confident and stubburne Hys confidencie I graunt He hath learned the good lesson of hys heauenly Father Confidite ego vici mundum be confident for I haue ouercome the world The Lorde is his helper and he shall not be moued for euer He is guiltie to him selfe of no crime herein he waxeth not pale with the memorye of any fault and therefore in the feare of God he hath sayd vnto hys soule hic murus aheneus esto stand fast as a brazen wall Would God M. Hardyng had had the lyke confidence the scornfull reproches of the proud should not haue proued hym stubburne Hardyng ¶ Our Lord yet if it be his pleasure once open your eyes and giue you grace to see the daunger of the poole you wade in Beware by tyme M. Iuell you fall not into the horrible gulfe that Salomon speaketh off Impius cum in profundum malorum venerit contemnit When the wicked man commeth into the bottom of euils he becommeth careles settyng all at nought If once you fall into thys bottom what hope is there of your recouery For whereas none returneth from euyll but he that repenteth hym of euil How can he repent that hath cast away all care Yea how can he steppe backe from euill and be made good that saith whose miserable state Esay lamenteth euyll is good and good is euyll How can he see the right way that maketh darknes light and light darknes How can he delight in sweete thyngs that taketh sowre for sweete and sweete for sowre Dering From these vncharitable beginnings M. Harding falleth as it may séeme to a charitable prayer but were the same acceptable in the sight of God he himselfe should returne from all hys abhominations now it procéedeth from the Minister of iniquity We are put in minde of the country prouerb that it is ill wyth the Géese when the Fox preacheth If the prayers were ryghteous he pretendeth here not our bloud but their owne teares should haue watred their eyes Nowe bicause their prosperitie hath bene the slaughter house of Satan this submission in aduersity can be but the Crocodiles teares If God of hys iustice shoulde carye vs agayne captiues into Babilon we know the purple whoore and the whyps of hir fornication But God be praysed the lynes are fallen to vs in pleasaunt places yea we haue a fayre heritage for the waye that Maister Iuell wadeth in it is not that horrible gulphe which M. Harding can not sée wherein the bottom of all euyll abydeth The spirite of God is our warrant that it is the narrow way which leadeth vnto euerlastyng lyfe there is no cause why M. Iuell should repent him of this iourneying he walketh in the way of health God of hys good wyll and mercie shall giue vnto hym that hys course be finished in the same He maketh not good euill nor euyll good he putteth not darknesse for light nor light for darknesse he saith not swéete is sower and sower is swéete And for as much as the whole controuersie betwéene vs doth rest in this whether of vs is in darknesse it shall not be tedious vnto the Christian Reader if in the woord of God we doe séeke for triall for that giueth vnto the simple sharpnesse of wyt and to the children knowledge and discretion neyther is it hydden but from the eyes of the scorner neither yet peruerted but of the wycked Let vs aske of the same woord what is good what is the lyght and what is swéete It is good for thée saith Peter to harken vnto the woorde And thy woorde saith Dauid is a lantern vnto our féete a light vnto our steppes and the same woorde is more swéete then hony and the hony combe Then as thys same word is true so we are assured of all goodnesse all light and pleasure if we follow it and therefore blesse onesse is pronounced ouer hym that readeth and them that heare that prophecie Now doe we call the world to wytnesse whether they or we do set out thys woorde We haue it in our churches and priuate houses we expounde it to the people we exhort them to reade it we call the ignorant from their errours wyth the same voyce that S. Augustine was called tolle lege tolle lege Take vp and reade and thys is as the holy Ghost doth witnesse good lyght and swéete But these men that crake so of their goodnesse what haue they done They haue pulled thys woorde out of their synagoges they haue not suffred it in the poore mans dwellyngs they haue not expounded it as the whole world can iudge they haue not made it the squire of their religion And if in any place that little booke was séene though in the houses of Bishops and Prelats yea in the verie palaces of Popes Cardinalls yet did it sléepe in the dust or if the candle was light it was set vnder a bushell The people did not knowe the meanes of their saluation the merite of Christes passion was mingled with mans good workes his continuall intercession darkned with the mediation of saints his bloudie drops wiped away with the remembring his holye martirs his crying out on the crosse at the yéelding vp of his spirit was not hard thorow the abusing the name of his blessed mother and in steade of other vnderstanding wherwith our soules are comforted we harkened after the straunge sounds of vnknowen trumpets in gadding on pylgrimage in paynting of Tabernacles in sensing of Idols in setting vp of Candels before stocks and stones in blasphemous Masses in idolatrous Altars in halowing of Temples in christining of Bells in selling of Merites in turning of Roodes in a thousand mo iuglings inuented by Satan and practised by his ministers that from the top to the toe from the hill altars vnto the church doore ther was nothing whole in that froward generation Neither they themselues can denie this though they like to dissemble it cry out how they will y t we make euil good and good euill And for the charging vs with darknes the thing so disagréeth that the ignorant require a further proofe and the learned doe sée ther much wrangling eloquence doe we make darknesse light I say as before what shadowes doe we walke in what darkenesse doe we preach wherein are we blinde leaders of the blinde Accusations may not goe for arguments nor slaunderings for sufficient proofe O Maister Harding turne againe to your writings examine your authorities consider your counsails applie your examples looke if any line be blamable in our seruice take hold of your aduantage I think Maister Iuel will accept it as an article No no this offer doeth not like you you see to great a hazarde of your little estimation Our seruice is good and godly euerie title grounded on holie scriptures and with what face doe ye cal it darknesse Sure with the same that the prophecies of the holy ghost were sometyme called dreames the doctrine
then nourished with the kings prouision But that prouision Claudius made in the great famine ▪ the .4 yere of his raigne which was the yeare of our Lord .46 Againe immediatly after the scripture mēcioneth the death of Herode But Herode was made king in the first yeare of Caligula and raigned 7. yeare so he died in the .4 yeare of Claudius And consequently as is said the .46 yeare of our Lorde Peter being now in prison at Ierusalem and thus the seconde time that Peter is mencioned to be in Ierusalem is the .46 yeare of Christ. Afterward when the Apostles helde the councell in Ierusalem that it was the .48 yeare of our Lord it is proued by S. Paule who after he had mentioned his conuersion and his first going to Ierusalem whereof we spake before he saith thus Then after .14 yeres I went vp again to Ierusalem So it was the .48 yeare of our Lord this being .14 yeare after his conuersion and he conuerted in the .35 of our Lorde and thus it is proued that in the yeares of our Lord .35.38.46.48 Peter was in Ierusalē Now it resteth to proue that in the meane space Peter came not to Rome That he was not at Rome betwene the .35 and the .38 yeare I haue this profe In the yeare of our Lorde .37 Pilate wrote his letter◠vnto Tiberius the Emperor of Christ and of his doctrine and how the Iewes accompted him a God whereby the Emperoure was so moued that he wold nedes make Christ a God in Rome ▪ If Peter had bene in Rome Pilates letters had not ben necessary The Emperor should haue had better instruction Thus in those three yeares Peter was not in Rome Betwene the .38 yere and the .46 yeare they say suche is their impudencie that Peter was Bishop all the while at Antioche If it be so then by their owne confession he was not at Rome But the scripture is plain he was neither at Antioche nor yet at Rome And howe these 7. yeares are passed marke and thou shalt see In the beginning of these .7 yeares Peter goeth forth a preaching First into all Iury Galile and Samaria which wold require some cōtinuance Afterward he goeth vp to the saints at Lidda and there tarieth From thence he goeth to Ioppe and there tarieth dies multos a long while From thence he goth to Caesarea and ther couerted Cornelius the first gentile that euer he conuerted as is plain by the scriptures then he abideth certain dayes at Caesarea all this well nigh .400 miles from Antioche and now for profe he maketh no hast to Antioche he commeth home againe to Ierusalem where he is againe ioyned with the Apostles And now the Apostle heare word that certaine gentiles at Antioche are conuerted not by Peter but by the disciples that fled when Steuen was stoned Act. 7.60 8.1 Well did the holy ghost here name them that preached this while at Antioche or else here had ben some coloure for Peters bishoprike But marke further when the Apostles heare this to confirme the gentiles they send to Antioche But vvhome sende they Peter Sure they vvoulde haue done had he then bene their bishop but Peter abideth still in Ierusalem and Barnabas is sent to Antioche where he abideth after goth in to Tarsus to Paule from thēce they come againe bothe to Antioche and there tary afterwarde one whole yeare About this time saith the scripture Peter was put in prison which was as is proued the yeare of our Lord .46 And that he continued in Ierusalem euer since Barnabas was sent to Antioche we haue this coniecture When he was deliuered out of prison and knockt at Maries dores Rhoade the maide knewe him by his voice And so well that the Disciples said she was madde or else it was Peters angell Yet were the thing neuer so incredible she said she was sure it was euen he This perfecte knowledge of a mannes voyce required some continuaunce of acquaintaunce And thus we are come to the .7 yeare of his bishoprike of Antioche in which time he yet neuer came at Antioche Nowe the yeare of our Lord .46 the .4 of Claudius he goeth from Antioche to Rome and there is bishop .25 yeares 2. months .8 dayes from the .16 of Ianuary to the .24 of March Suche accompt I trow they make that tell vs how many mile it is to heauen But be it so he is gone out of the