hanged vp ouer the Altare made in the forme and shape of a Dooue After this a litle before the ende of this treatise it followeth howe that S. Basile at the houre that he departed out of this life receiued that parte of the hoste himselfe which he had purposed to haue enterred with him in his graue and immediatly as he lay in his bedde gaue thankes to God and rendred vp the ghoste That this was a Priuate Masse no man can denie Basile receiued the Sacrament alone for there was no earthly creature in that Churche with him The people that answeared him were suche as Christe brought with him And that al this was no dreame but a thinge by the wâ—l of God doone in deede though in a vision as it pleased Christe to exhibite Amphilochius plainely witnesseth declaringe 〈◊〉 that one Eubulus and other the chiefe of that Clergie standinge before the gates of the Churche whiles this was in dooinge sawe lightes within the Churche and men clothed in white and hearde a voice of people glorifieinge God and behelde Basile standinge at the Altare and for this cause at his comminge foorthe fel downe prostrate at his feete Here M. Iuel and his consacramenâ—arâ—es doostagger I doubte not for graunte to a Priuate Masse they wil not what so euer be brought for proufe of it And therefore some doubte to auoide this authoritie must be deuised But whereof they should doubte verely I see not If they doubte any thinge of the bringinge of the breade and other necessaries to serue for consecration of the hoste let them also doubte of the Breade and fleash that Elias had in the ponde of Carithe Let them doubte of the breade and potte of water he had vnder the Iuniper tree in Bersabee Let them doubte of the potte of potage brought to Daniel for his dinner from Iewrie into the Caue of Lions at Babylon by Abacuk the Prophete But perhaps they doubte of the â—uthoritie of Amphilochius that wrote this storie It may wel be that they woulde be gladde to discredite that woorthy Bishop For he was that vigilant Pastour and good gouernour of the Churche who first with Letoius Bishop of Melite and with Flauimus Bishop of Antioche ouerthrew and vtterly vanquished the Heretiques called Messaliani otherwise Euchitae the firste parentes of the Sacrament arie heresie whose opinion was that the holy Eucharistie that is the blessed Sacrament of the Altare doothe neither good nor euil neither profiteth ought nor hurteth Euen as our Sacramentaries doo ascribe al to faithe onely and 40 cal the most woorthiest Sacrament none other but tokeninge breade whiche of it selfe hath no diuine efficacie of operation Therefore I wondre the lesse I say if they woulde Amphilochius his authoritie to be dimished But for this I wil matche them with great Basile who esteemed him so muche who loued him so intierly who honoured him so highly with the dedicatioÌ„ of so excellent woorkes I wil ioyne them also with the learned Bishop Theodoretus who seemeth to geue him so soueraine prayse as to any other Bishop he writeth his stories of neuer naminge him without preface of great honour nowe callinge him admirandum the wonderful at an other time Sapâ—â—enâ—â—ssimum the most wise and most commonly Laudatissimum mostprayse woorthy If they 〈◊〉 Basile him selfe whether he were a man woorthie to obteine by his praier of God such a vision it may please them to peruse what Gregorius Nyssenus what holy Ephrem of Syria and specially what Gregorie Nazianzene wrote of him whiche two Gregories be not affraide to compare him with Elias with Moses with S. Paule and with who so euer was greatest and for vertue of most renoume VVherby without al enuie he hath obteined of al the posteritie to be called Magnus Basile the greate much more for deserte of vertue and learninge then those other for merite of Chiualrie the Great Charles the Great Pompey the Great Alexander If they denie the whole treatise and say that it was neuer of Amphilochius dooinge that were a shifte in deede but yet the woorst of al and furthest from reason and custome of the best learned and muche like the facte of kinge Alexander who beinge desirous to vndoe the fatal knotte at Gordium a towne in Phrygia hearinge that the Empier of the worlde was boded by an olde prophecie to him that coulde vnknitte it not findinge out the endes of the strenges nor perceiuinge by what meanes he coulde doo it drewe foorth his swoorde and hewed it in pieces supplyinge wante of skil with wilful violence For thautoritic of this treatise this muche I can say Byside that it is set foorth in a Booke of certaine holie mennes liues printed in Colen and biside very great likelihoode appearinge in the treatise it selfe it is to be seene in the Librarie of S. Nazarius in the Citie of Verona in Italie writen in veleme for three hundred yeeres past bearinge the name of Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium The B. of Sarisburie If this serue not the turne nothinge I trowe wil euer serue The authoritie of S. Basile and Amphilochius is so greate the mater so cleare the wonder so straunge the antiquitie so auncient the fable so likely the dreame so plaine The original hereof at Verona in Italie in the Librarie of Nazarius keapte as a Relique faire writen in veleme aboue thrée hundred yéeres agoe Basile a woorthie Bishop Ephrem a holy Father Amphilochius a man that had conference with the heauenly powers Not one shewe or circumstance leafte out that may serue to winne credite And what shoulde néede so muche a doo if there were not some suspicion in the mater He that neuer saw this Booke nor knoweth the contentes thereof happely by suche circumstances and colours may be deceiued But I mee selfe haue had this vnknowen Doctour in my poore Librarie these twentie yéeres and more written likewise in veleme as true as faire and of as good recorde in al respectes as that other of Verona in déede not vnder the name of Amphilochius but no doubtes very auncient as it may soone appeare For the same Authour in the same booke hath written also the life of Thomas Becket who liued at the least seuen hundred yéeres after that Amphilochius this writer was dead Therefore that storie writen by him of one that was to come so many hundred yéeres after him must needes be a Prophecie and not a storie The very names of olde godly Fathers are woorthy of muche honoure But as it is wel knowen many vaine tales haue béene couered vnder the name of olde Fathers The life of S. Basile hath béene set foorthe fully and faithefully by sundrie olde woorthie writers as by his owne Brother Gregorius Nyssenus by his déere frende Gregorie Nazianzene by Gregorius Presbyter by Socrates by Theodoretus by Sozomenus by Nicephorus touched also in diuerse places by Chrysostome And not withstandinge of late yéeres he that wrote Vitas
folowe any other Gospel accursed be he Yet was neither S. Ambrose nor Anastasius the Bishop of Rome As for the Execution of Sentence and Depriuinge or Deposinge of Bishops M. Hardinge knoweth the Bishop of Romes authoritie was to weake And therfore Innocentius saithe of Pelagius Quibus acceptis literis aut quando committer se nostro Iudicio Vpon what letters or when wil he yelde him selfe to my iudgemente For this cause Felix the Bishop of Rome praied ayde of the Emperour Zeno And the Emperour answeared Admisimus depositionem Anthymi We haue admitted the Deposition of Anthymus Otherwise the Popes sentence had béene in vayne And therefore the Emperour Constantinus saith of him selfe Si quis Episcoporum inconsultè tumultuatus sir Ministri Dei hoc est mea executione illius audacia coercebitur If any Bishop vndiscretely reare tumulte his rashenesse shal be repressed by the handes of Goddes Minister that is By my Execution And likewise the Emperour Iustinian hath set out a lawe in this sorte Si quis Episcopus definitum tempus emanserit c. If any Bishop tarie out his time appointed and beinge called home refuse to come let him be depriued and put from his Churche and an other better chosen in his roome he addeth by the vertue of this present Lavve By the force of this Lawe Bishops were deposed For without it the Pope was not hable to put his sentence in execution Nowe if M. Hardinge wil reason thus The Pope excommunicated other Bishoppes Ergo He was Heade of the Churche Then of the same principle we may wel to the contrary reason thus The Pope him selfe was Excommunicate by other Bishoppes Ergo The Pope was not the Heade