the Councel of Carthage and gaue his consente That the Bishop of the first See should not be called neither the Prince or Chiefe of Priestes nor the Highest Priest nor by any other like title He knoweth also that S. Augustine afterward confirmed the same in a Councel holden at Hippo Regius in his owne Diocesse Likewise he knoweth that the same S. Augustine Decréed amonge other Bishoppes to the number of 217. in the Councel of Aphrica that it shoulde not be lawful for any man of those countreis to seeke for ayde ouer the Seas and to appeale to the Bishop of Rome and that whosoeuer so appealed shoulde stande Excommunicate and so vtterly condemned that Infinite Dominion and Uniuersal Power that so many haue sithence dreamed of Againe writinge vpon the Gospel of S. Iohn he saith Petrus erat oculus in Capite Peter was an eye in the Heade He saith not Peter was the Heade In these woordes appeareth plainely S. Augustines certaine and vndoubted iudgemente touchinge this mater The reast that is here brought in standeth onely vpon M. Hardinges geatheringe It is true that as wel S. Augustine as also other Godly Fathers rightly and wel in olde times yelded greate reuerence to the See of Rome bothe for the Antiquitie of the Churche and for the honour and memorie of S Peter and for the constancie of the Holie Martyrs that there had suffred and also for the puritie of Religion whiche was preserued there a longe tyme without spotte and might be a standerde vnto others But the greatest increase of outwarde estimation in the worlde vnto that See was the Imperial Seate and Presence of the Prince as notably appeareth by the firste Councel of Constantinople For these causes S. Augustine saith The See of Rome had the highest place and chiefe preeminence aboue others Perhaps M. Hardinge wil presse me further with this woorde Principatus whiche he expoundeth The Principalitie Howbeit I beleue he wil not saye Pâ—incipatus signifieth an Uniuersal power or Supreme gouernement and so his aduauntage of this woorde is not so greate Uerily Princeps in the Latine tongue is often vsed for a man that for his vertue or roome or any singular qualitie is to be had in estimation aboue others So Cicero saith Socrates princeps Philosophorum Grauitate dicendi princeps Plato princeps orbis terrarum Pompeius Like as also Chrysostome saithe Caput Prophetarum Elias Elias the Heade of the Prophetes In these places Princeps is taken not for a Prince or Gouernour but onely for a man that for his qualities is to be estéemed aboue the reaste And in this sense S. Augustine calleth the See of Rome as it was in his time Principatum Sedis Apostolicae and not in respecte of any Supreme gouernement for that he himselfe in the Councel of Aphrica as it is alreadie prooued vtterly denied him I graunte as S. Augustine saith The Bishop of Rome truely and diligently dooinge the parte of a Bishop he that then woulde haue denied him the chiefe preeminence for the respectes aboue touched had béene wicked or arrogant But the same Bishop of Rome nowe claiming to him selfe the title of Uniuersal Bishop as S. Gregorie saithe Is the Forerenner of Antichriste and the consenting to the same as the same Gregorie saithe Is the renouncinge and forsaking of the faithe I coulde further saye that M. Hardinge in these authorities of S. Augustine hath leafte out and transposed what he thought good and so hath shewed no simple dealinge In the first place S. Augustines woordes be these Episcopus videbat se Romanae Ecclesiae in qua semper Apostolicae Cathedrae viguit principatus per Communicatorias literas esse coniunctum He sawe him selfe by Letters of Conference to be ioyned with the Churche of Rome in which Churche the chiefe preeminence of the Apostolique See had euer flourished S. Augustine saith The Bishop there was ioyned with the Churche of Rome not by waye of Obedience or Subiection but by Letters of CoÌ„ference wherin is implied an equalitie or a felowship And afterwarde in the same Epistle S. Augustine saith That Meltiades the Bishop of Rome with certaine other Bishops hearde the mater betwéen Caecilianus and Donatus A casis nigris not by any his Uniuersal or Supreme Power as M. Harding imagineth but by special Commission from the Emperour And so was the Bishop of Rome the Emperours Delegate and that not in any Soueraine Authoritie but felowlike and equally ioyned with other Bishops and That afterwarde the same cause vpon complainte and mislikinge of Donatus was by the Emperour taken out of the Bishop of Romes handes and by a new Commission was put ouer to the hearing of the Bishop of Arle in Fraunce But where was then the Bishop of Romes supreme gouernement In the seconde place M. Hardinge hath notably falsified bothe S. Augustines woordes in the Latine and also his owne Translation in the Englishe S. Augustines woordes be these CoÌ„munis est nobis omnibus qui fungimur Episcopatus officio quamuis ipse in eo praeemineas celsiore fastigio Specula pastoralis Which woordes M. Hardinge by wilful deprauation hath altered thus Celsiore fastigio speculae pastoralis And so hath leafte the Adiectiue Communis without a Substantiue and the principal Uerbe Est without a Nominatiue Case And to serue his turne hath caused S. Augustine to speake false Latine This place of S. Augustine may be Englished thus The pastoral Watche Tower is common to vs al that beare the office of Bishops albeit thy preeminence is greater as sittinge in the higher roome M. Hardinges Translation is thus Thou thy selfe hast the preeminence ouer al being in the toppe of the pastoral Tower Wherein these woordes Ouer al are not sounde in S. Augustine but onely diuised at pleasure by M. Hardinge In the thirde place bisides other corruption he dissembleth the woordes that S. Augustine in the very same place allegeth out of S. Cyprian very wel seruing to this purpose The woords be these Nec Petrus vindicauit sibi aliquid aut arroganter assumpsit vt diceret se primatum tenere obtemperari sibi a nouellis posteris potius debere Neither did Peter chalenge any thinge or proudely presume of him selfe to say that he had the primacie and that therefore others as Nouices and vnderlinges should be obedient vnto him Al these thinges M. Harding dissembleth and so to fournishe out his mater and to smouthe his Reader he leaueth out what he listeth M. Hardinge The .15 Diuision The notable saieing of S. Hierome may not be let passe Ecclesiae salus a summi Sacerdotis dignitate pendet cui si non exors quaedam ab omnibus eminens detur potestas tot in Ecclesiis efficientur schismata quot Sacerdotes The safetie of the Churche hangeth of the worship of the high Priest 103 he meaneth the Pope Peters successour
Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria writinge vnto Coelestinus calleth him his Brother Felowes and Brothers be titles of Equalitie and not of Subiection Certaine it is that sundrie of the Bishops of Rome beganne verie rathe to séeke this Preeminence euen with manifest forgerie and corruption of Councels as is alreadie proued But the Bishops of other countreis neuer yelded vnto them nor vnderstoode these vaine titles The Bishops of the East writinge vnto Iulius allege that the Faithe that then was in Rome came firste from them and that their Churches as Sozomenus writeth ought not to be accompted inferiour to the Churche of Rome And as Socrates further reporteth That they ought not to be ordred by the Romaine Bishop Gennadius the Bishop of Constantinople togeather with the Councel there thus writeth vnto the Bishop of Rome Curet sanctitas tua vniuersas tuas custodias tibique subiectos Episcopos Let thy Holines see vnto thine owne charge and vnto the Bishops appointed vnto thee The Councel of Alexandria committed the Uisitation and Reforminge of al the Churches in the East vnto Asterius and of al the Churches in the Weast vnto Eusebius the Bishop of Uercellae By Authoritie of whiche Commission Eusebius togeather with Hilarius Uisited corrected al the Churches of Illyricum Fraunce and Italie A man might saye where was then the Uniuersal power of the Bishop of Rome S. Basile saith The state and safetie of the Churche of Antioche dependeth of Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria and not as M. Hardinge here saith of the Bishop of Rome And therefore he desireth Athanasius to sée vnto it The Emperours Honorius and Theodosius appointed ouer al maters of doubte arisinge within the Countrie of Illyricum to be hearde and ended before the Bishop of Constantinople and not before the Bishop of Rome And the very Close vpon the Decrées expoundinge that same Lawe of Honorius Theodosius hath these woordes Imperator dicit quòd Patriarcha Constantinopolitanus habet idem in suis subditis quod Papa habet in suis. The Emperour saith the Patriarke of Constantinople hath the same authoritie ouer the people of his Prouince that the Pope hath ouer his The Emperours woordes be these Constantinopolitana Ecclesia Romae veteris praerogatiua laetatur The Churche of Constantinople enioyeth nowe the Prerogatiue of olde Rome And therefore for more proufe hereof whensoeuer any Patriarke in any of these foure principal Sees was newely chosen he wrote letters of Conference and Freendship vnto the other Patriarkes wherein euery of them declared vnto other their Religion consent of Faith Thus did the Bishop of Rome vnto others and thus did others vnto him This is an vnfallible tokeÌ„ that their authoritie was equal and none of them had power and gouernement ouer his fellowes And therefore when Eulogius the Bishop of Alexandria had written thus vnto Gregorie beinge then Bishop of Rome Sicut iussistis as ye commaunded Gregorie vtterly shunned and refused that kinde of writinge for thus he answereth him Hoc verbum Iussionis quaeso à meo auditu remouete Scio enim quis sim qui sitis Loco mihi Fratres estis Moribus patres Non ergo Iussi sed quae vtilia visa sunt indicare curaui I pray you haue awaye this woorde of Commaundinge from my hearinge For I know bothe what I am and also what you are Touchinge your place you are my Bretherne touchinge manners you are my Fathers Therefore I Commaunded you not but onely shewed you what I thought good Finally for that Michael Palaeologus the Emperour of the East partes in the Councel holden at Lions aboute the yéere of our Lorde 1442. after greate intreatie made vnto him by the Bishop of Rome had acknowleged the Bishops of the Easte to be subiecte vnto him after he returned home againe into his Empire and was deade his Cleregie woulde not suffer him to be buried Yet saith M. Hardinge Al the Bishops of Graecia Asia Syria Aegypte and to be shorte al the Orient rendred and exhibited their humble obedience to the Bishop of Rome M. Hardinge The .24 Diuision Of the Bishop of Rome his punishinge of offenders by Censures of the Churche and otherwise as by Excommunication Eiection Deposition and enioyninge penance for transgressions we haue more examples then I thinke good to recite here They that haue knowlege of the Ecclesiastical stories maye remember howe Timotheus Bishop of Alexandria was Excommunicated with Peter his Deacon by Simplicius the Pope Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople by Coelestinus Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria with Arcadius the Emperour and Eudoxia the Empresse by Innocentius for their wicked demeanour towarde Chrysostome Howe Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria was deposed though the whole 2. Ephesine Councel stoode in his defence Howe Peter Bishop of Antioche was not onely put out of his Bishoprike but also of al Priestly honour Howe Photius was put out of the Patriarkeship of Constantinople into whiche he was intruded by fauour of Michael the Emperour at the sute of his wicked vnkle by Nicolas the first For proufe of this authoritie the Epistle of Cyprian whiche he wrote to Stephanus Pope in his time against Martianus the Bishop of Arelate in Gallia maketh an euident argument For that this Martianus became a mainteiner of the Heresie of Nouatianus and therewith seduced the faithful people Cyprian hauinge intelligence of it by Faustinus from Lions aduertised Stephanus of it and moued him earnestly to directe his letters to the people of Arle by auctoritie of whiche Martianus shoulde be deposed and an other put in his roome to the intent saith he there the flocke of Christe whiche hitherto by him scattered abroade and wounded is contemned maye be gathered togeather Whiche S. Cyprian woulde not haue written had the Bishop of Rome had no suche auctoritie The B. of Sarisburie This reason maketh no greate proufe For it was euer lawful not onely to the Bishop of Rome but also to al other Bishops bothe to rebuke and also to Excommunicate wicked dooers Anthymus with his felowes was Excommunicate by euery of the Patriarkal Sees Paulus Samosatenus as Nicephorus saithe by al the Bishops vnder Heauen Auxentius and Iouinianus by S. Ambrose Dioscorus and Eutyches by the Councel of Constantinople Cyrillus albeit he were a Catholique a Godly Bishop by al the Bishops of the East Yet were none of these that thus vsed the right of Excommunication either Bishops of Rome or Heades of the Uniuersal Churche And whereas M. Hardinge saith we may remember by the Ecclesiastical stories that Innocentius the Bishop of Rome Excommunicated Arcadius the Emperour it maye please him also to remember by the same Ecclesiastical stories that S. Ambrose Excommunicated the Emperour Theodosâ—us and Anastasius the Bishop of Antioche bothe by Priuate letters reproued the Emperour Iustinian for his Heresie and also oftentimes saide of him openly in the Churche Whosoeuer
not amisse to submitte him selfe and to aske counsel of other Bishoppes Therefore this saieinge of M. Hardinges neither is vniuersally true nor prooueth his purpose For if he wil saye Some menne in cases of doubte sought to Rome for counsel Ergo the Bishop there was called the Heade of the Churche this Conclusion will hardely folowe Kinge Iosias in a greate case of Religion sent to a woman named Olda the wife of Sellum to knowe her Counsel And it was a prouerbe emonge the Iewes Qui interrogat interroget in Abila Who so wil seeke Councel let him seeke it in Abila Yet neither was Olda the Heade of the Churche nor Abila the chiefe towne in Israel or Iuda But al the worlde saithe M. Hardinge hath receiued lighte from Rome But al the worlde seethe this is an other manifest vntrueth and neuerthelesse beinge graunted yet woulde it not conclude of his side In deede in a kinde of speache bothe Rome and Antioche and Alexandria and any other greate Cittie famous for Religion maie be called the Heade or Springe of the Gospel So. S. Iohn callethe Babylon Magna mater fornicationuÌ„ abominationum terrae The greate mother of the Fornications and of the Abominations of the earthe And so Arnobius calleth Hethruria which is the countrie wherein Rome standeth and S. Ambrose calleth Rome it selfe Caput superstitionis The Heade of Superstition But if we seeke the place it selfe from whence the light of Religion firste sprange foorthe we must néedes confesse it was Hierusalem and not Rome For so it is written in the Prophete Esaie De Sion exibit lex verbum Domini de Hierusalem The Lawe shal proceede from Sion and the Woorde of God from Hierusalem And therefore the Bishops of the East beinge in a Conuocation at Constantinople cal Hierusalem The Mother of al Churches Yet neuerthelesse euery greate Metropolitane Cittie within her owne Prouince maye be honoured with the like Title So saithe Nazianzenus of the Cittie of Caesarea where S. Basile was Bishop Caesarea propâ— Mater est omnium Ecclesiarum câ— Caesarea is in a manner the Mother of al Churches and the whole Christian Common wealth so embraceth and beholdeth it as the Circle embraceth and beholdeth the Center So Chrysostome likewise auaunceth the Citie of Antioche Cogita Vrbis magnitudinem quòd non de vna vel de duabus vel de tribus vel de decem animabus nunc nobis est consideratio sed de millibus infinitis de totius Orbis Capite Consider the greatnesse of this Citie wee haue to deale not for one two three or tenne soules but for infinite thousandes euen for the Head of the world Thus Chrysostome calleth Antioche the Head of the worlde for that in that Prouince of Syria it was the Head like as Rome also was the Head Citie and principal Churche of the Weast M. Hardinge The .30 Diuision Now for a briefe answeare to M. Iuel who denieth that within 600. yeeres after Christ the Bishop of Rome was euer called an Vniuersal Bishop or Head of the Vniuersal Churche and maketh him selfe very suer of it although it be a childishe thing to sticke at the name any thing is called by the thing by the name signified being sufficiently prooued yet to th'intente good folke may vnderstande that al is not trueth of the olde Gospel which our new Gospellers either affirme or denie I wil bring good and sufficient witnesse that the bishop of Rome was then called bothe Vniuersal Bishop or Oecumenical Patriarke which is one to witte Bishop or principal father of the whole worlde and also Head of the Church Leo that worthy B. of Rome was called the Vniuersal Bishop and Vniuersal Patriarke of sixe hundred and thirtie Fathers assembled togeather from al partes of the worlde in General Councel at Chalcedon whiche is bothe 118 expressed in that Councel and also clearely affirmed by S. Gregorie in three sundrie Epistles to Mauritius the Emperour to Eulogius Patriarke of Alexandria and to Anastasius Patriarke of Antioche Thus that name was deferred vnto the Pope by the Fathers of that greate Councel whiche by them had not beene doone had it beene vnlawful In very deede neither Leo him selfe nor any other his successour euer called or wrote him selfe by that name as S. Gregorie saith muche lesse presumed they to take it vnto them But rather vsed the name of humilitie callinge them selues eche one Seruum Seruorum Dei The Seruant of the Seruantes of God Yet sundriâ— holy Martyrs Bishops of Rome vsed to cal them selues Bishops of the vniuersal Churche 119 which in effecte is the same as the fathers of Chalcedon vnderstoode So did Sixtus in the time of Adrianus the Emperour in his Epistle to the Bishops of al the worlde So did Victor writing to Theophilus of Alexandria So did Pontianus writing to al that beleeued in Christe before 1300. yeeres past So did Stephanus in his Epistle to al Bishops of al Prouinces in the time of S. Cyprian And al these were before Constantine the greate and before the Councel of Nice whiche times our aduersaries acknowlege and confesse to haue been without corruption The same title was vsed like wise after the Nicene Councel by Felix by 120 Leo and by diuers others before the sixe hundred yeeres after Christâ— were expired Neither did the Bishops of Rome vse this title and name onely them selues to their owne aduauncement as the aduersaries of the Churche charge them but they were honoured there with also by others â–ª as namely Innocentius by the Fathers assembled in Councel at Carthago and Marcus by Athanasius and the Bishoppes of Egypte The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge secretely confesseth that in al he hath hitherto alleged he hath not yet founde that the Bishop of Rome was knowen in the worlde within the space of the first sixe hundred yéeres after Christe by the name either of the Uniuersal Bishop or of the Head of the Uniuersal Churche notwithstandinge he hath muche gheassed aboute the mater bothe by misreportinge the practise of gouernement that then was vsed and also by wreastingâ— and misconstruinge the woordes of the Holy Fathers Thus hitherto he hath taken greate paines to smal purpose But hereunto he puttâ—th his Rhetorical Correction and saith It is a Childis he thinge to sticke at the name of any thinge And so al this longe talke is driuen in the ende to a Childishe Conclusion How be it it appeareth S. Gregorie was not so perswaded of it not thought the mater to be so childish For after yâ— Iohn of Constantinople had intitled him selfe the Uniuersal Bishop Gregorie being then Bishop of Rome withstoode him earnestly wrote against him in this wise Deus ab vnitate atque humilitate Ecclesiae hoc malum Superbiae Confusionis auertat God turne away this mischiefe of Pride and Confusion from the vnitie and humilitie of the Churche Againe
