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.

M. Hardinge.

The reasons and examples ye bringe for it, conclude nothinge. Bicause lackinge Truthe. ye builde vpon a false grounde, what so euer ye set vp, eftsones it falleth, beinge stated by no iuste proufe. Here ye goe foorthe, and faine woulde ye proppe vp that matter: but your reasons be as weake as before. There haue not so many thousandes of your Brethren benne burnte for Heresie in these laste twentie yeeres, as yee pretende. But when ye come to boastinge, then haue ye a greate grace in vsinge the Figure Hyperbole: Then Scores be Hundreds: Hundreds be Thousands: Thousands be Millions.

But what was Michael Seruetus the Arian,* 1.1 who was burnte at Geneua by procurement of Cal∣uine, a Brother of yours? Dauid George that tooke vpon him to be Christe, who was taken vp after he was buried and burnte at Basile,* 1.2 was he your Brother? To come neare home, Ioan of Kent that fil••h, who tooke foorthe a lesson further then you taught her (I trowe) or yet Preache, was she a Sister of yours? So many Adamites, so many Zwenck feldians, so many hundreds of Anabaptistes and Liber∣tines, as haue within your twentie yeeres benne ridde out of their liues by fiere, swoorde, and wa∣ter in sundry partes of Christendome, were they al of your blessed Brotherhed?

And this is the chiefe argument yee make in al that Huge Dungehil of your stinkinge Martyrt,* 1.3 whiche yee haue intituled Actes and Monumentes. But we tel you, It is not deathe that iustifieth the cause of dyinge: But it is the cause of dyinge that iustifieth the Death.

Princes (ye saye) were desirous to restraine your Gospel, and though they went about it by many waies, yet preuailed they nothinge. Therefore your Doctrine must needes be the true Gospel. As good an Argumente as this is,* 1.4 may Theeues make in their Defence. For Princes be desirous to keepe their Dominions from Robbinge, and haue euer deuised straight Lawes and punishmentes for restrainte of Theeues: yet be Theeues euery where, and thefte is dayly committed.

And whereas your Gospel is a grosse Gospel,* 1.5 a Carnal Gospel, a Belly Gospel: wonder it is not, if those people be not wholy withdrawen from assentinge to the same, who be not of the finest wittes. and be muche geuen to the Seruice of the Belly, and of the thinges beneath the Belly. Yet where the

Princes haue vsed most diligence,* 1.6 and best meanes to stoppe the course of your Heresies, there the peo∣ple remaine most Catholike: As euery man may iudge by vewe of Italy, Spaine, Base Almaine, and Fraunce, before that weightie Sceptre by Gods secrete prouidence for punishement of sinne, was com∣mitted to feeble handes, that for tender age were not able to beare it.

Your other argument,* 1.7 whereby ye would persuade your Gospel to be the trueth, is, that nowe (as ye crake) almost the whole world doth beginne to open their eies to behold the light. This argument seruethe maruelous wel for Antichrist. And truely, if he be not already come, ye may very wel seme to be his foreronners. Nay Sirs, if it be true that ye saye, that almost the whole world loketh that waye, knowinge that in the latter dayes and towarde the ende of the world iniquitie shal abounde, and the Charitie of the more parte shal wexe colde:* 1.8 VVee maye rather make a contrarie argument, and iudge your Gospel to be erroneous and false, because the multitude is so ready to receiue it.* 1.9 Againe Christe hathe not loued his Churche so little, as that the world should nowe beginne to open their eies to behold the light. For the same presupposeth a former general darkenes. It standeth not with Christes promises made to the Churche, touchinge his being with the Churche al daies to the worldes ende, and the Holy Ghostes remaininge with it the Sprite of Truthe for euer, that he should suffer his Churche,* 1.10 to continewe in darkenes and lacke of Truthe, these thousand yeres past, and now at the lat∣ter daies to reuele the Truthe of his Gospel by Apostates, Vowebreakers, Churcherobbers, and sutche other most vnlike to the Apostles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Seruetus burnt for Heresie at Ge••eua.
• * 1.2

  Dauid George. Ioan of Kent.
• * 1.3

  Actes and Mo∣numentes.
• * 1.4

  A vveake argu∣mēt of Truthe.
• * 1.5

  This Carnal Gospel soone taketh place a∣monge carnal hearers.
• * 1.6

  Heresies restrai∣ned by due pu∣nishement.
• * 1.7

  The argument of the defenders seruinge vvel for Antichrist.
• * 1.8

  Matth. 24.
• * 1.9

  The argument of multitude returned vpon the defenders to a contrary con∣clusion.
• * 1.10

  Matth. 28. Iohan. 14.