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. 10. Diuision. 2.

Menne saie, that Sophocles the Tragical Poete, when in his old daies he was by his owne Sonnes accused before the Iudges, for a dotinge and sottishe man, as one that fondely wasted his owne Sub∣stance, and seemed to neede a gouernour, to see vnto him: to the intent he might cleere him self of the faulte, he came into the place of Iudge∣mente, and when he had rehearsed before them his Tragedie called Oedipus Colonaeus, whiche he had written at the very time of his accusation, marueilous exactely & cunningly, did aske the Iudges in his owne behalfe, whether they thought any sottishe or dotinge man coulde doo the like peece of Woorke. In like manner, bicause these menne take vs to be madde, and appeache vs for Heretiques, as menne whiche haue nothinge to doo, neither with Christe, nor

with the Churche of God, wee haue iudged it should be to good pur∣pose, and not vnprofitable, if wee doo openly and frankely set foorthe our Faithe wherein wee stande, and shewe al that confidence whiche wee haue in Christe Iesu: to the intent al menne maye see, what is our iudgement of euery parte of Christian Religion: & maye resolue with them selues, whether the Faithe whiche they shal see confirmed by the Woordes of Christe, by the Writinges of the Apostles, by the Te∣stimonies of the Catholique Fathers, and by the Examples of many ages, be but a certaine rage of Furious and madde menne, and a con∣spiracie of Heretiques. This therefore is our beliefe.

M. Hardinge.

The comparison whiche ye make betweene your selues and Sophocles, gladly we admitte. Yet we acknowledge, that as in many respectes ye are like, so in some vnlike. Sophocles was a Poet, that is to saie, a fainer, and deuiser of thinges, that be not true, but fabulous: Ye also are fainers, and deuisers of nouelties, and folowers of Newe deuises, that be false. Sophocles was a Tragicall Poet: ye are Tragi∣cal Diuines. A Tragedie setteth foorthe thouerthrowes of Kingdomes, Murder of Noble Personages, and other greate troubles, and endethe in woful lamentations. Your Gospel inuadeth Christes Heauenly Kingdome the Churche, it murdereth soules bought with a moste deere price, it causethe a hellishe gar∣botle in mennes consciences, in the ende it bringethe to euerlastinge weepinge and gnasshinge of teethe. VVe take you not to be madde. VVould God ye were not woorse then madde. VVere ye madde, ye should be tied vp. Els were ye suffered to goo abroad, for feare folke would flie from you. And then should ye doo little hurte. Nowe whiles ye offer venemous kisses with sugered lippes, whiles ye couer woluishe crueltie vnder Lambes Skinnes, whiles ye hurte vnder pretēce of benefite, wounde vn∣der colour of a medicine, begyle vnstable Soules with resemblance of Truth: neither stinte ye to woorke mischiefe, nor others can beware of you.

The B. of Sarisburie.

O M. Hardinge, Sophocles him selfe, if he were aliue, were not hable with al his eloquence to expresse the Tragical dealinges of your Companie. Your whole life,* 1.1 and Religion is nothinge els, but a Tragedie. You haue ripte vp the graues, and digged out the deade, and practised your crueltie vpon the poore innocente cackesses.

Your Pope Stephanus tooke vp Formosus his predecessours Body, chopte of his forefingers,* 1.2 cut of his heade, and threwe out the naked carkesse into Tiber.

Your Pope Iohn the twelfth cut of one of his Cardinales right hand, and an others nose.

Your Pope Vrbanus the sixth thrust fiue of his Cardinales aliue into sackes, and threwe them into the sea.

Your Pope Hildebrande poisoned sixe other Popes his predecessours, to make him selfe roome to the Holy Seate. They are so skilful there, in these feates, that noman can telle, neither what to flie, nor what to take: nor whom to doubte, nor whom to truste. They haue conueighed theire poison, I wil not saie into theire meates, or drinkes, for that is ouer grosse, & Common, but euen into theire Masse Bookes, into the Sacramente, into the Chalice. Camotensis one of theire owne side saithe wel of them:* 1.3 Sine Sanguinis effusione nō ingrediuntur in Sancta Sanctorum: VVithout sheaddinge of Bloude they enter not into that Holy place, the Holy of Holies.

Howe be it, what spende I these woordes? It is not possible to saye al, that maie be said. They haue inflamed Warres: they haue raised the Subiectes against theire Princes: They haue armed the Sonne against the Father: They haue ouerthro∣wen Ci••ties, and Countries: They haue deposed Kinges: They haue sette theire feete on Emperours neckes.

