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 Confutation by M. Hardinge.

Whereas these defenders take vpon them the name of the Churche of Englande,* 1.1 settinge forth thereby a face of auctoritie, they do muche like the Asse that Esope telleth of, whiche, to make the beastes afrayed, had put on him a Lions skinne, and therewith ietted abroade terribly. For as the Lions skinne was but lapped about him,* 1.2 and grewe not to his bodie: so they beinge in deede no liuely members nor parte of the Churche, couer them selues vnder the title and name of the Churche, the ra∣ther to begyle the simple. And verely herein they folowe the wonte of all Heretikes. For neuer was there any secte of Heretikes hitherto, whiche hath not claimed to be accōpted and called the Church. For whiche cause of certaine auncient Fathers they haue bene likened to Apes, whose propertie is, though they be Apes, yet to counterfeit men, and to court to seeme men. Nouatianus, at saithe S. Cyprian, after the manner of Apes, woulde chalenge to him selfe the auctoritie of the Catholike Churche. And where as himselfe was not in the Churche, but contrariwise a rebell against the Churche,* 1.3 tooke vpon him to affirme, that al other were Heretikes, and presumed tovpholde, the Churche was on his side. Irenaeus and Tertullian, who were before him, write, that Heretikes made so much adoo to perswade,* 1.4 that the Churche was amonge them selues onely, that they feared not to call the right beleuinge and Catholike Churche, Hereticall and Schismaticall. S. Hilary declaringe how pati∣ently he demeaned himselfe towardes the Arians his enemies,* 1.5 by whome he was bannisshed, writeth, that in fiue yeares space, whiles he liued in bannishment, he neuer spake nor wrote euill woorde a∣gainst them,* 1.6 whiche falsely said them selues to be the Churche of Christe, and were the Synagoge of Antichrist. The Donatisles, against whome S. Augustine wrote muche, saide, that the Christianitie was quite loste and gone out of so many nations that be in the worlde, and remained onely in Aphrike, and that the Churche was onely there.* 1.7 In S. Bernardes time also the Heretikes who would be called Apostolikes, as they of our time call themselues Gospellers, saide that they were the Churche.

But what meane all Heretikes (maye we iudge) by couetinge so muche to be seene that whiche they are not?* 1.8 Forsooth they meane none other thinge, then their Father the Deuill meaneth, when he goeth about to begile man. For then what dothe he? vseth he not this policie, to chaunge his owggly hewe, and put himselfe in goodly shape of an Angell of light? For he is not vnwittinge, that if he shewed himselfe in his owne forme, suche as he is, that euery one woulde flie from him, and none lightly woulde be deceiued by him. Heretikes doo the like. Although they hate the Churche neuer so deadly, yet to haue the more oportunitie to hurte it,* 1.9 pretende themselues to be of the Churche.* 1.10 For they be not ignorant, howe greate the auctoritie of the Churche is. Of whose gouernours Christe saied, he that heareth you, heareth me: and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. And againe, Tell the Churche. They consider in what credite the Churche is with all Christen people: howe they staye themselues by it, as beinge the pillour and grounde of the truthe: howe they Loue her, euen as their common Mother, howe they honour it, as the Body and fulnes of Christe, as the spouse of Christe through Faithe, accordinge to that is written, I will despouse thee to me in faithe: As the true Syon, whiche our Lorde hath chosen to be his habitation, and his restinge place for euer: As the safe Arke to keepe vs from drowninge in the dangerous Seas of this worlde; out of whiche

nolesse then once out of the Arke of Noe, is nosaluation. Againe they know the Churche must needes be greatly esteemed amonge all the godly, for the singular promiser Christe hath made to it, that he would be with it all daies to the ende of the worlde: That he would pray to his father for the holy Ghost to be giuen to it, the spirite of truthe to remaine withit for euer. But as Heretikes impugne the lawe by the woordes of the lawe,* 1.11 〈◊〉〈◊〉 S. Ambrose saithe so to ouer throwe the Churche, they pre∣sume to take vnto them the name of the Churche. But what doo 〈◊〉〈◊〉 when they are vrged and wroonge, when by force of argumentes they are straighted, and as it were driuen to the walle? when it is plainely proued to their face, whiche is sone done that they be not in, nor of the Churche, specially beinge of Heresie openly denounced,* 1.12 and by iust Excommunication cutte of from the Churche? In this case the practise of the Gospellers is, vtterly to sette the Churche, as taught, and with a hote raging spirite to defie it, and to saye, that themselues be the Catholike Churche, and that the Catholikes be the Papisticall Churche, the Churche of Antichrist, the where of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a deune of Theeues, and I can not tell what.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The de••enders likened to E∣sopes Asse.
• * 1.2

  The vvonte of all Herctiques. Heretiques li∣kened to Apes. The name and reputation of the Churche chalenged by Heretiques.
• * 1.3

  In epist, ad Iu∣bainū de Haere∣ticis baptizādis.
• * 1.4

  De praescript. haeret.
• * 1.5

  Contra Con∣stantium.
• * 1.6

  August. contra epist. Parmen. lib. 2. cap. 1.
• * 1.7

  Bernard. in cāt. Sermo. 66.
• * 1.8

  Apostolici. VVhat meane Heretiques by chalenginge vn∣to them the name and esti∣mation of the Churche.
• * 1.9

  2. Cor. 11.
• * 1.10

  The estimation and auctoritie of the Church. Lucae. 10. Matth. 18. 1. Tim. 3. Ephes. 1. Oseae. 2. Psalm. 131. Gene. ••.
• * 1.11

  In comment. in epist, ad Tir. cap. 3.
• * 1.12

  The vvonte of the Gospellers being excom∣municate out of the Church.