aunâ—ieÌ„t fathers ar good groundes to builde apon Irinaeus S. Ambrose S. Austen and Theodoritus affirme that the churche of Rome is the chief of all other churches Ergo the B. and heade of that churche is chief and heade ouer all other bishoppes and heades of all other churches And thus much by the occasion offred Stephan to return from whence we haue digressed the archebishop of Carthage with three councels of Africa called the B. of Rome pater patrum summus omnium praesulum pontifex that is to saie father of fathers and chief B. of all bishoppes Constantinus the emperour in one place calleth him summus pontifex the chief bishop and in an other vniuersalis papa vniuersall pope In which place he also commaunded that the churche of Rome should be called the heade of all other in the worlde and for so reputed and taken Hetherto haue I proued vnto yow that the B. of Rome hath bene of the auncient fathers of Christes churche within the firste sixe hundred yeares after Christes departure hence called heade of the churche ruler of the churche chief prieste chief of all other bishoppes bishop of the vniuersall churche and vniuersall bishop Nowe will I showe that the doctours and fathers in the primitiue churche haue not onelie in wordes which yet proceding from the mouthes of such men as they wer might to anie honest man seme sufficient so termed him but by seuerall actes also of theirs well witnessed to the worlde that in their consciences for so theie tooke him And euen as in the lawe to proue the possession of a lordshippe or manor it is a sufficient proufe to bring in euideÌ„ce that he who is disturbed therein hath quietlie without interruption or contradiction maâ—ured and tylled the grounde reaped and receauid the fruites or in a controuersie of iurisdiction to proue the doing of such actes as properlie belong thereunto euen so in this case if I proue vnto yow that the auncient fathers of Christes churche the same whome I named to yowe before haue some of them from the fardest parte of the Easte churche complained to the B. oâ— Rome of wronges don to them some of them required him to confirme their actes and ratifie their doinges other some sente to him their worckes by him to be examined and iudged I nothing doubte but yow will easelie graunte that these ar to induce and proue his iurisdiction ouer the whole churche argumentes moste strong and inuincible To performâ— this the better call to your remembrance I beseche yowe that which a littell before I alleaged to yow out of S Chrisostome where he witnessed that Peter and his successors had the charge of those shepe for whome Christ shed his bloud and then iudge I praie yowe whether of likelihood he thought not as he saide when being chased from his folde and flocke at Constantinople where he was archebishop and vniustlie driuen into banishement he wrote vnto Innocentius then being pope and the chief shepherd for helpe after this manner Obsecro scribas quôd haec tam iniquâ— facta absentibus nobis non declinantibus iudicium non habeant robur sicut neque sua natura habent illi autem qui iniquè egerunt poenaeecclesiâ—sticarum legum subiaceant that is to saie I praie yow saith this holie father to the pope addresse furth your lettres to signifie that those thinges which haue so vniustly bene decreed ageinst me in my absence not proceding of contumacy maie be of no force as of their owne nature theie ar not and that they which haue giuen this vniust sentence maie suffer the smart of the ecclesiasticall lawes Beholde here good readers a moste manifest place to proue in those daies the vniuersall auctoritie of the pope Two thinges there ar here to be noted which Chrisostome desireth the pope to doe first to declare that all that was doen ageinst him should be of no force nexte that he would write that they might be punished which had thus misused him Nowe if the pope had had nothing to doe out of his owne churche then had wote yow well Chrisostome bene a mad man to make labour to him to sende his commaundementes to the Grieke churche to entremeddle in the affaires thereof who might easely haue receiued of the doers of those iniuries which wer membres thereof as Chrisostome was this short answer to meddle with his owne matters and to let theÌ„ alone with theirs Or if he had had nothing to doe in that cause which was concerning the archebishoprike of Constantinople woulde he is it like haue excommunicate Arcadius th'emperour with Eudoxia th'empresse for not permitting Chrisostom quietly to enioye his said bishoprike as Nicephorus reporteth of him that he did by thiese wordes Itaquè ego minimus indignus peccator cui thronus magni apostoli Petri creditus est segrego reijcio te illam à perceptione immaculatorum mysteriorum Christi Dei nostri Episcopum etiam omnem aâ—t clericum ordinis sanctae dei ecclesiae qui administrare aut exhibere ea vobis ausus fuerit ab ea hora qua praesentes vinculi mei legeritis literas dignitate sua excidisse dâ—cerno That is to say I therefore Innocentius the pope of all other the leaste and an vnworthy sinner to whome the throne of the greate apostle Peter is committed doe sequestre and reiect both the and her the Empresse he meaneth from the receauing of the immaculate misteries of Christ our god The bishop or clerck within the ordre of the holye churche of god which shall presume what so euer he be from the time that these letters conteining the band of our â—xcommunication shall come to your knowledge to ministre the sacrameÌ„tes vnto yow him pronounce I depriued of his dignitie Nowe if he had then auctoritie ouer Constantinople in the Grieke churche whie doe yowe at thiese dayes M. Iuell thrust him out of Englande in the Latine churche S. Hierom as yow harde before called the B. of Rome chief prieste and successor to Peter If he had not thought as he saide would he euer haue penned his faithe and sent it to him to be allowed with thiese wordes Haec est fides beatissime papa quaÌ„ in ecclesia Catholica didicimus quamque semper tenuimus tenemus In qua si minus perité aut paruÌ„ cauté aliquid forté posituÌ„ est â–ª emendari a te cupimus qui Petri fideÌ„ fedeÌ„ tenes c. This is that faithe most blessed pope which I haue learned in the catholike churche and which I haue euer hetherto mainteined and still doe In to the which if anie thing by me be either not cunningly or without due circumspection infarsed or put in that desire I by yow to be corrected who possesse bothe the faithe and seate of Peter And if this confession of my faithe be by the iudgement of your apostleship alowed who so euer he be
apon D. Coles wor des in the margeÌ„t of your boke that no B. of Rome before S. Gregories time would euer be called vniuersall biâ—shop finallie then would yowe not so ignorantlie haue confounded together these termes vniuersall bishop and heade of the churche as though theie had in that place signified all one thing The which that theie doe not no maÌ„ doeth more plainelie expresse then S. Gregorie him selfe who writeth of S. Peter after this maÌ„ner The charge saith he and supremacie of all the whole churche was committed to him and yeat was he not called vniuersall apostle Lo M. Iâ—ell if you had taken the paines to haue scanned the place of S. Gregorie alleaged by yow by this and such other would yow euer haue brought in to the lighte this deade mouse this false argument and vntrue consequent There was neuer anie B. of Rome called or that would be called by the name of vniuersall bishop therefore â–ª theie be not or ought not to be heades of the churche Seing that S. Peter as saithe S. Gregorie had the charge of the whole churche although he wer neuer called by the name of vniuersall apostle If S. Peter might be heade of the churche and without anie absurditie haue the charge thereof as S. Gregorie thought although he wer not called vniuersall apostle whie should yow thicke it now anie more impossible for the pope to be called head of the churche although he be not called vniuersall bishoppe And so haue yowe by the waie an answer to your wise demaunde also that is if no B. of Rome would euer take apon him to be called th'vniuersall bishoppe or heade of the whole churche for the space of six hundred yeares after Christe where then was the heade of the vniuersall churche all that while or howe it coulde then continue without a heade more theÌ„ nowe For we saie vnto yow that that is moste false and vntrue which yowe lay for a grounded truthe that is that no B. of Rome woulde euer be called by the name of heade of the churche within the first six hundred yeares after Christe as hath bene sufficientlie proued before and that also as we haue declared yowe abuse your selfe in the framing of your saide questioÌ„ in taking for all one the heade of the churche and the vniuersall bishoppe And thus haue yow one cause whie this place of S. Gregorie maketh nothing ageinst the supremacie of the B. of Rome And other cause is for that that Iohn the B. of Constantinople by this name or title of vniuersall bishoppe vnderstoode him selfe onelie to be a bishoppe and none elles Which meaning neither in the first six hundred yeares nor at anie time sence anie B. of Rome that I could yeat heare of euer had And that this is the true meaning of S. Gregorie and not forced by me the verie wordes of the same man written to Iohn archebishop of Constantinople doe well witnesse with me Qui enim indignum te esse fatebaris vt episcopus dici debuisses ad hoc quandoque perductusâ— es â–ª vt despectis fratribus episcopus appetas solus vocari that is to saie for thow Iohn B. of Constantinople which once grauntedst thy selfe to be vnworthie the name of a bishoppe art nowe at the length comme to that passe that thowe labourest to be called a bishop alone And a little after Thow goest about saieth he to take awaie that honour from all other which by singularitie thow desirest vnlaufullie to vsurpe to thy selfe Thus maie yowe see M. Iuell howe this place being by th'author him selfe expounded fardereth yow nothing at all and also by suche auctorities and reasons as haue for our parâ—e bene before alleaged vnderstand howe vnaduisedlie it was saide of yowe that the catholikes as sure as god is god if theie would haue vouchesaufed to folowe either the scriptures either the auncieÌ„t Doctours and couÌ„cels would neuer haue restored again the supremacie of the B. of Rome after it was once abolished Doe yow not hereby giue occasioÌ„ to meÌ„ to thinke that your lacke of faithe and mistrust in goddes omnipotency in other thinges groweth euen thereof that yow thincke god is not god For towching the supremacie hauing in the scriptures nothing in the councels as little in the fathers writinges onelie thiese fewe wordes that might se me to impugne the same and yet doe not howe will yow be able to discharge so manie auctorities of the fathers such consent of councels such conformitie of examples and force of reasons as haue bene and maie be brought ageinst yow howe will you satisfie your owne conscience which telleth yowe that so manie ceremonies so manie ordonances so manie decrees of bishoppes of Rome as Thomas Beacon otherwise called Theodore Basile or by what name so euer he be elles termed hath heaped together deliuered by them to the worlde some of them as emongest a nombre that which of all other yowe make lest account of holie water within little more then a hundred yeares after Christe and the most parte in the pure state of the primitiue churche would neuer haue bene by such common and generall confent without contradiction of anie receiued by the whole worlde vsed and frequented in all the churches scattred and dispersed thorough out the same onlesse the authors thereof had had vniuersall auctoritie to establishe that which hath bene vniuersallie receiued Thus hauing hetherto touching the supremacie saide so much as maie presently serue for your chalenge leauing the rest for a whole booke either by me when god shall sende better laisure or some other better able when he shall thincke best to be thereof made I shall nowe passe to the nexte article in question THAT THE PEOPLE VVAS TAVGHT VVITHIN THE FIRST SIX HVNDRED YEARES AFTER CHRISTE TO BELEVE that in the Sacrament of the altar for so dothe S. Austen terme it is conteined Christes bodie reallie substantiallie corporalie and carnallie TErtullian an auncient writer of Christes churche reporteth of heresie that the nature thereof is either when it is pressed with the auctoritie of scripture to denie it platlie to be scripture or if she receiue it with additions and detractions to the framing of her purpose to peruert it or finally with false gloses and vntrue expositions in such sorte to water it that it maie seme to haue a far other sense then had euer the holie ghost the author thereof This lesson and manner of olde heretikes was neuer I trowe more diligently put in execution or earnestlie practised theÌ„ in this our most miserable and wretched time nor in anie controuersie more perspicuouse and easie euen at the eye to be perceiued then in this of the moste blessed sacrament of Christes owne bodie and bloude For when our aduersaries demaunde of vs scripture for the confirmation of our parte and we bring them the wordes not of Peter not of Paule not of anie of thother apostles but of Christe him selfe that
owne handes to Cleophas and his companion And Paule as he sayled did not onely blesse the breade but he deliuered it also to Luke and the other disciples And within a fewe wordes after he addeth This breade is holinesse it selfe and maketh holy the receiuor therof By the testimonie of thiese twoo notable pillers of the Grieke and Latine churche it appeareth how this historie of the ghospell is to be vnderstande not of common breade but of the blessed sacrament and so withall that Christ the author of this sacrament ministred the same vnder one kinde which our aduersaries so stoutely denie and yow especially emongest the rest with termes moste odiouse ageinst the whole councell of Constance M. Iuell That th' apostles did the like and practised the same in such wise as Christe their maister did before thereof if there be any maÌ„ that doubteth him sende I to S. Luke in whome he shall finde that as many as receiued the apostles doctrine Eranâ— perseueraÌ„tes in doctrina apostâ—loruÌ„ coÌ„municatione fractionis panis orationibus wer coÌ„tinuing in the doctrine of the apostles the communion of breaking of breade and praiers In which wordes you can vnderstaÌ„de M. Iuell no other breade then the sacramentall breade if yow pondre reuerently the text For truly the writer of that historie making there mention of such spirituall exercises as the faithefull spenâ— their time in it is not likely that betwene the doctrine of the apostles which he remembred in the first place and their paiers which he placed in the last he woulde euer haue couched the breaking of prophane breade in the middest Of this breaking of breade haue we also mention in an other place where it is sayde Vna autem sabbaâ—i cùm conuenissemus ad frangendum panem The morow after the Saboth day when we came together to breake breade What remaineth now M. Iuell seing that the scriptures beare so manifestly witâ—esse of the communion ministred first by Christ and after by his apostles vnder the kinde of breade but that either yow yealde and ioyne with vs or flee to youre olde and last refuge the help of some fauorable figure as before yow Melanchton being sore pressed with these auctorities was forced to doe This figure for soothe is yow saye Syneâ—doche by which S. Luke would by naming the one parte of this sacrament signifie the whole But truly whereas euen in them that take in hande to write prophane histories such figures ar nothing commendable where the truthe ought wholly and truly without concealing or dissembling any parte thereof to be expressed but that the same lawe ought of all other especially in holy histories and those that coÌ„teine the actes and doinges of Christe hym selfe inuiolably to be obserued there is no man I thincke that douteth And yeat of all other if any of the Euangelistes would so haue written of them all S. Luke was moste vnlikely as the man who by the common veredict of the learned was not of his wordes scarse or pinching but plentifull and liberall Or if he woulde nedes vse figures where was no nede yeat ought euery good man to thincke that the holy ghost the director of his penne to whome being god and hauing all thinges present before his eyes this troubelouse hurliburly that should afterwardes happeÌ„ in the churche aboute the receauing of this sacrameÌ„t either in one kinde alone or bothe together coulde not be vnknowen would so haue prouided that so little a worde whereby so greate troubles might be raised should not by any figure in this place in this high mysterie in this pretiouse iewell where all thinges ought most perspicuously to be expressed haue bene omitted And thus much touching the apostles ministring of this sacrament Now that the churche long after the apostles continued the same manner what better proufe can yow haue then maye be deduced from that worde so well knowen to the fathers so frequent and common in the olde generall councelles Laica communio the laye mans communion Of this communion of the laye men maketh mention the blessed martyr S. Cyprian in an epistle written by him to Antonianus where he telleth of one Trophimus that hauing bene a bishop and an heretike was then returned from his heresies and become a catholike and receiued thereapon by him in to the churche and admitted also to the communion but so that he shoulde communicate vt laicus non vt sacerdos as the laye man vseth to doe not as the priest Of this communion reade we first in the councell holden at Sardica vnder Iulius then pope aboue 12. hundred yeares sence next in the couÌ„cell kept at Agatha in Fraunce in the yeare of our lorde 430. and in diuerse other which might be here alleaged What can we here thincke M. Iuell but that there was a difference in the laye mannes coÌ„munion and the priestes And what other difference can yow giue then this that the one receiued bothe the kindes the other but one For of all other it is moste ridiculouse that for answere hereunto you ar wont to alleage that the priestes vsed to receiue the sacrameÌ„t in a place of the churche appointed therefore by them selues alone and the laytie in some other place a parte also and that hereof rose the worde Laica communio For admitting this to be true how doeth yet the place make a difference in the communion Betwene his dinner that sitteth at the vpper ende of a table and his that is placed at the neither if there be the same meates like courses of seruice semblable arte of cookery can yow put any differeÌ„ce Beside this the auncient councell of Sardica maketh in such wise mention of the laye mannes communion that the wordes will in no wise admit your wrangling interpretation For there in the seconde canon is it decreed ageinst such bishoppes as chaunging their bishoprikes be translated to other that they shalbe excluded from euer receiuing the communion ita vt nec Laicam in fine communionem talis accipiat so excluded that such a one shall not be admitted so much as to the laye mannes communion no not in the ende of his life not at the houre of his deathe Thus haue we here plaine euideÌ„ce that the laye mannes communion is not to be vnderstande of difference of places in the churche whereas the canoÌ„ of this councell hath that at the houre of his deathe he shall not be admitted thereunto At which time euery man will I suppose thincke him to be at home in his chambre not out of his house at the churche After this sorte appeareth it by S. Austen that his mother Monica receiued this sacrament When as he saieth being on witsonday refresshed with that breade that came downe from heauen she continued by the space of a whole daie and a night without all corporall foode Thus much semed he also to signifie to vs in an other place where he hath these wordes Si
forsoth he could he saide finde no roume for him there and therefore of his charitie 〈◊〉 that if any good fellow emongest his audieâ—ce wer weâ—rie of his roume he might be placed the re as verilie â— both thinck and knowe there wer manie that wished bothe them selues away and him in Bedlem emongest his compagnions neuer to come more in pulpit especiallie in that place to dishonor the vniuersitie his mother from whence he cam by such vnreasonable not reasoning but rayling although he I say could finde there no place for the pope he might yet haue wyth his yong sight founde at the least that which Iohn Caluin could before with his old and dimme eies espie out that is that the chiefest place of gouernement in Christes churche belonged to the apostles and so to the bishops and priestes their successors Except his braine would serue him to say that Christes churche died with his apostles But if a man should aske this great clercke that hath so narowely scanned the texte what roome he found there for Kinges I maruâ—ll what his wisdome would answer There is but one word in all the texte that should seeme to make place for any temporaâ—l magistrate and that hath Caluin watred with such a glose that it can in no wise serue his purpose The worde is gubernationes gouernements placed beside so far from the chiefest and first place if it wer to be vnderstand of temporal magistrates that it occupieth the seuenth But Caluin saieth it may not so be vnderstand but that the apostle ment by that word such spirituall men as wer ioined to the preachers for the better ordre in spirituall gouernement And he addeth a reason why it may not be vnderstande of ciuile magistrates because saith he there wer at that time none of them christians By which wordes this mery man maie see that if he will nedes daunce after his maister Caluin his pipe he muste saie that there is not not onelie no roume in this place for ciuile magistrates but that he is excluded alâ—o from the hope of finding for them anie I meane in the gouernement in ecclesiasticall causes in any other place of the newe testament But not in this place onely was S. Paule of that minde that priestes should gouern the churche of christ but in that notable sermon of his also that he made to the priestes of Ephesus at his departure from thence where he giueth them this exhortation Attendite vobis vniuerso gregi in quo vos spiritus sanctus posuit episcopos regere ecclesiam dei Looke saith he to your selues and to your flock in the which the holie ghost hath placed yow to rule and gouern the church of god Can there be any plainer euidence then is this Let them therefore eyther rule as S. Paule saith they ar appointed thereto and that by the holie ghost or if princes must let vs deny sainct Paule his auctoritie and say that the spirite failed him for surelie bothe maie not And thus for the scriptures good readers ye see to whom of right that parte of ecclesiasticall gouernement which standeth in the alowing and condemning of doctrine dothe apperteine For that doe the auctorites by me out of the old testament alleaged expressely proue as also doe those brought out of the newe by a necessarie consequence in that they giue to them the whole gouernement and chief souereintie of which this is as is before saide a parte The nexte membre of spirituall gouernement is thepower as Christ him self calleth it of binding and loosing Which power to excomunicate and to absolue our sauiour gaue to his apostles when he saied to them what so euer yow binde in earth shalbe bound in heaueÌ„ and what so euer yow loose on the earthe shall be loosed in heauen Wherein and in the last which is to preache and ministre the sacramentes because thiese peuish proctours pretend not as yet any greate title for princes but seeme rather to ground their action in the first I will leauing them bothe as either by the scriptures in all mennes iudgements sufficiently defended or by our aduersaries them selues not assaulted examine of what minde touching this controuersie the holy doctours of Christes churche from time to time haue byn Not as though maÌ„nes word should haue with vs more auctoritie then goddes or that it nedeth to be boulstred vp there with but for this causeonelie that if it happen theÌ„ to wrangle as their manner is about the true interpretacion thereof all men may perceiue that we giue no other then the fathers of christes churche before vs haue giuen And here to begin with Ignatius that holy martir who for the faithe of Christ was with the teethe of wild beastes torn and as he writeth him selfe sawe our sauiour in fleshe coÌ„sidre I beseche yow in the prescribing of such ordre for obedience in Christes churche as wherebie vnitie might be preserued what place of preeminence he giueth to Emperours who ar of the laietie the greatest estates and what to bishops his wordes ar thiese Principes obedite Caesari milites principibus diaconi praesbiteris sacrorum prefectis praesbiteri diaconi reliquus clerus vnâ cum omni populo militibus principibus Caesa re episcopo episcopus Christo sicut Christus patri vt ita vnitas per omnia seruetur Princes saith he obey your emperour souldiors your princes deacons the priestes which haue the charge of religion priestes deacons all the rest of the cleargie with the people what so euer they ar souldiors princes yea the emperor him self be yow obedient to your bishop the bishop to Christ as Christ is obedient to his father that so vnitie maie in all poinctes be obserued Here may we see good readers that euen in the daies of this holie martir Ignatiâ—s it was then thought necessary and expedient that for the better obseruing of vnitie the emperour him self should obey the bishop well I wot our aduersaries will not restreine this obeâ—ience to temporall gouernement and therefore it must nedes be vnderstand of spirituall and in causes ecclesiasticall But if th'obseruing of this obedience be the way to conserue vnitie what shall we alas thinck of them that laboure to violat and breake the same as doe all they that trauail to make princes in matters of religion to rule and bishoppes to obeye The same worthy bishop and constant martâ— Ignatius writing in an other place ad Smirnenses biddeth he them not to honor first god next the bishop as bering his image and then after the king Policarpus disciple to saincte Iohn theuangelist of priestes and deacons writeth thus Subiecti estote praesbiteris diaconis sicut deo Christo. Be ye subiect to the priestes and deacons as to god and Christ. Is this any other to say then as thapostle said before him Obedite ijs qui vigilant pro animabus vestris Obey yow them which kepe the watche