prisone in Ierusalem .2000 mile of to Rome to be made bishop If the story of dame Ioane were so incredible as this maister Harding vvith some countenaunce might haue written against it But let vs go foreward In the yeare of our Lorde .48 notwithstanding this posting to Rome he is yet at Ierusalem And from hēceforth that he ment not to goe to Rome but kepe his promise that he would continue among the Iewes we haue this profe First his othe where Iames Peter and Iohn doe sweare vnto Paule and Barnabas that they would execute their Apostleships among the Iewes Which sure Peter woulde not haue done if he had thought to haue gone to Rome and all the Papists in the world shall neuer be able to ansvver it iangle hovv they vvil that Peter vvas bishop of Rome He vvas not he ment it not he kept his promisse Paule calleth him the Apostle of circumcision He vvas aftervvarde among the Ievves at Antioche he vvryteth ▪ his Epistle to the Ievves that vvere straungers and scattered abroade in Asia euen as Iames dothe to the tvvelue Tribes scattered among the nations and Iohn to them that had heard and seene from the beginning vvhich vvere the Ievves Thus did those Apostles minde their promise though vve talke of bishopprikes vve knovve not vvhat But bicause there are yet three and twenty yeares behinde let vs as vve may examine them by the scriptures In the Actes vve read that Priscilla and Aquila and all the residue of the Ievves vvere banished out of Rome But this vvas done the .9 yeare of Claudius Anno Domini .51 When now Peter should haue bene more than .5 yeare bishop in Rome Thus yll may this fable agree vvith the scriptures of God But let vs examine it further About six yeares after this and the beginning of the raigne of Nero Paule wryteth his Epistle to the Romaines as appeareth for that he then caried vp to Ierusalem for the pore saints there abiding suche distribution as they of Macedonia and Achaia had gathered which was a little before Paules last going to Ierusalem as most writers agree in the last yeare of Claudius And for profe it was so now al things are quiet at Rome Paule saluteth Priscilla and Aquila which in the .9 of Claudius were bothe banished and the Actes doe specifie certaine yeares after in which Paule and they were togither So now being at Rome againe it agreeth wel that the Epistle to the
Fishermen some Tentmakers some Husbandmen and suche like this contrarietie of Apostles could neuer be in Christes Apostles Then by like M. Hardings Church that is faine to make them Apostles hath some wants And yet bicause M. Iuell sayd thus much he falleth out in a rage that his Challenge was foolish his Replie without learning his arrogancie much his Gospell false his weakenes discouered his modestie stained and I wot not what A heape of shamelesse lies in halfe a side of a lease The Challenge was foolish yet Harding Dorman Rastell Marshall Stapleton Heskins Saunders and Shacklocke doe sweate these .iiii. or .v. yeares about it and are neuer the neare The Replie was vnlearned Yet M. Harding in a yeare could reioyne but with a few leaues and that non absque theseo Summysts or Glosesearchers euerie one doth helpe a little Concerning these other sclaunders his pride can not be much that alwayes commendeth his aduersaries cunning His Gospell is not false that embraceth nothing but the Gospell of Christ. His weakenesse is litle that is vpholden with so manye authorities His modestie is not stained whose enimie euill reporteth him Nor his bragges are manie where the victorie abideth Therfore this filthie fome of such vncomely railing doth rather bewray the sicknes of the wryters mynde then reproue the person against whom it is vttered Harding ¶ That you loked fiercely and shoke your sword terribly I sayd it not as you reporte me c. from thence to digresse to the odious vpbraiding vs with crueltie c. it was more spitefull then pertinent to the matter Dering Maister Harding much blameth the racking of this example but he may not nowe well discemble his meaning His owne writinges and Maister Shacklocks old withered trée doe showe howe gladly they woulde bring vs into hatred oâ— bloudinesse and when they secretly insinuate it is it not wisdome to bring open remedies They may not well discharge them selues of such secrete doinges Maister Harding was but little gone in this Epistle when he would closely séeme to be Appelles But his painting was not singular and therfore I passed it ouer After that he hath saide in this matter what he can he commeth to his woonted rhetorike of Runnagates Apostataes Forsakers and Rebels as if he were talking of him selfe or Staphylus and such companions But Maister Hardings mouth is no slaunder our constancy is yet vnblamable He blameth much our vncourtesy towarde our aduersaries but he sheweth not wherin we do so euill entreat them We neither tye them vp in cheines nor shut them vp in cole houses Perhaps he will saye they are in â—uraunce Yet that is but his own false surmise Their great good lyking is a token of little hard handling As touching these manye yffes of the beginning of Maister Iuels profession they néede no aunswere What he ment a godlye man maye iudge in seing gods blessing of his proceadinges He findeth not hym selfe guilty with Core Dathan and Abiron in gods mercies he feareth not the fall of Lucifer And as you Maister Harding haue regarde to the saluation of your soule for Christes sake he requireth you to enter into your owne conscience If promotion made you shrinke remember Ieroboam that made Israel to synne If shame make you coÌ„tinue remember Pharao that would not yéeld to Moyses What euer kepeth you back from the true ioye of Gods gospell remember Iulianus You shall crye in time vicisti Galilee O Galilean thou hast the victory Harding ¶ That you were enforced therto by our importunity as you say who can beleue you For who of vs al troubled you Who prouoked you Who did so much as pull you by the sleue Had you not before shut vs vp c. Dering Where he denieth that M. Iuell was prouoked by their importunitie and thereto rayseth a heape of his idle questions what priuate cause he had I know not Of their great importuniti all the world is witnesse What if M. Bonner were in prison that had tied vp so many What if testie M. Watson held his peace Or what if M. Harding were quiet Are there no moe enimies of Gods truth but they Was all at rest Was al husht Was not the world dayly seduced by their popery Was not Christes merites darkned Antichrist stil fighting for his seate in the temple And will not this importunitye stirre vp a good Byshop I pray you M. Harding I speake it not to vpbraide you but to admonish Gods people what if your watchmen were blinde and had no knowledge what if they were domme Dogs and they would not barke what if they laye a sléepe and delited in sléeping doo you thinke therefore that the vigilant pastor of Sarisburie coulde sée the woolfe come and runne awaye sée the théefe and kéepe silence Your great murderer Hosius was buste your Sorbonists wer occupied your Louanists at their labour this might moue the byshop though a few of you foxes dyd not much trouble y â— fold dissemble not your knowledge for shame anie longer confesse this was great cause both of griefe and vehemency Hardyng You finde fault with my want of modesty for shewyng forth your bosting for my part I pray God I be neuer found more faulty for want of modestie Dering Maister Harding excuseth him selfe that he hath not passed modestie and prayeth God that therein hée be neuer founde more faultie but whosoeuer readeth ouer his writing and raketh vp togither the scourings of his modestie shall finde such a heape of railings that if he yet feare going ouer them it is very true that he that is once past shame is like to proue notoriously impudent But it skilleth not much how immodest he be in writing that defendeth such a shamelesse cause Hardyng ¶ If the truth you meane were manifest and knowen why could not Luther see it by whose spectacles you haue espied many pointes of your Gospel by his minde the truth of you that be Caluinistes is not manifest Dering Now M. Harding falleth into his common place of Luther and Caluine and those men the more excellent their vertues were the more opprobriousâ—ye he reporteth them I could haue wished in the one lesse vehemencie But it was a froward world when he first preached the people coulde not be wonne with entreatie The other may be a spectacle in al posteritie to behold the great mercies of God that endued his sinfull creatures with so rare vertues He preached so often and wrote so many bookes that if the truth bare not witnesse it might séeme incredible He expounded the scriptures in such vertue of the spirite giue me leaue to speake as I thinke seing all is to the glorye of God that neither S. Augustine nor S. Ierom the great lightes of Gods church haue euer done the like But let such men rest in the peace of the Church Maister Hardings reuilings can not blemish their good names After this he expoundeth his meaning in calling Maister Iuell Goliah which he saith he
