christe Thus wee haue alleaged the foure first general Councels whiche S. Gregorie honourethe as the foure Gospels But the thinge beinge so euident as it is and so welkuorwen euen to your selues if ye be learned the Auctorit it of these chief Councels maie suffice The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge ye haue taken in hande a néedelesse labour For you knowe right wel wee despise not the Authoritie of the Holy Fathers but rather in this selfe same place haue alleged togeather S. Augustine S. Hierome and S. Ambrose thrée of the moste Auncient and approued Fathers and throughout the whole discourse of this Apologie in the Defence of the Catholique Truthe of our Religion nexte vnto Goddes Holy Woorde haue vsed no prouse or Authoritie so mutche as the expositions and iudgementes of the Holy Fathers Wée despise them not therefore but rather geue God thankes in theire behalfe for that it hathe pleased him to prouide so woorthy instrumentes for his Churche and therefore wée iustly reproue you for that so vnaduisedly and without cause ye haue forsaken the steppes of so Holy Fathers These foure General Councelles wherein you dwel so longe as they make nothinge against vs so in sundrie pointes they fight expressely against you Firste they were summoned by the Emperours Constantinus Theodosius 1. Theodosius 2. and Martianus and not by any right or authoritie of the Pope as hereafter it shal be shewed in place conuenient more at large Iulius the Bishop of Rome was summoned by the Emperours write to appeare at the Councel of Nice as wel as others And Pope Leo afterwarde was charged by like Authoritie to appeare at the Councel of Chalcedon In the Councel of Nice the Bishop of Rome was not President but Eustathius the Bishop of Antioche In the same Councel of Nice the Bishop of Rome hathe his Authoritie and Iurisdiction made equal and leuel with the other thrée Patriarkes And in the Councel of Chalcedon the Bishop of Constantinople is made equal in Authoritie with the Bishop of Roome To be shorte the saide Councel of Chalcedon for this laste and some other like causes Leo the Bishop of Rome would not allowe Which thinge notwithstandinge the Councel standethe stil in force whether the Pope wil or no. These be the foure fiste General Councelles whiche M. Hardinge comparethe in Authoritie with the foure Euangelistes But these Heretiques Arius Nestorius Macedonius and Euiyches in these foure General Councelles vtterly despised al the Auncient Fathers and boasted them selues saithe M. Hardinge of the Scriptures and euermore cried out Scriptures Scriptures Touchinge the Arians that they alleged certaine doubteful and darke places of the Scriptures to serue theire purpose it is certaine and manifeste But that either they despised or that the Catholiques against them auouched the Eropsition and authoritie of any Father M. Hardinges onely woorde muste be our Warrante For neither allegethe he any one Author for prouse hereof nor yet namethe any of al these Fathers Notwithstandinge let vs graunt these Heretiques cried out as M. Hardinge saithe Scriptures Scriptures Euen so did the same Heretiques likewise crie out euen as nowe M. Hardinge doothe Fathers Fathers Socrates saithe Et Ariani Originis libros citabant in Testimonium vt illi quidem iudicabant sui Dogmatis And the Arian Heretikes alleged the Learned Father Origens Bookes as they thought for proufe and witnesse of theire Doctrine The Heretique Eutyches saide Ego legi scripta Beati Cypriani Sanctorum Patrum Sancti Athanasii I haue readde the writinges of S. Cyprian and of other Holy Fathers and of S. Athanafius Likewise the Eutychian Heretique Carosus saide Ego secundum expositionem treceÌ„torum octodecim Patrum sic credo fic Baptixatus sum Aliud quid mihi dicas nescio This is my Faithe accordinge to the exposition of the three hundred and eighteene Fathers in the Councel of Nice In this Faithe was I Baptized What ye should saye more to me I cannot telle Euen so saide Eutyches him selfe Sic à Progenitoribus meis accepi credidi In hac Fide Baptizatus sum signatus vsque and hunc diem in ea vixi in ea opto moti Thus haue I receiued of my Forefathers and thus haue I beleeued In this Faithe was I Baptized and signed and in the same haue I liued vntil this daye and in the same I wish to die Thus S. Augustine saithe the Donatian Heretique Cresconlus alleged the authoritie of S. Cyprian Thus the Nestorian Heretiques alleged the authoritie of the Councel of Nice To be shorte thus the Heretique Dioscorus cried out in the open Councel of Chalcedon Ego habeo Testimonia Sanctorum Patrum Athanasij Gregorij Cyrilli Non transgredior in aliquo Ego cum Patribus cijcior Ego defendo Patrum Dogmata Ego horum habeo testimonia non simpliciter aut transitorie sed in ipsorum libris I haue the Testimonies of the Holy Fathers Athanasius Gregorius Cyrillus I alter not from them in any pointe I am throwen foorthe and bannished with the Fathers I defende the Fathers Doctrine I haue theire iudgementes vttered not by chaunce or vnaduisedly but remaininge expressed in theire Bookes I doubte not M. Hardinge but you maye hereby easily sée that the Heretiques ye speake of cried not onely Scriptures Scriptures as ye saye but had leasure also sometimes to crie as you doo Fathers Fathers that as wel to purpose and as rightly as you of longe time haue vsed to crie hauinge in déede in the cases wée speake of neither Scriptures nor Fathers To come neare the mater wée saie not that al cases of doubt are by manifeste and open woordes plainely expressed in the Scriptures For so there should neede no exposition But wée saye There is no case in Religion so darke and doubteful but it maie necessarily be either proued or reproued by collection and conference of the Scriptures S. Hierome saithe Moris est Scripturarum obscuris manifesta subnectere It is yâ— order of the Scriptures â–ª after harde thinges to ioine other thinges that bee plaine S. Augustine like wise saithe Solet circunstantia Scripturarum illuminare sententiam The Circunstance of the Scripture is woonte to geue light and to open the meaninge The like rule Tertullian also geuethe Oportet secundum pluâ—a intelligi pauclora The fewer places muste be expounded by the moe Therefore touchinge this woorde Homousios whiche
M. Hardinge here moueth and the whole contention of the Arians Epiphanius writethe thus Nomen Substantiae simpliciter nudè in veteri Noua Scriptura non proponitur Sententia autem eius nominis vbique ocâ—urrié This woorde Substance plainely and nakedly is not founde neither in the Olde not in the Newe Testamente But the sense and meaninge of that woorde is founde euerywhere In this conference and Iudgemente of the Holy Scriptures wée néede oftentimes the discretion and wisedome of Learned Fathers Yet notwithstandinge maye wée not géeue them herein greater crediâ—e then is conuenient or then they them selues if it were offered would receiue Wée maye reuerently saye of them as Seneca in the like case sommetime saide Non sunt Domini sed Duces nostri They are our Leaders but not our Lordes They are not the Truthe of God it selfe but onely witnesses vnto the Truthe Therfore S. Augustine saithe Alios Scriptores ita lego vt quanâ—alibet Sanctitate Doctrinaque praepolleant non ideò verum putem quòd ipsi ita senserint sed quòd id mihi vel per alios Authores Canonicos vel probabili ratione persuadere potuerint Other writers or Fathers bisides the Holy Scriptures I reade in this sorte that be theire Learninge or Holinesse neuer so greate I wil not thinke it true bicause they haue thought so but bicause they are hable to persuade me so either by other Canonical writers or els by some likely reason Likewise againe he saithe Hoc genus literatum noÌ„ cum credendi necessitate sed cum iudicandi libertate legendum est This kinde of writinges of the Holy Doctours and Fathers must be readde not with necessitie to beleeue eche thinge but with libertie to iudge of eche thinge And to that ende he saithe Ne Catholicis quidem Episcopis consentiendum est sicubi fortè falluntur vt contra Canonicas Dei Scripturas sentiant Wee maie not consente vnto the Bishoppes notwithstandinge they be Catholique if they iudge contrarie to the Holy Canonical Scriptures In this authoritie and credite wée haue and ought to haue the Holy Fathers Nowe let vs sée whethér the Bishoppes and others in these Councelles confuted these Heretiques as wée saye by the Scriptures or els as M. Hardinge séemethe to saye for wante or weakenesse of the Scriptures vsed therein the Authoritie of the Fathers Firste the Emperour Constantinus in the Councel of Nice instructinge the Bishoppes there howe they might beste debate theire