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. 11. Diuision. 2.

For besides that, a Christian Prince hath the charge of Bothe Tables committed to him by God, to the ende he maie vnderstande, that, not Temporal maters onely, but also Religious, and Ecclesia∣stical Causes perteine to his office, &c.

M. Hardinge.

You wil proue that Ecclesiastical causes perteine to a Kinges of fice, because he hath the charge of bothe tables. If you meane that a Kinge is bounde to kepe bothe tables of the lawe, so is also euery priuate man. And yet, as no priuate man is supreme heade of the Churche by kepinge them, so neither the Kinge is proued thereby the‡ 1.1 supreme heade. If you meane that the Kinge ought to see others to kepe bothe tables of the lawe: that maie he do, either in appointinge temporal paines for the trans∣gressours of them, or in executinge the saide paines vpon the transgressours. But as he cannot excom∣municate any man for not apperinge, when he is called, so can he not iudge al causes of the lawe. For if a man sinne onely in his harte, as for example, in murther, or aduoutrie: the Kinge cannot haue to do with him. And yet the true supreme heade of the Church shal haue to do with him. For that ma∣licious and sinful thought* 1.2 shal neuer be foregeuen, excepte the party come to be absolued of theire Successours, to whom Christe saide,* 1.3 whose sinnes ye forgeue▪ they are forgeuen: and whose sinnes ye re∣teine, they are reteined. To committe murder in harte, is a sinne, and it is reteined vntil it be forgeuen. ‡ 1.4 Neither can it be forgeuen. vntil he that is Iudge, by the keie of discretion, perceiue that it is to be forgeuen. VVhich he cannot know, vntil it be confessed with a contrite hart, by him who onely kno∣weth it, and is bounde to tel it, for absolutions sake. If then there be a iudge, who can see the lawe kepte in an higher pointe, and beyond the reache of the King, surely the King shal not be supreme head▪

sith an other is more like to God, then he. A•• who is iudge of the inwarde conscience, whereunto no Kinge reacheth,* 1.5 but* 1.6 onely the minister of Christe▪ who is the spiritual Kinge, and hath geuen the keies of his Kingdome to his minister.

The B. of Sarisburie.

Here, M. Hardinge, yée roa••e, and wander without a marke, and replie to that, that was not spoken. I marueile, whereof yée can spinne your selfe sutch idle talke. For wée neither calle our Princes the Heades of the Churche of Christe: (it was your Fathers inuention, and not ours) nor saie wée, They haue Power, either to Excommunicate, or to Binde, or to Loose: nor haue wée leasure to make sutche vaine Conclusians.

Thus wée saie, the Prince is put in truste, as wel with the Firste, as with the Seconde Table of the Lavve of God: that is to saie, as wel with Religion, and with Temporal Gouernemente: not onely to kéepe, and perfourme the contentes of Bothe Tables, in his owne Persone (for so mutche euery priuate man is bound to doo) but also to sée, that al others his Subiectes, as wel Priestes, as Laiemenne, eche man in his callinge, doo dewly kéepe them. This is it, that no Priuate man is hable to doo.* 1.7 Therefore S. Augustine saithe, In hoc seruiunt Domino Reges, in quantum sunt Reges, cùm ea faciunt ad seruiendum illi, quae non possunt facere, nisi Reges: Herein Kinges serue the Lorde, in that they be Kinges, when they doo those thinges to serue him, that noman can doo, but onely Kinges. Wee saie not, the Prince is bound to doo the Bishoppes deutie: And therefore it is the greatter sol••e of your parte, M. Hardinge, to obiecte it so often. Wise menne vse not so to aduenture their woordes in vaine. But thus wée saie, The Prince to bounde to see the Bishoppes to doo theire deuties.

But what meante you, so far out of season, to talke so fondly of your Priuie Confessions, of Bindinge, and Loosinge, and Povver of Keies? For, as it is saide before, wée saie not, that Princes maie, either Binde, or Loose: or Minister Sacramentes: or Preache the Gospel: or sitte downe, and Heare Confessions. Therefore with al this greate adoo, yée foine onely at your owne shadowe, and hit nothinge.

Yée saie ful discretely, Yf a man sinne onely in his harte, the Kinge cannot haue to doo with him, for that be cannot enter, to knowe his secretes. Here, I beséeche you, M. Hardinge, what entrance hath the Pope, to knowe the secretes of the Harte? Perhaps yée wil saie, the Pope maie knowe al the worlde by Confession. But S. Augustine saithe, Quid mihi est cum hominibus,* 1.8 vt audiant Confessiones meas, &c. Vnde sciunt, cùm à me ipso de me ipso audiunt, an verum dicā: quādoquidem nemo scit hominū quid agatur in homine, nisi Spiritus hominis, qui in ipso est: What haue I to doo w^t these menne, that they shoulde heare my Confessions, &c. Howe knowe they, when they heare mee report of mee selfe, whether I saie true, or no? For noman knoweth, what is in man, but the Sprite of man,* 1.9 that is within him. Againe he saithe vnto the people, Intrantes vos, & exeuntes possumus videre. Vsqueadeò autem non videmus, quid cogitetis in cordibus vestris, vt neque quid agaris in domibus vestris videre possimus: Wee maie see you comminge in, and goeinge foorth. But wee are so far from seeinge the thoughtes of your hartes, that wee cannot see, what you doo at home in your houses. Like∣wise againe he saithe,* 1.10 Quid singulorum quorum{que} modò conscientiae dixerint, ad aures meas, quia homo sum, peruenire non potuit. Ille, qui Absens est praesentia Corporis, sed Praesens est Vigore Maiestatis, audiuit vos: What euery of your Consciences hath saide, it coulde not enter into my eares, for that I am but a Mortal man. Notwith∣standinge, Christe, that is Absente, as touchinge the Presence of his Body, but presente by the Power of his Maiestie, hath hearde you wel. It is, not the Pope, but God onely,

that trieth the reines, and searcheth the harte.

