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 B. of Sarisburie.

Howe far foorth these examples maye serue vs, wée remit the iudgement there∣of to the discrete Christian Reader. It is not yenough thus to crie out, Impieties, and Heresies. M. Hardinges bare Woorde in this behalfe is not sufficient to war∣rant an euidence. Certainely emonge other greate comfortes, that wee haue in Goddes mercies, this is one, and not the leaste, that touchinge the Innocencie, and right of out cause, wée maye saye to you, as Christe saide to the Phariseis, Wee haue not the Diuel,* 1.1 but wee glorifie our Father: Or, as S. Paule saide vnto Festus, Wee are not madde (M. Hardinge) as ye reporte of vs: but wee viter vnto you the Woordes of Truthe and sobrietie.

But this is a piteous faulte: The names of al the Bishoppes, Deanes, Acche∣deacons, Personnes, Vicares, and Curates of England are not sette to our Apolo∣gie. It is directed neither to the Emperour, nor to the Pope, nor to the Councel. Neither is it Printed with Priuilege of the Prince. This laste clause is a ma∣nifest Vntruthe, and maye easily be reproued by the Printer. Hereof ye conclude, It is a sclaunderous Libel, and was written vnder a Hedge, and, as you saye, in Hucker Mucker.

Firste, were it graunted, that al, ye saye of Hilarie, Melito, Iustinus, Ter∣tullian, and Apollonius were true: Yet muste it néedes folowe, that al Bookes, that are not Subscribed with the Authours names, were written in a corner? Firste to beginne with the Scriptures, tel vs, M. Hardinge, who wrote the Bookes of Genesis, of Exodus, of Leuiticus, of Numeri, of Deuteronomiū, of Io••ue, of the Iudges, of the Kinges, of y^e Chronicles, of Iob, &c. Who inrote these Bookes? I saye: Who authorized them? Who Subscribed his name? Who set to his S••ale? The Booke of Wisedome by some is Fathered vpon Philo, by some vpō Salomon. The Epistle vnto y^e Hebrewes, some saye, was written by S. Paule: Some, by Cle∣mens: Some, by Barnabas: Some, by some other: & so are wee vncertaine of y^e Au∣thours name. S. Marke, S. Luke, S. Iohn, neuer once named them selues in their Gospels. The Apostles Crede, the Canons of the Apostles, by what names are they Subscribed? Howe are they authorized? To what Pope, to what Emperour were they offered? To leaue others the Auncient Doctours of the Churche, whiche, as you knowe, are often misnamed, Ambrose for Augustine, Gréeke for Latine,

Newe for Olde: your Doctour of Doctours, the fairest flower, and croppe of your garlande Gratianus, is so wel knowen by his name, that wise menne can not wel tel,* 1.2 What name to geue him. Erasmus saithe of him thus, Quisquis fuit, siue Gra∣tianus, siue Crassianus: What so euer name wee may geue him: be it Gratianus, or Crassia∣nus. And againe he saithe, Eruditi negant, illam Gratiani, nescio cuius, congeriem vlla vnquam Publica Ecclesiae authoritate fuisse comprobatam: The learned saye, that Gratians Collection, or heape of maters, was neuer allowed by any Publique Authoritie of the Churche.* 1.3 And againe, Non constat vllis argumentis, quis fuerit Gratianus, quo tem∣pore opus suum exhibuerit, cuius Pontificis, cuius Concilij fuerit Authoritate compro∣batum: It cannot appeare by any tokens of recorde, neither what this Gratian was: nor at what time he offered vp his Booke: nor what Councel, nor what Pope allowed it.

Who subscribed the late Councel of Colaine? Who subscribed the Booke not longe sithence sette abroade vnder the name of the Churche of Colaine, and named Antididagma? To be shorte, who subscribed your owne late Booke intituled the Apologie of Priuate Masse? Where were they written? Where were they Sub∣scribed? By what authoritie, and vnder what names were they allowed? I wil saye nothinge of your late Famouse Volume bearinge the name of Marcus Antonius Constantius. This Booke, as you see, hathe three greate names: Notwithstan∣dinge the Authour him selfe had but twoo: and yet not one of al these three. What, M. Hardinge, would you make your Brethren beleue, that al these be but sclaun∣derous Writes, diuised onely in Hucker Mucker, and vnder a Hedge?