to be taken downe assueringe our Subiectes that we will most streitely pounishe al suche as shal presume to attempte any thinge contrary to our Decree and Commaundement The same Decree was afterwarde put in execution and practised by Philippicus Leo Constantinus the Father Constantinus the Soone Nicephorus Stauratius Michael Leo Armenius and other Christian and godly Emperours These Authorities as they be Olde and Ancient so be they also plaine and euident and wel acquainted and knowen vnto the World and therefore wil soone ouerpoâ—se al these Fables of the Image of Nicodemus of Simeon Metaphrastes of this yonge S. Basile of newe Athanasius and of other like blinde Authorities that haue benne lately sought vp out of Corners and brought to light Uerily Amphilochius vnder whose cloke M. Hardinge hath so often hidde him selfe maie in no wise be refused His woordes be plaine Non est nobis curae Sanctorum vâ—lâ—us corporales in tabulis coloribus effigiare quoniam his opus non habemus We haue no care to drawe owt the bodily countenances of Sainctes in colours and tables For we haue no neede of them M. Hardinge The .10 Diuision Nowe that there hath benne inough alleged for the antiquitie original and approbation of Images it remaineth it be declared for what causes they haue benne vsed in the Churche VVe finde that the vse of Images hath benne brought into the Churche for three causes The firsté is the benefite of knowledge For the simple and vnlearned people whiche be vtterly ignorant of letters in Pictureâ— doo as it were reade and see no lesse then others doo in bookes the mysteries of Christian Religion the actes and worthy deedes of Christe and of his Sainctes VVhat writinge perfourmeth to the that reade the same dooth a picture to the simple beholdinge it saith S. Gregorie For in the same the â—gnorant see what they ought to folowe in the same they reade whiche can no lâ—tters Therefore Imagerie serueth specially the rude Nations in steede of writinge saithe he Tâ— this S. Basile agreeth in his Homilie vpon the fourty Martyrs Bothe the writers of stories saith he and also painters dooe shewe and sette foorthe noble deedes of armâ—s and victories the one garnishinge the mater with eloquence the other drawinge it liuely in â—ables and bothe haue stirred many to valiaunt courage For what thinges the vtterance of the storie expresseth through hearinge the same dooth the still Picture set foorth through imitation In the like â—especte in olde time the woorke of excellent Poëtes was called a speakinge Picture and the woorke of Painters a stille Poetrie And thus the vse and profite of writinge and of Pictures is one For thinges that be read when as they come to our eares then we conueigh them ouer to the minde And the thinges that we beholde in pictures with our eies the same also doo we imbrace in our minde And so by these twoo Readinge and Paintinge wee atchiue one like benefite of Knowledge The B. of Sarisburie The first and chiefe cause and ende of Images is as it is here pretended that the People by the sight thereof may atteine knowledge And therefore S. Gregorie calleth them the Lay mennes Bookes And the Fathers in a late Councel saye Wee may learne more in a shorte while by an Image then by longe studie and trauaile in the Scriptures And for the same cause S. Basile compareth an Image painted with a Storie written But the comparison that M. Hardinge vseth betweene Imagerie and Poetrie seemeth nearest to expresse the trueth For Painters and Poetes for libertie of lyeinge haue of longe time beene coupled bothe togeather One writeth of them in this sorte Pictoribus atque Poetis Quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas Painters and Poetes had euer like chartar to aduenture al thinges And Atheneus blasinge abroade the libertie of Poetes writteth of them thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnto whom onely it is lawful to say and doo what they liste And therefore Cicero seemeth to say Nihil negotij est haec Poetarum Pictorum portenta conuincere It is no greate maisterie to reprooue these monstrous Miracles of Painters and Poetes And therefore like as Plato commaunded al Poetes for their lyeinge to be banished out of his Common Wealthe So likewise Almighty God for like libertie banished al Painters out of Israel For these causes M. Hardinges comparison of Painters and Poetes may wel be allowed How be it this séemeth to be no very handsome way to teache the people Of their Priestes they haue made Images and of their Images they haue made Priestes For their Priestes for the more parte haue Eies and sée not haue Eares and heare not Hartes and vnderstande not Mouthes and speake not in al respectes euen like vnto their Images Their Images haue no Eies and yet are made to see haue no Eares and yet are made to heare haue no Mouthes and yet are set vp to speake and so in these respectes doo the Dewties that perteine to Priestes Thus they barre the People from the hearinge of Goddes holy Woorde and bid them goe and looke vpon their Images to talke with their Images to heare their Images and to learne of their Images And although perhaps the people may happily learne somewhat by these meanes yet is not this the ordinary way whereby God hath appointed the people to atteine knowledge S. Paule saithe Fides ex auditu Faith commeth not by séeing or gasinge but by hearinge There were many simple rude and vnlearned lay men emonge the Iewes Yet God neuer set vp any suche Bookes for them to reade but contrarywise euermore forebade them and cried against them and woulde not suffer them If this be so speedy and so ready a way to teache the People how happeneth it that where as is greatest stoare of suche Schoolemaisters there the people is euermore most Ignorant most Superstitious and moste subiecte to Idolatrie But to conclude The Prophetes Habacuch and Hieremie say Conflatile est demonstratio mendacij Lignum est Doctrina Vanitatis A molton Idol is a Lesson of Lies And M. Hardinges woodden Image is a doctrine of Vanitie M. Hardinge The .11 Diuision The seconde cause of the vse of Images is the stirringe of our mindes to al godlynesse For where as the affecte and desire of man is heauy and dul in Diuine and spiritual thinges because the Bodie that is corruptible weigheth downe the minde when it is set foorthe before our eies by Images what Christe hath doone for vs and what the Sainctes haue doone for Christe then it is quickned and moued to the like will of dooinge and sufferinge and to al endeuour of holy and vertuouse life As when we heare apte and fitte woordes vttered in a Sermon or an Oration so when we beholde lookes and gestures liuely expressed in Images we are mooued to pitie to weepinge to ioye and to other affectes VVherein
Ignorance Chrysostoms saithe Magna aduersus peccatum munitio est Scripturarum Lectio Magnum Praecipitium profundum barathrum Scripturarum ignoratio nihil scire de Diuinis Legibus magna Salutis perditio Ea res haereses peperit vitam corruptam inuexit hoc sursum deorsum miscuit omnia The readinge of the Scriptures is a greate fense against sinne And the Ignorance of the Scriptures is a dangerous downefal and a great Dungeon To know nothinge of Goddes Lawes is the losse of Saluation Ignorance hath brought in Heresies and vitious life Ignorance hath turned al thinges vpsydowne Therefore the Apostles of Christe and al other godly Fathers haue euermore incourraged the people to reade the Scriptures and euermore thought the Churche of God to be in best case when the people was best instructed S. Paule saith Let the Woorde of God dwelle abundantly emongest yowe Polycarpus saithe to the people Confido vos bene exercitatos esse in Sacris Literis My trust is that ye be wel instructed in the Holy Scriptures Origen saith vnto his people Geue your diligence not onely to heare Goddes Woorde in the Churche but also to be excercised in the same in youre houses at home and daye and night to be studious in the lawe of the Lorde S. Augustine saith Reade ye the Holy Scriptures For to that ende God woulde haue them written that we might receiue comforte by them S. Hierome saithe as it is alleged before Laici non tantùm sufficienter sed etiam abundanter Verbum Dei habere debent se inuicem docere The Laye People ought to haue the Woorde of God not onely sufficiently but also abundantly and to instructe one an other S. Chrysostome willeth the Father with his Childe and the Husbande with his Wife at home in his house to talke and reason of the Woorde of God Theodoretus writeth thus Passim videas haec nostratia dogmata c. Ye maie commonly see that not onely the Teachers of the People and Rulers of the Churches but also Tailers Smithes and Clothe woorkers and other Artificers doo vnderstande the Principles of our Religion And further that not onely learned wemenne yf there be any suche but also suche Wemenne as liue by their laboure and Sewsters and Maide seruantes but also Husbandmenne and Ditchers and Heardmenne and Graffers canne reason of the Holy Trinitie and of the Creation of the worlde and of the Nature of mankinde a greate deale more skilfully then either Plato or Aristotle was euer hable to doo Therefore Origen saithe vnto his hearers of the Laye People Me dicente quod sentio vos decernite examinate si quid rectum est aut minùs rectum While I speake that I thinke meete examine and iudge yow whether it be wel or otherwise Thus in olde times the Uulgare People and suche as M. Hardinge calleth Swine Rude and Rasshe people and Curious Busie Bodies were hable not onely to vnderstande the Scriptures but also to iudge of their preachers And therefore the wicked Renegate Emperoure Iulianus reprooued the Christians euen as M. Hardinge nowe dooth vs for that they suffered their Wemen and Children to reade the Scriptures But the Enimies of Goddes Trueth for feare and conscience of their weakenes haue euermore vsed violently to take awaie the Woorde of God not onely from wemen and Children but also from al the whole people Chrysostome saithe Haeretici Sacerdotesâ—claudunt ianuas Veritatis Sciunt enim si manifestata fuerit Veritas Ecclesiam suam esse relinquendam se de Sacerdotali dignitate ad humilitatem venturos popularem Heretique priestes shutte vp the gates of the Trueth For they knowe that yf the Trueth once appeare they must needes leaue their Churche and from the dignitie of their Priesthoode come downe to the state of other people For Tertullian saithe Scriptura Diuina HaereticoruÌ„ fraudes furta facilè conuincit detegit The Holy Scripture wil easily bewraye and confounde the guiles and theaftes of Heretiques Christe saithe He that dooth yl hateth the Light And therefore they saie as it is written in the Prophete Amos Tace ne recorderis nominis Domini Holde thy peace and neuer thinke vpon the name of the Lorde But miserable is that Religion that cannot stande without hidinge and suppressinge of the Trueth of God FINIS THE XVI ARTICLE OF CONSECRATION VNDER SILENCE The B. of Sarisburie Or that it was then lawful for the Priest to pronounce the woordes of Consecration Closely and in Silence vnto him selfe M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision The mater of this Article is neither one of the higheste Mysteries nor one of the Greatest Keies of our Religion howe so euer M. Iuel pleaseth him selfe with that reporte thinkinge therby to impaire the estimation of the Catholique Churche The diuersitie of obseruation in this behalfe sheweth the indifferencie of the thinge For elles if one manner of pronouncinge the woordes of Consecration had beene thought a necessary pointe of Religion it had beene euerywhere vniforme and inuariable That the Breade and VVine be Consecrated by the woordes of our Lorde pronounced by the priest as in the personne of Christe by vertue of the whiche through the grace of the Holy Ghoste the Breade and VVine are Chaunged into our Lordes Bodie and Bloude 213 this thinge hathe in al times and in al places and with consente of al inuariably beene doonne and so beleeued But the maner of pronouncinge the woordes concerninge Silence or open vtterance accordinge to diuersitie of places hath beene diuerse The B. of Sarisburie This saithe M. Hardinge is but a smal Keye of our Religion Whiche thinge may very wel appeare bothe otherwise and also by the smal weight and sclendernes of his proufes How be it in cases of Religion and in the Seruice of God nothinge ought to be iudged smal specially that may deceiuâ— the people Uerily how smal so euer they wil now haue this keie to séeme as it hath béene heretofore cause of no smal Superstition so it hath shutte out Goddes people from the sight and vnderstandinge of our greatest Mysteries Certaine it is That the Religion of Christ may wel stande without this kinde of Mystical Silence as it may also without TraÌ„substantiation or Priuate Masse or any other their like fantasies But if the mater be so smal wherefore doothe M. Hardinge take so greate paines to prooue it and that by so greate vntruethes and so manifest Fables Wherefore are they not ashamed to say that Christe him selfe at his Laste Supper Consecrated in Silence and Secresie and that in like order and forme as they doo nowe Or how durste the Byshoppes in this present Councel of Tridente so solemnely to abanne and accurse al them that dare to finde faulte with the same So smal a mater as this is now supposed to be should neuer néede so greate a doo But whether these woordes be
obtulerit orat pro ipsius acceptatione When the Priest hath praied for the Transubstantiation of the Hoste and hath offered the same beinge Transubstantiate vnto God the Father afterwarde he praieth that God wil fauourably accepte it S. Paule saithe Christe is the Mediatour bitweene God and Man But here by your Canon contrarywise the Prieste is made a Mediatour bitweene God and Christe And yowe your selfe M. Hardinge at your Masse and in the highest Secretes of your Canon desire God the Father to looke fauourably vpon Iesus Christe his owne Sonne at your request Your woordes be plaine and euident No interpretation or shifte is hable to salue them Nowe yf it be meete yowe shoulde intreate God the Father to be merciful vnto Christe his Sonne and to beholde him fauourably for your sake then maie yowe saie there is no faulte in al your Canon Yowe seeme to complaine that I leaue out praier for the Deade and Inuocation of Sainctes And that thinge yowe amplifie largely with many woordes And yet I thinke yowe woulde not haue vs beleeue that these pointes of your Religion be greater then your Sacrifice or then your Masse Uerily touchinge the first I hearde once when yowe your selfe blewe downe the Paper Walles as ye then called them and vtterly quenched al the Painted Fiers of Purgatorie For the other S. Chrysostome saith Homines vtuntur Atriensibus In Deo nihil est tale Sine mediatore exorabilis est Menne vse Porters and Vsshers But in God there is no sutche thinge He is easy to be intreated yea without a Mediatour Againe he saithe Nihil tibi opus est Patronis apud Deum Neque enim tam facile Deus audit si alij pro nobis orent quà m si ipsi oremus etsi pleni simus omnibus malis Thowe needest no Attourney to speake to God For God dooth not so soone heare vs when others praie for vs as when wee praie for our selues Yea although wee be ful of al sinne S. Ambrose likewise saithe Isti se non putant reos qui honorem nominis Dei deferunt Creaturae relicto Domino conseruos adorant Nam ideo ad Reges per Tribunos Comites itur quia homo vtique est Rex nescit quibus debeat Rempublicam credere Ad Deum autem quem nihil later omnium enim merita nouit ad promerendum suffragatore non est opus sed mente deuota Vbicunque enim talis â—oquutus fuerit ei respondebit illi These menne thinke they doo no il geuinge the honoure of God vnto à Creature and leauinge the Lorde adoure their felowe seruantes For therefore wee haue accesse to Kinges by Knightes and Marshalles for that the Kinge is a mortal man and knoweth not to whom he may commit his Kingedome But God knoweth al mennes merites and there is nothinge priuie from him Therefore to obteine his fauoure wee neede no Spokesman but a deuoute minde Where so euer suche a one shal speake God wil answeare him Where as ye vntruely say we laie on loade of sclaunders to deface the Churche yowe maie remember that there were sometime that charged S. Steuen S. Paul and Christe him selfe in like sorte for that they seemed likewise to speake vnreuerently against the Churche And against the Prophete Hieremie they cried out euen as yowe doo nowe The Temple of God the Temple of God But he defaceth not the Churche that defaceth the defacers fo the Churche and wipeth of the soile of your Errours that her face maie shine and appeare more glorious When Christe moourned ouer the Citie and Temple of Hierusalem or when he saide Ye haue made my Fathers howse a denne of theeues And when Esai saide O howe is this bewtieful Citie that then was the Churche of God become an harlot Or when the Prophete Hieremie saide Who wil geue abundance of Water vnto myne eies that I maie moourne daie and night for the sinnes of my people Wée maie not thinke that Christe Esai Hieremie were defacers of the Churche He hindereth not healthe that sheweth the disease He despiseth not the Churche that setteth Christe before the Churche The Churche is our Mother But Christe saithe Who so loueth his Father or Mother more then mee is not meete to be my Disciple He despiseth not his Mother that lamenteth the Captiuitie of his Mother and deliuereth her from the handes of théeues But wee haue set vp Aultar against Aultar Or rather as yowe saie Wee haue ouerthowen Aultars and al togeather And so haue erected a Newe Churche a Newe Gospel and a Newe Religion of our owne Uerily M. Hardinge wée haue ouerthrowen nothinge but that Goddes good wil was should be ouerthrowen Christe saithe Euery Plante that my Heauenly Father hath not planted shal be rooted vp An Aultar wée haue suche as Christe and his Apostles and other Holy Fathers had whiche of the Greekes was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy Table And of the Latines Mensa Dominica The Table of the Lorde And was made not of stoane but of Timber and stoode not at the ende of the quéer but in the middest of the People as many waies it maie appeare And other or better Aultar then Christe and these holy Fathers had wee desire to haue none specially any suche Aultar as hath benne purposely sette vp against the Aultar of Christe But yowe of your side haue saide Here is Christe and there is Christe And so haue erected vp not onely Aultar against Aultar and Churche against Churche but also Christe against Christe So Leo seemeth to saie of yowe Ecclesiae nomine armamini sed contra Ecclesiam dimicatis Ye arme your selues with the name of the Churche And yet ye fight against the Churche So saithe Nazianzene Ye striue for Christe against Christe him selfe But yowe seeme â–ª to set light of myne age and to dishable my knowledge in Diuinitie as thoughe it were muche pertinente vnto these maters either to calculate myne age or els to examine the order of my studie I maie saie with Origen Gratias ago Deo quod ignorantiam meam non ignoro I thanke God that I am not ignorante of myne ignorance But what so euer want either is or is surmised to be in mée it ought not to preiudice the Trueth of God And yet I sée no greate cause why any man should séeke so greately to disaduantage mée in respecte of myne age or studie For it is wel knowen that I although vnwoorthy of that degrée proceded Bachelare in Diuinitie in the Uniuersitie of Oxforde one whole yeere and more before M. Hardinge In deede I graunte I coulde not reade al the Councelles and Olde Fathers of the Churche bothe Greekes and Latines in seuen daies as M. Hardinge coulde And yet so muche had I readde that I marueiled M. Hardinge woulde euer enterprise so muche to abuse the names of the holy Fathers But knowledge oftentimes
Churche singeth with him Then followeth in order the readinge of the holy Scriptures whiche is done by the Ministers After that the Caâ—echumeni that is they that are newly come vnto the Religion of Christe and are not yet baptized and Energumeni that is suche as are molested with euill Sprites and suche others as are inioyned to penaunce are commaunded foorth And so there remaine suche as are méete to haue the sight and Communion of the holy thinges It followeth And shewyng foorth the giftes of the holy Sacramentes he goeth to the Communion him selfe and likewise exhorteth others And a litle after that The Priest vncoueringe the Breade that came couered and in one cake or loafe and diuidinge the same into many portions and likewise diuidinge the vnitie of the Cuppe vnto al Mystically and by way of a Sacrament he fulfilleth and diuideth vnitie It foloweth againe Then the Minister receiuinge him selfe and distributinge the holy Communion vnto others in the ende concludeth with holy thankes geuinge togeather with al the whole holy companie of the Churche I beleue M. Hardinge him selfe wil say here is yet but bare witnesse for his Priuate Masse In the Liturgie of S. Basile whiche is also brought for a witnesse in this mater The Prieste prayeth thus Al we receiuinge of one Brâ—ade of one Cuppe c. It foloweth The Prieste diuideth the holy Breade into fower partes the quéerâ— singeth the Communion and so they communicate al. Another witnesse is Chrysostome His Liturgie or as M. Hardinge deliteth to speake his Masse is thus ordred After that the Prieste hath communicate with the Ministers then the great doore is sette open The Prieste sheweth foorth the Cuppe vnto the people sayinge With the feare of God and faithe and loue approche ye neare The Deacon sayeth Come ye neare in peace The people answeareth In the name of the Lorde Againe The Deacons receiue the Communion Afterwarde the Mysteries be caried vnto a place where the people must communicate Ignatius an other witnesse writinge vnto the people of Philadelphia hath these woordes Vnus panis pro omnibus fractus est unus calix omnibus diuidebatur One breade was broken for al and one cuppe was diuided vnto al. What néedeth it me to discourse further of the rest By these fewe I doubte not it may soone appeare howe faithfully these men allege the Catholike Fathers onely amasinge the reader with naked names Here wée sée suche as can not communicate are commaundeth foorthe The whole Churche prayeth singeth and receiueth the holy Sacramentes al togeather Suche Masses they be that the olde Catholike Fathers canne witnesse of And of other Masse they knowe none M. Hardinge him selfe confesseth that in the Primitiue Churche the people receiued the Communion euery day Yet not withstandinge for his Priuate Masse he allegeth the names of Doctours of the Primitiue Churche And so like a craftie Apothecarie in his markes or papers he hath the Masse but in his boxes he hath the Communion But he wil say he alleged al these Doctours by way of digression to an other purpose to prooue the Sacrifice Firste there is very smal proufe in suche witnesses as say nothinge and besides that it is a simple kinde of Rhetorike to vse so large digressions from the mater before ye once entre into the mater And as touchyng the Sacrifice if you haue any at al you haue it onely of the institution of Christe otherwise you haue none But wée are sure we haue Christes institution Wherefore it followeth wée haue the Sacrifice that Christe appointed Touchinge Hippolytus the Bishoppe and Martyr that as M. Hardinge saithe liued in Origens time and is now extant in Gréeke it is a very litle booke of smal price and as smal credite lately sette abroade in printe about seuen yéeres paste before neuer acquainted in the worlde Suche be M. Hardinges auncient authorities for his Masse It appeareth it was some simple man that wrote the booke bothe for the Phrases of speache in the Gréeke tongue whiche commonly are very childishe and also for the truthe and weight of the mater He beginneth the firste sentence of his booke with enim whiche a very childe would scarsely doo He hath many vaine gheasses of the birthe and life of Antichrist He saithe and soothely auoutcheth that Antichriste shal be the Diuel and no man and shal onely beare the shape of a man Yet S. Paule calleth Antichrist the Man of sinne Besides this he hath a further fantasie that Antichriste shal subdewe the kinges of Egypte Aphrica and Ethiopia and that he shal builde vp againe the Temple of Hierusalem And that S. Iohn that wrote the bookes of Apocalyps or Reuelations shal come againe with Elias and Enoch to reproue Antichriste And al this saith he without either warrant of the Scriptures or authoritie of the Churche And writinge that booke namely vpon the Prophete Daniel he allegeth the Apocalyps of S. Iohn in the stéede of Daniel whiche is a token either of great ignorance or of marueilous obliuion Moreouer he saithe that the soules of menne were from the beginninge whiche is an Heresie with other dreames and phantasies many moe This is M. Hardinges Catholike doctour Concerninge the place of him here alleged Venite pontifices qui purè mihi sacrificium die noctéque obtulistis ac pretiosum Corpus Sanguinem meum immolastis quot idie If he wil precisely builde vpon the woordes then muste al other Priestes stande backe and haue no place in Heauen but Bishoppes onely For although they offer vp as M. Hardinge saithe the dayly Sacrifice yet it is wel knowen accordinge to the nature and vse of the woorde they are Priestes onely and not Bisshoppes If he wil make reckeninge of this woorde Quotidiè Dayly then where shal the Bishop of Rome and his Cardinalles stande that scarsely haue leasure to Sacrifice once through the whole yeere And if it be Christe him selfe that they offer vp vnto the Father as they say Howe is the same Christe offered vp vnto Christe him selfe Howe is Christe bothe the thinge that is offred and also the partie vnto whome it is offered But there is no inconuenience to a man in his dreame And if it be the Masse that Hippolytus here speaketh of how is it offered bothe day and night For Hostiensis saithe It is not lawful by the Canons to say Masse in the nighte season sauinge onely the night of Christes Natiuitie But the meaninge of Hippolytus séemeth to be this that al faithful people in this respecte be Priestes and Bishoppes like as S. Peter also calleth them and that euerie of them by faithe maketh vnto God a pure Sacrifice and bothe day and night as it were reneweth and applieth vnto him selfe that one and euerlastinge Sacrifice of Christes pretious Bodie once offered for al vpon the Crosse. Thus are the woordes of Hippolytus plaine and without â—auil
