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.

Yée saie, If your Monkes, and Freeres shoulde now be forced to keepe the olde Discipline, and seueritie of their Fundations, they would rather breake their Closters, and leaue al togeather. And therefore by a fitte comparison, yée resemble them to the heauy droaues of Iacobs cattel. Whereby yee seeme secretely to geeue vs to imagine, that the Monkes covvle is not alwaies so holy a wo••de, as is pretended.

S. Hierome, discribinge the life, and order of Monkes in his time, saith thus, Nihil arrogant sibi de continentia supercilij.* 1.1 Humilitatis inter omnes contentio est. Qui∣cun{que} nouissimus fuerit, hic primus putatur In veste nulla discretio: nulla admiratio. Vicunque placuerit incedere, nec deiractionis est, nec laudis leiunia neminem suble∣uant: nec defertur inediae: nec moderata saturitas condemnatur. Suo Domino stat vnus∣quisque, aut cadit. Nemo iudicat alterum, ne à Domino iudicetur: They bragge not of theire Sole, or single life. Al contention is, who maie be moste humble. Who so euer is laste, he is coumpted firste. There is neither difference, nor woonderinge in Apparel. Howe so euer it pleaseth a man to goe, he is neither sclaundered for it, nor commended. Noman is euanced for his Fastinge. Neither is abstinence praised, nor sobre refreassinge condemned. Eche man either standeth, or falleth to his Lorde. Noman iudgeth other, leaste of the Lorde he him selfe be Iudged.

But, yee saie, your Monkes now adaies are waxen nice, and cranke. Sutche extreeme rigoure, and seueritie they maie not beare.

Sutche Holy menne they were,* 1.2 of whome Sulpitius Seuerus writeth: Seden∣tes munera expectant, atque omne vitae decus mercede corruptum habent: dum quasi ve∣nalem

nalem prae se ferunt sanctimoniam: These Freeres sitte stil, and looke for monie: and haue al the bewtie of theire life corrupted with hiere,* 1.3 settinge theire holinesse out to sale. Of sutche Holy Nunnes, S. Hierome telleth vs, Post Coenam dubiam Apostolos somniant: After they haue wel filled their bellies, they dreame of the Apostles. In like sorte, he writeth of certaine Monkes: Apud hos affectata sunt omnia: Laxae manicae: Caligae follicantes: Vestis crassior: Crebra suspiria: Visitatio Virginū: Detractio Clerico∣rum. Et,* 1.4 si quando Dies Festus venerit, saturantur ad vomitum: Emonge these men, al thinges are countrefeite: Theire Wide sleeues: theire greate Bootes: theire course Gowne: theire often sighes: theire Visitinge of Virgines: theire backebitinge of Priestes. And, if there comme a Holy Daie, they eate, vntil they be faine to perbreake. This, no doubte, is that Holinesse, that Christe brought into the worlde.

But youre life, ye saie, is no preiudice to youre Faithe: Howe so euer you liue, yet is youre Doctrine right good, and Catholique. And that yee proue by the wordes of Christe:* 1.5 The Scribes, and Phariseis sitte on Moses Chaire. What so euer they saie to you, doo yee: but after theire woorkes, doo yee not. If this be the beste claime, ye can holde by, then suffer vs, M. Hardinge, to saie to you, as Christe sommetime saide to them, whome ye confesse to bee youre Fathers: Woe bee vnto you, yee scribes,* 1.6 and Phariseis, yee Hypocrites. Yee deuoure, and rauen vp poore VVidovves houses, vnder the coloure of longe praier. Outwardely yee seeme Holy: But within yee are ful of Hypocrisie, and wickednesse.

The Valentinian Heretiques, in Olde times, vsed in like case to saie of them selues:* 1.7 Quemadmodum aurum, in coeno depositum, non amittit decorem suum, ita di∣cunt, semeripsos, in quibuscun{que} materialibus operibus sint, nihil noceri, ne{que} amittere Spiritualem Substantiam: As goulde, notwithstandinge it be laide in dounge, yet neuerthe∣lesse keepeth his bewtie stil, So they saie of them selues, in what so euer corruptible woorkes they liue, yet are they neuer the woorse: nor can they lose the Spiritual Substance of theire Faithe.* 1.8 S. Augustine saithe vnto the Olde Heretiques, called the Manichees: Dicitis, non oportere omninò quaeri quales sunt homines, qui vestram Sectam profitentur: sed qualis sit ipsa Professio. Quid vobis fallacius, quid infidiosius, quid malitiosius dici, aut inueniti potest? Yee saie, we maie not examine, what menne they bee, that professe your Secte: but onely, what is theire Profession. What thinge can there be founde more false, more deceiteful, more maliceous, then you are?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hieronym. ad Marcellam, vt commigret Be∣thlehem.
• * 1.2

  Sulpitius Seue∣rus in Chronico.
• * 1.3

  Hieronym. Ad Eustochium de Virginita. ser∣uanda.
• * 1.4

  In eadem Episto. ad Eustochium.
• * 1.5

  Matthae. 23.
• * 1.6

  In eod. Capite.
• * 1.7

  Irenaeus. li. 1. ca. ••
• * 1.8

  August. De mo∣rib. Manichae. li. 2. ca. 19. & 20.