Isai. i. Missa. of sheep. Notwithstanding the vine be spoiled and torn down, yet is it the vine of the God of Sabaoth. Notwithstanding the field lie waste and be overgrown with weeds, yet is it still the Lord's field. Notwithstanding the flock be forsaken of the shepherds, and run astray and perish in the wilderness, yet is it still the flock of Christ. And herein we have great cause to glorify the name of God, that, when he seeth it good in his sight, sendeth forth labourers to rear up and to dress his vine, to labour and to weed his ground, to gather in and to feed his flock. De Consecr. Dist. 2. Relatum est. In Glossa. Heb. x. Phil. iii. Heb. x. This allegation of the council of Toledo serveth M. Harding only to bewray! his want. For, if he could have found any other council of antiquity, I trow he would not have alleged this. It was holden well near seven hundred years after Christ; by which time many great disorders and deformities were privily cropen into the church, as may appear both otherwise, and also by this same example, that one priest used then to say many masses in one day, and yet himself not to communicate, contrary both to the institution of Christ and also to the laws and canons of the church; and therefore the gloss upon the decrees calleth it a most naughty custom2; and this council itself saith: "Whosoever so doth is guilty of the Lord's sacrament." Thus, both the computation of the time and also the disorder and abuse of the thing itself considered, this authority needeth no further answer. It was impertinent in this place for M. Harding to move matter of the sacrifice. Howbeit, for short answer thereto, the sacrifice, that in the old writers is called "daily," is that everlasting and only sacrifice that Christ once offered upon the cross, being there a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech: and whosoever thinketh not that sacrifice sufficient, but imagineth some other sacrifice for sins to be made by man, is an enemy of the cross of Christ, and of his sacrifice, and treadeth down the Son of God under his feet, and counteth the blood of the testament to be unholy. In what sense the mystery of the holy communion is of the old fathers called a sacrifice, it shall be shewed at large in the seventeenth article hereof, serving wholly to that purpose. Touching this word missa, neither is the name nor the meaning thereof of such antiquity as it is here supposed by M. Harding. It grew first in use about four hundred years after Christ, and is very seldom used of the old Latin writers; of St Augustine, St Hierome, Tertullian, St Cyprian, Arnobius, Lactantius, and others of that age, never; unto St Chrysostom, St Basil, Nazianzene, Gregory Nyssene, and all other Greek writers, utterly unknown. It is found in two August. in sundry places under the name of St Augustine3, and once under the name of St Hierome. But it is certain that these books were neither St Augustine's nor St Hierome's. Serm. de Tempore. Epist. Howbeit, we make no great account of the name. The natural sense and meaning thereof, contrary to M. Harding's surmises, necessarily importeth a communion, and not a private mass. For this Latin word missa is as much as missio, Cypr. Lib. iii. that is, a commanding away, or licence to depart. So St Cyprian saith remissa peccatorum, instead of remissio; and the order of the church then was this, that novices that were not yet christened, and were called catechumeni, and others that were called pœnitentes, that for some offence were enjoined to do penance, notwithstanding they might lawfully hear the sermons, and pray together with the rest, yet might they neither be present at the baptism, nor receive the holy mysteries. And therefore, after the gospel was read, and the sermon ended, the deacon said unto them: Ite, missa est: "Go ye hence: ye may depart." Likewise Lib. ii. cap. in St Gregory's time the deacon used thus to say: Qui non communicat, det Gregor. Dial. xxiii. locum: "Whoso doth not communicate, let him give place." Thus all they that either would not or might not communicate with the rest of their brethren, were willed to depart; whereof it necessarily followeth, that all they that remained did communicate. Of this departure away and proclamation of the deacon, the action itself, which was the holy communion, was called missa. Afterward, when either through negligence of the people, or through avarice of the priests, the whole order hereof was quite altered, and the thing that had been common was become private, yet, as it happeneth often in other the like