founded by S. Iohn the Euangelist sheweth that when Bishoppes came from forreine partes to Rome the Bishops of that see vsed to sende to them if they had been of the Catholike faith the Sacrament to receiue whereby mutual Communion between them was declared Irenaeus his woordes be these Qui fuerunt ante te presbyteri etiaÌ„ cùm non ita obseruarent presbyteris Ecclesiarum cùm Roman accederent EucharistiaÌ„ mittebant The Priestes by whiche name in this place Bishops are vnderstanded that were afore thy time though they kepte not Easter as they of Asia did yet when the Bishoppes of the Churches there came to Rome did sende them the Sacrament 25 Thus those Bishops did Communicate togeather before their meeting in one place The B. of Sarisburie This storie is common and knowen to many The weast Churche in kéepinge of Easter day folowed S. Peter the East Churche folowed S. Iohn and keapte it otherwise Hereof grew contention and brake out into cruel heates Uictor the Bishop of Rome on the one side and Polycarpus the Bishop of Smyrna on the other side bothe godly men and both Martyrs Eche parte woulde haue the other to yelde Uictor being a man of a fierie nature was minded to Excommunicate the whole Churche of Asia and al others what so euer that in kéepinge of Easter day woulde not folow the Churche of Rome Irenaeus the Bishop of Lions hearing thereof wrote vnto him a sharpe letter out of Fraunce willinge him in anywise to procéede no further for that it might tende to suche a breache as would not afterwarde be recouered Emonge other woordes he saith thus as it is here alleged The Priestes that were in Rome before thee notwithstandinge they keopte not the Easter as they of Asia doo yet they sente the Sacrament vnto the Priestes of those Churches when they came to Rome Hereof M. Hardinge concludethe Ergo these Bishoppes did Communicate before they mette togeather and noteth also by the way in the Margine that the Gréeke in Eusebius differeth from the common Translation of Rufinus And yet is the same Translation alleged and vsed in the booke of Councels amonge the Decrees of Uictor But if M. Hardinge had marked the mater wel he should haue séene that his owne Translation in Englishe varieth also somwhat from the Gréeke In this shorte storie three thinges specially may be noted Fyrst that Irenaeus a Bishop of Fraunce durst to write so roughly to the Bishop of Rome with out any style of Superioritie onely calling him and al others before him Bishops of Rome by the name of Priestes Secondly that so notable learned men and Martyrs of Christe agreeing otherwise in the substance of Religion yet notwithstanding in certaine smal maters of no greate weight contended and striued so extremely and so longe and coulde in no wise be reconciled Whiche thinge well considered M. Harding hath lesse cause to triumphe if God haue suffered any suche sparkle of dissension in the special members of his Churche in these daies Thirdly where was then that great superioritie of the Bishop of Rome when notwithstanding his threates and commaundementes the Church of this Ilande of Britaine wel neare vntil seuen hundred yeres after Christe in the kéepinge of Easter day folowed the maner of the Gréeke Church without any regarde therein had to the Churche of Rome But to the mater these Bishoppes saithe M. Hardinge Communicated togeather before they mette If he meane in Faithe and Religion it is not denied if in the vse of the Sacramentes it is not proued In my iudgement this woorde Eucharistia in this place of Irenaeus signiâ—eth not the Sacrament alreadie consecrate but rather other common Breade wherewith one Bishop vsed then to present an other as with a special token of consent in Religion and Christian concorde whiche Breade the receiuer afterwarde if he thought it good might vse at the holy Ministration In that sense it séemeth Paulinus wrote vnto S. Augustine Panem vnum sanctitati tuae charitatis gratia misimus in quo etiaÌ„ Trinitatis soliditas continetur Hunc panem tu eulogiam esse facies dignatione sumendi In token of mutual loue I haue sente vnto thee one loafe of Breade in whiche also the soundenesse of the holy Trinitie is conteined This loafe you shal cause to be a louinge present of my behalfe vouche-sauinge to receiue it And in the next Epistle folowinge Quinque Panes misimus tibi pariter filio nostro Licentio Non enim potuimus in benedictione secernere quem cupimus eadem nobis gratia penitus annectere Fiue loaues haue I sent vnto thee and vnto my Sonne Licentius For I coulde not seuer him in blissing whom I desier throughly to ioigne with vs in grace Hereby it may appeare that this Breade was not the Sacramente and namely by that Paulinus writeth in an other place Panem vnum quem vnanimitatis indicio misimus charitaâ—i tuae rogamus vt accipiendo benedicas I pray you to take and blesse this one Loafe whiche I haue seâ—te vnto you in token of vnitie If it had béen already Consecrate he woulde not haue desired S. Augustine to haue blist it But Irenaeus vseth this woorde Eucharistia whiche is taken for the Sacrament I answeare it might so be called for that it was prepared for the Sacrament How be it herein I wil not striue Tertullian nameth it Hospitalitatis Contesseratio and séemeth to speake it of the Sacrament Whiche thinge beinge also graunted in this place of Irenaeus let vs now see M. Hardinges reasons The Bishop of Rome saithe he sent the Sacrament vnto them that came out of Asia Ergo there was Priuate Masse This Conclusion is farre fette and hangeth loosely For I might demaunde whiche then of the thrée saide Masse He that sente the Sacrament or he that receiued it or els the Messenger that brought it It were a straunge mater to sée a Masse and yet no man to say Masse Uerely Irenaeus hath not one woorde neither of the Communion nor of the Masse onelesse M. Hardinge wil say that Mittere is Latine to Communicate or Mittere Eucharistiam is Latine to say Masse If it were Common Breade then was it but a present If it were the Sacrament then was it to be receiued not streight vpon the way or perhappes late in the night or in the Inne at the common table emonge other meates but afterwarde at his pleasure in his Congregation Thus wée sée this place first is doubtful and beinge neuer so plaine yet it proueth nothinge for Priuate Masse But immediatly after foloweth a manifest mention in what order the Bishops vsed then to Communicate togeather whiche thinge M. Hardinge thought better to dissemble Cùm res ita haberent Communicabant inter se mutuò in Ecclesia Anicetus concessit Eucharistiam Polycarpo The maters between them thus standinge they Communicated togeather and Anicetus in the Churche
grannted the Sacrament or the Ministration of the Sacrament vnto Polycarpus Here marke good Christian Reader then thei Communicated saith Irenaeus when they mette in the Churche and not before they mette togeather as M. Hardinge saithe Anicetus as Irenaeus saithe receiued the Sacrament with Polycarpus in the Churche and not as M. Hardinge séemeth to say in his Inne or Hosterie Now the truthe of the mater standinge thus what hath M. Hardinge here founde for his Priuate Masse M. Hardinge The .16 Diuision Iustinus the Martyr likewise describing the manner and order of Christian Religion of his time touchinge the vse of the Sacrament saith thus Finitis ab â—o qui praefectus est gratijs orationibus ab vniuerso populo facta acclamatione Diaconi quos ita vocamus vnicuique tunc temporis praesenti Panis aquae vini consecrati dant participationem ad eos qui non adsunt deferunt When the Priest hath made an ende of thankes and Praiers and al the people therto haue saide Amen They whiche wee cal Deacons geue to euery one then present Breade and water and wyne Consecrated to take parte of it for their housel and for those that be not present they beare it home to them Thus in that time they that serued God togeather in the common place of Praier and some others that were absent letted from comming to their companie by sickenesse businesse or otherwise 26 Communicated togeather though not in one place and no man cried out of breakinge the Institution of Christe And bicause M. Iuel is so vehement against Priuate Masse for that the Priest receiueth the Sacrament alone and triumpheth so much as though he had woonne the fielde makinge himselfe mery with these woordes in deede without cause vvhere then vvas the Priuate Masse vvhere then vvas the Single Communion al this vvhile He meaneth for the space of sixe hundred yeres after Christe as there he expresseth I wil bringe in good euidence and witnesse that longe before S. Gregories time that he speaketh of ye from the beginning of the Churche faithful persons bothe men and vvomen receiued the Sacrament alone and were neuer therefore reproued as breakers of Christes Institution And er I enter into the rehersal of the places whiche I am hable to shew for this purpose one question I demaunde of M. Iuel If they whiche remained at home of whom Iustinus Martyr writeth receiued the Communion by them selues alone lawfully why may not the Priest doo the same in the Churche seruinge God in moste deuoute wise in the holy Sacrifice of the Masse lacking compartners without any his defaulte Haue the Sacramentarâ—es any Religion to condemne it in the Priest and to allow it in lay folke what is in the Priest that shoulde make it vnlawful to him more then to the people Or may a lay man or woman receiue it kepte a longe time and may not a Priest receiue it forthwith so soone as he hath consecrated and offered And if case of necessitie be alleged for the lay the same may no lesse be alleged for the Priestes also wanting compartners without their defaulte For otherwise the memorie and recordinge of our Lordes death should not according to his commaundement be celebrated and doone wel now to these places The B. of Sarisburie Good reader behâ—lde not the names of these Fathers here alleged but rather weighe their sayinges M. Harding hath brought them for his Masse but they witnesse clearely and fully against his Masse and of al others none more pregnant or plaine then Iustinus Martyr wherof thou hast good occasion to consider how faithfully these men demeane them selues in the allegation of the Doctours Iustinus touchinge this mater writeth thus Towardes the ende of the Praiers eche of vs with a kisse saluteth other Afterwarde vnto him that is the chiefe emonge the brethren is deliuered Breade and a Cuppe mingled with wine and water whiche he hauinge receiued rendreth praise and glorie vnto the Father of al thinges in the name of the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and yeeldeth thankes a greate space for that he is thought woorthy of these thinges Whiche beinge orderly doone the people blesseth or confirmeth his Praier and thankesgeuing sayinge Amen c. This ended they that emonge vs be called Deacons deliuer to euery of them that be present the Breade Wine and Water whiche are Consecrate with thankesgeuinge and cary of the same to them that be absent Here is set foorthe the whole and plaine order of the holy Ministration vsed in the Churche at that time The Priest praieth and geueth thankes in the Uulgare tongue the whole Congregation heareth his woordes and confirmeth the same sayinge Amen The holy Communion is Ministred to the people in bothe kindes and al the whole Churche receiuâ—th togeather I maruel muche wherein M. Harding can liken any parte hereof to his Priuate Masse Onlesse it be for that as he saide before euery Priuate Masse is common so â—e wil now say euery Communion is Priuate Let vs a litle compare Iustines Masse and M. Hardinges Masse bothe togeather And to passe by al other circumstances of difference in Iustines Masse al the people did receiue in M. Hardinges Masse none of the people doo receiue In Iustines Masse none absteined in M. Hardinges Masse al absteine In Iustines Masse a portion was sente to the absent in M. Hardinges Masse there is no portion deliuered no not vnto the present Withwhat countenaunce then can any man allege the authoritie of Iustine to proue the antiquitie of Priuate Masse M. Iuel triumpheth saithe M. Hardinge and maketh him selfe mery as if he had wonne the fielde No no M. Iuel triumpheth not but geueth al triumphe victorie and glory vnto God that wil subdue al them that withstande his truthe and make his enemies his foote stoole I wil bringe good euidence and witnesse saithe M. Hardinge that from the beginninge of the Churche faithful persons bothe men and women receiued the Sacrament alone I haue no greate cause to doubte these witnesses for excepting onely the Fable of Amphilochius and Iohn the Almonare whiche were not woorthe the reckening I alleged al the rest in mine owne Sermon I knew them had weighed them and therefore I alleged them That certeine godly persons both men and women in time of persecution or of sickenesse or of other necessitie receiued the Sacrament in their howses it is not denied neither is it any parcel of this question But if M. Hardinge coulde haue proued that any man or woman in the Primitiue Churche euer saide Priuate Masse then had he answeared somwhat to the purpose He séemeth to reason thus Some receiued the Sacrament alone Ergo there was Priuate Masse The foly of this argument wil the better appeare by the like Wemen receiued the Sacrament alone Ergo wemen saide Priuate Masse But saâ—the M. Harding it was lawful for lay men to receiue alone why
straunge interpretation of M. Hardinge Certainely I thinke he him selfe will say that sithence the Churche was once in peace neither this woorde Ecclesia nor this woorde Parochia euer signified a priuate house in any kinde of writer or in any time But saithe M. Hardinge Adoes Heretikes for Damasus speaketh of none bare al the swaie and woulde not suffer the Catholike people to communicate in the Churche Therefore we must néedes vnderstande here priuate houses Alas when did Heretikes euer beare suche swaie in the Churche of Rome Or if they did at any time as it is vntrue onlesse he meane the Soueraine Heretikes the Pope his Cardinalles yet may we thinke that the Catholiques were so weake in the common Churche beinge altogeather and so stronge in their owne houses beinge alone Or were these Heretikes hable to withstande a whole Congregation and not hable to withstande one single man by him selfe Marke wel good reader how handesomely M. Hardinges argumentes hange togeather He muste néedes thinke thée to be very vnsensible that hopeth thou wilt yéelde to suche gheasses To leaue a great number of other like absurdities M. Hardinges argumentes are framed thus The Sacrament was receiued in Priuate houses albeit there appeareth no suche thinge by Damasus Ergo one man receiued alone Surely then had that man a very emptie house he might wel singe Tanquam passer solitarius in tecto It is more likely that beinge a godly man he would desire his wife and familie to receiue with him as I haue saide before Againe the Sacrament was sent emonge the Parishes Ergo there was priuate Masse The force of this reason may soone be séene But who saide this Masse whether it were the Messenger or the receiuer I leaue it to M. Hardinge to consider He might better haue concluded thus The Bishoppe sente the Mysteries abroade for the people to Communicate ergo he meante a Communion and no Priuate Masse Further he saithe this was done in time of necessitie bicause of Heretikes and yet by the same he defendeth the Masse vsed now without any suche necessitie and that in the Churche of Rome where he saithe can be no Heretikes To conclude this maner of sendinge abroade the Sacrament was afterwarde abolished by the Councel holden at Laodicea Thus is M. Hardinge driuen to goe by Gheasse to imagine strange Heretikes for shewe of some antiquitie to allege vaine Decrees without sense to auoutche suche orders as he knoweth were longe sithence condemned and to comment the same with his owne Gloses M. Hardinge The .21 Diuision Here haue I brought muche for priuate and single Communion and that it hath not onely bene suffered in time of persecution but also allowed in quiet and peaceable times euen in the Churche of Rome it selfe 31 where true Religion hath euer bene most exactely obserued aboue al other places of the worlde and 32 from whence al the Churches of the VVeste haue taken their light As the Bishoppes of al Gallia that now is called Fraunce doo acknowledge in an Epistle sent to Leo the Pope with these woordes vnde religionis nostrae propitio Christo fons origo manauit From the Apostolike see by the Mercie of Christe the fountaine and springe of our Religion hath come The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge vseth a straunge kinde of Logique He pretendeth priuate Masse and concludeth single Communion And why mighte he not aswel plainely and without colour conclude his priuate Masse Doubtles the wise reader may soone geather thus if he coulde finde it he woulde not concele it This talke of the Churche of Rome in this place was néedlesse as nothinge seruinge to priuate Masse Yet is it generally confessed by al menne that Rome is the eldest Churche that we know founded in this Weast parte of the worlde and that the Churches of Fraunce and other countries at the beginninge had both the confirmation of Doctrine and also other great conference conforte from thence like as also the Churche of Rome had from Hierusalem and Antioche and other great Churches in the Easte But that the first that euer preached the Ghospel in Fraunce were sente from Rome I recken it not so easy to be proued For some say that Nathanael whome Christe coÌ„mendeth to be the true Israelite preached at Trire and Bituriges Lazarus whome Christe raysed at Marsiles Saturninus at Tolouse longe before Peter came to Rome S. Paule as it is thought after his deliuerie vnder Nero went into Spaine sente Titus into Dalmatia and Crescens into Galatia or as Epiphanius readeth it into Gallia Ioseph of Arimathaea came into Englande And yet it appeareth not that any of these were sente by Commission from Rome But why dothe M. Hardinge thus out of season rushe into the commendation of the Churche of Rome that was so longe agoe It had bene more to purpose to haue vewed the state of the same Churche as it standeth nowe But as one once saide ye shal not now finde Samnium in Samnio bicause the Citie of Samnium was sackte and rased vp and vtterly ouerthrowen euen so I hearde M. Harding sometime say He had sought for the Church of Rome in Rome it selfe and yet coulde not finde the Churche of Rome The Bishoppes Cardinalles and Priestes doo neither teache nor exhorte nor conforte nor any other parte of their duties The people as it is alreadie confessed is carelesse and voyde of deuotion S. Bernarde saithe O Domine sacerdotes tui facti sunt â—onsores Praelati Pilati Doctores Seductores O Lorde thy Priestes are become shearers thy Prelates Pilates thy Doctours Deceiuers If such a Churche cannot erre then may we say of it as Eurypides sometime saide of the Citie of Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Citie Citie thy lucke is farre better then thy witte M. Hardinge The .22 Diuision More coulde I yet bringe for confirmation of the same as the example of S. Hilariae the virgin in the time of Numerianus of S. Lucia in Diocletians time doone to Martyrdome of S. Maria Aegyptiaca and S. Ambrose of whiche euery one as auncient testimonies of Ecclesiastical histories and of Paulinus doo declare at the houre of their departure hence to God receiued the holy Sacrament of the Altare for their viage prouision alone But I iudge this is enough and if any man wil not be perswaded with this I doubte whether with suche a one a more numbre of authorities shal any thinge preuaile The B. of Sarisburie Nowe M. Hardinge higheth him selfe vnto the ende of his authorities and for speede is content to passe by the stories of Hilaria Lucia Maria Aegyptiaca and others written I suppose in Legenda Aurea of whome as it appeareth he is certaine that they saide Masse a litle before their departure hence The like is also auoutched for certaine of S. Ambrose lieinge in his death bedde But this thinge séemeth marucilous in my iudgement that not withstandinge S. Ambrose
