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. 9. Diuision. 3.

Thei wil saie to this, I gheasse, Ciuile Princes haue learned to go∣uerne a Common Wealthe, and to order maters of Warre: but they vnderstande not the secrete Mysteries of Religion. If that be so, what is the Pope, I praie you, at this daie, other then a Monarch, or a Prince? Or, what be the Cardinalles, whoe must be none other nowe, but Princes, & Kinges Sonnes? What els be the Patriarches, &, for the moste parte, the Archebishoppes, the Bishoppes, the Ab∣bates? What be they els at this present in the Popes Kingedome, but worldely Princes, but Dukes, and Erles, gorgeously accompa∣nied with bandes of menne, whither so euer they goe: Oftentimes also gayly araied with Chaines, and Collars of golde? Thei haue at times too, certaine Ornamētes by them selues, as Crosses, Pillers, Hattes, Miters, & Palles: whiche Pompe the Auncient Bishoppes, Chrysostome, Augustine, & Ambrose neuer had. Settinge these things aside, what teache thei? What saie thei? What doo thei? How liue they? I saie not, as maie become a Bishop, but as maie become a Christian man? Is it so greate a matter, to haue a vaine title, and by changinge a garment onely to haue the name of a Bishop?

M. Hardinge.

The duetie of ciuil Princes consisteth in ciuil matters: the duetie of Bishoppes, in spiritual thinges. That serueth to the preseruation of mens persons: this to the Saluation of their Soules. Euery high Priest (saieth S. Paule) that is taken from amonge men,* 1.1 is ordeined for men in thinges apperteining to God. * 1.2 Re moue temporal Princes, to take vpon them the office of the Pope, and Bishops, as though it were a thinge so indifferent, and so common, that when Bishoppes be negligent, temporal men maie do their steede. But the reason, which to this ende ye make, is so slender, as I wene, fewe Princes that feare God,

wilbe greatly moued to ad••enter that thinge so muche subiecte and 〈…〉〈…〉 your reason is this,* 1.3 consider it who will: They of the Cleregie 〈…〉〈…〉 Ergo, Temporall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 maie beare the office of Bishoppes. 〈…〉〈…〉 and your Antecedent is false. For although Bishoppes 〈…〉〈…〉 chan∣ginge a garment onely, as you saie▪ yet that defect in them shoulde. 〈…〉〈…〉 late▪ as to Kinges, and Queenes, to doo the Office of 〈…〉〈…〉 false for the Bishoppes of the Catholike Churche, 〈…〉〈…〉 ordinated, and consecrated.

Though the Pope haue a Princely dominion, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 some other Bishoppes: of christendome haue Dukedomes and Erledomes, though they ride well 〈…〉〈…〉 some of them otherwise then becommeth that vocation, doo weare 〈…〉〈…〉 them: though they haue other ornamentes to their 〈…〉〈…〉. whiche grieueth you muche in comparison of the* 1.4 beggery of your maried estate: yet all this imbarreth them 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but that they be Bishoppes.

Though they teache not,* 1.5 though they saie not, though they doo not, though they liue not, as be∣commeth. Bishoppes, neither as becometh euen a Christen man,‡ 1.6 as you raile, all this notwithstanding, yet be they Bishoppes, though euill Bishoppes. Neither for al this may it be latefull for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to take their office vpon them.* 1.7 Iudas was an Apostle till the rope choked him. Neither for his wickednesse might Streuen, Mathias, or any other of the Disciples of his owne presumpt to haue smepte into his r••••me. Now is this is true, so is your railinge talke false, whiche malice hath stirred you to vtter.

The B. of Sarisburie.

