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.

The B. of Sarisburie.

Arnobius, S. Augustine, and Epiphanius saye, there be thréescore and twelue sundrie Languages in the worlde: Cicero saith, they be infinite. Here must I note by the way, that Ciceroes woordes wel alleged, doo vtterly confounde M. Hardinges Doctrine of hearing that thinge, that the hearers vnderstande not, in suche sorte, as he mainteineth the hearinge of Masse.* 1.1 For thus he saithe, In his linguis, quas non intelligimus, quae sunt innumerabiles, surdi profectò sumus. In those tongues, that wee vnderstande not, which be innumerable, certainely wee be deafe. By which woordes, M. Hardinge might perceiue, that the simple people hearing him at his Masse, is starke deafe, and heareth nothinge. Yet, saithe M. Hardinge, is not M. Iuel hable to shew, that euer the Publique Seruice was in any other tongue then in Greeke, or Latin. And thus beinge required by mée, to shew any one example, that the people had their Common Seruice in a strange tongue: and as it appeareth, not hable to shew any, he altereth cunningly the whole case, and willeth mée to shew. Which thinge notwithstandinge I might iustely refuse to doo, by the order of any Schoo∣les, yet am I wel contente to yéelde to his request, bothe for the goodnesse, and pregnancie of the cause, and also specially, good Christian Reader, for the better contentation of thy minde: not doubtinge, but of thée selfe, thou wilte be hable to finde some distrust, and wante in M. Hardinges side: who notwithstandinge so many woordes, and so greate vauntes, yet is hable to shew nothinge.

And,* 1.2 to auoide multitude of woordes, the case beinge plaine, Eckius saithe, The Indians had their Seruice in the Indian tongue. Durandus saithe, The Iewes, that were Christened, had their Seruice in the Hebrew tongue. Yet was neither of these ton∣gues either Greeke, or Latine.

Nicolaus Lyra, and Thomas of Aquine saye, The Common Seruice in the Pri∣mitiue Churche, was in the Common Vulgare tongue.

By these few it may appeare, it was but a brauerie, that M. Hardinge saide, Neither M. Iuel, nor any one of that side, is hable to shew, that the Publique Seruice was in any other tongue, then in Greeke, or Latine. For it is easy to be shewed, euen by the Doctours of his owne side.

But what if Doctour Hardinge him selfe haue in plaine woordes confessed the same? Although he haue wantonly denied Christe, yet, I trow, he wil not denie him selfe. Consider, good Reader, his owne woordes hereafter folowing in this selfe same Article.* 1.3 But S. Paule, say they, requireth, that the people geue assent, and conforme them selfe vnto the Priest, by ansvvea∣ringe Amen, to his praier made in the congregation. Herevnto M. Hardinge answeareth thus: Verily, in the Primitiue Churche, this vvas necessary, vvhen the faith vvas a learninge, and therefore the praiers vvere made then in a cōmon tōgue knovvē to the people. What can there be more plainely spoken?* 1.4 Here M. Hardinge not onely confes∣seth, that the Common Praiers were pronounced in a Common tongue knowen to the people, but also further saith, the same at that time was necessary, and a∣uoucheth it with his warrant, Verily. Now quite contrary, as a man that had

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vtterly forgotten him selfe, he saith: The Common Seruice was neuer saide, but either in the Gréeke tongue, or in the Latine: and therein he offreth stoutely to stande against M. Iuel, and al others of this side. Whiche thing is easy for him to doo, séeing he dareth to stande so stoutely against him selfe. Uerily, his sayeinges cannot stande bothe togeather. If he be true in the one, in the other he must néedes be false.

Yet, good Christian Reader, for thy better satisfaction, it may please thee to know, that in the Primitiue Churche, the Common Seruice was not ministred by one man alone, but by the Priest, and whole Congregation altogeather, as may appeare by the general consent of the olde Fathers. Clemens Alexandri∣nus saith,* 1.5 In orationibus veluti vnam vocem habent Communem, & vnam mentem.

In the (Common) praiers they haue al as it were one voice, and one minde. S. Chryso∣stome saith,* 1.6 Not onely the Priest geueth thankes to God, but also, al the people: And what doost thou maruel, to see the Priest, and people in the Praiers talke togeather? And here to leaue S. Augustine, S. Hierome, S. Basile, Nazianzenus, Dionysius Ariopagita, with many other like Fathers:* 1.7 Isidorus describinge the order of the Churche in his time, writeth thus: Opor••es, vt quando psallitur, ab omnibus psallatur: Et cùm oratur, vt ab omnibus oretur: cum{que} Lectio legitur, facto silentio, aequé audiatur à cunctis. When they Singe, they must Singe altogeather: when they praie, they must Praie altogeather: and when the Lesson is readde, silence beinge commaunded, they must here altogeather.

