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. 2. Diuision. 10.

And that this mater should not seeme to be donne but vpon pri∣uie sclaunder, and to be tossed to and fro in a corner onely to spite vs, there haue benne besides wilily procured by the Bishop of Rome certaine persons of eloquence yenough, and not vnlearned neither: whiche should put theire healpe to this cause nowe almost despaired of, and shoulde polishe and set foorthe the same, bothe in bookes and withe longe tales, to the ende, that, when the mater was trimly and eloquently handled, ignorant and vnskilful persons might suspecte there was somme greate thinge in it. In deede they perceiued, that theire owne cause did euery where goe to wracke, that their steightes were now espied and lesse esteemed, and that theire healpes did dayly

faile them, and that theire mater stoode altogeather in greate neede of a cunninge spokesman.

M. Hardinge.

VVee cannot despaire of this cause,* 1.1 onlesse wee would forsake our Faithe, as ye haue. For be∣leuinge Christe. whiche our faithe leadeth vs vnto, wee cannot mistruste the continuance of this cause. Heauen and Earthe shal passe, but my woordes shal not passe, saithe Truthe it selfe. And his woordes tel vs, that he wil be with his Churche al daies to the worlds ende: And that he hath besought his Father to geue to it the Sprite of Truthe to remaine with it for euer. Then be wee moste assured of this cause. VVee tel you therefore, it standeth, and shal stande by Christes presence, and by the Holy Ghostes assistance, to the ende. Your cause yet standeth not, but wauereth and tottereth, as that whiche S. Paule termeth a puffe of doctrine, and doubtlesse shortely fall it shall, as all Here∣sies haue fallen.

The authours and professours of them be dead and rotten, in Helfire with weepinge and grintinge of teeth. The like iudgement lookeye and your folowers to haue, if ye repent not, and reuoke your Heresies by time.

The B. of Sarisburie.

Wee cannot despaire. saithe M. Hardinge, of the continuance of our cause. For Hea∣uen and Earthe shal passe: but Christes VVoorde shal not passe. He wil be with vs al daies to the worlds ende, &c. These Woordes, M. Hardinge, be true and certaine: and there∣fore our hope is the firmer. Christe hath promised that the Sprite of Truthe shal remaine for euer, but not in the Pope, and his Cardinalles. For thereof he made no promise. Nay rather the Prophete Esai saithe, The Sprite of God shal rest vpon the poore,* 1.2 and méeke harted, that trembleth at the Woorde of the Lorde.

The Churche of God shal stande stil, yea though Rome were possessed with Antichriste.* 1.3 It is true that Christe saithe, Euery plante, whiche my Heauenly Father hath not planted, shal be rooted vp: Vpon whiche woordes S. Hilarie saithe, Significat, Traditionem hominum cruendam esse,* 1.4 cuius fauore transgressi sunt Praecepta Legis: He meaneth, that the Tradition of man, for whiche Traditions sake they haue broken the Lawe of God, shal be taken vp by the rootes. Heauen and Earthe shal passe: and your fan∣tastes, and diuises, M. Hardinge, shal passe: the Lorde hath spoken it: But the Woorde of God, and his Churche shal endure for euer.

But M. Hardinges Almanake saithe, Our Doctrine shal fal, and that very shortly. Herein I professe, I haue no skil. Goddes wil be donne. It is his cause: what so euer shal happen, his name be blessed for euer. In like sorte the Heathens in olde times, as S. Augustine saithe, vaunted them selues against the Faithe of Christe.* 1.5 Ad certum tempus sunt Christiani: postea peribunt, & redibunt Idola: re∣dibit quod erat anteà. Verùm tu, cùm expectas, miser Infidelis, vt transtant Christiani, transis ipse sine Christianis: These Christians are but for a while: ••al they shal, and that shortly. Then shal our Idols come againe, and it shalbe as it was before. But, O thou mise∣rable Infidel, while thou lookest that the Christians should passe, thou possest awaie thee selfe without the Christians. Againe be saithe, Ecce veniet tempus vt finiantur, & non sint Christiani.* 1.6 Sicut coeperunt ad aliquo tempore, ita vsque ad certum tempus erunt. Sed cùm ista dicunt, sine fine moriuntur: & permanet Ecclesia praedicans brachium Domini omni generationi venturae: They saie, behold, the daie wil come, when al these Christi∣ans shal haue an ende. As they had a time to beginne, so shal they haue a time to continewe. But while they make these crakes, they them selues die without ende. But the Churche contineweth stil praisinge the almighty arme of God to euery generation that is to come.

But ye saie, The Authours and Professours of our Doctrine be damned in Hel fiere, and crie, Peccaui. This is a very terrible kinde of talke. But it is a rashe parte for you,

M. Harding, so suddainely to skip into Goddes Chaire, and there to pronounce your Sentence Definitiue like a Iudge.* 1.7 But God wil iudge of your iudgemente. S. Au∣gustine saithe, Alia est sella terrena, aliud Tribunal. Coelorum: Ab inferiori Sententia accipitur. à superiori Corona: The earthly Chaier is one thinge: the Iudgemente seate in Heauen is an other. From the one wee receiue Sentence, from the other we receiue a Crowne. O M. Hardinge, God graunte you maie once crie, Peccaui: lest the time come that ye shal crie out, as it is written in the Booke of Wisedome:* 1.8 These are they whom wee sometime had in derision, and in a parable of reproche. VVee fooles thoughte theire life madnesse, and theire ende without honoure. But nowe are they coumpted emonge the Children of God, and theire portion is emonge the Sainctes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Confidence of the Catholikes touchinge their cause. Lueae 21. Matthae, 28. Johan. 14. The Catholike Church assured∣ly defended. Ephes. 4.
• * 1.2

  Esaie. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.3

  Matthae. 15.
• * 1.4

  Hilar in Ca. 15. Matthaei.
• * 1.5

  August. In Psal. 70.
• * 1.6

  Augusti. in eun∣dem Psal••••m.
• * 1.7

  August. in Psal. 36. par. 3.
• * 1.8

  Sapien. 5.