quarrelles and ende al striues saithe thus vnto them Euangelicae Apostolicae Literae Veterum Prophetarum Oracula perspicuè nos instituunt quid oporteat sapere de voluntare sensu Dei. Ponentes ergo contentionem ex diuinitùs inspiraris oraculis quaeramus solutionem eorum quae proponuntur The Euangelistes and Apostles Writinges and the saieinges of the Olde Prophetes doo clearely instructe vs what iudgemente wee ought to haue of the meaninge and wil of God Therefore saieinge a fide al contention out of those Heauenly Oracles let vs seeke for the assoilinge of our questions Socrates also touchinge the same Councel of Nice saithe thus of the Arian Heretiques Explicantes Sacrosanctas Scripturas saepe illos euertimus By openinge and expoundinge the Holy Scriptures oftentimes wee ouerthrewe them Likewise S. Augustine disputinge againste the same Arians refusethe as I haue saide before bothe Councelles and Fathers and appealethe onely to the Scriptures Nec ego Nicenam Synodum tibi nec tu mihi Ariminensem debes obijcere Scripturarum Authoritatibus res cum re causa cum causa ratio cum ratione concertet Neither wil I allege the Councel of Nice against you nor shal you allege the Councel of Ariminum againste me By the Authoritie of the Scriptures let vs weigh mater with mater cause with cause reason with reason Touchinge the Councel holden at Constantinople against Macedonius and the Diuinitie of the Holy Ghoste Athanasius saithe Ne interroges sed solùm ex Sacris literis condiscas Sufficiunt enim documenta quae in illis reperias Neuer mooue question hereof but onely learne of the Holy Scriptures For the onely proufes that ye shal there finde are sufficient to warrant the Godhed of the Holy Ghoste So likewise saithe Euagrius of the other twoo Councelles of Ephesus and Chalcedon Ex Euangelicis Apostolicis de Domino vocibus scimus Viros illos Diuinos constituisse Wee knowe that these Godly Fathers concluded this mater by suche woordes as the Euangelistes and Apostles haue vttered of our Lorde Therefore the Auncient Father Origen saithe Vide quà m propè periculis illi sint qui negliguÌ„t exerceri in Diuinis Literis ex quibus Solis examinationis huiusmodi agnoscenda discretio est Consider in what daunger they be that haue no care to reade the Holy Scriptures For by the same Scriptures Onely the iudgement of this trial must be allowed Euen so saithe Chrysostome Etiamsi in ipsis Veris Ecclesijs quae Dei sunt dixerint Christum apparuisse nolite eis credere dicentibus ista de me Non enim digna est Diuinitatis meae haec notitia OsteÌ„dens per haec quòd ab ipsis saepè Veris Ecclesijs excunt seductores Proptereà ne ipsis quidem credendum est nisi ea vel dicant vel faciant quae conuenientia sint Scripturis Yea if they saie that Christe hathe appeared in the very true Churches of God yet beleeue them not For this is no woorthy or sufficient knoweledge of my Godhed By this he sheweth that out of the very true Churches oftentimes come foor the deceiuers Therefore wee maie not beleeue no not them that speake vnto vs in the name of the Churche onlesse they speake and doo suche thinges as are agreeable to the Scriptures In like manner againe saithe Origen Necesse nobis est in restimonium vocare Sancras Scripturas Sensus quippe nostri enarrationes sine ijs restibus non habent fidem Wee muste needes calle to witnesse the Holy Scriptures For our iudgementes and expositions without those witnesses carrie no credit And to leaue al other like authorities that might he alleged for shorte conclusion S. Augustine saithe Solis Canonicis Scripturis sine vlla recusatione coÌ„sensum debeo I owe my consente without gaine saieinge not vnto the Doctours or Fathers but Onely vnto the Canonical Scriptures But the Bishoppes in those Councelles saithe M. Hardinge brought foorthe and folowed the expositions of the Auncient Learned Fathers And wherefore might they not What man euer taught or saide the contrarie Yet notwithstandinge they alleged them not as the fundations or groundes but onely as approued and faitheful witnesses of the Truthe Whiche thinge if M. Hardinge happily wil denie maie easily appeare by the woordes of Cyrillus pronounced and published openly in the Councel of Chalcedon Gratulamur nobis mutuò quòd nostrae vestrae Ecclesiae Fidem habent
as S. Peter taught by report of S. Clement This sense and vnderstandinge of the Lawe had the Ministers of the Lawe to whome the Traditions of Moses and of the Elders came as it were by handes Nowe wee require you to admitte this Tradition that is to saye the Catholike sense and vnderstandinge of the Scriptures whiche hathe benne deliuered vnto vs by the Holy Fathers of al Ages and of al Countries where the Faithe hath benne receiued And then we wil calle you againe to be tried by the Scriptures This haue the Catholikes layde before you oftentimes and this doo we shewe you in this Confutation He that despiseth you despiseth mee saithe Christe of his Churche Ye despise the Catholike Churche and therefore ye despise Christe What neede so many questions Sirs Your hote Rhetorike sheweth more courage in woorde then Victorie in deede Ye calle vs foorthe to the Scriptures as it were to the fielde Ye strike vs downe with woordes before ye come to encounter To shewe your brauerie in the moâ—stre ye referre your controuersies vnto the Holy Scriptures ye reporte you vnto the woordes sealed by God himselfe but we the Catholikes as ye pretende sticke at it we be afraide of it we doubte of thâ— mater we feare the Iudgement of Holy Scriptures we preferre our owne dreames and colde inuentions VVel nowe that ye haue tolde your lusty tale heare our sober answeare Oftenâ— times the true Scriptures are stretched foorthe to serue euil and false purposes The Iewes went about by the Scriptures to prooue that Christe was not so muche as a Iâ—ophete For they saide Searche the Scriptures and see that a Prophete riseth not out of Galiley By the Scriptures they would needes shewe him woorthy to die We haue a Lawe quod they and by our Lawe he ought to die because he hath made him selfe the Sonne of God The Diuel by alleaginge Scripture would haue deceiued our Sauiour him selfe and saide vnto him Scriptum est It is written The Arians were ful of the Scriptures and by the same as S. Ambrose writeth went about to prooue that Christe the author of al goodnesse was not good It is written quoth they Nemo bonus nisi vnus Deus None is good but onely God Likewise the Macedonians the Nestorians the Eutychians Now in this case your selues dooinge the like what may wee doo better then honour the Scriptures and seeke for their right Sense and Vnderstandinge Scriptum est It is Scripture saith S. Ambrose to the allegation of the Arians I acknowlege but the letter hath not the errour woulde God the Arians interpretation had not Apices sine crimine sunt sensus in crimine The letters be without crime the sense is in crime From the vnderstanding commeth Heresie not from the Scripture the sense not the woorde becommeth to be a crime saith S. Hilary Sithens then al standeth in the sense let vs agree first vpon the sense and interpretation of the Scriptures and then if we be not as ready as ye come foorth when ye liste vpbraide vs hardely and say lustely as here ye doo why sticke they to doo it why are they afraide of it As for the true sense and interpretation of the Scriptures where shal wee finde it but as before wee saide in the Catholike Churche The Churche hauinge Christe remaininge with it al daies to the ende of the worlde hauinge by promise of Christe the Sprite of truethe remaininge in it for euer hauing by Goddes owne ancient promise bothe the woordes whiche the Father hath put in the mouthe of Christe and the Sprite whiche he putte in him whereby it may vnderstand the meaninge of Goddes woordes wee maie not now seeke for the true sense vnderstanding and interpretation of the Scriptures any where but in the Churche Your owne Doctour Iohn Caluine him selfe â–ª whom ye folowe and esteeme so mutche admonisheth very wel and saithe it is specially to be noted that out of the Churche there is no light of the sounde vnderstandinge of the Scriptures This ground beinge laide on whiche eche parte must stande and be tried in crowe no more againste vs boast your selues no more VVe feare not the iudgement of the Holy Scriptures Nay it is your selues that feare this iudgment For your owne conscience telleth you that on this ground ye are the weaker side Yf ye stande with vs on this grounde ye shal neuer be able to defende your Maister Iohn Caluines doctrine touchinge Baptisme whiche hâ—â—â—aketh to be of so litle force against the manifest Scripture Let euery one of you saithe S. Peter be Baptized in the