doth not direct your goyngs and therefore you make suche often reaches at hatred What preiudice should Maister Iuell bring vnto your cause which of it selfe is weake and of all Godly men forsaken What harme vnto your person whose returne should be his exceding ioye and whose obstinacy is the encrease of his commendations Bicause say you in the person of an other he putteth you in remembrance from whence you be fallen Why M. Harding are you offended to heare of your euyll doyng Uerilye the wise man sayth He that refuseth instruction despyseth his own soule But what speaketh this person whom you meane vnto M. Harding not long since c. O custome of euill speaking what a pleasure doost thou bring vnto the euill disposed person We haue hearde often of Maister Iuells raiâ—inges and scoffings euery leafe of his vncourteous dealing a long common place of his bitter kinde of writing After so much a doo seing there will be required some proofe he séeketh busylye and when he can finde none he maketh the greatest leape though there be many very wyde that is in the reioinder euen out of this preface quite ouer the Replie in to the conclusion and there he hath found a poore man which asketh a question which hath set him in these fiery passions what is there in such manner dealing but either singular impudeÌ„ce or extreme foly Beare yet with him good Reader Barre him of these leapings and all his pastime is done But let vs heare what Maister Harding can aunswere to this poore man Thus Maister Iuell maketh him speake vnto Maister Harding Not long since you taught them of our side the Gospell euen in like sorte and fourme as it is tought now Here Maister Harding bicause he can make no good aunswere thinketh it not amisse to stop this pore mans mouth with a litle sophestrie You taught vs sayth this poore man the Gospell By this saith Maister Harding you doo vs to wéete what your gospell is and wherin it consisteth Blame not this poore man though he can say no more I haue béen a scholar almost this twentye yeares and yet I can not sée what this aunswere meaneth They must be Lâ—nces eyes and such as can looke through milstones that can sée this conclusion very déepe cogitations must go so far into sentences and a man had néede of a warme nightcap that should folow them But seyng we can get no better aunswer the poore mans saying shall stande still for true and Maister Hardings obscure gatherings shall verifie the coÌ„mon saying that it is better to saye nothing then to holde ones peace In the ende Maister Harding denieth that he euer spake these woordes wherby he doth empayre his credit in all other matters Let the Christian reader for his contentation when time and occasion may serue enquire of any that then liued in Oxâ—orde This simple way may not countervaile so many witnesses Hardyng ¶ To answere to the matter simply and truly as before God I will not here for my better excuse accuse the will of the Prince in whose dayes I was brought vp in learning the ernest endeuour of the Gouernours then being to satisfie his desires the crueltye of the lawes the yeelding of all in generall except a very fewe the great silence of preachers that then durst not teach necessaries the common ignorance of men Omittingâ— all these which I might bring for some part of excuse I am content for truthes sake freely to accuse my selfe In certaine points I was deceiued I confesse by Caluin Melancthon and a few others as you by them and sundrye others are nowe deceiued in many Dering Now he commeth to the simple and true aunswere for hys turning but he turneth so many members in one sentence that he turneth all sense quite out of the periode Perhappes he thinketh he speakes to the poore man againe therefore he speaketh in riddles Or if it bee not so the truth I trowe breaketh out And againe he accuseth the iniquitie of those dayes but his darke hart cannot abide the light straight he starteth backe againe and is content to take the fault vnto him selfe bicause all other excuses are vayne and vngodlye And as well as he can in so great a storme he runneth vnder the couering of S. Augustines auctoritie but it may not helpe him sithe their turnings are not like Saint Augustine turned from traditions vnto scripture but he turneth from the scripture vnto traditions Againe S. Augustine turned from the vayne trust that he had in man vnto the sure confidence that is fixed in Christ. But he is slidden away euen from Christ to sée how farre men haue established hys aucthoritie This is true as his own conscience doth iudge and hys writings doe testifie when vnder the name of the Churche he gâ—eth from the woord of God Therefore is his turning neyther modestie nor repentance but a shamelesse falling away and an obstinate forsaking of God God giue him grace herein to iudge him selfe that in the day of wrath he be not iudged of the Lord. Harding ¶ Now as to confesse this much truth requireth so to acknowledge your false reportes wisdome forbiddeth Them would I haue also not let to coÌ„fesse if I wist God were delited with our lies Wher then you say I taught your Gospell euen in like sorte and forme in al respects as it is taught now that I deny vtterly In dede I hobde and roued sometimes but your pricks I euer tooke to be to farre for me to shoote at Neither trulye coulde I see the marke that you M. Iuell and suche as you are shot at it was so farre of and therefore I stoode out and shot smaller game Dering Now after this confession made you go as you say from the truth to your wisdome and tel vs in what sorte you preached the Gospell You say you hobde and roued but you neuer shot at any certaine marke Why were you one of Baals prophets that haulted on both sides that woulde serue both God and Mammon too That eate meate with the Gentiles and yet dissemble it before the Iewes The waueryng is vnconstant in all his wayes and bicause thou art neyther hoate nor colde I will spue thée out of my mouth sayth the Lord This hobbing was the cause that you fell agayne to your vomit And this rouing euer since made your shooting vncertaine You could not sée the marke that M. Iuell shootes at the vale of colde deuotion was before your eyes You looked euen now like an Eagle in the poore mans question But nowe you haue oyled your blere eyes that you can not sée Christ. God lighten your eyes that you sléepe not styll in death You stoode without you say and shot smaller game in déede you shot such game as was not worth your labour At the imaginations of mans brayne you roued so muche vncertainly that you shoote yet now beating the ayre Therfore haue you eyes and sée not c. There be
not the sacrifice of the crosse the daily sacrifice Here vpon better aduise he reuoketh his absolute assertion and doeth qualifie it with maister Iuels meaning So if maister Harding doe not truely gather maister Iuels meaning vpon a false surmise he hathe made two vntruthes But bicause we are come againe to mention of this Sacrifice I will shew thée what is our Sacrifice for the purging of our sinnes First for thy better instruction thou must learne wherein standeth the controuersie betwixt the Papists and vs. They say they doe daily in their Masse offer vp Christ vnto his father a propitiation for our sinnes We say that Christ hath purged vs from our sinnes and that with the Sacrifice of his owne precious bodie and bloud but that sacrifice Christ himself did once make vpon the Crosse neither can any mortall man offer him any more Now if we can shewe that Christes reall body is no more offered vnto his father then is not only this no vntruthe but all maister Hardings religion is deuelishe and wicked Let vs sée then what the scriptures doe teache vs vntill the time that our sauior Christ did die This Sacrifice is often mentioned that it should be made when he had once died it is neuer mentioned but as already done Before he was conceiued in his mothers wombe the angell said his name should be Iesus For he should saue his people from their sinnes When he was born he was called the saluation which God had prepared before the face of all people When he was Christened Iohn said of him beholde the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde The Lambe in this place after the Hebrue phrase dothe signifie the sacrifice or the offering And Christ him selfe When I shall be exalted I will draw all vnto my selfe By these and all those other places which are of the Passion of Christ it is manifest that the time was appointed when this sacrifice should be once made But when this sacrifice was done Christ said vpon the crosse consummatum est all was finished and in token that there was no more sacrifice to be made for sinne the baile of the temple did rende from the toppe to the foote Nowe after this sacrifice once finished not one title in the whole scriptures of any propiciatorie sacrifice to come but vpon this one and once made repentaunce must be preached to all the world and forgiuenesse of sinne with this promise annexed that whosoeuer doeth beleue and is Baptised shall be saued Thus we sée from the beginning of our iourney vntill we come to the place which our sauior hath prepared for vs in heauen we haue no sacrifice to passe by but that alone which Christ made vpon the Crosse that alone is called daily bicause it is an euerlasting intercession for vs vnto his father What soeuer Sacrifices the papacie hath inuented they are beside this and they are nothing else but snares which the Deuill hathe laid to entrappe our soules and call vs from the only trust in Christes merites An other proofe that the sacrifice of the Crosse may onely be called daily is well declared in all the wrytings of the Apostles where no one time either priest or altare or sacrifice or oblation is mentioned but onely in a spirituall vnderstanding You be made a spiritual house a holy priesthode to offer vp spirituall sacrifice vnto God saith S. Peter He hathe made vs kings and priestes vnto God euen his Father saith S. Ihon and S. Paule doeth call our bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God And againe Christ our passeouer is Sacrificed for vs therefore let vs kéepe the feast not with olde leauen neither in the leauen of malitiousnesse or wickednesse but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truthe And to the Hebrues we haue an altare of which it is not lawfull for them to eate that serue in the tabernacle And againe let vs offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes vnto God that is the fruite of our lippes which confesse his name In diuers other places bothe by the prophets and apostles we be taught that these are the onely Sacrifices left vnto vs in the Newe Testament Then what desperate boldnesse is it for vs to make our selues new sacrifices without the worde of God the instruction of the holy Ghost or any coloure of sufficient aucthoritie I néede not adde how it fighteth directly with the Scriptures They say the priest doeth offer vppe Christ. But Christ neuer saith he is offred vp by any other but by himselfe I doe sanctifie my selfe for them and I doe giue my life for my shéepe And againe I doe giue my life and againe I will take it no man dothe take it from me but I will giue it of mine owne will And Paule saith he that loued me and gaue himselfe for me And to the Hebrues in the beginning of this booke it is written of me that I shold do thy wil O God this same is often shewed in the .5.9 and .10 Chapters to the Hebrues but in al the scripture not one word that euer Christ is offred by other They say he is offred daily but in all the scriptures he is said to be offred but once In that he died saith Paule he died once and to the Hebrues with one oblation he made them perfect for euer And in the same Epistle the vij Chapter Christ is said to be suche a priest as néeded not to make moe sacrifices for sinnes or offer himselfe daily For he did once sanctifie vs. And againe by his owne bloud he entred once into the holy place And againe in the ende of the world he appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe And againe Christ hath once suffred to take away sinnes And againe hauing made one Sacrifice for sinne he sittes for euer at the right hand of his father And in conclusion the scripture taketh away all other sacrifice and saithe where remission of sinne is there is no more Oblation for sinne Yet wil they néedes haue a daily sacrifice What a miserable religion is that which in matters of the greatest waight hath not one word to vphold it in the scriptures But as the thing it selfe is the sinke of Idolatrie so marke it wel and thou shalt sée how wickedly they vse it Our sacrifice say they is the applying of that sacrifice which Christ made vpon the crosse And hereupon M. Harding doth often say that no Masse is priuate bicause it is made for all the people but examine this by the worde of God and sée how it agreeth The scripture saith the benefites purchased by Christes sacrifice is offred vnto vs by the worde not by the Masse You are borne a newe by the worde of God who liueth and indureth for euer And we haue felowship with God with his sonne Iesus Christ by the worde which is declared
