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. 16. Diuision. 1.

Verely, we for our partes, as we haue saide, haue donne nothinge in alteringe Religion, vpon either Rashnesse, or Arrogancie: nor no∣thinge, but with good leasure, and greate consideration. Neither had we euer entended to doo it, excepte bothe the manifest, & most as∣sured

VVil of God, opened to vs in his Holy Scriptures, and the re∣garde of our owne Saluation had euen constreined vs thereunto. For though wee haue departed from that Churche, whiche these menne cal Catholike, and by that meanes geate vs enuie amongest them, that wante skil to iudge, yet is this yenough for vs, & it ought to be yenough for euery wise, and good man, and one that maketh ac∣compte of Euerlastinge Life, that we haue gonne from that churche whiche had power to erre: whiche christe, who can not erre, tolde so longe before, it shoulde erre: and whiche we our selues did euidently see with our eies, to haue gonne from the Olde Holy Fathers, and from the Apostles, and from Christe him selfe, and from the Primi∣tiue and catholique churche of God: & wee are comme, as neare, as we possibly coulde, to the Churche of the Apostles, and of the Olde catholike Bishoppes & Fathers: whiche Churche, we know, hathe hitherto benne sounde, and perfite, and, as Tertullian ter∣meth it, a Pure Virgine, spotted as then with no Idolatrie, nor with any foule, or shameful faulte: and haue directed, accordinge to theire Customes, and Ordinaunces, not onely our Doctrine, but also the Sacramentes, and the Fourme of common Praier.

M. Hardinge.

Ye haue treated hereof, after your accustomed manner, that is to saie, with al Vntruthe, and Lies.

Yee comme in with many gaie woordes. VVhereto with guilty conscience in wardely yee saie yea, thereto with lieinge tongue out wardely doo yee not saie naie?

This generation of loose Apostates, incestuous Vowbreakers, Sacrilegious Churcherobbers, despisers of all Holinesse, breakers of the deade mennes willes, ouerthrowers of all aunciente or∣der, and discipline.

If it be so, where be your Signes? where be your Miracles? where be the examples of your rare Vertue, and Holinesse?

The B. of Sarisburie.

The reste of your speache wee wil passe ouer, as talke of course. Touchinge your curious demaunde of Signes, and Miracles, Pope Leo maie answeare you. For,* 1.1 whereas certaine of your Forefathers in olde times saide, If he be the Kinge of Israel, lette him comme downe from the Crosse, and wee wil beleeue him: Pope Leo saithe thus vnto them,* 1.2 Non erat vestrae coecitatis arbitrio, Stulti Scribae, & Im∣pij Sacerdotes, ostendenda potentia Saluatoris: Yee foolishe Scribes, and wicked Priestes, the Power of our Saueour was not to be shewed at the discretion of your Blindenesse. God sheweth his Miracles when, and where, and to whome he wil.

S.* 1.3 Chrysostome saithe, In fine temporis concedenda est potestas Diabolo, vt faciat Signa vtilia: vt iam Ministros Christi non per hoc cognoscanius, quia v∣tilia faciunt Signa, sed quia omninò haec Signa non faciunt: In the ende of time Power shalbe geuen to the Diuel, to woorke profitable Signes, and Miracles: So that then wee cannot knowe the Ministers of Christe, by that they woorke profitable Mi∣racles, but by that they vvoorke no Miracles at al.

S.* 1.4 Augustine saithe, Non dicat, Ideo verum est, quia illa, vel illa mirabilia fecit, vel iste, vel ille: aut quia homines ad memorias mortuorum nostrorum orant, & ex∣audiuntur: aut quia illa, vel illa ibi contingunt, &c. Remoueantur ista, vel Figmenta