things, the former name remained still. For example, the vigils or night-watches were turned into fastings; altars, that served for offering up of calves and goats, were turned into the Lord's table; the sabbath-day was turned into the Sunday. Yet, the things being thus altered, the names notwithstanding of vigils, altars, and sabbath-days remain still in use, as they did before. Therefore M. Harding herein, as commonly elsewhere, thought it best to deceive his reader by the mistaking and error of the name. Last of all, if the fathers in the council of Toledo and Leo meant all one thing, as here it is constantly avouched, then is M. Harding by the same fathers but poorly relieved. For it is most evident by that is already said, that Leo meant the holy communion, and not M. Harding's private mass. M. HARDING. THE NINTH DIVISION. If M. Jewel agnise and accept for good the authority of this council, as the church doth, then must he allow these many things which he and the sacramentaries to the uttermost of their power and cunning labour to disprove and deface. First, the blessed sacrifice of the mass, which the fathers of this council call the true and singular sacrifice, the sacrifice of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ [the sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord]", which the priest offereth on the altar. Next, the truth and real presence of the body and blood of our Lord in the sacrifice offered. Then altars, which this council calleth divine or holy, for the divine and holy things on them offered, the body and blood of Christ. Furthermore, the (200) multitude of masses in one day: for they speak of many sacrifices, that is, The two hunmany masses, plurima sacrificia. Lastly, private masses. For the words nec ipse truth. sacrificans, rightly construed and weighed, import no less. For whereas no word in ing underthis decree is uttered whereby it may appear the people to be of necessity required to receive, if the priests had received themselves at every mass, no fault had been found. And if the people had received without the priests, in this case it had been reason this decree should otherwise have been expressed. And so it is clear that at that time private masses were said and done. dredth un For M. Hardstandeth not hisown book, as it shall appear. THE BISHOP OF SARISBURY. The authority and credit of this council of Toledo is no part of our question. It was holden almost seven hundred years after Christ; and of greater antiquity M. Harding is able to allege none. Which thing, I trust, the indifferent and discreet reader will well remember. Concerning these five notes, whereof one only toucheth this purpose. As this council saith the priest offereth the sacrifice at the altar or holy table, even so 1. Leo saith every of the whole faithful people likewise offereth up the same sacri- Leo ad fices. I say not any other, but the very self-same sacrifice, and that in as ample 81. manner as it is offered by the priest. Diosc. Epist. Touching real presence, M. Harding seemeth to do as children sometimes 2. use to do, that imagine horsemen, and banners, and other strange miracles in the clouds. It is only his own fantasy; for there is no such word or mention in the council. The matter of altars is already answered. Private masses, and 3. also multitudes of the same, consideration evermore had to the computation of 4. [ Gregor. Magni Papæ I. Op. Par. 1705. Dial. Lib. 11. cap. xxiii. Tom. II. col. 253. See before, page 19, note 17.] [7 The words between brackets are found only in H. A. 1564, and H. A. 1565.] [8 Leon. Magni Op. Lut. 1623. Ad Diosc. Epist. lxxxi. cap. ii. col. 436. See before, page 630.] Anno 680. 5. the years, might easily be granted without hinderance. Yet hath not M. Harding, in the space well near of seven hundred years, hitherto found in one church more than two masses in one day; all this his great study and travail therein taken notwithstanding. But the words of the council be plain: Plurima sacrificia: that is, "Many sacrifices;" and therefore, saith M. Harding, "many masses." Hereby it may appear that M. Harding either considereth not his book, or else hath no great regard to that he writeth. His own books will reprove his oversight, and shew how much he is deceived. For plurima in this place signifieth not many, that is, neither six, nor five, nor four, nor three, but only two. And for trial hereof De Consecr. I report me to the gloss itself upon the decrees. The words be these: Nota Relatum est. hic, plurima dici de duobus; quia plura non licet1: "Mark here, that this word plurima is spoken only of two. For to say more masses than two, it is not Dist. 2. In Glossa. lawful." Matt. xxi. Concil. Remens. 