The B. of Sarisburie.
Al our mater is fully answeared, and confuted: For M. Harding hath called vs Newe Maisters: euen with the same authoritie, and spirite, that Haman saide vnto kinge Darius,* 1.1 The Iewes troubled his countrie, and professed, and vsed a Nevve Lavve. Certainely, our Doctrine is Christes Doctrine, & hath the Testimonie, not onely of the Lawe, & the prophetes, but also of the auncient Councels, and Olde Fathers.
The greatest proufe for the Latine Seruice, that M. Hardinge can finde, stan∣deth vpon the bare name of the Latine Churche. And yet in that whole Churche this day, there is not one nation, that either speaketh, or vnderstandeth the La∣tine Tongue. Let M. Hardinge onely leaue his portuise, and Latine Seruice: then hath he no further cause to bragge of his Latine Churche. For, as it now fareth, his Seruice taketh not name of his Churche, but his Churche of his Seruice. Ue∣rily, as it is meete, the Seruice shoulde be in Latine in the Latine Churche: so is it meete, the Seruice should be in Englishe in the Englishe Churche.
We graunte, the Psalmes be harde, as it is alleged: for the déepe senses, and highe Mysteries, and secrete prophecies of Christ, and of his Churche therein con∣teined. Bisides that, M. Hardinge hath founde out a buntche of keies in S. Hilarie, wherewith to shutte out al the people. Not withstanding the right vse of keyes is rather to open, then to shutte. Chrysostome* 1.2 saithe, Clauis est Verbum scientiae Scri∣pturarum, per quam aperitur hominibus ianua Veritatis. The keie is the woorde of know∣ledge of the Scriptures, by the whiche the gate of the Trueth is opened vnto men. And Ter∣tullian likewise saithe, Clauis est interpretatio Legis, The keye is the exposition of the Lawe. And therefore Christe saithe, Woe be vnto you ye Scribes and Pharisees, that shutte vp the Kingedome of God before menne: for ye enter not your selues, neither suffer o∣thers, that would enter. And thus they doo, saith Tertullian, Docentes po••iùs praecepta, & doctrinas hominum, Teachinge rather the Commaundementes, and Doctrines of menne. But if there be so many keyes bounde togeather, what if M. Hardinge haue missed in his choise, and haue taken one keye for an other?
His reason standeth thus, The simple people vnderstandeth not the deepe meaninge of the Psalmes: Ergo, they vnderstande nothinge in the Psalmes. By this keye M. Hardinge may happen to shutte out him selfe. This is a false kinde of reasoninge, whiche in the Schooles is called A secundum quid, ad simpliciter. For albeit the people vnder∣stande not al the highe Mysteries of the Scriptures, yet it foloweth not, that ther∣fore they vnderstande nothinge in the Scriptures. For in the Scriptures there is bothe Stronge meate for Menne, and also Milke for Children: And in the same, saithe S. Gregorie,* 1.3 the Elephant maye swimme, and the Lambe may wade a foote.
And if the Psalmes be harde in the Uulgare Tongue, be they therefore easie in the Latine Tongue? Or if the Psalmes be darke, muste the people therefore haue their Seruice in Latine?
Uerily it appeareth bothe by Dauid him selfe, & also by sundrie Olde Fathers, that the simplest of al the people were hable to vnderstande the Psalmes. Dauid exhorteth Younge Menne,* 1.4 and Maydes, Olde menne, and Children, to prayse the name of the Lorde:* 1.5 Children were hable to receiue Christ with Psalmes, & to singe alowde, Blissed is he, that commeth in the name of the Lorde, and applied the same aptely vnto Christ.* 1.6 S. Hierome saithe, The poore husbandeman songue the Psalmes at his Ploughe: S. Basile exhorteth the artificer to singe Psalmes in his shoppe. Appollinaris turned ye Psalmes into Greeke verses,* 1.7 that Children mighte learne them in the Schooles. S. Chrysostome* 1.8 saithe vnto the Father, Teache thy Childe to singe the Psalmes.