were Bishop in Millaine two and twentie yéeres and more beinge also so holy a man as few the like in those daies yet M. Hardinge can not learne that euer he saide priuate Masse but onely when he lay breathlesse in his death bedde M. Hardinge The .23 Diuision Nowe that I haue thus proued the single Communion I vse their owne terme I desire M. Iuel to reason with me soberly a woorde or twoo Howe say you sir Doo you reproue the Masse or doo you reproue the Priuate Masse I thinke what so euer your opinion is herein your answeare shal be you allowe not the Priuate Masse For as touchinge that the oblation of the Bodie and Bloude of Christe done in the Masse is the Sacrifice of the Churche and proper to the newe Testament 33 commaunded by Christe to be frequented accordinge to his institution if you denie this make it so light as you liste al those authorities whiche you denie vs to haue for proufe of your greate number of articles wil be founde against you I meane Doctours general Councels the most auncient the examples of the primitiue Churche the Scriptures I adde further reason consent vniuersal and vncontrolled and tradition If you denie this you must denie al our religion from the Apostles time to this day and now in the ende of the worlde when iniquitie aboundeth and charitie waxeth colde when the Sonne of man cominge shal scarsely finde faithe in the earthe beginne a newe And therefore you M Iuel knowinge this wel yenough what so euer you doo in deede in woorde as it appeareth by the litle booke you haue set foorth in printe you pretende to disallowe yea most vehemently to improue the Priuate Masse The B. of Sarisburie Hitherto M. Hardinge hath brought Doctours without Reason nowe he bringeth Reason without Doctours And howe say you sir saithe he Doo you reproue the Masse Or doo you reproue Priuate Masse I trust he hath not so soone forgotten wherof he hath discoursed al this while Neither dothe the mater reast vpon that pointe what I liste to allowe or disallowe but what he can proue or not proue by the Scriptures and by the auncient Councels and Fathers But marke wel good Christian Reader and thou shalt sée how handesomely M. Harding conueieth and shifteth his handes to deceiue thy sighte Firste he hath hitherto foreborne bothe the name and also the proufe of Priuate Masse and onely hath vsed the woordes of Sole Receiuinge and Single Communion and so hath taken paines to proue that thinge that was neuer denied and that thinge that we denie and wherein the whole question standeth he hath leafte vtterly vntouched Now he demaundeth whether I reproue the Masse or the Priuate Masse what meaneth this that Priuate Masse and Sole Receiuing be so sodainely growen in one Surely M. Hardinge wel knoweth that the nature of these woordes is not one Neither who so euer receiueth alone dothe therefore of necessitie say Priuate Masse This so sodaine alteringe of termes may bréede suspicion That he further interlaceth of the Sacrifice of the Newe Testament is an other conueyance to blinde thy sight as vtterly nothinge makinge to this purpose For neither doth the Sacrifice importe Priuate Masse nor dooth Sole Receiuinge implie the Sacrifice Yet for shorte aunsweare we haue that onely Sacrifice of the Newe Testament that is the Bodie of Iesus Christ vpon the Crosse ▪ that Lambe of God that hath taken awaye the sinnes of the worlde The vertue of whiche Sacrifice endureth for euer To this euerlastinge Sacrifice the Sacrifice that is imagined in the Masse is méere iniurious And where as M. Hardinge saith If you denie this you must denie al our Religion from the Apostles time vntil this day These be but emptie woordes without weigh and proue nothinge In my litle Booke saith he I disallowe the Priuate Masse If he fynde faulte with my Booke for that it is litle he might consider it is but a Sermon and therefore no reason it shoulde be great Yet is it a great deale longer then eyther Hippolytus Martyr or the fable of his Amphilochius of whom notwithstandinge their shortnesse he maketh no smal accompte And where he saithe I dissallowe Priuate Masse I disallowe that thinge that infinite numbers of Godly and learned men haue disallowed and that M. Hardinge him selfe not longe sithens openly and earnestly disallowed bothe in Schooles and Pulpittes vntil he was sodainely perswaded to the contrary onely by the alteration of the state Of these twoo woordes Priuate Masse I can no better saye then S. Gregorie sometime saide of that Antichriste shoulde be called Deus God Si quantitatem vocis perpendimus sunt duae syllabae sin pondus iniquitatis vniuersa pernicies If wee weight the quantitie of the woorde they are but two syllables but if we wey the weight of the wickednesse it is an vniuersal destruction M. Hardinge The .24 Diuision Vpon this resolution that the Masse as it is taken in general is to be allowed I enter further in reason with you and make you this argument If Priuate Masse in respecte onely of that it is Priuate after your meaninge be reproueable it is for the single Communion that is to saie for that the priest receiueth the Sacrament alone But the single Communion is lawful yea good and godly Ergo the Priuate Masse in this respecte that it is Priuate is not reproueable but to be allowed holden for good and holy and to be frequented If you denie the firste proposition or Maior then muste you shewe for what els you doo reproue Priuate Masse in respecte onely that it is Priuate then for single Communion If you shewe any thinge els then doo you digresse from our purpose and declare that you reproue the Masse The Minor you cannot denie seinge you see howe sufficiently I haue proued it And so the Priuate Masse in that respecte onely it is priuate is to be allowed for good as the Masse is The B. of Sarisburie Out of al these former authorities of Tertullians Wife Monkes in the wildernesse Laye menne Wemen and Boyes M. Hardinge geathereth this conclusion whiche as he woulde haue folke thinke standeth so soundely on euery side that it cannot possibly be auoided The Priuate Masse is single Communion Single Communion is lawful Ergo Priuate Masse is lawful This Syllogisme vnto the vnskilful may séeme somewhat terrible as a visard◠vnto a childe that can not iudge what is within it But M. Hardinge that made it knoweth it is vaine and woorthe nothinge And that it may the better appeare I wil open the errour by an other like The Ministration of Priuate Masse is a single Communion Single Communion is lawful for a woman Ergo the Ministration of Priuate Masse is lawful for a woman It is al one kinde of argument of lyke forme and like termes And as this is deceiteful so is the other likewise deceiteful The errour is in the Seconde Proposition whiche is called the
and causeth him to come to him as though it were about some mater of the common weale At that time 39 he saieth Masse in his Chappel hauinge none other bodie with him but his seruaunt When the Patriarke had consecrated the Sacrament and had bâ—gunne to say our Lordes Praier they three onely begunne to say our Father and so foorthe VVhen they were come to these woordes Forgeue vs our trespasses as vve forgeue theÌ„ that trespasse against vs the Patriarke made a beeke to his seruante to holde his peace Then the Patriarke helde his peace also and the noble man remained alone sayeinge foorthe the verse forgiue vs as wee forgiue Then the holy â—ather turninge him selfe towardes him by and by saithe with a milde voice Consider with how terrible woordes thou saiest to God that as I forgiue so forgiue thou me also VVhere at the saide noble man as though he had felte the torment of â—ier foorthe with fel downe on his face at the holy Fathers feete sayeinge My Lorde what so euer thou biddest me thy seruante to doo I wil doo it And so he was reconciled vnto his enemie without al dissemblinge Here M. Iuel wil graunt I â—rowe that this was a Priuate Masse The place was priuate The audience not publique nor common the purpose touching the noble man was priuate The Communion also Priuate I meane for the Patriarkes parte alone for biside that the story maketh no mention of any other coÌ„municantes he coulde not be assured of that noble man to communicate with him For where as he coulde by no meanes before bringe him to forgiue his enemie he had but a smal coniecture he should bringe it to passe nowe And againe though he had conceiued no distrust of his reconciliation vpon this holy policie yet wee may doubt whether the Patriarke foorthwith without further and more mature probation and examination whiche S. Paule in this case requireth woulde haue admitted him to receiue our Lordes Bodie so vpon the suddaine Now for the seruante it is a streight case that so holy and so great a Patriarke and Bishop of so populous a Citie as Alexandria was vnderstanding that Masse coulde not be celebrated without breache of Christes institution as M. Iuel holdeth opinion excepte he haue a number to communicate with him in the same place shoulde haue none of his spiritual flocke with him at so weightie a mater of conscience but one onely and him his owne householde seruaunt He was noâ— so simple as not to thinke that the seruant mighte be letted from receiuinge by some suddaine pange cominge vpon him or with some cogitation and conscience of his owne vnwoorthinesse suddainely comminge to his minde If either this or any other let had chaunced in what case had the Patriarke been then He had been like by M. Iuels doctrine to haue broken Christes institution and so Goddes commaundement through an others defecte whiche were straunge But I iudge that M. Iuel who harpeth so many iarringe argumentes againste Priuate Masse vpon the very woorde Communion wil not allowe that for a good and lawful Communion where there is but one onely to receiue with the Prieste Verely it appeareth by his Sermon that al the people ought to reâ—eiue or to be driuen out of the Churche Now therefore to an other example of the Priuate Masse The B. of Sarisburie This is the best proufe of al others A shorte answeare may wel serue it For beinge but a litle vewed it is hable to answeare it selfe There is neither authoritie in the tale nor weight in the mater The translation is péeuishe and all without the compasse of sixe hundred yéeres S. Augustine saith that certayne Heretiques in his time named the Donatistes that they might the rather preuayle in disputacion against S. Augustine and other Christians and that the worlde might vnderstande they had some companie of their syde therefore for a shewe subscribed their articles with the names of certaine that were deade and oftentimes suche as neuer were Donatistes Suche a policie me thinketh M. Hardinge hath here begunne to practise For what is this Leontius that wrote this storie or who euer heard of his name before I trowe he hath raised vp one of the seuen Sleapers to helpe him to Masse He should haue shewed vs as his manner is what this straunge Doctour was what bookes he wrote where when in what age and in what credite he liued If he had saide This Iohn the Almonar liued aboue sixe hundred yéeres after Christe and this Leontius that wrote his life a greate while after that this one circumstance woulde haue answeared the mater wholy For notwithstandinge the rest of this tale were true yet my assertion standeth still good that within the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christe M. Hardinge is not hable to finde his Priuate Masse Vincentius in his booke that he calleth Speculum writeth thus After Gregorie was dead Bonifacius ruled the Churche of Rome This Bonifacius obteined of the Emperour Phocas that the Churche of Rome should be the head of al Churches and that bicause the Churche of Constantinople wrote it selfe by that title The nexte yere after that Augustine that was called the Englishe mens Bishop died The yeere folowinge Iohn the Almonar was in great fame at whiche time also Mahomet first spread his Religion in Arabia The same computation of yéeres appeareth in Freculphus Sabellicus Palmerius and others Wherefore M. Hardinge might wel haue spared this tale as nothinge els but bewrayeing his wante of better mater and prouinge that his Masse is of the very age of Mahomet But to leaue both thaduantage of the time also the exception against the Authour let vs consider the likelihood of the dooynge if Iohn the Almonar saide this Priuate Masse in his Chappell howe safely he might so doo by the order of the holy Canons whiche to breake Damasus saithe is blasphemie against the holie Ghoste M. Hardinges Leontius saith Iohn the Almonar saide Masse in his Oratorie at home beyng sure of no more coÌ„panie but of one of his owne householde seruauÌ„tes alone But Pope Soter as it is before alleged by M. Hardinge straitely commaundeth that no prieste presume to celebrate the Sacrament without the companie of two togeather And againe that no prieste dare to Minister without the companie of some other priest And in the Councell holden at Orleance it is decréed thus It is lauful for euery Christian man to haue a Chappel in his house but to haue Masse saide there it is not lawful And in the Councel holden at Laodicea It is not lawful for Bishoppes or priestes to minister the Oblations at home Likewise Pope Felix It is not lawful to minister the Communion at home but vpon exceedinge great necessitie The same order was taken in the Councel of Acon and in sundrie other Councels Which Decrées beinge so manie and so straite
I would or no. Here I doubte not but wise men wil regarde more that Luther wrote when his minde was quiet and calme then vvhen it vvas enraged vvith blusteringe stormes of naughty affections The B. of Sarisburie There is nothinge so easie as to speake il There was nothinge further of from Luthers mynde then vpon any determination of any Councel to minister the Sacrament vnder one kinde and so to breake Christes Institution into halfes But he thought it not méete that Goddes truethe immortal should hange of thautoritie of a mortal man and stande for true no further â—hen it shoulde please a man to allowe of it Notwithstandinge suche interest and authoritie the Pope hath claimed to him selfe â—orcinge the worlde to beleue as he him selfe writeth That he hath al right and lawe in the closet of his breaste And one Syluester Prierias gouerâ—our of Pope Leos Palaice was not ashamed nor afraide to write these woordes A Doctrina Romanae Ecclesiae Romani Pontificis sacra Scriptura robur authoritatem trahit The holy Scripture taketh strengthe and authoritie of the Churche and Bishop of Rome This was the thinge that D. Luther misselyked and thought intolerable And therefore he saide he would haue Goddes woorde receiued onely bicause it is Goddes woorde and spoken by him not bicause it is authorized by a Councel and if the Councel woulde allowe the Ministration in one kinde then he said he woulde vse Bothe bicause Christe in his Institution appointed Bothe But if the Bishops in the Councel woulde agree vpon Bothe kindes as a mater standinge wholy in their pleasures as though they had ful power to controlle or to ratifie the wil of God then he saide he woulde haue no regarde vnto the authoritie of suche a Councel that setteth it selfe aboue God but rather woulde vse one kinde onely or none at al. For this cause M. Hardinge reproueth Doctor Luther so bitterly and calleth him arrogante because he woulde not haue Goddes wil subiecte to the wil of man Yet it appeareth that S. Paule in the like case did the like For not withstandinge he had Circumcised Timothée yet when he sawe certaine come in that woulde needes force the same vpon Titus also and so make it necessarie he withstoode them stoutely and would not yelde Thus he writeth Neither was Titus that then was with me compelled to be Circumcised for the cominge in of certaine false Brethren whiche came vpon vs to trie out our libertie that we haue in Christe Iesu to the intent to bringe vs into bondage Vnto whome we gaue no place by yeldinge no not for any time that the trueth of the Gospel might remaine amonge you Eusebius in his storie saieth there was an olde lawe in Rome that no Emperour should consecrate a God onlesse the same God had beene firste allowed by the Councel Tiberius beinge Emperour when he hearde of the wonderful woorkes that were wrought by Christ in Iewrie thought therefore he was a God and promoted a bil vnto the Councel that Christe mighte be proclaimed and taken for a God But the Councel was otherwise bente and woulde allowe him for no God Tertullian laugheth at their folie His woordes be these Apud vos de humano arbitrio diuinitas pensitatur Nisi homini Deus placuerit non erit Deus Homo iam Deo propitius esse debet Emongst you the diuinitie and state of God is weighed by mans iudgement Onlesse God please man God Emongst you shal be no God Nowe therefore man must be good and fauourable vnto his God The like folie seemeth to be in them that thinke Goddes trueth is no trueth onlesse the Consent of a Councel allowe it to be truethe To this same purpose Luther wrote a booke vnto the Knightes of the order of Russia after they had obteined from the Pope a dispensation to marie notwithstandinge their vowe He chargeth them that in any wise they marie not by warrant of that dispensation otherwise he saithe they offende God and be woorse then adulterers as hauinge more regarde vnto man then vnto God and hauinge Goddes owne dispensation as if it were not sufficient woulde seeke further for the dispensation of a man Luther wrote not this in the despite of any godly Councel no more then the prophete Esaie when he saide Inite Concilium dissipabitur Goe geather your CouÌ„cel and it shal be broken But he could not suffer to see Goddes glorie so defaced that a companie of men shoulde presume to allowe or disallowe his trueth as if it were not true in it selfe but must fal or stande onely at thier pleasure The rest that followeth is nothinge els but vnseemely slaunder But God be blissed that hath deliuered that godly man from liynge tongues But Luther saith M. Hardinge was contrary vnto him selfe Euen so Marciâ—n the Heretique charged S. Paule that he spake against the Ceremonies yet him selfe shaued his head at Cenchreae and obserued the Ceremonies that he woulde not circumcise Titus yet had circumcised Timotheus that he would sometime defende the law sometime reproue the lawe so was euermore contrary to him selfe And he that had M. Hardinges sprite perhaps would no more doubte to finde faulte with S. Paule for inconstancie then with Luther If Luther were euer contrary to him self yet might no man worse charge him in that behalfe then M. Hardinge But Luther euermore followed Gods callinge neuer returned backe vnto his vomite neither fought against his owne conscience nor against the manifest knowen trueth And therefore although he were contrary vnto him selfe as passinge from errour vnto trueth yet was he not contrary vnto God M. Hardinge The .7 Diuision Now to put this mater that Luther iudged it a thinge indifferent whither one receiue the Sacrament vnder one kinde or bothe more out of doubte Philip Melanchâ—on his scholar and nearest of his Counsaile writeth Sicut edere suillam aut abstinere a suilla sic alterutra signi parte vti medium esse That as it is a thinge indifferent to eate Swines fleashe or to forbeare Swines fleashe so it is also to vse whiche parte of the signe a man listeth By the woorde Signe he meaneth the Sacrament likinge better that straunge woorde then the accustomed woorde of the Churche least he might perhaps be thought of the bretherne of his secte in some what to ioyne with the Catholikes Bucer also is of the same opinion who in the conference that was had betweene the Catholikes and protestantes for agreement in controuersies of religion at Ratisbone confirmed and allowed this article by his ful consent with these woordes Ad controuersiam quae est de vna aut vtraque specie tollendam cum primis conducturum vt sancta Ecclesia liberam faceret potestatem SacramentuÌ„ hoc in vna vel in vtraque specie sumendi Ea tamen lege vt nulli per hoc detur occasio quem vsum tantopere
euermore béen called Priuate and neuer Common And in this sense Thomas of Aquine thinketh that a Praier made in suche sorte by the Priest and in the Churche may be called Priuate He thinketh That the people vttered their Secrete Praiers in the tongue that they vnderstoode and so he saithe Christian people doo now for the most parte The former parte hereof is vndoubtedly true But for the seconde That Christian people doo so now Goddes name be blessed that hath brought it so to passe not by M. Hardinge or his Catholike Doctours but by suche as they haue withstanded for the same and called Heretiques Touchinge the Publique Seruice pronounced by the Priest wherevnto the people saide Amen some saithe M. Hardinge vnderstoode the language thereof and some vnderstoode it not Here vnawares he implieth a repugnance in reason a manifest contradiction For if some of the people vnderstoode it not how coulde al the people say Amen S. Paules woordes be plaine How shal the vnlâ—arned say Amen to thy thankes geuinge For he knoweth not what thou saiest This tenneth directly against M. Harding Al the people gaue their assent and saide Amen to the Common Praiers in the Churche Ergo al the people vnderstoode the Common Praiers The allegation of the Churche of Englande in the time of Augustine whereof M. Hardinge maketh him selfe so sure and saith with suche affiance It shal be proouâ—d when it shal hereafter come to prouâ—e in déede shal prooue nothinge As concerninge the distinction of Priuate and Common Praiers betwéene whiche M. Hardinge woulde also haue a difference of speache vndoubtedly the tongue that is godly and profitable and wil sturre the minde in Priuate deuotion is also godly and profitable and likewise hable to sturrey â— minde in the open Churche And I maruel what reason can leade any man to thinke the contrary M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision But to speake first of antiquitie and of the compasse of your sixe hundred yeeres it is euident by sundrie auncient recordes bothe of Doctours and of Councels specially of the Councel Laodicene in Phrygia Pacatiana holden by the Bishoppes of the lesser Asia aboute the yeere of our Lorde 364. that the Greeke Churches had solemne seruice in due order and forme set foorthe with exacte distinction of Psalmes and Lessons of Howers Daies Feastes and times of the yeere of Silence and open pronouncinge of geuinge the Kysse of Peace to the Bishop first by the Priestes then by the Lay people of offeringe the Sacrifice of the onely Ministers comminge to the Altare to receiue the Communion with diuers other seemely obseruations As for the Latine Churches they had their Praiers and Seruice also but in suche fixed order longe after the Greekes For Damasus the Pope firste ordeined that Psalmes should be Songe in the Churche of Rome Alternatim enterchaungeably or by course so as now wee singe them in the Quier and that in the â—nde of euery Psalme shoulde be saide Gloria patri filio spiritui sancto sicut erat â–ª c. Which he caused to be doone by Councel of S. Hierome that the faith of the 318. Bishops of the Nicene Councel might with like felowship be declared in the mouthes of the Latines To whome Damasus wrote by Bonifacius the Priest to Hierusalem that Hierome woulde sende vnto him Psallentiam Graecorum The manner of the singinge of the Greekes so as he had learned the same of Alexander the Bishop in the East In that Epistle complayninge of the simplicitie of the Romaine Churche he saithe that there was in the Sunday but one Epistle of the Apostle and one Chapter of the Gospel rehearsed and that there was no Singinge with the voice hearde nor the comelinesse of Hymnes knowen amonge them Aboute the same time S. Ambrose also tooke order for the Seruice of his Churche of Millane and made Holy Hymnes him selfe In whose time as S. Augustine writeth when Iustina the younge Emperour Valentâ—â—ians mother for cause of hir Heresie wherewith she was seduced by the Arrians persecuted the Catholike faithe and the people thereof occupied them selues in deuoute watches more then before time ready to die with their Bishop in that quarel it was ordeined that Hymnes and Psalmes should be songe in the Churche of Millane after the manner of the Eastparties that the good folke thereby might haue some comforte and spiritual reliefe in that lamentable state and continual sorowes Thereof the Churches of the West foorth with tooke example and in euery Countrie they followed the same In his seconde Booke of Retractations he sheweth that in his time suche manner of singinge beganne to be receiued in Aphrica Before this time had Hiâ—â—rius also the Bishop of Poyters in Fraunce made Hymnes for that purpose of whiche S. Hierome maketh mention The B. of Sarisburie Wée may wel suffer M. Hardinge to wander at large in maters that relieue him nothinge If it were lawful for others so to doo it were no greate Maisterie to write Bookes Many maters be here heapte togeather touchinge order of Seruice distinction of Psalmes Lessons Houres Daies Feastes the geuinge of Peace the forme of Communion Singinge in the Churche when it beganne in Grecia when in Rome when in Millane when in Aphrica when in FrauÌ„ce and when in other places These be none of the maters that lie in Question And therefore as they nothinge further M. Hardinge to this purpose so in other respectes they hinder him sundrie waies For in the same Councel of Laodicea it is decréed like as also in the Councel of Carthà ge That nothing be redde in the Church vnto the people sauinge onely the Canonical Scriptures Therefore the Lessons there mentioned were not taken out of the Festiual or Legenda aurea as hath béene vsed in the Churche of Rome but out of the Chapters of the Holy Bible as it is now vsed in the Churche of Englande The Peace geuen to the Bishop was not a litle Table of Siluer or somewhat els as hath beene vsed in the Churche of Rome but a very Cosse in déede in token of perfit peace and vnitie in Faithe and Religion So Iustinus Martyr saith speakinge of the time of the Holy Ministration Wee salute eche one an other with a Cosse So likewise Chrysostome and others Where he saithe that the Churche of Rome beinge as then plaine and simple learned the Psalmodie and other Ecclesiastical Musique and the singing of Gloria patri at the ende of euery Psalme of S. Hierome and the Bishoppes of the East he dooth vs wel to vnderstande that then Rome is not the Mother of al these thinges neither is so to be taken But where he further saithe Damasus ordeined that the Psalmes should be Songe Interchangeably and in sides and euen so as they be now Songe in the Quiere meaninge as it séemeth that onely the Priestes and Clerkes Songue and the people sate stil it is an open and a
