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

Faine would M. Hardinge haue his Reader beleeue, that wée vtterly despise al Holy Fathers. But wée despise them not, M. Hardinge, as maye partely appeare, by that wee haue already saide. Wée reade theire woorkes: wée reuerence them: wée geue God thankes for them: wée calle them the Pillers, the Lightes, the Fa∣thers of Goddes Churche: wée despise them not. This thinge onely wée saye: Were theire Learninge, and Holinesse neuer so greate, yet be they not equal in credite with the Scriptures of God.

Thus also saithe S. Augustine,* 1.1 Nos nullam Cypriano facimus iniuriam, cùm eius qua••••ibet literas, à Canonica Diuinarum Scripturarum Authoritate distinguimus: Wee offer no wronge to S. Cyprian, when wee seuer any his Letters, or Writinges, from the Canonical Authoritie of the Holy Scriptures. And againe, ioininge al the Doctours, and ••athers togeather, he saithe thus: Ipse mihi pro his omnibus, imò supra hos o∣mnes Apostolus Paulus occurrit. Ad ipsum confugio: ad ipsum ab omnibus, qui aliter sen∣tìunt, literarum tractatoribus prouoco: In steede of al these Learned Fathers, or iather a∣boue them al, Paule the Apostle commeth to my minde. To him I renne: To him I appeale from al manner Writers (Doctours, and Fathers) that thinke otherwise.

So likewise S. Hierome,* 1.2 Ego Originem propter cruditionem sic interdum legen∣dum arbitror, quomodo Tertullianum, Nouatum, Arnobium, Apollinarium, & nonnullos Ecclesiasticos Scriptores Graecos pariter, & Latinos: vt bona eorum eligamus, vitemúsque contraria: I thinke, that the Auncient Father Origen, in respecte of his Learninge, maye be readde sometimes, as Tertullian, Nouatus, Arnobius, Appollinarius, and sundrie other Ecclesi∣astical VVriters, as wel Greekes, as Latines: that in them wee maye take the good, and flee the contrarie. Of this iudgemente were S. Augustine, S. Hierome, and sundrie others: whose woordes for shortnesse I passe ouer: yet were they not therefore condemned as despisers of the Holy Learned Fathers. Wée remoue you not, as you saye, from your holde, M. Hardinge. This is nothinge els, but a courrage of your coun∣tenaunce. The Fathers, ye speake of, are against you. I trust, it appeareth al∣ready by your former writinges, that in the Special cases, that lie bitwéene vs, ye haue but fewe Fathers to holde by.

Ye saye, Wée euermore calle you to the Scriptures. This faulte, I hope, is not so hainous. Christe hathe commaunded vs so to doo: Searche ye, saithe Christe, the Scriptures.* 1.3 And S. Hilarie saithe vnto the Emperoure Constantius,

Fidem,* 1.4 Imperator, quaeris? Audi eam, non denouis chartulis, sed de Dei Libris: Doothe youR Maiestie seeke the Faithe? Heare it then, not out of any newe scrolles, but out of the Bookes of God. He is rather to be suspected, that fléeth the light, and wil not be iudged by the Scriptures.

When the Scriptures be darke,* 1.5 and doubteful, & are alleged of bothe partes, then ye saie, ye refuse not the Vmpéereship, and iudgemente of the Holy Ghoste. But ye adde farther, The Holy Ghost is promised onely to the Churche. Nowe by your opinion there is no Churche,* 1.6 but the Churche of Roome. And the Churche of Roome is no Churche without the Pope: For one of your greate Doctours saithe, Potestas Papae solius excedit potestatem totius residuae Ecclesiae: The Popes onely power passethe al the power of the whole Churche bisides: And an other like Doctour saithe, Papa virtualiter est tota Ecclesia: The Pope by power, and vertue is the whole Churche: And thus your reason goethe round aboute, à Primo ad vltimum: Ergo, There is nei∣ther Holy Ghoste, nor Interpretation, or sense of the Scriptures, but onely in the Pope. This is, Summa Summarum: whiche thinge being graunted, what should a man séeke any farther? The whole mater is at an ende.

