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 Apologie, Cap. 17. Diuision. 1.

And what marueile if the Churche were then carried awaie with errours in that time, specially when neither the Bishop of Rome, who then onely ruled the roste, nor almoste any other, either didde his duetie, or once vnderstoode, what was his duetie? For it is harde to be beleeued, whiles they were idle and faste asleepe, that the Di∣uel also al that while either fel asleepe, or els continually laie idle. For howe they were occupied in the meane time, and with what faithfulnesse they tooke care of Goddes House, though we holde our peace, yet, I praie you, let them heare Bernarde theire owne frende. The Bishoppes (saith he) vvho novve haue the charge of Goddes churche, are not Teachers, but Deceiuers: They are not Feeders, but Beguilers: They are not Prelates, but Pilates. These wordes spake Bernarde of that Bishop, who named him selfe the higheste Bishop of al, and of the other Bishoppes likewise, whiche then hadde the place of gouernemente. Bernarde was no Lutherane: Ber∣narde was no Heretike: he had not forsaken the Catholike Churche: yet neuerthelesse he did not lette to cal the Bishoppes, that then were, Deceiuers, Beguilers, & Pilates. Nowe, when the people was open∣ly deceiued: and Christian mennes eies were craftily bleared: and Pilate sate in Iudgement place, and condemned Christe, and Christes Members to Swerde, and Fiere, O good Lorde, in what case was Christes Churche then? But yet tel me, of so many, and so grosse errours, what one erroure haue these menne at any time refour∣med? Or what faulte haue they once acknowledged, and confessed?

M. Hardinge.

VVhy Sirs, are ye so wel learned, and so holy of life your selues, that ye take vpon you to iudge the Bishop of Rome, Christes chiefe officer in earthe, and al other men, before the time of your Apostates, and Renegate Frters, to haue ben both impious for not doing theire dutie, and ignorant for not kno∣winge what was theire dutie? VVas al Vertue so farre bannished, al necessarie knowledge and Chri∣stian learninge so cleane put out, that wee muste nowe beginne to learne how to beleue, and howe to liue a Christian life of sutche light preachers,* 1.1 Wicked vowbreakers, lewde Lecherous Lurdens, and detestable blasphemers, as your deuilishe rable is?

S. Bernardes wordes to Eugenius be these: Age indagemus adhuc diligentiùs, quis sis, &c. VVel goe too.* 1.2 Let vs somewhat more diligently examine, what manner a man thou art, what person thou bearest for the presente time in the Churche of God. VVho art thou? The greate Preieste, the hi∣ghest Bishop. Thou arte the chiefe of al Bishoppes, thou arte the heire of the Apostles: for primacie thou arte Abel, for Gouernement Noë, for Patriarkship Abraham. for holy order Melchiscdech, for di∣gnitie Aaron, for Auctoritie Moyses. for iudgemente Samuel, for power Peter,* 1.3 for thy anointinge Christe. Thou art he••to whom the Keies were deliuered, to whom the Shepe were committed. There be also other porters of Heauen, and Pastours of flockes. But thou so mutche farre passinge al other, as thou haste inherited bothe names mutche more indifferent. They haue theire flockes assigned vnto them. ech man one. Al are committed to thee, the one whole flocke to one. Neither arte thou onely the Pastour of al the Sheepe, but also the onely Pastour of al the Pastours.

VVherefore accordinge to thine owne Canons,* 1.4 other are called into parte of care, thou into fal∣nes of power. The Auctoritie of others is restrained to certaine prescripte boundes: thine is extended euen vpon those, who haue receiued power ouer others. Canst not thou, if there be cause why, close vp heauen gates againste a Bishop, depriue him of his Bishoprike, and geue him vp to the Deuil?

Nowe heare an other reason whiche confirmeth that prerogatiue to thee, as wel as the other. The Disciples rowed,* 1.5 and our Lorde appeared vnto them on the shore, and that in his Body nowe againe restored vnto life, whiche was more confortable vnto them. Peter knowing that it was our Lorde, leapte into the sea,* 1.6 and so came vnto him, and the reste came by bote. VVhat meaneth this? Forsooth it was a signe of the singulare Popedome of Peter, by whiche he tooke into his Gouernemente, not one onely one Shippe, as the other did, eche man his owne, but the whole worlde.