sunt tanquam ipsius diuina voce Petri firmatae Al the Constitutions of the Apostolique see must be receiued so as if they were confirmed by the very heauenly voice of S. Peter Unto suche a tyrannie the Churche of Rome at that time was growen And the Glose vpon the same saithe Papa sanctitatem suam recipit à Cathedra The Pope receiueth his holines of his Chaire Therefore herein M. Hardinge hath somewhat misrekened himselfe Although al the rest were certaine yet these witnesses come to late to make good proufe Yet saithe M. Hardinge these testimonies be plaine and euident yenough that at the beginninge the Churches of Englande had their Diuine Seruice in Latine and not in Englishe These be very dome testimonies For neither Iames the Deacon nor Iohn the Archechaunter nor Cednom nor Putta nor Beda him selfe euer saide so Therefore this mater is prooued by M. Hardinges gheasse and not by the woordes of the witnesses The force of his reason séemeth to weigh thus These Musicians taught the Clerkes of Englande to singe their Seruice after the Romaine manner Ergo they had the Latine Seruice The substance of this argument may the better appeare by some other like Triptolemus taught al nations to plowe their grounde after the manner of the Atheniens Ergo he taught al nations in the Athenien tongue Or Abraham taught the Egyptians Arithmetique and Astronomie Ergo Abraham taught the Egyptians in the Chaldee tongue For doothe M. Hardinge beleeue it is not possible to learne the Romaine Musique without the Romaine speache or that the Note cannot be taught without the Dittie Uerily I recken him no good Musician that wil say so By the like reason he might say Damasus besought S. Hierome to sende to him Graecorum psallentiaÌ„ the Musique of the Greeke Churche to thintent to practise the same in the Church of Rome Ergo Damâ—sus vsed the Greeke Seruice in the Churche of Rome But Beda himselfe is beste able to expounde his owne meaninge Hauinge occasion to intreate of Adrianus Theodorus that came into Englande the yeere of our Lorde .668 he writeth thus Sonos cantandi in Ecclesia quos eatenus in Cantio â—antùm nouerant ab hoc tempore per omnes Anglorum Ecclesias discere coeperunt From that time they began to learne throughout al the Churches of Englande the soundes of singinge or the notes of Musique whiche before that time were knowen onely in Kente Beda saithe they learned the Soundes or Notes or Harmonie and maketh no mention of the Tongue or Dittie But let M. Hardinges Conclusions stande for good These Musicians taught the Clerkes of Englande to singe after the Romaine manner Ergo they had the Latine Seruice And dooth he not see that he concludeth fully with me and directly against him selfe Certainely if the Romaine Musique importe the Latine Seruice then may I wel reason thus The Churches of Englande had not the Romaine Musique before Iames the Deacon of Yorke whiche liued in the yeere of our Lorde .640 Ergo before that time the Churches of Englande had not the Latine Seruice Whiche thing ouerthroweth al that M. Hardinge hath hitherto spoken standeth very wel with my assertion Againe where he saithe that Iohn the Archechaunter that liued in the yeere of our Lorde 680. taught the Clerkes of Englande to pronounce the Latine tongue it may thereof wel be geathered that before that time they coulde not pronounce the Latine Tongue and so before that time had not the Latine Seruice Now for so muche as M. Harding saithe By meane of the arriual conquest of the English menne who then were Infidels the Faithe was vtterly bannished out of this Realme remained onely in a fewe Britaines and Augustine at his comminge restoared the same againe and therefore is called of some the Englishe mennes Apostle I thinke it necessary therfore shortely to touche somewhat of the state of the Churche within this Lande bothe before the entrie of our Englishe Nation and also in the first time of our beinge here Ghildas saith that Ioseph of Arimathea that tooke doune Christ from the Crosse beinge sente hither by Philip the Apostle out of Fraunce beganne first to preache the Gospel in this Realme in the time of Tiberius themperour Nicephorus saithe that Simon Zelotes about the same time came into this Ilelande did the like Theodoretus saithe that S. Paule immediatly after his firste deliuerie in Rome vnder themperour Nero preached the Gospel in this Ilelande and in other Countries of the Weast Tertullian saith The Ilelande of Britaine was subiecte vnto Christ in his time And Origen witnesseth the like of the same Ilelande in his time At which time Lucius the Kinge of this Realme was Baptized receiued the Gospel and sente to Rome to Eleutherius the Bishop there for his aduise touchinge the orderinge of his Churche and Realme Helena beinge an Englishe woman wife vnto Constantius the Emperour and mother vnto Constantinus is notably praised for her Faithe and Religion by S. Ambrose by Eusebius by Sozomenus and others Chrysostome saithe that in his time the Ilelande of Britaine had receiued the power of the Gospel Nowe let vs consider in what state this Realme stoode touchinge Religion at the comminge of Augustine at whiche time M. Hardinge surmiseth the whole Faithe was vtterly decaied First Beda saith there were amonge the Britaines seuen Bishops one Archebishop and one and twentie hundred Monkes aboute Bancor and as he further auoucheth Plures viri doctissimi many moe great learned men that vtterly refused to receiue this Augustine with his newe Religion As touchinge the Englishe Nation it appeareth by Beda that the Quéene her selfe was Christened and had S. Martines Church appointed her fréely to pray in with her companie Whereof it may be thought the Kinge was no greate enimie vnto the Faithe and therefore the like also maye wel be thought of a greate number of the people Thus muche shortely of the first plantinge of the Religion of Christe within this Ilelande and of the continuance of the same from the time of Ioseph of Arimathea vntil the comminge in of Augustine Nowe touchinge the Common Praiers that they vsed emonge them selues al that while Firste it were very muche for M. Hardinge to saye that S. Paule or Ioseph of Arimathea or Simon Zeloâ—es beinge al Hebrewes borne tooke order that the Seruice here shoulde be ministred vnto the people in the Latine tongue Againe Eleutherius the Bishop of Rome for general order to be taken in the Realme and Churches here wrote his aduise vnto Lucius the kinge in this sorte Suscepisti in Regno Britanniae miseratione diuina Legem fidem Christi Habetis penes vos in Regno vtranque paginam Ex illis Dei gratia per Concilium Regni vestri sume legem per illam Dei patientia vestrum rege Britanniae Regnum Vicarius verò Dei estis in Regno illo Ye
If thou blisse with thy sprite howe shal the ignorant saie Amen vnto thy thankes geuinge For he knoweth not what thou saiest In the Chruche I had leuer to speake fiue woordes with my minde so that I may instructe others then tenne thousande woordes vvith my tongue Let al thinges be donne to the profite of the people These woordes be euident the exposition of Lyra of the Councel of Acon of Chrysostome and Iustinian is plaine And yet muste we vpon M. Hardinges warrant néedes beleue that al this maketh nothinge for the Englishe Seruice to be had in the Churche of Englande M. Hardinge The .26 Diuision And for as muche as al the people cannot heare the priestes prayers at the Aultare whiche hath from the Apostles time hitherto euer beene a place to celebrate the holy oblation at tourninge him selfe for the moste parte to the Easte accordinge to the Apostolike tradition in what tongue so euer they be vttred for distance of the place they remaine in it is no inconuenience suche admitted into the quiere as haue better vnderstandinge of that is saide or songe that the reste remaine in seemely wise in the neither parte of the Church and there make their humble praiers to God by them selues in silence in that language they beste vnderstande conforminge them selues to the Priestes blessinge and thankes geuinge through faithe and obedience with their bretherne in the quiere and geuinge assent to the same vnderstandinge some good parte of that is doone as declared by often preachinge and by holy outwarde Ceremonies perceiuable to the senses of the simplest The B. of Sarisburie There haue beene Aultares saith M. Hardinge euen from the Apostles time and that euen as it is vsed now farre of from the Body of the Church Neither coulde the people beneathe heare the Priest standinge aboue at the Aultar or vnderstande what he meante but onely were instructed by holy reuerende Ceremonies and gaue consent vnto al that was saide by the Priest and yet knew not what he saide This man coulde neuer vtter so many vntruthes togeather without some special Priuilege For first where he saith The Apostles in their time erected Aultares It is wel knowen that there was no Christian Churche yet builte in the Apostles time For the Faithful for feare of the Tyrannes were faine to méete togeather in Priuate Houses in Uacant places in Woodes and Forestes and in Caues vnder the grounde And may we thinke that Aultars were builte before the Church Uerily Origen that liued twoo hundred yeres after Christe hath these woordes against Celsus Obijcit nobis quòd non habeamus Imagines aut Aras aut Templa Celsus chargeth our Religion with this that wee haue neither Images nor Aultars nor Churches Likewise saithe Arnobius that liued somwhat after Origen writinge against the Heathens Accusatis nos quòd nec templa habeamus nec imagines nec aras ye accuse vs for that wee haue neither Churches nor Images nor Aultars And Uolaterranus and Uernerius testifie that Sixtus Bishop of Rome was the first that caused Aultars to be erected Therefore M. Hardinge was not wel aduised so confidently to say That Aultars haue euer beene euen sithence the Apostles time Neither afterwarde when Aultars were first vsed and so named were they streight way builte of stoane as Durandus and such others say they must néedes be and that Quia petra erat Christus Because Christe was the stoane For Gerson saith that Syluester Bishop of Rome firste caused stoane Aultars to be made and willed that no man should Consecrate at a woodden Aultar but him selfe onely and his Successours there And notwithstanding bothe for continuance and staidinesse suche Aultars were vsed in some places as it appeareth by Gregorius Nyssenus S. Basiles brother yet it is plaine by S. Augustine that in his time in Aphrica they were made of Tymber For he saith That the Donatistes in their rage wounded the Priest and brake a sundre the Aultare bourdes And againe he saith That the Deacons dewtie was to carry or remoue the Aultar Whiche thinge cannot be expounded of a heape of stoanes but onely of the Communion Table And therefore S. Chrysostome commonly calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy bourde And S. Augustine Mensa Domini The Lordes Table As other Fathers also do in infinite places And notwithstanding it were A Table yet was it also called An Aultar Not for that it was so in déede but onely by allusion vnto the Aultars of the olde law And so Ireneus calleth Christe our Aultar And Origen calleth Our harte our Aultar Not that either Christe or our hartes be Aultars in deede but onely by a Metaphore or a manner of speache Suche were the Aultars that were vsed by the olde Fathers immediatly after the Apostles time Nowe whether it may séeme likely that the same Aultars stoode so farre of from the hearinge of the people as M. Hardinge so constantly affirmeth I referre mée selfe to these authorities that here folow Eusebius thus describeth the forme and furniture of the Churche in his time Absoluto templo ac sedibus excelsissimis ad honorem praesidentium subsellijs ordine collocatis ornato post omnia Sancto Sanctorum videlicet Altari in medio constituto c. The Churche beinge ended and comely furnished with high Thrones for the honour of the rulers and with stalles beneathe set in order and last of al the Holy of Holies I meane The Aultar beinge placed in the middest Eusebius saith not the Aultar was set at the ende of the Qâ—ter But in the middest of the Churche amonge the people S. Augustine likewise saith thus Christus quotidiè pascit Mensa ipsius est illa in medio constituta Quid causae est ô audientes vt mensam videatis ad epulas non accedatis Christe feedeth vs daily and this is his table here set in the middest O my hearers what is the mater that ye see the table and yet come not to the meate In the Councel of Constantinople it is written thus Tempore DiptychoruÌ„ cucurrit omnis multitudo cum magno sileÌ„tio circumcirca Altare audiebant When the Lesson or the Chapter was a readinge the people with silence drew togeather rounde aboute the Aultar and gaue eare And to leaue others Durandus examining the cause why the Priest turneth him selfe aboute at the Aultar yeldeth this reason for the same In medio Ecclesiae aperui os meum In the middest of the Churche I opened my mouthe And Platyna noteth that Bonifacius Bishop of Rome was the first that in the time of the Ministration diuided the Priest from the people To leaue farther allegations wée sée by these few that the Quier was then in the Bodie of the Churche diuided with Rayles from the rest whereof it was called Cancelli a Chauncel and commonly of the Greekes Presbyterium for
in Sprite and Trueth And therefore God complaineth of the contrarie This people draweth neare vnto me with their lippes saith the Lorde but their harte is farre from mee Hereof M. Harding geathereth this reason The people is deuoute and godly disposed Ergo They must haue their praiers in a strange tongue I woulde M. Hardinge woulde consider and reforme his reasons better This is to simple it néedeth no answeare Certainely if the simple people be so deuoute and so reuerently disposed in the darkenesse without any teachinge or vnderstandinge muche more woulde they reuerently deuoutely dispose them selues if they hearde the godly praiers and vnderstoode them Kneeling bowing standinge vp and other like are commendable gestures and tokens of deuotion so longe as the people vnderstandeth what they meane and applieth them vnto God to whom they be dewe Otherwise they may wel make them Hypocrites but holy or godly they cannot make them Coelestinus writeth thus vnto the Bishoppes of Fraunce Docendi potius sunt quà m illudendi nec imponendum est eorum oculis sed mentibus infundenda praecepta sunt The people must rather be taught then mockte Neither must wee deceiue their eies but must power holesome preceptes into their hartes M. Hardinge The .30 Diuision And where as S. Paule seemeth to disallow praieing with tongues in the Common assemblie because of wante of edifieing and to esteeme the vtterance of fiue woordes or sentences with vnderstandinge of his meaninge that the rest might be instructed thereby more then ten thousande wordes in a strange and vnknowen tongue Al this is to be referred to the state of that time whiche was muche vnlike the state of the Churche wee be novv in The tongue of the praiers whiche S. Paule speaketh of was vtterly strange and vnknowen and serued for a signe to the vnbeleeuers The Latine tongue in the Latine Churche is not altogeather strange and vnknowen For beside the Priest in most places some of the rest haue vnderstandinge of it more or lesse and now we haue no neede of any suche signe They needed instruction vve be not ignorant of the chiefe pointes of Religion They vvere to be taught in al thinges vve come not to Churche specially and chiefely to be taught at the Seruice but to praie and to be taught by preachinge Their praier vvas not vaileable for lacke of faithe and therefore vvas it to be made in the vulgare tongue for increace of Faithe Our Faithe vvil stande vs in better steede if vve geue our selues to deuoute Praier They for lacke of Faithe had neede of interpretation bothe in praiers and also in Preachinge and al other spiritual exercises vve hauinge sufficient instruction in the necessary rudimentes of our faithe for the rest haue more neede by earnest and feruent praier to make sute vnto God for an vpright pure and holy life then to spende muche time in hearinge for knovvledge Concerninge vvhiche thinge Chrysostome hath this saieinge Profectò si orare cum diligentia insuescas nihil est quòd doctrinam tui conserui desideres quum ipse Deus sine vllo interprete mentem abundèluce afficiat Verily if thou vse to praie diligently there is nothinge vvhy thou shouldest desier teachinge of thy felovv seruante seeing God him selfe doothe abundantly lighten thy minde vvithout any interpreter The B. of Sarisburie Here M. Hardinge by countrepointes and by sundrie circumstances of difference compareth the state of the Primitiue Churche and his Churche of Rome togeather and thereof woulde seeme to prooue that S. Paules woordes which S. Paule him selfe calleth Mandata Domini The Lordes commaundementes stoode good onely for that time present and for no time afterwarde as if he woulde say Gods wil were mutable or his commaundementes holde onely for terme of yéeres I graunte there appeare greate notes of difference betwéene the order of the Primitiue Churche and the order that now is in the Churche of Rome For to leaue al that M. Hardinge hath here touched by way of comparison and to note that may séeme neare to this prupose The rulers there wisshed and laboured that the people might abounde in knowledge Here their whole labour and study is that the people may abounde in ignorance There the Ministers spake with sundrie tongues that the people of al Nations might vnderstande them Here the Minister speaketh in a strange tongue to the intente that noman may vnderstande him There the simple and the ignorant were made eloquent Here the Bishoppes and Cardinals and greatest learned are made dumme And to prosecute no further there appeared in the Primitiue Churche the vndoubted woorkes of the holy Ghoste and the very tractes and steppes of Christes féete and therefore Irenaeus and other Olde Fathers in cases of doubte appealed euermore to the order and example of that Churche And Tertullian saith Hoc aduersus omnes haereses valet id esse verum quodcunque prius id esse adulterum quodcunque posterius This Marke preuaileth agianst al Heresies That is the trueth that was vsed first that is false and corrupte that was brought in afterwarde And therefore the Holy Fathers in the Councel of Nice made this general shoute and agreed vpon the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the auncient orders holde stil referringe them selues thereby to the vse and order of the Primitiue Churche Contrarywise Ualentinus Marcion and other like Heretiques thought them selues wisest of al others and therfore vtterly refused as M. Hardinge and his fellowes now doo to stande to the Apostles orders Thus Irenaeus writeth of them Dicent se non solùm Presbyteris sed etiam Apostolis sapientiores esse sinceram veritatem inuenisse They will say that they are wiser not onely then other priestes but also then the Apostles and that they haue founde out the perfit trueth I say not M. Hardinge is so wickedly minded as Ualentinus or Marcion was but thus I say He vtterly refuseth to stande to the Apostles orders and foloweth other late diuised fantasies and therein vndoubtedly doothe euen as the olde Heretiques Marcion and Ualentinus did Now let vs consider M. Hardinges reasons The state saith he of the Primitiue Churche was farre vnlike the state of the Churche wee be now in Ergo VVee are not bounde to S. Paules commaundementes Againe he saith Some one or other in a Parishe vnderstandeth somwhat of the Latine Tongue The people is sufficiently instructed in Religion They come togeather now not so muche to be instructed as to praie Ergo they ought to haue their Seruice in a strange tongue O what meaneth M. Hardinge thus to deale Lothe I am to make the comparison But true it is Uery Children doo not vse to reason in so childishe sorte He knoweth wel that commonly neither any one of the whole parish vnderstandeth the Latine tongue nor oftentimes the Priest himselfe He knoweth that the people of his Churche is not instructed in Religion nor no man suffered to