1 Cor. xi. Now, if M. Jewel refuse and reject the authority of the church represented in that council, then he giveth us a manifest notice what mark we ought to take him to be of. Then may we say unto him the words of St Paul: Nos talem consuetudinem non habemus, nec ecclesia Dei: “We have no such custom, neither the church of God hath not," to condemn the church. And in this case he must pardon us, if according to the precept of Christ, for that he will not hear the church, we take him for no better than a heathen and a publican. THE BISHOP OF SARISBURY. Matt. xviii. To these simple premises M. Harding hath laid a large conclusion. If we hear not him and his church, then are we heathens and publicans. God knoweth, this is a very poor bravery. In the schools it is called petitio principi, and fallacia accidentis, a deceitful kind of reasoning, without either ground or good order. I need not to open it; it is known unto children. But doth M. Harding think that every man is an heathen that reproveth error, that discloseth the man of sin, and wisheth the reformation of God's church? Christ said unto the scribes and Pharisees: "You have made the house of God a den of thieves." Hieremy saith: "The labourers themselves have trodden down and torn the vine of the Lord." The prophet Esay saith: “Your Bernard. in silver is turned into dross." St Bernard saith of the bishops in his time: Pro mercenariis habemus diabolos, &c.2: "Instead of hirelings we have devils:" "From the top to the toe there is no part left whole in the church of Rome." Nicolaus de Clavengiis saith: Calamitosa desolatio est in domo Dei1: "There is a miserable desolation in the house of the Lord." Pighius confesseth there be abuses in de Priv. Miss. the private mass5. Latomus confesseth there is an error in the administration in one kind. And will M. Harding know all these by his own privy mark? Or must Christ, Hieremy, Esay, St Bernard, Pighius, and Latomus, be taken for no better than heathens and publicans? Certainly, touching these pluralities of masses, and this shameful profanation and waste of God's holy mysteries, both Christ and his apostles, and all the old catholic fathers of the primitive church, will say: Nos hujusmodi consuetudinem non habemus, nec ecclesia Dei: Alb. Pigh. Latom.contr. Bucer. 1 Cor. xi. [ Corp. Jur. Canon. Lugd. 1624. Decret. Gratian. Decr. Tert. Pars, De Consecr. Dist. ii. Gloss. in can. 11. col. 1917.] [2... sic facit Jesus hodie, eligens sibi multos diabolos episcopos.-Bernard. Op. Par. 1690. In Concil. Remens. Serm. 3. Vol. II. Tom. v. col. 736.] [3 Id. In Conv. S. Paul. Serm. i. 3. Vol. I. Tom. III. col. 956.] [ A fearful picture of the corruptions of the church is drawn by N. de Clameng. De Corrupt. Eccles. Stat. Lib. in Fasc. Rer. Expet. et Fug. Lond. 1690. Tom. II. pp. 555, &c.; but the precise words used by Jewel do not appear in this treatise.] [ Alb. Pigh. Explic. Cathol. Contr. Par. 1586. De Miss. Priv. Controv. vi. fol. 123. 2.] [ B. Latom. adv. M. Bucer. Defens. Col. 1545. De Disp. Euch. foll. D. &c. See especially G. ii........ dico optandum esse, votisque omnibus expetendum, ut nulla res unquam impediat, quo minus sacramenta ipsa, quo ritu quave cæremonia a Domino instituta sunt, ita possimus integre sine omni detrimento accipere.] "We have no such custom, neither the church of God." And to the wilful maintainers of the same Christ will say: Frustra colitis me, docentes doctrinas Matt. xv. præcepta hominum: "Ye worship me in vain, teaching the doctrines and commandments of men." Isai. xxix. And whereas, M. Harding, ye countenance and furnish your errors by the name of the church, remember St John saith: "Make no vaunts that ye be Matt. iii. the children of Abraham. For God is able even of the stones to raise up children unto Abraham." And the angel saith in the book of Revelations : Dicunt se esse Judæos, et non sunt; sed sunt synagoga Satance: " They name Rev. ii. themselves Jews," that is, the people of God, "but they are not: they are the synagogue of the devil." Now, good christian reader, that thou mayest see how vainly M. Harding hath wandered throughout this whole treaty, it may please thee to remember my first negative proposition touching the same, which in effect is this: They are not able to shew that, within six hundred years after Christ, there were five masses said any where, in any one church, in one day, throughout the world. In which