I had not nor could getanie other copie The place is thus Pour tant ceulx qui despouillenâ— l' Eglise de ceste puisance pour exalter be magistrate ou la iustice terriene non seulemeÌ„t corroÌ„pent le sens des paroles de Christe par faulse interpretation mais aussi accusent d' une grande vice les sainctz euesques qui ont estè en grand nombre depuis be temps des Apostres comme â—iilz eussent vsurpè la dignitè office du magistrate subz fauls se couerture That is to saie in englishe Those therefore which to exalt the magistrat or earthely iustice doe spoile the churche of this power he meaneth and speakith of the ordre touching churche matters doe corrupt not onelie the sense of Christes owne wordes by false interpretation but doe also accuse of a heynouse faulte the holie bishops whereof the nombre is not small which haue bin sence the apostles time as though they had vsurped by false colouring the matter the office and dignitie of the magistrate Nowe choose good readers whether ye had rather beleue Caluin mainteining the auctoritie and iurisdiction of the churche or our clawebackes and parasites which impugne the same The one hath scripture to defende it The other hath nothing to assaulte it The scripture saeith that in doutefull questions we should resort to the priestes that at their word should all matters be decided that they should iudge that at their handes we should demaunde knowlege that their lippes be the kepers thereof because they ar our lordes angells Nowe coÌ„meth the heretike the peruerter of scripture he telleth vs that we must seke it at the princes handes that he is goddes chiefest ministre in thinges and causes aswel ecclesiasticall as temporall The scripture reaconeth in the first place in Christes churche apostles that is to say priestes for we maie not thinck that in that place the apostle described a forme of the churche to endure but for that onelie age The heretike will haue princes placed aboue and priestes benethe The holie ghost appointed bishoppes and priestes to gouern the flock of Christ that is the churche The diuell in his meÌ„bres appointeth ciuile magistrates to rule and priestes to obey So that herebie we maie most euidentlie see how manifestly they peruert and corrupt the true sense and meaning of gods worde As for the other poinct which Caluin also laieth to their charge of accusing of a most heynouse and grieuouse fault the auncient bishoppes that haue bin sence th'apostles time as though they had by vnlaufull meanes vsurped to them selues the office and dignitie of the Magistrate it is also if their doctrine wer true most plaine and euident eueÌ„ at the eye For first if kinges must be the chiefe gouernours in matters of religion and bishoppes their vnderlinges who seeth not then how far Ignatius that holy martyr abused bothe him self and vs to bid all men without exception euen th'emperor him self by name to the obedient to the bishop to tell vs that after him next the king is to be honored If this be true which they teache who is he that can excuse Liberius that holie father who for the determining of matters coÌ„cerning the cuhrche would haue a sinode kept where the emperour should not so much as be present Or that reuerend father Hosius who willed th'emperour not to entremedle in ecclesiasticall causes nor to comptroll or commaunde the bishoppes therein but to learne of the in those thinges to whose charge they wer committed not to his Or Athanasius that strong piller of Christes churche who when he saw that wicked emperour Constantius doe that which the heretikes of this our time perswade the Kinges and Emperours that now arre to doe as the Arrians did those of their age that is to take apon him the determination of matters ecclesiasticall to make him selfe chief iudge bothe of the bishoppes and causes belonging to the churche called him that abhomination of desolatioÌ„ spoken of by Daniel the prophet and pronounced that for his so doing his impietie was such as Antichrist when he should comme him self should not be able to goe beyond termed it a newe deuise brought in by the Arrians and finally demaunded but one example ab oeuo condito from the beginning of the world where by it might appeare that the doinges of the churche should take their auctoritie from th'emperour till Arrius his time Or Gregorius Nazianzenus who told th'emperour that by the lawe of Christ his power was subiect to his consistory and that although he wer an emperour yeat was he not withstanding a shepe of his flock Or S. Ambrose that bad the emperour set his hart at rest and not to thinke that he had by the right of his crowne any auctoritie in those matters that concerned religion that his palaice belonged to him and the churche to the priestes Or Chrisostom who comparing the power of a King with the auctoritie of a priest calleth the one a prince aswell as the other and greater theÌ„ he toe by so much as heauen is greater then the earth and addeth that god him self to witnesse the same hath brought vnder the handes of the priest the head of the prince For that saith he that is lesser is blessed of the greater Who in an other place saieth that the power which is geuen to priestes is such as the like thereto was neuer giuen to Angels or Archangels seing that to none of them it was euer said what so euer yow binde in earthe shalbe bound in heauen or what so euer yow loose in earthe shalbe loosed in heauen Or how wer it possible if this doctrine of our aduersaries wer true to excuse Damascenus for reprehending Leo Isaurus as yow haue hard before the emperour and many a one more of the holie fathers which for breuities sake I am here constreined to passe ouer in silence Leauing therefore our aduersaries thus at square both with the old fathers and their newe doctours it is high time good readers that I remembre to discharge my self of my promise which was to laie before your eyes such euidence as in this matter ether part had to bring for theÌ„ selfe Which as I haue for the catholikes according to my simple wit and pooer knowledge allreadie done so shall I by goddes grace on the contrary parte for the protestaÌ„tes and Huguenotes faithefully endeuor to doe the like And because for that aswell of all the poisoned reasons touching either this matter or almost any other at this day in question the late apologie of the churche of EnglaÌ„d for so is it by th' authors termed may well be called as it wer the some or abridgemeÌ„t as also for that there is as it should seme and sence hath byn coÌ„fessed in it comoÌ„ consent of all the fantasticall congregation I meane of them that trouble Christes churche in our countrie
occupation and so maie not I who I thanck god therefore am none of the company will take the paines to stoope and doe it for them It foloweth in Theodoretus after he had mentioned the oration which Constantin had in the councell Haec his similia tanquaÌ„ fiâ—â—us amator pacis sacerdotibus veluti patribus offerâ—bat These wordes and such like as a sonne that loued peace he offred vp to the priestes as to his fathers Lo good readers was not here trow yow a greate president for our Emperours and kinges to meddle with the ordre of religion Well he was as the histories beare witnes the first christian emperour that openly professed the faithe and name of Christ for of Phillip the histories make no greate accompt and before that time the church was gouerned either by infidleles and tirantes as Nero Domitianus and such other or by priestes or by none And this was the very cause that they would so faine haue wonne to their parte the first Christian emperour The next example that they bring is of Theodosius th'emperour that he not onely sat emongest the bishoppes but was also the verie chief of the conference betwene the Catholykes and the Arrians That Theodosius did in this matter nothing of him self but all by the councell of Nectarius the B. of Constantinople had not our aduersaries as they did before in th'example of Constantine mangled the historie any man might easely haue perceuid For reade the beginning of the chapiter where this matter is mencioned and yow shall finde that Theodosius called to him Nectarius then B. of Constantinople asked of him his aduice what ordre wer best to be taken for thappeasing of that schisme which then so miserably troubled the churche and finallie embrased him self and commaunded all other to receiue the same doctrine not which him self had determined to be true but which Nectarius and the other catholyke bishoppes had deliuered and commendid to him And truly maruell had it byn if he had otherwise doen in matters of religion any thing to the preiudice of that auctoritie which bishoppes and priestes of right ought to haue in those matters who at other times had so often declared his minde persuaded to the contrary and namelie in that councell that he caused to be assembled at Aquileia where in the sommons of that Sinode he openlie protested that controuersies arising apon matters of doctrine can not be better tried then by being referred to the bishoppes that they quoth he from whome the very groundes and principles of doctrine haue proceded may if there fall out anie doubtes dissolue the same For the which wordes being afterward rehersed in the councell it appeareth how greately S. Ambrose praised him when he saide openlie Behold what ordre the christian emperour hathe taken he will not doe anie iniurie to the priestes he referreth to the bishoppes the interpretation of all doubtes If Theodosius had taken apoÌ„ him to iudge in matters of faithe being a lay man coulde S. Ambrose thincke yow that florished vnder him haue byn ignorant thereof If he could not would he haue praised him for that he did not would he haue asked of Valentinianus the yonger beginning in his youthe although he after repeÌ„tid to encroche apoÌ„ the spirituall limites and iurisdiction Quando audisti clementissime imperator in causa fidei Laicos de Episcopo iudicasse when did yow euer heare most gentle emperour that in matters of faith lay men haue iudged of the bishoppes doinges Might he not haue answered if it had bene as our aduersaries say I haue not hard onelie but knoweÌ„ also by experience that mine owne felowe in the empire Theodosius hath doen so So that hereapon we may be bould probably to conclude S. Ambrose vertue wisdome lerning long experience and greate practise in Christes churche well coÌ„sidered that Theodosius atteÌ„pted no such matter nor did anie thing in religion without the councell of such bishoppes as being catholike enstructed him what he should doe for thaduauncement and setting forwarde of Christes catholyke faithe It foloweth in the apologie In the couÌ„cel of CalcedoÌ„ the ciuile magistrate condeÌ„ned for heretikes by his senteÌ„ce Dioscorus Iuuenalis Thalassius being all bishoppes and iudged them vvorthy to be degraded Here would I faine knowe in what place or where they finde this historie written If they saie in the. 5. booke and tenth chap. of Socrates historie as the place is in the margent coated I must nedes tell them that the place hauing byn there sought for can not be found And as littell hope is there of finding the same elles where if a man maie beleue vehemeÌ„t presumptions For if in that couÌ„cell Iuuenalis and Thalassius had bene at all condeÌ„ned by any magistrat either ecclesiasticall or ciuile as well should it of all likelihood haue byn mencioned in the actes and recordes of the couÌ„cell of Calcedon as was the condemnatioÌ„ of Dioscorus they being all accused and partakers of one crime True it is although in the place by theÌ„ alleaged there be no such thing that in the actes yet of the councell we finde a record where the ciuile magistrates consented that Dioscorus had well deserued to be of his bishoprick depriued and of all priestely dignitie degraded But how I beseche yow diligently to considre if to the bishoppes to whome god had committed the charge to giue that sentence it should so seme good And thiese ar not my wordes but his that was sent from the whole councell to Dioscorus who then after the manner of all heretikes fled from the face of the councell and lurcked I wot not where Ioannes the bishop of Germanicia who after he had told him in what termes he stoode that was condemned by the whole councell he added this clause Si hoc placuisset sanctissimis episcopis quibus hanc inferre a domino deo creditum est if it so semed good to the holy bishoppes to whome god had committed the power to giue that sentence This sentence afterwarde the said Dioscorus continuing in his obstinacie was by the whole councell alowed and by the legates of the bishop of Rome in his name pronounced no mans name subscribed or consent asked thereto besides the onelie bishoppes And thus much for Dioscorus for of Iuuenalis and Thalassius till they show where and when they wer condemned for heretikes and worthy to be degraded I can saie nothing Although this in the meane season I may boldelie say that if they the ciuile magistrates I meane gaue anie such sentence it is verie likely that they would qualifie it as yow hard before that they did in Dioscorus with this adiection if the bishoppes thinck good to whom that matter belongeth Which if they did what haue they then gotten by th'alleaging of such a sentence I praie yow The next proufe that they bring is out of the third councell of Constantinople where Constantinus they say did not onelie sit emongest the bishoppes
by Ado who beareth witnesse that he was bishop there 25. yeares vntil the last yeare of Nero his reigne by Tertullian who in teaching vs howe to trie out heretikes which he saieth is if they be not able to deriue their doctrine from some churche where the apostles haue planted first the faithe either from Rome where Peter was or Smirna where S. Ihon the euangelist taught doeth most manifestly giue vs to vnderstand that they wer both bishoppes in those places What shall I here remembre S. Ciprian who had called Rome in vaine S. Peters chaire if he had neuer bene bishop there Or S. Hierom who in one place reconeth howe manie yeares he possessed the bishoprike there and in diuerse other calleth Damasus the B. of Rome successor in Peters faith and seate Or Optatus B. of Miliuetum in Africa who told Parmenian the Donatist that he could not alleage ignorance knowing right well that the bishoppes chaire was first giuen to Peter in the citie of Rome in the which he sate being head of all the apostles And to conclude woulde trowâ— we in skirmishing with the Donatistes S. Austen haue bidden them viewe the bishoppes of Rome sence S. Peters time if he had neuer bene bishop there This therefore standing as manifestlie true it remaineth that I proue the second parte which is that S. Peter being bishop of Rome was called head of the churche The which thing is easie to be proued by the testimony of diuers auncient writers and first of S. Austen Who in a certeine sermon of his entreating of Peters deniall of Christe hath thiese wordes Totius corporis morbum in ipso capite curat ecclesiae inipso vertice componit membroruÌ„ omnium sanitatem that is to saie In the head of the churche it selfe he meaneth of S. Peter hath he cured the disease of the whole bodie and in the chief parte thereof the very top doeth he set in ordre the health of all the membres Leo the B. of Rome the first of that name whome although Caluin because he sawe in his doinges so manie tokens and signes of chief gouernement ouer the churche as by no meanes he coulde auoide but that he so was calleth proude and orgulouse the substance yet of the world for learning and vertue gathered together at Calcedon honored with the name of ter beatus thrise happie or blessed whome Martianus the emperour called Sanctissimus most holie he I saie nameth Peter to be not onelie bishop of the see of Rome but primate also and chief of all other bishoppes Chrisostome a doctour of the grieke churche affirmeth the same in moste plaine and euident wordes saing Petrus futurae ecclesiae pastor constituitur ac caput piscator homo Hunc vniuerso terrarum orbi Christus praeposuit Peter a fissher man is appoincted to be the shepherd and head of Christes churche that he will builde Him hath Christ made ruler ouer all the worlde And in an other place he saieth Christus Petro ecclesiae primatum gubernationemque per vniuersum â—â—undum tradidit Christ deliuered vnto Peter the primacie of the churche and rule thereof thorough out all the worlde Last of all note I beseche yowe to this purpose out of Chrisostome thiese wordes Quanam item de causa Christus sanguinem effudit suum Certé vt pecudes eas acquireret quarum curam tuÌ„ Petro tuÌ„ Petri successoribus committebat Which is in english to saie thus much For what cause I praie yow did Christ shed bis bloud Truelie to redeme those shepe whose charge he committed to Peter and to Peters successors Here would I aske of yow M. Iuel this question whether yow thincke that Christ died for all his churche or for some parte thereof onelie Chrisostome in answering to this question for whome he shed his bloude answereth as hath bene saide for them whome he committed to Peters charge and his successors If the whole churche be not committed to Peter and his successors but onelie one parte thereof then foloweth it that either Chrisostome thought he died for no other or elles did he euel solute his owne question But for so vndoubted a truthe was it taken with Chrisostome and in his time with all other that S. Peter and the popes after him had the vniuersall charge of Christes churche that he was not a fearde by suche a periphrasis or circumlocution to vtter his minde as euery man he wyst as sone as he hard would easelie vnderstande Yow haue here harde M. Iuell for the confirmation of the minor of mine argument or second proposition not one but three substantiall witnesses that haue called S. Peter heade of the churche bishop not of Rome onelie but of all other bishops the chief that haue affirmed that to him was committed by Christ the gouernement and superioritie ouer the churche thorough out all the worlde that he and his successors haue the charge of those shepe for whome Christ died So that apon the coÌ„clusioÌ„ which necessarilie foloweth Ergo the bishoppe of Rome was of one auncient doctour in the firste sixe hundred yeares after christ called head of the churche I might M. Iuell if I wouâ—d eueÌ„ out of hande if yow haue allready yealded to none other chalenge yowe for my prisonier your importune request being as yowe see sufficientlie satisfied For yowe caÌ„ not say pardy that although yowe graunte with the auncieÌ„t fathers that S. Peter was heade of the churche that the bishoppes yeat of Rome his successors wer not First because that wer as much in effect to saie as that Christ would that there should be a heade of his churche and no heade a head while Peter liued and after none And if that be your answer I praie yowe tell vs a cause whie and showe vs some scripture where our Sauiour Christ so taught or his apostles deliuered or the auncient councels and holie fathers haue so affirmed Secondarily yow ar barred of this plea because the verie nature of succession is such that excepte he or some other hauing auctoritie into whose place an other succedeth expresselie prouide for the contrary which yet remaineth to be proued that euer Christ or S. Peter did he coÌ„meth directly in to all the righte and interest what so euer it be that his author had before him Last of all yowe can not vse this friuolouse exception that this title of heade of the churche began and ended alltogether with Peter as most foolishely Iohn Caluin doeth who graunting that Peter was in dede the heade and chief of the apostles because he saieth the verie ordre of nature requireth that in all companies there be one to gouerne the rest denieth yet that the B. of Rome succeding in Peters office should be heade of the churche nowe as S. Peter was of the apostles which represented the same then and that for so the because that which had place emongest a
by common consent and is rightely termed the certificate of their doinges to Leo the pope wherein they called him the heade and them selues the membres and in that that they termed him the man to whome our lorde committed the keping of his vineyarde doe moste plainelie affirme the same there is nowe left to our aduersaries no starting hole to escape Besides all this that yowe haue hard there is a notable testimonie of Iustinian the emperour who in his Codex calleth in plaine wordes Ioannes that was then the pope of Rome caput omnium ecclesiarum that is the heade of al churches And thus much for such as within the first sixe hundred yeares haue called the B. of Rome by this name heade of the churche To come nowe to those who although they haue not vsed the same terme haue named him yet notwithstanding by the like and haue attributed vnto hiÌ„ and acknowleged in him in all poinctes the same iurisdiction and auctoritie I shall first bring furth the testimonie of that stroÌ„g piller and vnmoueable rocke of Christes churche Athanasius and yet not him alone but accompanied with the whole noÌ„bre of the bishoppes of Egipt Thebaida and Libia Who writing to three seuerall popes Marcus Liberius and Felix called first Marcus S. Ro. Apostolicae sedis atque vniuersalis ecclesiae papam that is the bishop or pope for the worde is in the auncient doctours vsed indifferentlie for bothe of the holie apostles seate at Rome and also of the whole vniuersall churche of Christ and the churche of Rome the mother and heade of all churches acknowleged in the secoÌ„de written to Felix that almighty god had placed the bishoppes of Rome insummitatis arce omnium ecclesiarum curam habere praecepit in the chiefest tower that he had commaunded them to take on them the charge not of their owne propre and peculier churche of Rome onlie as though their charge extended no farder but of all churches vniuersallie witnessed beside whereof theie coulde not be ignorant them selues being present there and then which they coulde not haue brought a stronger proufe to proue the superioritie of that See that in the first councell holden at Nice it was ordeined and agreed apon that no councells should be holden or bisshoppes condemned without the auctoritie of the B. of Rome And in their lettres last of all to Liberius the popeâ— doe so openlie and manifestlie witnesse their opinion in this controuersy in saieng that to him as pope was committed the vniuersall churche of Christe to labour for all to helpe euerie one that I can not ynough maruell at your impudency M. Iuell who standing in defence of the contrary beate in to the eares of the people that this doctrine of the popes auctoritie is newe and hath for warrante thereof not so much as one auncient writers approbation and that as suerly as god is god the Catholikes if they had vouchesaufed to folowe the scriptures the generall councels the examples of the primitiue churche or opinions of th'auncient fathers would neuer haue brought in the pope again being once banished out of the realme The seuerall answers of euerie one of thiese popes wherein they acknowleged no lesse burden of charge then was by these fathers laiâ—d apoÌ„ theÌ„ I here forbeare to bring in lest theie maie by yow perhappes be chaleÌ„ged as principall partes to the title in strife The which because I knowe yow can not say by S. Hierom S. Ambrose S. Austen and other such like I shall here of many alleage some for the confirmation thereof S. Hierome called Damasus who was B. of Rome the chief and highest prieste S. Ambrose calleth him ruler of the churche Ecclesia saieth he domus dei est cuius hodie rector est Damasus The churche is goddes house the gouernor whereof at this day is Damasus S. Austen saieth in writing to Bonifacius the pope ageinst the Pelagians that although the office of being a bishop be to them all comon that yet he was in that care placed aboue the rest And in an other place comparing together the blessed apostle S. Peter and the holie martir S. Ciprian he had cause to feare he saied least he might seme to be towardes S. Peter contumeliouse not as though touching the crowne of martirdome they wer not bothe equall but in respect of their seates and bishoprikes Quis enim nescit illum apostolatus principatum cuilibet episcopatui praeferendum for who is quoth he ignorant that that principalitie of apostleship is to be preferred before all bishoprikes To these shall I adde Theodorite the B of Cyrus who writeth in this wise to Leo the pope Si Paulus praeco veritatis tuba sanctissimi spiritus ad magnum Petrum cucurrerit vt ijs qui Antiochiae de institutis Legalibus contendebant ab ipso adferret solutionem multò magis nos qui abiecti sumus pusilli ad apostolicam vestram sedem currimus vt ecclesiarum vlceribus medicinam à vobis accipiamus Vos enim per omnia primos esse conuenit If Paule that is to saie the messanger of truthe and trumpet of the holie ghost ran vnto mighty Peter to fetch from him the resolution of such doubtes as rising apon th' obseruation of the Lawe ministred to them occasion of strife that wer at Antioche much more neede had we which ar weake and abiect to run vnto your apostolicall seate from thence to fetch salues for the sores of the churche For expedient is it that in all pointes before all other yow haue the preeminence And a little after he addeth that the churche of Rome is of all other maxima praeclarissima quae praeest orbi terrarum the greatest the noblest and that which ruleth all the worlde By occasion of this place of Theodoritus calling the churche of Rome the chief of all other which yet he doeth not alone neither for so did well neare two hundred yeares before his daies Irinaeus when he would haue euery churche that is as him selfe expoundeth it all faithefull Christians from all partes of the worlde to mete and conforme them selues to the imitation of this churche propter potentiorem principalitateÌ„ saieth he for the chiefest souereintie that it hath and after him aswell S. Ambrose whose opinion was that Rome hath bene more honored thorough the preeminence and principalitie of the apostolicall priestehood by hauing there the chief tower of religion then it was before when it had there the chief throne of worldly power and ciuile iurisdiction as also S. AusteÌ„ affirming that in that churche the preeminence and chief honour of the apostolicall priestehood hath alwaies florished I shall here make this argument for the better coÌ„firmation of this controuersie that the B. of Rome is the heade and chief of the whole churche this allwaies presupposed that yowe M. Iuell whome I desire to solute this argument ar stille of this minde that the
