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. 1. Diuision. 1.

It hath bene an olde complainte, euen from the first time of the Patriarkes and Prophetes, and confirmed by the writinges and te∣stimonies of euery age, that the Truthe wandereth here and there as a straunger in the worlde,* 1.1 & dothe readily finde enimies and sclaunde∣rers amongst those, that knowe her not. Albeit perchaunce this may seeme vnto some a thinge harde to be beleeued, I meane to suche as haue scante wel and narowly taken heede thereunto, specially seing al mankinde of natures very motion without a teacher doth coueite the Truthe of their owne accorde: and seinge our Saueour Christe him self, when he was on earth, would be called the Truthe, as by a name moste fitte to expresse al his diuine power. Yet we, whiche haue bene exercised in the holy Scriptures, and whiche haue both reade & seene, what hath happened to al godly menne commonly at al times, what to the Prophetes, to the Apostles, to the Holy Martyres, and what to Christe him selfe: with what rebukes, reuilinges, and despites they were continually vexed, whiles they here liued, & that onely for the Truthes sake: Wee (I saye) doo see, that this is not onely no newe thinge, or harde to be beleued, but that it is a thinge already receiued, and commonly vsed from age to age. Nay truely, this might seeme muche rather a merueile,* 1.2 and beyonde al beliefe, if the Diuel, who is the Father of lies, & enimie to al Truthe, would now vpon a suddaine chaunge his nature, and hope, that Truthe might otherwise be sup∣pressed, then by belieinge it: Or that he would beginn•• to establish his owne kingdome by vsinge nowe any other practises, then the same, whiche he hath euer vsed from the beginninge. For since any mans remembrance, we can skante finde one time, either when Religion did first growe, or when it was setled, or when it did afreshe springe vp againe, wherein Truthe & Innocencie were not by al vnwoorthy meanes, & most despitefully intreated. Doubtlesse the Diuel wel seeth,

that so longe as truthe is in good safetie, him selfe cannot be safe, nor yet maintaine his owne estate.

For, letting passe the auncient Patriarkes & Prophetes, who, as we haue said, had no parte of their life free from cōtumelies & sclaun∣ders: We knowe, there were certaine in times paste, whiche saide and commonly Preached,* 1.3 that the olde auncient Iewes (of whome we make no doubte but they were the woorshippers of the onely & true God) did worship either a Sowe, or an Asse in Goddes steede: and that al the same Religion was nothinge els, but sacrilege, and a plaine contempt of al godlines. We know also, that the Sonne of God, our Saueour Iesus Christe, when he taught the Truth, was coumpted a Sorcerer & an Enchaunter, a Samaritane, Beelzebub, a deceiur of the People, a Drunkarde, & a Glutton. Againe, who woteth not, what woordes were spoken against S. Paule, the moste earnest and vehement Preacher, & maintainer of the Truthe? Sometime, that he was a seditious and busie man, a raiser of tumultes, a causer of re∣bellion: sometime againe, that he was an Heretique: sometime, that he was mad: sometime, that onely vpon strife and stomake he was bothe a blasphemer of Gods lawe, and a despiser of the Fathers ordi∣nances. Further who knoweth not, how S. Steuin, after he had throughly and sincerely embraced the truthe, and beganne frankly & stoutly to preache and set forth the same, as he ought to doo, was im∣mediately called to answeare for his life, as one that had wickedly vt∣tered disdainful and haynous woordes against the Lawe, against Moyses, against the Temple, and against God? Or who is ignorant, that in times past there were some, whiche reproued the holy Scrip∣tures of falsehed, sayinge, they conteined thinges bothe contrary, and quite one against an other:* 1.4 and howe that the Apostles of Christe did seuerally disagree betwixt them selues, and that S. Paule did varie from them al?* 1.5 And not to make rehersal of al, for that were an endles labour,* 1.6 who knoweth not, after what sorte our Fathers were railed vpon in times paste,* 1.7 whiche first began to acknowledge and professe the name of Christe: how they made priuate conspiracies, deuised se∣crete Counsels against the common wealth, and to that ende made early and priuie meetinges in the darke, killed yonge Babes, fedde them selues with mens fleashe, and like sauage and brute beastes, did drinke their Bloude? In conclusion, how that after they had put out the candels, they cōmitted Adulterie betwene them selues, & without regarde wrought incest one with an other: that Brethern laie with their Sisters, Sonnes with their Mothers, without any reuerence of nature or kinne, without shame, without difference: and that they were wicked men without al care of Religion, and without any opi∣nion of God, being the very enimies of mankinde, vnwoorthy to be suffered in the worlde, and vnwoorthy of life?