of the Churche For the Antecedent That the Pope was pronounced Excommunicate by other Bishoppes it is out of question For it is recorded in the Ecclesiastical storie that Iulius beinge Bishoppe of Rome was Excommunicate by the Bishoppes of the Easte Pope Leo was excommunicate by Dioscorus Pope Uigilius was Excommunicate by Menna the Bishop of Constantinople And Pope Honorius was Excommunicate by the sixthe Councel holden at Constantinople Or if M. Hardinge repose more force in deposinge of Bishoppes then in Excommunication then let him likewise remember That Pope Iulius was deposed by the Bishoppes of the East as it is recorded by Sozomenus Pope Hildebrande by the Councel of Brixia Pope Iohn by the Councel of Constance Pope Eugenius by the Councel of Basile and two Popes togeather Syluerius and Uigilius by the Emperour Iustinian Thus M. Hardinges owne groundes ouerthrowe his whole buildinge and conclude plainely against him selfe M. Hardinge The .25 Diuision For the Popes auctoritie concerninge Confirmation of the Ordinations and Elections of 110 al Bishoppes many examples might easely be alleged as the request made to Iulius by the .90 Ariane Bishoppes assembled in Councel at Antioche against Athanasius that he woulde voutchsafe to ratifie and confirme those that they had chosen in place of Athanasius Paulus Marcellus and others whome they had condemned and depriued Also the earnest sute whiche Theodosius the Emperour made to Leo for confirmation of Anatolius and likewise that Martianus the Emperour made to him for confirmation of Proterius bothe Bishoppes of Alexandria as it appeareth by their letters written to Leo in their fauour And as for Anatolius Leo woulde not in any wise order and confirme him onlesse he woulde firste professe that he beleeued and helde the doctrine whiche was conteined in Leo his Epistle to Flauianus and woulde further by writinge witnesse that he agreed with Cyrillus and the other Catholike Fathers againste Nestorius For this if nothinge elles coulde be alleged the testimonie of holy Gregory were sufficient to make good credite Who vnderstandinge that Maximus was ordred Bishop of Salonae a Citie in Illyrico without the auctoritie and confirmation of the See Apostolike standinge in doubte least perhappes that had beene donne by commaundement of Mauritius the Emperour who did many other thinges wickedly thereof writeth to Constantina the Empresse thus Salonitanae ciuitatis Episcopus me ac responsali meo nesciente ordinatus est Et facta est res quae sub nullis anterioribus Principibus euenit The Bishop of the Citie of Salonae saith he is ordred neither I nor my deputie made priuie to it And herein that thinge hath beene done which neuer happened in the time of any Princes before our daies Thus it appeareth that before a thousande yeeres pasâ—e Bishoppes had their Ordination and Election confirmed by the See Apostolike The B. of Sarisburie If this reason may stande for good and who so euer hath the allowinge of the Election or Consecration of Bishoppes muste therefore be taken as Heade of the Churche then must the Church of necessitie haue many Heades For it is certaine the allowance hereof perteineth to many S. Ambrose saithe that al the Bishoppes bothe of the East and of the Weast gaue their Consent and Allowance to his Election Theodosius the Emperour standinge in the defence of Flauianus the Bishop of Constantinople saith That al the Bishops of the East of Asia Pontus Thracia and Illyricum had allowed his Election Eudoxius entred into the Bishoprike of Antioche without the allowance and Consent of Georgius the Bishop of Laodicea and of Marcus the Bishop of Arethusa and of other Bishoppes that had interest therein and is reproued for the same Gregorius Presbyter saithe for that the Election and Installation of Gregorie Nazianzene was paste before the Bishoppes of Egipte and Macedonia were come and so made without their consent that therefore they vtterly refused to allowe him or to admitte him as Bishop there not for any mislikinge in the partie but for that they thought them selues defrauded of their voices Anacletus decreeth thus Episcopus non minus quam à tribus Episcopis reliquisque omnibus assensum praebentibus vllatenus ordinetur Let a Bishop in no wise be ordred of lesse then three Bishoppes al the rest geuinge their assent to the same Hereby it appeareth that to the ratifieinge of the Election of any one Bishop the consent of al other Bishoppes within that Prouince was thought necessary Whiche Consent they testified emonge them selues by writinge letters of conference one to an other And therefore when Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople had intitled him selfe the Uniuersal Bishop Gregorie counselled Eulogius the Bishop of Alexandria and other Bishoppes of the East neither to write to him nor to receiue letters from him by that title Likewise the Bishoppes of the East when they had Excommunicate Iulius the Bishop of Rome gaue commaundement that no man shoulde either receiue his letters or write vnto him in token they helde him for no Bishop Neither did onely Bishoppes allowe such Elections but also bothe the Prince and the people When S. Ambrose beinge once chosen and appointed Bishop of Millane beganne
knowledge expoundeth it or if either his woordes or his purpose of writinge may seeme any way to leade to that ende then may M. Hardinge séeme to haue some honest colour for his defence Otherwise wée may iustly say He racketh the Doctours and forceth them to speake what him listeth to sâ—rue his tâ—rne First it is certaine that in al that Epistle S. Cyprian neuer gaue vnto Câ—rnelius any suche ambitious Title but onely calleth him by the name of Brother For thus he saluteth him Cyprian vnto his Brother Cornelius sendeth greetinge And maketh his entrie in this wise Deere Brother I haue readde your letters Thus S. Cyprian beinge Bishop of Carthage claimeth brotherhoode and equalitie with the Pope One special occasion of his writinge vnto Cornelius was this emongst others Cornelius being Bishop of Rome and hauinge Excommunicate certaine notorious wicked men and afterwarde beinge threatened and il vsed at their handes began to fainte and to be weary of his office S. Cyprian hearinge thereof wrote comfortably vnto him willed him in any wise to procéede and to deale boldly not to yéelde consideringe it was Gods cause and not his awâ—e Amonge other woordes he saith thus Christiani non vltrà aut durare aut esse possumus si ad hoc ventum est vt perditorum minas insidias pertimescamus Wee can no lenger continue or be Christian men if wee beinge Bishoppes once beginne to shrinke at the threates and fetches of the â—icked Upon occasion hereof he sheweth what hurte and confusion of Sectes Schismes insueth in any Prouince or Diocesse wâ—ere as the Bishops Authoritie and Ecclesiastical Discipline is despised For euery Bishop saith S. Cyprian within his owne Diocese is the Priest of God and for his time is a Iudge appointed in the place of Christe and as the Churche is one so ought he likewise to be but one And thus he writeth generally of the authoritie of al Bishops not onely of the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome And notwithstandinge he directeth his Epistle onely to Cornelius yet are al his reasons general and touche bothe him selfe beinge Bishop of Carthage and also al other Bishoppes what so euer Now therefore to drawe that thinge by violence to one onely Bishop that is generally spoken of al Bishops it is a guileful fetche to misâ—eade the Reader and no simple or plaine dealinge But M. Hardinge séemeth to grounde his errour vpon the mistakinge of these woordes of S. Cyprian Vnus Sacerdos and Fraternitas vniuersa That is One Bishop and The whole Brotherhoode For where as S. Cyprian saith There must be one Bishop in a Churche he imagineth there must be one Bishop to rule ouer the whole vniuersal Church And where as againe S. Cyprian saith The whole Brotherhoode must obey one Bishop He geathereth that al Christian people throughout the whole worlde which he vntruely calleth The whole Brotherhoode must be obedient vnto one vniuersal Bishop And thus he buildeth one errour vpon an other But mistakinge of the Doctour maketh no sufficient prouâ—e It maye soone appeare S. Cyprian meante that for the auoiding of Schismes and diuisions there ought to be onely one Bishop within one Diocese and not