al togeather, with one harte, and one voice, in sprite, and trueth: and specially
wée pray for you, and for suche others, that ye may consider from whence ye are
fallen, and repent your selues, and returne to God: wée Excommunicate open of∣fenders:
wée receiue againe them that shew them selues penitent: wée instructe
our youthe in the Faithe of Christe: wée make collections, and prouide charitably
for the poore. Of al these thinges, what one thinge is contrary to the Catho∣lique
faithe? O M. Hardinge, it is written, The mouthe that lieth, destroieth the
soule: And Christe saithe, The Blasphemie against the holy Ghost, shal neuer be forgeuen,
neither in this life, nor in the life to come.
Now, good Christian Reader, for the better contenting of thy minde, I beséeche
thée to looke backe, and to consider the whole substance of al, that M. Hardinge
hath laide in for proufe of this Article, what weight it beareth, and how wel it ser∣ueth
to his purpose. He hath intreated largely of singinge in the Quier, at what
time, and where it first beganne: and likewise hath prooued by a greate longe dis∣course
of situation of countries, and diuersitie of tongues, that neither al the east
parte of the worlde vnderstoode the Gréeke, nor al the people of Aphrica, Mauri∣tania,
Spaine, and Fraunce vnderstoode the Latine: whiche labour in this case
was nothinge needeful. But that al the Nations of the East parte had their Ser∣uice
in the Greeke tongue, and that al the people of Aphrica, Mauritania, Spaine,
and Fraunce had their Seruice in the Latine tongue, whiche thinge onely stoode
in Question, and therefore was onely to be prooued, he hath hitherto vtterly leaft
vnprooued. Touchinge the Publique Seruice within this Ilelande, the storie of
Augustine of Rome, and Edda, and Putta, and other Poetes, and singinge men,
as I haue shewed, standeth him in smal stéede. Contrary to his owne knowlege
he saith, that the fouretéenth Chapter of S. Paule to the Corinthians cannot ne∣cessarily
be applied to this purpose: And further he saith, that euen from the Apo∣stles
time, the Priest euermore made his Praiers in the Quier, farre of from the
hearinge of the people: That the ignorant people vnderstandeth the Latine
Tongue, although not in most exacte wise, or perfitely: That they are now better
instructed in the Articles of the Faith, then they were in the time of the Apostles:
That it is sufficient for them now to be taught by Gestures, and Ceremonies: and
that they haue greate profit by hearinge their Seruice, although they know not
what they heare. Againe he saith, that the Gréeke, and Latine be learned ton∣gues,
and therefore al the Seruice of the Churche throughout the whole worlde,
ought to be ministred in one of them: That al the Psalmes, and al other Scriptu∣res
are harde, and farre passe the capacitie of the people: That vnderstandinge of
the mater causeth the minde to wander: and to be shorte, that praier in the Com∣mon
tongue, that euermore bredde Schismes, and Diuisions in the Churche.
He hath openly falsified Strabo, Iustinian, Origen, Chrysostome, and others,
and hath forced them to say the thinge, they neuer meante.
This is the whole Summarie of al that he had to say. Hereof he woulde séeme
to conclude, that within the first sixe hundred yeeres after Christe, the Common
Seruice was ministred openly in a tongue vnknowen vnto the people: Albeit he
hath hitherto alleged neitheir Scripture, nor Councel, nor Decrée, nor Doctour,
nor Example, or Practise of the Primitiue Churche to prooue the same.
Of the other side, it is sufficiently prooued of our parte, that the fouretienth
Chapter to the Corinthians must of necessitie belonge to the vse of Common
praiers: and that in the Primitiue Churche, the Seruice was euery where Mi∣nistred
in the Uulgare Tongue, and that the Priest and the people praied al togea∣ther:
I haue prooued, not onely that the Nations, that vnderstoode Greeke, or
Latine, had their Seruice in the Greeke, or Latine tongue, but by Theodoretus,