Al these thinges were spoken in those daies against the people of God, against Christe Iesus, against Paule, against Steuin, and a∣gainst al them, whosoeuer they were, whiche at the firste beginninge imbraced the truthe of the Gospel, & were contented to be called by the

name of Christians: whiche was then an hateful name amonge the common people.* 1.8 And although the thinges whiche they saide, were not true, yet the Diuel thought it should be sufficient for him, if at the least he coulde bringe it so to passe, as they might be beleued for true: and that the Christians might be brought into a common hatred of euery bodie, and haue their death and destruction sought of al sortes. Herevpon Kinges & Princes beinge ledde then by suche persuasions, killed al the Prophetes of God, lettinge none escape: Esay with a sawe, Ieremie with stones, Daniel with Lions, Amos with an iron barre, Paule with the swerde, and Christe vpon the Crosse: and cō∣demned al Christians to imprisonmentes, to tormentes, to the pikes, to be throwne downe headlong frō rockes and steepe places,* 1.9 to be cast to wilde beastes, and to be burnt: and made great fiers of theyr quicke bodies, for the onely purpose to giue light by night, & for a very scorne and mockynge stocke: and did compte them no better, then the vilest filthe, the ofscouringes and laughinge games of the whole worlde. Thus (as ye see) haue the Authours and professours of the truthe e∣uer bene entreated.

M. Hardinge.

Who would not thinke, these defenders were true men, that in the beginninge of their Apo∣logie speake so muche of the truthe? Yet who knoweth not, that oftentimes euil meaninge is hidde vnder good woordes? Who hath not hearde, that filthy queanes in time and place vse the honest talke of chaste matrones? The theefe commendeth iuste dealinges, and many times shewithe a stomake a∣gainst false harlottes,* 1.10 noman more. Amonge al none pretende truthe in wordes so muche as Heretiques. I feare me, saithe S. Paule, lest, as the Serpente beguiled Eue by his sutteltie, so your wittes be cor∣rupted, and fallen away from that plainenes. Whiche is in Christe. The Apostle feared because of the craftie Iewes: who the rather to deceiue, mingled scriptures with their owne traditions, and truthe with fals head. So bringeth the Heretique his hearer to errour in faithe by coloure and pre∣tence of truthe.

They are muche like to the Manicheis,* 1.11 who promised their hearers to discusse, and set forthe the truthe moste euidently vnto them, and to deliuer them from all maner of errours. By whiche faire promises S. Augustine was allured to be a diligent scholar of theirs for the space of nine yeres.

Christe gaue vs a lesson howe to discerne them. By their fruites ye shall knowe them, saithe he. And nowe to you Sirs. Euen in the beginninge, and as I may saie, in the foreheade of your Apo∣logie, whiles I examine it diligently, I finde two foule faultes: the one in your Rhetorike, the other in your Logike. By whiche two faultes bothe the vns kil of your secretarie, and the weakenes of your mater maie be espied, as the Asse, I spake of right nowe, was by his two eares staringe out vn∣der the Lions skinne. Your diuinitie is nothinge els in grosse, but a lumpe of lies, errours and Heresies.