The B. of Sarisburie.

Apostates, Renegates, Lecherous Lurdaines, Detestable, Diuelishe rable? O M. Hardinge, the Vessel, that helde this liquoure, was not cleane. Wee con∣demne not your Cleregie, either for life, or for Learning: but onely reporte there∣in the iudgemente of others, youre special frendes. And therefore, if any thinge mislike you herein, the faulte is in them, & not in vs. S. Bernarde saith, Your Bi∣shoppes in his time were not Doctoures, but Deceiuers: Not Feeders, but De∣frauders: Not Prelates, but Pilates. Iudge you nowe, in what case the Churche of God stoode then, when the Bishoppes, that were the Guides, and Leaders of the people, might be compared to Pilate, that gaue Sentēce in iudgement against Christe.

Iohannes Vitalis a Cardinal of Rome, and therefore in no wise of your parte to be refused,* 1.7 saithe thus, De Sacerdotibus modernis dicit Hieremias: Stupor, & mira∣bilia facta sunt in terra. Prophetae praedicabant mendacium: & Sacerdotes ap∣plaudebant manibus: Et populus meus dilexit talia: Concerninge the Priestes, that nowe be, Hieremie saith, Honoure, and woonders are wrought vpon the Earth. The Pro∣phetes haue preached Lies: the Priestes haue clapte theire handes at it for ioie, and liked it wel: and my people hath loued sutche thinges.

Albertus Magnus saith,* 1.8 Illi, qui modo' praesunt in Ecclesijs, plurimùm sunt Fures, & Latrones: plùs Exactores, quàm Pastores: plùs Spoliatores, quàm Tutores: plùs Mactatores, quàm Custodes: plùs Peruersores, quàm Doctores: plùs Sedu∣ctores, quàm Ductores. Isti sunt Nuntij Antichristi, Subuersores Ouiū Christi: They that nowe gouerne the Churche, for the most parte, be Theeues, and Murtherers: more Catches, then Feeders: more Spoilers, then Defenders: more Killers, then Keepers: more De∣ceiuers, then Doctoures: more Beguilers, then Cuiders, These be the vauntcurrers of An∣tichriste, the Subuerters of the Sheepe of Christe.

VVilliam Holcote saithe,* 1.9 Sacerdotes moderni sunt similes Sacerdotibus Baal: sunt Angeli Apostatici: sunt similes Sacerdotibus Dagon: sunt Sacerdotes Priapi: sunt Angeli Abyssi: The Priestes of this time are like the Priestes of Baal: Thei are the Renegate Angels: They are like the Priestes of Dagon: They are the Priestes of Priapus: They are the Angels of Helle.* 1.10 S. Bernarde saithe, Dicimini Pastores, cùm sitis Raptores. Fratres, Iesus hodiè elegit sibi multos Diabolos Episcopos. Non sunt Pastores, sed Traditores: Ye are called Bishoppes, but ye are Rauenners. O my Brethren, Iesus at this time hath chosen vnto him many Diuels to be Bishoppes: thei are not Feeders: thei are Traitours.* 1.11 Iohannes Sarisburiensis saide boldely vnto Pope Adrian the fourth, Ideò mea opinione Papae frequentiùs moriūtur, ne totam corrumpant Eccle∣siam: Therefore in my iudgemente the Popes die the oftener, leste (if they should continew longe) they shoulde infecte the whole Churche.

Againe S.* 1.12 Bernarde saithe, Pudeat Successores Apostolorum Lucem non esse Mundi, sed Modij: Mundi autem tenebras. Dicamus eis, Vos estis tenebrae Mundi:

Let it shame the Successours of the Apostles not to be y^e Lighte of the Worlde, but the Light of the Busshel: and rather the Darkenesse of the VVorlde. Let vs therefore saie vnto them, yee are the Darkenesse of the VVorlde.