naming the holy captain Iosue for the Prophet Ose. fo 98. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fo 100. expresse for represse fol â—od alone hereof for in earth aboue hir fol. 102. but you haue for but your churche hath fol. 104. cansabo for cantabo fol. 111. Antonius for Antoninus And after thou shalt finde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destruction for distinction could easily for could not easily These and suche other faultes escaped in the printing of my boke as well in the wordes as in the pointing how many so euer thou shalt ascribe vnto me so many iniuries thou shalt doe me He is a simple scholer that can not write truely and the pointing is not so difficult that it requireth any great learning for other things what so euer shalbe founde blame worthy the fault is mine owne and wherein souer the enimy shall finde his fault I doubt not but I shall by Gods grace be able to defend it The force of truth is such that though the patrone be simple yet she will defend hir self especially suche truth as hath made hir selfe so manifest The truthe of God that standeth vpon a hill and may be seene of all men the truth that shineth as a light in a darke place and as the day starre arising in our heartes that truthe whose glorious beautie hath darkned the painted and deceiueable lokes of the purple whore of Babilon It is now no mastery sith we know God to know him that lifteth vp himself against God sith we know Christ to know Antichrist sith we know Peter to know Peters forged successoure And for as much as to this issue al our controuersie is come that what right or authoritie so euer the Pope chalengeth he maketh his whole claime from Peter and the papists themselues will defende him no further but so farre as he succedeth Peter I will speake a little of Peters bishoprike of Rome so farre as the scriptures shall be my warrant Consider thou of it good christian Reader that shall be said and if thou see that all the glorying of Peters being at Rome is but a fasing out of an impudent he then iudge what is their other religion First here I must forwarne thee that as a lie can not long agree with it selfe so in all this matter thou shalt hardly finde in all pointes two popishe chronicles agree togither So that what so euer I wryte as touching the exacte computation of yeres there must needes be many against me Therefore in that I will not striue only I will wryte that which is certaine and shall haue as I said either some warrant of scripture or shall be agreed on by the consent of all ages Our sauioure Christ was crucified for our sinnes the .18 yeare of Tyberius as by all histories it is manifest Peter is said to be put to deathe in Rome the last yeare of Nero so Peter liued after Christ vnder Tyberius .v. yeare Caligula 4. yeare Claudius .13 yeare Nero. 13 yeare In all .36 yeares and odde monthes according to the raigne of the saide Emperoures in these .36 yeares and odde moneths they vvryte of Peter thus He vvas bishop â–ª 4. yeares in the East partes .7 yeares at Antioche and .25 yeares at Rome vvhere at last he died Heere this fable doeth almost bevvray it selfe suche hasty enstallings and so many translatings out of one bishopprike into an other doeth not vvell agree vvith oure sauiours vvordes that they should haue affliction in the vvorlde But let vs searche the scriptures and trie hovve these Bishopprikes vvil stande After that our Sauioure is ascended they goe into Ierusalem all the Apostles togither they choose Mathie the Apostle After fiftye dayes they receiue the holy Ghost Peter conuerteth many After certaine dayes Peter and Iohn goe vppe in to the Temple they heale the lame they are put in prisone they are forbidden to preache anye more in the name of Iesus then they returne vnto the other Apostles and tary many daies togither working many miracles amoÌ„g the people in so much that the Cities round about resorted daily to Ierusalem to haue their sick and diseased healed Then again the Apostles are put in prison and God deliuereth theÌ„ and many dayes they preach in the temple and in euery house After this came a great persecution against the Church at Ierusalem in so much that they were all dispearsed sauing the Apostles Then at the laste after many dayes Peter is sent out of Ierusalem into Samaria where he preacheth in diuers townes about Thus farre good Reader thou seest plainly Peter is no bishop nor yet in any speciall authoritie when the other Apostles sende him out to preache Then he returneth againe to Ierusalem and this is one yeare after the death of our sauioure Christ as the histories do all agree in reporting the conuersion of S. Paule which was nowe done as appeareth Act. 9. This is the yeare of our Lord .35 In the yere of our Lord .38 He dwelleth in Ierusalem Gal. 1.18 Likewise in the yere of our Lorde .46 he is imprisoned at IerusaleÌ„ Act. 12.2 Againe in the yeare of our Lord .48 he is at the councel holden in Ierusalem Act. 15.7 from that day forward he giueth his faith vnto Paule and Barnabas that he will be an Apostle not to the Romaines but to the Iewes Gal. 2.9 vvhich truely he accompliâ—hed euen vntill his death and doubtlesse neuer came at Rome Now christian reader seing the scripture lieth thus that Peters aboade in Ierusalem after the conuersion of S. Paule Anno Domini .35 is recorded .iij. seuerall times And after the last time a couenaunt made that he woulde continue among the Iewes If I shall proue vnto thee that these seuerall times are rightly numbred according to the yeare of the Lorde that is that the first time was the .38 yeare the seconde time the .46 yeare the third time the .48 yeare and then in the meane while betwene the .35 yeare and the .38 likewise the .38 and the .46 and betwene the .46 and .48 that Peter was not in Rome last of all that he was true of his promise and after the .48 yeare came not at Rome then I trust thou wilt confesse with me that Peter was neuer .25 yeares Bishop of Rome But that all poperie as it is in it selfe nothing but lies so it is grounded wholly and altogither vpon lies First it is agreed vpon by all the thing is plaine in it self Paule was conuerted the yere of our Lord .35 TheÌ„ Paule himself writeth thus After three yeres I came to IerusaleÌ„ to see Peter and abode in his house .xv. dayes so this was the .38 yere of our Lord when Peter is first in IerusaleÌ„ When he was after imprisoned at Ierusalem Act. 12.2 that it was the .46 yeare of our Lorde it is proued thus The countreis about â–ª that is Tyre and Sidon were
of the Apostels heresies our sauiour Christ a Samaritan But as for your Portuise which is your light whether it be darknesse or no I craue no Arbitrer I require but triall and as Elias saide to the priests of Baal let vs take eyther our bullock and laie the péeces on our aultars and on which God sendeth fire let that be the light You haue halted to long on both sides it is now time to walke vp right Offer vp your Portuise to Maister Iuell if he proue it not a heape of lies a sincke of iniquitie a déepe dungion of blasphemouse herisies agaynst the eternall sonne of God his euerlasting priesthood we will all subscribe And for the assuraunce of our meaning we saie with the Apostle behold before God we lie not if you dare not doe this the Christian Reader must remember you are woorse then Baals prophets Consider then Maister Harding in what waters you wade and looke better what is light darknesse For the ignoraunce of gods worde the Gentiles were said to sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death the vnbeléeuing Iewes to be blinde leaders of the blinde and he that knewe it not to go he wist not whether But the darckning of that worde hath bene your chiefest light and ignoraunce the mother of your deuotion and as in the sacrifices of Isis and Serapis you haue made Harpocrates image with his finger on his lyps in token that your misteries must be kept secrete and as the Egiptians you haue your two diuers caracters that Robin Hoode and Gui of Warwick and Beuis of Hampton such like shoulde be had of the people in english letters But the misteries of our redemption the glorious tidings of the death of Christ were in straunge figures for the hasarde of deuotion they might not be made common So that of Launcelot Dulake of Lamorake de Galis of Sir Tristram de Lyones or Marlin the Prophet we could tell many weary tales but of Paule of Peter Iames or Iohn â–ª besides the bare names not one among a hundred could tell a lyne not withstanding the continual crying of wysdome in the stréetes the callyng of our Sauiour for the sielie lyttleones O M. Hardyng this is no light It was the tyme of Dioclesian when the Scriptures were burned the abhominations of Manasses when they were hyd in the Temple the kingdome of Antiochus when they were cut in péeces and to compare lyke with lyke your Antichristian iurisdiction where they are kept in couert Wherin you shew that great plague to rest vpoÌ„ you which who so heareth eyther eare shall tingle that you haue the famine of the woord of God When the cogitacion of maÌ„s hart euen from hys youth was euyll the worlde ouerrun w t couetousnesse God purged that iniquitie with his drowning waters when the crie of Sodome and Gomor did ascende to heauen God quenched their filthie lustes wyth fire and brimstone the frowardnesse of hys people the breach of his lawes the bloud of hys prophetes with pestilence famine banishments such other sundrie and diuers plagues but the death of hys onely heire wyth the letting out of the Uineyard to others and the bloud of hys beloued Sonne with the scourge of ignoraunce that vnto this daie they beleue not his glorious Gospel And how must the Popes kingdom néedes tremble feare that acknowledgeth the punishments of Christes death to maintaine