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. 15. Diuision. 4.

To conclude, wee haue foresaken the churche, as it is nowe, not as it was in Olde times paste, and haue so gonne from it, as Daniel went out of the Lions Denne, and the three children out of the Fur∣nesse: and, to saie the truthe, we haue benne caste out by these menne, (beinge cursed of them, as thei vse to saie, with Booke, Bel, and Can∣del) rather then haue gonne awaie from them of our selues.

M. Hardinge.

The Churche that nowe is, and the Churche that was in Olde time, is one Churche, as a man in his olde age is the same man, he was in his youthe.* 1.1 From the whiche Churche no faultes, or un∣perfections can excuse you for youre departinge.* 1.2 Neither haue ye gone from it as Daniel was deliuered out of the Lions Denn••, nor as the three Children out of the Furnesse: but ye haue departed wilfully from the house of God, where touchinge Faithe, al be of one accorde, vnto the Synagog of Antichriste, vnto Babylon of Sectes, where is no order, but confusion, vnto the kingdome of Satan: and there ye remaine as it were in a Denne of Lions, where that roring Lion with his fellowes, lieth in waite,* 1.3 seckinge whom he maie deuoure. Ye haue stepped from the place of Spiritual refrigerie, into the frieinge panne of Schismes and Heresies,* 1.4 and from thence, after that ye haue nowe boyled and fried, in malice and rancoure againste the Churche, excepte ye repent, ye are like to leape into the

Furnesse of Hel, that for euer shal tormente you, and neuer consume you. Complaine not of youre ca∣stinge out of the Churche. To be excommunicate, ye haue deserued. And that kinde of punishement is by a merciful discipline, extended vpon you, partly for your amendement, partly to conserue the reste of the body whole from youre pestiferous contagion.

The B. of Sarisburie.

Nowe yee beginne to keepe Hote Schooles, M. Hardinge. Youre Frieinge pannes, and Furnesses, with other youre like Kitchin implementes of Frieinge, and Boilinge, are hote, and dangerous to deale withal.

The causes of oure departure from you, are answeared before.

The Churche, ye saie, that nowe is, and the Churche, that was in Olde times, is one Churche. Euen so, as I shewed you before, the Moone, beinge ful, and the same Moone eclipsed, is one Moone: Euen so, a Man wel aduised, and the same Man starke madde,* 1.5 is one Man: Euen so, the house of God, and a Caue of theeues, is one House.

Yee haue Excommunicate vs,* 1.6 and put vs from you. So did certaine of youre Predecessours, and Fathers, Excommunicate Christe, and his Apostles. So did Diotrephes, that firste claimed your Papale Primacie, Excommunicate the Faith∣ful of Christe, that were the Firste Planters of the Gospel. So it is writ∣ten in the Apocalyps, that Antichriste shal Excommunicate al them, that wil not Adoure the Image of the Beaste.

The Pope him selfe saithe,* 1.7 Excommunicatus non potest Excommunicare: He that is Excommunicate him selfe, hath no Right, or Power to Excommunicate others.* 1.8 And in youre owne Lawe it is written thus, Qui illicitè alium Ex∣communicat, seipsum, non illum, condemnat: He that vnlawefully Excommu∣nicateth an other, Condemneth not him, but him selfe.

S. Augustine saithe,* 1.9 Quid obest homini, si eum de illa Tabula delere velit Humana ignorantia, quem de Libro viuentium non delet iniqua conscientia? What is a man the woorse, if the ignorance of a man strike him out of the Booke of the Churche, if il Conscience strike him not oute of the Booke of Life? In this case S. Augustine saithe, It commeth sommetimes to passe, Vt plurimae sint Foris oues, & plurimi sint Intus Lupi: That there be many Sheepe without the Churche, and many Woulues within the Churche.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vntruth. For God him selfe saithe, Comme foorth from the middes of them, O my people: Apocal. 18.
• * 1.2

  Daniel. 6. &. 3.
• * 1.3

  1. Pet. 5.
• * 1.4

  A hote kinde of Diuinitie.
• * 1.5

  Matthae. 21.
• * 1.6

  Iohan. 9. 12. 16. Iohan. Epist. 3. Qui amat Pri∣matum gerere. Apocalyp. 13.
• * 1.7

  24. Quae. 1. Ait.
• * 1.8

  24. Quae. 3. Com∣perimus, Rubri.
• * 1.9

  August Ad Cle∣ricos Hipponen. Citatur. 11. Quae. 3. Quid obest. Augustin. In Iohan. Tract. 45.