proposition two points are specially touched; the number of masses, and the number of years. To prove the affirmative hereof, M. Harding hath alleged the council of Antisiodorum and the council of Toledo, either of them being Anno 613.7 without the compass of six hundred years. He hath also alleged Leo, an ancient bishop of Rome, speaking only of the holy communion, and not one word of the Leo, Epist. private mass 8. All these three authorities touch only one priest, and, as it appeareth by the gloss, only two ministrations at the uttermost9. Thus hath De Consecr. M. Harding failed, both in the computation of the years, and also in the number Relatum est. of his masses. Yet must this be defended among the rest, be the profanation thereof never so horrible; and whosoever dare wish a reformation herein must be no better than a heathen and a publican. O how much better had it been for M. Harding, either to have passed the matter over in silence, or plainly and simply to have confessed his error! Anno 680. 81. Dist. 2. In Glossa. [7 614, 1565.] [ Leon. Magni Op. Lut. 1623. Ad Diosc. Epist. lxxxi. cap. ii. col. 436.] [ Corp. Jur. Canon. Decret. Gratian. Decr. Tert. Pars, De Consecr. Dist. ii. Gloss. in can. 11. col. 1917.] OF ADORATION OF IMAGES. THE FOURTEENTH ARTICLE. to be wor shipped; worshipped, THE BISHOP OF SARISBURY. OR that images were set up in the churches to the intent the people might worship them. [OF IMAGES.-ARTICLE XIV. H. A. 1564.] M. HARDING. THE FIRST DIVISION. That images were set up in churches within six hundred years after Christ, Not specially it is certain, but not specially either then or sithence to the intent the people might worship them. The intent and purpose hath been far other, but right godly, as shall ergo, to be be declared. Wherefore the imputing of this intent to the catholic church is both although not false and also slanderous. And because, for the use of images, these new masters charge the church with reproach of a new device, breach of God's commandment, and idolatry; I will here shew, first, the antiquity of images, and by whom they have been allowed; secondly, to what intent and purpose they serve; thirdly, how they may be worshipped without offence. specially. Fid. et Symb. cap. vii. ad Johan. THE BISHOP OF SARISBURY. This article of images may be easily passed over, both for that the weight thereof is not great, and also for that M. Harding, as his wont is, hath purposely dissembled the matter that was in question, and devised other fantasies that were not touched. Wherein, notwithstanding he use large discourses and make great shew, yet in the end, as it shall appear, he concludeth nothing. I grant images were erected in some churches within six hundred years after Christ, albeit neither so rathe as it is pretended, nor without much repining of godly men and great contention. But M. Harding, of his modesty, once again calleth us new masters; so as he would call Moses if he were now alive, or much rather God himself. For this doctrine is God's doctrine, and not ours. And therefore St Augustine saith: August. de Hujusmodi simulacrum Deo nefas est in christiano templo collocare2: "In a christian church to erect such an image unto God (resembling God to an old Epist. Epiph. man), it is an abomination." And Epiphanius, the bishop of Cyprus, entering into Episc. Hieros. a church, and finding there a veil hanged up and the image of Christ painted in it, tare it asunder, and pulled it down, because it was done, as he writeth himself, contra auctoritatem scripturarum, “contrary to the commandment of God's word." Again he saith: Hujusmodi vela....contra religionem nostram veniunt : "Such veils (so painted) are contrary to our christian religion." And again: Hæc scrupulositas indigna est ecclesia Christi, et populis qui [tibi] crediti sunt3: "This superstition is unmeet for the church of Christ, and unmeet for the people that is committed unto thee." St Augustine saith: "It is abomination." Epiphanius saith: "It is contrary to the scriptures, and contrary to christian religion; unmeet for the church of Christ, and unmeet for the people of God." Howbeit, M. Harding perhaps will suffer these two to pass in the number of his new masters. [1 Were then set, H. A. 1564.] [2 August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. Lib. de Fid. et Symb. cap. vii. 14. Tom. VI. col. 157; where tale enim simulacrum, and christiano in.] [3 Epiph. Op. Par. 1622. Epist. ad Joan. Episc. Hieros. Hieron. Interp. Tom. II. p. 317; where ejusmodi, and ut scrupulositatem tollat quæ indigna.] |