their religion Now for our deliuerie from the maintenaunce of darkenes S. Paul biddeth vs not beleue an Angel of heauen that bringeth an other Gospell therefore we dare not be led with any blinde custome to shadowe the same light we haue receiued If you shall otherwyse be alway minded I se in an Etnick hart the effect of that etnicks praier virtutem vt videant intabesâ—antque relicta that you might sée vertue and pine away with want of it After this foloweth a sober excuse that Maister Harding maketh of him selfe that although through infirmitie he oftentimes offend yet in matters of faith he hath no peruerse iudgement The reason is bicause he doth submit him self to the church of Rome â–ª Much better this argument would hold the other way bicause he is in the church of Rome he is in all filthinesse superstition of a sinfull lyfe and of a corrupt religion hauing the heauie hand of God ouer him that except he repent the same woe shall light vppon him which so vnwisely he hath deriued to other Hardyng ¶ This matter is well to be weighed the case you stand in is deeplie to be considered This much you cannot denie you haue for your parte broken the vnitie that is so much commended vnto vs in the scriptures and all holy fathers The Catholicke churche sayth Saint Cyprian can be one it can not be cut and deuided a sunder The catholicke Churche alone is the bodie of Christ saith S. Augustine whereof he is the head the sauiour of his bodie Without hys body the holye Ghost giueth life to none Therefore in an other place he saith whosoeuer is seperat from the catholick churche how lawdable so euer he thinketh himselfe to liue for this onely wickednesse that he is deuided from the vnity of Christ he shall not haue lyfe but the wrath of God remaineth vpon him Dering Here is a sad admonition concerning the catholike Churche which we acknowledge to be the bodie of Christ and he the onely heade of it so that without it there is no saluation But for the triall of this Church we go to the Scriptures and doe examine ech spirit whether he be of God or no and such as saie they be Apostles and be none we haue founde them lyars therefore we run out from among them as out of the middest of Babilon out of their wicked assemblies and donne of théeues from their abominations of Moab and spirituall fornications and ar come againe to our merciful Father that hath prepared his fatlings for vs and put on vs our wedding garment and placed vs at his great Supper in the felowship of his church where we abide thorough his mercie and looke for our resolucion that our ioy maie be full And for our assurance to be of that number we haue the warraÌ„t of the Scriptures first for that we harken onely to Christ and heare not the voice of any stranger then for that we confesse that they alone can saue our soules And as S. Paul saith can make the man of God perfit to all good workes And considering that Prophecie came not in the olde time by the wyll of man but holie men of God spake as they were mooued by y e holy ghost we dare not admit any priuate interpretation but take héede vnto the worde as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place for that is the daye starre which is risen in our harts Therefore we presume not to vnderstand aboue that which
such lyke these he goeth about orderlye to applie vnto Maister Iuell To aunswere them all in order were to enter into néedelesse labour and to contend in woordes with those which delight in rayling But bicause Maister Harding for some proofe of thys matter bringeth this authority of Doctor Luther against vs so vseth our coÌ„tention against our selfes let vs all praye vnto the God of peace and consolation that he would giue vnto vs to be all like minded that with one hart and one voyce we may prayse God euen the Father of Iesus Christ. Our agréement shall soone spread abroad Gods glorious Gospell and stop the euill mouth of the sclaunderer It shall defend the common hold of all good men and turne ouer the refuges of the Papists There is no way so straight to set out Gods glory as where the Preachers go al togither There is no perswasion so effectuall to pull the people from ydolatrie as the Ministers to loue one an other Happy were those times of the Israelites when the people were in Ierusalem â–ª as if they had bene one man Happye was the condition of the Apostles when they were al with one accâ—rd in the same place Then did Israel buylde an altar vnto the Lord. Then did the Apostles receiue the holy Ghost when they were all of one minde in Salomons porch manye signes and woonders were shewed by them When the Philippians did continue in one spirite and in one minde helping forward the labouring faith of the Gospell they did well become the Gospell of Christ. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirite if any compassion and mercy let vs fulfil our ioy that we be like minded Christ pleased not him selfe but euen as it is wrytten the rebukes of them that rebuked they fell on me and shall we abide strife and contention He was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquitie and shall not we beare the infirmities of our brethren A brused réede he dyd not breake and the smoking flaxe he did not quench and shal we treade them downe that we thinke are a little deceiued Where is that voyce of Saint Chrisostome Charitie is more strong than a wall of Adamant stone Where is the voyce of S. Paule the Apostle beare one an others burthen Where is the voyce of our sauiour Christ by this all men shal know you are my Disciples Haue we forgotten the coÌ„maudement that was so lately giuen vs be you one as my Father and I am one Consider I beseche you O my fellowe seruaunts howe daungerous times are come vpon vs of the Christian common wealth Consider the great perils whereinto wée are fallen In the heades of a verye fewe very manye of our weake brethren haue great daunger The wicked doe triumphe and reioyce when the bold and vngodlye Louanisâ—s haue nothing to obiect vnto vs they set our owne contention in the eyes of all men wâ—en they haue no testimony of scripture to bryng against vs such is the mercy of our God are not vpholden with the fauor aucthoritie of our Prince yet they haue a certaine confidence in our disagréement Take from them this hope which yet they leane on and it shal come to passe that either they shall leaue their popish thraldome with the lost Childe returne vnto the mercyfull Father or if they will still abide in those papall tempests they shall be broken with the rockes of errours and perish in the shipwrackes of their own deuises God the Father of all mercy giue vnto vs for his Sonnes sake that with one will and agréeable mindes we may all prayse hys name And thus farre of thys argument Hardyng ¶ There was neuer any Hickescorner that ieasted more pleasant at any toy in an enterlude then Maister Iuell scoffeth blasphemously at the most holy and dredful Mysteries And may no man be so hardy as to name him a Lucian or a Scoffer Dering Surely a man woulde thinke by these procéedings that Maister Hardings newe Dioclesian hath enstructed hym in olde Genesius learning He would defend his modestie and yet neuer was ther a more sawcie gester against a Christian bishop But let him come forth on the stage and beholde his vnnourtered gestures Maister Iuell scoffeth saith he at the dreadfull misteries And how proueth he it Is his woorde an oracle No no Maister Harding he is no Lucian that abhorreth your vngodly sacrifice Hée is no Scoffer that speaketh by the spirit of God against your wicked misteries Ezechias called the brasen serpent nehushton yet he iested not at Gods institution The scripture calleth mouÌ„t Oliuet the mount of corruption yet blameth it not Gods creature S. Paul calleth circumcision ouerthwart cutting yet doeth he not scoffe at Gods sacrament Christ saide the Temple was a denne of théeues yet he confessed it ought to be a house of prayer And may not a man call your misteries by their name in which is as great abuse as euer was in the brasen Serpent in mouÌ„t Oliuet in Circumcision in the Temple of God Yea M. Harding your Misteries are Idolatrous though you crye out that Ezechias hath taken away the high places of God and his altars But who can let Achabs Prophets to speake ill of Micheah Hardyng ¶ What mad man euer ouershot him selfe so farre as to make such a hasty Chalenge specially in matters of religion by so long practise of the Churche determined Who euer presumed so to make defiance as it were to al learned men yea to al men aliue who euer defended a matter so stoutly auouched with lesse learning Who in so weighty pointes made Argumentes of lesse pith so light and so childish And yet this ioly felow standeth so high in his owne conceit that whiles he laieth about him flingeth and stryketh at all men spareth not the reuerence of his Mother no not the Maiestye of the holy Ghoste and Christ our Lord he may not be touched so much as it were with a venue of these most deserued termes Dering Now is Maister Harding come to his last and least reason and wyth a company of braue Interrogations of what mad man and who euer wythout anye aunswere made concludeth at aduenture that these many moe modest termes were well applied But softe syr a hasty Bitch bringeth forth blinde whealpes If you come to this issue by my former graunting of euery question let the fault be mine if by your owne presuming you are neuer the neare You haue roled vp Sisyphus stone and it is fallen downe againe and therfore you must begin a freshe What mad man say you euer ouershot him selfe so farre c. Maister Harding when he tooke vpon him to aunswere the Chalenge Who euer presumed so to make defiance c. God when he sayde come nowe and blame me if you can Esay 1.18 And