It were very muche for M. Hardinge to say, Al these thinges were doone in a lear∣ned tongue, and that the Vulgare people in euery Countrie, vnderstoode either the Greeke, or the Latine. Yet, for that nothinge séemeth harde for him to say, let vs sée what the olde Fathers wil reporte in that behalfe. I haue already shewed by Theodoretus, Sozomenus, and S. Hierome, that the Seruice was in the Syrian tongue.

Olde Father Origens woordes,* 1.8 in my iudgement séeme very plaine. Writing against one Celsus a wicked Heathen, he saith thus: Graeci quidem Graec•• Deum nominant, & Latin•• Romani: & singuli item natiua, & Vernacula lingua Deum precā∣tur, & laudibus pro se quis{que} extollit. Ille enim qui est linguarum omnium Dominus, audit quauis lingua orantes, id{que} non secus, quàm si vnam vocem exciperet è varijs lin∣guis expressam. Deus enim cùm praesit machinae vniuersi, non est quasi vnus aliquis, qui linguam vel Graecam, vel Barbaram sit sortitus, vt coeteras nesciat. The Greekes name God in the Greeke tongue: and the Latines in the Latine tongue: and al seueral Nations praie vnto God, and praise him in their owne natural, and mother tongue. For he, that is the Lorde of al tongues, heareth men praieing in al tongues, none otherwise, then if it were one voice pronounced by diuers tongues. For God, that ruleth the whole worlde, is not as some one man, that hath gotten the Greeke, or Latine tongue, and knoweth none other.

S. Ambrose speaking of the Iewes,* 1.9 that were conuerted to Christe, saith thus: Hi ex Hebraeis erant, qui aliquādo Syria lingua, plaerun{que} Hebraea in Tractatibus, & Obla∣tionibus vtebantur. These were ••ewes, whiche in their Sermons and Oblations, vsed some∣time the Syrian tongue, and sometimes the Hebrewe.

S. Basil writing vnto the learned men of Naeocaesaria, and shewing, in what order the people vsed to resorte to the house of praier in the night season, and to singe Psalmes in sides, and to praie togeather: towardes the ende thereof, hath these woordes:* 1.10 Tanquam ab vnoore, & ab vno corde Confessionis Psalmum offerunt Domino, & Verba poenitentiae corum quis{que} propriè ascribit sibi. As it were from one mouthe, and from one harte, they offer vp vnto the Lorde the Psalme of Confession, and the woordes of Repentance euery of them applieth particularely vnto him selfe. Hereby it is plaine, that the people in S. Basils time songue the Psalmes togeather, and vn∣derstoode, what they songue.

And least M. Hardinge should slippe away, as his wonte is, and say, Al this was doone in the Greeke tongue, and not in any tongue Barbarous, S. Basile hath already pre∣uented

him. For immediatly he addeth further, as it foloweth. Horum gratia si nos fugitis, fugietis etiam Aepyptios, & vtrosque Lybias, & Thebanos, & Palaestinos, & A∣rabas, & Phoenices, & Syros, & eos, qui ad Euphratem incolunt, & in vniuersum omnes, quibus Vigiliae, & Orationes, & Communes Psalmodiae in honore habentur. If yee flee vs for thus singinge, and praieinge togeather, then must yee flee the Egyptians, and bothe the Countries of Lybia, and the Thebanes, and the Palestines, and the Arabians, and the Phe∣nicians, and the Syrians, and the borderers of Euphrates, and generally yee must flee al them, that haue watchinges, and praiers, and common Psalmodie in estimation. I trow M. Har∣dinge wil not say, Al these nations spake Greeke, or Latine.

S. Hierome writinge vnto Heliodorus,* 1.11 of the death of Nepotianus, séemeth to auouche the same. These be his woordes. Nunc Passionem Christi, & Resurrectionem eius, cunctarum gentium & voces, & literae sonant. Taceo de Hebraeis, Graecis, & Latinis, quas nationes suae Crucis Titulo Dominus dedicauit. Bessorum fe∣ritas, & pellitorum turba populorum, qui mortuorum quondam inferijs homines immo∣labant, stridorem suum in dulce Christi fregerunt melos, & totius mund•• vna vox est Christus. Now bothe the voices, and letters of al nations, doo sounde out Christes Pas∣sion, and Resurrection. I leaue the Iewes, the Greekes, and the Latines, whiche na∣tions the Lorde hath dedicate with the title of his Crosse. The sauage nature of the Bes∣sians, and people that for their wildenesse goe cladde in skinnes, whiche sometimes made Sa∣crifices of mennes Bodies, haue turned their Barbarous speache into the sweete harmonie of Christe. Christe is now the voice of the whole worlde.