one Bishop to rule ouer al the worlde For thus he expoundeth his owne meaninge Cùm post primum esse non possit quisquam qui post vnum qui solus esse debet factus est iam non secundus ille sed nullus est Seeing that after the first Bishop is chosen there can be none other who so is made Bishop after that one whiche must needes be alone is nowe not the seconde Bishop but in deede is no Bishop So likewise when the Heretique Nouatus had by wicked practise diuided the people of Rome into Sectes and had solemnely sworne them that gaue eare vnto him that they should no more returne vnto Cornelius the Bishop there and so had rent one Bishoprike into twoo and made twoo Bishoppes in one Citie Cornelius complaining thereof vnto Fabius the Bishop of Antioche and informinge him of the same writeth thus vnto him Nouatus nescit vnum Episcopum in Catholica Ecclesia esse debere Nouatus knoweth not that there oughte to be but one Bishop in a Catholique Churche not meaning thereby the whole vniuersal Churche throughout the worlde but onely his owne particular Churche of Rome So when Chrysostome the Bishop of Constantinople sawe Sisinius beare him self as Bishop within the same Citie he saide vnto him One Citie may not haue twoo Bishoppes So likewise S. Hierome saithe that notwithstanding the power of al priestes by the authoritie of Goddes woorde be one and equal yet menne by policie to auoide contention appointed one prieste in euery Citie to order and to directe his brethren Thus was the vnitie of the whole Churche preserued Thus were al Churches as one Churche And all Bishoppes as one Bishop For who so dissented from one dissented from al. So saithe S. Cyprian Ecclesia cohaerentium sibi inuicem Sacerdotum glutino copulatur The churche is coupled and ioined in one by consent of Bishops agreeing togeather Likewise againe he saithe Hanc vnitatem firmiter tenere vendicare debemus maximè Episcopi qui in Ecclesia praesidemus vt Episcopatum quoque ipsum vnum indiuisum probemus This vnitie must we keepe and defende specially that be Bishoppes and beare rule in the Churche that we may declare in deede that our Bishoprike is one and not diuided And therefore S. Hierome saithe Episcopi nouerint in commune debere se Ecclesiam regere Let Bishoppes vnderstande that they ought to gouerne the Church in common â–ª or as al in one In this sense is euery Bishop for his time as S. Cyprian saithe in the steede of Christe to euery suche Christe saithe He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And therefore Ignatius saithe The Bishop in his Churche is the forme of God the Father of al And so muche as is possible resembleth in his office Christe our God For this cause S. Cyprian saithe Hereof spring Schismes and Heresies for thaâ— the priest of God in euery seueral Diocese is not obeied As likewise againe he saithe to like purpose Qui cum Episcopo non sunt in Ecclesia non sunt They that be not with the Bishop be not in the Churche So likewise Ignatius They that be of Christe are with the Bishop Thus S. Cyprian spake these woordes generally of the authoritie of al Bishops in their seueral dioceses and not of any special authoritie of the Bishop of Rome as â—t is here vntruely affirmed by M. Hardinge But he wil replie S. Cyprian saith Vniuersa fraterniâ—as That is The whole Brotherhoode ought to be obedient to that one Bishop And that whole brotherhoode must needes be the whole companie of al Christian people Notwithstanding this
wel as Peter What a fable then is this that M. Harding with his Athanasius hath brought in That power to binde and loose is geuen to the holie See of Rome by special priuilege aboue al others Nowe gentle Reader shortely and simply to laie al the effecte hereof before thine eyes M. Hardinges Canons were burnte before they were euer made They were burnte and yet were they falsified They were falsified and yet were they burnte too This Athanasius informeth Marcus the Bishop of Rome of the burninge of them niene yéeres before the fiere was made The Pope is founde in manifest forgerie and that by the witnesse of the Patriarkes of Constantinople and Antioche and of al the Bishopes and the whole Councel of Aphrica S. Augustine him selfe beinge presente M. Hardinge saithe The Pope hath the custodie of these Inuisible Canons The Pope himselfe saieth he hath none of them Theise Canons be plaine contrarie not onely to the olde Catholique fathers but also to other Canons of the same Councel The Bishoppes in the Councel of Aphrica openly mislike the Popes attempt in this behalfe and cal it worldly pride and vaine ambition Suche warrant hath M. Hardinge to auaunce the state of the See of Rome M. Hardinge The .7 Diuision For further declaration of this matter it were easie here to allege the Councel of Sardica the Councel of Chalcedon certaine Councelles of Aphrica yea some Councels also holden by Heretiques and sundrie other but suche store of authorities commonly knowen these may suffice The B. of Sarisburie These Councelles are brought foorthe al in a mummerie saieinge nothinge Therefore I might safely passe them ouer vntil they had learned to speake somewhat Yet for as muche as these menne thinke it good policie to huddle vp their maters in the darke it wil not be amisse to rippe them abroade and to bringe them foorthe into the light In the Councel of Chalcedon it is decréed thus Teneat Aegyptus vt Episcopus Alexandriae omnium habeat potestatem quoniam Romano Episcopo haec est consuetudo Similiter qui in Antiochia constitutus est Let Aegypte holde this order that the Bishop of Alexandria haue the Iurisdiction of al thinges there For the Bishop of Rome holdeth the same order within his Diuision So likewise let the Bishop of Antioche By this Councel euery of these Patriarkes had his power limited within him selfe and none of them to haue dominion ouer other The Fathers in the Councel of Aphrica wherein M. Hardinge would séeme to haue some affiance haue decréed thus Ne primae Sedis Episcopus appelletur Princeps Sacerdotum aut Summus Sacerdos aut aliquid huiusmodi sed tantùm Primae Sedis Episcopus That the Bishop of the First See be not called the chiefe of Priestes or the highest Priest or by any other like title but onely the Bishop of the First See And againe If any shal thinke it good to appeale let them appeale onely to Councelles to be holden within Aphrica or els to the Primates of their owne Prouinces But who so euer shal appeale beyonde the Seas that is to the Bishop of Rome let no man within Aphrica receiue him to his Communion Thus muche onely for a taste I thinke M. Hardinge wil not geather hereof that the Bishop of Rome was called vniuersal Bishop or the Heade of the vniuersal Churche M. Hardinge The .8 Diuision The Christen Princes that ratified and confirmed with their Proclamations and Edictes the Decrees of the Canons concerninge the Popes primacie and gaue not to him firste that auctoritie as the Aduersaries doo vntruly reporte were 99 Iustinian and Phocas the Emperours The woordes of Iustinians edicte be these Sancimus secundum canonum definitiones Sanctissimum senioris Romae Papam primum esse omnium Sacerdotum VVe ordeine accordinge to the determinations of the Canons that the most holy Pope of the elder Rome be formest and chiefe of al Priestes About three scoare and tenne yeeres after Iustinian Phocas the Emperour in the time of Bonifacius to represse the arrogancie of the Bishop of Constantinople as Paulus Diaconus writeth who vainely and as Gregorie saithe contrary to our Lordes teachinges and the Decrees of the Canons and for that wickedly tooke vpon him the name of the Vniuersal or oecumenical Bishop and wrote him selfe chiefe of al Bishoppes made the like Decree and ordinance that the holy See of the Romaine and Apostolike Churche shoulde be holden for the Heade of al Churches The B. of Sarisburie Emperours Princes and others haue béene fauourably inclined sometime to the parties in respect of their places sometime to the places for the admiration and reuerence of the parties Theodosius Themperour saide He neuer saw Bishop that bare him selfe as a Bishop in deede but onely S. Ambrose Constantinus Themperour said of Eusebius the Bishop of Caesaria Dignus est qui sit Episcopus non tantùm vnius Ciuitatis sed etiam propè Vniuersi Orbis He is woorthy to be the Bishop not onely of one Citie but also in a manner of the whole worlde In respecte of places