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.

It appeareth, M. Hardinge* 1.1 is not so certaine of his doctrine, but he may alter, and varie without discredite. He helde before for certaine, that the ignorant people vnderstandeth the Latine tongue, although not perfitely, or in exacte wise. Now he séemeth to be resolued otherwise, that they vnderstande it not at al. These contrary saieinges wil hardely stande togeather: onles he meane, the peoples vnderstandinge, and no vnderstandinge, is al one thinge.

Origen, as he is here alleged, saithe, that the very readinge, or hearinge of Goddes Woorde profiteth muche, and reioiceth the Angels bothe within, and about vs, although we vnderstande it not. For better vnderstandinge hereof, I must briefely note certaine particular opinions, that this godly Father had of Angels, and heauenly powers. And to leaue muche that might be saide,* 1.2 he helde thus: that Angels haue their offi∣ces allotted vnto them diuersely, some ouer trees, some ouer hearbes, some ouer o∣ther thinges: that some haue power to teache Grammar, some Logique, some Rhe∣torique,

some other Sciences:* 1.3 and that some others are appointed to guide, and garde vs in this life, and shal appeare before God, at the General Iudgement to yeelde accoumpte of our dooinges.* 1.4 By these it may appeare, what Origen mea∣neth by the Angels, that, as he saithe, be about vs.

His saieinge is very comfortable vnto the simple minde, that deliteth in Gods Woorde, although oftentimes not vnderstandinge the déepe sense of it. Of readinge the Scriptures, his purpose was to speake,* 1.5 and not of hauinge the Seruice, or Praiers in a strange tongue. Wherefore M. Hardinge was the more to blame, thus to wreast his authour to a wronge purpose. Origen oftentimes exhorted the people to the readinge of the Scriptures. Upon Esaie the Prophete he writeth thus:* 1.6 Vtinam omnes faceremus illud, quod scriptum est, scrutamini Scripturas. I woulde, we woulde al performe, that is written, Searche the Scriptures.

In this place vpon Iosue,* 1.7 he layeth this obiection againste him selfe. It may be saide, The Scriptures be harde. He answeareth, Yet, that not withstandinge, if thou reade them, they shal doo thee good. For the Lorde Iesus Christe, if he finde vs occupied in the Scriptures, and exercised in the studie thereof, not onely vouchsafeth him selfe to be refreashed, and fedde in vs, but also seeinge suche a banket prepared, bringeth with him his Father vnto vs. In the ende he concludeth thus: Haec idcirco diximus, ne fastidium capiamus au∣dientes Scripturas, etiamsi eas non intelligamus. These thinges haue I saide, that we lothe not to heare the Scriptures, although we vnderstande them not. And thus muche Origen spake, not of the Grammatical, or plaine vnderstandinge of the Scriptures, that riseth of the letter, but of the Allegorie, or profounde sense, whereunto the vnlear∣ned can not wel atteine. For so he expoundeth his owne meaninge, writinge vpon the Gospel of S. Matthew.* 1.8 Etiam illi saluantur, qui Literam Euangelij, hoc est, simplicem narrationem sequuntur. Sola enim narratio simplex sufficit simplicioribus ad salutem. Euen they be saued that followe the Letter, that is to say, The plaine storie of the Gospel. For onely the simple storie is sufficient vnto the saluation of the simple. So farre foorth may the vnlearned haue profite by readinge of the Scriptures, although he further vnderstande them not. So likewise saith S. Augustine:* 1.9 Qui diligit Legem Dei, etiam, quod in ea non intelligit, honorar. Who so looueth the Lawe of God, honou∣reth in it euen that thinge, that he vnderstandeth not. Likewise he confesseth of him selfe, that at his first entrie into the Faithe of Christe, he receiued great profite by readinge the Epistle of S. Paule vnto the Romaines,* 1.10 although he were not then hable throughly to conceiue the meaninge of it: And further that by the Counsel of S. Am∣brose he readde the Prophete Esaie:* 1.11 And al though he fully vnderstoode him not, yet was he therby made the meeter to receiue the Grace of God. The like also writeth S. Hie∣rome by waie of Prophecie, of the later daies before the comminge of Christe. In aduentu Messiae populus eleuabitur,* 1.12 & prophetabit, qui sub Magistris antè fuerat con∣sopitus, & ibunt ad montes scripturarum: Ibi inuenient montes Mosen, & Iosue filium Naue, montes Prophe••as, montes Noui Testamenti, Apostolos, & Euangelistas: Et cùm ad tales montes confugerit, & in huiusmodi montium fuerit lectione versatus, si non inue∣nerit qui eum doceat, tamen illius studium comprobabitur, quòd confugerit ad Montes. At the comminge of Messias, the people shalbe lifted vp, and shal prophecie, that before laye asleepe vnder their Maisters: and they shal goe to the Mountaines of the Scriptures: and there shal they finde Mountaines, Moses, and Iosue the sonne of Naue, the Mountaines of the Prophetes, the Mountaines of the Newe Testament, the Apostles, and the Euangelistes. And when they shal flee to suche Mountaines, and shalbe occupied in the readinge thereof, if they finde not one to teache them, yet shal their endeuour, and good wil be allowed, for that they haue fledde vnto the Mountaines. This may the simple haue profite by the rea∣dinge of the Scriptures, albeit he fully vnderstande them not: thus be the Angels delited: thus is the Diuel molested and gréeued with the same: as Origen him selfe witnesseth by these woordes: Daemonibus super omnia est tormentorum genera, & su∣per