Aeneas Syluius saithe,* 1.12 that when Cyrillus, and Methodius had conuerted the Sclauons vnto God, whiche was aboute the yeere of our Lorde eight hundred and thréescore, and were suters that they might minister the Common praiers, and other Seruice vnto them, in their Common Sclauon tongue, and greate stay was made therein by the Pope and his Cardinales, a voice was hearde, as it had beene from Heauen, Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum: & omnis lingua confiteatur ei. Let euery sprite praise the Lorde: and let euery tongue acknowlege him, And that therevpon they were suffred to vse their owne tongue.

Touchinge this mater,* 1.13 Innocentius the thirde hath decréed thus, and whe∣ther it make for the purpose or no, let M. Harding him selfe be iudge. His woordes be these: Quoniam in plaerisque partibus, intra eandem Ciuitatem, at{que} Dioecesim per∣misti sunt populi diuersarum linguarum, habentes sub vna fide varios ritus, & mores, di∣strictè praecipimus, vt Pontifices huiuscemodi Ciuitatum siue Dioecesium prouideant vi∣ros idoneos, qui secundum diuersitates rituum, & linguarum, diuina illis officia celebrent, & Ecclesiastica Sacramenta ministrent. For so muche as in many places within one Citie, and one Diocese, there be n••tions mingled togeather of many tongues, hauinge diuers orders and customes vnder one Faithe, wee doo therefore straitely commaunde, that the Bishoppes of suche Cities, or Dioceses, prouide meete men to Minister the holy Seruice, Accordinge to the diuersitie of their manners and tongues.

Here might I allege much more out of diuers writers, euen out of Abdias him selfe, whom M. Hardinge so muche estéemeth. But I wil onely note the complaint of one Iohn Billet concerning this case,* 1.14 and so make an ende. His woordes be these: In primitiua Ecclesia prohibitum erat, ne quis loqueretur linguis, nisi esset qui interpretaretur. Quid enim prodesset loqui, nisi intelligeretur? Inde etiam inoleuit laudabilis consuetudo, vt pronuntiato literaliter Euangelio, statim in vulgari popu∣lo exponeretur. Quid autem nostris temporibus est agendum, vbi nullus, vel rarus inuenitur legens, vel audiens, qui intelligat? Videtur ergo potius esse tacendū, quàm psallendum. It was forbidden in the Primitiue Churche, that no man shoulde speake with tongues, onlesse there were some presente to expounde it. For what should speakinge auaile without vnderstandinge? And hereof grewe a laudable custome, that after the Gospel was

readde literally, it should streight way be expoūded in the Vulgare tongue. ••ut what shal wee doo in our daies, when as there is either none at al, or very seldom, that r••adeth, or heareth, and vnderstandeth? It seemeth, it were better now to holde then peace, then so to singe.

Heere haue I alleged for proufe of our purpose, of the olde Fathers, Clemens Alexandr••nus, Origen, S. Basile, S. Hierome, Theodoretus, Sozomenus, and Isidorus: of the later writers, Aeneas Syluius, Innocentius T••rtius, Iohn Billet, Thomas of Aquine, Lyra, Durandus, and Eckius. Therefore I truste, M. Harding wil no more denie, but wée are hable to shew somwhat, that the Com∣mon Seruice in the Primitiue Churche, was in some other tongue, and not onely in Gréeke, or Latine. Now if M. Hardinge be hable to shew any such sufficient example of his side, I wil yeelde, accordinge to promisse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cicero in Tus••. quaestionibus.
• * 1.2

  Eckius in locis Communibus. Durandus. li. 4. Ca. 1. Nicola. Lyra. Et Thomas in. 1. ad Corin. 14.
• * 1.3

  Fol. 69. Diui. 28.
• * 1.4

  M. Hardinge contrary to him selfe.
• * 1.5

  Clemens Alexa▪ ctroma li. 7.
• * 1.6

  Chrysost. in. 2. ad Corin. hom. 18.
• * 1.7

  Isidor. de Eccle. offi. ca. 10.
• * 1.8

  Origen. contra Cel••um. li. 8.
• * 1.9

  Ambros. in. 1. Corin. 14.
• * 1.10

  Basilius in E∣pist. ad Clericos Naeocaearien.
• * 1.11

  Hieronym. ad Heliodorum: Epitaphium Nepotiani.
• * 1.12

  Aeneas Syluius historiae Bohe∣micae. Ca. 13.
• * 1.13

  Extra. de Offi∣cio Iudicis Or∣dinarij. Quoniā in pla••ris{que} Rituum, & lin∣guarum.
• * 1.14

  10. Billet in Summa de di∣uinis officijs.