bishoppes in nombre 318. roborate or confirmed non deberi absque R. pontificis sententia celebrari concilia nec Episcopos damnari that without the auctoritie of the B. of Rome neither councelles should be kepte nor bishops condemned So that herebie we may gather that it was before taken for a truthe but then by reason of some busie braines that began to call it in to question by the iudgement of the councell confirmed and put out of all doubte Who but he excommunicated all the churches of Asia and prouinces bordering apon it no man finding fault with the doing thereof for lacke of iurisdiction which would no doubte where partes be taken as at that time there wer aboute the keping of the Easter daye of all other things first haue bene espied and reprehended if it had bene doen with out auctoritie although some complained of ouer much rigour and would haue wisshed a little more discretion in Victor then pope which did it But to goe forwarde in thexamples of thauncient councels To whome did the second generall councell gathered at Constantinople declare that the honour of being chief ouer all other bishops did apperteigne To anie other then to the bishop of Rome In whose place was Cirillus president of the thirde generall councell holden at Ephesus but in the B. of Rome his Whome called the fowerth generall councell of Calcedon vniuersae ecclesiae episcopum bishop or ouersear of the vniuersall churche but him Who commaunded the bodie of the same councell that theie should in no wise suffer Dioscorus the bishoppe of Alexandria to sit emongest them but the pope by his legates Whie was Lucentius one of the popes legates forbidden at the same time to accuse Dioscorus but because the fathers tould him that the parsons of the iudge and th'accuser must be distincte â–ª and that the iudge might in no wise take on him the others name or office And howe was Lucentius emongest them a iudge because he represented the popes parson And whie was the pope his maister iudge because he was the chief iudge and heade in earthe of the churche Can yow tell anie other cause M. Iuell And for this cause Lucentius gaue ouer and Eusebius an other bishop accused him Finallie to make an ende with this councell of Calcedon knowe ye that after manie reasons on bothe sides and long debating toe and fro in the same touching the B. of Rome his prerogatiue the fathers at the length concluded the matter and knit vp the knot in this wise Ex his quae gesta sunt vel ab vnoquoque deposita perpendimus omnem quidem primatum honorem praecipiâ—um secundum canones antiquae Romae Deo amantissimo archiepiscopo confirmari That is to saie By those thinges which haue passed emongest vs or haue bene by euerie one of vs alleaged we perceiue according to the canons all souerentie and chief â—onour to be confirmed to the welbelouid of god tharchebishop of olde Rome Note here I beseche yowe good indifferent readers which a littell before I noted to you out of Athanasius alleaging for the B â–ª of Rome his sâ—â—erioritie the first councell of Nice that the councell of Calcedon determined here no newe thing of the popes auctoritie but confessed them selues by boulting out the truthe to haue founde that the canons and rules of the churche in times past had giuen him that chief honour aboue all other and that therefore theie perceiued that by them it ought to be confirmed What can we here thincke of the councell of Calcedon referring it selfe to the canons but that it meÌ„t of the councell of Constantinople and Nice going before And of the councel of Nice what can we iudge but that their confirmation had relation to the verie institution of Christe him selfe The fathers assembled in the two councels of Carthage and Mileuite of whome S. AusteÌ„ was one wrote vnto Innocentius then pope of Rome to confirme their doings ageinst the two heretikes Pelagius and Celestius The who le councell of Carthage writing to the pope did so theie saide vt statutis suae mediocritatis etiaÌ„ apostolicae sedis adhiâ—eatur authoritas to the entent that to their ordonaÌ„ces which wer but of meane auctoritie the weight and maiestie of th'apostolicall seate might adde the more The fathers in the councell Mileuitan of their writing for the confirmation of their decrees alleaged this to be the cause Quia te Dominus gratiae suae praecipuo munere in sede apostolica collocauit that is because our lorde hath placed yow by the gift of his especiall grace in the apostolicall seate To the first of these two councels Innocentius the pope making answer how doeth he praise and extoll the fathers for that that theie not leaning to their owne iudgementes had obseruing th' examples of auncient traditions and being mindefull of the ecclesiasticall discipline not contemning the ordinaunces of the fathers in times past who decreed not by the sentence of man but of god him selfe that the determination of all doubtes should be reserued to the See of Rome from whence all other churches should receaue the same none otherwise then as all waters procede from the heade spring referred the whole processe of their doinges to his iudgement To the other councell he made answer that theie had behaued theÌ„ selues bothe diligentlie and decentlie in regarding th' apostles honour his honour quoth he I saie who beside the care of externall thinges hath also to prouide for all churches in asking what was to be folowed in doutefull matters wherein he saide theie had folowed the forme of the auncient rule He added also that as ofteÌ„ as there was anie doubte of matters of faithe his brothers and fellow bishoppes should referre the same to no other but to Peter in which doing theie should refer theÌ„ to the giuer bothe of that name and the honour belonging theretoe with manie oâ—her wordes to this ende And last of all in the same letters he excommunicated bothe Pelagius and Celestius commaunding that his sentence remained inuiolable that they entred not in to the churches that theie shoulde haue no pastorall charge but yet that if theie repented pardon should not be denied them Here perhappes some one will aske of me why passing ouer the notable testimonies touching this matter of Anacletus Clemens Euaristus Alexander Xistus Telesphours of whome the last liued within seuen score yeres after Christe I rather allege Innocentius who although he be also auncieÌ„t as liâ—ing well neare eleuen hundred yeres agoe and proue right well â—he point for the which he is brought in might yet either for the one respect or the other haue giuen place to any of them To whome I make this answer that as I haue willingly and wittingly suffered my selfe to lacke such necessarie defence for the proufe of this controuersie as out of the writinges of such graue fathers and holie martirs
auteÌ„ ministri adsint pro viribus quas eis dominus subministrat omnibus subuenitur alij baptizaÌ„tur alij recoÌ„ciliantur nulli dominici corporis coÌ„muni one fraudantur that is to sai If the ministres be present according to the strength that god hath giuen theÌ„ all men ar holpen some ar baptised other some ar recoÌ„ciled none ar deceiued of the communion of our lordes body Much more might here be saide touching this point wer it not that I am lothe to trouble yow with the ofteÌ„ repeating thereof that I feare me you ar sory to haue hard so much as once And therefore if this satiâ—fie you not for the rest I remitte you to that learned worcke of late sette furth at Loâ—ainâ— wherein you haue I doubte not allready for this matter founde such stoare of testimonies such weight of auctorities as in your owne iudgement yow maie haue cause to thincke tâ—at yow holde by the worst ende of the staffe Your obiections also ageinst the catholike faithe in this article because they arre there with like dexteritie answered and soluted I here passe ouer in silence One I excepte emongest the rest which because yow mencioned it not in your sermon where vnto the author without wandring any farder kept him selfe he also in his booke speaketh not of The place that yow bring ageinst vs is yow say out of Theophilus Alexandrinus and is alleaged by yow without cotation after this sorte Si Christus mortuus fuisset pro diabolo non negaretur illi poculum sanguinis If Christe had died for the diuell the cup of the bloud should not haue bene denied him Here M. Iuell good faithe and true dealing woulde that yow shoulde haue coted to vs this place But I feare me it will so fall oute in the ende that in all Theophilus worckes there shall no such place be founde True it is that these wordes we finde in him Si enim pro demonibus crucifigitur vt nouorum dogmatum assertor affirmat quod erit priuilegium aut que ratio vt soli homines corporieius sanguinique coÌ„municent non demones quoque pro quibus in passione sanguinem suum 〈◊〉 That is to say for if Christ wer crucified as this 〈◊〉 of newe doctrine affirmeth for the diuelles also what priuileage haue men or what reason shoulde there be why they onelie should be partakers of his body and bloud and not the diuelles also for whome in his passion he should haue shed his bloud If this be the place that you meane why alleage you it so falsely and corrupte bothe th'authors wordes and minde If this be not it then showe vs where we shall finde it which if yow coulde doe then shoulde yow be answered in this wise that in Theophilus time the vse of this sacrameÌ„t was indifferent to be receiued as the deuotioÌ„ of the receiuor thereof serued him either vnder bothe the kindes or one alone as a thing by Christ so left and the libertie whereof the church directed by the holy ghost had not as then in any wise restreined So that at those daies the prieste had doen him opeÌ„ wrong to whome desiring bothe the kindes he woulde haue giuen but onely one yea if it had bene the diuell that he had denied it to if Christ had died for the diuell But now I praie yow applie this testimony to the present state of the churche which nowe is and you shall see how handsomly it fitteth yow Theophilus Alexandrinus when the churche had as yet not restreined the vse of this sacrament touching the laie people to one kinde was of the minde that in this case to denie to the diuell if Christe had died for him the cup had bene a disordre Therefore now that the churche hath decreed that they shall communicate vnder onely one he is also of the same minde Thus must yow reason if yow deale truly which if you doe how little this place maketh for your purpose a meane wit wilbe easely able to iudge Thus much touching this present controuersy nowe to the next which is as by our aduersaries it is termed of priuate Masse THAT THERE VVAS MASSE SAIDE VVITHIN THE FIRST SIX HVNDRED YEARES ALTHOVGH THERE VVER none that did receaue with the priest OVr lorde be thancked therefore truthe which well may be for the tyme pressed but neuer shalbe vanquished hath at the length with much a doe gotteÌ„ of her enemies maugre their heades the confession of that which hetherto they haue all so stoutely denyed For now relinquishing and geuing ouer their olde plea that the Masse is a new inuention the name strange and to the auncient doctours vnknoweÌ„ they flee to an other shyft as here by their common proctour M. Iuell yowe may good readers perceiue and saye that there was no priuate Masse in all the whole world for the space of six hundred yeares or more after the apostles time Here M. Iuell forasmuch as this terme priuate which by reason of the equiuocation that it hath might haue brought vs into some doubte how yow had vnderstand it is by yow expounded in diuerse places of your sermoÌ„ to be taken for the priestes sole or alone receiuing of the â—acrament without company and so as yowe take it as this worde priuate is contrary to publike or common to many And yowe herein stick not scrupulously in the other significations thereof as some of your fellowes doe that is that that Masse is no lesse priuate which is saide in priuate mennes houses out of the church or which is done especially for some one man or woman but seeme honestly to confesse that S. Austen mencioneth these two kinde of masses the first in his bookes de ciuitate Dei where he reporteth that a priâ—st of his diocesse saide Masse in a ferme or house of the countrye troubled with euell sprites who immediatly thereapon none otherwise theÌ„ do the heretikes of our time auoyded the place and were no more hard of Where we might also stande apon this till the contrary were proued that the priest receiued then alone For by the place it appeareth not of any that receiued with him The second in his bookes of confessions Where he telleth vs that he offred for his mother after her deceasse sacrificiuÌ„ praetijnostri the sacrifice of our raunsome Forasmuch I saie as yow seme not to pitche in these last pointes I shall assaye to satisfie yow in the first and then after to answere such obiections as you make for the fortifieng of your parte Yow saie that within the first six hundred yeares after the apostles and more there was no Masse saide in the churche vnlesse there were some that did receiue with the priest Against this I reason thus Chrysostome liued within the space of fower hundred yeares after the apostles time but Chrysostome and the priestes in his time sayd Masse when none did communicate ergo to you M. Iuell within the first six hundred yeares after
that he that is not worthy to receiue the blessed body of Christe in the sacrament is not worthy also to be praied for Whereas all men knowe that theÌ„ more vnworthy he is of the one the more worthy he is of the other if the sicke be worthy to haue a phisicioÌ„ and not the hole that by the meanes thereof he maie become worthy to receiue that of which he was before vnworthy If we so sticke in the barcke and rinde and come no nearer to the pith what sense will yow make S. Ambrose to haue in saieng that he that is not worthy to receiue the sacrament daily is not worthy to rceiue the same once in the yeare Might it not so happen that many a good man which now receiueth worthily once in the yeare shoulde by this meanes not receiue worthily once in his life But of this maÌ„ner vsed in speaking or writing haue we not in some of these fathers expresse testimonies namely in Chrisostome who trauailing in a certeine place of his worckes to persuade the true and reall presence of Christes body in the sacrameÌ„t vseth these wordes Seest thow not thy lorde offred vp the prieste doing his priestly office pouring oute his praiers the people rounde aboute him imbrued and made redde with that pretiouse bloud which wordes I knowe yow will easely graunte with vs to be not in all pointes simply true but yet not discommendable or vnsemely being spokeÌ„ as sensibly as might be the more firmely to persuade the truthe of that which although it be there as truely as though it had bene sene was yet hidde and to carnall eyes inuisible But what needeth it here to alleage the manner of speaking of the auncient and olde fathers seing that yow M. Iuell and your coÌ„panions oure newe maisters and yong fathers vse the same or not much vnlike in your cisguised communion And yeat for all your terrible thundre boultes shotte ageinst them that being present receiue not yow see neuer a one the more for feare thereof departe oute of the churche yea he that I thinke should wer well like perhappes to heare thereof to his coste before his Ordinary But there is not the simplest in a parishe but he knoweth that youre meaning is not to driue theÌ„ oute of the churche as youre wordes sounde but to stirre theÌ„ vp thereby the oftener to come to youre schismaticall communion and therefore they tarrie still Or elles if this be not youre minde of so many that be present coÌ„tinually thereat and be not partakers thereof why haue yow punished all this while noâ—â—e An other cause that hath moued me thus to vnderstand these fathers is for that the practise of the churche appeareth to haue bene in their time such as that the people was willed euen then to be present at the church and to heare Masse at the leaste on the Sundaies when they stoode neuerthelesse at libertie touching the receauing of the sacrament any oftener then thrise in the yeare as appeareth by the councell holden at Agatha in Fraunce aboute Chrisostomes daies and by S. AusteÌ„ neere also vnto the same time S. Austens wordes arre these In die verò nullus se a sacra Missarum celebratione separet neâ—ue otiosus quis domi remaneat On the Sunday let no man absente him selfe from the holy celebration of the Masse nor remaine within the doores idle And alittle after he addeth Adhuc quoâ—ue quod detestabilius est ad ecclesiam aliqui venientes non intrant non insistunt praecibus non expectant cum silentio sanctarum MissaruÌ„ celebrationem that is to say Besides all this which is a thing more to be detested some coÌ„ming to the church entre not in they praie not they tarie not out with silence the celebrating of the holie Masses And thus it appeareth the vse of the churche being at that time such as the people was by ordre bounde to heare Masse on the SuÌ„day whether they receuid or no that in no wise these fathers can be so vnderstande as though they ment to driue them vttrely from the Masse whither the churche had bounde them to come but onely to put them in remembraunce so to come and so to be present thereat as in times past in that olde feruency of deuotion they had bene wont Thus much for the first answere Secondarily to the places before alleaged I saie that â—â—â—ing graunted which denied by vs yow shall neuer be able to proue that in the primitiue churche such as woulde not receiue with the priest wer not suffred to be present at the mass Year is it no good reason to saie that therefore it must necessarily be so now Seing that in those thinges which haue by Christ bene left indifferent of which this is one the spirituall gouernours haue power to change and alter as occasion giueth Will yow see it proued by examples There was a time when to absteine from bloud and straÌ„gled meates was a thing so necessary to be obserued that it was by a solemne decree of the apostles enacted and as light a matter as some will perhappes make thereof yeat added the apostles thereto this weight and poise of wordes Visum est Spiritui sancto nobis it hath semed good to the holy ghost and to vs. Yea the text hath that they accounted such abstinence inter necessaria in the nombre of those thinges that were necessary to be obserued euen as to absteine from fornication Of the continuance of this decree in his force the place mencioneth nothing so that thereof can be gathered no other but that it was a lawe made to endure for euer although at this daye it be not practised well yow wote pardye Were it well done thincke yowe now to reason thus In the apostles time the churche absteined from bloudinges and stiffled meates Therefore we must in these dayes doe the like Yeat wer this truly a stronger reason drawen from an ordonaunce and commaundement of the apostles then is youres leaning apon examples if yow had any such which as they neuer had their beginning of any commaundement or precept of the holie scriptures but by them lefâ—e at libertie were by the spirituall gouernours as the present time required drawen to a necessitie so by the same apon contrary occasion maie at all times be released But yow haue at all no such commaundement in the whole scripture that soundeth that waies that the prieste maie not saie Masse and receiue the sacrament alone without companie or that no man maie be present with the prieste at his Masse there with him to communicate spiritually onlesse the same will also communicate sacramentally For that yow alleage most fondly for the proufe of the contrary that Christ gaue this holy sacrament not to one alone but to many being together and that he saide farder by the waie of charge Doe this that is yow saie Practise this that I haue here done and that in such ordre and
omitted so much as one worde ▪ let vs nowe I beseche yow as yow tendre the common quiet of the churche as yow regarde the health of youre owne soule doe the like Youre owne selues confesse within the terme of yeares by me mencioned of the beginning and continuance of youre religion youre Apologie alleaging 40. yeares for all the vniuersall worlde M. Haddō to Hieronimus Osorius standing more stoutely then wisely apon the quiet possessiō of thirty yeares six excepted in which the course thereof was interrupted within oure realme of England So that yow can not say that I haue here imagined a case impossible but by youre owne selues confessed and by manie a man aliue if yow would denie it easy to be proued To conclude if all that hath byn allready saied satisfie yow not let yet Tertullian persuade yow in this poinct whose wordes touching this matter written ageinst the heretikes of his time folow in english after this sorte Well let it be graunted that all haue erred Hath the holie ghost yet all this while regarded no churche to leade it into the truthe being sent for that purpose by Christ being therefore expressely demaunded of his father to be the teacher of all truthe Let it be so that goddes bailif and Christes vicair haue suffered the churches to vnderstand otherwise then he taught by his apostles Is it yeat likely that so many and famouse churches should erre in one faithe And a littell after he addeth thiese wordes The truthe belike looked for some Marcionites and Valentiniās the heretikes against whome he wrote to deliuer it in the meane season till whose comming the ghospel was not rightely preached so many thousand thousands baptized amisse so many worckes of faithe euell ministred so many vertuouse cures and giftes wrongfully wrought so many priesthodes and ministrations naughtely executed so manie martirdome to make an ende suffred in vaine Thus far Tertullian To whome it seemed a thing absurd and vnlikely that the holie ghost should faile the churche in the reuealing and opening to the same of any wholesom and necessary truthe that gods bailiff and Christes vicair should suffer so many churches to fall in to an erroniouse and wrong belief that so many agreing all in one faithe should erre that no chaunce should at one time or an other haue varied the ordre had it byn nought of that doctrine which so many churches taught This wrote he when Christes churche was yet in herba when it had continued little aboue two hundred yeares What would he haue saied were he now aliue in oure time to heare that all the churches in the wide worlde the same where the apostles them selues gouerned from whence as from a spring all scripture all true religion next after god flowed in to the reast of Christendome should be noted agreing all in one faithe to haue perniciously erred not one hundred yeares or two but by the continuall space of fiftene hundred Or if that cōfession fell from yow in youre Apologie vnwares as in a booke set furth with such publike consent first commendid to the world next as the common and certeine pledge of youre religiō and last of all vaunted to be placed openly in the eyes of all the world and such as no one of youre aduersaries wer able to refell it is not easi to be presumed yeat for the terme of nine hundred yeares at the least For for so long continuance the moste parte of yow graunt that we ar able to bring proufes and witnesses of oure religion and therefore yow chalenge all the writers that haue written within that compasse Would he not now haue cried out and haue asked where was become the holie ghost apppointed by Christ demaunded of the father to leade the churche in to all truthe Whether it were likely that so many and notable churches agreing all in one faithe should erre would he not thincke we take vp oure newe doctours yow and youre cōpanions telling yow that the truthe laie euer bounde and could neuer be losed till frier Luther and his brother Zuinglius cam and set it at libertie and that in the meane season the ghospel was neuer preached aright baptesme euel ministred with such like functions in the churche But leauing Tertullian and comming nearer to oure owne time will not thinck yow Hieronimus Osorius laughe in his sleeue whē of thirteene hundred yeares for so long is it and more sence we Englishe men first receiued the faithe at the handes of pope Eleutherius M. Haddon his aduersary after so much turning and tossing troubling and vexing of Cicero his maister and chiefest author of his diuinitie could at the length with much ado finde but .24 yeares that our countrie had continued in the doctrine of the gospell Is he not like thinke yow to serue him again with this tennis ball Hoc est tuū Gualtere nescio stupidius an improbius ad Hieronimi epist. respōsum And will not some other trowe you cut him shorte of this accounte eleuen yeares and bid him for .30 lacking six to write .30 lacking .17 Except he will flie to this to iustifie his reaconing that as soone as the pope was once banished although Masse Mattins and all other seruice cōtinued till the deathe of king Henry that yeat was all as it shoulde be and according to the doctrine of their gospell How euer it be fower and twenty or .13 yeares hath not the Quene our gratiouse lady trow yow and the whole realme good cause to decree and appoint a perpetuall salary out of the common coffers to such a patrone But because Osorius is well knowen to be man good ynough for M. Haddon and therefore bothe cā and will if he thincke it needefull to reply apon so fond an answere defend him selfe I will leauing to write any more thereof as perteining not principally but incidently to my purpose conclude here this first cause with my earnest request to yow once again that yow considre it diligently and seriously not lightely or scornefully THE second cause that hath weighed much with me and maie also iustly doe the like with yowe is the same that S. Austen disputing with the Maniches affirmed to haue kept him in the lappe of the catholike churche that is the auctoritie of the same churche by which we ar taught to giue credite vnto the ghospell For as he reasoned thus ageinst Manichaeus Quibus ergo obtemperaui dicentibus c. Those therefore whome I beleuid bidding me beleue the ghospell why shoulde I not giue credite to the same men warning me not to beleue Manichaeus so maie yow or I saie to all such factiouse men as labour to bring vs from the obedience of the catholike churche of Rome to their parte The churche of Rome the mother and chief of all other taught vs Englishe men first to beleue the gospell and other knowledge the reof then which we had from that church we haue none Why should we