Oui•• againe wee tel le you, M. Hardinge, wee confounde not these Offices: notwithstandinge you so often, and so lewd••ly reporte vs, to your owne discredite.* 1.8 Our Princes neuer tooke vpon them, y^• Office of Bishoppes: But your Bishoppes haue taken vpon them the Office of Princes. Of your Bishoppes it is written in your owne Councelles:* 1.9 Ecce, iam pe••e nulla est acti•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉, quam non Sacerdo∣tes administrent: Beholde, there is now in a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 no 〈◊〉〈◊〉 affaire, but Priestes, and Bishoppes ••aue it in hande. Sutche Bishoppes be they, of whom S. Chrysostome writeth thus,* 1.10 Qui non credunt Iudicium Dei, nec timen••, abutentes Primatu suo Ecclesiastico saeculariter, conuertunt eum in saecularem: They that neither be∣leeue, nor feare the Judgemente of God, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 theire Ecclesiastical Dignitie in Seculare sorte, turne the same into Seculare Dignitie: Sutche Bishoppes they be, of whome S. Hierome saithe thus, Ipsi sibi & Laici sunt, & Episcopi: They them selues be to them selues bothe Laiemenne, and Bishoppes too. And againe, Ado∣rant Dominum, & Melchom, qui Saecedo pariter, & Domino putant se posse seruire, & duobus Dominis satisfacere, Deo, & Mammonae: qui Militantes Christo, obligant sese negotijs Saecularibus, & candem Imaginem offerunt & Deo, & Caesari: They woorship the Lorde, and Melchom bothe togeather, thinkinge, that they maie serue bothe the Woorlde,* 1.11 and the Lorde, and satisfie twoo Maisters at once, God, and Mammon: who fightinge vnder Christe, binde them selues to worldly affaires, and of∣fer vp one Image bothe to God, and to Caesar.

If yée wil beleeue none of these, yet your Popes ovvne Legates, in your late Chapter at Tridente, speakinge of your Priestelike Apparel, saie thus: Nihil à Laic••s, praeterquam in Vestis genere, ac ne in hoc quidem differunt: Our Priestes differ nothinge from Laiemenne, sauinge onely in Apparel: naie, in deede they differ not so mutche from them, as in Apparel.

Yee saie,* 1.12 your Bishoppes are gaie, and gallante, attended, and garded with Princelike routes, bothe behinde, and before: And thereof yée make no smal ac∣coumpte, specially in respecte of our estate, whiche you calle beggerly. In sutche disdeigne the Heathens sommetime saide, That Christe was the Beggerliest, and

poorest of al the Goddes that were in Heauen.* 1.13 How be it, our Bishoprikes, sauinge that certaine of your Fathers haue shamefully spoiled them, are nowe, euen as they were before. Certainely y^• Poorest Bishoprike in Englande, as it is reported, is better in reuenewes, theli somme thrée of your Popes Italian Bishoprikes in the Kingedome of Naples. How be it, the Gospel of Christe standeth not by Richesse, but by Truthe. In comparison of the one, wée make smal reckeninge of the other.

Neuerthelesse, the Wise, and Godly haue euermore founde faulte with the Ec∣clesiastical Brauerie of your Romaine Cleregie.* 1.14 S. Bernarde saithe, Inde est, quem quotidiè ides, Meretriceus Nitor: Histrionicus habitus: Regius Apparatus. Inde Aurum in Frenis, in Sellis, in Calcaribus: Therehence commeth theire Whoorelike Fine∣nesse: theire Plaiers VVeede: their Princely Apparel. Therehence commeth their Goulde in theire Bridles, in their Saddels, and in theire Spurres. Againe he saithe, Incedunt ni∣tidi, & ornati, circumamicti varietatibus, tanquam Sponsa procedens de thalamo suo. Nonnè si quempiam talium eminùs procedentem aspexeris, Spōsam potids putabis, quàm Sponsae Custodem? They goe trimmely, and finely in their coloures, as if a Spouse shoulde comme from her Chamber. If thou shouldest suddainely see one of them lettinge a farre of, wouldest thou not rather thinke, it were a Spouse, then the keeper of the Spouse?

Pope Bonifacius 8. in a greate Iubilee,* 1.15 and in a Solemne Procession, wente apparelled in the Emperours Roabes: and had the Crovvne Emperial on his Heade, and the Svverde of Maiestie borne before him, as an Emperoure.

This Spiritual Ioilitie, M. Hardinge, liketh you wel. Notwithstandinge S. Bernarde saithe,* 1.16 Daemonum magis, quàm Ouium, sunt haec pascua. Scili∣cet, sic factitabat Petrus: sic Paulus ludebat: These be Pastoures for Diuels, not for Sheepe. No doubte, Euen thus did Peter: euen sutche pastime plaide S. Paule.

Yee telle vs further, Though they teache not, though they saie not, though they doo not, though they liue not, as becommeth Bishoppes, nor as becommeth a Christian man, yet bee they Bishoppes not withstandinge. Hereat wee wil not greately striue. For so the VVoulfe, if he once geate a Sheepehooke, and a Cloke, maie be a Shephearde: and a Blindeman, if he geate once into the Watche Tower, maie bee a Spie. But miserable are the Poore Sheepe, that so are fedde: miserable is that Poore Castle, that so is watched.