instructe them And not withstandinge bothe these partes were graunted true yet coulde he not any way conclude that therfore the people should haue their Seruice in a strange vnknowen tongue Thus neither is the Antecedent true nor doothe the Consequent thereof folow Now iudge thou good Christian Reader whether these proufes beare weight sufficient to leade thy conscience He saith Praiers in the Common Uulgare tongue were necessary in the primitiue Churche for breedinge of the Faith But what thinge can be bredde by praiers in a strange tongue What Knowledge what Faithe what Charitie The Apostles were not voyde of Faithe yet they saide vnto Christe O Lorde increase our Faithe Christe speakinge of the latter daies saith thus VVhen the Sonne of man shal come he shal scarcely finde Faith in the vvorlde Doubtelesse the thinge that was good to reare the Faithe is also good to repaire the Faithe and that was then necessary to increase Faithe is also necessary now to continue Faithe But to what ende doothe he allege the woordes of Chrysostome Did that good Father euer minister the Common Seruice vnto the people in a strange tongue M. Hardinge knoweth The people vnderstoode Chrysostome what he praied and answeared him in their owne tongue and praied with him al togeather Or did Chrysostome euer checke the people for their knowlege or discourage them from reading the Scriptures Certainly he oftentimes rebuketh them for not readinge and willeth them to bye the Scriptures to reade the Scriptures and to conferre at home with their families of the Scriptures And wher as M. Harding to withdraw the peoples hartes from readinge saith The Scriptures are darke and dangerous and no man hable to wade in them without a guide S. Chrysostome contrarywise to encourage the people to reade the Scriptures saith They be plaine and easy and that the ignorant and simple man by praier vnto God may atteine the knowledge of them without any Maister or Teacher by him selfe alone For these be his woordes euen as M. Harding hath alleged them Profectò si orare cum diligentia insuescas nihil est quòd doctrinam conserui tui desideres cùm ipse Deus sine vllo interprete mentem tuam abundè luce afficiat If thou vse to praie diligently there is no cause why thou shouldest defier the teaching of thy felow seruante For God him selfe wil abundantly lighten thy minde without any interpreter The like saieing he hath often otherwhere Declaring the storie of Queene Candaces Chamberlaine he writeth thus Fieri non potest vt is qui Diuinis Scripturis magno studio feruentique desiderio vacat semper negligatur Licet enim desit nobis hominis Magisterium tamen ipse Dominus supernè intrans corda nostra illustrat mentem rationi iubaâ— suum infundit deâ—egit occulta doctorque fit eorum quae ignoramus It cannot be that any man with greate studie and feruent desier readinge the Scriptures should stil be leafte destitute For although wee lacke the Instruction of man yet wil God him selfe from aboue enter into our hartes and lighten our minde and caste a beame of light into our reason and open thinges that be hidden and become our teacher of suche thinges as wee know not Therefore this place of Chrysostome standeth M. Hardinge in smal stéede onlesse it be by the countenance of an ancient Doctour to make the simple beléeue he hath saide somewhat The reason that he geathereth hereof is this The vnlearned man be he neuer so simple may reade the Scriptures in his owne Vulgare tongue and vnderstande the same without a teacher Ergo The Common Seruice ought to be ministred vnto the Laye people in an vnknowen tongue M. Hardinge The .31 Diuision I woulde not here that any man shoulde lay to my charge the defence of ignorance as though I enuied the people any godly knowledge I wisshe them to haue al heauenly knowlege and to be ignorant of nothinge necessary to their saluation Yea euen with my very harte I wisshe with Moses Quis tribuat vt omnis populus propheteâ— det Dominus illis spiritum suum O that al the people coulde prophecie and were learned in Goddes holy woorde and that our Lorde would geue them his spirite But al the common people to vnderstande the Priest at the Seruice I thinke wise and godly men iudge it not a thinge so necessary as for the whiche the auncient order of the Churche with no litle offence publike and vniuersal auctoritie not consulted should be condemned broaken and quite abrogated by priuate aduise of a fewe If defaulte vvere in this behalfe iustly founde it is knowen to whome the redresse perteineth Concerning the state of Religion in al ages the general Councel representinge the vniuersal Churche for al soares hath ordeined holesome remedies VVhere they be not hearde of vvhom Christe saide He that heareth you heareth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me it is to be feared that concerning the Seruice the nevv learned boldenesse is not so acceptable to God as the olde simple humilitie It vvere good the people hauing humble and reuerent hartes vnderstoode the Seruice I denie not The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge wissheth vnto the people Al maner of knovvlege that is godly and heauenly and necessary for their Saluation Onely his Latine Seruice he woulde in no wise haue them know Whereby he seemeth priuily to graunt that his Latine Seruice neither is godly nor heauenly nor necessary for the peoples Saluation He would That al the people vvere learned in Gods holy vvoorde And notwithstanding he know there is noman to instructâ— them yet may he not suffer them either to reade the Scriptures or to vnderstande any parte of their Common Praiers I trowe he woulde haue them learne onely by Reuelation If any faulte vvere iustly founde saith M. Hardinge the redresse thereof belongeth to the General Councel I graunt the very name of a Councel is great and weigheth much But if there were none other possible way to séeke redresse then moste miserable were the Church of God If Christ his Apostles would haue waited for a General Councel the Gospel had béene vnpreached the Churche vnplanted vntil this day It vvere good saith M. Harding the people vnderstoode the Seruice I denie not Forgeat not this good Reader That the people vnderstoode their Seruice M. Hardinge him selfe confesseth it vvere good And why so Doubtlesse bicause he is forced to see and saye that it woulde redounde to the glorie of God and to the greate comforte and profite of the people Therefore he saith It vvere good Whereof wée may wel geather this Argument of the contrary Then that the people in this brute sorte is keapte stil in ignorance not vnderstanding any portion of their Common Seruice by M. Hardinges owne confession It is il And is it not lawful to doo that is good to redresse that is il to séeke Goddes glorie and the comforte of his
iudicata sunt tunc beatissimus Paâ—riarcha Dioceseos illius inter eos audiat illa determinet quae Ecclesiasticis Canonibus Legibus consonant Nulla parte eius sententiae coÌ„tradicere valente If any of the moste holy Bishoppes â—einge of one Synode haue any mater of doubte or question amonge them selues whether it be for Ecclesiastical right or any other maters First let their Metropolitane with other Bishoppes of the same Synode examine and iudge the cause But if bothe the parties stande not to his and their iudgementes then let the moste holy Patriarke of the same Prouince heare and determine their matter accordinge to the Ecclesiastical lawes and Canons And neither of the parties may vvithstande his determination And immediatly after Patriarcha secundum Canones Leges Praebeat finem Let the Patriake accordinge to the Lawes and Canons make an ende By these woordes al Appeales be quite cutte of from the Sée of Rome Likewise the Emperours Honorius and Theodosius haue taken Appeales away from the Bishoppes of Rome and haue commaunded the same to be entred before the Bishop and Synode of Constantinople The Lawe is written thus Omni innouatione cessante vetustatem Canones pristinos Ecclesiasticos qui vsque tunc tenuerunâ— per omnes Illyrici prouincias seruari praecipimus vt si quid dubietatis emerserit id oportear non absque sententia viri Reuerendissimi Sacrosanctae Legis Antistitis Ecclesiae vibis Constantinopolitanae quae Romae veteris praerogatiua laetatur Conuentui Sacerdotali Sancto iudicio reseruari Al innouation set aparte wee commaunde that the olde order and the auncient Ecclesiastical Canons whiche hitherto haue holden be keapte stil through al the Prouinces of â—llyricum that if any mater of doubte happen to arise it be put ouer to be determined by the holy iudgement and assemblie of Bishoppes not without the discretion of the most Reuerende the Bishop of the Citie of Constantinople which Citie now inioieth the Prerogatiue of Olde Rome Here M. Hardinge may not forgeate that the Churche of Constantinople had as greate prerogatiue in al respectes of Preeminence Superioritie and Uniuersalitie of charge as euer had the Churche of Rome Wherfore if the Bishop of Rome were Head of the Uniuersal Churche it must néedes folow that the Bishop of ConstaÌ„tinople was likewise Head of the Uniuersal Churche And againe the Emperour Leo in plainer woordes Omnes qui vbicunque sunt vel post hac fuerint Orthodoxae Fidei Sacerdotes Clerici cuiuscuÌ„que gradus sint Monachi quoque in causis ciuilibus ex nullius penitus maioris minorisue sententia Iudicis commonitoria ad extraneaiudicia perirahaÌ„tur aut prouinciam vel locum vel regionem quam habitant exire cogantur Al that be or hereafter shal be Priestes or Clerkes of the Catholique Faith of what degree so euer they be Monkes also let them not in any Ciuile Actions be drawen foorth to fâ—ren Iudgement by the summone or commaundement of any Iudge more or lesse neither let them be driuen to come foorthe of either the Prouince or the place or the Countrie where they dwel Thus whether the Action were Ecclestastical or Ciuile the partie was to be hearde within his owne Prouince and coulde not be forced to appeare abroade Certainely what good likinge S. Bernarde had herein it appeareth hy his woordes For thus he writeth to Eugenius the Bishop of Rome Quousque non euigilat consideratio tua ad tantam Appellationum confusionem Ambitio in Ecclesia per te regnare molitur praeter ius fas praeter morem ordinem fiunt Repertum ad remedium reperitur ad mortem Antidotum versum est in venenum â–ª Murmur loquor querimoniam Communem Ecclesiarum Truncari se clamant demembrari Vel nullae vel paucae admodum sunt quae plagam istam aut non doleant aut non timeant When wil thy consideration â—wake to beholde this so greate confusion of Appeales Ambition and pride striueth through thee to reigne in the Churche These Appeales be made biside al Lawe and Right biside al manner and good order It was diuised for a remedie it is founde turned to deathe That was Triakle is chaunged into poison I speake of the murmuringe and common complainte of the Churches They complaine they be maimed and dismembred There be either no Churches or very fewe but either smarte at this plague or stande in feare of it This is that woorthy grounde wherevpon M. Hardinge hath layde the firste fundation of his Supremacie A Confusion a Death a Poyson a Terrour and Dismembringe of the Churches practised against Lawe against right against manner and against good order misliked by the Holie Fathers disallowed by godly Councelles and vtterly abrogated and abolished by sundrie woorthie and noble Princes This is M. Hardinges principall fundation of his Primacie But yet these men wil saye Chrysostome Athanasius and Theodoretus beinge Godly Fathers and holie Bishops appealed to Rome and acknowleged the Popes authoritie and besought him to vse the same For the true vnderstandinge hereof it shal be necessarie to consider the state that these godly Fathers then stoode in and the miserable confusion of the East parte of the worlde in those daies Chrysostome thereof writeth thus Certamen est totius orbis Ecclesiae vsque ad genua humiliatae sunt populi dispersi Clerus diuexatus Episcopi exules constitutiones Patrum violatae It is the contention of the whole worlde The Churches are brought vpon their knees the people is scatered the ministerie is oppressed the Bishops are banished the constitutions of our Fathers are broken The Emperours Captaine with a bande of souldiours besette the Churche where Athanasius was prayeing Of the people that was with him some were spoiled and bannished some trodden vnder the souldiours féete some slaine where they went Paulus the Bishop of Constantinople was hanged Marcellus the Bishop of Ancyra was depriued Lucius the Bishop of Adrianopolis died in prison Theodulus and Olympius two Bishops of Thracia were commaunded to be murthered The Emperour had commaunded Athanasius to be brought vnto him either deade or aliue These Godly Fathers beinge thus in extreme miserie and séeinge their whole Church in the East parte so desolate were forced to séeke for comforte whersoeuer they had hope to fynde any and specially they sought to the Churche of Rome whiche then bothe for multitude of people and for puritie of Religion and Constancie in the same and also for healping of the afflicted and intreatinge for them was moste famous aboue al others In like sorte sometimes they fledde for healpe vnto the Emperour So Athanasius beinge condemned in the Councel at Tyrus fleadde to Constantinus the Emperour Flauianus vnto the Emperours Theodosius and Ualentinianus Donatus à Casis Nigris vnto Constantinus And the Emperours sometimes called the parties and hearde the mater them selues Sometimes they wrote fauourable
ruleth ouer them And Pope Nicolas hath straitely commaunded vpon paine of Excommunication that no man shoulde be present to heare Masse saide by a Priest that he knoweth vndoubtedly to liue in aduoutrie How be it in déede it is not their life onely that the Churche of God is offended withal but also and specially the filthe and corruption of their Religion the oppressinge of Gods Woorde the open deceiuinge of the people and the manifest maintenance of Idolatrie And what if the Syluer of Rome be turned into Drosse What if the Citie that was Faithful be become an Harlot What if they can abide no sounde Doctrine What i◠they haue made the House of God a Caue of Theeues What if Rome be become the greate Babylon the Mother of Fornication imbrewed and dronken with the Bloud of the Sainctes of God And what if Abomination sit in the holy Place euen in the Temple of God Yet may wee not departe from thence Yet must that be the Rule and Standarde of Gods Religion Truely Christe saithe Take heede of the leauen of the Scribes and Phariseis And God him selfe saith Exite de illa populus meus ne participes sitis delictorum eius de plagis eius ne accipiatis O my people come away from her least yee be partakers of her sinnes and so receiue parte of her plagues Irenaeus saith Presbyteris illis qui sunt in Ecclesia obaudire oporter qui successionem habentab Apostolis qui cum Episcopatus successione charisma Veritatis certum secundum placitum Patris acceperunt Wee ought to obey the Bishoppes in the Churche that haue their Succession from the Apostles which togeather with the Succession of the Bishoprike haue receiued the certaine gifte of the Truthe accordinge to the wil of the Father This holy Father saith Bishops must be heard and obeied with a limitation that is not al what so euer they be or what so euer they say but that haue the vndoubted gifte of Goddes Truthe And for that M. Hardinge séemeth to claime by the Authoritie of the Scribes and Phariseis sayeinge They sit in Moses Chayre and that therefore wee ought to doo that they say S. Augustine expoundeth the same place in this sorte Sedendo in Cathedra Legem Dei docent Ergo per illos Deus docet Sua verò si illi docere velint nolite audire nolite facere By sittinge in the Chayre is meante they teache the law of God Therefore it is God that teacheth by them But if they wil teache any thinge of their owne as the Churche of Rome hath doone and yet doothe aboue number then saith S. Augustine heare it not then doo it not M. Hardinge The .23 Diuision Now that the Bishop of Rome had alwaies cure and rule ouer al other Bishops 109. speacially of them of the East for touchinge them of the weast Churche it is generally confessed beside a hundred other euident argumentes this is one very sufficient that he had in the East to doo his steede three Delegates or Vicares now commonly they be named Legates And this for the commoditie of the Bishoppes there whose Churches were farre distant from Rome The one was the Bishop of Constantinople as wee finde it mentioned In Epistola Simplicij ad Achatium Constantinopolitanum The Seconde was the Bishop of Alexandria as the Epistle of Bonifacius the Seconde to Eulalius recordeth The thirde was the Bishop of Thessalonica as it is at large declared in the 82. Epistle of Leo ad Anastasium Thessalonicensem By perusinge these Epistles euery man may see that al the Bishoppes of Grece Asia Syria Egypte and to be shorte of al the Orient rendred and exhibited their humble obedience to the Bishop of Rome and to his arbitrement referred their doubtes complaintes and causes and to him onely made their appellations The B. of Sarisburie What wée may thinke of the other Hundred proufes whiche M. Hardinge as he saith hath leafte vntouched it may the sooner appeare for that this one proufe that is here brought foorth in stéede of al is not onely vntrue but also vtterly without any shadow or coloure of truthe These authorities of Leo Symmachus and Bonifacius for as muche as they are alleged without woordes may likewise be past ouer without answeare Howbeit this Bonifacius the seconde in defence of this quarel is forced to saye that S. Augustine that Godly Father and al other the Bishops of Aphrica Numidia Pentapolis and other countreis adioyninge that withstoode the proude attempte of the Bishops of Rome and founde out their open forgerie in falsifieinge the Nicene Councel were altogeather inflamed and leadde by the Diuel But howe doothe this appeare to M. Hardinge that the Bishop of Rome had al the Bishops of the East in Subiection to vse and commaunde them as his Seruantes In what Councel was it euer Decréed it shoulde be so who subscribed it who recorded it who euer sawe suche Canons The best Plea that Pope Nicolas can make in this behalfe is that Peter was firste Bishop of Antioche and after of Rome and S. Marke his Scholar Bishop of Alexandria Hereof he thinketh it may verie wel and substantially be geathered that the Bishops of Rome ought to haue al the worlde in Subiection In déede in the counterfaite Chartar ▪ or Donation of the Emperour Constantine authoritie is geuen to the Bishop of Rome ouer the other foure Patriarkes of Antioche of Alexandria of Constantinople and of Hierusalem But the Bishops of Rome them selues and of them selues diuised and forged this Chartar and that so fondely that a verie Childe maye easily espie the folie For biside a greate number of other vntruethes at that very time when it is imagined that Chartar was drawen there was neither Patriarke nor Bishop nor Priest nor Churche in Constantinople nor the Citie it selfe yet builte nor knowen to the worlde by that name This notwithstandinge the Bishop of Rome vpon this simple title hathe besette his Miter with thrée Crownes in token that he hath the Uniuersal power ouer the thrée Diuisions of the worlde Europa Asia and Aphrica And so as the Kinge of Persia in olde tymes intitled him selfe Frater Solis Lunae euen so Pope Nicolas calleth him selfe The Prince of al Landes and Countreis But what dutie the Bishops of the East partes owed to the Bishops of Rome whosoeuer hath read and considered the storie and practise of the times may soone perceiue Firste the Councel of Nice appointed euery of the thrée Patriarkes to his seueral charge none of them to interrupte or trouble other and willed the Bishoppe of Rome as Rufinus reporteth the storie to ouersee Ecclesias Suburbanas which were the Churches within his Prouince and therefore Athanasius calleth Rome the Chiefe or Mother Citie of the Romaine Iurisdiction And for that cause the Bishops of the East in their Epistle vnto Iulius calle him their Felowe Seruante and
the way of peece Here Innocentius calleth Alexander his Schoolefelowe not his Subiecte or Underlinge And therefore he calleth him his Schoolefelowe of the Apostolique See for that S. Peter sate first at Antioche and after that in Rome and for that cause bothe these Sees of Peter the Apostle were called Apostolique Againe in an other Epistle vnto the same Alexander he writeth thus Voluit Compresbyter noster Cassianus hanc amicitiarum nostrarum paginulam quasi primitias pacis nostrae conscribi c. Cassianus our felowepriest woulde haue this instrument of our frendship to be written as the firste fruites of our peace Therefore I greete wel your brotherhoode and al others of that Churche that are of your minde Here Innocentius him selfe calleth this Composition an Instrument of Frendship or felowship not of Repentance or Humble Submission as it pleaseth M. Hardinge vntruely to translate it Neither dooth this woorde Reconciliation necessarily importe a Superioritie or a Maâ—stership but also and that moste commonly a Felowship or Equalitie as it is saide before So saithe S Paule Christe hathe reconciled bothe the Iewe and the Gentile in one Bodie And what is meante by that Reconciliation he expoundeth thus Omnes vnum sumus in Christo Iesu We are al one in Christe Iesu. So saithe Plinie the yonger Principis est reconciliate aemulas Ciuitates It is a Princes parte to reconcile Citties that contende for the Soueraintie Not that the one may be brought into Subiection to the other but that they may be made frendes and liue in peace So likewise saith Christe Vade Reconcilieris Fratri tuo Goe and be reconciled vnto thy Brother Thus therefore was the Patriarke of Antioche reconciled to the Bishoppe of Rome not as a Subiecte vnto his Prince but as in a Bodie one member vnto an other and for as muche as Innocentius him selfe vseth this woorde Condiscipuli as in a Schoole one Scholar vnto his felowe So where as there was mater of dissension betwéene the Churche of Rome and the Churche of Alexandria it séemed good to the Fathers in the Councel of Aphrica to intreate bitwéene them not that the Churche of Alexandria shoulde submitte her selfe as vnto her Heade and liue in Subiection but that they might be reconciled and liue in peace togeather So Liberatus saithe Petrus Moggus was reconciled vnto Asatius not as vnto his Superiour but as vnto his Brother In this sense writeth Hormisda Bishop of Rome vnto Epiphanius the Bishop of Constantinople A equale studium aequalem curam susâ—ipiamâ—s quibus vna est in Communione fide amicitia Seeinge we haue one frendship in Communion and in faithe let vs therefore take like studie and like care This manner of Reconciliation is largely set foorthe by Socrates in his storie and maye be abbridged in this sorte The Macedonian Heretiques hauinge forsaken their Heresies sent their messingers Eustathius Syluanus and Theophilus vnto Liberius the Bishop of Rome and to other the Bishoppes of the Weast Liberius vnderstandinge that their Faithe agreed fully with the Councel of Nice and with the Faithe that he him selfe and al the other Bishoppes of the Weaste Churche professed receiued them vnto the Communion and wrote fauourably vnto the Bishoppes of the East in their behalfe These Messingers departinge thence went into Sicilie and in a Councel of the Bishoppes there likewise Reconciled them selues vnto them and beinge returned home they sent abroade into al the Churches of those countries and willed them to consider the letters sent from Liberius the Bishop of Rome and from other Bishops of Italie Aphrica France Sicilie and al the Weast and to agrée and to Communicate togeather with them An other like example of Reconciliation we haue made by one Arsenius the Bishop of Hipsilitae vnto Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria The woordes of the Reconciliation are these Nos volentes Ecclesiastico Canoni c. We desiringe to be subiecte to the Ecclesiastical Canon accordinge to the auncient order dooe write these vnto you Dilecte Papa beloued Pope and like wise doo promise in the name of our Lorde that wee hencefoorthe wil not Communicate with any Schismatikes or with any that haue not peace with the Catholique Churche whether they be Bishops Priestes or Deacons This Submission or Reconciliation was made vnto Athanasius yet was not Athanasius the Bishop of Rome This then was the manner of Reconciliation of Churches without any suche Humble Subiection as M. Hardinge fansieth or knowlege or token of Supremacie or any manner Uniuersal Power M. Hardinge The .29 Diuision Thus hauinge declared the Supreme auctoritie and Primacie of the Pope by the Common practise of the Churche I neede not to shewe further howe in 116 al questions doubtes and controuersies touchinge Faithe and Religion the See of Rome hath alwaies beene consulted howe the decision of al doubtful cases hathe beene referred to the iudgement of that See and to be shorte 117 howe al the worlde hath euer fetched light from thence For proufe whereof bicause it cannot be here declared briefely I remitte the learned reader to the Ecclesiastical stories where he shal finde this mater amply treated The B. of Sarisburie As Rome hauinge atchieued the Empier of the whole worlde bothe for renoume honoure and also for wisedome learninge which commonly folowe the Empier was the noblest and most famouse of al other Citties so for commoditie of accesse out of al Kingdomes and Countries bothe of the East of the Weast and also out of Aphrica and Aegypte and other countries of the Sowthe and also for receiuinge of Questions and Resolution of doubtes it seemed to be planted in the fittest place of al the worlde For as Thucydides calleth the Cittie of Athens Graecia of al Graecia so some called the Cittie of Rome in those daies of hir honoure Epitome orbis terrarum The abbridgemeÌ„t of the whole worlde The Admiration of this glorie drewe such resorte of people thither that Beda a learned man of this Countrie beinge there and seeinge the multitude of strangiers that came onely ot gase and to see newes expounded these foure solemne letters S. P. Q. R. in this wise Stultus populus quaerit Romam Foolishe Folke Flee to Rome Therefore for opportunitie of the place and expedition of answeare many maters of question and doubtful cases were brought thither Many I say but not al. For menne that wanted Councel wrote and sought vnto them that had the fame of learninge and were thought best hable to make them answeare So Marcellinus Dulcitius Bonifacius Euodius and others sent their questions to S. Augustine and desired his Counsel S. Ambrose saithe as it is before alleged that many that had beene with the B. of Rome woulde afterwarde for their better satisfaction sende to him And Leo him selfe beinge B. of Rome therefore as M. Hardinge thinketh the Oracle of al the worlde thouht it