It is true, As the Scriptures were written by the Sprite of God, so must they be expounded by the same.* 1.7 For without that Sprite, wée haue neither eares to heare, nor eies to sée. It is that Sprite, that openethe, and noman shuttethe: the same shuttethe, and noman openethe: The same Sprite prepared and opened the Silk womans harte, that shée shoulde geue eare to, and consider the thinges, that were spoken by S. Paule. And in respecte of this sprite the Prophete Esai saithe, Erunt omnes docti à Deo: They shalbe al taught of God.

But God hathe not bounde him selfe, that this Sprite should euermore dwel in Rome:* 1.8 but vpon the lowly, and humble harted, that tremblethe at the Woorde of God. Chrysostome saithe: Qui propria loquuntur▪ falsò praetendunt Spiritum Sanctū: They that speake of them selues, falsely pretende the Holy Ghoste. And againe, Si quid praeter Euangelium sub titulo Spiritus obtrudatur, ne credamus. Quia sicut Christus Le∣gis, & Prophetarum impletio. est, ita est Spiritus Euangelij: If any thinge be brought vnto vs vnder the Name of the Holy Ghoste, bisides the Gospel, let vs not beleue it. For as Christe is the fulfillinge of the Lawe and the Prophetes: so is the Holy Ghoste the fulfillinge of the Gospel.

Nowe, with what Sprite the Bishoppes of Rome haue expounded vnto vs the Holy Scriptures of God, wée shal shewe it hereafter, as fitter occasion shal require.

Here, you saye, wée haue corrupted bothe the woordes, and the sense of S. Hie∣rome: That we haue taken, Omnia, in stéede of, Alia: And that you haue diuised, and made nothinge of your selues: that S. Hierome meante not heereby the Tradi∣tions of the Apostles, but onely the fonde fantastes, and dreames of the Heretiques called Tatians.

Of al these thinges, wée must néedes confesse, one thinge is true. In déede wée tooke, Omnia, in stéede of, Alia: and so by ouersight gaue some occasion vnto the quareler. Howe be it I doubt not, but the indifferente gentle Reader wil soone par∣donne that faulte. It procéeded onely of negligence, & not of malice. Notwithstan∣dinge this wante maie easily be supplied by a sufficient Commentarie.* 1.9 For Christe saith, Omnis, plantatio, quam non plantauerit Pater meus Coelestis, eradicabitur. Euery plante, that my heauenly Father hathe not planted, shalbe rooted out. Here, M. Hardinge, ye may borrowe, Omnia, to healpe S. Hierome.

Or,* 1.10 if this like you not, S. Cyprian maye telle you, Adulterum est, Impium est, Sacrilegum est, quodcun{que} humano furore instituitur, vt Dispositio Diuina violetur: It is aduoùterous, it is wicked, it is abominable, what so euer is ordered by the rashenesse of man, that Goddes order shoulde be broken.

It is true, S. Hierome speakethe not these woordes of the Traditions of the Apostles: It is true. Yet, M. Hardinge, he speakethe these woordes of sutche fan∣tasies, as were brought into the Churche of God, and magnified vnder the name and colour of the Traditions of the Apostles.* 1.11 So Eusebius saithe, The Heretique Cherinthus brought vs in his owne Monstrous Diuises, vnder the pretense of Re∣uelations, as written by some greate Apostle.

