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.

The Truthe of God neither is furthered by the face of Antiquitie: nor hinde∣red by the opinion of Noueltie. For oftentimes the thinge, that in deede is Nevve, is commended as Olde: and the thinge, that in dede is Olde, is condem∣ned as Nevve. If Nevvnesse in Religion in al respectes, and euery waie were il, Christe would not haue resembled his Doctrine to Nevve VVine:* 1.1 nor woulde he haue saide to his Disciples, I geue you a Nevve Commaundemente: Neither woulde he haue called the Cuppe of Thankesgeuinge, The Nevve Testamente, in his Bloude. Arnobius saithe, Religionis Authoritas non est tempore aestimanda, sed numine: nec quo die, sed quid colere coeperis, intueri conuenit. Quod Verum est, Serum non est: The Authoritie of Religion muste be weighed by God, and not by time: It behoueth vs to consider, not vpon what daie, but what thinge wee beganne to wor∣ship. The thinge that is true, is neuer too late.

S.* 1.2 Augustine saithe, Quod Anterius est, inquiunt Ethnici, falsum esse non potest. Quasi Antiquitas, & Vetus Consuetudo praeiudicet Veritati: The Heathens saie, The Religion, that was firste, can not be false: As though Antiquitie, and Olde Custome coulde preuaile againste the Truethe. Againe he saithe, Nec dici debet, quare Modo'? & quare Serò? Quoniam mittentis Consilium non est humano ingenio penetrabile: Nei∣ther maie we saie, Why commeth it nowe? Why commeth it so late? For the Counsel of God that sente it, is vnsearcheable to the wisedome of man. Ye saie, They were Infidelles onely, that charged the Religion of Christe with Noueltie. And further ye saie, Wee tel them, that al Newe Doctrine nowe in the Churche of Christe is naught. Hereto, M. Har∣dinge, we soone agree. And therefore wel tel you, that youre Nevve Fantasies, whiche ye haue painted with the Coloure of Auncientie, and therewith haue de∣ceiued the worlde, are vaine, and naught. As for vs, wee haue planted no Nevve Religion, but onely haue renewed the Olde, that was vndoubtedly founded, and vsed by the Apostles of Christe, & other Holy Fathers in the Primitiue Churche: and of this longe late time, by meane of the multitude of your Traditions, and Vanities, hath benne drowned.

Therefore wee maie saie with S.* 1.3 Bernarde, Nouitatem dico, propter linguas hominum impiorum: qui, cùm manifestum Lumen obnubilare non queunt, de Solo Nouitatis nomine cauillantur, &c. Sed haec Nouitas non est Nouella vani∣tas. Res enim est Antiquae Religionis: Perfectè fundatae in christo Pietatis: Antiqua Haereditas Ecclesiae Dei: I cal it Noueltie, bicause of the tongues of wic∣ked menne: who being not hable to shadowe the manifest light of the Truth, finde cauillations vpon the Onely name of Noueltie. But this Noueltie is no Nevve Vanitie (as is this late vpstarte Religion of Rome). For it is a mater of Olde Reli∣gion: of perfite Godlinesse founded in Christe: The Auncient Enheritance of the Churche of God.* 1.4 The Olde Learned Father Tertullian saithe, Viderint ergo, quibus Nouum est, quòd sibi est Vetus: Haereses non tam Nouitas,

quam Veritas reuincit.* 1.5 Quodcun{que} contra Veritatem sapit, hoc est Haeresis, etiam vetus Consuetudo: Let them therfore take heede, whiche coumpte that thinge Newe, that in it selfe is Olde. Herefie is reproued, not so wel by Noueltie, as by Veritie. What so euer thinge sauereth againste the Truthe, the same is an Heresie: Yea, although it be a Custome neuer so olde.* 1.6 Ignatius saithe, Antiquitas mea Iesus Christus est: My Antiquitie is Christe Iesus. For otherwise the Religion of Christe at that time was coumpted Nevve, and in respecte of the Ancient Religion of the Hea∣thens, Vniuersally, and of al menne was condemned.