name of Iesus Christe to Remission of Sinnes Keepinge this grounde ye shal be borne from your Doctrine touchinge Absolution denyinge the Prieste to haue power to absolue penitentes by his Priestly Auctoritie but by Preachinge the Gospel to them contrarie to the plaine Scripture VVhose Sinnes ye â—orgeue they are forgeuen to them VVhose ye retaine they are reteined Yf ye refuse not this grounde ye shal be forced to restore the Sacrament of extreme Vnction â–ª and the vse of Holy Oyle againe whiche ye haue abandoned For what haue ye to saye against the Scripture It any sicke amonge you Let him cause the Priestes of the Churche to come in to him anointinge him with Oile in the name of our Lorde Abâ—dinge in this grounde ye shal be driuen to forsake your Zwinglian doctrine whiche putteth Signes and Figures I onely in the Sacrament of the Aultar for the True and Real Body of Christe there 2 presente contrarie to the 3 cleare Scripture This is my Bodie Beinge on this grounde ye shal soone geue ouer the maintenance of the Doctrine of your special Faithe and of your Iustification by Faithe onely as beinge contrary to the plaine Scripture Man is iustified by woorkes and not by Faithe onely To conclude for to shewe in howe many pointes ye maye be confuted by euident Scriptures it were in maner infinite if ye wil admitte this for a good grounde as ye midste needes admitte then shal ye not mainteine the Presumptuous Doctrine of your certaintie of Grace and Saluation contrary to that S. Paule counselleth VVith feare and tremblinge woorke your Saluation The B. of Sarisburie Whereas wée make reasonable requestâ— that God maye be vmpéere in his owne cause and that al our controuersies maye be iudged and tried by the Holy Scriptures M. Hardinge thereto answeareth thus The Scripture standeth not in the Wordes but in the Sense and the same Sense is continued by Tradition in the Churche Otherwise he saithe the Iewes the Arians the Nestorians the Eutychians and al other Heretiques were alwaies hable to claime by the Scriptures To conclude he maketh vp a greate emptie heape of the force of Baptisme of Holy Oile of Extreme Unction of Absolution of Signes of Figures of Onely Faithe and as it liketh him to calle it of the Presumptuous
Christes Body is in many places but the Fourme of the same Body can be onely in one place not in many If I should demaund M. Hardinge this question by the way wherfore Christes Body in Fourme maye not as wel be in many places togeather as the same in Substance or how he knoweth it or what Doctour or Father euer taught it or how wée may be wel assured of it perhappes he would take a daie to consider it better For thus a man might put him in minde of the groundes of his Religion Sir ye know God is Omnipotent and his power Infinite Ye maie not make him thral subiect to your senses That were Natural Reason that were Infidelitie Christe is as wel â—able to dispose of the Fourme of his Body as of the substance and can as wel present the one in many places as the other How be it thus mutche onely by the way But now what iâ— al this great imagined Difference be no Difference â–ª What if these two woordes Fourme and Substance as they be vsed by Fulgentius be al one What then wil M. Hardinge doo with his prety Glose Verily Athanalius saithe thus Naâ—â—ura Essentia Genus Forma VnuÌ„ sunt Nature Substance Kinde and Fourme be al One thing Leo saithe Quid est In Forma Dei in Natura Dei What is it To be in the Fourme of God He answeareth It is To be in the Nature of God Chrysostome saith Forma Dei Natura Dei est The Fourme of God is yâ— Nature of God S. Augustine saithe SecuÌ„dum Formam Dei Christus ipse de se loquitur â–ª Ego Pater Vnum sumus As concerning the Former of God Christe him selfe saithe of him selfe I and my Father are bothe One. Likewise againe he saithe Vna est Forma quia vna est Diuinitas The Fourme is one bicause the Godhed is One. In like sorte of the Fourme of a Seruant Leo saithe Quaero quid sit Formam Serui accipere Sine dubio Perfectionem Naturae Conditionis Humanae What is it To take the Fourme of a Seruant He answeareth Doubtlesse it is To take the perfection of Nature and state of man Chrysostome saithe Forma Serui Omnino est Natura Serui The Fourme of a Seruant verily is the Nature of a Seruant S. Augustine saithe Quando de Forma Serui in Christo cogitas Humanam Effigiem cogita si est in te Fides Wheâ—â— thou thinkest of the Fourme of a Seruant in Christ thinke of the Shape of a man if there be any Faithe in thee Againe Christum secundum Humanitatem Visibilem Corporeum Localem atque omnia membra Humana veraciter habentem credere conuenit confiteri VVee must beleue and confesse that Christ according to his Humanitie is Visible hath the Substance and Properties of a Body is conteined in Place and verily hath al the members and the whole Proportion of a man To leaue al others Haimo saithe Forman Serui accepit id est in Veritate Hominem accepit He tooke the Fourme of a Seruant that is to saye In very Truthe he tooke Man Ye sée M. Hardinge by these Testimonies of the Ancient Learned Fathers farre contrarie to your vaine Distinction yâ— the Fourme of God is nothing els but God the Fourme of Man is nothing els but Man Wherfore then haue you thus diuised vs this new Difference Wherfore saie you of your owne head yâ— Fourme Substance be so contrarie seing the Catholique Fathers saie they be both One Or wherefore be you so busy to trouble the Penneman without cause Certainely S. Augustine ioineth Fourme and Substance both togeather by the one expoundeth the other In eadem Forma atque Substantia In the same Fourme and Substance and againe expoundeth the same Fourme Veritatem Corporis The Truthe of a Body By these it is plaine that when Fulgentius saith the Fourme of God he meaneth therby the Substance the Nature the Diuinitie of God And when he saith the Fourme of a Seruant he meaneth likewise the Nature â–ª the Substance the Truthe the Perfection the Very Manhoode of a Man And the whole drifte of his discourse is this that Christe being bothe God and Man by the Nature and Substance of his Godhed is euerywhere but by the Nature and Substance of his Manhoode Truth of his Body is onely in one place and not in moe agreing therein with these woordes of S. Augustine before rehearsed Corpus in quo Resurrexit in vno Loco esse Oportet The Body wherin he rose againe must nedes be in oue Place Here are wée terribly charged with guileful dealing with a speciall note also in the Margine Fulgentius fo why falsified Wée haue shifted in this woorde Manhed in stéede of the Fourme of a Seruante and this woorde Godhed in stéede of the Fourme of God And therefore both the Penneman and the Prelates of our Newe Cleregie must néedes be brought foorth before the barre I wil not here tel you M. Hardinge how lewdely ye haue demeaned your selfe towardes her whom it liketh you so often and so scornefully to cal the Lady Interpreter a Lady I wil not saie of what Learning vertue and grauitie but certainly as far from al vnwoomanly Presumption whâ—rwith ye so rudely touch her as you are from al manly modestie and for ought that maie appeare by these toies and trifles ye haue sent vs ouer as ful of wisedome as you of folie I beséeche you cal your woordes againe to minde if you can without blushing So roughly to handle so softe a Creature This Phrase of speeche your very frendes haue mutche misliked and as it is in déede so in plaine woordes they cal it Ruffianrie a vertue although mutche agreable to your Profession yet vnméete for a man either of learning or of sober wisedome But this faulte â—mong many others as I haue saide I wil dissemble Although your whole Booke be vtterly voide of Diuinitie yet at the least some sense of Humanitie had benne commendable But the Prelates of this Newe Cleregie you saie haue fouly falsified both the woordes the sense of Fulgentius And wherin M. Harding Forsooth in stéede of these woordes The Fourme of Man The Fourme of God for yâ— better vnderstanding of the vnlearned they haue vsed these woordes as more commonly knowen Godhed and Manhed If this be so faulte wherefore then is the Olde Father Martyr Vigilius suffered thus to saie Dei Filius secundum Humanitatem suam recessit à nobis Secundum Diuinitatem suam semper est nobiscum The Sonne of God according to his Manhed is departed from vs according to his Godhed is euer with vs Or againe Christus est vbique secundum Naturam Diuinitatis suae loco continetur secundum Naturam Humanitatis suae Christe is in al places according to the Nature of his Godhed and is conteined in