goinge against this wil withdrawe them selues from the auctoritie of the Bishop of Rome Lo this is one chief inuincible reason that maketh me to be vnder the Bishop of Rome and compelleth me to confesse his primacie This farre Luther Thus I haue briefely touched some deale of the Scriptures of the Canons and Councelles of the Edictes of Emperours of the Fathers saieinges of the reasons and of the manifolde practises of the Churche whiche are wonte to be alleaged for the Popes primacie and supreme auctoritie VVith al I haue proued that whiche M. Iuel denteth 125 that the Bishop of Rome Withein sixe hundred yeeres after Christ hath beene called the Vniuersal Bishop of no smal number of menne of greate credite and verie ostentimes heade of the Vniuersal Churche both in termes equiualent and also expressely Nowe to the nexte article The B. of Sarisburie The case goeth somewhat hardely of M. Hardinges side when he is thus driuen for wante of other authorities to craue aide at Luthers hande Touchinge alteration in religion whiche it pleaseth him to name lightnes if he woulde soberly remember his owne often chaunges and the light occasions of the same he shoulde finde smal cause to condemne others Certainely D. Luther after God had once called him to be a minister of his Trueth neuer lookte backewarde from the plough nor refused the Grace that God had offred him notwithstandinge he sawe al the powers of the worlde were against him His argument is taken of the effectes or tokens of Goddes wil. The Pope saide he is auanced vnto a Monarchie or Emperial state of a Kingedome But he coulde neuer be so auanced without Goddes wil Ergo it was Goddes wil it shoulde be so Argumentes that be taken of Goddes permission or of the tokens of his wil make no necessary proufe either that the thinges in them selues be good or that God is pleased with them For God suffred Nabucodonozor Sennacherib Pharao and others and their very estates procéedinges were euident tokens of Goddes wil. For if his wil had béene otherwise they coulde not haue reigned Yet neither were they good men nor was God pleased with their dooinges So shal God suffer Antichriste to sitte euen in the holy place Daniel saithe Faciet prosperabitur He shal take his pleasure and shal prosper And againe Roborabitur fortitudo eius non in viribus suis. His power shal be confirmed but not through his owne strength but through the strength of God Yet shal not God therefore loue or fauour Antichriste or delite in his wickednes For S. Paule saith The Lorde shal kil him with the sprite of his mouth and shal destroy him with the brightnes and glorie of his comminge Now for as muche as it hath pleased M. Harding for the Conclusion hereof to touche the Effects of Godes wil I trust it shal not be paineful to thée gentle Reader likewise shortely to consider the effectes and sequeles of this Uniuersal power It is graunted that the Churche of Rome for sundrie causes before alleged was euermore from the beginninge the chiefe and moste notable aboue al others Notwithstandinge Eneas Syluius beinge him selfe a Bishop of Rome saith Ad Romanos pontifices ante Nicenum Concilium aliquis sanè si non magnus respectus fuit Verily there was some respecte had to the Bishoppes of Rome before the Councel of Nice although it were not great S. Cyprian in his time complained That Pride and Ambition seemed to lodge in priestes bosomes Origen in his time complained that the Ministers of Christe seemed euen then to passe the outrage of worldly Princes Yet was the Churche of God in those daies euerywhere vnder cruel and vehement persecution Therefore to abate this ambitious courrage order was afterwarde taken in the Councel of Carthage that no man shoulde be intitled the Highest Bishop or the Prince of Bishoppes or by any other like name The Greeke Bishoppes in the Councel of Antioche and the Bishoppes of Aphrica beinge in number twoo hundred and seuentéene in the Councel there founde them selues greeued with the Pride and Arrogancie of the Sée of Rome For that Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople tooke vpon him to be called the Uniuersal Bishop therefore Gregorie the Bishop of Rome called him Lucifer and the Messenger of Antichrist and saide He had chosen vnto him a proude and arrogant a pompous and a blasphemous name But after that by great sute made vnto the Emperour Phocas the Bishoppes of Rome them selues had once obteined the same title and had possessed enioied the same a longe while in the ende their pride was suche that it seemed intolerable Then they beganne to decrée and determine That euery mortal man is bounde to be subiecte to the Sée of Rome that vpon paine of damnation and that without the Obedience of that Sée noman is saued That the Bishop of Rome is an Uniuersal Iudge ouer al men and that he him selfe may be iudged by noman neither by Emperour nor by Kinge nor by al the Cleregie nor by the whole people For that it is written by the Prophets Esaie The Axe shal not glorie against him that heweth with it That what so euer he doo noman may presume to say vnto him Domine cur ita facis Sir why doo you thus That he hath al manner Lawe and Right in Scrinio pectoris sui in the Closet of his breaste That al other Bishoppes receiue of his fulnes That no Councelles can make lawes for the Churche of Rome and that the Bishop of Romes authoritie is plainely excepted out of al Councelles That notwithstandinge the Pope drawe innumerable companies of people after him into Helle yet no mortal man may dare to reâ—roue him That the Popes wil or pleasure standeth as a lawe In illis quae vult est ei pro ratione voluÌ„tas And that there is none other reason to be yéelded of his dooinges but onely this Quia ipse voluit For he woulde For of that that is nothinge he is hable to make some thinge Quia deâ—eo quod nihil est potest facere aliquid That he hath the right of bothe sweardes as wel of the Temporal as of the Spiritual That the Temporal Prince may not drawe his swearde but onely at his becke and sufferance ad nutum Patientiam Ecclesiae That he is Haeres Imperij the Heire apparent of the Empier and is seuen and fiftie degrees greater then the Emperour and that bicause in suche proportion the Sunne is greater then the Moone That it is lawful for him to depose kinges and Emperours as he did the Emperoure Henry the sixthe and Chilpericus the Frenche Kinge Then he made the Emperour of Christendome to lie downe flatte before him and spared not to sette his foote vpon his necke addinge withal theise woordes of the prophete Dauid Thou
before a thousande yeeres past The B. of Sarisburie Hitherto M. Hardinge hath alleged neither Ancient Doctoure nor Olde Councel to serue his purpose The first that he canne finde is Doctour Bucer that died in Cambridge the fourth yeere of Kinge Edwarde the Sixth in the yeere of Our Lorde .1551 Of his iudgement herein I wil saie nothinge What reasons leadde him to yeelde to the other side for quietnes sake I remitte it wholy vnto God But thus muche I maie wel and iustly saie If M. Hardinge coulde haue founde any other Doctoure he woulde not thus haue made his entrie with M. Bucer Touchinge that brotherly and sobre Conference that was bytweene D. Luther and D. Bucer Philip Melanâ—thon and other Godly learned men of Germanie in the Uniuersitie of Wittenberge I see no greate cause why M. Hardinge shoulde thus sporte him self with it and calle it a Councel He might rather and more iustly haue scofte at the vaine Councel of the Eight Special Chosen Cardinalles holden in Rome vnder Pope Paulus the thirde Anno D. 1538. two yéeres after that Conference at Wittenberge For if he wil compare voices they of Wittenberge were moe in number If knowledge they were better learned if Purposes they sought Peace in Trueth and the Glorie of God if Issue God hath blissed theire dooinges and geuen force and increase vnto his Woorde as it appeareth this daie His holy name be praised therefore for euer But these Eight piked Cardinalles after greate studie and longe debatinge of the mater espied out onely suche faultes as euery Childe might haue soone founde without studie and yet neuer redressed any of the same If M. Hardinge had beene in the Apostles times perhaps he woulde haue made some sporte at theire Councelles For where or in what house assembled they togeather What Bishop or Pharisie was emonge them Certainely S. Augustine had Conference and Disputation with Pascentius the Arian at Hippo in the Priuate house of one Aâ—â—tius and yet was neuer scoft at for his dooinge Thus there be euer some that laugh storne at the repairinge of Hierusalem Origen saith Inimici Veritatis videÌ„tes sine Philosophia coÌ„surgere muros Euangelij cuÌ„ irrisione dicuÌ„t Hoc facilè posse destrui calliditate Sermonum per astutas fallacias The enimies of the Trueth seeinge the walles of the Gospel rise wâ—thout worldly Policie saie scornefully emonge them selues Al this by our craftie speache and falseheade wil soone be ouerthrowen But he that sitteth in Heauen wil laugh them to scorne M. Hardinge The .10 Diuision Let Chrysostome for proufe of this be in steede of many that might be alleged His woordes be these Nos secum in vnam vt ita dicam Massam reducit neque id fide solum sed re ipsa Corpus suum efficit By this Sacrament saith he Christe reduceth vs as it were into one loumpe with him selfe and that not by Faith onely but he maketh vs his owne Bodie in verie deede Reâ—psa whiche is no other to saie then Really The other Aduerbes Corporally Carnally Naturally be founde in the Fathers not seldome specially where they dispute against the Arianes And therefore it had ben more coÌ„uenient for M. Iuel to haue modestly interpreted them then vtterly to haue denied them The olde Fathers of the Greeke and Latine Churche denie that faithful people haue an habitude or disposition Vnion or Coniunction with Christe onely by Faith and Charitie or that we are spiritually ioined and vnited to him onely by hope loue religion obedience and wil Yea further they affirme that by the vertue and efficacie of this Sacrament duely and worthily receiued Christe is Really and in deede communicated by true Communication and participation of the Nature and Substance of his Bodie and Bloude and that he is and dwelleth in vs truely because of our receiuinge the same in this Sacrament The benefite whereof is suche as we be in Christe and Christe in vs accordinge to that he saith Qui manducat meam carnem manet in me ego in illo vvho eateth my Fleashe â–ª he dvvelleth in me and I in him The whiche dwellinge vnion and ioyninge togeather of him with vs and of vs with him that it might the better be expressed and recommended vnto vs they thought good in theire writinges to vse the aforesaide Aduerbes Hilarius writinge against the Arianes alleginge the wordes of Christe 17. Iohn Vt omnes vnum sint sicut tu Pater in me ego in te vt ipsi in nobis vnum sint That al maie be one as thou Father art in me and I in the they also maie be one in vs gooinge aboute by those woordes to shewe that the Sonne and the Father were not one in Nature and Substance but onely in Concorde and Vnitie of wil amonge other many and longe sentences for proufe of vnitie in substance both bytweene Christe and the Father and also bytweene Christe and vs hath these woordes Si enim verè verbum caro factum est nos verè verbum carnem Cibo Dominico sumimus quomodo non Naturaliter manere in nobis existimandus est qui Naturam Carnis nostrae iam inscparabilem sibi homo natus assumpsit Naturam Carnis suae ad Naturam aeternitatis sub Sacramento nobis CoÌ„municandae Carnis admiscuit If the vvorde be made fleashe verily and vve receiue the vvorde being fleashe in our Lordes meate verily hovve is it to be thought not to dvvel in vs naturally vvho both hath taken the nature of our fleashe novve inseparable to him self in that he is borne man and also hath mengled the nature of his ovvne fleashe to the nature of his euerlastingnesse vnder the Sacrament of his fleashe to be receiued of vs in the Communion There afterwarde this worde naturaliter in this sense that by the Sacrament worthely receiued Christe is in vs and we in Christe naturally that is in trueth of nature is sundrie times put and rehearsed who so listeth to reade further his eight booke De Trinitate he shal finde him agnise Manentem in nobis carnaliter filium That the Sonne of God through the Sacrament dwelleth in vs Carnally that is in trueth of fâ—eashe and that by the same Sacrament we with him and he with vs are vnited and knitte togeather Corporaliter inseparabiliter Corporally and inseparably for they be his very wordes Gregorie Nyssene speakinge to this purpose saith Panis qui de Còelo descendit non incorporea quaedaÌ„ res est Quo enim pacto res incorporea corpoâ—i cibus fietâ—res verò quae incorporea non est corpus omnino est Huius corporis panem non aratio non satio non agricolarum opus effecit sed terra intacta permansit tamen pane plena fuit quo famescentes Mysterium virginis perdocti facile saturantur 138 whiche wordes reporte so plainely the trueth of Christes Bodie in the
euermore Carnally see his Bodie These woordes are specially to be noted If Christe were Bodily here he shoulde Carnally be séene Therefore by S. Augustines iudgemente if Christe were Bodily present in the Sacramente wee shoulde sée him Carnally in the Sacramente Againe Et abijt hâ—c est redijt nos non deseruit Corpus enim suum intulit Coelo Maiestatem autem non abstulit mundo He is gonne and yet is here He is returned to his Father and yet hath not forsaken vs. For he hath caried his Bodie into Heauen but he hath not taken his Maiestie from the worlde Againe Pauperes semper habebitis vobiscum c. The poore ye shal euermore haue with you but mee you shal not haue Let good men heare this and not be careful For this he spake of the presence of his Bodie For accordinge to his Maiestie accordinge to his Prouidence accordinge to his vnspeakeable and Inuisible Grace it is fulfilled that he saide I am with you alwaies vntil the Consummation of the Worlde But accordinge to the Fleashe that the Woorde receiued accordinge to that he was borne of the Virgin accordinge to that he was taken of the Iewes accordinge to that he was nailed to the Crosse accordinge to that he was taken downe and lapte in a shrowde and laide in the Graue and roase againe and shewed him selfe in this respecte it is true that he saide Ye shal not euermore haue me with you Likewise againe Dominus consolatur nos qui ipsum iam in Coelo sedentem manu contrectare non possumus sed Fide contingere The Lorde doothe comforte vs that cannot touche him with our hande sittinge nowe in Heauen But may touche him notwithstandinge with our Faithe And againe Si illi proptereà crediderunt quia tenuerunt palpauerunt nos quid facimus Iam Christus Ascendit in Coelum non est venturus nisi in fine vt iudicet de viuis mortuis If they therefore beleeued in Christe bicause they helde him and touched him what doo we then For Christe is now Ascended into Heauen and wil not come againe but in the ende to iudge the quicke and the Deade So saithe Origen Christus secundum Diuinitatis suae Naturam non peregrinatur à nobis Sed peregrinature Secundum dispensationem Corporis quod suscepit Christe accordinge to the Nature of his Godhead is not a stranger vnto vs but he is a stranger to vs touchinge the dispensation of the Bodie whiche he hath receiued Againe Nec est Homo qui est vbicunque duo vel tres in eius nomine fuerint congregati c. It is not Christe as Man that is wheresoeuer two or three be geathered in his name neither is Christe as Man with vs alwaies vntil the Consummation of the worlde So likewise saithe S. Hierome Christus non est Corporaliter in Ecclesia Surgens enim à mortuis Ascendit in Coelum Christe is not nowe Bodily in the Churche for beinge risen from the deade he is Ascended into Heauen I passe ouer S. Ambrose S. Gregorie S. Cyril S. Basile Uigilius Fulgentius Didymus Beda and other like Auncient Fathers Thus were they then resolued of Christes Bodie and this they tooke to be the Catholique Faithe Yet neither were they therefore condemned for Nâ—we Maisters nor folowed they onely the Iudgement of Nature nor leadde they the worlde with péeuishe Reasons nor touchinge Christes Bodie had they forgotten whose Bodie it was nor were they counted the enimies of Goddes Omnipotent Power nor were they then thought to fight against the Churche But M. Hardinge with his newe diuised Fantasie is a Patrone and a mainteiner of the Manichees of the Appollinaristes of the Eutychians and other moe horrible and olde condemned Heretiques FINIS THE SEVENTHE ARTICLE OF ELEVATION The B. of Sarisburie Or that the Priest did then holde vp the Sacrament ouer his Head M. Hardinge Of what weight this ceremonie is to be accompted catholike Christen men whom you cal your aduersaries M. Iuel know no lesse then you Verily where as it pleaseth you thus to ieste and like a Lucian to scoffe at the Sacramentes of the Churche and the reuerent vse of the same callinge al these Articles in general the highest Mysteries and greatest Keies of our Religion without which our doctrine can not be mainteined and stande vpright vnderstande you that this as sundrie other Articles whiche you denie and require proufe of is not suche ne neuer was so esteemed The Priestes lifting vp or shewinge of the Sacrament is not one of the highest Mysteries or greatest keyes of our Religion and the Doctrine of the Catholique Churche may right wel be mainteined and stande without it But it appeareth you regarde not so muche what you say as how you say somewhat for colour of defacing the Churche whiche whiles you goe aboute to doo you deface your selfe more then you seeme to be ware of and doe that thinge whereby amonge good Christen men specially the learned you may be ashamed to shew your face For as you haue ouer rashely yea I may say wickedly affirmed the Negatiue of sundrie other Articles and stoutely craked of your assurance thereof so you haue likewise of this For perusinge the auncient Fathers writinges wee finde recorde of this Ceremonie vsed euen 154 from the Apostles time forwarde S. Dionyse that was S. Paules scholar sheweth that the Priest at his time after the Consecration was wonte to 155 holde vp the dreadful Mysteries so as the people might beholde them His woordes be these accordinge to the Greeke Pontifex diuina munera laude prosecutus sacrosancta augustissima Mysteria conficit collaudata in conspectum agit per symbola sacrè proposita The Bishop after that he hath done his seruice of praisinge the diuine giftes consecrateth the Holy and most worthy Mysteries and bringeth them so praised into the sight of the people by the tokens set foorth for that holy purpose On whiche place the auncient Greeke writer of the Scholies vpon that worke saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Loquitur de vnius benedictionis nimirum panis diuini eleuatione quem pontifex 156 in sublime attollit dicens Sancta Sanctis This Father speaketh in this place of the lifting vp of the one Blessinge that is to say of the one forme or kinde of the Sacrament euen of that diuine Breade whiche the Bishop lifteth vp on high saieing Holy thinges for the Holy In S. Basiles and Chrysostomes Masse wee finde these wordes Sacerdos eleuans Sacrum Panem dicit Sancta Sanctis The Priest holdinge vp that Sacred Breade saith Holy thinges for the Holy In S. Chrysostomes Masse wee reade that as the people is kneelinge downe after the example of the Priest and of the Deacon the Deacon seeinge the Priest stretchige foorthe his handes and takinge vp that Holy Breade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad sacram Eleuationem
