A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to a certaine booke lately set foorthe by M. Hardinge, and entituled, A confutation of &c. By Iohn Iewel Bishop of Sarisburie.

The B. of Sarisburie.

Touchinge the number of your Courteghianes of Rome, whether they be twentie thousande, or more, or lesse, wee wil not striue. They be leased out in see farme: The Popes rentes are alwaies certaine. For Fornication is fineable in Rome, and a goode ••aleable kinde of sinne. But this, you saie, is an other Lie, as false, and as sclounderous, as the reste. For, ye saie, they paie no yeerely pension for theire sufferance in that trade of Life: but onely the common taxes, whiche are likewise raised v∣pon other Citizens. Whether it be so, or no, M. Hardinge, it is sufficiente for you, so to saie. Otherwise, he that raiseth sutche fines vpon baudrie, might wel bee thought to be the baude.

Howe be it, your owne Doctours herein wil soone condemne you. For thus it is written by them in your owne Glose: Videtur, quod crimen Meretricij Ecclesia sub dissimulatione transire debeat. Nam & Mareschallus Papae de facto exigit tri∣butū à Meretricibus: It seemeth, that the Churche ought to dissemble the fault of whoore∣dome. For the Popes Marshal in deede receiueth a tribute, or pension of VVhoores.

Whereas ye saie, Cornelius Agrippa was the first Authour of this sclaun∣der, it is vntrue. For your owne Glose laste before alleged, auoucheth it by the Authoritie of Iohannes Andreas, a notable Canoniste, that liued welneare twoo hundred yeeres, before Agrippa was borne. And Nicolaus de Clauengijs, that liued in the time of y^• Emperour Sigismunde, in his Booke intituled, De Corru∣pto Ecclesiae statu, hathe one special Chapter, De Exactionibus pro concubinis tolerandis, Of Exactions for the sufferinge of Concubines.

But al this ye wipe awaie easily with one woorde. For ye saie, The Cour∣teghianes in Rome paie these impositions, not as a portion of theire vnthrifty gaistes, but onely as a pounishemente for theire wicked life. For it is not laweful

there to commit sinne freely, without paiemente. And thus is the mater wel defended.

So it is noted vpon your Decrees, Quòd dicitur, Sacerdos non potest percipere mercedem prostibuli, potest dici, quòd non debet recipi Oblatio Meretricis: li∣cet Eleemosyna possit inde fieri: Whereas it is saide, The Prieste maie not receiue the revvarde, or Oblation of the Stevves, wee maie saie, that the Oblation of an Harlo•• maie not be receiued: notwithstandinge wee maie make an almouse of the same: That is to saie, A Harlottes monie maie be taken by y^• waie of Almouse, but not by the waie of Oblation. Thus are wee taught, and it behooueth vs to beleeue, that the Pope maie liue, not by the Oblations of the Courteghianes, but by theire Almouse.

Nowe for as mutche as M. Hardinge woulde so faine haue this mater to passe by the name of a pounishemente of these il weémenne, I beseeche thee, good Reader, to consider, howe greeuousely, and with what extremitie, and rigoure of Lawe they haue diuised, to haue them pounished. In a Prouincial Councel hol∣den at Oxforde it is written thus, Concubinae Sacerdotum moneantur ab Archidiacono, &c. Let Priestes Concubines be vvarned by the Archedeacon &c. If they vvil not amende, then let them be forebidden to Kisse the Pax, and to take Holy Breade in the Churche. With sutche extremitie, and crueltie they keepe the people from dooinge il.

It was neither for your profession, M. Hardinge, nor for your grauitie, to become a Proctoure for the Stevves. Although it might wel becomme Leonti∣um, an Heathen Courteghiane of lewde conditions, that wai to bestow her witte, and Eloquence againste Theophrastus, in the defence of that filthy state, yet may not the same likewise becomme a Christian man, and a professoure of Diuinitie.