he nothinge at al Or howe can he claime by Féedinge that neuer Feedeth Againe where learned M Hardinge to reason thus Christe is Ascended into Heauen Ergo the Pope is Heade of the whole Worlde Or thus Christe saide to Peter Feede my Flocke Ergo the Pope hath Vniuersal Power ouer the whole Churche of God How can he make these Argumentes to holde I wil not saie by Diuinitie but by any reasonable shifte of Logique But ye saie God speaketh not nowe vnto vs mouthe to mouthe nor sendeth vs downe his Angels from Heauen nor instructeth vs nowe by Visions as he did others in Olde times What of that wil it therefore folowe that al the worlde muste geue eare to the Pope Nay M. Hardinge Chrysostome saithe mutche better Bicause God speaketh not nowe vnto vs in sutche familiare sorte Ergo Suam erga Homines amicitiam innouare volens quasi longè absentibus literas mittit conciliaturus sibi Vniuersam hominum Naturam Therefore God mindinge to renewe his fauour to wardes Man sente his Holy Scriptures as it were his Letters thereby to reconcile to him selfe al Mankinde God speaketh not nowe vnto vs by his Angels but he hath already spoken vnto vs as S. Paule saithe by the mouthe and presence of his Onely Sonne And therefore he saithe againe Yf an Angel from Heauen woulde nowe Preache vnto vs otherwise then wee haue receiued wée shoulde holde him accursed But for the Vnitie and quiet gouernmente of the Churche of God S. Paule saithe Christe Ascendinge aboue al the Heauens hathe geuen not One Vniuersal Pope to rule the whole but some Apostles some prophetes some Euangelistes some Pastours some Doctours for the perfitinge of the Sainctes for the woorke of the Ministerie for the buildinge vp of the Body of Christe that wee maye al comme into the Vnitie of Faithe and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God By these meanes God thought it sufficient to preserue his Churche in Vnitie and neuer made mention of One Vniuersal Pope Therefore S. Cyprian saithe Vnus est Episcopatus cuius à singulis in solidum pars tenetur There is but One Bishoprike parte whereof of euery seueral Bishop is holden in whole And againe Ideò plures sunt in Ecclesia Sacerdotes vt vno Haeresim faciente coeteri subueniant Therefore are there many Bishoppes in the Churche that if one fal into Heresie the reste maye healpe Thus when Peter walked not vprightly to the Gospel Paule came with healpe and reproued him openly euen to his face Thus Irenaeus reprooued Pope Victor thus sundrie godly Fathers haue reprooued others Therefore S. Augustine saithe Deus docuit Petrum per posteriorem Paulum A quocunque enim Verum dicitur illo donante dicitur qui est ipsa Veritas Thus God instructed Peter by Paule his pâ—nâ—e that was called after him For by whom so euer the Truthe is spoken it is spoken by his gifte that is Truthe it selfe Ye saye the Pope succedeth not Christe in al his Substance that is to saie in al his Power neither hath there any sutche fonde sayinge benne vttered saie you at any time by the Diuines Yf this be true wherefore then be these woordes written and so wel allowed of in the Councel of Laterane Tibi data est Omnis Potestas in Coelo in Terra Vnto your Holinesse al Power is geuen as wel in Heeuen as in Earth Wherefore is Bernarde so wel allowed to force the same farther with these woordes Qui totum dedit nihil excludit He that hath geueÌ„ thee Al hath excepted Nothinge Wherefore is Panormitane allowed to saie Papa potest omnia quae Deus ipse potest The Pope is hable by his power to doo what so euer God him selfe can doo For the reste M. Hardinge saithe One Kinge is hable to rule One Kingedome Ergo One Pope is hable to rule the whole Churche This Reason is very simple and is answeared before Of the gouernmente of Princes wée haue dayly Practise But of Popes that euer exercised this Vniuersal Dominion ouer the whole Churche of God M. Hardinge is not hable to shewe vs one Wel were it with him if he were but a Member of Christes Body and a Sheepe of his Flocke S. Gregorie saide sometime to Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople claiminge vnto him selfe the same Title and thinkinge him selfe hable yenough to rule the whole Quid tu Christo Vniuersalis Ecclesiae Capiti in Extremi Iudicij responsurus es examine qui cuncta eius Membra tibimet conaris Vniuersalis appellatione supponere What answeare wilt thou make in the trial of the Laste Iudgemente vnto Christe the Head of his Vniuersal Churche that thus by the name of Vniuersal Pishop seekest to bringe vnder thee al the Members of his Body Laste of al M. Harding concludeth without premisses Who so euer wil not be ruled by this Shepheard the Pope is of the Hearde of Antichriste So saithe one of the Popes hired Proctours Quicquid Saluatur est sub Summo Pontifice VVhat so euer Soule is saued it is vnder the Pope This one thinge beinge graunted M. Hardinges whole cause passeth cleare But God be thanked it appeareth already to al them that haue eles to see that wee haue not departed from the seruile Obedience of that See but vpon iuste cause and good aduise And in sutche sorte the Pope him selfe wil not denie but it is lawful for any Churche to dissente from the Churche of Rome These he his woordes whiche muste be holden for a Lawe Quicquid sine discretione Iustitiae contra Romanae Ecclesiae DisciplinaÌ„ actum fuerit ratum haberi nulla ratio permittit VVhat so euer thinge is donne without discretion of Iustice againste the Order of the Churche of Rome it maye not by any meanes be allowed By whiche woordes it appeareth Ex contrario Sensu By an Argument of the contrarie that what so euer is donne by discretion of Iustice notwithstandinge it be against the Order of the Churche of Rome yet ought it to wel allowed S. Augustine saithe Ne Catholicis quidem Episcopis consentiendum est sicubi fortè falluntur vt contra Canonicas Scripturas aliquid sentiant VVee maye not geue our consente vnto any Bishoppes be they neuer so Catholique if they happen to be deceiued and to determine centrarie to the Scriptures And Pope Pius 2 him selfe saithe Resistendum est quibuscunque in faciem siue Paulus siue Petrus sit qui ad Veritatem non ambulat Euangelij VVee are bounde to withstande any man to the face be it Peter be it Pause yf be walke not to the Truthe of the Gospel To conclude where the Woulfe is broken in it is beste for the poore Sheepe to breake out That the Woulfe was broken in beside the cruel spoile and raueninge of Christian Bloude it is plaine by the woordes of S. Bernarde For thus he speaketh
Howe can he be a Maister that â—ath no Scholare Geate thee a Scholar and then be a Maister S. Ambrose saithe Nisi bonum Opus amplectaris Episcopus esse non potes Oulesse thou embrace the good labour a Bishop thou canste not be S. Gregorie saithe Sacerdotes nominamur non sumus Priestes wee are called but Priestes wee are not As for VVicklefe he expoundeth plainely his owne meaninge and that with M. Hardinges owne Construction For these be his woordes euen as they are alleged by his enimies Papa vel Praelatus malus Praescitus est aequiuocè Pastor verè Fur Latro The Pope or any other wicked Prelate in double or doubteful speache is a Postour but in very deede he is a Theefe and a Murtherer So Chrysostome saithe Qui ab hominibus ordinatus est quantum ad DeuÌ„ artinet noÌ„ est Sacerdos aut Diaconus He that is appointed by menne and not by God before God is neither Priest nor Deacon If VVicklefe vpon iuste zele of the House of God for that he then sawe the Bishoppes either knew nothing or did nothinge or cared for nothinge either spake or meante more then Truthe maie beare wée defende it not Notwithstandinge touchinge that is obiected of deadly sinne it séemeth he folowed therein the Councel of Valentia in France The woordes be these Quicunque sub Ordinatione vel Diaconatus vel Presbyterij vel Episcopatus Mortali Crimine dixerint se esse pollusos à supradictis Ordinationibus submoueaÌ„tur Who so eues after the Order either of Deaconship or of Priesthoode or of Bishoprike shal saie they haue benne defiled with Mortal Sinne let them be remoued from the foresaide Orders So. S. Augustine saithe as he is alleged by Gratian Qui nec sua crimina detersit nec filiorum crimen correxit Canis impudicus dicendus est magis quà m Episcopus He that neither hath wiped of his owne finnes nor corrected the Sinnes of his Children ought rather to be called a shamelesse Dogge then a Bishop Yet notwithstanding to remoue al strife what so euer the Bishop of Rome be or what so euer he doo let him hardly be called a Bishop bicause as M. Hardinge saithe he standeth in roome of a Bishop Or as VVicklefe saithe let him so be called Aequiuocè that is to saie by a woorde of double meaning as Vnsauery Salte is called Salte Or as the Prophetes of Baal are called Prophetes Or as a painted Man is called