kept that the praiers in the night wer vtterly ceassed To that holy father it seemed a great outerage that the churches wer shut vppe what would he thinck we then say wer he aliue in these dayes when of our churches he should see some made the dwelling houses of priuat men other some turned into barnes or stables other cleane ouer throwen and made euen wyth the grounde and those that remain whole so moch worse then if they had byn alltogether shut vp left open for heretikes to pollute with schismaticall seruice and diuelysh doctrine It grieued S. Basil that th' altars should lack the spirituall seruâ—ce whych was not nether for any mislike that men had therein but because in that grieuouse persecution of the Christians theie could not be founde that durst doe it And could he haue taken it well to haue seene theÌ„ broken defaced and quite ouer throwen yea whiche is a crime so horrible that to write it I tremble in those places in which the altars stood whereon was wont in that spirituall sacrifice to be offered vp the most pretious body and bloud of Christ Oxen and beastes more vncleane to befedde He lamented that learned men wer not estemed that they wer not prouided of lyuings and would he not much more lament to see them depriued of those whych they had and shoemakers weuers tinckers coweherdes broome men Russians forfelonies burned in the haÌ„ds to be put in ther places Then was no holsom doctrine taught nowe is ther nothing elles taught but poisoned and vnholsom Then wer there no holidaies kepte nor hymnes vsed in the night Nowe ar they accompted to be superstition Nowe as we felt none of all thiese miseries besides a thousand moe so long as we kept our selues wythin the vnite of one heade so is euery man able to beare me witnesse that as soone as the diuel the author of all heresies had once obteined and brought about the banishmeÌ„t in our countrye of that one bishop wyth the whych as you haue hard out of S. Cyprian before he vseth alwayes to begin all these russhed in apon vs as the dore that should haue kept them out being set wide open And as this is confessed by the most auncient fathers that haue wrytten sence Christes tyme that by this meanes we first reuolt from the churche by contemning and not acknowleging the head so muâ—t our return thyther again be by the contrary that is by reuerencing him by acknowleging him by humble submission of our self to him So did those that after ther fall with Nouatus S. Cyprian receiued into the churche again apon ther submission testified in these wordes Nos Cornelium episcopum sanctissmum Catholicae Ecclesiae erectum à deo omnipotente Christo D. nostro scimus Nos errorem nostrum confitemur Circumuenti sumus perfidiae loquacitate factiosa amentes videbamur qua si quandam communicationem cum homine schismatico habuisse Syncera tamen mens nostra in ecclesia semper fuit Nec ignoramus vnum deum esse vnum Christum esse dominum quem confessi â—umus vnum spiritum S vnum Episcopum in ecclesia catholica esse debere We say they acknowledge Cornelius to be erected by god almighty and Christe our lorde to be the holie bishop of the catholike churche We confesse our error we haue byn circumuented ronning madde by the factious babbling of treachery we semed to haue communicated as it wer with that schismaticall man Nouatus yet was our sincere minde alwaies in the churche Nor we ar not ignorant that there is one onlie god and one Christ our lorde and that in the catholike churche there must be one holie ghost and one bishop So did Vrsatius and Valens forsaking the heresy of Arrius offer vp ther recantation to Iulius then bishop of Rome By thys meanes good Christian readers returned they to the churche by this must you return that haue straied what so euer you be if you will be saued Seing now as I haue declared the going out of the churche is by the contempt of the head thereof and the return home again by th' acknowleging and reuerencing of the same persuade your selfe that it hath not byn for nothing that good men in all ages haue byn and at this time ar no lesse busyed in defence thereof then heretikes myssecreantâ— and enemies to our faithe ar readie wyth all ther power to assault the same The consideration whereof hath caused also me in this enterprise of mine to begin first wyth the fortifieng of that whereunto our enemies as the very fundacion of all true religion the comfort and stay of the catholikes the terror and vtter vndoing of all heretikes doe most direct ther battery In the handling where of I purpose god willing to take this ordre First before I comme to the principall poinct thatlieth in question betwene vs which is of the bishop of Romes supremacie to proue to you by most plaine and euident reasons that the churche of Christ here militant in earth must of necessitie for diuerse and sondrie vrgent causes haue one chief head and ruler vnder Christ to rule and gouerne the same Secondarily that that one head must nedes be a priest Thirdly and so last of all that of all priests the bishop of Rome is he whych must supply that place and that for so that is head and ruler of the church he hath byn of th' auncient councels and old fathers wyth in the first six hundred yeares after Christes de parture taken THAT CHRISTES CHVRCH HERE IN EARTH MVST OF NECESSITIE HAVE ONE CHIEF HEAD AND GOVERNER VNDER CHRIST TO RVLE THE SAME THe truthe of thys proposition good Christian readers is not onely by the whole ordre and forme of the estate of gods people in th' olde lawe whych was also the true churche of god long before the comming of our sauiour in to this world but by the dailie experience also of ciuile and polytike gouuernenement most manifestly confirmed For who is there so blynde that he seeth not that in the whole frame of this worlde there is no kingdom so mighty no realm so puysant no cytie so populous no towne so welthy yea on the coÌ„trary part also no village so littell no family so small finally no societe of men no not of those that haue wrapped them selues in league to robbe and spoile that can anie while continue wythout a head to gouern them If therefore to lyue vnder the gouuernement of a head be a matter of such importance as wythout the whych neyther great nor little riche nor pooer good nor bad can stande how much more necessary shall we thinck it in Christes churche here militant in earthe where the diuell in hys membres is continually occupied in raysing of schismes in stirring vp discord to vex and molest the people of god to haue thys wholesom prouision for th' appeasing thereof and the restoring of the same being troubled to quietnes
again And because good Christian readers you shall well perceaue that this is no nowe deuise or fantasie imagined by mâ— I will here lay before your eyes the iudgement of certein notable men whom god gaue to his churche to serue for a wall for the same ageinst the incursions of the wicked Phylistins his enemyes In whom you shal most plainely perceiue this ordre in Christes churche to be so necessarie that the onely breache or lack thâ—râ—of hath byn by them taken to be the highe way and very path that leadeth to all heresies And first to begyn wyth that blessed martyr of god S. Cyprian hath he not coÌ„cerning this matter in an epistle by hym written to Corâ—elius then bishop of Rome thiese wordes Neque enim aliunde obortae sunt haereses aut natâ—â— sunt schismata quà m indé quâ—â—d sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur necvnus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos et ad tempus iudex vice Christicogitatur that is neyther yet truely doe heresies aryse or schismes growe of any other cause then thereof that men obey not the priest of god neyther doe thinck that there is in the churche in the steed and place of Christ one prieste and one iudge for the time Hetherto S. Cyprian By the whych wordes good christian readers it is so euident that there must be one priest in the churche whom all other must obey that the same must be taken of vs for iudge here in earthe in the stede of Christe that you see I nothing doubt great cause to condeÌ„ne the grosse ignorance of our late apologie Wher in the authors contrary to thys doctrine of S. Cyprian most impudently pronounce that in hys church Christ our lord vseth not the help of any one man alone to gouern the same in his absence as he that standeth in neede of no such help and that if he did no mortall man could be found hable alone to doe the same and finally wyth the same S. Cyprian who dyed a holy martir and is no dout a saincte in heauen to whome the belief of both these two articles seemed not onely not impossible but also very necessary to lyue and dye in th' obedience of this priest and vnder such a iudge then wyth a sort of lewd losels in whose churche being a certein secret scattred congregation vnknowen to all the world beside and to their own fellowes toe is nother head ordre obedience neyther yet certein rules or groundes where on to stay to runne hedlong ye wot no more then your guides whither But S. Cyprian was he trow yow of this minde alone No verilie for S. Hierom is of the same as by thiese his wordes it is most euident Ecclesiae salus in summi sacerdotis pendet dignitate cui si non exors ab omnibus eminens detur poteâ—tas tot in ecclesâ—a efficientur schismata quot sacerdotes The health sayth he and welfare of the churche dependeth apoÌ„ the estimatioÌ„ of the chief priest who if he haue not auctoritie pearelesâ—e and aboue all other ye shall haue in the churche so many schismes as there be priestes And again in an other place speaking of the apostles he writeth thus Quòd vnus poâ—teà electus est qui caeteris praeponere tur in schismatis remedium factum est ne vnusquisque ad se trabens ecclesiane rumperet that is That one was afterward chosen to rule the rest that was donne for a remedy ageynst schismes least while euery man would chalenge to hym self the churche by such halyng and pullyng they might brâ—ake the same Leo of whom the whole councell of Calcedon as one of the greatest for nombre so of all men accoÌ„pted emongest the fower general for auctoritie reported so honorably that they did not onely wyth one voice all openly professe them selues to beleue as he did but called him also by the name of Sanctissimus beatissimus that is most holy and blessed of all other speaking of the mysticall body of Christes church writeth after this sort Haec conâ—exio totius quidem corporis vnanimitatem requirit c. This combination and ioining together he speaketh of the body of Christes church requireth an vnitie of the whole body but especîally of the priestes emongest whom although there be one dignitie common to them all yet is there not one generall ordre emongest them all For euen emongest the blessed apostles in that similitude of honor was there yet a differeÌ„ce of power and whereas in ther election they wer all lyke yet was yt giuen to one to be aboue all the rest Out of whych forme is taken our difference of bishops and by merueylouse ordre and disposition ys yt prouided that euery one should not chalenge to him self euery thing but that in euery prouince there should be one whose iudgement emongest the rest of his brethern should be chief and of most auctoritie And agein certein appoincted in greater cityes whose care should be greater by whome to the onely seate of Peter the charge of the vniuersal churche might haue recourse that nothing might at any time dissent from the head Hetherto haue yowe hard good readers beside th' experience that we haue of ciuile policy and worldly gouernement the opinions also of S. Cyprian S. Hierom and holy Leo all three agreiâ—g in one that there must nedes be one iudge in Christes churche in his steede that the health of the churche dependeth apon the auctoritie of the chief priest that if his auctoritie be not aboue all the rest there will so many schismes breake in apon vs as there be priestes that for th' auoyding of that mischief there was one chosen euen emongest th' apostles to gouern the rest Last of all that that vsage in christes churche to haue one head is no newe inuention as some men falsely report but taken from th' example of th' apostles them selues I can not heare stay to examyne curiously euery word in these auncient fathers but leauing that good readers to your discretion and not douting but that in these graue witnesses in a matter of such weight and importance as whereapon dependeth the health of the whole churche you wilbe no lesse diligent then you would be in examining the depositions of your owne witnesses or your aduersaries in a triall of landes or other temporall commoditie I shall procede to the coÌ„sideration of the second reason which before I touched of the people of Israel if I fyrst warne you to considre but this by the way that ye may trust those auncient fathers by ther word the better an other time how many schismes be burst in apoÌ„ vs in our country of England for one common receiued truthe in the dayes of our fathers when we remained in the obedience of one chief priest and iudge which shake now so myserably the same howe quietly in one loue in one truthe in one
their meaning is that no man can because Christ is head of the vniuersall church be vnder him head of the whole but may well be of some particuler churche as Kinge Henrie was and the Quenes maiestie now is then demaund of them what reason they haue to leade them to say that a particuler membre of the churche as the churche of England can be no more may haue an other head beside Christ and the whole bodie maie not and why one mēbre maie haue two heads more then one bodie Finally if at that time they flattred the king and gaue him that which neither they could giue nor he receiue and abused his good nature to the destruction of so manie notable men as for th' onelie refusall to saie as they said by most exquisite and painefull tormentes lost ther liues saie vnto them that they yet at lenght acknowledge their fault and admonish that good ladie our maistres that she consent not to vse that title which because it belongeth to Christ she may not haue or if theie thinck and will stand in it that she may without offence that they doe yet at the least confesse that reason of theirs to be very weake and of no strenght Christ is head of the churche therefore it maie haue no other Except they will perhappes say that he is head of all other churches and hath onelie lest oures headles so that because he is not head thereof we ar out of the feare of falling into that inconuenience of hauing manie and maie therefore choose some one emongest our selues whome we list Thus I trust good readers you see sufficiently proued that Christes pleasure is for the repressing of heresies and calming of tempestuouse schismes that there be one head of his churche here in earthe supplieng his corporall absence for the time his honor in the meane season nothing thereby the more diminished then it is in other thinges wherein he also vseth the ministerie and seruice of men It foloweth now that I show to yow who is and of right ought to be that head if first I doe yow to vnderstand that it must necessarilie be a priest and that so by iust consequence neither laye man woman nor childe can be capable of that office THAT THE HEAD OF CHRISTES CHVRCHE HERE IN EARTH MVST NEEDES BE A PRIEST GRegorius Nazianzenus that auncient father and maister to S. Hierom in a certein oration that he made of the femelie ordre that ought to be in Christes churche hath thiese wordes Nemo delphinum vidit terram sulcantem neque bouem in vnda laborantem quemadmodum nec solem in nocte crescentem aut decrescentem siue lunam interdiu ignis flammam emittentem whych is in englishe to saie thus much There is no man that euer sawe the dolphin forsaking the sea plowe the lande or the oxe leaue the earth to swymme and labour in the water no more then the sonne in the night rising or falling or the moone in the day shining And as thiese kepe the ordre and course to them by god and nature appoincted the dolphin the water the oxe the land the sonne the daie the moone the night without entremedling them selues ether in others function so is there saith he in christes churche an ordre taken that one shalbe a head to rule and giue councell some other in place of feete to goe some handes to worcke other some eares to heare and eyes to see some shepherds to feede other some shepe to be fedde some in one office some in an other This most bewtifull order in Christes churche is on our behalfes as many as wilbe accompted membres thereof inuiolably to be obserued onlesse in obedience towardes our creator we will by brute beastes suffer our selues to be vanquished and ouercome This is that ordre whereapon dependeth the welfare or illfare of the whole worlde This is that ordre which so long as it remaineth whole and not broken so long common wealthes florishe so long vnitie and peace ar norished so long Christes true religion triumpheth as contrary wise the breache thereof when the feete that should goe will vsurping th'office of the head presume to giue councell the eyes wil heare the eares wilbe eyes the head wil goe the shepe feede their sheppherds the scholer teache his maister is in verie dede the breakeneck of all good ordre and common quiet This is that orderly cōiunction of one membre with an other and euerie one in his owne place which although it be and euer hath byn a greate mote in Satans eye yet neuer durst he or any of his directly impugne it And therefore hath he by those his ministres whome in thiese our daies he hath sturred vp ageinst Christ and his truthe found out such a bie waie as wherebie he maie bothe remoue this let whych hindreth so much his course and seeme yet neuertheles to stād stoutelie in the defence thereof For what doe our aduersaries trow yow expressely mainteine that ordre is naught that the scholer should teache the maister the shepe feede ther shepherd that thinges should be so iumbled together and such a hochepot made of all estates that it should be lawfull for euerie man to comptroll one an other in his of fice No no they be wiser then so I warrant you For although in deede all their driftes tend to that ende yet couet they to make men beleue that they minde nothing lesse For if they should openly pretend so much then wer the matter at an end and ther credit vtterlie lost And therefore for the sauegard thereof they would cast before our eyes such a mist that we should beleue those that be in very dede scholers to be maisters shepe to be shepherdes the feete to be the head and the head to be the feete and that vnder such gouernement there wer of ordre no breache at all This is no newe or strange practise good christian readers but vsed euen from the beginning and continued dailie by that old enemie to mankinde and wily serpent the Diuel to set vp vice and ouerthrow vertue Thus cloketh he pride with the name of clenlinesse couetousnes he termeth frugalitie prodigalitie liberalitie adulterie in other men solace in priestes and such as haue uowed the contrary he couereth it with the honorable title of matrimonie although the auncient fathers of Christes churche haue not doubted some of them to call it not as doe the diuels ministres mariage but adulterie as dothe S. Ambrose S. Basil and Theophilactus some of them as S. Hierom S. Austen and Chrisostom not adulterie onelie as doe th' other but sacrilege and incest This practise I say of the diuel their fathers doe those his ministres most diligentlie imitate those clawebacks and princes parasites whose fauour when they labour to winne that vnder the shadow thereof their heresie may finde the better entreteinement and to the poysoning of the worlde the freer passage they vse
to them thiese perniciouse persuasioÌ„s that they be here in earth by almighty god placed in his churche to be the heads thereof and not membres to be fathers and not children to rule in causes of religion and not to be ruled that to them it belongeth in the right of their crowune to approue doctrine or to condemne it to alter at their pleasure the state of religion by actes of parliament without the consent of their cleargie to depose bishops and put other in their places in their stiles and titles boldely to write them selues gouernours in their realmes in all things and causes aswell ecclesiasticall as temporall and yet no ordre all this while broken because forsoth theie be such as theie beare them in hand they ar that is to say the heades the rulers the shepherdes the fathers maisters and guides in religion Thiese be theie therefore good readers that as the prophete saith call bonum malum malum bonum tenebras lucem lucem â—enebras good euel and euel good darckenes light and light darckenes Thiese be they that as their Idol of Geneua in this poinct trulie giueth answer goe about to make princes iustle with god Finally thiese ar those lowsy brokers that leading as it wer by the hand their good and vertuous princes after this sweete poysoned bait from the most pleasaunt and fertile valeis of humilitie to the toppe of the highe barren and craggy mountaines of pryde and arrogaÌ„cie showing them when they haue them there the riches and ornaments of the churche the landes and reuenues thereof by good and vertuous princes their predecessors and auncestors long time before for this entent especially thereto giuen that the ministres of Christes most holy word and blessed sacraments being by hauing of their owne deliuered from that comberouse care of prouisioÌ„ for them selues that afterward the holy ghost who was the procuror of such almoise and stirred from time to time the deuocion of good men thereto forsaw thorough the decay of pietie and coldenes of charitie towardes the latter ende of the world they wer likelie to fall into might thereby the more quietlie folow their vocation promise of all the same to make them the lordes and maisters if they will doe them homage and fall down and worship them that is to say harckeÌ„ to their doctrine submit them selues thereto and graunt to it within their realmes and dominions fauorable entreteinement And that this is true good readers that they haue thus shamefully abused and deceiued their princes and not surmised or imagined by me to bring them in to hatred whome god I take to recorde I pity much and hate nothing I hope by his assistaÌ„ce who is the giuer of all good thinges â—o plainely to proue that yow your selues shall at the eye see it and they if there remain yet in them anie sparcle of grace shall not be hable to denie it The which that I may the better perform I shall truly bring furth as it wer into the face of the open courte all such euidence of importance as either parte hath to alleage for them selfe so truely Itrust that the councel of th'other side shall haue no cause to complaine that either I haue suppressed and coÌ„cealed their necessary proofes one waie or obscured their beauty in the bringing of theÌ„ furth on th' other But because an indifferent and vpright iudge must alwaies haue an earnest eye to the issue which is betwene vs who should gouerne in ecclesiasticall causes the prince or the priest it shall not be amisse because to be chief gouernour in thinges and causes ecclesiasticall is nothing elles but to haue the supreme iurisdiction thereto belonging to examine first in what poinctes that consisteth that so by conferring our euidence wyth the same whether it agre with euery parte with none with some and with which we maie at the length by good scanning comme to the knowledge of euery mans owne Iurisdiction therefore ecclesiasticall consisteth especially in thre poinctes in auctoritie to iudge ouer doctrine whych is sound and which is other in the power of the keyes that is to say as our sauiour him self hath expounded it in loosing and binding excommunicating and absoluing in making rules and lawes for the gouernement of the church and in the ministery of the word and the sacraments To the first of thiese three what title Kinges and princes haue it shall if theie haue anie be seene hereafter But for priestes yow shall see to begin withall an auncient commission out of the scriptures where almighty god speking to Aaron vsed thiese wordes Praeceptum sempiternum eâ—t in gener ationes vestra vt habeatis scientiam discernendi inter sanctum prophanum inter pollutum mundum docâ—atisqué filios Israel omnia â—egitima mea that is to say it is a precept that shall euer endure thorough all your generations to haue the knowledge to discern and put difference betwene holy thinges and prophane betwene cleane and polluted and that yow teache the children of Israel all my commaundements To whome gaue almightie god here the power to iudge of doctrine whome commaunded he to teache anie other then Aaron and his race which wer priestes In the booke of DeuteroÌ„ saieth he not also that if there arise any hard or doutefull question the priest must be consulted that he that of pride will spurn ageinst his ordinance shall suffer death therefore and agein in the same booke in an other place that apon the priestes word all causes shall hang. Ezechiel the prophete doeth he not witnesse the same â–ª and when there is anie controuersy sayth he they shall stay in my iudgements and giue iudgement Aggeus and Malachias prophetes bothe bid they vs enquier for the law of god at the priestes handes or at the kinges No assuredlie they send vs not to kinges which had they bene the chiefe gouernours in those matters without faile they would haue doen but to the priestes whose lippes they promise shall not misse to kepe the true knowledge because theie ar our lordes angels Haue we any such warrant of worldely princes No trulie And wer it not more theÌ„ necessary that we should if princes should rule them in matters of religion of whom thiese wordes be spoken But to procede is this auctoritie giue to them onely in the olde testamentâ—ar they not put trow yow in as greate trust in the newe Or ar they thinck yow excluded and kinges admitted theâ—eâ—â—â— If it had bene so neuer would S. Paule tâ—at blesâ—ed aposâ—le haue made his accopte that god had placed in his churche first apostles next to them prophetes then doctours and so furth Emongest all the which although that frantick foole that preaching not many yeaâ—eâ— sence at Powles crosse went about with his rayling Rhetoricke to make his audience as foolish as he was maâ—de in beleâ—ing that this place should make ageinst the auctoritie of the pope because
should be iudges after that he had willed him to searche the scriptures where he should finde that bishoppes ought in matters of faithe to be iudges ouer Emperours not they contrariwise ouâ—r bishoppes After that he had bidden him call to his remeÌ„braunce if euer he so much as hard that in a matter of faithe thelay meÌ„ weriudges ouer the bishoppes and finally told him that if he should giue him such councell or being vnminderfull of that right which belongeth to priestehod coÌ„mit that to other which god had giuen to him that he should not then treade in the vpright pathes of trâ—th and simplicitie but walck in the crooked way of adulatioÌ„ and flatterie and that at the lenght he should he douted not him self as he grewe to more ripenes in yeares well vnderstand what maÌ„ner of bishop that wer that would submit the auctoritie of priestes to the iudgemeÌ„t oflay men After I saie all thiese persuasioÌ„s he found that good emperour so well â—eclaimed that him self reporteth of 〈◊〉 an epistle which he wrote to Theodosius that where before he persecuted him nowe he loued him where before he tooke him for his mortall enemy nowe he reuereÌ„ced him as his father Which S. Ambrose neuer yelding in his or 〈◊〉 gods right the emperour would neueâ— vndoutedly haue doen had he not well knowen that S. Ambrose was in the right and he in the wrong What should I here alleage the wordes of Basilius the emperour who being present at the eight siâ—ode the fourth of Constantâ—nople made there a notable orâ—tion in the which to the 〈◊〉 he vsed thiese wordes De vobis autem 〈◊〉 etc. â— of you that ar lay men whether yow besuch as haue dignities in the common weale or none I haue no more to saie but that in no wise it is lawfull for yow to dispute or reason of causes ecclesiasticall For to searche out those thinges it belongeth to the patriarches the bishoppes and the priestes who haue receiued the office to rule who haue the power to sanctify to lose and to binde in whose handes ar the ecclesiasticall and heauenlie keies not vnto vs who must be fedde who haue nede to be sanctified to be bound and to be released frâ—Ì„ our bandes For the lay man of how greate deuotion and wisedom so euer he be yea although he haue all the vertue that is possible to be in a man yet whilest he is a laie man he is in the place of a shepe Hetherto Basilius the emperour to whome I might ioine bothe the doinges and saienges of many other wer it not that euen of those earthely rulers who haue byn tyrants and persecutors of the christians we want not yet examples to beate downe thiese beastelie flatterers with all Emongest a nombre of the which that might be here brought I shall for this time be contented to alleage onelie three Gallio the proconsul of Achaia Theodoricus king of the Gothes and Aurelianus th'emperour of Rome Of whom the first although he wer an infidell yet refused he to heâ—re the accusations layd in at CorinthuÌ„ ageinst S. Paul and saied in plain wordes Ego iudex horuÌ„esâ—e nolo I will not take on me to iudge in thiese matters because th'accusation concerned religion where with he had nothing to doâ— The second although an Arrian yet would not presume to be present at a certein councell of bishoppes whereunto he was called but modestlie excusing him self made this answer that in matters of the church he had nothing to doe but onelie to beare towardes them his reuerence The third being an ethnike and of the Christians a cruel persecutor when the catholike bishoppes who had excoÌ„municated the heretike Paulus Samosatenus and depriued him of his bishoprike resorted to him for his help touching the remouing of the said Paulus out of the mansion house belonging thereto the possession whereof he then kept would not take apon him the knowledge of this matter where bishoppes wer parties but referred the iudgement thereof to the bishoppes of Italie and Rome If heretikes good Readers tirantes and Ethnikes wer yet so modest that they would not or of the wrath of god which brooseth into fitters the proudest of the all like the sherdes of a potters pot as continually was represented vnto ther eyes by the terrible examples of the two kinges Ozias and oza so fearefull that they durst not with Saul cut any parte of Samuels coate with Oziasinuade the priestes office and straie out of the limites of that iurisdiction which god had giuen to them what may then the kinges and princes of our age say who by thiese â—urious fire â—randes haue bene so farre abused that they haue not douted to take on them that which heretikes and miscreants of coÌ„science haue refused For this by the way is well to be noted that as thiese being heretikes and Ethnikes refused to intrude them selues in to ecclesiasticall iurisdiction so was there neuer emperour sence first they became Christened onlesse he wer him selfe an heretike or by heretikes set on that attempted to doe otherwise and that immediatly in so doing what so euer he wer as he was by heretikes mainteined so by good and catholike bishoppes such as of whose bothe vertue and learning no ma douteth was he both earnestly and sharpely reproued And here to begin with that inconstant Constantius who of a catholike emperour becam a wicked Arrian in whose time as Socrates reporteth there wer no â—ewer them nine faithes When he began to take apon him the part of Ozias the priestes office in deciding questions and matters of religioÌ„ in deposing the catholike bishoppes and placing Arrians in their roomes in prisoning some in banishing moe in vexing and disquieting all had not god thincke yow his Azarias ready to matche with him Was not there first â—iberius the pope of whom when he meddeling in matters of religion most earnestly required that he would subscribe against A thanasius promising on the one side greate rewardes if he did and threatening on the other exquisite tormentes if he refused he receiued this answer Non ita â—e habet ecclesiasticus canon neque vnquam accepimus talem a patribus traditionem Quod si omnino Imperator curam suam pro ecclesiastica pace ininterponere quaerit aut scripta à nobis pro Athanasio deleri iubet deleantur quoqué ea quae contra eum scriptasunt fiatquè deinde ecclesiaflicasynodus vbi nec Imperator praestò sit nec Comes se ingerat nec iudex minetur The rules of the churche quoth he teache vs no such thing nor we neuer receiued of our fathers any such tradition But if the emperour will nedes be carefull in procuring the peace of the churche or coÌ„maund that I retract those thinges which I haue written in the behalfe of Athanasius let them also be called in that haue byn written against him and let there be after that an