they were moued either for their Antiquitie or for their Authoritie and Ciuile power or for the commoditie of the situation or for some other good consideration and circumstance to fauour them and to graunte them priuileges aboue others Thus the Emperour Iustinian had a special inclination to the Citie of Constantinople for that it was now growen in wealth and puisance and for the state nobilitie thereof called Noua Roma Newe Rome And for that it was as he saithe Mater pietatis nostrae Christianorum Orthodoxae Religionis omnium That is The Mother of his Maiestie and of al Christian menne of the Catholike Faithe For like consideration the Emperour gaue out this special priuilege in fauour of the See of Rome Sancimus secundum Canonum definitiones sanctissimum Senioris Romae Papam primum esse omnium Sacerdotum We Decree accordinge to the determinations of the Canons that the most holy Pope of the Elder Rome be the firste or formest of al Priestes And by the waye leaste any errour happen to growe of this woorde Papa it behooueth thée good Reader to vnderstande that Papa in olde times in the Gréeke tongue signified a Father as appeareth by that Iuppiter the greate Idole that was honoured as God in Bithynia was called Papa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iuppiter Papa And further that in S. Augustines time and before the same name was geuen not onely or specially to the Bishop of Rome but also generally to al Bishoppes The Priestes and Deacons of Rome write thus vnto S. Cyprian the Bishop of Carthage Cypriano Papae Vnto Pope Cyprian And Galerius the Iudge hauinge S. Cyprian in examination for the Christian Faithe saide thus vnto him Tu es quem Christiani Papam suū nominant Art thou he whome the Christians cal their Pope So
likewise S. Hierome intitleth his Epistles vnto S. Augustine being Bishop of Hippo. Hieronymus beatissimo Papae Augustino Hierome vnto Augustine the most holy Pope Thus muche onely by the waye But to returne to the mater M. Hardinge may not of euery thinge that he readeth conclude what he listeth This priuilege graunted vnto the Bishop of Rome to be the firste of al Priestes was not to beare the whole swaye and to ouer rule al the worlde but onely in General méetinges Councelles to sitte in placâ— aboue al others and for auoidinge of confusion to directe and order them in their dooinges Themperours woordes be plaine Praerogatiua in Episcoporum Concilio vel extra Concilium ante alios residendi A prerogatiue in the Councel of Bishoppes or without the Councel to sit in order aboue others This prerogatiue in Gréeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the priuilege of the first place And these phrases in that tongue be knowen and common 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Like as also these in the Latine Tongue Obtinere primas secundas tertias That is To haue the preeminence of the First Seconde or Thirde place And that the Emperour Iustinian meante onely thus and none otherwise it is manifest euen by the selfe same place that M. Hardinge hath here alleged His woordes stande thus Sancimus c. Senioris Romae Papam primum esse omnium Sacerdotum Beatissimum autem Archiepiscopum Constantinopoleos Nouae Romae secundum habere locum Wee ordeine that the Pope of the Elder Rome shal be the first of al Priestes and that the most holy Archebyshop of Constantinople whiche is named New Rome haue the Seconde place Hereby it is plaine that this priuilege standeth onely in placinge the Bishop of Rome in the first seate aboue others But I beseeche thée gentle Reader weigh wel the woordes that folow in the same Lawe thou shalt sée bothe that M. Hardinges dealinge herein is not vpright and also that the Bishop of Rome was then excluded by plaine woordes from that Uniuersal power which he now so deepely dreameth of It foloweth immediately Beatissimum Archiepiscopum Primae Iustinianae Patriae nostrae habere semper sub sua Iurisdictione Episcopos ProuinciaruÌ„ Daciae Daniae Dardaniae Mysiae atque Pannoniae Et ab eo hos ordinari ipsum verò a proprio ordinari Concilio in subiectis sibi prouincijs locum obtinere eum Sedis Apostolicae Romae Wee ordeine that the most holy Archebishop of Iustiniana the first whiche is in oure Countrie shal haue for euer vnder his Iurisdiction the Bishoppes of the Prouinces of Dacia Dania Dardania Mysia and Pannonia and that they shal be inuested by him and he onely by his owne Councel and that he in the Prouinces subiecte vnto him shal haue the place of the Apostolique See of Rome Here wée sée The Bishop of Iustiniana set in as high Authoritie and power within his owne Iurisdiction as the Bishop of Rome within his In like sorte the Emperour Iustinian saith Ecclesia vrbis Constantinopolitanae Romae veteris praerogatiua laetatur The Churche of the Citie of Constantinople enioyeth nowe the Prerogatiue of Rome the Elder Now if the Bishop of Iustiniana and the Bishop of Rome in their seueral diuisions haue like authoritie And if the Church of Constantinople in al prerogatiues and priuileges be made equal with the Citie of Rome then is not the Bishop of Romes power Uniuersal neither can he iustly be called the Head of the Uniuersal Churche Uerily Iustinian him selfe writinge vnto Epiphanius the Bishop of Constantinople calleth him the Vniuersal Patriarke whiche thinge he woulde not haue doone if he had thought that title of right had belonged to the Bishop of Rome The argument that M. Hardinge geathereth of Iustinians woordes is this The Bishop of Rome had the first place in General Councels Ergo he was an Uniuersal Bishop Whiche argument what weight it beareth I leaue to M. Hardinge to consider But the Emperour Phocas gaue this special graunte to the Sée of Rome that the Bishop there should be called The Head of al Churches But M. Harding knoweth this graunte was made vnto Bontfacius the thirde whiche was Byshop in Rome in the yeere of our Lorde siâ—e hundred and .viii. euen at the same very time that Mahomet first began to plante his Doctrine in Arabia and therefore maketh nothinge to this purpose as being without the compasse of sixe hundred yeeres Notwithstandinge bothe Platyna and Sabellicus say that Bonifacius hardly and with muche a doo gotte the same then to be graunted How be it for as muche as M. Hardinge woulde séeme to founde his supremacie vpon some godly man it may please thee good Reader to vnderstande that this Phocas being but a Souldeour by treason and conspiracie layed handes vpon his liege Lorde and Maister the Emperour Mauritius in cruel sorte did him to death The manner whereof was this First he commaunded foorthe the Emperours yongest sonne and caused him to be slaine euen in the sight of his Father and so the seconde and then the thirde and afterwarde the wife Mauritius heauily lookinge on and lamentinge and saieinge vnto God O Lorde thou arte iuste and iust is thy iudgement Last of al he vsed the like tyrannie vpon him also and laide the Emperour his wife and his children in a heape togeather Afterwarde duringe the time of his Phocas God séemed vtterly to withdraw his blissing Fraunce Spaine Germanie Lombardie and the greatest parte of the East fel from the Empier for euer such a wrecke to the state as neuer had been séene before After he had thus liued and committed sundrie Murders and other greate mischiefes Post multa homicidia alia malefacta the people tooke him and slew him and threw him into the fier This was he that first proclaimed the Bishop of Rome to be heade of the Uniuersal Churche M. Hardinge The .9 Diuision Of the Doctours what shal I say Verily this mater is so often and so commonly reported of them that their saieinges laied togeather woulde scantly be comprised within a greate volume The recital of a few shal here geue a taste as it were of the whole and so suffice Irâ—naeus hauinge muche praised the Churche of Rome at length vttereth these woordes by which the soueraintie thereof is confessed Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem conuenire Ecclesiam hoc est eos qui vndique sunt fideles To this Church of Rome it is necessary al the Churche that is to say al that be faithful any where to repaire and come togeather for the mightier principalitie of the same that is to witte for that it is of mightier power and auctoritie then other Churches and the principallest of al. The B. of Sarisburie Touchinge the Doctours M. Hardinge findeth him selfe much troubled with the number of