Through these spectacles wée maie beholde the state of the Churche of Rome. For Christe saithe,* 1.13 If the Lighte it selfe, that is in thee, be made Darkenesse, how greate then wil the Darkenesse it selfe be? How can the Cittie be keapte in safetie, if the Watcheman be blinde, and sée nothinge? If the Blinde leade the Blinde, bothe falle into the pitte.* 1.14 Christe saithe, Dormientibus illis, creuerunt Zizania: While the Hus∣bandemenne were asleepe, then the Cokle, and Darnel grewe. S. Hilarie saithe, Ec∣clesiae, intra quas Verbum non vigilat, naufragae sunt: The Churches, wherein Goddes VVoorde watcheth not, suffer shipwracke, and are drowned.

But Bernarde, ye saie, stoutely maineteineth the Popes Supremacie. I graunte you. Neither did wée euer allege him, to proue the contrarie. He defendeth also other greate, and grosse errours, as liuinge in a time of déepest Darkenesse. But the Reason,* 1.15 he vseth, seeme very weake, specially to winne so great a mater. For thus he saithe, Peter leapte into the vvater, and came to Christe: The reste of the Disciples came by bote:

Ergo, The Pope hath the Iurisdiction of al the vvorlde.

Sutche other prety Reasons, made in the Popes behalfe, ye maie finde many. Peter Crab,* 1.16 that lately compiled the Bookes of Councelles, reasoneth thus:

Peter paide the tribute monie for Christe, and him selfe: Christe saide vnto Peter, Folowe thou me: Againe he saide, Lanche foorthe into the deepe: Againe, Peter arte thou asleepe? Couldest thou not watche with me one houre? And againe, From hencefoorthe thy name shalbe Peter: And, Peter drewe his Swerde, and cutte of Malchus Eare:

Ergo, saithe he, The Pope hath Vniuersal Authoritie ouer the whole Churche of God.

Notwithstandinge, how so euer these Reasons holde, Bernarde saithe, The Popes are the Heades of the Churche. True it is. But againe the same Bernard saith, The same Heades are the Ministers of Antichriste, Deceiuers, Defrauders, Ra∣uenners, Traitours, the Darkenesse of the Worlde, VVoulfes, Pilates, and Di∣uels. And this was sufficient for our pourpose.* 1.17 S. Gregorie saithe, Considerate, quid de Gregibus agatur, quando Lupi sunt Pastores: When the VVoulfe is becomme the Sheephearde, consider then, what maie becomme of the Flocke.

As for that S. Bernarde saithe, The Pope is Abel: The Pope is Noë: The Pope is Abraham: The Pope is Melchisedek: The Pope is Aaron: The Pope is Moses:* 1.18 The Pope is Samuel: The Pope is Peter: The Pope is Christe, I doubte not, but your owne Conscience wil answeare, it is too mutche. Yet is that a greate deale more likely, that others haue saide, as I haue alleged before, The Pope is Antichriste. For bothe Heauen, & Earthe knoweth, he is not Christe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Sprite of Modestie.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 2. De considera∣tione.
• * 1.3

  The Pope is Christe.
• * 1.4

  The state of the Churche of Rome.
• * 1.5

  Iohan, 12.
• * 1.6

  S. Peter lea∣peth for the Popedome.
• * 1.7

  Iohan. Vitalis de praelatis & Sa∣cerdot. Hiere. 5.
• * 1.8

  Albertus in Io∣hannē, Ca. 10. EE.
• * 1.9

  Guliel. Holcote in Li. Sapientiae Lectio. 182.
• * 1.10

  Bernard. in Con∣cilio Remensi.
• * 1.11

  Iohan. Sarisbu∣rien. in Polycra∣tico. Li. 6. Ca. 24.
• * 1.12

  Bernard in Can∣tica, Sermo. 66.
• * 1.13

  Matthae. 6.
• * 1.14

  Matthae. 15. Matthae. 13. Hilari. in Mat∣thae. Canon. 8.
• * 1.15

  Bernar. De Con∣sideratione ad Eugeni. Lib. 2. Iohan. 21.
• * 1.16

  Concil. to. 1. Pa∣gin. 10. Matthae. 17. Iohan. 21. Luc. 5. Mark. 14. Luc. 22. Iohan. 1. Matthae. 26.
• * 1.17

  Gregor. Homil. 17. in illa ver∣ba, Messis qui∣dem multa.
• * 1.18

  The Pope is Christe.