emperour yet hath he not thereby gotten auctoritie to depose bishoppes and ordeine newe â–ª which onely bishoppes must doe So strange a thing semed it then good readers in Christes churche which nowe we see so commonly done Long after thiese emperours start vp Leo Isaurus emperour of Constantinople he that made war with images Ageinst him god raised vp also his Azarias one to warn him of his duetie and that was that notable learned man Iohn Damascenus Giue saith he the apostle Paule crieth to euery one his due honor feare pension tribute to eche one that which they ought to haue The charge that kinges haue is to see well to their common weales the ordering of the churches apperteineth to the pastours and teachers This manner of inuading other mennes offices I can terme it no better my brethern then robbery and plaine violence And a little after he hath thiese wordes Tibi ô rex in ijs quae pertinent ad presentis vitae negocia c. As for those thinges ô king which concern onely this presâ—nt life in those we willingly obey the. In ordering thâ— state of the churche we haue shepherdes which haue spoken to vs the worde of god that is to saie taught it vs and haue left vs rites and ordres therefore And in the same place he addeth Non recipio regeÌ„ qui per tyrannidem sibi sacerdotiuÌ„ vsurpat I acknowledge him for no king that vsurpeth by tirany the priestes office And last of all to knit vp the knot in plaine wordes he saith Non assentior vt regum legibus gubernetur ecclesia sed patrum potius traditionibus siue scriptae hae sint siue non scriptae I consent not saith he that the churche of god shalbe gouerned by the lawes of kinges but by the traditions rather of oure fathers be they written or vnwritten And thus much hetherto good readers haue I thought good to reherce that yow may the better vnderstand how the auncient fathers of Christes churche haue not ceased continually from time to time to resist the vnlaufull attempt of such princes as being heretikes or enueigled theretoe by heretikes for of other perdy it was neuer gone about nor of all them neither would contrary to the expresse worde of god the custome of Christes churche from the beginning continued the alowed exaÌ„ples of all ages of all common weales Christian and heathen hetherto practised mingle heauen and earth holie and prophane together by vnlawfull vsurping to them selues the supreme and chief gouernement in causes ecclesiasticall To come nearer home to our owne time and daies if in it any prince haue attempted the like there hath not lacked also stoare of diuerse meÌ„ singuler bothe for their vertuous life and exquisite learning which haue rather chosen to withstand the same with the expence of their bloud and losse of this present life then to the vtter destructioÌ„ of both body and soule and losse of that which must continue for euer to consent thereto But if thiese examples please not the deinty tast of the aduersaries as being ouer stale I shall set before them their owne deare derling the piller while he liued of their religion the very head of their churche if they be not all together headlesse their Idol and their god in earthe whose doctrine and opinions at other times and in other thinges they haue so rauenouslie deuoured Iohn Caluin him self For if kinges and temporall gouernours as our aduersaries affirme ought euerie one of them in their realmes signories and dominions to gouerne in causes ecclesiasticall and matters of religion whie did then that monsterous beaste in his comentaries apon the prophetes Osâ—e and Amos rayl apoÌ„ our late souereigne lorde king Henrie the eight calling him homo belluinus a beastelie maÌ„ and comparing him with Iehû whome he termeth wicked and nought Why termed he theÌ„ blasphemers that first buzzed into his eares that vaine desire to be called chief head of the churche of England for of other yow wot well he neuer attempted to be nor euer was called vnder Christe here in earth If Caluin haue taught the truthe then haue his scholers taught vs and yeat doe feede vs with lies If they wer blasphemers that called king Henrie chief head of the churche of England vnder Christ which is to saie in effect nothing elles but to be chief gouernour in all causes belonging to the same who was yet a man although laie and thereto also of great wisdome and learning in what degree of blasphemie shall we place them that giue this title not to laie men onelie but to women also and children with out respect If Caluin who touching the giuing of this vnlaufull title to our late lord and maister was vtterly innocent coÌ„plained yet that euen his conscience was wounded not a little there withall how much more daungerousely wounded ought they to thinck them selues who of so many horrible and bloudly woundes whereby for the refusall to folow this example in christes churche neuer hard of before so many godly learned and innocent men in this realme haue died some by heading some by hanging some by quartering and tearing peace meale one membre from an other haue by ther false and vntrue suggestions byn the chief and onelie occasion who yet like cruell bloudsuckers and bloudy bourreâ—aus cary about in their murdering aud malicious mouthes the naked knife which wer it laufull for them they would sheathe in the throates of euerie one of vs that thinck not as they doe But if now on the contrarie part their maister Caluin wer deceauid if they be in the right and he in the wrong why steppeth none of them furth to defend and vindicate from perpetuall infamy that prince of famouse memory which by his railing writinges this wretched caytiff goeth about to bring him into why haue they left him so long vndefended who did no other thing then whereof them selues wer the authors and first beginners Or why at the least purge theie not them selues of the horrible crime of blasphemie laied by him to their charges and all such as theie ar for if they wer blasphemers that called king Henrie head of the churche of Englande what priuilege haâ—e thiese that calling not onelie him but his sonne and daughter by the same title in effect they should not incurre the same crime Where is now their spirit of vnitie that they ar wont so much to bragge of which dissent not here in any small poinct or from any meane man but euen from the chiefest caterpiller whyle he liued of their congregatioÌ„ who not onely in thiese places before by me alleaged kepeth as it wer with their proceadings a combat but elles where in his InstitutioÌ„s doeth merueilousâ—y discredit the same And in steede of manie places which might be brought here out of his worckes I shall onely for this time be coÌ„tented to alleage one in such sort as I finde it in the frenche because at the writing hereof
But if he wer not a priest what was he then Could he be greater The psalme vttreth that he was a priest Moyses and Aaron emongest his priestes They wer therefore both our Lordes priestes Here I beseche yow good readers behold the false and vneuen dealing of an heretike the author of the harborough of whom a little before I made mention He minding to elude this manifest exposition of S. Austen answereth in this manner that S. Austen was ignorant in the Hebrue tongue whereby being easely deceauid and wrapped in thiese two places of scripture wherein there seemed contradiction he leaueth them at a iarre as he found them the one to saie he was a priest thother to saie that he was none Which manner of interpretation and reconciling of scriptures how it is to be liked he leaueth he saieth to the learned reader to iudge For answer to this mere cauillation of this vaine iangler before I procede any farder because he shall not abuse S. Austens ignorance in the Hebrue tongue to the deceauing of yow good readers yow shall vnderstand that S. HieroÌ„ was not ignorant therin and yeat doeth he so expounde the place The .70 interpretours chosen and picked as it wer out of the best learned and cuÌ„ning est in that tongue by all likelihood that could be found Sanctes Pagninus and Sebastianus Munster yea that most learned Rabbine Abrahamus Esdras â— Iewe born wer not ignorant but pearlesse ParagoÌ„s therein and yeat doe all thiese expound the Hebrue word to signifie priestes as Sainct Austen doeth And where he saieth that S. AusteÌ„ being thus wrapped in thiese two contrarie textes was driuen to leaue them as he found theÌ„ the one to saie he was a priest thother that he was none in th'one he hath beliedâ— the holie scriptures in thother he hath sclaundred that holie and learned bishop For where or what scripture saieth that Moyses was no priest as he saieth that one texte saide he was an other that he was none Let him show somme such scripture or elles hath he lied apon the scripture He may show I confesse where the scripture as there apon S. Austen made his obiection speaking of him calleth him not by the name of a priest which in many other places it doeth also of Aaron Is this therefore a good reason to saie The scripture in that place made no mention that he was a priest therefore it saied that he was none Yea truelie euen as good as is this The scripture maketh no mention that th'apostles wer euer baptized therefore it saieth that theie neuer wer baptized Or doe thiese textes make anie iarre the one affirming the other denieng to saie Aaron the priest in one place and Moyses and Aaron his priestes in an other But as this is a lewd lye so to goe about to note S. AusteÌ„ to the world of such ignorance in the scriptures as though he had not byn able to vndoe this simple knot a knot if it be but was forced to leaue the two places at a iarre vnreconciled I can call it no better but euen by the name of wilfull malice As appeareth by that that guilefully in alleaging after their maÌ„ner without cotatioÌ„ the easelier thereby to deceaue the reader this place of S. Austen he left out thiese later wordes Ergo erant illi domini sacerdotes therefore they wer Moyses and Aaron our lordes priestes Now here note I beseche yow diligently that ar of the learned sorte thiese wordes of S. Austen which import in them thus much It maie seeme saieth he to some man that Moyses because the scripture nameth there onelie Aaron by the name of a priest and not him wer no priest but of them that so gather I would know if he wer no priest what he was then whether they can make him King Emperour or any thing that should be greater And although the scripture in that place doe not call him by the name of his office yet neither doeth it therefore deny him to be a priest nor we ar destitute of other places to proue the same by as namelie this psalme wherein expresselie he is so called Wherefore seing neither that place or any other doe saie that he was not a priest and there is plaine scripture that doeth call him one I maie boldelie conclude Erant ergo illi sacerdotes domini Therefore they wer bothe our lordes priestes This is no dout the true sense of S. AusteÌ„s wordes wherebie yow maie see how greate the difficulties wer in which he was wrapped and how he wouÌ„d him selfe out But then saieth this stout champion there wer two high priestes at once which could not be by the lawe and also Moyses must nedes be inferior to Aaron because Aaron and not he is there called the high prieste This obiection hath in dede a showe of somewhat although in their manner of gouernemeÌ„t to haue manie heades wer no greate absurditie at all But to this obiection answereth most fully S. Austen him self in an other place after this sorte Cùm ergo videatur c. Seing therefore that the highe priestehood seemeth to haue begonne in Aaron what thincke we that Moyses was If he wer not a priest how did he theÌ„ all those thinges which he did If he wer howe say we that the high priestehood began in his brother Aaron Although the Psalme also where it is saide Moyses anâ— Aaron emongest his priestes doeth remoue all cause of â—oubte affirming that Moyses was also a priest Wer they therefore Moyses and Aaron bothe chief priestes or rather Moyses the chief and Aaron vnder him yea Aaron also the chiefest in respect of the bishoppes apparell and Moyses the chief in reâ—pect of a more excellent ministery For â—t the beginning waâ— it said to Moyses of Aaron He shall be thy director in those thingeâ— that ar to be handled with the people and thow his in such busines as is to be done with god Hetherto S. Austen by whome we learne that it is no absurditie that two should be chief in two seuerall respectes the one in ouerseing and prescribing what shalbe doeÌ„ th'other in practising and putting in execution the thinges prescribed the one absolutely without relation the other in a respect by a comparison As in the newe lawe a figure whereof diuerse well learned meÌ„ haue expounded this priestehood of Moyses and Aaron to be Christ we see is of his churche onely simply and absolutely the head Peter and after him his successors no otherwise but in comparison of other inferiour membres Moyses as he was with god more familier theÌ„ anie other as he receiued immediatly without the help of anie other instrument to conuey it by vnto him from the mouthe of almightie god his holie will and pleasure he was there is no doute thereof the high and chiefest priest Aaron also as he was by almightie god chosen to publish to the people those thinges which Moyses had giuen him in charge as he offred the
sacrifices and executed the ceremonies he had also therein the souereintie and superioritie And thus much for answer to that obiection made of two high priestes But to make this matter more euident and to folowe my purpose this is not sainct Austens minde alone that the man should so fret and fume at him therefore For Gregorius Nazianzenus hath of Moyses and Aaron in plaine wordes that they wer bothe priestes and alleageth to proue it as sainct Austen did the Psalme where they ar so called with diuerse other auncient writers whome because I take the case to be cleare emongest the learned I here forbeare to alleage and am for this tyme contented to giue to our aduersaries the larger scope to put the case as though Moyses had being no priest corrected and reproued AaroÌ„ that was one that he prescribed to him what he should doe that he made him priest as it appeareth by the scriptures he did The which imagined to be true I aske this question whether it doe therefore folow that princes being lay men may at this day in matters of religion comptroll the bishoppes and prescribe vnto them what ordre they shall obserue and folow therein whether they maie also giue ordres to priestes and consecrate bishoppes now because Moyses consecrated Aaron then No trulie if yow will beleue Iohn Caluin it is an vntrue and a false collection â–ª For that Moyses saieth he had bothe the charges that is of thinges aswell ecclesiasticall and spirituall as ciuile and politike together to that I answer that it was done first by miracle and secoÌ„darily that that was but temporall till such time as thinges wer better staied For afterward saieth he as sone as god had ordeined a forme such as he â—ould should continue there remained to Moyses but onely the ciuile gouernement concerning the priestehood it was necessarie that he should resigne that to his brother Aaron And good reason whieâ— for it passeth naturall power that one man should susteine bothe the charges Hetherto Caluin Now if it be so that this auctoritie of Moyses cam to him by miracle or that he had it by especiall commission then can we not yow wot of either of these two cases gather a necessary consequence And thus might we answer our aduersaries good readers euen by their owne Doctour But cleauing to the scriptures and auncient fathers of Christes churche we hold the first opinion that Moyses was a priest and that in that respect he had auctoritie ouer the priestes and not as he was a prince The next example that they alleage is of Iosue who being also a ciuile magistrate receiued they saie at the time that he was appoincted to gouerne the people expresse commaundement and by name of religion and worshiping of god But by what wordes that would I faine knowe For in that chapitre by them in their apologie alleaged can I finde no wordes wherebie there might be grounded in temporall men as we call them or ciuile magistrates anie such auctoritie ouer matters of religion as they labour to induce For first this is out of all question that in one of these two sentences it is which I shall here alleage or that elles it is not there to be looked for The first of the which two is this Conforâ—are esto robustus c. Be of good comfort and be strong that thow maiest kepe and doe all the lawe which Moyses my seruant hath commaunded the. Swarue not either to the right hande or to the lefte that thow maiest vnderstande all thinges that thow doest Is there here good readers any auctoritie giueÌ„ to meddle with religion was there not as much as this cometh to saied to euery one of the children of Israell that they should trulie obserue the coÌ„maundementes giuen to theÌ„ by Moyses Is there not as much saide to euery one of vs touching the obseruing of the commaundementes of almighty god and yet had neither the children of Israel then nor we nowe auctoritie ouer religion pardie The other sentence is this Non recedat volumen c. that is to saie let not the booke of this lawe departe from thy mouthe but thow shalt spend thy time bothe nighte and day in the meditation thereof that thow maiest kepe and doe all thinges that ar written therein TheÌ„ shalt thow directe thy waie and vnderstande the same Where I pray yow is Iosua here coÌ„maunded to meddle with religioÌ„ in that that he is bidden to study the scriptures Now surelie that is far fetcht and nedeth no greate refutacion For this know I well will they graunte and for a maxima and very principle is it holden in their religion that thiese wordes perteine to euerie man a like aswell to the cartar as to the king or duke and make as much for the one to be a king as theie doe for the other to entremeddle in the order of religion Well may euery man and easelie perceiue how much they would haue triumphed if they had had but one suche texte to serue their purpose for kinges as the catholikes haue for priestes out of the holie scriptures many If they could haue fouÌ„de but one place in all the whole corps of the scriptures where had bene saide that the lippes of the ciuile magistrate should kepe the knowledge of goddes moste holie will and pleasure and his mouthe be the treasour of the same as is saide of the priestes O lord howe is it likely that their lippes mouthes and tongues should haue sowned and clattered thereof long before this that ruffle so with the example of Iosue because or for no cause that he was willed to study the scriptures dissembling in the meane season the .27 cha of the booke of Numeri where in plaine wordes it is to be found that Iosue was subiect to Eleazarus the high priest at whose bidding the scripture saieth he should goe furth and come in he and all the children of Israel It foloweth that king Dauid brought home the arcke restored religion was present not onelie as to admonishe or encourage them that accompanied it but deliuered also to them psalmes and himnes disposed the order of euery thing instituted the ceremonies and solemnitees and ruled after a sorte the priestes That Dauid brought home the arcke it can not be denied to the house at the least of Obed Edom. Although in an other place we reade how Dauid being strooken with a merueilouse feare for that which so latelie before he had sene happen vnto Oza for the onelie staieng being no priest th'arcke which otherwise was in greate daunger to fall he would not presume to carie the same into the tabernacle prepared to receiue it but called vnto him Sadock and Abiathar the priestes willing them in expresse wordes to carie it to the place appointed therefore lest happely god might strike them once again for doing the like vnlaufull acte to that which thorough their absence before they had done
fewe maie not sodenlie be drawen to all the worlde for the gouernment whereof no one man alone can suffise For this grosse errour is bothe by auctoritie and also reason easie to be confuted By the auctoritie of S. Chrisostome who as ye hard before named in the gouernement of the churche as far forwarde the successours of S. Peter as S. Peter him selfe By reason because if there wer such feare of disordre in twelue parsones so small a nombre so well ordered and directed by the spirite of god as the holie apostles wer that euen emongest them for the auoiding thereof there must nedes be had one heade howe much more nede is it to haue one emongest so manie thousandes as the churche consisteth of If a fewe be likelier to agre then a greate nombre if vnitie be named of one because lightelie none iarreth or is at dissention with him selfe if the nearer that all nombres come to that one the lesse confusion and the farder we goe from it the greater is like to folowe then is there no man I trust so blinde but that he maie easelie see that the same cause of schismes and disorder yea so much more greater as the churche is more amplified and encreased to be feared remaining still the remedie which is to haue one heade must also endure and continue still And as for that sory shift of the compase and largenesse of the churche which no one man is hable to rule of what value and force that is he that listeth to cast his eye first to the time passed and gouernement in those daies when nexte vnder god all was gouerned by one and then after to this miserable time of oures in which there be so manie heades one of the churche of England an other of that of Geneua one of VVittemberge an other of Franckford of euerie churche one and in all none euerie one chalenging to him selfe merum imperium absolute iurisdiction out of the checke of anie other and to considre with him selfe in eche of these gouernementes their seuerall effectes the quiet reâ—gne of one truthe in the one the diuerse sectes and heresies in what parte of the worlde so euer theie sprang vp ouerthrowen and repressed the sondrie triumphes that Christes churche hath had ouer them these fiftene hundred yeares in thother scarse yet of forty yeares contâ—nuance the tumultuouse hurliburlie the perniciouse and horrible heresies neuer before hard of the sondrie schismes and sectes so manie as there be heades the arrogancie of the capitaines and maisters while euerie one boasting of the spirite and vaunting as S. Hierom saieth that he hath the churche on his side will submit him selfe to no other the implacable hatred of the scholers and disciples euery one standing apon his maisters honor and reputation with an infinite nombre and whole swarme of euels mo which I reserue to an other place shalbe easelie able without the helpe of anie other him self to iudge I omit here touching this foolishe reason that therefore there can not be nowe one heade of the churche as in S. Peters time there was because the churche is so encreased that no one maÌ„ is able to gouerne the same proceding first from Caluin and patched afterwardes into our englishe apologie that seing he that at the beginning appointed this one heade where he might haue appoincted more and did not neuer chauÌ„ged that ordre sence being all this while not ignoraÌ„t to what greatenes his churche should after growe it can to no man that hath the vse of reason seme other but that either he thought that one ruling by such as he should appointe vnder him might suffise for the gouernement of his churche or suerlie at the leaste that he hath not circumspectly prouided therefore But if all these mere cauillations had bene good and strog reasons yet haue I showed yow ynough in this one B. of Rome S. Peter who hath bene called yow haue hard howe often heade of the churche and chief of all bishoppes to gaine yow if yowe will stande to your worde to our parte M. Iuell Because notwithstanding I would haue yowe with your good will I will yeat showe yow the like titles giueÌ„ by the auncient fathers to other bishoppes of Rome And to frame my selfe the more to your humour although I thinck yow put no difference betwene thiese termes heade of the churche ruler of the churche chief of all other priestes with such like manie other that the fathers and auncient generall councels haue not spared to vse as often as theie had occasion to either write or speake to or of the B. of Rome I will here first alleage vnto yow certeine auctorities where the B. of Rome hathe bene called sence S. Peters time and yet within the first sixe hundred yeares euen in expresse wordes heade of the churche and then after the testimonies of diuerse other who although theie vse not the same wordes affirme yet and confirme the same preeminence and auctoritie Vincentius therefore Lirinensis a man of singuler learning and of the olde age for he florished vnder Theodosius and Valentinian th'emperours writing of the bishoppes that wer assembled at Ephesus in the councell there ageinst the heretike Nestorius maketh mention of two bishoppes of Rome Foelix the martir and Iulius whose epistles after that he had tolde wer there readen in the councell ageinst the saide heretike he addeth immedatlie after thiese wordes Et vt non solum caput orbis verumetiam ipsa latera illi iudicio testimonium perhiberent adhibitus est à meridie B. Cyprianus à Septentrione S. Ambrosius that is to saie And that it might not be saide that the heade of the worlde onelie gaue witnesse to that iudgement ageinst Nestorius but the ribbes also and sides there was present from the Southe blessed Ciprian and from the Northe holie Ambrose In the fourthe generall councell assembled at CalcedoÌ„ we finde that the legates of the B. of Rome writing in a certeine epistle to the emperour what theie had doen in the councell touching Dioscorus had these wordes Vnde sâ—nctissimus beatissimus Papa caput vniuersalis ecclesiae c. whereapoÌ„ the moste holie and blessed pope Leo heade of the vniuersall churche by vs his legates the holie councell consenting thereto hath depriued him Dioscorus of his bishoprick and degraded him of his priestehoode If the B. of Rome had not at that time emongest all men beneso reputed and taken is it credible that they would euer haue bene so boâ—ld nay impudent rather to giue him apon their owne heades anie suche title Or if they woulde haue nedes so called him being not so durst they in their lettres to themperour Wel if they had onely so called him some brable theie might yet perhappes haue made thereabout but seing the whole bodie of the councell the corps of Christendome the churche it selfe for such is euerie generall councell laufullie assembled in that epistle which they sent