owne persons Whiche is plainely gathered of Theodoretus his Ecclesiastical storie who writeth thus Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia who was the chiefe piller of the Arianes and they that ioyned with him in that faction falsely accused Athanasius to Iulius the Bishop of Rome Iâ—â—ius folowinge the Ecclesiastical rule commaunded them to come to Rome and caused the reuerende Athanasius to be cited to iudgement regulariter after the order of the Canons He came â–ª The false accusers went not to Rome knowinge right wel that their forged lye might easily be deprehended In the cause and defence of Iohn Chrysostome these Bishops came from Constantinople to Innocentius the Pope Pansophus Bishop of Pisidia Pappus of Syria Demetrius of the seconde Galatia and Eugenius of Phrygia These were suiters for Chrysostome He him selfe treated his mater with Innocentius by writinge In his Epistle emonge other thinges he writeth thus Least this outragious confusion runne ouer al and beare rule euery where write I pray you and determine by your auctoritie suche wicked actes doone in our absence and when we withdrewe not our selues from iudgement to be of no force as by their owne nature truely they be voide and vtterly none Furthermore who haue committed these euils 107 put you them vnder the Censure of the Churche And as for vs sithe that we are innocent neither conuicte neither founde in any defaulte nor proued giltie of any crime geue commaundement that we be restored to our Churches againe that we maie enioye the accustomed charitie and peace with our bretherne Innocentius after that he vnderstoode the whole mater pronounced and Decreed the iudgement of Theophilus that was against Chrysostome to be voyde and of no force This whole tragedie is at large set foorthe by Palladius Bishop of Helenopolis In vita Iohannis Chrisostomi who liued at that time By this Appeale of Chrysostome and by the whole handelinge of the mater and specially by the purporte of his Epistle to Innocentius The Superioritie of the Pope is euidently acknowleged And so is it plainely confessed by Athanasius and the Bishoppes of Aegypte Thebais and Lybia assembled in Councel at Alexandria by these woordes of their Epistle to Foelix Vestrum est enim nobis manum porrigere c. It is your parte saye they to streatche foorthe your helpinge hande vnto vs because we are committed vnto you It is your parte to defende vs and deliuer vs it is our parte to seeke helpe of you and to obey your Commaundementes And a litle after For we knowe that you beare the cure and charge of the Vniuersal Churche and specially of Bishoppes who in respecte of their contemplation and speculation are called the eyes of our Lorde as alwaies the Prelates of your See firste the Apostles then their Successours haue doone Theodoretus that learned Bishop of Cyrus beside the Epistle he wrote to Leo for succour and helpe in his troubles in an other that he wrote to Renatus a priest neare aboute Leo sayeth thus Spoliarunt me Sacerdotio c. They haue violently robbed me of my Bishoprike they haue caste me foorth of the Cities neither hauinge reuerenced mine age spente in Religion nor my hoare heares VVherefore I beseeche thee that thou perswade the most holie Archebishop he meaneth Leo to vse his Apostolike auctoritie and to commaunde vs to come vnto your Councel or Consistorie For this Holie See holdeth the Rudther and hath the gouernement of the Churches of the whole worlde partely for other respectes but specially for that it hath euermore continued cleare from stinche of Heresie and that none euer sate in it who was of contrary opinion but rather hath euer kepte the Apostolike grace vndefiled In whiche woordes of Theodoretus this chiefely is to be marked that the holie See of Rome as he saithe hath the gouernment of the Churches of al the worlde most for this cause that it was neuer infected with Heresie as al other Churches founded by the Apostles were The B. of Sarisburie It is certaine that the Bishops of Rome to atteine the preeminence and fulnes of power ouer al the worlde letted not to vse many ambitious and importune meanes and manifestly to falsifie the Canons of the Holie Councel of Nice Sithence whiche time they haue not beene idle but haue forged new Canons to this purpose vnder the name of Clemens Anacletus Euaristus Telesphorus Higinus and other Martyrs and bisides haue diuised other like Canons of their owne The Decretal Epistle that is abrode vnder the name of Iulius séemeth to sauour of some corruption bothe for sundrie other causes and also for that it agréeeth not with the very true Epistle of Iulius whiche Athanasius allegeth in his Apologie and yet ought bothe these Epistles to be al one without difference Wherfore we haue good cause to thinke That al is not Gospel that commeth from Rome Thus ambitiously to auance them selues vnder pretence of suche Appeales oftentimes not vnderstandinge the case as it wel appeareth by that is written of Apiarius and by the storie of Flauianus and Eutyches they founde faulte with good Catholique Bishops and receiued Heretiques into their fauour wherwithal the Bishoppes in the General Councel of Aphrica fynde them selues muche gréeued Firste therefore I must shewe that there laye no such ordinarie Appeale from al Countreis of the worlde to the Bishop of Rome that therefore the same is by M. Hardinge vntruely auouched That doone I trust it shal not be harde to answeare these places of Chrysostome Athanasius and Theodoretus here alleged And that there laye not any suche Appeale to Rome it is plaine by consent of General Councelles by the authoritie of Holie Fathers and by the Lawes and Ordinances of Emperours and Princes By whiche groundes it is easie to vnderstande the practise and order of the Churche in those dayes In the Councel of Nice it is Decréed thus Ab alijs excommunicati ab alijs ad Communionem ne recipiantur Let not them that stande Excommunicate by one Bishop be receiued againe to the Communion by any other M. Hardinges Appeales and these woordes can not wel stande togeather But he wil saye The Bishop eyther of ignorance or of malice maye Excommunicate the partie wrongfully In this case the same Councel hath prouided remedie of Appeale not vnto the Bishop of Rome but vnto a Prouincial Synode within the Countrey These be the woordes Ergo vt haec possint digna examinatione perquiri rectâ— visum est per singulos annos in singulis prouincijs bis in anno Episcoporum Concilium fieri vt simul in vnum conuenientes ex communi Prouincia huiusmodi quaestiones examinent Therefore that these thinges maye be wel examined it is wel prouided that euery yeere in euery Prouince at two seueral times there be holden a Councel of Bishops that they meetinge togeather out of al partes of the Prouince maye heare and determine suche complaintes The Bishoppes in the Councel holden at Tela in
auoucheth by these woordes Tametsi solus sim qui scripsi tamen non meam solius sententiam sed omnium Italorum omnium in his regionibus Episcoporum scripsi Not withstandinge I alone wrote yet it was not mine owne minde onely that I wrote but also the minde of the Bishoppes of Italie and of al other Bishoppes of these Countries So likewise Innocentius the Bishop of Rome being very desirous to restoare Chrysostome and to recouer the vnitie of the Churche not of him selfe or by his owne authoritie but by the Decrée and consent of a Councel holden in Italie sente Messingers into the East And sittinge with others in the Councel he tooke not vpon him that Uniuersal power that is now imagined but had his voice equal with his brethren as it appeareth by Meltiades Bishop of Rome that satte with three Bishoppes of Gallia and fourtéene other Bishoppes of Italie to determine the controuersie betwéene Caecilianus and Donatus a casis nigris Now to come to the prosecution of the mater M. Hardinge knoweth that the Bishoppes of the East vnderstoode not this singular Authoritie or Prerogatiue of the Bishop of Rome and therefore beinge called obeied not the summon nor had any regarde vnto his sentence as it is many waies easy to be séene Therefore they returned vnto Iulius this answeare Si nostris placitis assentiri volueritis pacem vobiscum Communionem habere volumus Sin verò aliter egeritis eis amplius quà m nobis assentiri iudicaueritis contraria celebrabimus deinceps nec vobiscum