These maters,* 1.4 M. Hardinge, be Tragical in déede. And herein standeth thē whole practise, and Policie of your Churche of Rome.

Where you thinke your selfe a sober man, in that you can so easily calle vs madde, and woorse then madde, you maye remember, that this kinde of eloquence emōgst you is Anciente, and Catholique, and maie wel stande with your Religion. For so the False Prophete Semeias saide,* 1.5 that Hieremte the Prophete of God raued, and was starke madde. So the wicked saide vnto Iehu, of Elizeus the Pro∣phete, What hath this madde Bedlem Body to doo with thee? Euen so they sayde of Christe,* 1.6 That he was madde, and spake in furie, be knewe not what. S. Au∣gustine saithe of S. Paule: Incidit in istorum sacrilegam dicacitatē: & ab eis, qui sanari nolunt, vocatur insanus: S. Paule is fallen into theire cursed raisinge: and of them, that wil neuer be made sober, is called a madde man. So saithe the Auncient Father Origen, of Celsus the wicked Heathen:* 1.7 Videamus igitur nos, qui iuxta hunc insanimus: Let vs therefore confider hereof, that in this mannes iudgemente are starke madde.

But, M. Hardinge, wherein are wee so madde? or what tokens of madnesse haue wee shewed? Can noman either speake the Truthe, or disclose your errours, without madnesse? But, I trowe, it is euen as S. Hierome saide sometime: Delirabat,* 1.8 scilicet, qui in ruo Regno contra tuam sententiam loquebatur: He raued, and was madde, no doubte, that within thy Dominion spake any thinge against thy minde. So saithe Leo, Insarris Magistris Veritas scandalum est, & Coecis Doctoribus fit caligo, quod lumen est: Vnto Frantique Maisters the Truthe is a sclaunder: and vnto Blinde Do∣ctours the light is becomme Darkenesse.

So saithe S. Augustine of kinge Dauid: Insanire videbatur: Sed Regi Achis insa∣nire videbatur, id est, stultis, & ignorantibus: Dauid seemed madde: But vnto Kinge Achis be seemed madde, that is to saye, vnto fooles, and idiotes.

As for our parte,* 1.9 wée remember, what answeare S. Paule made vnto Festus in the like case: O good Festus, I am not madde: but I vtter vnto thee, the woordes of Truthe,* 1.10 and Sobrietie. Therefore we may comforte our selues, as the Vertuous Gen∣tlewoman Paula did, when she was likewise supposed to be madde: Nos stulti pro∣pter Christum: Sed stultum Dei sapientius est hominibus: wee are iudged fooles (and madde folkes) for Christes sake: But the foolishenesse of God is wiser their menne.

But,* 1.11 M. Hardinge, S. Cyprian wil telle you thus: Haec est, Frater, Vera demen∣tia, non cogitare, nec scire, quòd mendacia non diu fallant: noctem tam diu esse, quàm diu illuce scat dies: O my Brother, this is madnesse in deede, not to thinke, or knowe, that (your) Lies cannot longe deceiue vs: and that it is Night no longer, but vntil the Daye springe. This in deede is very madnesse. And therefore Chrysostome saithe, Qui in manifestam foueam cadit, non negligens dicitur, sed insanus: Who so falleth into a pitte, that liethe wide open, is not saide to bee negligente, but starke madde.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Marti. Ruceru••. Paul. Phagius.
• * 1.2

  Platina in Ste∣phano. 6. Sabellicus, En∣nea. 9. Lib. 2. Sabellicus, En∣neade 9. Lib. 9. Beno Cardinalis
• * 1.3

  Heb 9. Agrippa. De Vae∣ni. Scientiaru••
• * 1.4

  Madde.
• * 1.5

  Hierem. 29. 4. Regum. 19.
• * 1.6

  Marci. 3. Augu. in Psal. 6.
• * 1.7

  Origen. contra Celsum. Lib. 4.
• * 1.8

  Hiero. Ad Pam∣machi. contra errores Iohan. Hierosolymit. Leo in Epiphan. Sermo. 5. Augu. in Psal. 33.
• * 1.9

  Actor. 26.
• * 1.10

  Hiero. in Epita∣phio Paulae.
• * 1.11

  Cyprian. ad Cornelium.