Ye cal your Courteghianes a Necessarie Euil: but by what Authoritie of the Scriptures, I cannot tel. That the whole trade, and life of them is il, we take it, as your graunte: But that thei be Necessarie in any Christian Common wealth, I recken it very harde for you to proue. Yee allege the heate of the Countrie: as if that weere a sufficiente warrante for your Stewes. And yet, I trowe, the towne of Louaine, and the Countrie of Brabante, where ye nowe inhabite, is not so hote. The heates of Ievvrie are thought farre to passe al the heates of Italie. Yet God saithe vnto the Ievves, Non erit vlla Meretrix de filiabus Israel: nec Scortator de filijs Israel: There shalbe no Whoore of the Daughters of Israel: Nor Whoorekeeper of the Sonnes of Israel. And euen nowe, where so euer the Gospel of Christe is openly, and freely receiued, notwithstandinge the heate of the Coun∣trie, your Stewes, and Bordelles flee awaie, as the night clowdes before the Sonne. But after that your Priestes were once forbidden laweful Marriage, then was it needeful, that your Necessarie il shoulde comme in place. Howe be it, S. Paule saithe, Let vs not doo il, that good maie folowe. For iuste is the damnation of them, that so saie.

But S. Augustine standeth ful of your side: S. Augustine hath written in the behoufe of the Stewes: S. Augustine saithe, Take Harlottes awaie from emonge menne, and ye fil al the Countrie with ribaudrie, and villanie. In deede the very name of S. Augustine is great, and Reuerende. But what if S. Augustine, when he wrote these woordes, were not S. Augustine? What if he wrote that Booke, De Ordine, beinge as yet a very yonge man, & but a Nouice in the Faithe: not yet wel instructed: not yet Baytized in the name of Christe: him selfe as yet keepinge a Concubine, and liuinge in whooredome? Shal sutche a one, so yonge, and so youthful, goe for a Saincte? Or shal his bare name, and vnseasoned fantasies stande you in steede, to proue your Stewes?

Verily, the same S. Augustine, beinge afterwarde fully instructed, and Chri∣stened, saith thus, Istam in vsu scortatorum terrena Ciuitas licitam fecit turpitudinem: The worldly Citie (not y^• Church of God) hath made this filthinesse of harlottes to be lawe∣ful. And Ludouicus Viues, writing vpon y^• same, saithe, Satis apertè Augustinus ••estatur, lure Ciuili veteri Romano multa esse permissa, quae sint contra••ia Legibus Di∣uinis. Hoc isti volunt, qui, dum Gentilitatem coniungere, & coaptare Christianismo laborant, corrupto vtro{que}, & alterius impatiente, nec Gentilitatem, nec Christianismum retinent: S. Augustine plainely witnesseth, that by the olde Ciuile Romaine (and Hea∣then) Lawe, many thinges were suffered, whiche were contrarie to the Lawes of God. This thinge wil not these menne allowe, whoe while they studie (as you, M. Hardinge, doo) to ioine Heathennesse, and Christianitie bothe togeather, bothe beinge corrupted, and the one not standinge with the other, keepe nowe neither Heathennesse, nor Christianitie.

Therefore wee maie mutche better exchange these woordes of Augustine, spoken in his youthe, before he had wel learned to speake: and ma••e mutche better saie thus, Permitte Lupanaria: & implebis omnia libidinibus: Suffer, and allowe the Stewes: and ye shal fil al the Countrie with Ribaudrie, and Villanie. And in this sense S. Bernarde saithe▪ Tolle de Ecclesia honorabile Coniugium, & thorum im∣maculatum: Nonne reples eam Concubina••ijs, incestuosis, seminifluis, mollibus, mascu∣lorū Concubitoribus, & omni denique genere immundorum? Take once from the Churche honourable 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and the Bedde vndefiled: and doeste thou not fil the same Churche ful of brothelles, keepinge Concubines, &c. and with al so••tes of filthy personnes?

Further ye saie, And wherefore is the Bishop of Rome more to be blamed for maintei∣nance of his Stewes, then the Frenche Kinge, or the Kinge of Spaine? This is but a simple reason for a Doctour of Diuinitie. It is an olde saieinge:

Nil iuuat exemplum, quod litem lite resoluit.

Christe bade not his Apostles, to be leadde by the example of worldly Princes. If it be il in them, it is mutche woorse in him, that woulde be called the Vicare of Christe, the Heade of the Churche, and the Holy one of Israel.