one other so verie a dizzard as him selfe that will saie the nature of the parchement of his lettres patentes to be chaÌ„ged in to earthe grasse wood waters worthe by the yeare a thousand pounde If there had bene no other change in this breade but that it is nowe as he saithe made of common and prophane holie and consecrate neuer woulde Chrisostom haue exhorted vs to worshippe that bodie on the altar which the wise men worshipped in the mangier neuer woulde S. Austen haue saide that theie sinne which worshippe it not By this maie it appeare that your friende is he M. Iuell that hath plaide the lourdeine with his maister and therefore well worthie the whip For where he had prouided for his geastes a moste preciouse and costlie feaste this honest companion stealeth all awaie and leaueth them in stede thereof a bare piece of bred And thus much to satisfie your chalenge in this pointe Now to the next article which is of the vse of the Sacrament vnder one kinde THAT VVITHIN THE FIRST SIX HVNDRED YEARES AFTER CHRIST THE COMMVnion was ministred vnder one kinde EVen as in the controuersie of the popes supremacy yow denie M. Iuell that there ought to be any other heade ouer the churche here militant in earthe then Christ him selfe which is the chief not as though yow knewe not right well that gouernement for the appeasing of schismes and repressing of heresies to be the best or as though if your god Iohn Caluin had had that auctoritie ouer all the worlde wer it twise as large againe as it is you would haue founde any faulte therewithall and not haue thought him able to rule the same well ynough but onely of a cancred hatred that you beare to the Catholike churche sometimes your mother a vaine pleasure that yow take to thwart her in her doinges and last of all because that gouernement serueth not your turn as yow finde faulte with priuate masses not as though yow alowed any but onely to banishe froÌ„ the fathers sight if it might be the laufull enheritor and to set vp the misbegotten bastard to abolishe and vtterly extinguishe the sacrifice of the newe testament which that crafty wily serpent forsawe so long before if he wer once able to quenche that burning charitie and earnest desire of often receauing the blessed body and bloud of Christ which then was so commonly emongest christian men in vse and he alas hath nowe obteined he should in time to come by his wicked membres be with the more ease able to bring to passe euen so in this present controuersy fareth it with your doinges When all the worlde maie see that you which charge vs so hotely with no lesse then that greate and heinouse crime of sacrilege as of robbing the laie people of Christes bloud in the communion which is notwithstanding an impudent lie robbe not onely them but the cleargy also except yow had rather call it by an honester name of exchaunge bothe of Christes body and bloud toe The which thing leauing to the indifferent reader by him at his laisure more earnestly to be weighed I shal nowe proue vnto yow that within the first six hundred yeares after Christe the sacrament of the altar was ministred vnder one kinde But here I must warne yowe of this one thing before hande that I meane in this article and the nexte to giue yow but onely a taste of oure proufes not a full bytte as in the two first I haue Which I praye you not to impute to want either of matter or good will but onely to this that when I was thus far entred in this simple treatise it was giuen me by a frinde to vnderstande that aswell in this point as in all the reast by yow chalenged yow haue of late by a notable learned man bene so applied with stoare of wholesome viandes that the wiser â—orte take yow to be rather in such termes as yow care more how to digest that which yow haue allready receiued then that yow once thincke of crauing any more Beare with me therefore if I beare with your weake stomacke Nowe to the matter Yow saye that to ministre the communion to the laitie vnder one kinde is an acte vnlaufull coÌ„trary to Christes ordinaunce and a thing in the primitiue churche neuer vsed or harde of But for proufe of the coÌ„trarie I reason thus Christ our sauiour ministred this sacrament vnder the onely kinde of breade his apostles practised the vse thereof after the same maÌ„ner The churche receuing it from them hath continued the same vsage Therefore it is laufull which we defende and blamed of our aduersaries without cause That Christ first ministred this sacrament vnder one kynde it appeareth by the historie of the ghospel where is mencioned howe that oure sauiour in the waye betwene Hierusalem and Emaus happening apon two of his disciples entred with them in to a certeine house where he ministred to them the sacrament vnder that one kinde of breade That this was the sacrament and not common breade these wordes of the euangelist Benedixit ac fregit porrigebat illis he blessed it he brake it and he deliuered it to them doe well proue Seing that those wordes he blessed and brake it ar in no place of the scripture to be founde applied by Christ or his apostles to prophane or common breade nexte for that the effect wrought by that breade that was the opening of their eyes doeth giue vs also to vnderstande that it was his blessed body and no other thing To these reasons I maye here adde the auctoritie of S. Austen Chrisostome Beda and Theophilactus all fower agreing that this was the blessed sacrament and not as the aduersaries woulde haue it common or prophane breade S. Austens wordes ar these Non autem incongruenâ—er accipimus hoc impedimentuÌ„ in oculis eoruÌ„ a Satana fuisse factum c. that is to saye We doe not verilie take it amisse to thincke that this miste was cast before their eyes by Sathan that they should not knowe Iesus but yeat euen suffred by Christ so to doe vntill they had receiued the sacrament of breade that being thereby made partakers of the vnitie of his body the lette or impediment of the enemie the diuell being remoued and taken awaye they might knowe Christ. Hetherto S. Austen with whome speaking incidently of this breade the vertue and holinesse thereof agreeth that learned bishop Chrisostom in an homely that he writeth apon the .7 chapitre of S. Mathewe in this wise Si auÌ„t tale esset quod de manu sacerdotis accipitur quale est quod in mensa manducatur c. If it wer such which is receiued at the priestes handes as the breade which is eaten at the table euery man would receiue it from the table and no man at the priestes handes Therefore oure lorde by the waye did not onely blesse the breade but he gaue it also from his
th'apostles time there was priuate masse in the church although there wer none to receiue with the priest That this learned doctour with other priestes saide Masse when none did communicate for that I am suer yow will denie by this coÌ„plaint of his vttred in these wordes it may moste euidently appeare Frustraâ—â—betur quotidiana oblaâ—io frustra 〈◊〉 ad altare Nemo est qui communicat thâ— daily offering is had in vaine we stand at th'altar in vaine There is none that receiueth with vs. Yf there wer daily oblation yea when none receiued why beare yow vs in hand M. Iuell thâ—t for that long space of six hundred yeares the priest might neuer offer the same without company to coÌ„municate with him Yf that were true how did Chrisostome and the other priestes of Antioche offer yt and that daily that yow may vnderstand a necessitie that enforced them thereto whether the people came or no Yf they receiued not them selues how could he haue said that there was none that did receiue with them But here yow will aske me perhapps how I dare alleage this place which saieth that the oblation was had in vaine because there was none to communicate To this I answere that being first taken for graunted which in no wise you can denie that is that daily this oblatioÌ„ was had whether any came or no that this holy doctour in this place is not to be vnderstand as though simply he ment the oblation to be in vaine but in a respect forasmuch as they came not who wer loked for to haue byn partakers thereof concerning this expectation it was had in vaine and the priestes stode in their churches not at the table but at the altar in vaine Aâ—d that this was the very â–ª meaning of Chrisostomes wordes and not as you falâ—lie surmise there nedeth no other reason to perswade any reasonable man then the learning the vertue and great wisedomâ— of the man him selfe For if the sacrifice had byn offered by him in vaine so often as there was none to be partaker thereof with him what a heynouse act had this bene of him especially staÌ„ding at liberty without any more necessitie to offer theÌ„ the laie man hath to receiue if it were true that yow and your compani affirme Shall we not rather thinck if he had so ment that he would vtterly haue absteined before he would by celebrating and receiuing practise the abuse of so preciouse a iewell Woulde he not rather when he came to the altar haue sent the people awaie with a drie communion when he sawe none redie to receiue Would he not at the least haue bene as circumspect in procuring warning to be giuen to him by them that were disposed to receiue if offering without communicants he should haue offered in vaine as yow and yours our new Rabbins ar about your apishe communion No no Let no man thinck but that he was well ware that to offer the bodie and bloud of Christ in vaine had bin a fault nothing inferior to the receiuing of it vnworthily whereuÌ„to he was not ignoraÌ„t that S. Paule threateneth damnation If he would giue his owne life as he saide him selfe before he would giue our lordes bodie to an vnworthy man and that he would haue his blood shedd out of his bodie rather then he would giue to the vnworthy oure lordes blood we may easely coniecture how hardlie he would haue bin brought to haue offred the same in vaine To this testimony of Chrisostom shall I adde one more and so after come to those obiections which yow bring for the maintenaunce of the contrary Leontius a bishop of the Grieke church writing almost a thousand yeares sence the life of that vertuouse Patriarke of Alexandria Iohn the almoisner or almoise geuer for that name obteined he for his charitie towardes the pooer reporteth emongest other thinges of him how that he being on a certeine time at Masse perceiuing after the reading of the ghospell that the people went out of the churche and fell to talking and babbling in the churcheyarde went also out of the churche after them and spake to them being all amased in this wise Filioli vbi oues illic pastor aut intrate intro ingrediemur aut manete hic ego quo que manebo Ego propter vos descendo in sanctaÌ„ ecclesiam nam poteram facere mihi Missam in Episcopio Children that is to say where the shepe ar there is the shepherde either therefore get yow into the churche and we will goe to gether or bide yow still here and I will tarie with yow It is for your sakes that I come to the holy churche for to my selfe coulde I haue saide Masse in my house at home Here I trust you will at the length yealde and graunte M. Iuell that priuate Masses wer laufull and in vse in the primitiue churche For first that the Masse here spoken of was priuate the worde mihi missam facere say or ceâ—ebrate Masse to my selfe doeth well declare He saide not I might say Masse to my frindes to my kinsfolckes to my household seruauntes but mihi to mine owne selfe And when you heare him sâ—ie that he might doe it I trust yow thincke it was not vnlaufull But now I come to your obiections ageinst the priestes sole or alone receauing of the sacrament After yow haue taken your pleasure in triumphing ouer oure pouertie as yow thinck yow bring furth your store And because yow will make the matter sure and out of all doubte yow vse our owne friend as a witnesse against vs the Masse booke forsothe where yow saie the priest according to the direction of that booke turning him self to the people saith Dominus vobiscum item Oremus Orate pro me fratres sorores what then M. Iuell Ergo what so euer praiâ—rs be vsed about the ministracioÌ„ of the sacrament ought to be the coÌ„mon requestes of all the people What inferre yow hereapon Ergo the priest maie not saie Masse without he haue some to communicate with him That ergo is false M. Iuell and not trulie deduced out of the premisses But I crie yow mercy this is yow saie but by the waie before yow entre into the matter Here yow did but dribb and flurt your other arrowes taken oute of the same quiuer Accipite edite Habete vinculum charitatis vt apti sitis sacrosanctis misteriâ—s that is take eate haue ye the band of charitie that ye maie be mete for the holie misteries And last of all other those wordes that ar spoken by the priest after the Agnus dei Haec sacrosancta commixtio c. This holie commixtion and consecration of the bodie and blood of our lorde Iesus Christ be vnto yow and to all that receiue it health of bodie and soule these ar they that paye home and cleaue as a man would saie the verie face of the white I shall now rehearse first your wordes as in
your sermon printed they ar to be sene that all men maie vnderstand how handsomely my L. of Salesburie can plaie hiâ—k scornersparte and then after shape thereto such an answere as I trust shall to all reasonable men be sufficient Moreouer the priest by the masse booke is taught to saie accipite edite Take ye eate ye and habete vinculum charitatis c. that is Haue ye the band of charitie that ye maie be mete for the hoâ—e misteries And to vvhome shall vve thinke the priest speaketh these vvordes It vver a vaine thing for him in the open congregation to speake to him selfe and specially in the plurall numbre yet vver it a greate deale more vaine for him to speake the same vvordes to the bread and vvine and to saie to them Take ye eate ye or haue ye the band of charitie that ye may be meâ—e for the holie misteries Therefore it is euident that these vvordes should be spoken to the people I haue good hope M. Iuell bothe by these testimonies alleaged out of the Masse booke so far from the purpose and also by your chalenge wherein yowe promise being ouercome to yelde that yowe will at the length doe as honest soldiours pressed against their mindes to serue in an euell cause ar wont to doe that is when it commeth to the push either cast awaie their weapons and suffer them selues to be taken or keping them in their handes fight verie weaklie For suerlie M. Iuell if this be not your meaning beare with me if I tell yow as the truthe is and as I beleue it must nedes be a greate deale worse and such as declareth inuinciblie to the worlde your cankred stomack and maliciouse minde towardes your mother the catholike church For standing the case so as yow meane nothing lesse then that good which I conceiue of yow what true dealing is this of youres to proue that no Masse maie be saide without there be company to receiue with the priest to alleage these wordes Take eate as spoken by the priest to the people Whereas your owne conscience if yow haue any telleth yow I dare saie that they ar a parte of other wordes going before cutt by you from the rest to serue your scoffing spirit and that they ar not nor euer were any more taken for the priestes owne wordes then ar those that immediatlie followe This is my bodie And as yow would I nothing doute laughe at his simplicitie that hearing the priest say This is my bodie would take the consecrated host to be the priestes bodie because he repeteth the same wordes at the altar that Christ spake at his supper So perswade your self that other men cease not to lament from the bottom of their hartes to se yow not of simplicitie but of malice willfullie to do the like But I shall here whollie alleage the wordes as they ar in the canon of the Masse that yowe maie if it be possible be deliuered of that greate scruple that so troubleth your minde whether those wordes Take eate should be spoken by the priest to him self in false latin which yow thinck were to greate an ouersighte or to the bread and wine which yow thinke and I would yow neuer might thinck worse were a farre greater The wordes ar these Qui pridie quâm pateretuâ— c. who the daie before that he suffred toke bread in to his holie and venerable handes and lifting vp his eyes into heauen to the o god his father allmightie geuing to the thanckes blessed brake and gaue it to his disciples saieng Take eate this is my bodie By these wordes if yow doe not euery man I trust elles doth moste manifestlie perceiue that these ar not the priestes wordes and therefore neither spokeÌ„ to him self neither yet to the bread or wine But because I doubte not but yow ar werie to heare so much of your owne follie therefore I will dwell no longer in the aggrauating of that which as in the eyes of all men is brimme ynough so would I to god that yow had neuer geuen occasion to me or to anie other once to haue mencioned it To your other obiection that yow make of these wordes habete vinculum charitatis haue yow the band of peace that yowe maie be mete for the holie mysteries I answere that if there be any such place in the masse booke as hauing sought therefore I finde none such that such wordes first forbidde not the priest to saie masse if none be disposed to communicate with him then that they do not necessarilie prouoke the people to the sacramentall receiuing but maie well be vnderstand of the spirituall communicating with the priest in those holie misteries by earnest meditacion of Christes death and passion the which the more effectually to doe they ar exhorted to be one with an other in loue and charitie And thus vnderstand we that other place where the priest after the Agnus praieth that that holie commixtion of Christes bodie and bloude maie be bothe to him and to all that receiue it healthe of bodie and soule For we saie that as many as being present at the masse doe hartely ioine with the priest in the swete remeÌ„brance of Christes bitter death and passion doe all receiue with the priest Christes bodie and bloud they spirituallie and he corporallie And this call we a true communion But what if now in euery leafe of the masse booke M. Iuell you had fouÌ„de exhortacions to the people to coÌ„municate Verely except yow had founde withall that vnlesse they would the priest should not all would not helpe yea it would hinder yow thus much that where as you and your mates haue borne the worlde in hand that the cleargie hath kepte the laitie from communicating now it woulde appeare by this that the priest loketh for them and their owne defaulte kepeth them awaie Well if the masse booke haue failed yow M. Iuell as it was neuer other like but that it would yow haue yet I dare saie other witnesses Yea verely yow vauÌ„te to haue the helpe of the canons of the apostles of Clemens of Dionisius of Calixtus of Iustinus of Leo of Chrisostome of S. Gregorie yea of S. Paule and of Christ him selfe Which be suerly good witnesses and such as in lawe maie be called omni exceptionâ— maiores and for the better abeling of theÌ„ of whose credite might most be doubted your selfe haue saide so much as no man I trow can saie more For you call theÌ„ good growndes to builde apon So that now there remaineth no more but to consider how they proue your entent The which that I maie the better doe I shall alleage your owne wordes as they ar in your sermon touching this matter to be founde that so the reader maie be the more able to iudge whether your euidence be to the yssue or no. In the .xxxv. leafe of your saide sermon yow haue these wordes And I trust yovv shall clearlie see that for
so long time six hundred yeares after Christ there vvas no priuate masse in the catholike church in any countrie or coast thoroughe ovvt the vvorlde A harde matter is it M. Iuell that yow take apon yow to proue for it is a negatiue so generall that to proue it is a thing impossible To proue that there is no Masse saide imagine with your selfe in all London how harde a matter it were You ar not able for your life to proue that there is no masse saide in the diocesse whereof yow call your selfe bishopp For how shoulde yow proue it being denied but by witnesses how is it possible to haue witnesses to depose for euery church for euery corner in euery churche euery towne euery house in euery towne euery chamber and secrete place in euery house not for once in the weeke but for euery daie not for euery daye but for euery hower of the daie all which he must doe that will conclude a necessarie proufe And yet all this haue yow M. Iuell vndertaken to proue not in the citie of London or diocesse of Salesburie but in all England Fraunce Spayne Scotland Portugall Denmarck Germanie Italie emongest the Indians the MauritaniaÌ„s the Egyptians the Persians the Arabians the Armenians the Grecians or in any other place or coast thoroughout the whole worlde not that there was no priuate masse in some one of these places but in neuer a one of them in neuer a towne of al those countries in neuer a house of all those townes in neuer a place were it neuer so secrete of all those houses not for one two or thre yeares but for the continuall space of six hundred A greater matter I confesse then if yow had stoode to the lawe yow coulde peraduenture haue bene constreined to haue done but seing yow trust so much to your selfe let vs heare how yow proue it For saye yow All the vvriters that vver vvithin the compasse of that time haue lefte behinde them vvitnesse sufficient of a communion but not one of them all coulde euer tell vs of anie priuate masse Here if a man should desire of yow good sir a catalog of all such writers as wrote within the first six hundred yeares I thinck for all your greate bragges you woulde turne him ouer to your frend Gesnerus where I am sure he were like to finde many a worcke named that neither he nor yow nor any man elles a liue euer sawe yet and I thinck and feare it to the more is the pitie I maie adde no man hereafter shall see But let this passe yow kepe not your quarters so close but that a man maie râ—ache yow a rapp when he will If one shoulde aske yow whether yow haue but â—ene all those writers that beâ—ng extant and to be sene wrote within the compasse of the first six hundred yeares I thinck such a question would grauell you But if he shoulde goe farder and coniure yowe apon youre false faithe trulie to answere him of those fewe that yowe haue sene how much yow lefte behinde in them that yow neuer reade Esopes dawe neuer was cause of so greate laughter to her other fellowes being spoiled of her borowed fethers as yow woulde bring shame to your companions when your counterfeite lions skinne being plucked ouer your eares and your loftie lookes and greate bragges broughte to nought yow shoulde appeare to the worlde in your simple asses carcas But let this be graunted to your spirite of arrogancie that yow maie saie frelie that yow haue sene all the writers which no man elles aliue hath done let it be a figure of rethorick that yowe haue ransacked euery corner in their worckes who haue not reade the twentith parte thereof and of that little which you haue reade haue not borne awaie perhapps the hundreth Yet all this I saie being graunted what logike is this of youres to reason after this sort All these holy doctours haue geuen vs perfect euidence of a communion without mencion making of any priuate masse Ergo there was in Christes churche within the first six hundred yeares no priuate masse If apon your witnesse yow bring not in this conclusion yow saie nothing against vs. If this be your conclusion in effect yow saie as little forasmuch as euery childe is in a manner able to teache yow that this consequent is nought he speaketh not of such a thinge Ergo there is no such thing Or as yowe reason they did not Ergo they coulde not I would alleage your auctorities of Clemens Dionisius Iustinus martir Ambrose Hierom Austen Leo sauing that we finde in them that which we denie not that is to saie that with the priest the people did vse to communicate but that if as yow saie the people would not the priest should not thereof we finde not one worde which till yow proue to vs Chrisostome his yea wilbe taken for better then youre naie In the meane season yow maie if it please yow take this for an answere That as the catholikes forbidde no man to receiue with the priest that will but hartelie wisshe that all men would so dispose theÌ„selues that at euery Masse with the priest there might be some to coÌ„municate so neither can they constreine them to receiue whose deuotion thereto serueth them not nor maie them selues absteine from the sacrifice whereunto Christes institution bindeth them Which reason allthough it please one of youre coate I meane him that toke on him your defence of late as appeareth by a little treatise by him sent a brode to call the roote of all the abuses of the L. supper and farder to affirme that Christes institution maketh no mencion of any oblatioÌ„ or sacrifice to be done by the priest sauing onelie the sacrifice of thankes geuing Yeat ar we able well to proue that bothe the sacrifice which is offered is not of thanckes geuing onelie but of the very bodie of Christ bothe owt of Martialis the B. of Burdeaulx one of the disciples of Christ S. Ambrose S. Austen S. Chrisostome and others and also that it ought dailie to be offered and so was vsed in the primitiue churche and last of all that Christe him selfe commaunded him selfe to be offered If yow thinâ—ke that this be but a shift and that we meane nothing lesse then that the people should communiâ—ate and receiue together with the priest lookeapon that citie cast your eyes to that churche which of all other I dare saie in the worlde yow hate moste Rome I meane and there shall yow by the comon and frequent communicating of the people with the prieste well perceiue how greately yow haue iniuried vs with that selaunderouse diffamatioÌ„ that oure priestes inhibite and forbid the laitâ—e to communicate with them at their Masses Loke apon those religiouse men of the societie of Iesus whose chieffest-profession is to enstruct youthe in vertue and learning to trauaile about the worlde to bring in to Christes folde infidelles and