That Augustine, the Monker of Rome, broughte firste the Faithe into this Lande, it is vtterly Vntrue. For, as I haue saide before, it appeareth plainely by sundrie the Ancient Fathers, origen, Tertullian, chrysostome, Hilarie, Theo∣doretus, Eusebius, and others, that the Faithe of Christe had benne vniuersally receiued, and perfitely rooted in this Realme many hundred yeeres, before this Augustine the Monke was borne. Indeede he broughte in greate heapes of strange Nouelties, and superstitions, as Candels, Candelstickes, Banners, and Holy VVater, and other like shewes: Whereof the Churche of God had no great neede. And yet haue the same sithence benne encreased by other Newe Diuises, and Vanities, aboue measure.

But, for as mutche as certaine of M. Hardinges Beaupecres of Louaine haue lately founde them selues talke, and keapte greate Mootes in the behoufe of theire Augustine, the Italian Monke, whom they cal the Apostle of Englande, and wil needes haue to be receiued and honoured, as a Saincte, I haue thought it therefore good, briefely, and by the waie, to note a fewe wordes touching the same.

It seemeth, they be mutche offended, that so vertuous a Man, and so Holy a Saincte shoulde be charged with Pride, and Crueltie. With Pride, in so disdeigne∣fully despisinge his Brethren, the Bishoppes of this Ilelande of Britaine: With Crueltie, in procuringe the Deathe bothe of many thousandes of Christian peo∣ple, and also specially of the Innocente, and Vnarmed Monkes of Bangor: and al this, for that they refused to receiue him as theire Metropolitane, and to agree with him in certaine smal pointes of the Romaine Religion. Howe be it, his Pride is wel blased by Beda, writinge pourposely of the same, in that he sate stil in his Throne,* 1.7 and disdeigned to rise vp, and to geue any token of Reuerence vnto the Seuen Bishoppes, and other Learned, & graue menne of the Britannes, makinge theire appearance at his Councel. And therefore they saide, they woulde not hearken to his demaundes, nor take him for theire Archebishop, as hauinge otherwise of olde an Archebishop of theire owne, to whome they ought theire obe∣dience. Theire woordes, as they are reported by Beda, were theise: Si modo' no∣bis assurgere noluit,* 1.8 quanto' magis, si ei subdi coeperimus, iam nos pro nihilo contein∣ner? If euen nowe be disdeigne to rise vp vnto vs, howe mutche more wil hee despise vs, and regarde vs as nothinge, when wee shal once be vnder his Iurisdiction?

But, to excuse this Augustine of shameful Crueltie, leste he shoulde seeme to be accessorie to the Murthering of so many, and so by theire owne Lawes to be Ir∣regulare, as a man of bloude, they saie, He neither enkendled the Warre againste the Britaines, nor was presente at the fight: but was deade longe before. Whiche thinge also they thinke, maie be proued by the expresse woordes of Beda. For thus he saithe.* 1.9 Quamuis ipso Augustino iam multo antè tempore ad Coelestia Regna sublato: Notwithstandinge Augustine him selfe, longe before the time of this Warre, were taken vp into the kingdome of Heauen. For the truthe, and certaintie hereof, it maie please thee, good Christian Reader, to vnderstande, that theise laste woordes of Beda, concerninge the Deathe of Augustine, are manifestely forged, and haue benne vio∣lently thruste into the texte, by a guileful Parenthesis, by them, that sithence haue

benne ashamed of his Crueltie,* 1.10 and were neuer written by the Authoure, as by euidente proufes it shal plainely appeare.

But first of al, in an Olde chronicle, written in Frenche aboue twoo hundred yéeres paste,* 1.11 by Thomas Graie, yée shal finde it recorded thus: Augustine, beinge thus refused of the Bishoppes, and others the Learned of the Britaines, made sutche com∣plainte thereof to Ethelberte the kinge of kente, that foorth with he leuied his Power, and Marched againste them, and slewe them in moste Cruel wise, hauinge (as he saithe) no more regarde of mercie, then a Woulfe hath vpon a Sheepe. Hereby it appeareth, that this Augustine was the inflamer of the Warre, and so the causer of the slaughter.