omnes poenas,* 1.13 si quem videant Verbo Dei operam dare, scientiam Diuinae Legis, & Mysteria Scripturarum intentis studijs perquirentem. Vnto the Diuels it is a griefe aboue al kindes of torment, and aboue al paines, if they see any man labour the Woorde of God, see∣kinge with earnest minde the knowledge of Goddes Lawe, and the Mysteries of the Scriptures.

S. Augustine, as M. Hardinge allegeth him, saithe,* 1.14 The Psalme chaseth away Diuels: But S. Augustine geueth not suche power vnto a Psalme pronounced onely with the lippes, in a strange vnknowen tongue: but vnto a Psalme vnderstanded, & beléeued, and pronounced from the harte. For, to saie, The Woorde of God onely bicause it is written, or spoaken, is auaileable of 〈◊〉〈◊〉without vnderstandinge, as M. Hardinge séemeth to say, is a superstitious, and a Iewishe kinde of folie.

Chrysostome sawe, & reproued the superstition therof in his time by these woordes:* 1.15 Quidam Sacerdotes partem aliquam Euangelij alligant circa collum. Dic Sacerdos insipi∣ens: Nonne quotidiè Euangelium in Ecclesia legitur, & auditur ab hominibus? Cui ergo in auribus posita Euangelia nihil prosunt, quomodo eum poterunt circa collum suspen∣sa saluare? Vbi est virtus Euangelij? In figuris literarum, an in intellectu sensuum? Certaine Priestes there be, that binde a peece of the Gospel aboute their neckes. Tel me thou foolishe Priest: Is not the Gospel euery daie readde, and hearde of menne in the Churche? If the Gospel doo not profite a man beinge put in his eare, howe then can it profite him beinge tide at his necke? For wherein reasteth the power of the Gospel? In the forme of the letters, or in the vnderstandinge of the sense? So may we say vnto M. Hardinge: Wherein resteth the power of the Psalmes, wherwith the Diuel is vanquished? In the bare sounde of the woordes, or in the sense, and meaninge of the same? Certainely S. Augu∣stine saithe,* 1.16 The woorde of God woorketh in our hartes, nō quia dicitur, sed quia creditur: Not bicause it is spoken, but bicause it is beleeued. Likewise saithe S. Basile, Non qui ore profert verba Psalmi, Psallit Domino: sed quicunque de puro corde profe∣runt Psalmodiam. He singeth not vnto the Lorde, that vttereth the woordes of the Psalme: but they that from a pure harte pronounce the Psalmodie: Likewise Origen,* 1.17 Fiduciam habet ad Deum, non propter Verba Orationis, vel Psalmi, quamuis videantur bene com∣posita, & de Scripturis electa: sed quia altare cordis sui bene construxit. He that praieth, hath trust in God, not for the woordes of his prayer, or of the Psalme, although they seeme to be wel made, and chosen out of the Scriptures: but bicause he hath wel made vp the Aultare of his harte. This was Origens whole, and onely purpose. He exhorteth not the peo∣ple to heare Seruice in a strange language. Neither is M. Harding hable to shew, that there was any such Seruice in the whole Churche of God, either then in Ori∣gens time, or within foure hundred yéeres after him. Onely he encouraged the people to reade the Scriptures, yea although they were not hable to reatche the bottome of them: as it plainely appeareth by his owne woordes folowinge: In Scri∣pturis Sanctis est vis quaedam, quae legenti etiam sine explanatione sufficiat. In the holy Scriptures there is a certaine vertue sufficient for the Reader, yea although they be not ex∣pounded. And therefore he allegeth these woordes of S. Paule,* 1.18 My sprite praieth, but my sense is vvithout fruite: not to warrant M. Hardinges strange order of praier, whiche neither S. Paule, nor Origen him selfe euer knewe, but onely to shewe, that as God of his mercie healpeth our weakenesse in praieinge, so likewise in rea∣dinge the Scriptures, he healpeth our weakenesse in vnderstandinge. S. Paule saithe,* 1.19 Quid Oremus, quemadmodum oporteat, nescimus: sed ipse Spiritus postulat pro nobis gemitibus inenarrabilibus. We know not what to praie, as it is meete for vs to praie: But the Sprite of God intreateth for vs with sighes, that cannot be expressed. Thus, saithe Origen, The Angels of God delite to see vs praieinge: thus they delite to see vs readinge. But if they delite onely to sée vs praie, or heare in a strange tongue, we know not what, as M. Hardinge woulde geather, then are they the Angels of Darkenesse, and not of God.