heretikes Which they haue so done within these fewe yeares with such spirituall fruite and encrease with such exceding greate gaine of lost soules not sparing their owne bloud and liues in Christes cause in Africa in India in Persia and elles where that god hath well testified by sundry miracles wrought now by them in those parties no lesse then once in the primitiue churche by his apostles how highly he estemeth their labour loke I saie apon them whose vertuouse life and godly conuersatioÌ„ shall once I trust be the bane and vtter ruine of all heresiesâ— and yow shall finde it to be true that bothe at Colein at Augusta at Treuires at Cambray at Tournay and in other places of their abode there passeth no Sonday or holie day in the yeare in which there communicate not with the priest bothe of men and women greate store And yet arre they it is well knowen as farre all this while from yowe in your heresies as yow be from them in perfection of life and true religion Well although the testimonies of Clemens Dionisius Iustinus martir with the rest sarue not your purpose yeat yow haue other that touche vs more neere you will saie as fivst the. 10. canon of the apostles which yowe alleage in this manner Fideles qui in ecâ—lesiam ingrediuntur scripturas audiunt communionem sanctam non recipiunt tanquâm ecclesiasticae pacis perturbatores a communione arceantur that is to say Such christian men as come to the churche heare the scriptures and receiue not the holy communioÌ„ let them be excommunicated as men that trouble the peace and quietnes of the churche To this I answere that this canon being truly alleaged according to the Greke the founteine from whence it was taken first hath no such thing in it that all that be present at the Masse or holy communion shoulde communicate but onely continue there to the ende that by their either often whipping in and oute either ouer hasty departure from thence they might not trouble the churche or be scandulouse to any Secondarily that if it wer to be vnderstand as yow say that yeat yow must adde some more force thereto before it well will serue your turne seing there is neuer a worde there that forbiddeth which is the thing that yow must proue the prieste to receiue alone if none will receiue with him And for the first that yowe maie perceiue how this translation hath deceiued yow and how euell it squareth with the grieke knowe yow that the founteine and originall copie hath thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wordes Haloander a birde of the same wing that yow arre translateth after this sorte neque apud praeces sanctam coÌ„munionem permanent that is they that abide not out or continue not to the ende of the praiers and holy communion This translation beside that the wordes in the greke doe beare it 〈◊〉 for the other there is neuer a worde to signifie or â—â—â—resse the receauing of the communion it hath also to â—â—inteine it the auctoritie of Theodorus Balsamon the grieke writer and Patâ—â—â—ke of Antioche who in his commentaries apon the canon next before this hath these wordes Dicere fideles laicos consecratos qui sacra non tractant oportere quâ—â—â—die sanctis commâ—â—â—care alioqui segregari nec est ex senteÌ„tia canonis nec potest fieri Eâ— ideo nonus canon dixit puniri 〈◊〉 qui non 〈◊〉 that is To saie that the faithefull laie men and those that be not laie but yeat handle 〈◊〉 the holy misteries ought daily to communicate 〈◊〉 to be excommunicate it is neither the meaning of the canon nor it can sâ— be and therefore the. 9. canon the next which in some bookes is noted for the. 9. in some other for the. 10. hath that the faithefull not continuing to the ende shalbe punished Thus vnderstandeth he the seconde canon of the councell holden at Antioche in the daies of Aureliaenus the emperour Where examining those wordes of the canon by which all they arre excoÌ„municated who comming to the churche refuse the holy participation of the sacrament propter aliquam insolentiam for some insolency he writeth thus Diâ— quôd iâ— non existimabuntur sacram participationeÌ„ auersari qui â—am odio habent abominantur velqui vt nonnulli dicebant propter pietateÌ„ humilitateÌ„â—am fugiunt Illi enim non solum segregabuntur fed etiam vt haeretici extermin abuntur hi vero propter pietatem venia digni habebuntur Sed illi qui prae contemptu arrogantia ex ecclesia ante sanctam participationem inordinatè exeunt nec intueri sustinent That is in effect to say thus much Thincke not that the canon here speaking of theÌ„ which shoonne the participation of the blessed sacrament is to be vnderstand of them that haue it in hatred or abhomination or of them as some saied that of a certeine pietie and humilitie absteine from it For of these two kinde of men the first shall not onely be segregate for a time but as heretikes rooted out for euer the other for their deuotion and worthy reuerence towardes the sacrameÌ„tes shalbe thought worthy pardon But those ar they whome this canon noteth who of contempte and arrogancie departe ageinst ordre out of the churche before the holy participation not so much as vouchesausing to beholde the same Thus yow see M. Iuell how this patriarke and learned Grecian expoundeth the canon by yow alleaged not as to signifie a precise necessitie in all that be present at the Masse to receiue with the prieste but to continue there onely to the ende that by that meanes although they did not sacrameÌ„tally they might year at the leaste in ioining their praiers with the priestes and by holy meditating apon Christes deathe and passion together with him communicate the one with the other spiritually He addeth in his saide commentaries apon the aboue named seconde canon of the councell of Antioche that he thinketh the distribution of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which name I iudge he calleth oure holy breade to haue bene taken oute of this canon that they which wer not partakers of the liuely and holie misteries shoulde be bouÌ„de to tarito the ende of the diuine ministery and to receiue the same at the priestes handes ad sanctificationem to sanctifie them Thus vnderstandeth this greke canon Ioannes Monachus Zonoras him selfe a Grieke borne also as in his commentaries extant thereapon to him that listeth to searche maye be more at large seene But let the canon be expounded euen as oure aduersaries would haue it let it be so that the primitiue churche appointed greate penalties for them that being present at the Masse woulde not receiue with the priest Yeat is there all this while nothing brought ageinst the priestes receuing the sacrament alone why he may not take it being so disposed if other will not And yet is this the point ye wote well
that yow must proue The nexte auctoritie that yow alleage to this purpose is taken oute of the first epistle of Anacletus and neuer written as yow ignorantly sayde it was by Calixtus But whose so euer it be yow handle it like youre owne For hauing cut of that which otherwise might haue bewrayed your falsehoode yow bring vs in a piece that semeth without the rest to make for your purpose Truly the ciuile lawes call it inciuile euen in worldly matters to iudge apon the onely bare viewe of some one parte of the lawe what the meaning is of the whole What they wer like to call mangling and hackling tearing and dismembring such as yow vse in goddes matters I referre it to your owne conscience to iudge by the argument of L. Cornelia de Fals. The wordes of Anacletus arre these Episcopus Deo sacrificans testes vt praefixum est secuÌ„ habeat c. The bishop when he doeth sacrifice to god let him as is before saide haue witnesses and mo then an other priest For as his honour is greater so hath he nede of mo witnesses For apon highe and solemne feastes shall he haue with him either seuen or fiue or thre deacons which ar called his eyes besides subdeacons and other ministres Who hauing apon them the holy vestimentes shall stande with humble spirite contrite harte and demure countenaunce before him and behinde him the priestes on the right hande and on the left garding him from euell disposed parsons and giuing their coÌ„sent to the sacrifice It foloweth Peracta consecratione omnes communicent c. The consecration being ended let them all communicate they that will not shalbe suspendid from entring in to the churche For so haue the apostles ordeined and the holy churche of Rome oâ—serueth These arre the wordes of Anacletus which if yow had wholly according to true meaning alleaged euery man shoulde haue easely perceiued how little this place had made for youre purpose euery man could haue saide that the wordes let all communicate shoulde be restreined to the priestes Deacons and other ministres of whome assisting the bishop at Masse he had before spoken and not to be racked as by you they violently arre to all the whole people that they should take place not in euery priestes masse but in euery bishoppes not at all times but at high and solemne feastes But what M. Iuell if as now it appeareth that this place maketh nothing for the prouse of youre assertion that there was not or coulde not within the first six hundred yeares after Christ or now may not any masse be saide without there be â—ome present to communicate with the priest so I make the same place to th' intent yow may not be sayde to haue taken the paines to haue alleaged it in vaine to serue for vs ageinst yow Truly I nothing doubte but that in right and indifferent iudgement I shall be hable to doe it The assistentes to the bishop at his masse should ye wote well as appeareth by this place of Anacletus coÌ„municate peracta consecratione after the consecration But what if they had refused at any time so to doe What should then haue bene done with that which was consecrated To haue reserued it vntill an other time youre doctrine in that point would not haue permitted to haue cast it away or abused it to profanevses your reuerence to those highe misteries could not haue alowed it I put here no case either impossible or vnthought apon For Anacletus him selfe prouided yow see a punishement for those that woulde not receiue which might as well haue bene all as one Thus I hope for this matter we shall not neede to trye the lawe Yow will easely graunte your selfe that the bisshop might haue finished his masse and haue receiued a lone and so either haue song or saide a priuate masse contrary to that which yow haue hetherto affirmed To the place of Chrisostome and that other of S. Gregori by the which it appeareth that such as woulde not receiue with the prieste wer commaunded away although it wer ynough for vs to answere that all this proueth nothing that when they be gone the prieste which came thither for that purpose may not goe forwarde in his Masse and receiue yea alone so that resting on this pointe we might looke for youre replye yeat although these testimonies be not I saye to the purpose forasmuch much neuerthelesse as they goe nearer to vs then any of the other auctorities before alleaged while they seme to barre the people to be present at the masse without they will receaue the sacrament with the prieste I shall thereunto in fewe wordes answere after this sorte First that these fathers of a vehement and earnest zeale that they had to reuoke and call in to vse againe that frequent and common vsage of receauing with the prieste from whence they then sawe the people thorough coldenesse of deuotion which by the cruell and often persecutions of the heathen emperours was wont to be kindled and enflamed in them to be not a little swarued and fallen away vsed a phrase and manner of speche although exactly considered in it selfe not all together simply true yet for that time and those manners very much bothe expedieÌ„t and necessary For euen as no man reprehendeth him that minding to make a crooked wand streight boweth it first to a greate deale more crookednesse on the other side then it had before not that he aloweth that any more then he did the other but onely because he knoweth right well that to make it at all streight this is the onely way euen so these fathers if they commaunded them awaie that being present at the Masse woulde not communicate with the prieste if they threatened them that if they wer not worthy to receiue the communion they wer not worthy to haue any parte of the common praiers yea if they added that excepte they wer worthy euery daie to receiue they shoulde not be worthy once in the yeare we must nedes thinke that here they bowed these crooked pieces as farre an other way and that they ment no more to haue them stande thus then as they did before If you here demaunde of meapoÌ„ what groundes I dare leauing the manifest wordes of these fathers giue this interpretation knowe ye that two causes there arre which haue moued me so to doe The first is for the auoiding of absurdities and inconueniences for which causes they that be learned in the lawes will tell you that it is not vnlaufull to swarue often times and goe froÌ„ euen the plaine wordes of he lawe or statute which otherwise we should of necessitie fall in to and from which of good reason we ought to thinke those holy and learned fathers in all their actes and doinges to haue bene most farre For if they had meÌ„t verely as their bare wordes imporre what coulde haue bene spoken more absurdely then this
fourme as yovv haue sene me doe it it ferueth nothing for youre purpose For who seeth not that these wordes of Christ enforce no more a necessitie to haue this sacrament ministred to company then his other wordes to his apostles and disciples at other times spoken in the plurall numbre of preaching to all the worlde of baptizing of loosing and binding of sinnes doe implie a necessitie to haue a company of priestes together at these daies to execute either the one function or the other If the prieste alone being thereto disposed maie not receiue the sacrament because Christ deliuered it to many why saie yow not also that the same maie not minister the sacrament of baptisme alone because Christ gaue that auctoritie to many together or preacheâ— or absolue all which powers he gaue to no one alone Yea how dareth one of you alone minister youre coÌ„munion seing the wordes by the which youre warrant if you haue at all any taketh his strength ar vttered in the plurall nombre for Christ saide not hoc fac doe thow this but hoc facite doe ye this Must there be now M. Iuell if not twelue yet at the least in euery parisshe two ministers to stand at the coÌ„munion table to minister the communioÌ„ together Truly I account him not wise that seeth not to what shiftes yow arre driuen that graspe after such sclendre holde of these wordes of Christ Take ye eate ye Of youre seconde obiectioÌ„ followe many absurdities For if Christe had ment as yow saie the wordes Doe this importe that is that they should practise that which they sawe him doe in such fourme in such ordre as they sawe him doe it then beside the nombre of communicantes that yow demaunde I can not see how yow can discharge youre selfe in ministring it to a lesse nombre or greater either then the same that Christe him selfe first obserued For if you doe then where is hoc facite doe this that yow crie out apoÌ„ so much how doe yow it then in the same manner and after the same sorte that he did it If yow saie as in deede the truthe is that the presence of that companie at Christes last supper was no parte of his action but that the same consisted in taking breade in blessing in breaking in offering it to god the father as the sacrifice of the churche as witnesseth the blessed and holie martir S. Ciprian and that the distribution thereof to other was no more of the substance of that action then as there was company râ—ady and disposed to be partakers thereof at that time The which as when like occasion is we maie in no wise omitte to doe so if no such offre it selfe we maie not suffer that the first vse of this sacrament which was as S. Austen and Leo saie to be a sacrifice to succede in the place of the sacrifices of the olde lawe should hang all together apon the second vse thereof which is to be meate and driÌ„ke to the faithefull If I saie yow saie thus then saie you truly and speake against vs nothing But if yow will nedes sticke to your tackelings and still crie oute that we must in all pointes doe euen as Christ did and although yow can giue no reason why you should in giuing to fewer or to mo then he did not be saide to doe otherwise then he did if the wordes Doe ye this yow will still mainteine to be to be vnderstande not in offering that sacrifice as Christe did and S. Cyprian vnderstandeth them but in obseruing the time the place the sexe the nombre the qualities of the parsons with such like how can yowe then I saie excuse youre selues that yow haue not swarued and yeat doe from Christes example and done otherwise then he did that ministre that in the morning which he gaue in the euening and to men fasting which he gaue to them iÌ„mediately after supper How haue yow obserued the place in deliuering it in the churche which Christe did in a prophane house how the sexe that for onely men giue it also to women how the nombre as I saide before that for iuste twelue sticke not at one time if so many there be that desire it to giue it to twelue hundred or to bare two if there be no mo that will or to as many aboue or as fewe vndre as yow list how the qualities of the parsones when yow giue that to all laie men which Christ did to onely priestes when yow put from this table notorioùse sinners whereas Christ repelled not the traitor Iudas Is this hoc facite Is this to doe all thinges in such forme and sorte as Christ did whereas in some thinges yow doe more in some thinges lesse in other some cleane contrary to that which he did Thus while I doubte not yowe see that for the auoiding of a noÌ„bre of absuroities which otherwise your selues shall in your procedinges necessarily fall in to yow must of force coÌ„fesse that time place nombre sexe with the rest ar in the ministration of this blessed sacrament no parte of the substance but onely mere accidentes and may be presente or absent vsed or left of as to the churche shall seme best to take ordre as witnesseth S. Austen yow must also in like maÌ„ner graunte with vs that Christe in the institution of this sacrament or elles where neuer made mention of any nombre to communicate together nor euer forbad his action to be practised without company and last of all that these wordes Hoc facite doe ye this include not the vsing of euery circumstaÌ„ce which Christe vsed but onely giue auctoritie as I proued before by S. Cyprian to offer this sacrifice which is Christe as he him self first did So that now to returne to your argument In the primitiue churche it vvas so Erga it must now also be so we maye be bolde to tell yow once againe that although the first parte of your argument the antecedent wer moste true yet the consequent deduced therefro is moste faulse and vntrue Forasmuch as the matter whereof we entreate being indifferent maye by the churche at all times be changed and altered especially when newe occasions shall vary the olde circumstances Which as it hath bene proued to yow to haue bene doen by the churche in the apostles decrees and ordinances so arre we able also to showe that the apostles haue chaunged Christes owne coÌ„maundement and that the church hath altered that and restored the first againe Did not Christ commaunde his apostles that in baptesme they should vse the name of the father the sonne and the holie ghost Changed not the apostles this commaundement when they baptised in the name of Iesus The primitiue churche forbad the sacrament of baptesme to be ministred at anie other time then at Easter and witsontide excepte in case of necessitie where the infant were like to perishe witheout it yeat nowe the
churche permitteth to baptise at all times And your congregation M. Iuell is content also to goe from the olde manner and to baptise on the Sundayes and holie daies whether there be anie necessitie or none If all this satisfie yow not but the churche must nedes appeare coram vobis in youre L. consistorie to giue a reason whie she forbiddeth not all men now to be present at the masse sauing those that will communicate as once yow saie she did although he shoulde offre yow no wronge that should first bidde yowe proue that she were subiect to youre iurisdiction and then afterwarde to propose youre interrogatories yet will she not deale with yow after that sorte but is contented because she is illustris persona and can not be compelled by the lawe personallie to appeare to send yowe her aduocate S. Austen who answereth for her in this sorte Sicut aeger non debet reprehâ—ndere medicinalem doctrinam c Euen as the sicke man ought not to reprehend the phisicions prescriptes commaunding him one thing to daye an other to more we yea forbidding that which before he coÌ„maunded for so required the healthe of his bodie to haue it Euen so man kinde from Adam vnto the ende of the worlde so long as the corruptible carcas being sicke and wounded annoieth the soule maie not finde faulte with goddes phisike if in this it commaunde one thinge in that an other one thinge first the contrarie after Lo M. Iuell I trust yowe see that lawes maie be in the churche altered and changed as the time and manners of meÌ„ require and that no maÌ„ ought to grudge or murmure at the change thereof And by this also I trust it appeare vnto you that it was not so vnhandsome a coÌ„parison as yow saide it was that M.D. Cole made when he resembled the state of the churche in the apostles time to the age of infancie The which because yow sawe your selfe yow coulde not well denie and that by the graunting thereof your parte woulde be the worse yow turne his wordes an other waie because yow woulde seme to saie somwhat and impudentlie father apon him that he shoulde call Christe and his apostles enfantes But I praie yow good sir by the waie let me be so bolde to aske yow being a marchant of logicke and sent from the wisdom of your father to scoffe at all other mennes reasons that went before yowe emongest whome yow haue not spared S. Austen although either of malice or of ignoraÌ„ce yowe attribute his reason of Peters primacy and so by a consequent the B. of Rome his to Roffensis what price bare logike which at other times was yowe saye so good cheape when yowe made this argument he saith the churche vvas in Christes and in his apostles time in her enfancie Ergo he calleth Christe and the apostles enfantes Trulie I thincke the marcket was risen and good stuffe verie deare when my L. bishop thought to vtter such homelie ware as this is If a man had saide of the famouse vniuersitie of Paris in Charles the greate his time when it was first erected that it was then in her enfancie had he called Alcuinus that greate clercke and all the rest of the learned doctours called thither to plant good learning babes and infantes If of your scattred congregation one shoulde saie that it were yet vnder that age of infancie I wene no man woulde thincke that Iohn Caluin if he now liued wer called a babe No he wer like to kepe his olde name still for all that I warrant yow and the rest of your pillers to But here it is a worlde to see howe thorough ignorance yow be shamefullie deceauid in taking one for an other If yow had readen S. Austen so diligently as reason woulde yow shoulde bothe him and the rest of the doctours toe before yow had made your chalenge Yow shoulde haue founde that yow reprehended not so muâ—h M. Cole as yow did vnwares S. Austen Whose wordes agreing with his I haue thought good here to alleage that all men maye see how ignorance hath deceiued yow The wordes arre these Dominus enimipse in corpore suo quod est ecclesia iunior fuit primis temporibus ecceiam senuit For oure lorde that is to saye him selfe was in his body that is the church yonge at the first and now lo beholde he is becomen olde And a little after autem Christi quod est ecclesia tanquâm vnus quid am homo primâ—o iunior fuit ecce iam in fine seculi est in senecta pingui The body of Christ which is his churche was as it wer a man at the beginning yong and now beholde in the ende of the worlde it is in a ripe or fâ—ll age But leauing this as wide of my purpose I shall returne thither from whence I haue digressed Well let it be graunted yow wil saye that the churche hath power to alter and chaunge thinges indifferent apon occasion and as necessitie requireth what such occasion was there here to reuoke that olde commaundement that all that wer presente at the masse shoulde receiue with the prieste or elles departe Will yowe know I shall shewe yowe an occasion If the churche then when although all woulde not some yet there were that failed not dailie to communicate with the prieste forbad those that would not so much as to be present with other that did thinking therebie to drawe the worse to the imitation of the better founde at the length by experience that not onelie by this restreinte theie were nothinge amendid but by absteining from that communion in the which oftentimes before theie were wont spirituallie by the swete remembraunce of Christes deathe and passion in those holie misteries to ioyne with the prieste in their manners and liues not a littell empaired If the churche I saie apon these considerations bearing like a good mother with the infirmities of her children willing rather to holde her selfe contented with a littell with their good willes then to leese all deuotion with their euell released the former coÌ„maundement was it not trowe yowe cause sufficient But all this M. Iuell I must desire yowe to take as spoken vnder an if that if yow can be hable to proue anie such commaundement of the churche yowe maie haue a reason whie the same hath bene abrogate and taken a waie To make an ende and to knit vp the knot of this present article I haue here thought good M. Iuell that if yow minde to write againe yow maye finde in fewe wordes couched together the some of all that hath bene saide touching this matter before briefelie to showe the catholike doctrine in this pointe which is this First the catholikes forbid no man meete for the holie misteries to receiue with the prieste when and as often as he listeth but wishe and hartelye praie that all men woulde so put theÌ„selues in ordre as at euerie masse there mighte be that
