A replie vnto M. Hardinges ansvveare by perusinge whereof the discrete, and diligent reader may easily see, the weake, and vnstable groundes of the Romaine religion, whiche of late hath beene accompted Catholique. By Iohn Iewel Bishoppe of Sarisburie.

M. Hardinge. The .8. Diuision.

Nowe, how wel I am hable to prooue this, I referre it to your owne consideration. The lesse Asi•• beinge a principal parte of the Greeke Churche, had then the Seruice in the Greeke tongue:* 1.1 But the people of sundrie Regions, and Countries of the lesse Asia, then vnderstoode not the Greeke tongue: Ergo, the people of sundrie Regions, and Countries, had then their Seruice in an vnknowen tongue. The firste proposition, or Maior, is confessed as manifest: no learned man wil denie it: and if any woulde, it may easely be proued. The seconde proposition, or Minor, may thus be proued. Strabo, who trauailed ouer al the Countries of Asia, for perfite knowlege of the same, nere aboute the time of S. Paules peregrination there, who also was borne in the same, in his 14. Booke of Geographie writeth, that, where as within that Cherronesus, that is the streight betweene sea, and sea, there were sixteene Nations by reporte of Ephorus: 70* 1.2 of them al onely three were Greekes, al the reste Barbarous. Likewise Plinius in the sixth Booke Naturalis historiae Ca. 2. declareth, that 71* 1.3 within the circuite of that Lande were three Creeke Nations onely, Dores, Iones, A••oles: and that the reste were Barbarous.* 1.4 Amongest whome the people of Lycaonia was one, who in S. Paules time spake before Paule and Barnabas in the Lycaonical tongue.

The Scripture it selfe reporteth a diuersitie of language there, and there about, as it appeareth by the seconde Chapter of the Actes. VVhere the Iewes geathered togeather in Hierusalem, for keepinge of the feaste of Pentecoste, wonderinge at thApostles for their speakinge with so many sundrie tongues, amonges other prouinces different in language, they reckē Pontus, and Asia, Cappadocia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia. VVhiche twoo prouinces are of al attributed vnto the lesse Asia. VVhiche maketh a good argument, that al Asia the Lesse had not onely the Greeke tongue. And therefore so many of them as were of other language hauinge the Seruice in Greeke, had it in a tongue they vnderstoode not.

They that wil seeme to searche the cause, why that lande had so greate diuersitie of languages, impute it to the often change of conquestes, for that it was ouercome, and possessed of diuerse nations: of whiche euery one coueted with enlarginge their Empier, to bringe into the Countries subdued, their

lawes:* 1.5 their customes, and their language. Nowe this beinge proued by good and sufficient autho∣ritie, that in Asia of sixteene Nations three onely were Greekes, it followeth that the other thirteene hauinge their seruice in Greeke, had it not in their owne, but in astraunge tongue. For els if they had al naturally spoaken Greeke, why shoulde not they haue beene called Greekes? Thus we see it is no newe thinge proceedinge of a general corruption in the Churche, some peoples to haue the Seruice in an vnknowen tongue.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A Fallax, or a deceiteful argument.
• * 1.2

  The .70. Vntrueth. Misrepor∣tinge Stra∣boes vvor∣des.
• * 1.3

  The .71. Vntrueth. Misrepor∣tinge the vvordes of Plinie.
• * 1.4

  Act. 14.
• * 1.5

  Asia the Lesse.