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.

These obiections, ye saie in your pleasante homely comparison, are as common with vs, as Life vvith Beggars. And yet to my remembrance, neither you•• Pri∣uate Masse, nor your Halfe Communion was euer touched in this whole Apolo∣gie, more then once, before this place: the Liftinge vp, or Shevvinge of the Sa∣cramente, not once at al. ye shoulde haue weighed your aduantages better, M. Hardinge, before ye thus bestowed your lothesome quarrels.

But thought you in déede,* 1.1 M. Hardinge, I wil not saie, as you saie, that with so Lovvsy, and Beggerly, but that with so poore, and simple stuffe ye shoulde be hable to mocke the worde? Many fonde tales bothe you, and your felowes haue sent vs ouer: but a fonder tale, then this tale is, of your Pardonnes, and Purgato∣ries, ye haue sente vs none. I muste saie to you, as S. Augustine sommetime saide to Iulianus the Pelagian Heretique:* 1.2 Necessitate compellitur Talibus pannis in∣dui dui tam magna etiam Vestra superbia: Your Pride, be it neuer so greate, euen for very poore neede and beggerie, is faine to couer it selfe with sutche soary clowtes.

I beseche you, consider, howe aduisedly, and reuerently ye vse Goddes Holy VVoorde.* 1.3 Thus you saie, Nathan saide vnto Dauid, Our Lorde hath put awaie thy sinne: thou shalt not die: Christe saithe, The Sinne againste the Holy Ghoste shal not be foregeuen, neither in this Worlde, nor in the Worlde to comme: Or, as S. Marke saithe, Non habe•• remissionem in Aeternum:* 1.4 Sed reus erit Aeterni delicti: He hath not remission for Euer: but shalbe guilty of Euerlastinge Sinne. S. Paule saithe, Beare ye one an o∣thers burthen. Christe saithe to Peter, To thee wil I geeue the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen, &c. S. Paule said of him, y^e had liued in shameful inceste with his Fathers wife,* 1.5 Let sutche a one be geuen ouer to Satan. These be your Scriptures: hereof ye ful discretely, and learnedly Conclude thus: Ergo, The Pope hath a vvarrante suffi∣ciente to graunte his Pardonnes, and that, as vvel to the deade, as to the quicke.

O M. Hardinge, God is not to be mocked: feare his iudgementes: Abuse not his Name, or Woord in vaine. Ful wel you know, that neither Dauid, nor Nathan, nor Christ, nor Paule were Pardōmoungers. What should I further saie to him, that with so greate a countenance, and so mutche a doo, can saie nothinge? Let S. Augustine briefely answeare al these vanities. Thus he saithe, Hoc quid est aliud, nisi diligēter pro humana suspicione contendere,* 1.6 & Scripturas Sanctas negligenter atten∣dere? What thing els is this, but stoutely to striue for mannes fansie: and negligently to consider Goddes Holy VVoorde?

The Prophete Dauid, vpon whom ye woulde séeme to grounde these folies, answeareth you thus, Narrauerunt mihi iniqui fabulationes: Sed non vt lex tua Domi∣ne: The wicked haue tolde mee many foolishe tales:* 1.7 But, O Lorde, nothinge as thy Lawe. S. Augustine, & if he were nowe aliue, he woulde saie of you, as he saide of other your Predecessours, O Vanitas, vendens Vanitatem, Vanitatem audituris, Va∣nis, & Credituris:* 1.8 O Vanitie, sellinge Vanitie, to them that wil heare Vanitie: and Vaine are they, that wil beleue it.

Leo saithe, In hanc insipientiam cadunt, qui cùm ad cognoscendam Veritatem aliquo impediuntur obscuro,* 1.9 non ad Propheticas voces, non ad Apostolicas Literas, nec ad Euangelicas Authoritates, sed ad semetipsos recurrunt: Into this folie they fal, that, when they be hindered by some darkenesse from the knowledge of the Truthe, goe not to the Voices of the Prophetes, nor to the Writinges of the Apostles, nor to the Authorities of the Gospelles: but onely haue recourse vnto them selues.

Now, somewhat to saie particularely of the mater, touching your pardonnes, your owne Doctoure Syluester Prieriâs, Maister of the Popes Palaice, writeth thus: Indulgentiae Authoritate Scripturae non innotuere nobis: Sed Authori∣rate Ecclesiae Romanae,* 1.10 Romanorum{que} pontificum, quae maior est: Pardonnes are not knowen vnto vs by the Authoritie of the Scriptures: but by the Authoritie of the Churche of ••ome, and of the Popes, whiche is greater, then the Authoritie of the Scriptures.

Therefore, M. Hardinge, by this Doctours iudgemente, it was greate folie to allege so many Scriptures for proufe of your Pardonnes. For here yée are taught in good sadnesse, that your Pardonnes can neuer be proued by any Scriptures. It had benne mutche better for you, to haue alleged onely the Popes Authoritie.

For that,* 1.11 as your Syluester teacheth you, far passeth al the Authoritie of the Scri∣ptures.

