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.

O M. Harding, wée corrupte not sutche thinges, as comme vnder our handes. The worlde séethe, that is your Ordinarie, and peculiare practise: It is not oures. Yée dubbe vs bothe here, and elswhere, with your lies vpon lies. Sutche is the Ciuilitie, and Courtesie of your speache. Yet hitherto wée haue not redubbed you with any one lie. Sobrietie, and modestie rather becommeth them, that speake of God.

Firste,* 1.1 ye saie, VVee haue corrupted Iustinians woordes. And yet, yée knowe, wée alleged onely Iustinians meaning, and otherwise not one of al his woordes. Ye saie, Iustinian meante not, as though praiers made i•• silence were vnfruiteful to the people. For somme Fruite, ye saie, there is al waies had euen by secrete, and vnknowen Praier: But what fruite, or howe mutche, or howe ye knowe it, or can assuere it, ye spare to tel vs. Yet S. Au∣gustine saithe, Quid prodest locutionis integritas, quam non sequitur intellectus au∣dientis? Cùmloquendi omninò nulla fit causa, si, quod loquimur, non intelligunt, propter quos, vt intelligant, loquimur: What profite is there in speache, be it neuer so perfite, if the vnderstandinge of the hearer cannot attaine it? For there is no cause, why wee should speake at al, if they vnderstande not, what wee speake, for whoes sake we speake, that they maie vn∣derstande vs. Againe he saithe, Mens mea sine fructu est: Hoc ait, quando id, quod dicitur, non intelligitur: My minde is without fruite: This the Apostle S. Paule saithe, when the thinge, that is spoken, it not perceiued. And againe, Si intellectum mēns remoueas, nemo aedificatur audiendo, quod non intelligit: Set aparte the vn∣derstanding of the Minde: And noman hath fruit, or profite of that thing, that he perceiueth not. Likewise againe he saith, Quid opus est iubilare, & nō intelligere iubilationē: vt Vox nostra sola iubilet,* 1.2 & Cor non iubilet? Sonus enim Cordis intellectus est: What needeth vs to singe, if wee vnderstande not, what wee singe: to singe with our voice, and not with our Harte? For Vnderstandinge is the sounde, or voice of the Harte.

These woordes,* 1.3 VVhisperinge, and Mumblinge, mislike you mutche. Yet your owne frendes, intreatinge hereof, haue often vsed the same woordes. In your late Councel of Colaine it is written thus, Vt Presbyteri Preces non tantùm Ore Murmurent,* 1.4 sed etiam Corde Persoluant nunquam à manibus eorum Liber Legis, hoc est, Biblia deponatur: That the Priestes not onely Mumble vp theire Praiers, but also pro∣nouace them from theire hartes, Let the Booke of the Lavve, that is to saie, the Bibl••, neuer be saide from theire handes. Likewise Regino reporteth the woordes of the Councel of Nantes, Ridiculum est, muris, aut parietibus Infusurrare ea, quae ad popu∣lum pertinent: It is a preushe thinge, to vvhisper those thinges to the walles, that pertei••e vnto the people.

Notwithstandinge, whether it be VVhisperinge, or Mumblinge, or by what so euer name els it shal please you to cal it, that good Emperours Com∣maundement, & meaninge was, that ye shoulde so vtter al thinges in the Congre∣gation, Distinctely,* 1.5 and Plainely, with lowde, and Open Voice, that the people might vnderstande you, and answeare, Amen. Therefore S. Augustine saithe, Nos, qui in Ecclesia Diuina eloquia cantare didicimus, simul etiam instare debemus, esse quod Scriptum est, Beatus populus, qui intelligit iubilationem. Proinde, Charis∣simi, quod Consona voce cantauimus, sereno etiam Corde nosse, & tenere de∣bemus:

Wee, that haue learned to singe in the Churche the Heauenly woordes of God, muste also endeuoure to be that thing, that is written, Blessed is the people, that vnder∣standeth, vvhat they singe. Therefore dearely beloued, that wee haue songe togeather with iuneable voice, we ought also to knowe, and see with pure harte. S. Ambrose, de∣claringe the Ecclesiastical order of his time,* 1.6 saith thus, Responsorijs Psalmorum, Cantu Virorum, Mulierum, Virginum, Paruulorum, consonus vndarum fra∣gor resultat: With the answearinge of Psalmes, and with the Singinge togeather of Menne, Wemen, Maides, and litle Children, the Churche soundeth, as if it vvere the dasshinge of the Sea.