a Man And as S. Gregorie saithe Let him he called a Prieste although in deede he be no Prieste Let him be called a Teacher although he Teache not Let him be called a Féeder although he Feéde not S. Cyprian saith of S. Paule Ipsum quamuis inane Nomen Vmbram quandam Sacerdotis cogitans expauit S. Paule was afroide consideringe onely the emptie Name and Shadowe of a Bishop And in the late Councel of Tridente the mater is concluded thus Qui dicit cos qui non exercent Ministerium Verbi Sacramentorum non esse Sacerdotes Anathema sit Who so euer saie that they that Minister neither the Woorde of God nor the Sacramentes be no Priestes Accursed be he But Athanasius saithe Quid opus est hominibus titulo Episcopis What neede haue wee of these menne that beare onely the name of Eishoppes Therefore S. Hierome saithe Auferet Dominus Nomina Vanae gloriae Admirationis falsae quae versantur in Ecclesia Sed Nomina Sacerdotum cum Sacerdotibus dotibus aufereâ— qui frustrà sibi applaudunt in Episcopali in Presbyterij Dignitate non in Opere The Lord shal take awaie the names of Vaine glorie and of â—â—ined wooâ—dering whiche are in the Churche Yea he shal take awaie bothe the names of those Priestes and the Priestes withal whiche vaunte them selues in the Dignitie of Bishoprike and Priestehoode but not in the Laboure The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 1. And that neither the Pope nor any other worldly Creature can nomore be Head of the whole Churche or a Bishop ouer al then he can be the Bridegome the Light the Saluation and Life of the Churche For these Priuileges Names belonge onely to Christe and be properly and onely sfitte for him alone And that no Bishop of Rome did euer suffer him selfe to be called by sutche a proude name title before Phocas the Emperours time who as we know by killing his owne Soueraine Mauritius the Emperoure did by a Traiterous Villanie aspire to the Empire Whiche was aboute the sixthe hundreth and thirteenth yeere after Christe was borne M. Hardinge The name of Vniuersal Bishop which this Interpreter meaneth beinge taken in a right sense is no proude name in respecte of him to whom it belongeth VVhether any Bishop of Rome euer suffered himselfe to be called by that name of no as you denie it and proue it not so it forceth not whether any did so or no. If they refused it of humilitie that proueth it not to be Vnlaâ—ful The B. of Sarisburie If the name of Vniuersal Bishop be a Prowde Name in others why may it not also be a Prowde Name in the Bishop of Rome Hath the Bishop there sutche a special Priuilege for Pride aboue al others May Pride be Humilitie and Humilitie Pride onely in respecte of diuerse Personnes You saie This Title of right belonged to the Bishop of Rome and therefore in him it was no Pride This M. Harding is a fowle Vntruthe as it shal appeare by the nexte Diuision For these be the woordes of the Councel of Carthage as Gratian allegeth them Vniuersalis autem Episcopus nec ipse Romanus Pontifex appelletur The Bishop of Rome him selfe maie not be called the Vniuersal Bishop That the Olde Learned and Godly Bishoppes of Rome refused this Name as Prowde and Arrogante it is so plaine by S. Gregorie that I marueile any Learned man woulde calle it in question His woordes thereof be these Nullus Decessorum meorum hoc tam Profano Vocabulo vti consensit Nullus Romanorum Pontificum hoc Singularitatis Nomen assumpsit Nos hunc honorem nolumus oblatum suscipere None of my Predecessours Bishoppes of Rome euer consented to vse this Vngodly Name No Bishop of Rome euer toke vpon him this Name of Singularitie Wee the Bishoppes of Rome wil not receiue this honour beinge offred vnto vs. If the Bishoppes of Rome in Olde times refused this Name not for wante of right but onely as M. Hardinge saithe of Humilitie wherefore then did theire Successours that folowed afterwarde so ambitiously laboure to geate the same Platina saithe Bonifacius Tertius obtinuit à Phoca Magna tamen Contentione Pope Bonifacius the thirde obteined of the Emperour Phocas yâ— Rome should be called the Heade of al Churches but with Greate Contention and mutche adoo Wherefore then dooth S. Augustine the whole Councel of Aphrica condemne the attempt of this vsurped
False sleight False Dise False Plaie and al False Yet Christe saithe of him selfe I am the Truthe God geue you grace to credite him For the errour of quotation in the margin wherin you spende so many woordes it maye please you to knowe that I neither was the Printer nor coulde be presente at the Printinge For the reste if there can be any one pointe of Falsehed founde in me touchinge the allegation of this Councel of Carthage I wil not refuse to stande charged with the whole But if euery of these horrible Falseheddes be found an euident and plaine Truthe then it maye please you to take home al these prety Titles to your selfe againe as in euery of these woordes so often doubled and so heapte togeather hauing your selfe committed a seueral Falsehedde And herein for trial of your courteous dealinge I am contente your selfe shal fit and be the Iudge For notwithstanding it be thought of many that ye dissemble déepely and wil not bestowe your voice to saie the Truthe Yet I doubte not but in this mater if ye haue eles ye maye easily looke vp and sée the Truthe You saye Sir Defender hathe falsely alleged the Councel of Carthage And why so For that he saithe The Councel Decréed by expresse woordes that the Bishop of Rome should not be called the Vniuersal Bishop This you saie is Forged and Falsified and is no parte of that Councel For indifferent trial bothe of the Truthe and of the Falsehed herein I beseche you beholde the very woordes of the Councel euen as thei are alleged by your own Doctour Gratiā These thei are Primae Sedis Episcopus non appelletur Princeps Sacerdotum vel Summus Sacerdos vel aliquid huiusmodi Sed tantùm Primae Sedis Episcopus Vniuersalis autem nec etiam Romanus Pontifex appelletur Let not the Bishop of any of the Firste Sees be called the Prince of Priestes Or the Highest Prieste or by any other like name but Onely the Bishop of the Firste see But let not the Bishop of Rome him selfe be called the Vniuersal Bishop And in the Glose thereupon it is noted thus In hac Distinctione dicitur quod Papa non debet dici Vniuersalis In this Distinction it is saide that the Pope ought not to be called the Vniuersal Bishop Nowe M. Hardinge compare our woordes and the Councelles wordes bothe togeather Wée saie none otherwise but as the Councel saithe The Bishop of Rome him selfe ought not to be called the Vniuersal Bishop Herein wée doo neither adde nor minishe but reporte the woordes playnely as wée finde them If you had lookte better on your Booke and would haue tried this mater as you saye by your Learninge ye might wel haue reserued these Vnciuile reproches of Falsehedde to your selfe and haue spared your Crieinge of Shame vpon this Defender Touchinge that you so pleasantly cheare your selfe with these woordes You doo as like to M. Iewel as if you were his Fathers Sonne ▪ I muste answeare you as S. Augustine sometime did the Heretique Cresconius Serua potius Puerilia Pueris Keepe sutche Childishe toies to plaie with your Children God make vs bothe like vnto our Father that is in Heauen Where you saie of your selfe onely without farther witnesse that this Title is the Popes Auncient right euer géeuen to him by al the world I doubte not but the vntruthe hereof by my Former Replie touching the same maie soone appeare Certainely when the same Title was offered to S. Gregorie he refused it vtterly as none of his In déede this Councel of Carthage notwithstanding the Title of Highest Bishop was sometimes geuen not onely to the Bishop of Rome other Patriarkes but also vnto al other Bishoppes M. Hardinges owne Amphilochius calleth S. Bastle Principem Sacerdotum The Prince or Chiefe of Bishoppes Rufinus calleth Athanasius Pontificem Maximum The Highest Bishop Nazianzenus calleth the same Athanasius Archisacerdotem Sacerdotum The Chiefe Bishop of Bishoppes Lactantius calleth euery Bishoprike Summum Sacerdotiū Likewise S. Hierome saith Ecclesiae Salus in Summi Sacerdotis dignitate pendet The safetie of the Churche standeth in the dignitie of the Highest Priest By whiche Highest Prieste M. Hardinge him selfe saithe is meante euery seueral Bishop within his owne Diocese S. Augustine saithe Quid est Episcopus nisi Primus Presbyter hoc est Summus Sacerdos What is a Bishop but the First or Chiefe Prieste that is to saie the Highest Prieste Therefore wée may safely spare the Pope this Title of Highest Bishop not as Peculiar to him alone as M. Hardinge imagineth but as Common and General to al Bishoppes Al that