Sutche, M. Hardinge, be your Inuentions, wherewith ye haue of longe time deceiued the worlde. One of your companions the Suffragane of Sidon, at the late diete at Augusta, in the presence of the whole Empiere, doubted not to saie, that your whole Canon woorde by worde, euen as it is nowe vsed in your Masses, came directly from the Apostles. Your Hosius of Polonia saithe, that the Apostles appointed your orders of Monkes. An other of your side saithe, Christus Dux, & Signifer Vitae Monasticae: Christe was the Captaine, and standerd bearer of Monkes life: Imagininge, I trowe, that Christe was an Abbate. And yet afterwarde the same Doctour, either by some obliuion, or els vpon somme better remembrance, saithe thus: Elias, & Elizaeus D••ces Instituti Benedictini: Elias, and Elizaeus were the firste Captaines of S. Benettes Order. And you, M. Hardinge, haue tolde vs often, that ye haue your Priuate Masse, your Halfe Communion, and I knowe not what els, al from the Apostles. And al this ye prooue. God wote, by ful simple coniectures, bi∣cause Christe saithe to his Apostles, I haue many thinges to saye vnto you: but ye are not hable to beare them yet: And bicause S. Paule saithe to the Corinthians, I wil or∣der the reste, when I comme. Hereby ye beare vs in hande, that al your moste triflinge Vanities were brought vnto you by S. Paule euen from the thirde Heauens.

And although it were true, that ye saie, ye haue not diuised these thinges of of your selues, but haue receiued them al from the Apostles, and Holy Fathers, whiche thinge your conscience knowethe to be moste vntrue, yet notwithstanding the same thinges so receiued ye haue sithence fouly defaced with sundry your super∣stitions. Ye haue made them necessarie to Saluation: ye haue bounde the people to them no lesse then to the Lawe of God: & so haue ye made them snares of Christian consciences. Although the thing it selfe came from the Fathers, yet the abuse therof came from your selues: and for the same ye haue taught the people to breake Goddes expresse commaundement.* 1.12 Thus haue you blended Goddes heauenly wine with your puddle water: Thus haue ye strained gnattes, and swalowed camelles. This is the very Leauen of the Scribes, & Phariseis, whiche Christe calleth Hy∣pocrisie. Therfore al be it the thinge it selfe, ye haue thus receiued, in respecte of substance be al one: yet now, beinge thus abused, in respecte of your Superstitions, and deformities, it is not one.

The Apostles, and Holy Fathers, vsed Oile: yet they vsed it not, as ye doo, for the Saluation of Body and Soule.

Moses erected vp the Brasen Serpente in the wildernesse:* 1.13 Yet not to be adoured with Godly honoure, as it folowed afterwarde.

God commaunded the people to faste: yet not with Hypocrisie, as the wicked fasted. And therefore God saithe vnto them, Non est hoc leiunium, quod ego elegi: This is not the fastinge,* 1.14 that I haue chosen.

God commaunded the people to kepe the Calendes, and Newe Moones: Yet not with sutche Superstition, and Abuses, as the people kepte them. And therfore God saide vnto them,* 1.15 Who required these thinges at your handes?

God commaunded sundrie Bathinges, and Wasshinges: yet vnto them, that moste precisely vsed the same, Christe saide: VVoe be vnto you ye Scribes, and Pha∣riseis: in vaine they woorship mee, teachinge the Commaundementes and Doctrines of menne.

Yet you, M. Hardinge, haue infeaffed the Apostles of Christe, not onely with the Substance of the thinges, whiche, ye saye, ye haue receiued by Tradition, but also with al your Abuses, Superstitions, Corruptions, and Idolatries: whiche ye haue diuised of your selues. And therein ye wel resemble the Tatian Heretiques, of whome onely, ye saye, S. Hierome speaketh. But whether S. Hierome meante onely, I knowe not what fantastical dreames of the Tatians, (as you imagine onely of your selfe, without proufe, in particulare naminge nothinge) or els also al sutche Superstitious Vanities, as wee haue often, and iustly reprooued in you, it maye soone appeare by these woordes immediately folowinge: Omnem laborem manuum,* 1.16 & Ieiunia corum, & obseruationes varias, & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, id est, humi dor∣mitiones: Al theire hande Labour, and theire Fastinges, and their Obseruations, and Vsages, and harde Sleepinge on the grounde. These and sutche other like be the thinges, whiche, menne imagine, came from the Apostles, and are striken & consumed with the Swerde of Goddes Woorde.

Thus, M. Hardinge, notwithstandinge your longe Glose biside the Texte, sée∣meth to be the very meaninge of S. Hierome.