Out of this place of Origen M. Hardinge geathereth these reasons: The Angels

are delited to heare vs reade, or praie, although we of our weakenes knowe not throughly, what we speake: Ergo, the people in Origens time had the Common Seruice in a strange tongue.

The errour or fraude hereof may the better appeare by that, I haue before decla∣red. It is called Fallacia ab Amphibologia, that is, of the doubteful takinge of one woorde. For this woorde (Vnderstandinge) hath twoo significations. For we vnderstande the woordes, & we vnderstande the meaninge of the woordes. Origen saithe, the people vnderstoode not the meaninge of the Scriptures: Ergo, saithe M. Har∣dinge, they vnderstoode not the woordes of the Scriptures. Againe, Origen saithe: They had no ful, and perfite vnderstandinge: Ergo, saithe M. Hardinge, They had no vnderstandinge at al. And therein standeth the falseheade of his argument. And againe, The woordes that Origen writeth of Readinge the Scriptures, M. Hardinge applieth the same to the Common Seruice: and so violently, and perforce altereth, and de∣praueth Origens meaninge, and concludeth one thinge for an other. And thus this good Father is drawen in to prooue that thinge, that he neuer neither knewe, nor did, nor willed to be donne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  M. Harding al∣tereth his iudgemente.
• * 1.2

  Origen in Io∣sue hom. 23.
• * 1.3

  Origen. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉li. 3. Ca. 3.
• * 1.4

  Origen. in Nu∣mer. hom. 20.
• * 1.5

  M. Hardinge vvreasteth Ori∣gen from his purpose.
• * 1.6

  Origen. in Esai. ho. 2.
• * 1.7

  Origen. in Io∣sue ho. 20.
• * 1.8

  Origen. in Matth. tract. 26.
• * 1.9

  August. in Psalm. 119.
• * 1.10

  August. Confess. li. 7. Ca. 12.
• * 1.11

  August Confess. li. 9. Ca. 5.
• * 1.12

  Hieronym. in Nahum Ca. 3.
• * 1.13

  Origen. in Nu∣mer. hom. 27.
• * 1.14

  August. in pro∣logo in librum psalm.
• * 1.15

  Chrysostom. in Matthae. in ope∣re imperfecto hom. 43.
• * 1.16

  August. tracta. 80. in Iohan. Basil. in psalm. 29.
• * 1.17

  Origen. in Matth. tract. 25.
• * 1.18

  1. Cor. 14.
• * 1.19

  Roman. 8.