And whereas, by the woordes of Beda, as they be now commonly extant in the Latine, wée are told, this Augustine was deade, long before the Warre beganne, it appeareth plainely by the true Beda in déede,* 1.12 translated aboue seuen hundred yéeres agoe into the old English, or Saxon tongue, by Alfredus, or Aluredus then Kinge of this lande, that the same Augustine was yet aliue, after the same Warre was ended, & that he afterwarde Consecrated twoo Bishoppes, Mellitus, & Iustus: Mellitus, to be Bishop of London: and Iustus, to be Bishop of Rochester. Which thinges thus declared, it foloweth orderly in the storie, Then (these Warres being ended, & these Bishoppes Consecrated) aftervvarde died the beloued Father Au∣gustine. After the Warre he died, he saithe: and not Before, as they haue sithence altered it in the Latine. I trwo, M. Harding, yée are not so mutch amazed with the admiration of your Augustine, that yée wil saie, he had power to Consecrate Bi∣shoppes, and to vse his Archiepiscopal Authoritie, beinge deade.

As for these woordes, that wée find reported by the Parenthesis, in the Latine, as written by Beda, (Quamuis Augustino iam mùlto anté tempore ad coelestia Regna sublato) For as mutche as they are quite contrarie to the very course, and order of the storie, and specially for that they are not once touched in the Aunciente Saxon Translation, sundrie Copies whereof at this presente are extante, and to be séene, of sutche Reuerende Antiquitie, as maie not iustely be called in question, therefore wée haue good cause to iudge, that the saide woordes haue benne sithence forced, and shifted in, by somme good skille, and policie, leste Augustine, so holy a man, should be founde guiltie of so greate a Crueltie.* 1.13

• 596 August. commeth into Englande.
• 597
• 598
• 599
• 600
• 601 August, receiueth his Palle.
• 602
• 603
• 604 August. consecrateth Mellitus, and Iustus.
• 605 Gregorie dieth. The vvarre against the Britaines: The Saxon Chro∣nicle of Peterburrough.
• 606
• 607
• 608 August. dieth: Flores Historiar.

Verily,* 1.14 in the Olde Englishe Chronicle it is recorded, not onely that this Augustine, the Italian Monke, by his complainte caused the King of Kente to arme his people a∣gainst the true, and Faithful Christians of this Countrie, then beinge in Wales: or, that he was aliue at the time of y^e battaile, but also, that he was him self presente in personne goeinge towarde the same. The woordes be these: Augu∣stine came againe, and tolde kinge Ethelberte, that the Bri∣taines woulde not obeie him. Wherefore the Kinge was wrothe, and sente to Elfrede the king of Northumberland to comme to healpe him, to distresse the Britaines of VVales. And (Au∣gustine) the Archebishop of Canturburie mette vvith them at Leicester.* 1.15 The King of Leicester at that time was called Brocuale. He beinge afraide of the twoo Kinges, fledde out of the Lande, and came neuer againe. And the twoo kinges seised al his landes, and departed them bitweene them selues. And afterward thei went to wardes Wales. The Britaines heard of them, and sente menne to them in their shirtes, and harefoote, to aske mercie. But they were so cruel, that they had of them no pitie, &c. Hereby it appeareth. that this Augustine, not onely enkendled this cruel Warre, but also was aliue, and present in the Armie.

Therefore, M. Hardinge, it shal hencefoorth be good, bothe for you, and for your Felowes, not to aduenture so rasshely in iudgemente, before yée knowe.

Thus mutche briefely, as anweare vnto them, that so faine woulde haue their Augustine acquited of Pride, and Crueltie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Math. 9. Ioh. 13. Luke. 22. Arnobius con∣tra Gentes, li. 2.
• * 1.2

  Augu. in quaest. Noui & Veteris Testamenti, quaest. 114. Augustin. De Ci∣uita. li. 10. ca. 32.
• * 1.3

  Bernardus De vita Solitaria.
• * 1.4

  Tertullian. De Virginibus ve∣landi
• * 1.5

  Augustine of Eng∣lande.
• * 1.6

  Ignatius ad Philadelphien.
• * 1.7

  Beda: Septem Britannor. Epis. & plures Viri Doctissimi.
• * 1.8

  Beda. lib. 2. ca. 2.
• * 1.9

  Beda eodem loco
• * 1.10

  Augustine of Englād.
• * 1.11

  Thomas Graie. Augustine the inflamer of the VVarre.
• * 1.12

  The true storie of Beda, Trans∣lated by Kinge Alfrede. Augustine aliue in the time of the VVarre.
• * 1.13

  An. Dom.
• * 1.14

  The Abstra∣cte of Chro∣nicles vvrit∣ten.
• * 1.15

  Augustine aliue, and in companie vvith the kinges mar∣chinge to∣vvardes the filde.