To like pourpose Leo saithe,* 1.7 Totius Ecclesiae vna est Oratio, & vna Con∣fessio: The whole Churche hath one Praier, and one Confession.

That ye allege out of Dionysius, is vaine, and Childishe, as is the reste of your talke, and quite contrarie to the Authours minde, and therefore not woorthy to be answeared. For Dionysius saith not, as you haue imagined, M. Harding, that the Prieste shoulde talke alone in his Mystical vnknovven Tongue, as a ianglinge Cymbal without sense: but rather telleth you, that, by his order, the Prieste, and the vvhole People shoulde singe togeather. These be his woordes, Percipiens ipse,* 1.8 & alijs tradens Diuinam Communionem, postremò desinit in Gratiarum actionem, vnà cum tota Ecclesiae multitudine: The Prieste bothe receiuinge him selfe the Holy Communion, and also deliueringe the same vnto others, laste al endeth with thankes geuinge, togeather vvith al the vvhole multitude, or Companie of the Churche.

Ye saie, VVee wisshe the people woulde learne the Mystical Latine tongue: and gladly doo wee teache theire Children the same. Ye saie, The Mystical Latine tongue. O vaine man, and more vaine, then vanitie it selfe: Why seeke you so fondely to deceiue Gods people? Who euer taught you these kindes of Mysteries? what Scripture? what Councel? what Doctoure? what Father? Howe knowe you, that the Latine tongue, that euery Childe maie so commonly, and so easily vnderstande, should be so Mystical? It were a greate Mysterie, to reache the bottome of your Mysteries. S. Paule calleth you,* 1.9 not the Hiders, or Couchers, but the Dispensers, and Ste∣vvardes of Goddes Mysteries. Your Mystical policie is, to leade Goddes people through Myste, and Darkenesse. Ye wisshe, the people woulde learne the Latine tongue, whiche you cal Mystical. No doubte, a woorthy, and a learned wisshe. Ye might as good cheape, & as wel haue wisshed, that al the whole people, of al Coun∣trie, would learne to speake Greeke, & Hebrevve. But your meaninge is, y^• vntil al the Plovvmenne, and Artificers, and Labourers of the Worlde be hable to vn∣derstande, and to speake your Mystical Latine tongue, thei maie not in any wise he allowed, to vnderstande any parcel of theire Praiers.

Lactantius,* 1.10 speakinge of the suttle practises, & policies of the Heathens, saithe thus, Hinc Fida Silentia instituta sunt ab hominibus callidis: vt nesciret populus, quid co∣leret: Therefore trusty silence, and secresie was appointed by suttle, and false faitours: that the people (stil beinge blinde) shoulde neuer knowe, what they worshipped.

This is not the Mysterie of the Kingedome of Heauen:* 1.11 It is rather the My∣sterie of iniquitie: The same Mysterie, y^• S. Iohn mentioneth in his Reuelations: In Fronte eius Nomē scriptum est, Mysterium: Babylon Magna, Mater Abominationū, & Fornicationum Terrae: A Name was writtē in her Forehead, a Mysterie: Greate Baby∣lon, the Mother of the Abominations, and of the Fornications of the Eathe. Of these Ho∣ly Mysteries, your Latine tongue, as ye haue vsed it, maie wel, and iustely be cal∣led Mystical.

S. Hierome saithe of your Fathers in Olde time,* 1.12 De Domo Dei Secnam fecere Populorum: Of the House of God they haue mode a stage plaie of the people. And spea∣kinge of the Valentinian Heretiques he saith, Barbaro simplices quos{que} terrent sono,

vt, quod non intelligunt, plùs mirentur: With a Barbarous vnknowen sounde of wordes the•• feare the simple, that, what so euer thei vnderstand not, thei maie the more esteme, and haue in reuerence.

But the Latine tongue, ye saie, is not Barbarous: and therein, as your woont is, ye haue noted a woonderful great Lie in our Apologie. Yet vnto S. Paule, that tongue séemeth Barbarous, that is vnknowen vnto the hearer. Thus he saithe, Nisi sciero vim vocis,* 1.13 ero illi, qui loquitur, Barbarus: & ille, qui loquitur, mihi Barbarus: Onlesse I vnderstande the power, or meaninge of the woordes, I shalbe Barbarous to him, that speaketh: and he that speaketh (in what tongue so euer he speake) shalbe Barbarous vnto me.* 1.14 Hereof I had occasion to saie somewhat in my Former Replie. S. Au∣gustine saithe, Mallet quis{que} cum Cane suo versari, quàm cum homine ignotae linguae: Any man woulde rather dwel with his Dogge, then with a man of an vnknowen tongue.