congregari nec vobis obedire nec vobis vestrisue fauere volumus If you wil agree vnto oure orders wee wil haue peace and communion with you But if you wil otherwise doo and rather agree vnto our aduersaries then vnto vs then wil we publishe the contrary and hencefoorthe neither wil wee â—itte in Councel with you nor obey you nor beare good wil either to you or to any of yours This imperfection and weakenesse of their owne dooinges the Bishoppes of Rome them selues vnderstoode and confessed For thus Innocentius writeth vnto S. Augustine Alypius and others in Aphrica touchinge Pelagius Si adhuc taliter sentit cvm sciat se damnandum esse quibus acceptis literis aut quandose nostro iudicio committet Quòd si accersendus esset id ab illis melius fieret qui magis proximi non Iongo terrarum spatio videntur esse disiuncti If he continue stil in one minde knowing that I wil pronounce against him at what request of letters or when wil he commit him selfe to our iudgement If it be good he were called to make answeare it were better some others called him that are neare at hande c. And therfore Iulius the Bishop of Rome findinge his owne infirmitie herein wrote vnto the Emperour Constans and opened vnto him the whole mater and besought him to write vnto his brother Constantius that it might please him to sende the Bishops of the East to make answeare to that they had doone against Athanasius Euen so the Cleargie of the Citie of Antioche in the like case of trouble and spoile wrote vnto Iohn the Patriarke of Constantinople to intreate the Emperour in their behalfe It appeareth hereby that this Infinite Authoritie and Prerogatiue power ouer al the worlde in those daies was not knowen I thinke it hereby plainely and sufficiently prooued first that the Bishop of Rome had no authoritie to receiue appeales from al partes of the worlde and that by the Councelles of Nice of Tele of Mileuitum and of Aphrica by S. Cyprian and by the Emperours Martian and Iustinian Nexte that M. Hardinge the better to furnishe his mater hath notoriousely falsified Chrysostomes woordes thrée times in one place Thirdely that Chrysostomes letter vnto Innocentius conteined mater of complainte but no appeale whiche thinge is also prooued by the very woordes and tenour of the letter by the Bishoppes of Romes owne confession and by the imperfection and weakenesse of their dooinges For the lawe saith Iurisdictio sine modica coerctione nulla est Iurisdiction without some compussion is no Iurisdiction In déede by way of compromisse and agréement of the parties maters were sometimes brought to be hearde and ended by the Bishoppe of Rome as also by other Bishoppes but not by any ordinarie processe or course of Lawe And so it appeareth this mater betwéene Athanasius and the Arians was first brought vnto Iulius for that the Arians willingely desired him for trial therof to cal a Councel For thus Iulius him selfe writeth vnto the Bishoppes of the East as it is before alleged Si Macario Hesychio nullam Synodum postulantibus adhortator fuissem vt ad Synodum qui ad me scripsissent conuocarentur idque in gratiam fiatrum qui se iniuriam pati conquerebantur etiam ita iusta fuisset mea cohortatio I am verò vbi iâ—dem illi qui a vobis pro grauibus viris fidedignis habiti sunt authores mihi fuerint vt vos conuocarem certâ— id a vobis aegrè ferri non debuit If I had geuen aduise vnto your messingers Macarius and Hesychius that they that had written vnto me might be called â—o a Councel and that in consideration of our Brethren whiche complained they suffred wronge although neither of them had desired the same yet had mine aduise benne voyde of iniurie But now seeinge the same men whom you tooke to be graue and woorthy of credite haue made suite vnto mee that I should cal you verily ye should not take it in il parte Hereby it is plaine that Iulius tooke vpon him to cal these parties not by any suche Uniuersal Iurisdiction as M. Hardinge fansieth but onely by the consent and request of bothe parties And therefore Iulius saith He caused Athanasius to be cited Regulariter that is according to order for the order of iudgement is that a man be first called and then accused and last of al condemned but he meaneth not thereby the order of the Canons as M. Hardinge expoundeth it For touchinge appeales to Rome there was no Canon yet prouided The counterfeite Epistle of Athanasius to Felix is answeared before Theodoretus was deposed and bannished and cruelly intreated as it appeareth by his letters vnto Renatus and therfore the woordes that he vseth are rather tokens of his miseries and wante of healpe then certaine testimonies of his iudgement For euery man is naturally inclined to extolle him and to auance his power at whose hande he seeketh healpe But if it were graunted it was lawful then for the Bishoppe of Rome to receiue al manner appeales in such order as it is pretended yet cannot M. Harding thereof necessarily conclude that the Bishop of Rome was the Head of the Uniuersal Churche For Ostiensis saith Appeales may be made not onely from the lower Iudge vnto the higher but also from equal to equal And in this order as it
vsque contradicat tamen quod a Synodo firmatum est Imperatorio patrocinio permanet When Anatolius by consent of the Councel had obteined the primacie and the Bishoppe of Romes Legates stoode against it their gaine saieinge of the Iudges and Bishoppes there was not receiued And al be it the Apostolique See of Rome euen hitherto stande â—gainst it yet the Decree of the Councel by the maintenance of the Emperour standeth stil in force Whiche thinge séemeth agreeable to that S. Hierome writeth Maior est authoritas orbis quà m vrbis The authoritie of the worlde is greater then the authoritie of one Citie meaninge thereby the Citie of Rome It may appeare by that I haue thus shortly touched that the Bishop of Rome had authoritie neither to Summone Councelles nor to be President or chiefe in Councelles nor to ratifie and Confirme the Decrées of Councelles more then any other of the foure Patriarkes and last of al that Councelles may stand in force although the Pope mislike them allow them not I thinke it wil be harde hereof togeather M. Hardinges Conclusion That the Bishop of Rome was Heade of the Vniuersal Churche M. Hardinge The .27 Diuision Now what auctoritie the Bishoppes of Rome haue euer had and exercised in the assoilinge of Bishoppes vniustly condemned and in restoringe of them againe to their Churches of which they were wrongefully thrust out by Heretiques or other disorder it is a thinge so wel knowen of al that reade the stories in whiche the auncient state of the Churche is described that I neede not but rehearse the names onely Athanasius of Alexandria and Paulus of Constantinople depriued and thrust out of their Bishoprikes by the violence of the Arians assisted with the Emperour Constantius appealed to Rome to Iulius the Pope and Bishop there and by his 113 auctoritie were restoared to their roomes againe So Leo assoiled Flauianus the Bishop of Constantinople excommunicated by Dioscorus So Nicolaus the firste restoared Ignatius to the See of Constantinople though Michael the Emperour wrought al that he coulde against it Many other Bishoppes haue been in al ages assoiled and restoared to their Churches by the auctoritie of the See Apostolike who haue been without deserte excommunicated depriued and put from al their dignities But to haue rehearsed these fewe it may suffice The B. of Sarisburie Athanasius and Paulus saithe M. Hardinge beinge deposed by the Arians assisted with the Emperour Constantius appealed to the Pope and by the Popes authoritie were restoared Here I Appeale vnto the iudgement and discretion of the Reader that canne consider the state of that time how likely it may seeme either that Athanasius shoulde Appeale from the Emperour to the Pope or that the Popes commaundement should be of sufficient force authoritie against the Emperour For neither was Pope Bonifacius the. 8. yet borne yâ— determined That the Emperour should be inferiour to the Pope nor Pope Innocentius ye. 3. or his Glose that rated the mater by good Geometrical proportion pronounced that the Pope is fiftie and seuen degrees aboue the Emperour euen iuste as muche as the Sunne is aboue the Moone Nor Pope Alexander the thirde that sette his foote in the Emperours necke Uerily the Pope then by his authoritie was hable