An other parte of theire paunishemente is, as you tel vs, that they maie not ride sumptuousely in Coches, or Charettes, or dwel in the open faire stréetes, and in the sight of the Cittie: but are forced to goe a foote, and to hide them selues in corners, and in out houses, and bylanes: and that, by your description, in sutche simple, and poore, and beggerly sorte, as if they were the vileste, and ou∣gleste of al the people, and had not a good clowte to couer theire bodies. Certaine∣ly, M. Hardinge, your Courteghianes, if they vnderstoode hereof, woulde thinke them selues litle beholden to sutche a Proctoure.

Doctoure Peter Martyr, of whom I cannot speake without great reuerence, hauinge good cause to knowe the state of Rome, as fewe menne better, hereof wrteth thus: None, O Deus bone, quomodò Romae coercentur Meretrices? Habent ornatissimas domos: vehuntur per publicum habitu principum: Sedent in e∣quis gradarijs: habent secum Torquatos, & Laruatos Comites: interdum etiam Cardinales, praesertim noctu: & ancillarum sumptuosissimum gregem: Nowe a daies, O good God, howe are the Courteghianes pounished in Rome? They dvvel in the fairest houses: They are caried vvith honoure through the Cittie, as if they vvere Ladies: They are mounted on amblinge palfraies: They are attended with chaines of golde, and personnes disguised, and sometimes Cardinalles, and specially in the night season: and haue a sumptuous sorte of Maides to waite vpon them.

If ye shal happen to doubte M. Martyrs reporte in this behalfe, yet I truste ye wil geue somme credite to your owne Frendes, the Cardinalles of the Churche of Rome. Theire woordes hereof be these: In hac etiam Vrbe Meretrices, vt

Matronae, incedunt per Vrbem, seu Mula vehuntur: quas affectantur de me∣dia die Nobiles, familiares Cardinalium, Cleric{que}. Nulla in vrbe vidimus hanc corruptionem, praeterquam in hac omnium exemplari. Habitant etiam insignes aedes. In this Cittie of Rome the Courteghianes passe through the streetes, or ride on their Mules, like honeste Matrones, or Ladies: and in the middest of the daie, Noble menne, the Cardi∣nalles deere frendes, and Priestes attend vpon them. Wee neuer saw sutche corruption, but onely in this Cittie, whiche is the example, and paterne of al others. Moreouer they dwel in faire and notable houses. This Information was presented vnto Pope Paule the thirde by certaine of his graueste Cardinalles, appointed thereto by special Commission.

Nowe, good Christian Reader, I beseeche thée, consider the Conformitie of these tales. M. Hardinge saithe, The Courteghianes of Rome goe onely a foote: These Cardinalles saie, They ride on Mules. M. Hardinge saithe, They haue a special apparel of dishonestie, to be knowen by: These Cardinalles saie, They goe, or ride, as honeste Matrones, or great Ladies, or Noble wemenne. M. Har∣dinge saithe, They be despised, and reuiled of the people: These Cardinalles saie, They haue Priestes, Noble menne, and the Cardinalles frendes to attende vpon them. M. Hardinge saithe, They dwel onely in out houses, and backe lanes▪ These Cardinalles saie, Habitant insignes Aedes: They dwel in faire, and notable Houses. So many Vntruthes it is no harde mater for M. Hardinge to vtter in so shorte a tale. Nowe, beinge so fine Dames, and so richely attired, it were great sclaunder to saie, They serue onely for V••rlettes, or common rascalles. If the reporte be true, vpon Twelueth daie at night, in the yere of our Lorde, 1564. there were seene Seuentéene Coches of Courteghianes arriuing togeather euen into the Popes owne Palaice. If any man shal thinke this reporte incredible, yet Lu∣itprandus, of y^• like hereof, saith thus, Lateranense Palatium, Sanctorum quon∣dam hospitium, nunc est Prostibulum Meretricum: The Popes Palaice at Late∣rane, sommetime the harbour of Holy Sainctes, is nowe becomme a stewe of whoores.