To conclude, ye saie, VVhen Englande commeth to haue a Seruice of theire owne, and a Tongue of theire owne in Churches, then haue they loste theire parte with the Catholique Churche. Here, M. Hardinge, a litle more reason woulde haue geuen somme credite to your woordes. For, as touchinge the Publique Seruice of the Churche, I beseeche you, e∣uen in your owne time of Barbarous blindnesse, what Seruice had the Churche of Englande, but peculiare, and Special to her selfe? Touchinge the varietie of Tongues S. Augustine saith,* 1.15 Astitit Regina à dextris tuis in vestitu deaurato, circun∣data varietate. Vbi significatur Linguarum varietas in omnibus Gentibus: qua∣rum tamen vna est intùs, & Simplex Fides: The Queene stoode at thy right hand, ap∣paresled in Cloth of Goulde, adourned with varietie. Here by is Signified the Diuersitie of Tongues in al Nations: The Faithe whereof, that lieth within, is one, and simple. Likewise againe he saithe,* 1.16 Vestius Reginae huius quis est? Et pretiosus, & varius est: Sacramen∣ta Doctrinae in Linguis omnibus varijs. Alia Lingua Aphricana: alia Syra: alia Graeca: alia Hebraea: alia illa, & illa. Faciunt istae Linguae varietatem vestis Reginae hu∣ius. Quomodò autem omnis varietas vestis in vnitate concordat, sic & omnes Linguae ad vnam Fidem, In veste varietas sit: scissura non sit. Ecce varietatem intelleximus de Diuersitate Linguarum: & Vestem intelleximus propter Vnitatem: What is this Queenes apparel? It is pretious, and ful of varietie: The Mysteries of Doctrine in al sundrie Tongues. There is one Tongue of Aphrica: an other of Syria: an other Greeke: an other Hebrewe: an other this, an other that. These Tongues make vp the varietie of the Queenes apparel. But as al the varietie of colours in the apparel agreeth in Vnitie: euen so al Tongues a∣gree in one Faithe. Let there be Varietie in the Apparel: But rente, or cutte there maie not be. Behold, by the Varietie, wee vnderstande the Diuersitie of Tongues: and by the Apparel, wee vnderstande the Vnitie (of y^• Churche).* 1.17 Againe he saith, Distant inter se Linguae: Sed Linguarum distantiae non sunt schismata: Tongues are diuided one from an other: But the Diuision of Tongues is no Schisme, or Diuision in Religion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iustinian. Impe. Authen. Constit. 123: VVee com∣maunde al Bi∣shoppes, and Priestes to Mini∣ster the Holy Oblation. &c. not vnder silēce, but with a lowd voice, &c. that the hartes of the Hearers maie be sturred to more deuo∣tion, &c.
• * 1.2

  Augu. De Do∣ctrina Christia∣na, Lib. 4. Ca. 10.
• * 1.3

  August. De Trini∣tate. Li. 14. Ca. 16. 1. Cor. 14.
• * 1.4

  August in Gene∣sia ad Literam. Lib. 11. Cap. 8. Aug. in Psal 59. Concil. Colonien. Cap. 5. Anno. 1536 Regino. 2. Con∣cilio Nannet••••.
• * 1.5

  Authen. Consti∣tu 123. Augu. in Psal. 18.
• * 1.6

  Ambro. Hexa∣mer. Li. 3. Cap. 5.
• * 1.7

  Leo, De leiunio Septimi Mensis, Sermo. 3.
• * 1.8

  Dionysius, Ca. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.9

  1. Cor. 4.
• * 1.10

  Lactan. Lib. 5. Ca. 20.
• * 1.11

  Matth. 13. 2. Thess. 2. Apoc. 17.
• * 1.12

  Hieron. in Epist. ad ••phes. Cap. 5. Hieronymus ad Theodoram.
• * 1.13

  1. Cor. 4.
• * 1.14

  Artic. 3. Diui. 3. Ludoui. Viues De Traden. Dis∣ciplinis, Lib. 3. Fol. 97.
• * 1.15

  Augusti. Aduer. Iudeos, Oratio. 4.
• * 1.16

  Aug. in Psal. 44.
• * 1.17

  Augu. in Iohan. Tracta. 6.