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.

Ye builde ouer boldely, M. Hardinge, on Christes promises. God is true, what so euer he promise: But oftentimes menne are false. Christe hath promi∣sed to be present,* 1.1 where so euer twoo, or three be geathered togeather in his name: But it appeareth by the woordes of the Prophete Dauid, that Councelles oftentimes meete togeather againste God, and againste his Christe. The Prophete Michaeas saithe, Sic dicit Dominus de Prophetis, qui errare faciunt populum meum: Abominantur iudi∣cium, & omne rectum peruertunt: Super Dominum requiescebant, dicentes: Nunquid non est Dominus in medio nostri? Thus saithe our Lorde of the Prophetes, that deceiue my people: They abborre Iudgement: they ouerthrowe al that is right. And yet they reaste them sēlues vpon oure Lorde, saienge, Is not oure Lorde in the middest emongest vs?

This is youre defence, M. Hardinge. Whether the VVorde of God be with you, or againste you, yet ye saie, ye haue stil the Sprite of God: and oure Lorde him selfe is in the middest emongest you.* 1.2 But this boldnesse, by Chryso∣stomes Iudgement, is presumptuous, and daungerous. And therefore his counsel is, that if any thing be pressed vpon vs by the name of the Holy Ghoste, sauinge onely the Gospel of Christe, wee shoulde not beleeue it. In like sense S. Augustine saithe, Sua illi si docere veliut, nolite audire: nolite facere: If they bringe any Decree or Fantasie of theire owne, heare it not: Doo it not.

Thus the Olde Frenetique, and Fanatical Heretiques, when they founde them selues conuinced by the euident testimonies of Goddes VVoorde, they appea∣led to the Spirite of God: whiche, they saide, euen as you saie, euermore assisted them,* 1.3 and coulde not faile them. Hereof S. Augustine writeth thus: Videris ergo, id vos agere, vt omnis de medio Scripturarum authoritas auferatur: & suus cui{que} animus author sit, quid in qua{que} Scriptura probet, quid improbet: id est, vt non Authorirati Scripturarum subijciatur ad Fidem, sed sibi Scripturas ip∣se subijciat: Non vt ideò illi placeat aliquid, quia hoc in sublimi Authoritate scriptum legitur: sed ideo rectè scriptum videatur, quia hoc illi placuit: Ye see therefore, this is youre drifte, that al Authoritie of the Scriptures be remoued: that eche man maie be leadde by his owne fantasie, what he liste, either to allowe in the Holy Scrip∣tures, or to disallowe: that is to saie, that he submitte not him selfe, touchinge his Faithe, to the Authoritie of the Scriptures: but that he make the Scriptures subiecte vnto him: Not that he wil allowe any thing, bicause it is written in that high Authoritie of the Scrip∣tures: but that he wil thinke it wel written, bicause he alloweth it. By meane hereof it commeth to passe, that S. Hilarie writeth, Qui, quae scripta sunt, negas, quid

superest, nisi vt,* 1.4 quae non scripta sunt, probes? For as muche as thou deniest the thinges that be written, what remaineth there, but that thou muste allowe the thinges, that be not written?

Concerninge the Authoritie, and Credite of Councelles, wee shal haue cause to saie more hereafter. But where ye require, but a man of common sense, to sitte as Iudge in this cause, it appeareth, that either ye remember not, or els ye weighe not, that ye immediately said before. For in this selfe same Chapter ye saie, The people maie not iudge of theire Bishoppes: and that, as ye tel vs, by Christes own Doctrine: For the Scholar is not aboue his Maister. Yet now suddainely, as hauinge foregotten youre owne woordes, ye cal foorthe the Scholare, yea, and as it maie be thought, one of the meanest of al youre Schole, as a man onely endewed with common sense, to sitte in Iudgement ouer his Maister.

Notwithstandinge,* 1.5 God is no accepter of personnes. Goddes Holy Sprite is not bounde to Councelles, or Companies: but breatheth freely, where it listeth. And therefore, as youre owne Doctour Panormitane saithe, in Cases of Religion the Iudgement of one Simple plaine man ought sommetimes to bee receiued be∣fore the Iudgemente of the Pope.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 2. Actor 4. Michaeas. 3.
• * 1.2

  Chrysostom. De Sancto & Ado∣rando Spiritu. August. in Iohā. tractae 46.
• * 1.3

  August. Contra ••austum Mani∣chae li. 3••. ca. 18.
• * 1.4

  Hilari. De Tri∣nitate, li. 9.
• * 1.5

  Actor. 10. Iohan. 3. Extra. De Electi. & Electi pota∣stat. Significasti. Abb.