An other parte of theire pounishemente, ye saie, is this: That as condemned, and infamous personnes, at theire ende they can make no Testamente, nor take order with that they haue. If this were true, it were a good token, that the Pope is Couetous to haue their goodes, more then desirous to saue their Soules. How be it, y^• best Lear∣ned, and most notable Canonistes, that ye haue, affirme the contrari••. For prouse whereof reade Cynus Pistoriensis in L. Cum te. C. De Condictione ob turpem causam: Reade Baldus L. 1. C. in eodem capite: Reade Bartholus in L. Idem. ff. eodem Ca. Abbas Panormitane, after longe disputation had touchinge this mater, thus saithe his Iudgemente in the ende: Conclude ergo ex omnibus premis∣sis, quòd Meretrix turpiter non recipit dona, vel promissionem: & quòd potest de illis ad libitum disponere: Of al these premisses conclude you thus, That a Harlot maie receiue rewardes, or promisses, without infamie, or shame (of the Lawe): and that of the same shee maie dispose at her pleasure. Therefore, M. Hardinge, this tale woulde haue benne better studied. For this pounishemente, that ye haue here imagined, by the Iudgemente of the Learned, is no pounishemente.

In good soothe Sirs, ye saie further, Ye are to yonge to Controlle the Cittie of Rome in her dooinges. Yet, in y^• rebuking of open vice, noman ought to be thought too yonge. But of what age then are you, M. Hardinge, that are hable thus to defende the Cittie of Rome in open Whooredome? Primasius saithe, Nemo periculosiùs peccat, quàm qui peccata defendit: Noman sinneth with more danger, then he that standeth in defence of Sinne. S. Paule saithe, Let noman deceiue you with vaine woordes. For bi∣cause hereof the anger of God commeth vpon the Children of infidelitie. Be not therefore partakers with them.

And whereas you saie, This policie is thought necessarie for the eschewinge of a greatter il, your Lawe telleth you, Abijcienda sunt falsa remedia, quae Veris, & manifestis periculis sunt grauiora: VVee muste abandon vaine remedies, that are more greeuous, then the true, and manifeste dangers.

S. Augustine saithe, Non vult Deus tale lucrum compensari tali damno. God wil not haue sutche a gaine to be recompensed with sutche a losse. S. Paule saith, as wée haue alleged before: They saie, Let vs doo il, that good maie folowe. But he addeth withal, Therefore iuste is theire Damnation. Tertullian saith, Lupanaria execrabilia sunt coram Deo: stevves are accursed before God. And therefore, to conclude, the Emperour Iustinian streitely commaundeth, that Harlottes be bannished out of al Townes.

But here, good Christian Reader, this one thinge I beseeche the vprightly, and indifferently to consider: what thinge wil not these menne defende, that can thus boldely defende confessed filthinesse? Or, when wil they refourme the Churche of God, that in so longe time cannot yet refourme theire open Stewes?

These Harlottes, ye saie, sommetimes repente them, and amende theire liues. God of his mercie graunte, that you, M. Hardinge, maie once doo the like: Leste the woordes of the Prophete falle vpon you, Frons Meretricis facta est tibi. God graunte, that Harlottes, and Sinners goe not before you in the Kingedome of God.

Notes

• Constitu. Otho∣nis. De Concu∣binis Clericor. remouendis.
• Iohan. Andreas mortuus est an. 1348.
• Nicolaus De Clauengijs: In Paralipomen. Vrspergen. Ann. 1417.
• 14. quae. 5. Quod verò. In Glossa. Et Dis. 90 Obla∣tiones, in Glossa.
• Constitu. prouin. Edmundi Cantu∣ar. Archiepis∣copi.
• Deutero. 23.
• Roman. 3.
• Augustin. De Ordine, Li. 2.
• Augustin De Ciuitate. Li. 14. Cap. 18.
• Ludo. Viues in Librum De Ci∣uitate. Lib. 14. Cap. 18.
• Bernard. in Cantic. Sermo. 66.
• Petrus Martyr. in Li. Iudicu•••• Cap. 16.
• Concilium Dele∣ctorum Cardi∣nalium. Concil. tom. 3. Pag. 823.
• Anno. 1538.
• Anno. 1564.
• Luitprandus, Li. 6. Cap. 6.
• Cynus Pistorien. Baldus. Bartholus. De Immunita. Ecclesiar. Ca. 14. Abb.
• Primasius ad Roman. Cap. 2. Ephes. 5.
• Extra. De Cele∣bra. Miss. De homine.
• Roman. 3. Tertullian. De Anima. Anthen. De L••¦nonibus.
• Hierem. 3. Matthae. 2••▪