neither to depose nor to restoare nor to cal before him any Bishop as appeareth by that I haue already alleged of Pope Innocentius and Pope Gregorie by their owne Confessions No Pope Leo him selfe confesseth that he was not hable to remoue a poore Monke Abbate Eutyches from his Abbie but was faine to desire the Empresse Pulcheria to sée him remoued As touchinge Athanasius it was the Emperour Constantinus the great that by his authoritie remoued and bannished him as it appeareth by Socrates and therefore the Emperour Iustinian saithe If any Bishop offende herein let him be depriued by force of this Lawe And as he was bannished by the Emperour Constantinus the Father so by his Sonne Constantinus the Emperour and not by the Pope he was restoared whiche thinge is testified not onely by Socrates that wrote the storie but also by sundrie Epistles and letters taken out of the Emperours Recordes concerninge the same Firste it is knowen that the Emperour Constans that ruled the Weast parte of the worlde vnto whom Athanasius beinge deposed flead for ayde wrote in his behalfe vnto his Brother Constantius that then was the Emperour of the East besought him to sée Athanasius restoared vnto his roome Otherwise he threatened that he him selfe woulde come with his power to Alexandria restoare him Upon the sight of whiche letters the Emperour Constantius wrote vnto Athanasius and willed him to repaire with speede vnto his Courte that he might be restoared vnto his Countrie and at his comminge he directed out his letters vnto the Cleregie and people of Alexandria commaundinge them to receiue him with fauour and to abolishe al suche Actes as they had before made against him To reporte the whole letters at large it woulde be tedious Emonge other woordes the Emperour Constantius writeth thus Recipiat voluntate Dei nostroque indicio PatriaÌ„ suum pariter Ecclesiam And againe Omnes EpiscopuÌ„ superno iudicio nostraque sententia destinatum libenter pie suscipite Let him bothe by Goddes appointement and by our Decree recouer both his CouÌ„trie and his Churche c. Further saith Cassiodorus His literis coÌ„fidens Athanasius redijt in OrieÌ„tem Athanasius vpon trust of these letters returned againe into the East Likewise the Bishopes in the Councel of Hierusalem wrote abroade letters of gratulation vpon his returne in this forme Debetis ergo etiaÌ„ c. You ought also continually to praie for the Emperours Maiesties for that vnderstanding your desires they haue restoared Athanasius againe vnto you And Theodoretus touchinge the same writeth thus ProceruÌ„ Senatorumque Coniuges c. The Lordes and Counsellours wiues be sought their husbandes to intreate the Emperours Maiestie that he woulde restoare Athanasius vnto his flocke and saide further onlesse they woulde so doo they woulde forsake them and goe to him So likewise the Bishoppes that the Arians had deposed with Flauianus were restoared againe by the Emperour and not by the Pope For Pope Leo him selfe thereof writeth thus vnto the Empresse Pulcheria Vos Sacerdotes Catholicos qui de Ecclesijs suis iniusta fuerunt eiecti sententia reduxistis Your Maiesties haue restoared home againe the Catholike Bishoppes whiche by wrongeful sentence were thrust from their Churches Pope Nicolas as vpon occasion I saide before was the second Bishop in Rome after Pope Iohane the Woman whiche was almoste 900. yéeres after Christe Wherefore his authoritie might wel haue beene spared It is wel knowen that as the Popes power increased so the Empire abated Therefore was Platyna forced to say Perijt potestas Imperatorum virtus Pontificum Nowe
there must Faith helpe to supplie Thus we see howe Bucer in sundrie other pointes of Faith both deceiued and also a deceiuour confirmeth the trueth of this article pithily and plainely Suche is the force of trueth that oftentimes it is confessed by the verie enemies of trueth Fight not with the Churche M. Iuel but fight with the enemie of the Churche Fight with him Whome you haue folowed in departinge from the Churche who neuerthelesse by force of trueth is driuen against you to confesse the trueth in those most plaine wordes Verè rotus ipse Deus homo praesens exhibetur in Sacra Coena â—óque Substantialiter In this holie Supper him self â–ª God and man is exhibited present truely and whole and therefore Substantially The B. of Sarisburie Goddes name be praised neither doo wée refuse the iudgement of the Ancient Fathers in these cases neither hath M. Hardinge for ought that may yet appeare any iust cause thus to vaunte him self of the same Here he allegeth the Authoritie of D. Bucer euen as the Heretique Eutyches sometime to mainteine his Heresie alleged S. Cyprian or as the Nestorian Heretiques alleged the Authoritie of the Nicene Councel For notwithstanding D. Bucer to auoide contention as a man desirous of peace was contente to yeelde vnto certaine indifferent termes as Osius that learned Father sometime did in the Councel of Ariminunt to the Arians yet was his resolution herein euermore throughly and fully knowen And the verie similitude or example that he vseth of the Sonne putteth the mater out of al question For like as the Bodie or Compasse of the Sonne beinge in one certaine place of the Heauens reacheth out his beames and geueth influence into the worlde euen so Christ the Sonne of Iustice beinge in Heauen in one place at the Right hande of God likewise reacheth out his beames and geueth his influence into the Faithful and so feedeth them not by bare Imagination or Fantasie but Truely Substantially and in deede And as the Sonne is more comfortable and more refreasheth the worlde being absent by his beames then if his very Natural Substance and compasse laie here vpon the Earth euen so the Bodie of Christe beinge in the Glorie of his Father in the very Substance and Nature of our Fleashe and there euermore intreatinge Mercie for our sinnes is muche more comfortable vnto vs more quickeneth both our Bodies and Soules by his heauenly and Spiritual influence then if it were here present Fleashely before our eies And as the Sunne not comminge downe from heauen nor leauing his place is neuerthelesse present with vs in our houses in our faces in our handes and in our boosomes euen so Christe beinge in heauen not comminge downe nor leauinge his roume there yet neuerthelesse is present with vs in our Congregations in our Hartes in our Praiers in the Mysterie of Baptisme and in the Sacrament of his Bodie and Bloud Therefore S. Ambrose saith Marie quia quaerebat in terra tangâ—re non potuit Stephanus teâ—igiâ— quia quaerebat in Coelo Marie coulde not touche Christe bicause she sought him vpon the Earth But Steuen touched him bicause he sought him in Heauen And againe he saith Non enim corporali tactu sed Fide tangimus For we touche not Christe by any bodily meane but by our Faith And therefore againe he saith Stepâ—anus intra Coelos Dominum cernit absentem Steuen seeth Christe being absent within the Heauens So saith Origen Per Euangelistarum Apostolorum praedicationem per sui sancti Corporis Sanguinis Sacramentum per Gloriosum Crucis signaculuÌ„ nobiscum Deus God is with vs by the preachinge of the Euangelistes and Apostles by the SacrameÌ„t of his Bodie and Bloude and by the Glorious Signe of his Crosse. So S. Augustine O stulta infidelitas persequentis Si quaeris exilium quo Christianus iubeatur ire priùs si potes inueni quo Christus cogatur exire O the fonde infidelitie of this persecutour If thou seeke a place of bannishement whither thou maist coÌ„maunde a Christian man to goe first if thou canne finde a place from whence thou maist commaunde a Christ to departe And againe thus he writeth vnto the Godly widowe Italica Non debes â—e desolatam arbitrari cum in interiore homine habeas Christum praesentem per fidem in corde tuo Thou maist not thinke the â—â—elf to be desolate while thou hast Christe present in thy harte in the Inner Man by Faith So againe Non est Iudaeus non est Graecus c. Sed omnia in omnibus Christus There is no Iewe there is no Gentile but Christe is al and in al. In like sense S. Hierome saith Tangat digitulo vltro exibimus Domini est terra plenitudo eâ—us Christus loco non tenetur inclusus Let him pushe vs with his finger and we wil foorth willingly The Earth is the Lordes and the fulnes thereof Christ is not holden prisoner in any place Thus is Christe present emongst vs thus wée feele him thus wée see