ye haue here alleged of the Iurisdiction of the Flamines is a mere fantasie ▪ grounded onely vpō an vnsauery Fable of Anacletus and Clemens Neither are you hable to finde either these names Archiflamines or Protoflamines whiche here are imagined in any Ancient allowed Writer or any sutche Vniuersal Iurisdiction to them belonginge The Firste or Principal or Mother Sees were limited not by the Flamines but by the Prince So it is written in the Councel of Chalcedon Quascunque Ciuitates per Literas Regias Metropolitico nomine honorarunt VVhat Citties so euer by the Princes Charter they honoured with the name of the Mother See And therefore the Emperour Theodosius vpon displeasure conceiued tooke that Name of Honoure from the Cittie of Antioche mindinge it shoulde be so called nomore And for that cause was the Cittie of Rome chosen emongest others to be a Primate or a Principal Mother Sée not for that either Christe or Peter had so appointed as M. Hardinge telleth vs but for that it was the moste Noble Cittie and of greattest renoume in al the world The woordes be plaine Sedi Veteris Romae Patres meritò dederunt Primatum Quòd illa Ciuitas aliis Imperaret The Fathers woorthily gaue the Chiefetie to the See of the Olde Rome Bicause that Cittie had the Princehood ouer others Nowe concerninge this Decrée of the Councel of Carthage it touched as wel the Bishop of Rome as other Primates And therefore Pope Adriane afterward alleging and corrupting the same added thereto this special Prouiso for him selfe Nullus Archiepiscoporum nisi qui Primas Sedes renent appelletur Primas aut Princeps Sacerdotum aut Summus Sacerdos aut aliquid huiusmodi c. Salua semper in omnibus Authoritate Beati Petri Apostoli Let no Archebishop sauinge sutche as heue the Principal or Firste Sees he called either the Primate or the Prince of Priestes or the Highest Prieste or by any other like name c. Sauinge alwaies and in al thinges the Authoritie of Blessed S. Peter the Apostle The Apologie Cap. 4. Diuision 3. And therefore sithence the Bishop of Rome wil nowe a daies so be called chalengeth vnto him selfe an Authoritie that is none of his bisides that he dothe plainely contrarie to the Ancient Councelles and contrarie to the Olde
de sua Fide viuit And wee beinge Laiemenne are wee not Priestes It is written Christe hath made vs bothe a Kingedome and Priestes vnto God his Father The Authoritie of the Churche and the Honour by the Assemblie or Councel of Order Sanctified of God hath made a difference bitwene the Laie and the Cleregie Where as there is no Assemblie of Ecclesiastical Order the Prieste beinge there alone without the companie of other Priestes doothe bothe Minister the Oblation and also Baptize Yea and be there but Three togeather and though they be Latemenne yet is there a Churche For euery man liueth of his owne Faithe Againe ye demaunde of me what Bishoppe of Sacisburie euer sithence Augostines time maineteined this Doctrine I might likewise and by as good Authoritie demaunde of you what Bishop of Rome euer before the same Englishe Augustines time maineteined your Doctrine Or as I saide before what Bishop of Rome euer before that time either saide or knewe your Priuate Masse Touchinge the Bishoppes of Sarisburie you your selfe haue already named twoo Bishop Shaxton and Bishop Capon bothe Learned and graue Fathers and bothe Preachers and professours of the Gospel For the reste of the Bishops that were before them what Faithe they helde and what they either liked or misliked by their writinges or Sermons it dothe not greately appeare I truste they helde the Fundation and liued and died in the Faithe of Christe If they had liued in these daies and seene that you see they would not haue benne partakers of your wilfulnesse To be shorte wée succede the Bishoppes that haue benne before our daies Wee are Elected Consecrate Confirmed and Admitted as they were If they were deceiued in any thinge wee succede them in place but not in errour They were our Predecessours but not the Rules and Standardes of our Faithe Or rather to sette aparte al comparison of Personnes the Doctrine of Christe this daie M. Hardinge Succedeth your Doctrine as the Daie Succedeth the Nighte as the Lighte Succedeth Darkenesse and as the Truthe Succedeth Errour Nowe for as mutche as ye haue thought it so good to examine the Petite degree of the Bishoppes of Sarisburie I truste ye wil not thinke it il if I alâ—tle touche the like in the Bishoppes of Rome that wée maye thereby be the better hable to sée some of the branches of your Succession Therefore shortly to saie you knowe that Pope Marcellinus committed Idolatrie that Pope Syluester 2. was a Coniurer and gaue him selfe whole Body and Soule vnto the Diuel and by the Diuels procuremente was made Pope That Pope Zosimus for ambition and claime of gouernmente corrupted the Holy Councel of Nice That Pope Liberius was an Arian Heretique That Pope Leo as appeareth by the Legende was likewise an Arian That Pope Coelestinus was a Nestorian Heretique Pope Honorius was a Monothelite Heretique Pope Iohn 22. was reprooued by Gerson and the Schole of Parise for an Heretique Petrarcha saithe Rome is a Sanctuarie of al Heresies Lyra saithe that many Popes haue fallen into Heresies you know that Pope Hildebrande as he was charged by the Councel of Brixia was an Aduouterer a Churcherobber a Periured man a Mankiller a Sorcerer and a Renegate of the Faithe That Platina calleth the Popes sometimes in scorne Pontificulos Litle Petite Popes sometimes Monstra Portenta Monsters and Vnnatural and il shapen Creatures Pope Adrian the fourthe was woonte to saie Succedimus non Petro in pascendo sed Romulo in Parricidio VVee Succede not Peter in Feedinge but Romulus in Killinge And to leaue Dame Iohane the woman Pope with many others moe of like Vertue and Holinesse as hauinge no pleasure in this rehersal And for as mutche as M. Hardinge began this mater with Sarisburie to ende it with the same Iohannes Sarisburiensis saithe In Romana Ecclesia sedent Scribae Pharisaei In the Churche of Rome by Succession sitte the Scribes and the Phariseis This is M. Hardinges holy Succession Though Faithe faile yet Succession muste holde For vnto sutche Succession God hath bounde the Holy Ghoste For lacke of this Succession for that in our Sees in the Churches of Englande wée finde not so many Idolaters Necromancers Heretiques Aduouterours Church-robbers Periured Personnes Mankillers Renegates Monsters Scribes and Pharisies as wée maie easily finde in the Churche of Rome therefore I trowe M. Hardinge saithe wée haue no Succession wée are no Bishoppes wée haue no Churche at al. But S. Paule saithe Faithe commeth not by Succession but by hearinge and hearinge commeth not of Legacie or Enheritance from Bishop to Bishop but of the Woorde of God They are not alwaies Godly that Succede the Godly Manasses succeded Ezechias and Hieroboam succeded Dauid By Succession the Turke this daie possesseth and holdeth the foure greate Patriarkal Sées of the Churche Constantinople Alexandria Antioche and Hierusalem By Succession Christe saithe Desolation shal fitte in the Holy place and Antichriste shal presse into the roume of Christe It is not sufficient to claime Succession of place It behooueth vs rather to haue regarde to the Succession of Doctrine S. Bernarde saithe Quid prodest si Canonice eligantur non Canonicè viuant What auaileth it if they be chosen in Order and liue out of Ordere So saithe S. Augustine Ipsum Characterem multi Lupi Lupis imprimunt The outwarde marke or right of a Bishop manie geue to Woulues and he Woulues them selues Therefore the Ancient Father Irenaeus geueth vs this good Councel Eis qui sunt in Ecclesia Presbyteris obaudire oportet qui Successionem habent ab Apostolis qui cum Episcopatus Successione Charisma Veritatis certum secundum beneplacitum Patris acceperunt It becommeth vs to obeie those Priestes in the Churche whiche haue their Succession from yâ— Apostles and togeather with the Succession of their Bishoprikes accordinge to yâ— good wil of God the Father haue receiued the vndoubted gifte of the Truthe S. Cyprian beinge likewise charged for dissentinge from his predecessours answeareth thus Si quis de Antecessoribus meis non hoc obseruauit tenuit quod nos Dominus exemplo Magisterio suo docuit potest simplicitati eius venia concedi Nobis verâ— ignoici non potest qui nunc à Domino admoniti instructi sumus If any of my Predecessours haue not obserued and kepte the same that our Lorde hath taught vs bothe by his example and also by his Commaundemente his simplicitie maie be pardoned But wee if wée doo the like can hope for no pardonne beinge nowe admonished and instructed of our Lorde Compare the vse and order of our Churches M. Hardinge with the Primitiue Churche of God and ye shal easily see the right of our Succession S. Cyprian saithe Si Canalis aquae quae copiose prius laâ—gâ—â—â—r profluâ—baâ— subitâ— deficiat noÌ„ne adfonteÌ„ pergitur c. Hoc nuÌ„c facere oporteâ— Dei Sacerdotes Praecepta Diuina
