Even with such truth, M. Harding, are you wont to blaze the Arms of your Religion. There is no toy so vain, or so fabulous, but ye are able by your conning to bring it lineally, either from Christ him self, or from his Apostles, or from one, or other of the Ancient Fathers. The Bishop of Sidon in y• Late diet of the Empire holden at Augusta, 1avouched openly that ye had your whole Canon from the Apostles of Christ, word by word, even as it is peevishly written in your Mass Books. Andreas Barbatius proveth the Antiquity of y• Cardinals of Rome, 2by these words written in the first Book of the Kings, Domini sunt Cardines Terrae: Et posuit super eos Orbem: The Corners of the Earth be the Lords: and upon them he hath set the world, Abbot Panormitane saithe, Cardinalatus est de Jure Divino: Quia Papa per Sacerdotes Leviticos intelligit Cardinals: The Cardinalship standeth by the Law of God: 3For the Pope by the Levitical Priests understandeth his Cardinals. 4Hosius seemeth to say, that Monks have their beginning even from the Apostles, meaning thereby, as one of your Companions there doth, in favour, I trow, of Religion, that Christ him self was the Abbot. For thus he saith,5 Christus Dux, & exemplar vitae Monasticae: Christ was the Captain, and sampler of Monks life. And yet the same man afterward, as having forgotten his former dream, utterly displaceth Christ, & giveth the whole honour hereof unto Elijah, & Elizaeus: These be his words, Elijah, & Elizaeus Duces instituti Benedictini: Elijah, and Elizaeus were y• Captains of S. Benet's order, y• is to say, they were Black Monks? By like wisdom ye would seem to fetch your Holy Water from S. Augustine. This was sometime a jolly good way to win credit, specially whiles, what so ever ye said, y• people was ready to give you care. So y• old Arcades said in commendation of their Antiquity, y• they were a day, or two elder then the Moon. Saturnus 6being in Italy, for y• he was a stranger, & no man knew, from whence he came, therefore was called Filius Caeli, & was thought to come from Heaven, Romulus, & Alexander, for that they were borne in bastardy, & never knew their own Fathers, therefore to magnify the nobility of their blood, would be called the Children of the Gods: the one of Mars, y• other of Jupiter.
Euen with sutche truthe, M. Hardinge, are you woonte to blase the Armes of your Religion. There is no toie so vaine, or so fabulous, but ye are hable by your conninge to bring it lineally, either from Christe him selfe, or from his Apostles, or from one, or other of the Ancient Fathers. The Bishop of Sidon in y• Late diete of the Empiere holden at Augusta, 1auouched openly that ye had your whole Canon from the Apostles of Christe, woord by woord, euen as it is péeuishely written in your Masse Bookes. Andreas Barbatius proueth the Antiquitie of y• Cardinalles of Rome, 2by these woordes written in the firste Booke of the Kinges, Domini sunt Cardines Terrae: Et posuit super eos Orbem: The Corners of the Earth be the Lordes: and vpon them he hath sette the world, Abbate Panormitane saithe, Cardinalatus est de Iure Diuino: Quia Papa per Sacerdotes Leuiticos intelligit Cardinales: The Cardinalship standeth by the Law of God: 3For the Pope by the Leuitical Priestes vnderstandeth his Cardinalles. 4Hosius séemeth to saie, that Monkes haue theire beginning euen from the Apostles, meaninge thereby, as one of your Companions there doothe, in fauoure, I trowe, of Religion, that Christe him selfe vvas the Abbat. For thus he saith,5 Christus Dux, & exemplar vitae Monasticae: Christe was the Captaine, and samplar of Monkes life. And yet the same man afterwarde, as hauinge forgotten his former dreame, vtterly displaceth Christe, & geueth the whole honoure hereof vnto Elias, & Elizaeus: These be his woordes, Elias, & Elizaeus Duces instituti Benedictini: Elias, and Elizaeus were y• Captaines of S. Benettes order, y• is to saie, thei were Blacke Monkes? By like wisedome ye would séeme to fetche your Holy Water from S. Augustine. This was sommetime a ioily good waie to winne credite, specially whiles, what so euer ye said, y• people was ready to geue you care. So y• olde Arcades saide in commendation of theire Antiquitie, y• thei were a daie, or twoo elder then the Moone. Saturnus
- 1Anno. 1548.
- 21. Regum 2. Polydorus De Inuentorib. Li. 4 Cap. 9.
- 3Extra, Qui Filij sint Legitimi. per Venerabilē. Abb.Extra, Qui Filij sint Legitimi. per Venerabilē. Abb.
- 4Much hereof is alleged before.Mutche hereof is alleged before.
- 5Hosius in Confessione Petricovien. Cap. 88. Copus, Dialo. 2. Pag. 194.Hosius in Confessione Petricouien. Cap. 88. Copus, Dialo. 2. Pag. 194.
- 6[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