S. Augustine saithe,* 1.17 Episcopatus est nomen Operis, non Honoris: vt in∣telligat, se non esse Episcopum, qui praeesse dilexerit, non prodesse: A Bi∣shoppes Office is a name of Laboure, and not of Honoure: that, who so loueth to rule, and not to profite, maie vnderstande him selfe to be no Bishop. Againe he saithe of sutche a one,* 1.18 Canis impudicus dicendus est magis, quàm Episcopus: He ought rather to be called a shamelesse Dogge, then a Bishop.

As for that, yee saie, Your Bishoppes be duely Ordinated, and consecrated, S. Augustine replieth,* 1.19 Ipsum Characterem multi, & Lupi, & Lupis imprimunt: Touchinge the outwarde Consecration of a Bishop, many geeue it to VVoulues, and be VVoulues them selues.

S. Bernarde,* 1.20 speakinge of your Priestes, and Bishoppes, saithe, Habitu Mi∣lites: quaestu Clericos: actu neutros exhibent. Nam neque vt Milites, pugnant: neque vt Clerici, Euangelizant. Cuius ergo Ordinis sunt? Cùm vtriusque esse cupiunt, vtrun∣que deserunt: vtrunque confundunt. Vnusquisque, inquit, in suo Ordine resurget. In quo isti? An qui sine Ordine peccauerūt, sine Ordine peribunt? Vereor, nō alibi Ordinandos, quàm vbi nullus Ordo, sed sempiternus horror inhabitat: In theire apparel, they are Soul∣diers: in their gaines, they are Priestes, and Bishoppe: but in effecte, and in deede, they are neither of bothe. For neither doo they fighte in the fielde, as doo Souldiers: nor doo they preache, as Priestes, and Bishoppes. Of whether Order therefore be they? Whereas they would be of bothe Orders, they foresake bothe, and confounde bothe. S. Paule saithe,

Euery man shal rise againe in his owne Order.* 1.21 But in what Order shal these rise? Whether, for as mutche, as they haue finned without Order, shal they perishe without Order? I feare me, they shalbe Ordered none otherwhere, but where as is no Order, but disorder, and hor∣roure Euerlastinge.

Thus plainely speake your owne Doctoures, touchinge your Cleregie: whiche plainenesse it pleaseth you, M. Hardinge, to calle false, and malicious railinge.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Heb. 5.
• * 1.2

  Vntruthe ma∣nifeste. For vvee moue no Prince to take vpon him a Bishoppes Office.
• * 1.3

  Bishoppes entangled in vvorld∣ly affaires.
• * 1.4

  Vntruthe. For this is our Rea∣son: A Tempo∣ral, Prince, saie you, maie not, meddle in Eccle∣siastical causes: But the Pope, saie vvee, is no∣thinge els but a Tēporal Prince: Ergo, by your Iudgemente.
• * 1.5

  The Pope maie not meddle in Ecclesiastical Causes.
• ‡ 1.6

  Vntruthe. Reade the An∣svveare.
• * 1.7

  O glorious Thraso. Then vvas the Apo∣stles state mutch more beggerly.
• * 1.8

  This ••••linge as not ours, but S. B••••nardes.
• * 1.9

  The Pope by M Hardinge compared with Iudas.
• * 1.10

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. Citatur ab Illy∣rico inter 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Verit. Pag. 121. Chrysostom. In Matth. Hom. 35. Hieronym. Con∣tra
• * 1.11

  Hieronym. in Sophontam ca••. Concil. Trident. Sub Paulo 3. Ad∣monitio Lega∣tor.
• * 1.12

  Auentinus. Le. 3. De Ruperto, Christum om∣nium Deorum esse pauperri∣mum.
• * 1.13

  Ecclesiasti∣cal braue∣rie in Ap∣parel.
• * 1.14

  Bernard. in Can∣tica. Sermo. 33. Holcote in Sa∣pien. Lectio. 23. Bernard in Can∣tica. Sermo. 77.
• * 1.15

  Paralipomena. Vrspergen.
• * 1.16

  Bernard. De Consideratione ad Eugenium, Lib. 1.
• * 1.17

  8. quae. 1. Qui E∣piscopatum. Au∣gustin.
• * 1.18

  2. quae. 7. qui nec. Augustin.
• * 1.19

  August. contra Donatist. Li. 6.
• * 1.20

  Bernard. De Consideratione ad Eugeni. Li. 3.
• * 1.21

  1. Corinth. 15.