The Decree,* 1.4 the Apostles made in the fiftenthe Chapter of the Actes, it appea∣reth not, it was so curiously subscribed with al theire names. The Protestation of the Bohemiens in the Councel of Basile, the Confession of the Churches of Ge∣neua & Heluetia, for ought that I knowe, haue no sutche Publique Subscriptions. Neither is it necessarie, nor commonly vsed, to ioyne Priuate mennes names to Publique maters: neither in so mightie & ample a Realme, vpon al incident occasi∣ons is it so easy to be donne. Briefely our Apologie is cōfirmed by as many names, as the highe Courte of Parlamente of England is confirmed.

Neither was the same conceiued in so darke a corner, as M. Hardinge ima∣gineth. For it was afterwarde imprinted in Latine at Parise: and hathe henne fithence Translated into the Frenche, the Italian, the Duche, and the Spa∣nishe tongues: and hathe benne sente, and borne abroade into France, Flaun∣ders, Germanie, Spaine, Poole, Hungarie, Denmarke, Sueucland, Scotland, Italie, Naples, and Rome it selfe to the iudgemente and trial of the whole Churche of God. Yea it was Readde, and sharply considered in your late Couente at Tri∣dent, & greate threates made there, that it should be answeared: and the mater by twoo Notable learned Bishoppes taken in hande, the one a Spaniarde, the other an Italian: Which twoo notwithstandinge, these fiue whole yéeres haue yet donne nothinge, nor, I belèeue, intende any thinge to doo. In deede certaine of your Brethren haue benne often gnawinge at it: but sutche as care nothinge, nor is cared, what they write.

But if names be so necessarie, wee haue the names of the whole Cleregie of Englande, to confirme the Faithe of our Doctrine, and your name, M. Hardinge, as you can wel remember, emongst the reste: onlesse, as ye haue already denied your Faithe, so ye wil nowe also denie your name.

To conclude, it is greatter modestie to publishe our owne Booke, without Name, then, as you doo, to publishe other mennes Bookes in your owne Names. For in deede, M. Hardinge, the Bookes ye lende so thicke ouer, are not yours. Ye are but Translatours: ye are no Authours. Yf euery birde shoulde fetche againe his owne Feathers, alas your poore Chickens woulde die for colde.

But you saye, Wee offered not our Booke to the Pope. No, neither ought wée so to doo. He is not our Bishop: He is not our Iudge. Wee maye saye vnto him, as the Emperour Constantius saide sometime to Pope Liberius,* 1.5 Quoia es tu pa••s Or∣bis terrarum? VVhat greate portion art thou of the whole Worlde? As for your Councel of Tridente, God wote, it was a séely Couente, for ought that maye appeare by theire Conclusions.

Wée offered the Defense, and profession of our Doctrine vnto the whole Churche of God: & so vnto the Pope, & the Councel too, if they be any parte, or member of the Churche: & by Goddes mercie, shal euer be hable in al places bothe with our handes, and with our Bodies to yelde an accoumpte of the hope wee haue in Iesus Christe. Whereas it liked you to terme our Apologie a Sclaunderous Libel, I doubt not, but who so euer shal iudifferently consider your Booke, shal thinke M. Hardinges tonge wanteth no sclaunder.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iohan. 2. Act. 26.
• * 1.2

  Erasm. In Prae∣sae. in tertiam Seriem quaerti Tom. Hiero∣nymi.
• * 1.3

  Erasm. In Prae∣fatione in. 4. Tom. Hiero∣nymi.
• * 1.4

  Actor. 13
• * 1.5

  Theodoret. in Hist. Ecclesiast.