him But al this is the worke of Faith it needeth no Fleashely or Local presence Therefore S. Augustine saith Non rectè tangitur id est non rectè in illum creditur He is not touched wel That is to saie He is not beleued wel So saith S. Bernarde Tangitur sed affectu non manu voto non oculo Fide non sensibus He is touched but with deuotion not with hande with Zele not with eye with Faith not with sense And thus we saie we haue Christ present not as M. Hardinge saith onely for a minute of an houre wherein is neither sauoure nor comforte but verily effectually if he be delited with that woorde Substantially and for euer euen vnto the consummation of the worlde Neither dooth he denie that Christe is present that denieth this Imagination of Grosse and Fleashely Presence Origen saith Si Virtus Iesu congregatur cum his qui congregantur in nomine eius non peregrinatur à suis sed semper praestò est eis If the power of Iesus be togeather with them that are geathered in his name then is not he absent from his owne but is euermore present with them By these fewe I trust it maie appeare that we neither are departed from the Churche of God nor fight against the Churche But you M. Hardinge vnder this glorious title of the Churche thinke to carrie your selfe inuisible Howe be it as there be two sortes of Faithes so are there two sortes of Churches the one True the other False Your Churche beinge as nowe vtterly voide of Goddes woorde is as a Lanterne without light Leo writinge against suche as you he saith thus Ecclesiae nomine armamini contra Ecclesiam dimicatis Ye arme your self with the name of the Churche and yet ye fight against the Churche S. Iohn in his Reuelations saith They name
Vessels So it be reuerently kepte for the viage prouision for the Sicke no Catholique man wil mainteine strife for the manner and order of keeping Symmachus a very woorthy Byshop of Rome in the time of Anastasius the Emperour as it is written in his life made two vessels of Siluer to reserue the Sacrament in and set them on the Aultars of two Churches in Rome of S. Syluester and of S. Androwe These vessels they cal commonly Ciboria VVe finde likewise in the life of S. Gregorie that he also like Symmachus made suche a Vessel which they cal Ciborium for the Sacrament with fowre pillours of pure Siluer and set it on the Aultare at S. Peters in Rome In a woorke of Gregorius Turonensis this vessel is called Turris in qua Mysterium Dominici Corporis habebatur A Tower wherein 174 our Lordes Bodie was kepte In an olde booke De Poâ—nitentia of Theodorus the Greeke of Tarsus in Cilicia sometime Archebishop of Cantorburie before Beda his time it is called Pyxis cum Corpore Domini ad viaticum pro infirmis The Pyxe with our Lordes Bodie for the viage prouision for the sicke In that booke in an admonition of a Bishop to his Clergie in a Synode warninge is geuen that nothinge be put vpon the Aultare in time of the Sacrifice but the Cofer of Reliques the booke of the foure Euangelistes and the Pyxe with our Lordes Bodie Thus we finde that the Blessed Sacramente hathe alwaies been kepte in some places in a Pyxe hanged vp ouer the Aultare in some other places otherwise euery where and in al times safely and reuerently as is declared to be alwaies in a readinesse for the viage Prouision of the sicke VVhich keepinge of it for that Godly purpose and with like due reuerence if M. Iuel and the Sacrament aries woulde admitte no man wil be either so scrupulous or so contentious as to striue with them either for the hanginge vp of it or for the Canopie The B. of Sarisburie It is maruel that M. Hardinge in so shorte a â—ale cannot auoide manifest contradiction He holdeth and teacheth that this is the honouringe of Christe God and Man and yet he saithe It is no greate Keye of his Religion Uerily what so euer Keye he nowe make of it greate or smal he bringeth in very smal Authorities and proufes to make it good Concerninge the Canopie wherein al this question standeth he is wel contented to yelde in the whole as beinge not hable to finde it once mentioned in any manner Olde Writer But the hanginge vp of the Sacrament and that euen ouer the Aultar he is certaine maye wel be prooued by that solemne Fable that we haue so often hearde vnder the name of Amphilochius Concerninge whiche Fable for a very childishe Fable it is and no better I must for shortenesse referre thée gentle Reader to that is written before in the First Article of this Book and in the .33 Diuision as answeare to the same Yet thus muche shortly and by the waye First M. Hardinges Amphilochius saith that S. Basile after he had saide Masse to Christe and his twelue Apostles immediately the same night put one portion of the Sacrament in the Dooue that was then hanging ouer the Aultar the nexte daye folowinge sente for a Goldesmith caused the same Dooue to be made the same Dooue I saye that he put the Sacrament in the night before And so M. Hardinges Dooue was a Dooue before it was made But Dreames Fables are woorthy of Priuilege Yet least this tale should passe alone it is accompanied with a Miracle For after that time when so euer S. Basile was at Masse lifted vp the Breade the same Dooue so saithe this Amphilochius vsed euermore to rowse her selfe ouer yâ— Aultar mooued sturred of her selfe hither and thither muche like to the Mathematical Dooue that Architas Tarentinus made that was hable to flie alone If this Golden Dooue had not beene endewed with Sprite Life this tale had lost halfe his grace Againe Pekham in his Prouincial geueth a straite commaundement to al Priestes that the Breade in the Pyxe be changed and renewed euery seuenth day for avoidinge of putrefaction or some other lothsomnesse that may happen But M. Hardinges Golden Dooue had a special vertue aboue al others to keepe the Breade seuen yéeres togeather without corruption and the same at the last méete to be geuen to a sicke man in his death bedde But there is mention made of Golden and Siluern Dooues in the Councel of Constantinople I graunte How be it there is no mention made there of any Pyxe or Reseruation of the Sacrament But if euery Dooue there were a Pyxe or as they cal it a Monster then hath M. Hardinge a greate aduantage For séeking out but one Pyxe he hath founde twentie and that al togeather in one Churche some aboute the Aultar some aboute the holy Fonte and some els where And yet I coulde neuer vnderstande but euermore in one Churche were it neuer so bigge one Pyxe was thought sufficient O what paines M. Hardinge hath taken to furnish a Fable God graunte vs to be simple as Dooues in obeieing of Goddes Trueth and wise as Serpentes in discerning and eschewing lies The reast that is alleged of Symmachus Gregorius Romanus Gregorius Turonensis Theodorus as it is not denied so it is no parcel of this Question The hanginge of the Sacrament and the Canopie wherein the greatest danger stoode beinge remooued somewhat may be considered touchinge Reseruation when it shal be thought necessarie Wherein to counterpoise the credite of these foure obscure and late Doctours wée haue the authoritie of eight other doctours counted Learned and Ancient Clemens Cyprian Origen Cyrâ—â— Hierome Augustine Hesychius and Nicephorus as it is already prooued FINIS THE TENTH ARTICLE OF ACCIDENTES VVITHOVT SVBIECTE The B. of Sarisburie Or that in the Sacrament after the woordes of Consecration there remaine onely the Accidentes and Shewes without the Substance of Breade and UUine M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision In this Sacrament after Consecration 175 nothinge in Substance remaineth that was before neither Breade nor VVine but onely the Accidentes of Breade and wine as their forme and shape sauour smel coloure weight and suche the like which here haue their beinge miraculousely without their subiecte for as muche as after Consecration there is none other substance then the substance of the Bodie and Bloude of our Lorde whiche is not affected with such Accidentes as the Scholastical Doctours terme it VVhiche Doctrine hath alwaies though not with these precise termes 176 beene taught and beleeued from the beginning and dependeth of the Article of Transubstantiation For if the substance of Breade and VVine be changed into the Substance of the Bodie and Bloud of our Lorde 177 which is coÌ„stantly affirmed by al the learned and Ancient Fathers of the Church it foloweth by a necessarie