other place whatsoeuer is set before you eate it and aske no question for conscience sake These sayings cannot stande with Maister Hardings religion about such questions how the word of God might agrée with it selfe Those busye heades might haue ben better occupied then in mouing such doubtes as a Christian heart adhorreth to remember But if they had ben so occupyed in Gods most holy euangelies as they were in Peter Lumberdes fancies they woulde soone haue turned ouer these winde shaken opinions Now while Maister Hardings friendes shal muse how these sayinges may agrée I will shewe thée godly reader how the Eucharist hath no vse except it be receiued Consecrate while they will crosse round about the bread breath ouer it at their pleasure looke demurely as they can intend what they list except the breade be receiued no maner conueyaunce can bring Christes presence Somewhat for proufe of this maye appeare by the vsage of the pascall Lambe and of Manna Of the lambe nothing might be reserued til the morning what did remaine should be burnt with fire Therfore we may coniecture it should not be lawfull to reserue the sacrament So likewise of Manna nothing might be reserued till morning if ought were had it was turned into wormes and stanke These being both figures of our sacrament the coniecture is not euill to thinke lykewise the Eucharist might not be reserued then the case were plaine it had no vertue but being receiued Howe be it I wyll not force any suche comparisons God doth lighten whom it pleaseth him The scriptures doe other where testifie plentifullye this that we teache First the Eucharist is to vs as the peace offerings among the Iewes which was a sacrifice or thanks giuing offered for peace or prosperitie and as they that made any such offering must doe it before the doore of the Tabernacle of the congregation c so Aarons sonnes sprinckled the bloude about the aultar otherwise it had bene no peace offering So we in the Eucharist must come to the Congregation gyue thankes and prayses vnto God preache out the death of hys sonne Christ and eate and drink of that heauenly mysteries or els it is not the Eucharist And the church naming this sacrament Eucharistia hath well declared that without open thankes-geuing there is no suche sacrament But who can doubt any whyt of thys matter that readeth the woordes of our sauiour Christ reported by S. Iohn or the other Euangelists and S. Paule Labour for the meate sayth Christ that the sonne of man shall giue vnto you He sayth not for the meate which is hanged vp in the Pixe And the people make their aunswere Lord giue vs euermore of this bread Againe Christ sayth The breade which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Ther is then no benefite where this bread is not giuen and in this chapter it is often repeated that we must eate this flesh or els we haue no lyfe in vs. Yet in all this place nor in any place of scripture any one word is found y â— commendeth either mencioneth this sacrameÌ„t without the vse of it So if we wil apply this .6 chap. of Iohn to the sacrament as M. Harding in anye wyse will doe we sée how there is no grace no vertue in it if it be not vsed Concerning the woordes of this sacrament reported by the other Euangelistes and by saint Paule they are very plain Take and eate thys is my bodye saye they and of the Cup Drinke ye all of this thys is my bloude c. But by M. Hardings doctrine the holye ghost might haue spoken in this sorte Looke all vpon this and worship it this is my body And of the cup Drinke none of you of this yet it is my bloud Such is the sacriledge of that wicked masse in doing to vndoe that our Sauiour hath saide But here I cannot a little wonder at them In their owne inuentions they haue placed in their Masse these words accipite manducate and some thinke they are very requisite to transsubstanciation yet when they vtter them they meane nothing lesse than that any other but them selues should take part They prepare but a litle cake and a draught of wyne to make sporte with They intende not to communicate with other yet they saye alway take and eate A lye is very euill in any maner doing but in the seruice of God it is very detestable God when he will turne their hartes Here we se concerning this sacrament Christ commaunded nothing but that we shoulde in a holy company eate and drinke in remembrauncâ— of his death and passion But how turneth the Pope our sauiours commaundement He careth neither for eating nor drinking but when he goeth forth he setteth vp his sacrament vpon a white horse backe and men of eche syde with tapers and litle belles and so teacheth the horse that he will go to the aultare and there knéele vpon his knées till his Maisters god be taken downe Thus will the Pope teach horses to worship God euen as somtyme the Leuites woulde cary the Arke in a newe carte when they brought it out of the house of Aminadab For neyther haue we any one word to cary about the sacrament neyther had they of the carte And this is a greate misery that hauing no warrant for our Marchandise our candels our sensors our vestiments our oyle boxes our corporasse our porâ—uisse and sixe hundred thousandes suche other yet we make no account of them as though they pleased God If any thing séeme somewhat doubtfull then we turne vs to Doctors to councels to decrees to scholemen and to the holy closet of the Popes owne brest as thoughe Gods worde were not our wisedome and our vnderstanding in the sight of all people But God be thanked for his owne ordinaunces and lawes that are so righteous Now to the next marke that Maister Harding coulde neuer shoote at and this marke hath a great many péeces and such as is not easly discerned which is the greatest so I knowe not certainelye wher at to measure The first péece is this there is no difference betwixt the Priest and the people in the mystery of the sacrifice But what meaneth Maister Harding to finde the marke him selfe and then refuse to shoote at it Would he haue vs thinke this were Maister Iuels marke He saith no such thing Sure M. Harding hath verye straunge artillery His bow is made of slaunders and it will shoote nothing else but lies He can get nothing with cunning therfore he would saue him selfe by facing This stode them in good stede in the disputations at Oxford wher their friends wer moderators but in a booke that is written to all men this shift is shameles Let vs sée what saith M. Iuell of this marke Not one word Why doth Maister Harding reporte it He is disposed to lye But whervpon doth he gather it Forsoth out of Bernard
declaration of this frée mercy he reporteth it oftentimes that we are giuen vnto him of his Father as manifestaui nomen tuum ijs quos dedisti mihi I haue made knowne thy name vnto those which thou hast giuen me and tui erant mihi dedisti eos and omnia quae dedisti mihi a te sunt and serua eos quos dedisti mihi All things that thou hast giuen me are from thée Kéepe them that thou hast giuen me They were thine and thou hast giuen them me And that we should know that to be giuen to Christ is to be ioyned vnto him he addeth vt sint vnum sicut nos that they may be one as we are one This is also proued by all suche places of Scripture as shew that we be saued by grace Thus we sée our ioyning vnto God is first to be giuen vnto Iesus Christe of his Fathers owne good will And this is on Gods behalfe the eternall secrete purpose whereby we be made his The other way whereby we be made his is Faithe of his worde when by inspiration of the holy Ghost we apprehend in Christ the frée loue of his Father and that héereby we be ioyned vnto God it is in like manner often declared by the Scripture Now are you cleane saith Christ through the word which I haue spoken vnto you And in an other place I haue giuen vnto them the woords which thou gauest me and they haue receiued them and haue knowne surely that I came out from thée and haue beléeued that thou hast sent me Likewise Ioh. 16.27 Ioh. 17.14 I haue giuen them thy worde Againe sanctifie them with thy truthe thy worde is the truthe And to the ende we should all know this instruction were oures our Sauior saith further I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleue in me through their worde And now for proofe that this is our ioyning vnto God it foloweth that they all may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thée euen that they may be also one in vs. This manner of ioyning vs vnto God was shewed vnto Iacob in that vision where he saw a ladder reaching from the earthe to heauen and Angels going vp and downe teaching vs that Christ was likewise the ladder by whome we climed vp and were ioyned to his Father This was likewise shewed in the thirde of Mathevve where the Heauens are opened and the holy Ghost descended vpon Christ signifying that he hath reconciled heauen and earth and ioyned vs againe vnto God and we by faith made partakers of that benefite Thus we sée the manner of our ioyning vnto God first in his eternal secrete purpose after apprehended of vs by faithe Now this standing thus that the promise might be certaine vnto all the séede God hath sealed this hope with the body bloud of Christ that we being partakers of those heauenly mysteries might assure our conscience of his eternall mercy that the gates of Hell should no more preuaile against vs. Thus are our Sacraments signes tokens warrantes gages pledges of our saluation and doe not as M. Harding teacheth ioyne vs vnto God but he sayth further they poure into vs life immortall and dothe boldly affirme it yet we may not beleue him without great preiudice to Christ himselfe I tel you plaine saithe M. Harding they put into vs eternall life but Christ saith I know that Gods commaundement is euerlasting life and to put it out of doubt what commaundement he meaneth he saith in an other place this is eternall life that they know thée to be the only very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Then faith ioineth vs vnto God faithe putteth in to vs life Not in all Gods word there is one line whereby it may appeare this is wrought by the Sacrament Now resteth the second point to be considered whether the Sacraments containe grace and in déede hinc illae lachrymae Hereof maister Harding complaining came as the common Prouerbe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whē he heard y e name of Sacraments he could not but gape after this Popish heresie This is a religious article in the Popes kingdome that Sacraments doe giue grace but what they doe it is sufficiently already declared beside that their names doe sufficiently beare witnesse of their efficacie They be called Testaments or couenaunts which cannot be the thing it selfe but the pledge of our iustification In Baptisme if Christ doe not baptise with fire and with the holy Ghost the water of regeneration doth not auaile Therfore S. Paule saith ye that are baptised into Christ haue put on Christ. By which one sentence all M. Hardings doctrine is ouerthrowne For neither the water ioyneth vs vnto God neither yet giueth vs grace but that is wrought only by our faith in Christ. And therfore S. Paule writeth of Circumcision that Abraham was first iustified and after receiued the signe of Circumcision as this seale of the rightuousnesse of faith which he had whē he was vncircumcised By all this it is manifest that grace is first giuen vs fréely from aboue and then the Sacrament is lefte vnto vs as a warrant that Gods promisse shall be fulfilled Thus we sée that touching the Sacramentes M. Iuel saithe nothing otherwise than the Scripture teacheth and the vntruthe that M. Harding would so faine note is nothing else but his owne heresie And now for as muche as M. Harding hath called vs into so long a discourse of Gods Sacraments I desire of thée good Christian reader to marke indifferently the great difference in this behalf betwene the Christian and the papall Religion thou wilt soone as I doubt not abhorre their great deprauing of Christes institution which in that sinagoge is so miserably rent in pieces that scarce any parte of it is kept inuiolate Christ did institute his supper for this purpose that he might Communicate with his disciples They appoint their Masses that they may receiue alone Christ in his supper was the only offerer they in their Masses will offer as wel as he Christ blessed with giuing thanks they blesse with making Crosses Christ did Consecrate with the preaching of the word of faithe they doo Consecrate with whisperings and breathings Christ said take and eate this is my body they say neither take nor eate yet it is his body Christs Disciples sate downe and eate it they bid vs fall downe and worship it Christ said he would drinke no more of the fruite of the vine they say there is no fruit of the vine at all Christ saithe drinke ye all of this they say drinke no man but the Priest alone Christ saith doe this in my remembraunce that is shew forthe my death vntill I come they of Christes death and passion doe not preache a worde I will prosecute this repugnancie no further It greueth me to remember their opē sacriledge God turne