Roffensis saithe,* 1.12 Ego respondeo, non satis certo constare, à quo primùm Indul∣gentiae tradi coeperint. Apud Priscos vel nulla, vel certè quàm rarissima fiebat mentio de Purgatorio. Quàm diu autem nulla esset cura de Purgatorio, nemo quaesiuit Indul∣gentias. Nam ex illo pendet omnis Indulgentiarum aestimatio. Si tollas Purgatoriū, quorsum Indulgentijs opus erit? Coeperunt Indulgentiae, postquàm ad Purgatorij Cruciatus aliquandiu trepidatum est. Thus I answeare: It cannot wel appeare, from whom Pardonnes first beganne. Emonge the Olde Doctours, and Fathers of the Churche, there was either no talke at al, or very litle talke of Purgatorie. But as longe as Purgatorie was not cared for, there was no man that sought for Pardonnes. For the whole price of Pardonnes hangeth of Purgatorie. Take awaie Purgatorie, and what shal we neede of Pardonnes? Pardonnes beganne, when folke were alitle fraide with the paines of Purgatorie.

Iohannes Maior saithe,* 1.13 De Indulgentijs pauca dici possunt per certitudinem, quia Scriptura de illis expressè non loquitur. Nam quod ditur Petro, Tibi dabo Cla∣ues, &c. certum est, quò'd opor••er intelligere illam Authoritatem cum sale. Fatuae ergo & superstitiosae sunt quaedam Indulgentiae viginti millium anno∣rum: of Pardonnes little maie be saide of certainetie: for the Scripture expressely saith nothinge of them. Touchinge that Christe saith vnto Peter, Vnto thee wil I geeue the Keies &c. we muste vnderstande this Authoritie with a corne of Salte (otherwise it maie be vn∣sauery). Therefore certaine of the Popes Pardonnes, that promise tvventie thou∣sande yeeres, are foolishe, and superstitious.

Your Schole Doctoures them selues were woonte sommetime to saie,* 1.14 Inuentio indulgentiarum est pia fraus, & dolus non malus, quò populus officioso erro∣re trahatur ad pietatem: The Diuisinge of Pardonnes is a Godly guile, and a hurtelesse deceite: to the intente, that by a deuoute kinde of E••oure the people maie be drawen to God∣linesse.

Alphonsus de Castro saithe,* 1.15 Nulla res est, quam minùs apertè Sacrae Literae prodiderint: & de qua minus vetusti Scriptores dixerint. Non est mentio vlla de Indulgentijs: There is nothing that the Scriptures haue lesse opened, or whereof the Olde Learned Fathers haue lesse written, then Pardonnes. Of Pardonnes (in y^e Scriptures and Doctoures) there is no mention.

Of the shamelesse Marchandise, and sales hereof, many Godly menne haue complained.* 1.16 Ye haue turned godlinesse into gaine: and, as S. Peter saithe, Through couetousnesse, by fained speache, yee haue made Martes, and Markettes of the people. One of your owne frendes saithe thus,* 1.17 In multis Breuibus continentur tot Indulgentiae, vt boni Viri mirentur, vnquàm de Conscientia Papae, vel alicuius boni viri potuisse illa procedere: In many of theire Bookes there are conteined so many daies, and yeeres of Pardonne, that good menne marueile, that thei coulde euer comme out, by the Consente either of the Pope, or of any other god man.

To conclude,* 1.18 wée wil saie with S. Augustine, Fratres, Iesum Christum Iustum habemus Aduocatum apud Patrem. Ipse est propitiatio pro Peccatis nostris: Hoc qui te∣nuit, Haeresim non fecit: Hoc qui tenuit, Schisma non fecit. Vnde enim facta sunt Schismata? Cùm dicunt homines, Nos iusti sumus: Nos Sanctificamus immun∣dos: Nos iustificamus impios: Nos petimus: nos impetramus: My Brethera, wee haue Iesus Christe the Righteous our Aduocate with the Father. He is the Propitiation, or Par∣donne for our sinnes. He that helde this, neuer made Heresie: He that helde this, neuer made Schisme. For whereof doo Schismes comme? Hereof they comme: when menne saie, (as now the Pope saithe,) Wee are righteous: Wee doo make Holy the vnholy: VVee doo iustifie the wicked: VVee doo Praie: we doo obteine.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Popes Pardōnes.
• * 1.2

  Augustin contra Iulianum, Lib. 5. Cap. 1.
• * 1.3

  2. Regum. 12. Matth. 12.
• * 1.4

  Marci. 3. Galat. 6. Matth. 16.
• * 1.5

  1. Corinth. 5.
• * 1.6

  Augu. de Ciuit. Lib. 13. Cap. 24.
• * 1.7

  Psal. 118.
• * 1.8

  August. in Li. 50. Homili. Hom. 36▪
• * 1.9

  Leo ad Flauia∣num, Epist. 10
• * 1.10

  Syluester Prieri∣as contra Luthe.
• * 1.11

  The Popes Pardōnes.
• * 1.12

  Roffensis contra Lutcherum. Polydor. De In∣uentorib. Lib. 8. Cap. 1.
• * 1.13

  Iohan. Maior, in 4. Sent. Disi. 20. quaest. 2.
• * 1.14

  Veselus.
• * 1.15

  Alphons. de Ca∣stro. Li. 8. Indul∣gentiae.
• * 1.16

  1. Timoth. 6. 2. Petri. 2.
• * 1.17

  Opus Tripart. coniunctum cum Concil. Lateran. Lib. 3. Cap. 8.
• * 1.18

  August. In Epist. Iohan. Tracta. 1.