mendacium hominum,* 1.5 vel portenta Fallacium Spirituum: Lette no man saie, Therefore it is true, for that this man, or that man hath wrought this, or that Miracle: or, for that menne make their Praiers at the Toumbes of our deade, and obteine their desires: or, for that these, or these Miracles be wrought there &c. Awaie with these thinges: they maie be either the Iugglinges, and Mockeries of deceiteful menne, or els Illusions of Lieinge Sprites.* 1.6 Againe, S. Chrysostome saithe, Per Signa cognoscebatur, qui essent Veri Christiani, qui Falsi. Nunc autem Signorum operatio omnino' leuata est: Magis autem inuenitur apud eos, qui falsi sunt Christiani: In olde times it was knowen by Miracles, who were the True Christians, and whoe the False. But nowe the woorkinge of Miracles is taken quite awaie: and is rather founde emonge them, that be false Christians.* 1.7 Therefore S. Augustine saithe, Contra istos Mirabiliarios cautum me fecit Deus meus, dicendo: In nouissimis diebus exurgent Pseudoprophetae facientes Signa, & Portenta, vt inducant in errorem, si fieri possit, etiam Electos: Againste these Moungers of Miracles my God hath armed me,* 1.8 saieinge: In the later daies there shal rise vp False Prophetes woorkinge Signes, and woonders, to deceiue the Electe of God, if it be possible.

Neither is the Gospel of Christe preached this daie vtterly without Miracles. The Blinde see: the Doumbe speake: your Idolles are fallen: your Greate Ba∣bylon is comme to grounde. These, M. Hardinge, if you haue eies to sée them, are no smal Miracles.* 1.9 S. Chrysostome saith, The Conuersion of the vvorlde is a Miracle. S. Augustine saithe, Modò Caro Coeca non aperit oculos Miracu∣lo Domini: Et Cor Coecum aperit oculos Sermone Domini: Nowe adaies the Blinde fleashe openeth not her eies by the Miracle of our Lorde: Put the Blinde harte Openeth his eies at the VVoorde of our Lorde. And againe, Modò Aures Cor∣poris surde•• non aperiuntur. Sed quàm multi habent clausas Aures Cordis, quae tamen, Verbo Dei penetrante, patescant? Nowe adaies the deafe Eares of the Body be not opened: yet many there are, that haue the Eares of their harte shut vp: whiche Eares not withstandinge are opened by entringe of the VVoorde of God.

Therefore wèe maie rightly saie to you with other woordes of S. Augustine, Quisquis adhuc Prodigia,* 1.10 vt credat, inquirit. Magnum est ipse prodigium: qui, mun∣do credente, non credit: Who so euer yet requireth Miracles, to bringe him to the Faithe, is him selfe a greate Miracle: that, the worlde beleeuinge, remaineth stil in vnbeliefe.

Where as the Phariseis saide of Christe, Lette him nowe comme downe from the Crosse,* 1.11 and we wil beleue him, S. Hierome saithe vnto them, Etiamsi de Cruce descenderet, similiter non crederetis: Yea, although he shoulde comme downe from the Crosse, yet woulde ye not beleeue him.

But it were a worlde, to beholde the Glorious Countenance of your Mira∣cles. Your Crosses can speake: youre Idolles can goe: your Images can lighte their owne Lampes: your Holy VVater is hable to calme the Sea, to chase a∣waie Mise, and to make barren Wemen to conceiue. If yée doubte hereof, con∣ferre with M. Cope,* 1.12 one of your owne Louanian companie: or with that Woorthy Prelate the Bishop of Verona, your Holy Father Lipomanus. I am ashamed to remember, that you are not ashamed euen nowe, in these daies, to pu∣blishe in Writinge. How be it, sutche Religion, sutche Miracles. S. Hie∣rome saithe,* 1.13 Mendacium Antichristi Christi Veritas deuorabit: The Truthe of Christe shal deucure, and consume the Falsehedde of Antichriste.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Matthae. 27.
• * 1.2

  Leo in Sermon. De Passione Do∣mini.
• * 1.3

  Chrysost. in Mat∣thae. Homi. 49.
• * 1.4

  Augustin. De V∣nitate Ecclesiae. Ca. 16.
• * 1.5

  Miracles.
• * 1.6

  Chrysostom. in Matth. Hom. 49.
• * 1.7

  Augustin. in Io∣han. Tracta. 13.
• * 1.8

  Matthae. 24.
• * 1.9

  Chrysostom. in. 1. Corin. Homil. 6. August. De Ver∣bis Domi. Se∣cund. Matthae. Serm 18. Eodem loco.
• * 1.10

  Augustin. De Ci∣uitate Dei. Lib. 22. Cap. 8.
• * 1.11

  Hieronym. in Matthae. 27.
• * 1.12

  Copus, Dialog. 1. Pag. 18.
• * 1.13

  Hieronymus ad Algasiam.