calleth the Power of God vnto Saluation and Verbum Reconciliationis The VVorde whereby wee be Reconciled vnto God And for this cause Chrysostome saithe as it is alleged by M. Hardinge that the Prieste hathe the same Power that Christe had For that he Preacheth the same Woorde of God that Christe Preached And in this sense Christe saithe vnto his Disciples As my Liuinge Father sente me euen so and with like Commission doo I sende you Otherwise the Power of Christe farre surmounteth and passeth al Creatures not onely in Earthe but also in Heauen Christe him selfe thereof saithe thus Al thinges are deliuered to me of my Father And the Prophete Esai saithe Ponam Clauem Domus Dauid super humerum eius Aperiet nemo Claudet Claudet nemo Aperiet I wil set the Keie of the House of Dauid vpon his shoulder Hee shal Open and noman shal Shutte Hee shal Shutte and noman shal Open. Of this Doctrine saithe M. Hardinge foloweth a greate inconuenience For then saithe he the Power of the Keies consisteth not so mutche in the Minister as in the Sinner that heareth and beléeueth This inconuenience is nothinge so greate as it is pretended The errour hereof standeth in the Equiuocation or doubtful taking of one Woorde For one thing maie be in an other sundrie waies As Remission of Sinnes maie be in the Prieste as in the Messenger In the Woorde of God as in the Instrument In the Penitente partie as in the Receiuer The offeringe hereof is in the Minister but the effecte and force is in the Sinner Therefore S. Luke saithe God Opened the Harte of the Silck woman that she should geue Eare vnto the woordes that were spoken by S. Paule And Christe saithe VVho so euer shal Beleeue and be Baptized shal be saued but he that beleeueth not shal be damned Likewise Peter Lombarde him selfe saithe Ex his apertè ostenditur quo'd Deus ipse Poenitentem soluit quando intus illuminat inspirando veram Cordis Contritionem Hereby it plainely appeareth that God him selfe Looseth the Penitente when by geeuinge him in warde lighte hee inspireth into him the true Contrition of the Harte And therefore Clemens Alexandrinus saithe Fides nostra est Clauis Regni Coelorum Our Faithe is the Keie of the Kingedome of Heauen And S. Augustine likewise saithe Cor Clausum habent quia Clauem Fidei non habent They haue theire hartes shutte bicause they lacke the Keie of Faithe Againe he saithe Suscitari mortuus nisi intâ—is clamante Domino non potest The deade man cannot be raised againe onlesse the Lorde Crie within him And to comme neare to the pourpose Gratian him selfe saithe Voluntas Sacerdotis nec prodesse nec obesse potest sed meritum benedictionem poscentis The wil of the Prieste can neither further nor hinder but the Merite of him that desireth Absolution Touchinge the Obiection of Frantique Personnes and maddemenne in what sorte and howe farre Absolution taketh place in them for as mutche as it is an extraordinarie case I thinke it neither needeful nor easy to define In deede a question is moued by Pope Innocentius the thirde whether and in what sorte a man either in his maddenesse or in his sleepe maye be Baptized And S. Augustine seemeth to witnesse that Children sommetime were Baptized in theire Mothers Wombe Likewise he writeth of a fréende of his owne Cùm iaceret sine sensu in dolore laetali desperaretur Baptizatus est nesciens Whereas hee laye in a Traunse without sense in deadly paine and was despaired of hee was Baptized and knewe not of it Bonauentura addeth somme force vnto the mater and demaundeth this question An aliquis possit absolui inuitus VVhether a man maie be Absolued againste his wil or no. But concerninge the Absolution of madde menne in the time of theire phrenesie It seemeth this was bothe the meaninge of Leo and the Godly discretion of the Churche at that time that if a man standinge Excommunicate had happened to be berefte of his senses and beinge in that case had benne likely to departe this life vpon proufe of his former repentance he should be restoared that he might departe in peace as a Member of the Churche of God The practise hereof wée finde in the Councel of Carthage by these woordes Si is qui Poenitentiam in infirmitate petit in Phrenesim versus fuerit dent testimonium qui eum audiuerunt accipiat Poenitentiam If he that desired reconciliation by Penaunce in his sicknesse afterward fal Madde let them that hearde him beare witnesse with him and so let him receiue Penance This was onely a publike Testimonie vnto the Churche that the partie Excommunicate was repentante before when his minde was quiet And what thinge els M. Hardinge can geather hereof I cannot tel Certainely in this Order and manner they restoared not onely Madde menne but also deade menne vnto the Churche For so it is noted vpon the Decrées Ex quo cùm per eum non stabat el communicare debemus Et ita est absoluendus post mortem VVherefore seeinge there was no lacke in his parte wee ought to Communicate with him And so he muste be Absolued after his deathe The woordes that S. Augustine often vseth vnto Beginners or Entrers of the Faithe called Catechumeni are vttred rather for terrour of others then for rigoure of Truthe as shal appeare For otherwheres he writeth thus Catechumeni secundum quendam modum per Signum Christi sanctificantur The Catechumeni or Beginners after their sorte are sanctified by the Signe of Christe Againe he saith to them Non dum renati estis sed per Crucis Signum in vtero Sanctae Matris Ecclesiae iam concepti estis Ye are not yet borne a newe but by the Signe of the Crosse ye are already conceiued in the VVombe of the Holy Churche your Mother Therefore hauinge thus once entred into the Faithe of Christe although they happened afterwarde to departe this life without Baptisme yet the Churche oftentimes thought it good to Iudge wel of them S. Ambrose doubted not but the Emperour Valentinian departed hence in Goddes fauoure And yet was the same Emperoure but a Beginner and a Nouice in the Faithe and departed hence without Baptisme M. Hardinge saithe further Onlesse the Penitente make particulare rehearsal of al his sinnes the Prieste or Minister can be no Iudge Where vnto I adde also further Notwithstandinge any rehearsal that maye be made yet can the Prieste neuer be but a doubteful Iudge S. Augustine saithe Quid ergo mihi est cum Hominibus vt audiant Confessiones meas quasi sanaturi sint Omnes Languores meos Vnde sciunt cùm à meipso de meipso audiunt an verum dicam Quandoquidem nemo scit Hominum quid agatur in Homine nisi Spiritus Hominis qui est in Homine VVhat haue I to
sic accipiendū est vt putemus non esse Sanctam Corpore Christianam Coniugem Castam Omnibus quippe Fidelibus dictum est Nescitis quoniam Corpora vestra templum sunt Spiritus Sancti Sancta sunt etiam Corpora Coniugatorum fidem sibi Domino seruantium Whereas S. Paule saithe Shee that is Vnmarried thinketh of the thinges that perteine vnto the Lorde that shee maie be Holy bothe in Body and in Sprite it maie not so be taken as though wee should thinke a Christian wife liuinge Chastely with her Husbande is not Holy in Body For it is generally saide vnto al Faitheful Knowe ye not that your Bodies be the Temple of the Holy Ghoste Therefore if the Man and VVife keepe their Faithe bothe bitweene them selues and to the Lorde their Bodies are Holy But These Euangelical Vowbreakers saithe M. Hardinge pretende Paphnutius to be their Proctoure Whether he be Our Proctoure or no it forceth not greately Notwithstandinge it is plaine He was then the Onely Proctoure for the Truthe and that againste the General Consente of al the whole Councel bisides And although he were but One man alone yet the whole Councel gaue place vnto him Sozomenus saithe Synodus laudauit sententiam Paphnutij nihil ex hac parte sanciuit Sed hoc in vniuscuiusque Voluntate sine vlla Necessitate reliquit The Councel commended Paphnutius iudgement and touchinge this mater of Marriage made no Decree at al but leafte it to eche mannes owne Wil without any force of Necessitie Of Our side thus mutche Paphnutius saithe Marriage is Honorable And the Companie of Man and Wife is not filthinesse as these menne séeme to saie but Cleanenesse and Chastitie But M. Hardinge if the same Holy Father Paphnutius weighe so mutche of your side as you pretende wherefore then dothe One of your Companions of Louaine so lightly so disdainefully controlle that whole Storie