a Fantasie or Shewe canne beare no Figure And in this sorte some thinke S. Paule saide Idolum nihil est An Idole is nothinge Thus S. Augustine saith Onlesse Sacramentes had a certaine Likenes of thinges whereof they be Sacramentes then no doubte they were no Sacramentes Thus Leo Gelasius and other Olde Fathers reason against the Heretique Eutyches Likewise Chrysostome reprooueth the Olde Heretiques Ualentinus Manicheus and Marcion Thus he writeth Quoniam isti eorumque sequaces negaturi erant hanc dispensationem Christi in Carne ideò nos in Memoriam Passionis semper reducit per hoc Mysterium vt nemo modò ne sit insanus seduci possit Bicause these Heretiques and others their â—isciples woulde denie this dispensation of Christe in the Fleashe therefore by this Mysterie he putteth vs euermore in Remembrance of his Passion that noman onlesse he be madde canne be deceiued And immediatly before he vseth these woordes which I haue els where alleged Si mortuus Christus non est cuius Symbolum ac Signum hoc Sacrificium est If Christe died not as these Heretiques saie then whose Signe and whose Token is this Sacrifice In like manner Tertullian reasoneth against Marcion not ignorantly or blindely as M. Hardinge saith but directly and orderly and accordinge to the Woordes of Christe But if Tertullian had then benne persuaded of this Priuie and Secrete Presence that here is imagined and neuerthelesse woulde haue leafte the same and grounded his whole proufe vpon a Figure then had he not onely benne ignorant and presumptuous as here M. Hardinge maketh him but also a traitoure to his owne cause For if he had graunted this Newe Fantasie that the Accidentes in the Sacrament stande alone without any Subiecte then had he concluded fully with Marcion the Heretique and most directely against him self For thus woulde Marcion conclude vpon the same The Breade in the Sacrament is Fantastical That is to saie It seemeth Breade and is none Euen so the Bodie of Christe was Fantastical For it seemed a Bodie and was none Thus M. Hardinge and Marcion the Heretique builde both togeather vpon one fundation M. Hardinge The .11 Diuision And where as Tertullian vsethe this woorde Figure in this place it is not to be vnderstanded â–ª suche as the Figures of the Olde Testament be as though it signified the shewinge of a thinge to come or of a thinge absent whiche is wonte to be set against the trueth as contrarâ—e to the same but it is suche a kinde of Figure as doth couer the trueth present and so as it were ioined with the trueth 193 as it is wonte to be taken in the Newe Testament where is sheweth rather the manner of a thinge to be exhibited then that it taketh awaie the trueth of presence of the thinge whiche is exhibited For elles concerninge the trueth of Christes Bodie in the Sacrament if any man doubte what opinion he was of he sheweth him self plainely so to iudge of it as euer hath ben taught in the Catholike Churche VVhereof he geueth euidence in many other places But specially in his seconde booke to his wife exhortinge her not to marie againe to an Inâ—idel if she ouerliued him least if she did she shoulde not haue oportunitie to obserue the Christen Religion as she woulde Speakinge of the blessed Sacrament which was then commonly kepte of deuoute menne and wemen in their houses and there in times of persecution receiued before other meates when deuotion stirred them he saiâ—h thus Shal not thy huâ—bande knowe what thou eatest secretely before other meate And if he know it he wil beleue it to be breade 194 not him who it is called The Latine is recited before I omitte many other places whiche shewe him to acknowledge Christes Bodie in the Sacrament bicause I woulde not be tediouse whiche verily by no wreastinge can be drawen to the signification of a meere Figure The B. of Sarisburie One Clowde more M. Hardinge throweth in to dimne and shadowe the Daie light He casteth doubtes least some man woulde make this Holy Mysterie 〈◊〉 Figure of the Olde Testament But it is knowen euen vnto children that it is a Sacrament of Christes institution in the Gospel like as also is the Sacrament of Baptisme But the difference bitwéene the Sacramentes of the Olde Testament and of the New standeth not in conteining or coueringe as it is here surmised but in the Order and Manner and Euidence of Shewinge Whiche difference S. Augustine openeth in this sorte Sacramenta Legis fuerunt promissiones rerum complendarum nostra sunt indicia rerum completarum The Sacramentes of the Olde Lawe were promises of thinges to be perfourmed Our Sacramentes are Tokens of thinges that already be perfourmed Againe Lex Prophetae Sacramenta habebant praenuntiantia rem futuraÌ„ Sacramenta nostri temporis venisse testantur quod illa venturum praedicabaÌ„t The Lawe and the Prophetes had SacrameÌ„tes shewinge before a thinge that was to come But the Sacramentes of our time doo witnesse that the thinge is already come that by those Sacramentes was signified And againe Sacramenta Iudaeorum in Signis diuersa fuerunt à nostris in rebus autem Significatis paria The Sacramentes of the Iewes in outwarde tokens were diuers from ours but in the thinges Signified they were equal and one with ours Likewise againe he saithe In illis Carnalibus victimis Figuratio fuit Carnis Christi quam pro nostris peccatis fuerat oblaturus in isto autem Sacrificio est Gratiarum actio Commemoratio Carnis Christi quam pro nobis obtulit In those fleashely Sacrifices there was a Signification of the Fleashe of Christe whiche he had to offer for our sinnes But in this Sacrifice there is a Thankesgeuinge and a Remembrance of the Fleashe of Christe whiche he hath already offered for vs. The New Fantasie of Beinge present Secretely or vnder Couerte is answeared before And where as for further proufe of Tertullians minde herein M. Hardinge hath here alleged certaine woordes of his vnto his wife vnderstande thou good Reader that wilfully he hath of purpose corrupted the same the rather to misleade thy simplicitie True it is that the Unfaithful that knoweth not Christe if he happen to sée the Breade of the Holy Mysteries wil iudge no further of it but that he séeth But what it meaneth or Signifieth or vnto what ende it is appointed he knoweth not But the Breade of the Sacramente by Christes Institution is Spiritual and Heauenly Breade euen as the Water of Baptisme is Spiritual and Heauenly Water Whiche thinge as Tertullian saithe the Infidel cannot sée But M. Hardinge hauinge smal regarde to his Readers iudgement hath witingely falsified his Translation changinge this Article It into Him Onely of his owne particular wilfulnesse contrary to al others Olde or New yea contrary to his owne Felowes Of whom one Translateth the same in this wise And if he know it
speakinge onely of the Holy Communion and not one woorde of the Priuate Masse Al these thrée Authorities touche onely one Prieste and as it appeareth by the Glose onely twoo Ministrations at the vttermoste Thus hath M. Hardinge failed bothe in the computation of the yéeres and also in the number of his Masses Yet must this be defended emonge the reste bee the profanation thereof neuer so horrible and who so euer dare wishe a reformation herein muste be no better then a Heathen and a Publicane O how muche better had it béene for M. Hardinge either to haue passed the mater ouer in silence or plainely and simply to haue confessed his errour FINIS THE FOVRETEENTH ARTICLE OF ADORATION OF IMAGES The B. of Sarisburie Or that Images were set vp in the Churches to the intent the people might woorship them M. Hardinge The .1 Diuision That Images were set vp in Churches within sixe hundred yeeres after Christe it is certaine but not Specially either then or sithens to the intent the people mighte woorship them The intent and purpose hath beene farre other but right Godly as shal be declared VVherefore the imputinge of this entent to the Catholike Churche is bothe false and also sclaunderouse And because for the vse of Images these Newe Maisters charge the Churche with reproche of a newe deuise breache of Gods â—ommaundement and Idolatrie I wil here shewe Firste the Antiquitie of Images and by whome they haue beene allowed Secondly to what entent and purpose they serue Thirdly how they may be woorshipped without offence The B. of Sarisburie This Article of Images may be easily passed ouer bothe for that the weight thereof is not great and also for that M. Hardinge as his woonte is hath purposely dissembled the mater that was in question and diuised other fantasies that were not touched Wherein notwithstandinge he vse large discourses and make great shewe yet in the ende as it shal appeare he concludeth nothinge I graunt Images were erected in some Churches within sixe hundred yéeres after Christe al be it neither so rathe as it is pretended nor without muche repininge of Godly men and great contention But M. Hardinge of his modestie once againe calleth vs Newe Maisters so as he woulde cal Moses if he were now aliue or muche rather God him selfe For this Doctrine is Goddes Doctrine and not ours And therefore S. Augustine saithe Huiusmodi Simulachrum Deo nefas est in Christiano Templo collocare In a Christian Churche to erecte suche an Image vnto God resemblinge God to an olde Man it is an Abomination And Epiphanius the Bishop of Cyprus entringe into a Churche and findinge there a Uele hanged vp and the Image of Christe painted in it tare it a sunder and pulled it downe bicause it was donne as he writeth him selfe Contra authoritatem Scripturarum contrary to the Commaundement of Goddes Woorde Againe he saithe Huiusmodi vela contra Religionem nostram veniunt Suche veles so painted are contrary to our Christian Religion And againe Haec scrupulositas indigna est Ecclesia Christi populis qui tibi crediti sunt This Superstâ—tion is vnmeete for the Churche of Christe and vnmeete for the people that is committed vnto thee S. Augustine saithe It is Abomination Epiphanius saithe It is contrary to the Scriptures and contrary to Christian Religion Vnmeete for the Churche of Christe and vnmeete for the people of God How be it M. Hardinge perhaps wil suffer these twoo to passe in the numbre of his Newe Maisters And al be it by these Fathers iudgement it is plaine that by settinge vp of Images Goddes Commaundement is broken yet yt may the better appeare by comparinge Goddes Woordes and M. Hardinges Woordes bothe togeather God saithe Thou shalt make to thee selfe no grauen Image M. Hardinge saithe Thou shalt make to thee selfe grauen Images God saithe Thou shalt not fal downe to them nor woorship them M. Hardinge saithe Thou shalte fal downe to them and woorship them Now iudge thou good Reader whether this be a breache of Gods CoÌ„maundement or no. Uerily M. Hardinge in the first entrie hereof saith thus Images are not specially set vp to thintent the people maie woorship them The sense whereof must needes be this Images are set vp to th end to be woorshipped althoughe not specially to that ende But an Image is a Creature and no God And to honour a Creature in that sort is Idolatrie Therefore by M. Hardinges owne confession Images are set vp to be vsed to Idolatrie althoughe not Specially to that ende How be it by this simple Distinction of General and Special Idolatrie is easy to be excused M. Hardinge The .2 Diuision Concerninge the antiquitie and original of Images they were not first inuented by man but 201 coÌ„maunded by God brought into vse by Tradition of the Apostles allowed by Authoritie of the holy Fathers and al Councelles and by custome of al ages sith Christes being in the Earthe VVhen God would the Tabernacle with al fourniture thereto belonginge to be made to serue for his honoure and glorie he commaunded Moses amonge other thinges to make two Cherubins of Beaten golde so as they might couer both sides of the propitiatorie spreadinge abroade their whinges and beholdinge them selues one an other their faces tourned toward the Propitiatorie that the Arke was to be couered withal Of those Cherubins S. Paul speaketh in his Epistle to the Hebrâ—wes VVhiche Images Beseleel that excellent workeman made at the commaundement of Moses accordinge to the instruction by â—od geuen Againe Moses by the commaundement of God made the Brasen Serpent and set it vp on high for the people that were hurt of serpentes in wildernes to beholde and so to be healed In the Temple also that Salomon buylded were Images of Cherubins as Scripture sheweth Of Cherubins mention is made in sundry places of the Scriptures specially in Ezechâ—el the Prophet cap. 41. Iosephus writeth of the same in his thirde and eight booke Antiquittaum Iudaicarum The Image of Cherubins representeth Angels and the woorde is a woorde of Angelical Dignitie as it appeareth by the thirde Chapter of Genesis where we reade that God placed Cherubins before Paradise after that Adam was cast forth for his disobedience The B. of Sarisburie M. Hardinge doubteth not to deriue the fâ—rst Inuention of his Images from God him selfe euen as rightly and with as good Faith as he deriueth his Masse from Christe and his Apostles or his Holy Water from the Prophete Elizeus or the Cardinalles hatte from S. Hierome Onles perhaps he wil reason thus God saith â—howe shalt not make vnto thee selfe any graueÌ„ Image nor the Likenes of any thinge And Accursed be the man that maketh â—n Image And CoÌ„founded be al they that woorship Images Ergo God commaunded Images to be made Yf he can auouche his Images by suche warrantes then doubtles
as in a Sacramente or in a Mysterie In this sense S. Augustine saithe Gratia Dei in Veteri Testamento velara laâ—ebat The Grace of God laie hidden coouered in the Olde Testamente And againe In Veteri Testamento occultabatur Nouum id est occultè Significabaturâ— The Newe Testamente was hidden in the Olde that is to saie It was secretely Signified in the Olde Here least M. Hardinge should take these woordes strictly and grossely as he doothe the reste and saie The Newe Testamente in déede Really was coouered in the Olde S. Augustine him selfe hath preuented him and opened his owne meaning in this wise as it is saide before Occultabatur id est occultè Significabatur It was Coouered that is to saie it was secretely Signified By whiche exposition beinge S. Augustines M. Hardinge might haue learned likewise to expounde these woordes Caro operta forma Panis id est occultè Significata The Fleashe coouered in the Fourme or Substance of Breade that is to saie Priuily Signified in the Forme or Substance of Breade But M. Hardinge thought it best to leaue the mater and to make his quarel to the woordes This woorde Liethe saith he importeth a scoffe wherewith to bringe his Catholique teachinge into contempte Uerily this must needes be a marueilous tender and a miserable Doctrine that maie no waies be touched without suspicion of a scoffe But why is he more angrie with vs for vtteringe these woordes Liethe hidden then he is with his owne Doctours vtteringe the same In his Glose vpon the Decrees it is written thus Species Panis sub qua latâ—t Corpus Species Vini sub qua later Sanguis The Fourme of Breade vnder whiche is hiddeÌ„ the Bodie The Fourme of Wine vnder whiche is hidden the Bloude These be his owne felowes woordes they are not ours VVillihelmus Hasfliginensis one of M. Hardinges Newe Doctours saith thus Quaerite Dominum dum inueniri potest In Templo inuenitur Materiali Ibi latet sub Specie Panis Seeke the Lorde while he maie be founde He is founde in the Material Churche of stoane There he is hidden vnder the Fourme of Breade An other like Doctour saith thus Ibi est Corpus Christi in tanta quantitate sicut fuit in Cruce Vnde mirum est quomodò sub tam modica Specie tantus homo lateat The Bodie of Christe is there as greate in quantitie as he was vpon the Crosse. Therefore it is marueilous how so greate a man can be hidde vnder so smal a Fourme Yf this woorde Hidden so necessarily importe a scoffe then must M. Hardinge needes thinke that his owne Doctours scoffe at him and laugh him to scorne Certainely it is no indifferent dealinge the woordes beinge al one so fauourably to allowe them in his owne bookes and so bitterly to mislike them in al others Perhaps he wil saie It is no Catholique Fourme of speache to saie Christe liethe in the Sacramente And yet I sée no greate reason but it maie stande as wel with the Catholike Doctrine to saie Christe liethe in the Sacrament as Christe sittethe in the Sacramente Yet Iohannes a S. Andrea a greate Doctour and a special Patrone of that side is wel allowed to write thus and that without any manner controlmente or suspicion of scoffe Id temporis contentio nulla erat vtrùm Corpus Christi insideret Eucharistiae At that time there was no strife whether Christes Bodie were Sittinge in or vpon the Sacramente or no. Thus was it lawful for him to write and his writinges are taken for good and Catholike But M. Hardinge saithe Christes Bodie is in the Sacrament without Circumscription or Respecte of place Strangely VVoonderously and Singularely and by the might of Goddes Omnipotent power and the manner of his Beinge there is knowen onely vnto God These be faire and orient and bewtiful colours but altogeather without grounde and to vse the termes of M. Hardinges Religion they are nothinge els but Accidentes and Shewes without a Subiecte It is a strange and a marueilous mater that this presence of Christe in the Sacrament beinge so certaine and so singulare as M. Harding seemeth to make it yet al the Olde Learned Catholique Fathers should so lightly passe it ouer in silence without any manner mention as if it were not woorthe the hearinge or that M. Hardinge should so assuredly and so certainely know it and yet God him selfe should not know it Or that God should know it and yet beinge a mater so Singulare and so necessarie to be knowen shoulde neuer reuele the same to any either of the Learned Fathers or of the Holy Apostles or make them priuie to that knowledge In déede it behooueth vs to humble our hartes vnto the miracles and marueilous woorkes of God But euery M. Hardinges fantasie is not a Miracle The Heretique Praxeas saide euen as now M. Hardinge saithe Deo nihil est difficile Vnto God nothinge is harde But Tertullian that learned Father answeared him then euen as wee now answeare M. Hardinge Si â—am abruptè in praesumptionibus nostris vâ—amur hac sententia quiduis de Deo confingere poterimus If wee so rashly vse this sentence to serue our Presumptions or fantasies wee may imagine of God what wee liste S. Steuen saw Christe in Heauen Standinge S. Paule saithe Christe is now at the Right hande of God Sittinge whiche thinge also wee confesse in the Articles of our Faithe But in the Sacrament saithe M. Hardinge Christe is Presente without any manner suche Circumscription or Circumstance or order of place that is to say as greate in quantitie as he was vpon the Crosse yet neither Standing nor Sitting nor Lieinge nor Leaninge nor kneeling nor Walkinge nor Reasting nor Moouinge nor hauinge any manner Proportion or Position of his Bodie either vpwarde or downewarde or backewarde or forewarde A very Bodie and yet not as a Bodie In a place and yet not as in a place This is M. Hardinges Catholique Doctrine without Scripture without Councel without Doctoure without any likinge or sense of Reason Yet must euery man receiue the same at M. Hardinges hande as the Singulare Strange Woonderful Omnipotent Woorke of God To Conclude Christes Bodie is in the Mystical Breade of the Holy Communion not Really or Corporally or in déede as M. Hardinge fansieth but as in a Sacramente and in a Mysterie euen as the Bloud of Christe is in the Water of Baptisme FINIS THE XXVII ARTICLE OF IGNORANCE The B. of Sarisburie Or that Ignorance is the Mother and cause of true Deuotion and Obedience M. Hardinge Maister Iuel had greate neede of Articles for some shewe to be made against the Catholike Churche when he aduised him selfe to put this in for an Article Verily this is none of the highest Mysteries nor none of the greatest keyes of our ReligioÌ„ as he saith it is but vntruely and knoweth that for an vntrueth For him selfe imputeth it to D.
seene your Epistles neuer VVritten your Amphilochius your Abdias your Clemens your Leontius your Hippolytus and other like fabulous pamflettes and forgeries so lately founde out so longe lacked and neuer missed your Additions your Diminutions your Alterations your Corruptions of the Doctours your Contrarieties and Contradictions against your selfe your Surmises your Gheasses your Dreames your Visions your Elenches your Fallacies your seely Syllogismes without either Moode or Figure or Sequele in Reason and to conclude your Vntruethes so plaine so euidente so manifest and so many can neuer be answeared Is Simple Trueth become so weake Or is Errour and Falshead growen so stronge O M. Hardinge you know right wel the weakenesse of your side Noman seeth it better then your selfe If you wil dissemble and say ye â—e it not Open your eies beholde your owne Booke and you shal see it You haue forced the Olde Doctours and Anciente Fathers to speake your minde and not their owne And therefore they are now your Children they are no Fathers they are now your Scholars you haue sette them to Schoole they are no Doctours You shoulde haue brought some Trueth for proufe of your purpose The VVorlde wil not now be leadde with Lies These be cases not of VVitte but of Faithe not of Eloquence but of Truethe not inuented or diuised by vs but from the Apostles and Holy Fathers and Founders of the Churche by longe succession brought vnto vs. VVe are not the Diuisers thereof but onely the Keepers not the Maisters but the Scholars Touchinge the Substance of Religion wee Beleeue that the Anciente Catholique Learned Fathers Beleeued wee doo that they did wee saie that they saide And marueile not in what side so euer ye see them if ye see vs ioine vnto the same It is our greate Comforte that wee see their Faithe and our Faithe to agree in one And wee pitie and lament your miserable case that hauinge of your selues erected a Doctrine contrarie to al the Anciente Fathers yet woulde thus assay to coloure the same and to deceiue the people onely with the names and titles of Anciente Fathers S. Cyprian saithe Lies can neuer deceiue vs longe It is Night vnâ—il the Day spriâ—ge But vvhen the day appeareth and the Sunne is vp bothe the Darkenesse of the Night and the Theaftes and Robberies that in the darknesse vvere committed are faine to geue place Now the Sonne is vp your Smooder is scattered God with his Truthe wil haue the victorie The Heauens and the Earthe shal perishe But the VVoorde of God shal neuer perishe O M. Hardinge O fight no lenger against GOD. It is harde to kike against the spurre To maineteine a faulte knowen it is a double faulte Vntrueth cannot be shielded but by Vntrueth Errour cannot be defended but by Errour And the mouthe that speaketh Vntrueth killeth the soule God directe our Hartes that wee be not ashamed of his Gospel but that wee may see it and be seene to see it God make vs the vessels of his mercie that wee may haue pitie of Sion and builde vp againe the broaken walles of his Hierusalem to the Honoure and Glorie of his Holy Name Amen Vigilius contra Eutychem li. 1. Haec est Fides professio Catholica quam Apostoli tradiderunt Martyres roborauerunt Fideles hucusque custodiunt This is the Faithe and Catholique profession whiche the Apostles haue deliuered the Martyrs haue Confirmed and the Faithful keepe vntil this day FINIS Plato in Apologia Socratis Hieronym contrae Luciferiaenos 〈…〉 In Concil Chalcedon â–ª Action 1. August â–ª de Moribâ— Maâ—â—chae 〈◊〉 â— ca. 16. 3. Esdr. 4. Aduersus error IohaÌ„ Hierosolymitani Extra De Constitu Licet De Electio Elect. potestate Significasti 9. quae 3. Nemo De Maioritate Obedientia Vnam Sanctam In glosa In Concil Lateran Sub Iulio Lib. 4. epist. 32. August epis 165. In the 3. Article and in the 15. Diuision 11. quaest 3. Nolite Extra de Maiorita Obedi Vnam Sanctam Dist. 22. Omnes Matthae 23. 1. Corin. â— The Canon Gregor lib. 6. epist. 30. Ibidem Luke 16. Extra 10. 22. Cum inter In Glosa Dist. 96. Satis euidenter Gregor lib. 7. epist. 63. Durand libro 4. parte 2. 1. Timoth. 2. The Prieste a Mediatour bytweene God and Christe In a Sermon preached in S. Maries Churche in Oxforde Chrysostom De Poeniten hom 4. Chrysostom De profectu Euangelij Ambros. in 1. cap. ad Roman Hieremi 7. Esai 1. Hieremi 9. Matth. 10. Matthae 15. Matth. 26. Leo in Epist. ad Palaestinos Naziaenzenus In Apologetico Anno Domini 1551. anno Eduardi 6. quinto Liberatus cap. 16. Matthae 11. Termes vsed commonly by M. Hardinge through his whole Booke Augustin De Gene. contra Manichae Psalm 142. Iohan. 14. Iohan. 8. Hierony in praefa in Abdiam 2. Corin. 11. 1. Corin. 15. Polydor. de Inuent rer li. 8. c. 1. Tertull. aduersus ValeÌ„tinian lib. 1. Augustin in Iohan. tract 7. Chrysostom de Laudibus Pauli hom â–ª 5. Ecclesi 4. Iohan. 9. a The first vntruthe for there is no suche preparatioÌ„ b The secoÌ„de vntruthe there appeareth no such vvil in the Minister Pag. 182. b. M. Hardinge maketh coÌ„mon priuate and priuate coÌ„mon These reasons be answeared afterwarde more at large Hermannus Contractus Nicolaus Lyra in 14. cap. Danielis Ambro. 1. Cor. 11 Hieron 1. Cor. 11 3. Vntruth Matthaei 4. 2. Corinth 12. 2. Concil VaseÌ„ Cap. 4. Concil Triburien Decretal lib. 3. tit 41. C. 2. De consecrat dist 1. ex Augustâ— quod quidaÌ„ Gregor tribuuÌ„t Grego ex Regist. lib. 2. ad CasteriuÌ„ c. 9. b. 3. Parte Summae q. 83. In the Bishops booke Alber. Pigghius in locis Communib De Priuata Missa â—ar 3. q. 83 â–ª ar 5. Publike Masse Priuate Masse 3. Par. q. 183. ar 4. In explanatione Missae Romanae Dominica Iudica Galat. 6. 1. Corint 11. Albertus Pigghius de priuata Missa The 4. Vntruthe The oldâ— Fathers neuer commonly called it so Pro sacrificio cruento rationale incruentum ac mysticum sacrificium instituit quod in mortem domini per Symbola corporis sanguinis ipsiâ—â— celebratur Clemens constitutionuÌ„ Apostolicarum lib. 6. cap. 23. The .5 Vntruthe Christ speaketh not one vvoorde of any Sacrifice The .6 vntruthe S. Andrevve saide the Communion and not the Masse Abdiae li. 7. Historiae Apostol The .7 vntruthe This Abdias neuer savve Christe in the fleshe It is a very Legende of lies Concilium CoÌ„stantinopol in Trullo Cap. 32. Epistol ad Burdega li. Constir Apostolicarum 8. Cap. â—lt The .8 Vntruthe There is no manner token or shevv of priuate Masse The .9 vntruthe It is the verye form of the Communinion and nothing like the priuate Masse In Eccles. hiâ—rach Cap. 3. Act. 17. * Faith confirmed vvith out vvords S. Paule saithe Faith coÌ„meth by hearinge Lib. 4. Contra haeres Cap. 32. A burthen of vntruthes The .11 vntruthe Thei conteine the very order of the