should abide still in those Elements S. Iohn dothe witnesse that in Christ it is accomplished what so euer was wanting in those outwarde Ceremonies And for a token of that fulnesse of grace in Christ that in him is found all that reconciliation figured in the law either by bloud or water he writeth that out of his side issued both bloud and water By the bloud he hath purged vs from our sinnes and done out the handwriting of ordinaunce that was against vs and fastened it vpon the Crosse. And that as Paule saith not by the bloud of Goates and calues but by his owne pretious bloud gushing out of his side by which he is entred into the holy place which is heauen and is become the tabernacle the sacrifice and the priest and hath obtained eternall redemption for vs. By the water we are assured that this benefite doth come vnto vs bothe bicause by water we be regenerate and also bicause it signifieth the people so that this miracle of bloud and water in the death of our sauior Christ is the performance of that which God had promised by his Prophet saying In that day shalbe a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleanesse And thus by this water and bloude gushing out of the side of our Sauior we are taught two especiall pointes of the Christian faithe the one that by Christ alone all sinnes are purged the other that in the new Testament we haue but two Sacraments the one of the Lordes death the other of Baptisme which two resembled in this bloud and water haue in them the whole mysterie of our full redemption And thus the remembrance of this same place is the greatest comfort that a Christian soule can haue in the world But Lord those Papists which peruert Gods scriptures what Doctrine haue they gathered of this comfortable saying First that we must haue water mingled with y e wine in the Chalice which in this place be it neuer so ancient yet it hath no ground at all But they goe farther than this they say that the soldiers name was Lungis bicause it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And least there should want any thing to make vp the tale they say that he was strokē blind and then by this bloud and water he receiued his sight againe and so was conuerted wherupon they haue made him a Saint and so now we may kepe the feast of S. Lungis the blinde Knight Yet sure suche canonising is worthe as little mony as these vntruthes had muche idle labor The B. of Saris. Now to reueale the secretes of M. Hardings mysteries touching the same that one drop or two must be poured on the ground Harding The .96 vntruthe The pouring of the water on the ground is no parte of our mysteries Dering When M. Harding cannot defende their too beastly vsage of Gods holy sacraments he thinketh he can salue the whole matter with Hick scorner and saying that we belie their mysteries and I pray M. Hue railer that please your self so wel with Hicke scorner is this no parte of your mysteries Can you now deny them Be ye ashamed of them It skilleth not greatly what you think of this The misterie of iniquitie that so long hath wrought in your sinagoge hath brought many moe abhominations into the Churche of God all which the Lord shall abolishe with the brightnesse of his worde Whether you make great a doe about these things héere alleaged let your Doctors be the iudges Read Scotus in sent 4. dist 11. qu. 6. Biel in 4. sent dist 11. qu. 2. in can miss lect 35. all your other Doctors entreating the same matter Yet whether one or two drops and no moe must be poured downe or no I cōfesse I do not know But why do you stand so in this point It is a very learned doubt in respect of their other folish questions Biel disputeth whether the Priest at Masse doe consecrate all the bread in the market and all the wine in the sellers and concludeth that if he stande so as he may sée it and meaneth to doe it he dothe no doubt consecrate euery whit But now aske Gabriel Biel an other question how shall the Priest doe to take all the bread in the market in his hand as the Masse booke requireth of that which shall be consecrate This is an other doubt which M. Hardings Doctors would surely haue discussed if they had heard it Scotus asketh what if the priest die before he speake all the words how shall then consecration goe forewarde Other aske what if a droppe of wine hang on the outside of the Chalice whether is that consecrate and what if the wine doe fréese in the Chalice and what if the Priest at Masse do remember that when he washt his mouth in the morning a drop of water wēt downe his throte whether should he receiue none sith he had broken his fast or whether should he let all alone Other aske whether Christ be in the Pix euen as he was on the Crosse with his clothes and crowne of thornes about his head And what should I recite all which are almost infinite A thousand such vnreuerent questions they haue disputed in whole volumes Yet now sayth M. Harding they be none of our mysteries Belike he doth yet but hobbe roue he will not go roundly with his Lord God the Pope But happy were he if as he refuseth these vaine questions so he wold renounce that whole adulterous religion The B. of Saris. Nowe it appeareth that the Churche is not yet resolued vpon one intention For the intention of the Churche of Rome is to worke transubstantiation of breade and wine the Greeke Church had neuer that intention as is plaine by the Councell of Florence The intention of the Church of Rome is to Consecrate with Christes words The intention of the Greeke Churche is to Consecrate with prayers Harding The .97 vntruth The Church is resolued vpon one intention The .98 vntruthe The church of Rome intendeth not Transubstantiation The .99 vntruth This is not plaine by the Councel of Florēce The .100 vntruthe The Greeke church dothe not consecrate vvith prayers Dering Now M. Hardings vntruthes go roundly forward If this haste may haue good spéede I warrant him his number But if this haste doe make waste he is neuer a whit the neare Let vs sée then how these vntruths are gathered The first is this The Church is agréed vpon the Priests intent But this can not be so if the Gréeke Church and the Church of Rome doe not agrée which is the .2 vntruthe And they can not agrée if the one will haue transubstantiation the other will not haue it which is the third vntruthe And they will haue the one Transubstantiation the other not if the one doe consecrate with these wordes this is my body the other with prayers which is the .4
iustifie them or were not silence the best aunswere to so great folies Let the Reader iudge The B. of Saris. If no bodie receiued then is it not true that some receiued Harding The .196 vntruth Chrisostome saith not that some receiued Dering If the last vntruthe were not worth the noting then what store hath he that is faine to number it twice Yet so it is this purposed number hath driuen M. Harding to such inconuenience The former vntruthe was Chrisostome said not some receiued with the priest this is he saith not some receiue if he would make the third that some receiue not with it had euen as good reason as either of these But let these vntruthes alone they cannot doe much harme Onely I must admonish thée that after this long ado with Maister Iuel Maister Harding for his exercise will fights little with him selfe Here he saith that Chrisostome saith not that some receiue yet out of this same place of Chrisostome alleaging these wordes Cum timore dei et fide et dilectione accedite he doeth english them thus come you vp to receiue with the feare of God c. These cōtrary sayings without one vntruth cannot be reconciled If there he wel translated it come vp to receiue then this is no vntruth If this be vntrue then that was a false translation One of these can not be denied The B. of Saris. He saith the people in the Cities were daylie taught by sermons Harding The .197 vntruthe I say not so let my booke be iudge Dering Maister Harding by like doth say and vnsay and careth not what he say These are his verie wordes Now if Chrisostome had cause to complaine of the peoples slacknesse in that great and populous citie of Antioche where the scriptures were daily expounded and preached c. And here I say as Maister Harding saith let his booke be iudge And why then is this vntruth scored vp with other Would he haue vs think that this preaching were onely in Antioche and no where else This might well be if papistrie hadde ben then in vre and preaching not regarded But to think it of that world in which good religion florished and Gods word was plentifull it is an vncharitable gessing Thus much I speake graunting Maister Hardings wordes that in Antioche the people were daily taught And then if it were so the same vse had ben likewise kept in other cities so Maister Hardings owne wordes going for true this can be no vntruth but how true those wordes are Maister Iuel doeth sufficiently proue reade his Replie he doeth alleage Chrysostomes owne wordes to proue that in Antioche they had sermons but once a wéeke and therevpon he saith further thus The B. of Saris. I note this not for that I mislike of daily preaching but for that vntruth so boldelie presumed should not