with the vtter discredite and condemnation of the Writers For thus hath he not doubted to publishe his iudgemente therein to al the worlde Mihi nescio quomodo in dubium venit fides huius Historiae de Paphnutio Sunt enim quae suspicionem important eam esse Arianorum aut Impudicorum hominum Commentum Tota enim haec res à Socrate pendet Sozomeno quorum alter Nouatianus fuit alter Theodorum Mopsuestensem à quinta Synodo damnatum magnis laudibus extulit I knowe not howe this Storie of Paphnutius seemeth to mee to be of doubteful credite For there be maters that make mee to suspecte that it is but a vaine forged tale either of the Arian Heretiques or of somme other filthy personnes The whole mater hangeth of Socrates and Sozomenus Of whiche twoo the one was a Nouatian Heretique The other highly commendeth Theodorus of Mopsuesta beinge condemned by the Fifthe Councel Thus your Felowes make this whole Storie to be but a vaine Fable and the Authours and Writers thereof Socrates and Sozomenus to be Heretiques Nouatians Arians Vnhoneste and Shamelesse personnes And therefore I trowe ye wil not saie they are your Proctours Wereas S. Chrysostome saithe Marriage is so reuerende a thinge that a man maie therewith ascende into the Holy Throne and be made a Bishop notwithstandinge he haue a wife and that S. Paule suffereth not them that haue twise married to atteine sutche a roume By these woordes saithe M. Hardinge Chrysostome condemneth the impure Bigamie of Our Holy Gospellers Againe he saithe If this Defender presse vs with Chrysostome wee answeare that although Chrysostome graunte that a Married man maie ascende to the Holy seate yet he saithe not that a man maie descende from that Holy seate to the Bridebedde For wee denie vtterly that any man after that he hath receiued Holy Orders maie marrie Neither can it be shewed that the Marriage of sutche was euer accoumpted lawful in the Catholique Churche I doubte not good Reader but it shal easily appeare that M. Hardinge in either of these twoo partes was fowly deceiued For firste Chrysostome as it is plaine by his woordes whiche M. Hardinge in his translation hath pourposely falsified expoundeth these Woordes of S. Paule The Husbande of One vvife not of a man that neuer had but one wife in al his time but of a man that hath but one wife at one time If M. Hardinge shal thinke this Exposition to be strange and vnlikely let him remember that Chrysostome him selfe thereof writeth thus Vnius Vxoris virum Non hoc veluti sanciens dicit quasi non liceat absque Vxore Episcopum fieri sed eius rei modum constituens Iudaeis quippe licitum erat etiam Secundo Matrimonio iungi Duas itidem Simul habere Vxores The Husbande of One VVife S. Paule writeth not this as makinge a Lawe as if it were not lawful for a man to be made a Bishop without a wife but he appointeth an order in that behalfe For it was lawful for the Jewes to be coupled in the Seconde Matrimonie and to haue Tvvoo vviues at one time In like sorte saithe S. Hierome Quidam de hoc loco ita sentiunt Iudaicae inquiunt Consuetudinis fuit vel binas vxores habere vel plures Et hoc nunc volunt esse Praeceptum ne is qui Episcopus eligendus est vno tempore Duas Pariter Vxores habeat Touchinge this place somme men thinke thus By the Custome of the Jewes it was lawful for a man to haue Tvvo vviues or moe at once And this they take to be the Apostles Commaundement that he that is to be chosen a Bishop haue not Tvvoo vviues or moe togeather at one time Againe he saithe Diaconi sint Vnius vxoris viri Non vt si non habuerint ducant Sed ne Duas habeant Let the Deacons be the Husbandes of One vvife not that they should needes marrie a wife if they haue none but that they shoulde not haue Tvvoo vviues togeather Likewise saithe Cardinal Caietane Apostolus Episcopis permittit Vnam Vxorem Coeteris plures The Apostle suffreth a Bishop to haue One VVife Others he suffreth to haue Moe And to this pourpose Isidorus séemeth to saie Castimoniam non Violati Corporis perpetuò obseruare studeant aut certè Vnius Matrimonij vinculo foederentur Let them studie to keepe and continewe the Chastitie of their Body vndefiled or els let them be coupled with the bande of One Marriage Of sutche a one Pope Leo wrote sometime vnto the Bishops of Mauritania Sicut ad nos relatum est Duarum simul est Maritus Vxorum As wee are enfourmed he is at one time the Husbande of Tvvoo vviues And therefore he addeth his iudgemente of him Priuandum honore decernimus Wee thinke him meete to be depriued of his promotion Of this kinde of Seconde Marriage Chrysostome speaketh I meane of hauinge two Wiues aliue togeather And not of marrieinge the Seconde wife after the death of the
aquam Petra praebente potati sunt They were vnder the Clowde and were drenched vvith Christe the Rocke geeuinge them water Likewise saithe Leo Mysteria pro temporum ratione variata sunt quum Fides qua viuimus nulla fuerit aetate diuersa The Sacramentes are astered accordinge to the diuersitie of the times But the Faithe vvhereby vvee liue in al ages vvas euer one Likewise S. Augustine Sacramenta illa fuerunt in Signis diuersa in rebus quae significabantur paria These thinges were Sacramentes in the outvvarde tokens diuerse but in the thinges tokened al one vvith ours M. Hardinge wil replie S. Augustine saithe Sacramenta Noui Testamenti dant Salutem The Sacramentes of the New Testament geeue Saluation But who can better expounde S. Augustines meaninge then S. Augustine him selfe He addeth immediately Cùm ergo iam teneas promissa quid quaeris promittentia Saluatorem Hoc dico teneas promissa non quòd iam acceperimus Viram aeternam Sed quòdiam Christus Venerit qui per Prophetas praenuntiabatur Wherefore seeinge thou haste the Promisses of the comminge of Christe already perfourmed what seekest thou the thinges that Promised the Saueoure I saie Thou haste the Promisses already perfourmed not for that wee haue alreadie receiued euerlastinge life but for that Christe is alreadie comme that was promised by the Prophetes Therefore when S. Augustine saithe Our Sacramentes geue Saluation his meaninge is this Our Sacramentes teache vs that Saluation is already comme into the World Thus S. Augustine saithe in an other place Illa fuerunt Promissiones rerum complendarum haec sunt indicia completarum The Sacramentes of the Olde Lawe were Promisses of sutche thinges as should afterv vard be accomplisshed Our Sacramentes of the Newe Lawe are takens that the same Promisses be already accomplisshed Thus the Holy Fathers saie The Sacramentes of the Newe Lawe vvorke Saluation bicause they teache vs that our Saluation is already wrought So Bonauentura saithe of the Sacramentes of the Olde Testamente Mundare dicebantur id est mundatum ostendebant They were saide to make a man cleane bicause they shevved or signified that a man vvas made cleane The Apologie Cap. 11. Diuision 1. And wee doo expressely pronounce that in the Lordes Supper there is Truely geuen vnto the Beleuinge the Body and Bloud of our Lorde the Fleashe of the Sonne of God whiche quickeneth our Soules the Meate that commeth from aboue y◠foode of Immortalitie or Grace Truth Life And the same Supper to be the communton of the Body and Bloud of Christe by the partaking whereof wee be reuiued streghtened and fedde vnto Immortalitie and whereby wee are Ioined Vnited Incorporate vnto Christe that wee maie abide in him and he in vs. M. Hardinge VVhat ye proncunce of this high Sacrament the wise and careful tenderers of their soules wil be right ware thereof Of you and suche as ye be because your Doctrine is but of a corner of the worlde in respect of the Vniuersal Churche hathe geuen vs a watche woorde Nolite credere beleeue them not In your the Lordes supper celebrated by the Ministers of your owne creation there is not geeuen the Body and Bloud of our Lorde neither to the beleuing nor to the vnbeleuinge For at the celebration of your schismatical supper no * consecration being done * nor Faithe of the Churche * not right intention had * nor Christes institution obserued what deliuer ye to your communicantes but * a peece of Breade and a * sippe of VVine Neither is it * your wil it be more or better At the supper of Our Lorde ministred in the Catholike Churche by Priestes rightly consecrated and as it hath ben accustomed in Christes Churche there is the true and whole Body of our Lorde and saueour geeuen and receiued be the receiuers beleuinge or not beleuinge For when Christe gaue this Sacrament to his Disciples at his last supper after that he had consecrated the same saieing take ye eate ye this is my Body Iudas the traitour as the * Fathers teache receiued his true Body nolesse then Peter Andrewe Iohn or Iames did