Yf ye wil yet force the contrarie, and turne al from your selues to the Tatians, as you doo, the very two lines nexte folowinge muste néedes make you blushe at your owne errour. The woordes are these, Haec autem vniuersa, quae dixi, possunt de Ecclesiae Rectoribus intelligi: Al these thinges, that I haue spoken, maye be vnder∣standed of the Rulers of the Churche. Tel vs nomore therefore, M. Hardinge, of your Tatians. For S. Hierome him selfe telleth you, he meante not onely them, but also the Bishoppes, and Rulers of the Churche. And a little before he saithe, Inferrur gladius super Montes eleuantes se aduersus scientiam Dei: The Swerde of Goddes Woorde is laide vpon the Mountaines, that lifte them selues vp againste the know∣ledge of God.

In this sense writeth S.* 1.17 Cyprian: Si ad Diuinae Traditionis Caput, & Origi∣nem reuertamur, cessat omnis error humanus: Yf wee returne to the Head, and begin∣ninge of our Lordes Tradition, al errour of Man muste needes geue place.

In like sense also writeth Tertullian:* 1.18 Ipsa Doctrina Haereticorum cum Apo∣stolica comparata, ex diuersitate, & contrarietate sua pronuntiabit, neque Apostoli alicu∣ius Authoris esse, ne{que} Apostolici: The verie Doctrine of Heretiques compared with the Apostles Doctrine, by the diuersitie and contrarietie, that is bitweene that, and the other, wil soone pronounce sentence of it selfe, y^t neither Apostle, nor Apostolique man was authour of it.

Euen thus it fareth, M. Hardinge, with a greate heape of your Doctrine. Ye saie, ye haue it by Tradition from the Apostles. Yet is it vtterly voide of al au∣thoritie, or testimonie of the Scriptures. And therefore, as S. Hierome saithe, it is consumed & striken downe in the Conscience of the Godly, by the onely Swerde of Goddes Holy Woorde, as our eies sée this daye: and beinge compared with the Apostles Doctrine, (the difference, & contrarietie is so greate) it easily bewraieth it selfe, as Tertullian saithe, that it neuer came from any Apostle, nor from any other Apostolique Doctour of the Churche.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Augusti. contra Cresconi. Gram. Lib. 2. Cap. 29. August. Ad Hie∣ron. Epist. 19.
• * 1.2

  Hiero. Ad Tran∣quillinum, To. 2.
• * 1.3

  Iohan. 5.
• * 1.4

  Interpre∣tation of the Scrip∣tures.
• * 1.5

  Hilarius ad Im∣per. Constantium
• * 1.6

  Petrus De Pa∣lude, De potesta∣te Papae, Arti. 4. Heruaeus de po∣test. Papae, ca. 23.
• * 1.7

  2. Petri. 1. Matth. 11. Apoc. 3. Actor. 16. Iohan. 6.
• * 1.8

  Esai. 66. Chrysostom. De Sancto & Ado∣rando Spiritu.
• * 1.9

  Matt. 15. Omnis.
• * 1.10

  Cyprian Lib. 1. Epist. 8. Quodcun{que}.
• * 1.11

  Euseb. li. 3. ca. 28. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Anno. 1548. Illyricus de Sect. Pag. 109. In Confe. Petri∣couien. De Cere∣moniis, Pag. 289. Copus Angl. Dial. 2. Pag. 194. Copus Angl. Dial. 2. Pag. 284. Iohan 16. 2 Cor. 1••
• * 1.12

  Esai. 1. Matt. 23. Matt. 16.
• * 1.13

  Num. 21. Iohan. 3. Ioel. cap. 1.
• * 1.14

  Esai. 1 & 58.
• * 1.15

  Esai. 1. Matth. 23.
• * 1.16

  Hieronym. in Aggae. Cap. 1.
• * 1.17

  Cyprian. Ad Pompeium.
• * 1.18

  Tertull. De Prae∣scrip. Haere.