passe vntouched Harding The .198 vntruth It is no vntruth Dering I am sorie to trouble the reader with aunswering to so vaine vntruthes but so it is if nothing should be said they would be thought of some force Maister Harding vseth this reason to proue his priuate Masse In Antiochie there was but a verie few to communicate sometime Therfore in the countrey belike there was priuate Masse Of this argument Maister Iuel saith thus to aduaunce the citie to abase the countrey he saith in cities they had dayly sermons but this is vntrue For in Antioche they had not so Now rise M. Hardings two vntruthes 1. I say not they were taught so in cities 2. They were taught so in Antioche Who could haue scraped out these vntruthes but he Or what force is there in them For this second vntruth where he still affirmeth they had dayly preaching in Antioche that is a very false lie and yet how impudently doth be persist in it The B. of Saris. Yet saith Maister Harding in small countrey churches either the Priest let cease the dayly sacrifice or else he receiued alone Harding The .199 vntruth I say not so This is altogether falsified Dering I pray God Maister Harding be not altogether without grace He so vnreuerently speaketh euill of authoritie so boldely denieth his owne sayings that his cause is much to be feared Marke here Maister Iuels wordes I will lay M. Hardings wordes with them then iudge whether here be any vntruth Thus he writeth of such countrey churches it must be sayd that either the sacrifice ceased c. Or that the memorie of our Lords death was oftentimes celebrated of the Priestes in the daily oblation without tarying for others to communicate with them Marke now how Maister Iuel chaungeth these wordes either the daily sacrifice ceased saith Maister Harding either the priest let cease the daily sacrifice saith Maister Iuell What is here falsified If it dyd cease the Priest ceased it For I trow the lay man might not say Masse if he would The other péece of Maister Hardings saying is this or else the memorie of our Lords death was often times celebrated of the priestes in the daily oblation without tarying for other to communicate with them These many words bicause oftedious writing Maister Iuell reporteth this or the priest receiued alone Now iudge of this place which Maister Harding saith is altogether falsified and praye that Maister Harding may once haue eies to sée The .200 vntruth Here Maister Harding noteth an vntruth in the margin that is not in the text When he telleth vs what it is we will better examine it The B. of Saris. The Masse that is so glorious can neither be founde in churches nor chappels Harding It is found both in churches and chappels Dering It is not yet found neither in church nor chappell within .600 yeares of Christ. The B. of Saris. Thus saith Chrysostome if thou stand by and not receiue thou art malapert thou art shamelesse thou art impudēt 2. thine eies be vnworthie the sight herof vnworthie be thine eares 3. O thou wilt say I am vnworthie to be partaker of the holie mysteries then art thou vnworthie to be partaker of the praiers 4. Thou maist no more stay here than an heathen that ueuer was christened Harding The .202 vntruthe Chysostome doeth not say these vvordes The .203 vntruthe Chrysostome saith not then an heathen vnchristened Dering Sure good Reader the numbring of these vntruthes is verie straunge here is one Chrysostome saith not these wordes an other he saith not then an heathen c. I would faine know here in the first vntruth what Maister Harding meaneth by these words If he meane the whole sentence why maketh he an other truth If he meane all the sentence going before this latter vntruth why doeth he not make of it thrée seuerall vntruthes For it is distinguished into thrée seuerall sentences or if he think but one of those sentences is false why doeth he not tell vs which it is Certaine it is Maister Harding did know that these former partes of this allegation were all true
in the congregation receiueth alone Theophylacte a later wryter vpon the same place saith Why should we pray our selues Quia haudquaquam meritò id mysterium sumunt multi bicause many do receiue that mysterie nothing worthely By all these Doctors this place is ment of the Communion S. Ambrose saith It any man be impacient domi terreno pane pascatur Let him eate earthly bread at home And againe we come to gether vt multorum oblatio simul celebretur that the Oblation of many might be made together But S. Ambrose calleth not prophane meats suche as their common feasts were either heauenly bread or our oblation S. Chrysostome saith qui hoc non faciunt indigne communicant they that tary not one for an other doe communicate vnworthily And héere againe we sée this Doctors minde of priuate Masse or as M. Harding wil haue it of the priestes sole receiuing Beda saith likewise alleaging S. Augustine Ad Ianuar. Epist. 1. that this which the Apostle writeth in this place is ment of the Communion S. Ierome also dothe so enterprete it Read all these vpon the xj chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Of the same minde are also Augustine Basil Gregorius Romanus And if thou rest vpon the aucthoritie of men examine all the olde Doctors that haue written vpon the same place not them only but suche as are of yonger age as Thomas Scotus Lyra Hugo gloss ordinaria and suche other They all agrée this saying of S. Paule tary one for an other is ment of the Communion Dionysius Carthusianus on the same place speaketh very plaine when ye come together to eate saith S. Paule Panem coelestem saith Dionysius the heaueÌ„ly bread videlicet corpus Domini that is to say the body of the Lord. And Nicholas of Gorram vpon these woordes tary one for an other wryteth thus Docet modum in hora communionis ordinate accedendo he teacheth howe to come orderly in the time of Communion What plainer aucthoritie can there be than these Who séeth not that all antiquitie haue vnderstande S. Paules words of the Communion If thou search them thine eyes shall be thy witnesse Yet saithe maister Harding as he were priuiledged without blame or discredite to speake what he would that Martyr Caluine Cranmer and suche other haue deceiued maister Iuel but it is wonderfull to sée howe he speaketh against the truthe the Lord knoweth whether against his owne conscience Read the Replie Fol. 94. thou shalt further sée â–ª how in the Communion the people came togither But as touching this place bicause the spirite of God is not tied to any man or age we will leaue our witnesses and examine the place First S. Paule blameth them bicause they come togither not with profite but with hurt And then teaching how they ought to come togither and in what sorte to haue their méetings he teacheth them by the example of our sauior Christ and his doctrine saying â–ª that which I haue receiued of the Lord that I haue deliuered vnto you that Iesus Christ in y e same night y t he was betrayed tooke bread c. making a full description of the Lords supper whereunto be adioyneth for this cause many of you are weak c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this cause which is the vnorderly receiuing the communion Yet saith M. Harding it is ment of their feastes After this it dothe folow in Paule Wherfore my brethren when you come togither to eate tary one for an other Now if this be not yet plaine inough that he meaneth of the Sacrament then looke what foloweth an vndoubted proofe of the whole matter Least saith S. Paule you come togither to your condemnation Is this at any time pronounced of any manner eating but of the vnworthy eating of that blessed sacrament Yet for the priuate Masse sake this plaine scripture must be denyed and impudently wrested into a straunge sense And marke héere how maister Harding would haue S. Paule reason the woordes before are plaine of the Lordes supper Of those words S. Paule concludeth wherefore my brethren c. Then by maister Hardings meaning S. Paule should reason thus A man must prepare him selfe to receiue the Communion Ergo they must tary one for an other at their common feastes such lose arguments the spirite of truth doth not vtter But suche is M. Hardings fashion he dothe not consider how he wresteth Gods scripture while he thus defendeth his vngodly Masse The B. of Saris. The like decrees are found vnder the names of Calixtus Anacletus Martinus Hyllarius and others by which it is certain that the whole church then receiued togither Harding The .221 vntruthe It is not certaine by those decrees Dering Sée the .151 vntruthe It is the same in effecte that this is But let vs sée héere also how truely M. Harding speaketh It doeth not appeare by these decrées saith he that all receiued togither this shall be best tried by the words of the Decrées Calixtus saith thus When consecration is done let all communicate which will not be excluded out of the Churche Anacletus hath the very selfe same woords but how it cometh to passe let the Decretal epistles sée that haue this agréement very often and yet it is very straunge that diuers menne should speake the same woordes Hylarius saythe if thy sinnes be not so great that thou must be excommunicate thou must not seperate thy selfe from the body and bloude of the Lorde Martinus sayth If any man heare the scriptures readen and of a superstitious minde doe thinke he should not Communicate sette him be excommunicate now iudge whether these decrées teach that the whole church should receiue together M. Harding can answere nothing but bringeth two distinctions one olde one which we had before in the .151 vntruthe an other he maketh more to answere Pope Hilarie and that is this where Hilarie saith If he be not excommunicate let him not abstaine from the sacrament We may abstaine saith M. Harding sacramentally though not spiritually If these distinctions may be alowed ther is no aucthoritie so good but let M. Harding slip and he wil answer it But S. Paule saith take héede y t no man spoile you through Philosophy and vaine deceit The B. of Sarisb Chrysostome saith we are all of one worthinesse to receiue the mysteries Harding The .222 vntruthe He saith not so Dering These are Chrysostomes words Est autem vbi nihil differt sacerdos a subdito vt quaÌ„do fruendum est horrendis mysterijs Similiter enim omnes vt illa percipiamê° digni habemur there is a time saith he when the priest dothe differ nothing from the lay man as when they must enioy the dreadful mysteries For we are al accompted of like worthinesse to receiue them And that we should not doubt of his meaning he maketh afterward along discourse to proue this same Yet saith master Harding it is false it is vntrue Chrysostome saith