S. Peters time first mainteined that we reade of any heresie against the truthe haue yow not borowed this wholesome doctrine of youres that such good worckes as god giueth vs the grace to doe merite for vs nothing towardes oure saluation Nouatus Nouatus whose heresies raged in the churche in S. Cyprian his is time Cornelius being theÌ„ pope aboute the yeare of oure lorde 249. withdrewe him selfe from the obedieÌ„ce of the See of Rome he exacted a solemne othe of those that receiued the blessed sacrament of the altar at his handes that they should vttrely renounce the obedience of the pope which was at that time Cornelius as I saide before Doe not yow the like Manichaeus in the yeare of oure lorde 271. The Manichees denied that man hath any freewill They refused to fast on such dayes as the churche had appointed and prescribed and therefore they fasted not the wednesdaies and fridaies as all Christian men beside did but the sondaies as witnesseth S. Austen Aâ—â—rius almoste 1300. yeares ago Aâ—â—rius did not onely refuse to obserue the prescript and appointed fasting dayes alleaging for him â—elf that so he should be vnder the iudaicall yoke of boÌ„dage a reason also of youres M. Iuell and youre coÌ„panions wheÌ„ ye claime the libertie of youre newe gospell but he was an enemie also to sacrifice and prayers for the deade and defended that they were vnlaufull Iouinianus in the yeare 388. If yow agree not iustly with the Manichees and the Aâ—erians it is because you haue ouerrunne them For yow denie not simply with Aâ—eÌ„rius the offering vp to god of sacrifice for the deade but yow which they were not so impudent to doe condemne all manner of sacrifice bothe for the quicke and the deade Yow arre not contented barely to denie the solemne fasting on certeine prescript and appointed dayes but going farder condemne with Iouinian the heretiâ—e all manner of fasting and abstinence from meates vtterly Aâ—erius and Manicheus although they woulde be bound to no certeine time fasted yeat at some time onely yow will fast at no time so religiously doe yow kepe and so fast doe yow holde the fast learned of Iouinian youre auncestor He taught that all sinnes were equall yow put no difference betwene veniall and mortall The virginitie of noonnes and continencie of men choosing to liue single he counted no better nor more meritoriouse then the chaste mariages of other men For so reporteth S. Austen of him by thiese wordes Virginitatem etiam sanctimonialium continentiam sexus virilis in sanctis eligentibus coelibem vitam coniugiorum castorum atqueue fidelium meritis adaequabat The vowes of chastitie he animated and encouraged those that had made them to breake them His wicked persuasions were to the men by asking them whether they thought them selues to be better then Abraham and other the holye fathers that were maried to the womeÌ„ whether they durst compare them selues with Sara with Suâ—anna and such holye women that were also maried and had husbandes Whether yow agree in this pointe with Iouinian let the hearers of youre sermones and readers of youre bookes iudge Or if yow will not put the matter to iudgement but youre selues confesse as the truthe is that yow receiued this doctrine from Iouinian if yow will nedes stande in defence thereof that it is bothe sounde and good then expostulate with S. Austen why he called Iouinian the first author thereof a monstre why he termed the doctrine it selfe heresie when nombring it emongest other heresies he wrote thereof in this manner Citò tamen ista haeresis oppressa exâ—incta est nec vsâ—que ad deceptionem aliquorum sacerdotum potuit peruenire This heresie notwithstanding was quickely repressed and sone extinguished nor euer coulde it come to be able to deceaue any priestes Heare yow not here S. Austen calling this doctrine of youres heresie Heare yow him not as it were reioising of the sodeine decaye thereof and that although the author deceiued therewith some seely simple women he was not yeat able to entrappe any prieste Oh had he liued in oure time when Martin Bucer taughte the same doctrine that Iouinian did if he had sene Peter Martir not a prieste onely but a moncke also so farre deceiued that he shoulde be yoked in countrefeite mariage to a nonne What thincke yow he woulde haue saied What mettall woulde maye we iudge M HaddoÌ„ his paire of golden olde men haue bene tried oute to be if they had bene touched by S. Austens touchestone Thus much of Iouinian Vigilantius in the yeare â—98 Vigilantius the heretike against whome S. Hierome wrote murmured against the tapers and lightes that burned in the churche he spake against the worshipping of sainctes and dispised the holy reliques of martirs Lo M. Iuell an other of youre fathers Eutiches in the yeare 453 Leo the pope the first of that name complaining by his letters to Martianus the emperour of such outrages as were committed in Alexandria by the furie of Euâ—iches and his companions who denied that oure Sauiour had anie more then the diuine nature emoÌ„gest other wordes hath also these Intercepta est sacrificij obâ—aâ—iâ— defecit Chrismatis sanctificatio the oblation of the sacrifice is by their meanes kepte from the people the halowing of the crisme faileth Who kepeth from vs in oure countrie the dailie sacrifice Who letteth the sanctifieng of that crisme the lacke whereof in the baptising of Nouatus that heretike Cornâ—lius a bishop of Rome and a holy martir writing to Fabianus the bishop of Antioche iudged to haue bene the cause as Eusâ—bius reporteth why he neuer receiued the holie ghost who but yow treading the steppes of Eutiâ—hes and his folowers going before yow I might here alleage diuerse other heretikes from whome yow haue borowed a greate parte of the rest of youre wicked and perniciouse opinions were it not that I hope that this which allreadie hath bene brought shalbe sufficient to make you either to mislike the other or to giue yow at the leaste iust occasion to seke therefore youre selfe and also for this that in the proâ—ecuting of youre agrement with them in their manneâ—s manie other of their opinions arre like in that discourse to come to light also Of the Protestantes agrement vvith the olde heretikes vvith the infidelles vvith Antichrist vvith Sathan him self Paulus Samosatenus The yeare 273. Eusebius writeth in his ecclesiasticall historie that Paulus Samosatenus whose herâ—sie was that Christ the sonne of god neuer came from heauen trained vp after that sorte his hearers that at his lessons and sermones they shoulde bothe men and womeÌ„ giue greate showtes in token of that liking and pleasure that they tooke in their maisters doctrine Si quis verô auditorum honestius verecundius agens a clamore nimio temperasset velut iniurâ—am faciens patiâ—batur iniuriam If any of his hearers saith Eusebius
behauing him selfe honestlie and shamfastly had absteined from outeragiouse crieng he as though he had done an iniurie receiued one Doe not yow and youre fellowes followe in this point Paulus the heretike Is he not noted by yow for a papist and in daunger of a shrewde turne that being present at youre sermones answereth not Amen to youre blasphemies vttered against the moste holy sacramentes to youre execrations against the catholikes to youre franticke bragges what you will doe how many mennes liues it shall cost before youre religion be altered Loke yow not so indecently for this as Eâ—sebius saide that Paulus did that some of yow haue bene noted vpon youre audience defaulte in missing to answere at their cue to haue twise repeated the same thing to haue paused and made a staie whereby they haue giuen to all men to vnderstande how miserably they depende apon the blast of the peoples mouthes Donatistae The Donatistes a perniciouse secte of heretikes committed as Optatus that learned bishop writeth of them sacrilege in ouerthrowing the holie altars of god on which being saithe he the seate of Christes bodie and bloude his membres were wont to be susteined They gaue the blessed sacrameÌ„t to dogges the crismatory with the sacred crisme they violently threwe on the grounde being called to the councell of the catholikes there to answere to their doctrine they refused to come and kept them selues awaie When they appeared one time at the councell to make their cause seme the better and to glorie in the multitude of their bishoppes emongest diuerse that were absent they câ—aftilie packed in to the nombre the name of one that was deade before affirming not withstanding that he liued and beleued as they did Of those that were priestes of some they plucked oute the eyes of one bishoppe they cuâ— of the tongue and hande and many they murdered Beholde I beseche yow good Readers in this one secte of heretikes the Donatistes how manie pointes there arre wherein oure Caluinistes and they agree The altars the building vp whereof in oure countrie of England Chrisostome vsed as a demonstration to proue that we had receiued the strength of goddes worde they ouerthrowe as they did and as Optatus saide by the Donatistes doing the like they followe therein the Iues. For as they laide handes on Christ being vpon the crosse so doe these vpon him on the altar If they haue not giuen the blessed sacrament to dogges yeat haue they troden it vnder their wicked and worse then dogges feete The holie crisme that sacred ointement wherewith at their entring in to this worlde and at their departure from hence all true Christian men from the apostles time hetherto haue vsed continualâ—y to be signed and anointed how vilanouslie they haue handled it is to all men better knowen then that it nedeth to be by me here rehersed The Councelles the laufull remedy left by almighty god in his churche to represse heresies it is a worlde to see how bothe the heretikes of these daies and those of times past haue all waies sought meanes and yeat doe to auoide Thus feined Macedonius the heretike him self to be sicke when he was cited to appeare at a councell appointed to be holden at a place called Seleucia a towne of Isauria Thus lurcked Dioscorus from the councell of Calcedon and woulde by no meanes appeare Thus did the Donatistes being called to Carthage Thus doe the protestantes being somoned to Trent The Donatistes to encrease their nombre and to make it seme the greater feined that diuerse bishoppes who wer absent and one emoÌ„gest the rest that was deade did take parte with them ageinst the catholikes Impudent liers were they good readers in so saieng and for no lesse did S. Austen note them But how much more impudent arre oure newe gospellers who feine not this of men absent but of them that were presente not of the deade but of them that be liuing not of them that being present and asked their opinions and sentences answered either feintly or nothing at all whereby some manner of consent might seme to be gathered but of them who standing moste stoutely in defence of the truthe chose rather to leese gooddes liuing libertie life and all then by giuing their consent to the contrary to betraie the pore flocke coÌ„mitted to their charge Was there no other waie M. Iuell to banishe the auctoritie of the pope out of the realme but to abuse the Quenes highnesse with this feined supplicatioÌ„ Moste huÌ„bly beseche youre moste excellent maiestie youre faithefull and obedient subiectes the lordes spirituall and teÌ„porall c. Was this the onely meane to persuade the people that youre doinges were laufull to beare theÌ„ in haÌ„de that the â—ishoppes who with all their power with stoode it wer they that chieffely laboured to haue the popes auctoritie abolished Well Diabolus est mendax pater â—ius The diuell is a lier and so was his father before him and therefore as I maruell not at youre agrement in this point with the Donatistes so I will dwell no longer in the conferring of yow in this point together The crueltie vsed by the Donatistes towardes the catholikes in cutting of handes in plucking oute of eyes and tongues was greate it can not be denied but compare it with that rage of the Caluinistes practised of late yeares apon the pooer catholikes in Fraunce and yow will saie that it was curt oise dealing For what Contented they them selues trowe yow with the onely cutting of their handes with the spoiling them of their eyes and tongues This they did I wote well but alas their furie rested not here For they besides this tieng halters aboute the neckes of such innocent priestes as goddes prouidence suffred to fall in to their handes first drewe them dispituously after their horses theÌ„ picked oute their eyes cut of their eares noses or priuy partes ware their eares in their hattes to glorie the rather in their malice in stede of brooches and finally either hanged vp the miserable casses striuing for life and deathe or with the stroke of a pistolet dispatched them oute of the waie at once Of some they hackled and mangled the faces of other some to proue their force and strength they cleft the heades in two at one stroke What shoulde I here remembre that horrible acte coÌ„mitted by them vpon an olde religiouse man at Mans more barbarouse and inhumaine then that the histories and monumentes of the time past can showe vs of all the cruell tirauntes of all the barbarouse nations and sauage natures that haue gone before any one no not of Iulian the apostata who as it is written of him of such women as had vowed perpetuall virginitie caused the bellies first to be opened then after to be stuffed with barlie and last of all the innocent virgines to be throwen to the hogges of them to be deuoured not of him I
the actes of heretikes theues paganes Iewes and diuelles yow yeat chalenge the gloriouse title of true Christians and good catholikes THE nexte cause hathe bene for that I finde in youre religion no certeine rules or principles to builde vpon but such as hauing hetherto bene chalenged by all the auncient heretikes for theirs maie welbe called starting holes for youre foxishe generation being sore pressed to flee vnto For proufe whereof graunte to an heretike those principles which yow demaunde to be graunted to yow of which these arre parte that nothing is necessarily to be beleuid and folowed as a truthe but thaâ— which maie expressely be founde in the lettre of the scrip ture that of the sence of goâ—des worde and true meaning thereof there is no other iudge then the scripture it â—elf as of the which one place faileth not to expounde an other that Christes churche is inuisible with such like and there was neuer yeat heresie so absurde but that he wilbe able ageinst yow and all youre companions to defenâ—e it Whereas the catholikes on the other side haue for theire parte such contrary groundes as wherewith the auncient writers haue alwaies contended ageinst the olde and auncient heretikes For they saie with S. Basile that many thinges haue bene deliuered to vs necessary to be beleâ—ed by Christ and his apostles whereof the scripture maketh no mention at all They teache with S. Austen as yow harde before in the first cause that the churche of Christ is visible And with him also they arre bolde to saie that in doutefull questions arising apon the vnderstanding of the lettre we must appeale to the churches determination AN other reason in the prosecuting whereof also I must craue pardon at youre haÌ„des if perhappes it chauÌ„ce me to touche youre parson more neerer then yow woulde I should remembring alwaies that eae maximè sunt salutaria remedia quae acerbissimeÌ„ doloruÌ„ faciunt is for that yourâ— doctrine being first grounded and then continually after supported and mainteined by lies it can by no meanes be that it euer should procede from the spirite of god Which being the spirite of all truthe hath no nede of the helpe of lyes to be vnderpropped withall Be not your lyes M. Iuell in slaundring of men in false translations in wronge allegations vttred the rather to deceaue without cotatioÌ„s in mangling and tearing of the Doctours and Councells as it pleaseth yowe and best maie make for your purpose so manifest and to the worlde so well knowen that theie can be concealed no longer What opinion might thinke yow the Councell of late assembled the moste vertuouse learned and wisest heades of the worlde haue of yow and youre doinges when in youre Apologie emongest so manie lies â—heie founde that of all other moste grosse and impudent in which yow sclaundred so wickedlie the flower of this age Hosius the Cardinall What maie youre owne countrie men thinke of youre religion when to place it the more easely there yow feined as I noted before in comparing yow with the Donatistes that the catholike bisshoppes had consented to the banishing out of the realme the pope and his auctoritie But hereof I forbeare to write anie more forasmuch as it hath by me allready benâ— sufficiently vrged Onely of this I can not but warne yow mine owne deare countrie men to take good hede to haue alwaies a diligent eye to this lieng and suttell generation and to thincke euer with youre selues that they who in thinges so euident and manifest done at home euen at youre owne noses haue not refreined so impudently to abuse yow will make no curtosie or haue any conscience in thinges more more secrete or priuey to do the same And therefore maruell not by the waie that M. Haddon hath borne Hieronimus Osorius a straungier a Portugall a man ignorant of oure affaires in hande that religion was not altered in this realme nisi conspirantibus ecclesiae proceribus but by the consente of the bishoppes or that he made him of oure abbayes this accounte that they were distâ—ibuted pios ad vsus scholarum A cademiarum Zenodochiorum to the godlye vses that is to saie of scholes of vniuâ—rsities and hospitalles That the pope for a certeine ordinarie tribute to be to him yearelie paied giueth his priestes free licences and dispensations vnder his greate seale openly to kepe concubines without controllemeÌ„t is it not an abhominable lie Of that reuerende olde man and greate learned clerke M. Doctour Clement whome in youre Apologye yow haue also to the worlde moste shamefully sclaundred what shall I heare speake seing that he religiously denieâ—h that fact which yow barely without proufes without witnesses layâ— to his charge Which deniall of his I doubte not shall emongest the better sorte be taken to be of as greate force against youre false and vntrue reporte as was the answere of Aemilius Scaurus that noble Romaine made in fewe wordes to the long and odiouse oration of his infamouse accuser Varius Sucronensis vttred before the people of Rome in these wordes Quiâ—â—tes Varius Sucronensis ait Aemilius Scaurus negat vtri crediâ—â—â— That is to saie Varius Sucronensis O ye Romaines affirmeth Aemilius Scaurus denieth whether thincke you it best to beleue The which wordes were no soner spoken so well werâ— their honesties bothe knowen to the people but he was with greate applause of the commons pronounced innocent and his aduersarie coÌ„demned in his owne action If to establishe youre doctrine yow vse thus to sclaunder and belie the aduersaries thereof two thinges will folowe thereapon First that yow shall take from vs all manner of merueile why yow so falselie reporte the olde fathers who were to this worlde so manie a hundred yeare sence deade seing that euen of them who be yeat a liue whose bookes and tongues whose bodies and whole liues manifestlie beare witnesse of the contrarie yow doe the like And secondarily yow shall giue men occasion to thincke that such doctrine is verie weake the which to be vnderpropped must haue such staies What shoulde we iudge of youre translation of the holie scriptures who turn the worde idolum or simulachrum in to the worde imago an image and this forsothe to make vs beleue that all the passages of scripture that speake ageinst the heathen and Gentils Idols speake also ageinst the Christians images as though betwene an idoll and an image there were no difference at all What ment yow but to bring the ordre of priestehode in hatred when in all places of youre Englishe bibles where priestes haue bene praised where anie thing soundeth to their commendation yowe call them ministres absteining vtterlie from the name of priestes whereas contrarie wise where their behaueor hathe bene euell yow spare not that name but vse it frelie Castalio whose translation of the bible is so well liked by youre parte when he cam to that place in the ghospell Dic ecclâ—siae tell the churche
sacerdâ—tum sit We ordeine according to their definitioÌ„ the first fower generall councels that the most holie pope of olde Rome be the chief prieste Finallie how in all like mattersâ— Iustinian is to be vnderstande if nothing elles his epistle written to Iohannes then B. of Rome is able sufficiently to enstruct vs. where he most manifestlie protesteth to suffer nothing that apperteigneth to the estate of the churche to passe yea although the truthe thereof be perspicuouse and out of all doubte without the bringing thereof first to the knowledge of his holinesse and he addeth for a reason quia caput est omnium sanctarum ecclesiarum because he is the head of all the holie churches that be To conclude therefore touching the exaÌ„ples brought from the doinges of the emperour IustiniaÌ„ what so euer theie be I answer that he did those thinges as folowing the olde canons and rules of councelles before deuising nothing him selfe but by his lawes adding to them terrour to cause theÌ„ to be of all men the better obserued or elles that what so euer he ordeined him selfe and put furth in his owne name he did first communicate with the B. of Rome as in the epistle before alleaged he promised he would and procured it to be ratified by his auctoritie And these answers I hope yow haue hard by the emperour him selfe in the places by me before alleaged sufficientlie proued The substance and verie strength of our aduersaries reasons yowe haue hetherto harde There remaineth one or two testimonies mo brought of late by M. HaddoÌ„ in answere to the learned epistle of Hieronimus Osorius as that S. Paule saieth that euery soule should be obedieÌ„t to the higher powers in which wordes they saye that neither bishop prieste nor moncke is excepted and that S. Peter willeth all men to be subiect to euery humaine creature for goddes sake whether it be to the king as to the chiefest and so furth The which reasons if reasons theie maye be called that consist of mere folie because they ar so childishe that euerie childe maie in a manner answer them and so foolishe that he is more then a foole that is by them moued as lothe to spende so much time invaine or trouble your eares and eyes for nothing I passe ouer Onelie this I say that euen as priestes and all without exception owe obedience to their prince in those thinges that coÌ„cerne his iurisdiction I meane thinges temporal so on th'other side ment neither S. Peter nor S. Paule to giue them any preeminence in matters ecclesiasticall For in those thinges they call as fast apon obedience to be exhibited towardes the cleargie namelie S. Paule who addeth the reason to be for that theie ar the watche men which watche to giue the account for our soules The which wordes caÌ„ no more be vnderstaÌ„d of ciuile magistrates who could then full euel be called watchemen for other being them selues fast a slepe and drowned as it wer in the deade slepe of infidelitie then their other place of obedience towarde the king can be vnderstand of matters concerning religion Which anie man that hath but halfe an eye maie easelie percea ue it caÌ„ not if he cast but a quarter thereof to that time in which S. Peter wrote those wordes which was in the reigne of Nero. whome by all lykelihood being to christ and his littel flocke an vtter enemie and extreme persecutor he would neuer make or name to be a cruel gredie and rauenouse wolfe the gouernor and leader of the meke and simple shepe To bid them obeie him in matters of religion had bene to bid them to disobey Christe to refuse him and cast him of Wherefore that obedience must be restreined which it can be to no other thinges then such as onelie consist in ciuile and politike gouernement Thus hauing I trust good readers satisfied both yow and my promesse it foloweth nowe that I showe who is that priest that ought to be the heade of Christes churche here in earthe A PROVFE OF CERTEYNE ARTICLES THAT THE B. OF ROME IS THE CHIEF OF ALL OTHER BISHOPPES THE HEAD OF CHRISTES CHVRCHE HERE IN earthe and that for so the first six hundred yeares after Christ he hath with the olde generall councelles the auncient fathers and doctours bene reputed and taken THose blockes and stumbling stones being at the length remoued and tumbled out of the waie good Christian readers which they that entende then the breache of all good ordre nothing elles heretikes and enemies to our faithe had there placed for the nones to ouerthrowe the weake we ar come to that principall point of the B. of Rome his supremacie ouer all other bishoppes his chief gouernemeÌ„t and superioritie ouer Christes whole catholike and vniuersall churche Wherein trulie emongest all other thinges that ar at this daie called in to controuersy I can not ynough maruell at the shameles impudencie of him that bloweth abrode that we haue not one auncient doctour one olde general councell one allowed example of the primitiue churche to proue that the B. of Rome was within the first sixe hundred yeares after Christ called head of the churche or for so taken Whereas in good faith to me thincking not lightelie or sclenderlie apon this matter and minding some thing to vtter touching the same to the worlde and to imitate at the leaste in good will that honest example of them who hauing with greate daunger escaped them selues the peril of drowning being nowe saufelie arriued on the lande thincke nexte of the deliuerie of their pooer compagnions who floting one while aboue the water an other struggling for life and deathe vnder the same ar in daunger to fall into that which theie so latelie before escaped cast them either a boorde to beare them vppe or reache them a pole to drawe them to the shore or by such other meanes as theie maie cease not busilie to procure their spedie recouerie there happened nothing more hard then in such copie and varietie of substantiall witnesses to satisfie my selfe for all neither my leasure woulde serue me to alleage nor the aduersary demaundeth many but eâ—en onelie one in the choise of those that should for vertue and learning gaine with the honest readers most weighty credite Here first of all because I minde to kepe me within the limites and terme of yeares by yow master Iuell appointed to me I will begin euen with the first pope S. Peter him selfe froÌ„ whome I make this argument S. Peter was bishop of Rome S. Peter was called by thauncieÌ„t fathers that wrote within the first sixe hundred yeares the head of Christes churche Therefore the B. of Rome was with in the firste sixe hundred yeares called and taken for heade of the churche The first parte of this sillogisme the maior that is that Peter was bishoppe of Rome I proue by Abdias a man of the apostles age by Orosius who writeth that he planted there the faith