Yet yée saie, the True Supreme Heade of the Churche shal haue to doo with him, that sinneth onely secretely in his harte: For that malitious, and sinful thought, saie you, shal neuer be foregeuen, excepte the partie comme to be Absolued of theire Successours, to whom Christe said, VVhoes sinnes yee foregeue, &c. This, M. Hardinge, is the Supreme Fo∣lie of al others Folies. For firste, where euer hearde you, that the Pope would lonce vouchesaue to Heare Confessions? And, if he woulde, yet by yours owne Doctoures Iudgemente, the Pope hath nomore Power to Binde, and to Loose, then any other Poore Simple Prieste. As I haue shewed you before, Al∣phonsus de Castro saithe,* 1.11 Quando Absoluit Simplex Sacerdos, tantum Absoluit de Culpa, sicut Papa: When a Simple Prieste Absolueth, he Absolueth as mutche, touchinge the faulte, as if it were the Pope him selfe. Origen saithe, Quae sequuntur, ve∣lut ad Petrum dicta, sunt omnium communia, &c. Quod si nos idem loquimur, quod Petrus loquutus est, efficimur Petrus: The woordes, that folowe, as spoken vnto Peter, are common vnto al. If wee speake the saine, that Peter spake, then are wee made Peter. Euen in the Popes owne Glose vpon his Decretalles it is no∣ted thus, In necessitate Laicus potest & Audire Confessiones, & Absoluere: In case of necessitie a Laieman maie bothe heare Confessions,* 1.12 and also geue Absolution. Yet wil yée not saie, that euery Laieman is Peters Successoure.

To what pourpose then serueth al this your vaine talke, M. Hardinge, The true Supreme Head of the Churche shal haue to doo with him, that sinneth onely in his harte? For euery Simple Prieste, hauinge the keie of Goddes Woorde, entreth into the harte, & hath to doo with the same, as wel, and as mutche, as the Pope: & in re∣specte of beinge Iudge of y^• Conscience, is aboue Kinges, & Princes, nolesse then he.

But, where yée saie, The malitious, and sinful thought shal neuer be forgeuen, except the par∣tie comme to be Absolued of theire Successours, to whom Christe said, whoes sinnes yee foregeue, &c. this Doctrine is not onely strange and false, but also ful of Desperation. Your owne Gratian saith,* 1.13 Latentia peccata non probantur necessariò Sacerdoti confi∣tēda: It is not proued (by any sufficiēt Authoritie either of Scriptures, or of Doctours) that Secrete Sinnes are of necessitie to be vttered in Confession vnto the Prieste. Againe he saithe,* 1.14 Datur intelligi, quòd etiam ore tacente, veniam consequi possumus: It is ge∣uen vs to vnderstand, that wee maie obteine pardone, although wee vtter nothing with our Mouth. And againe, Non Sacerdotali iudicio, sed largitate Diuinae Gratiae pec∣cator emendatur: The Sinner is cleansed, not by the Iudgemente of the Prieste, but by the abundance of Goddes Grace.* 1.15 Againe he saithe, Confessio Sacerdoti offertur in signum veniae, non in causam Remissionis accipiendae: Confession is made vnto the Priest, in token of Foregeuenesse already obteined: not as a cause of Foregeuenesse to be obtei∣ned. Your very Glose saithe,* 1.16 Apud Graecos Confessio non est necessaria: quia non emanauit ad illos Traditio talis: Emong the Christians in Graecia Confession of Sinnes is not necessarie: for that this Tradition neuer came emonge them. Yet, M. Hardinge, I trowe, yee wil not saie, but theire sinnes maie be foregeuen.

Certainely Chrysostome saithe,* 1.17 Solus te Deus confitentem videat: Let God onely see thee making the Confession of thy Sinnes.

It was very mutche therefore, M. Hardinge, for you, so assuredly, and so pre∣cisely to saie, that sinnes can neuer be foregeuen without your Priuie Confession: and specially thereby to proue the Vniuersal Headeship of the Pope.

Notes

• ‡ 1.1

  A graue dispu∣ter. Ye conclude againste that, that is not a∣uouched.
• * 1.2

  Vntruthe, fonde, and ma∣nifeste, and lea∣dinge directely to desperation.
• * 1.3

  Iohan. 20.
• ‡ 1.4

  Vntruthe ioi∣ned vvith blas∣phemie. Reade the Answeare.
• * 1.5

  Matth. 16.
• * 1.6

  A fonde folie. For this Keie is geeuen no more to the Pope, then to any o∣ther Simple Prieste.
• * 1.7

  August. in Epist. 50. Ad Bonifac.
• * 1.8

  August. Confess. Lib. 10. Cap. 3.
• * 1.9

  Aug. in Psal. 126
• * 1.10

  Aug. in Psal. 127
• * 1.11

  Alphons. De Hae∣resib. Lib. 2. De Absolutione. Origen. in Mat∣thae. Tractat. 1.
• * 1.12

  Extra. De of fic. Iudicis Ordina. Pastoralis. In Gloss.
• * 1.13

  De poenit. Dist. 1 Quis aliquado.
• * 1.14

  De poenit. Dis. 1. Conuertimin••. In eodem Cap.
• * 1.15

  De poenit. Dis. 1 Omnis qui.
• * 1.16

  De poenit. Dis. 5. In poeniten. In Glossa.
• * 1.17

  Chrysost. De Cō∣fess. & poenit.