First touching your Rhetorike, emongst many faultie proemes, one of the woorst is that, which is suche, as the aduersary may vse: whiche by them is called Exordium commune, that is to wite, suche a beginninge, as will serue the defendant, no lesse then the Plaintife, or contrariwise. Of that sorte is the beginninge of your Apologie. For declaringe at large, that truthe hath euer beene persecuted, what saithe it therein (the faultes amended) that we may not saie the same? That ship∣maister is accoumpted very bad, who at the settinge out of the hauen driueth the Ship on the rockes.

Alleaginge Tertullian to healpe your cause, ye iniurie the Doctor by alteringe his wordes. Ye were not wise, by falsifiyng the first sentence, so muche to impaire your credite. Tertullian saith not, that truthe readily findeth enimies and sclaunderers amongst those, that knowe her not: but that truthe sone findeth enimies inter extraneos, amongst aliantes and strangers. Now the Christian Catholikes, whom ye call Papistes, be not in respecte of the truthe aliantes, and strangers. For your selues in sun∣dry

places of your Booke reproue them for resistinge the truthe whiche they knowe.

You haue geuen Tertullian a newe liuerie with your owne badge, and haue made exchaunge of Extraneos with Ignotos. Tertullian meante by aliantes no other then Infidels, and Paynimes: emonge whom Christen people then liued, and were daily persecuted. But after the Gospel had benne sounded abrode by the Apostles, and their successours through al the earth, after that the Emperours them selues, and all the people euery where had receiued the faithe, then was the truthe no more a wanderer, strangers or Pilgrime in the earthe.

The Bishop of Sarisburie.

Touchinge this comparison of whoores, and Théeues, and other like M. Har∣dinges vngentle spéeches, as I haue before protested, I wil saye nothinge. He is very doumbe, and can speake but litle, that cannot speake it.

It is true, M. Hardinge, that you saie: Most Lyers oftentimes pretende most Truthe: as, if there were none other example, maye soone appeare by the whole te∣nour and substance of your Bookes. The Diuel him selfe, the better to founde his Lyes, beareth him selfe oftentimes as the Angel of Truthe.

But the example,* 1.12 that ye bringe of the Iewes, who, as you saie, the rather to deceiue, mingled Scripture with their owne Traditions, and Truthe with Falsehed, maketh moste plainely against your selfe. For you knowe, that this is the general compiainte of al the Godly this daye throughout the whole Churche of God,* 1.13 that you haue mingled your Leade with the Lordes Goulde, and haue fil∣led the Lordes Haruest ful of your Darnel: that you haue broken Goddes manifest cōmaundementes, to vpholde, & mainteine your owne Traditions: That you haue damned vp the Springes of the Water of Life,* 1.14 & haue broken vp puddles of your owne,* 1.15 suche as be hable to holde no water: That for your dreames sake you haue caused the people to forgeat the name of God, & haue ledde them from that simpli∣citie, that is in Christ Iesu. This is the mingling of Traditions with the Scrip∣tures of God. I marueile, ye coulde so fréely vtter so muche, and so directly against your selfe.

As for the example of the Manicheis, it was vtterly impertinent, and from the purpose. Yet (Good Reader) that thou maiste vnderstande, what manner of Heretiques theise Manicheis were, and what errours they defended, first thy fore∣bade lawful mariage, and allowed fornication, as M. Hardingesa 1.16 Catholiques doo nowe. So saith S. Augustine of them,b 1.17 Nuptiarum aditus intercludunt: & promiscu•• conuenire hortantur.c 1.18 Secondly they receiued, & ministred the Holy Mysteries vn∣der one kinde, contrary to the general order of the Catholique Churche. And so doeth M. Harding now.d 1.19 Thirdly they yelded more credite to their owne diuises, then to Goddes Holy woorde.e 1.20 And where as the Scriptures were plaine against them, they saide, euen asf 1.21 M. Hardinge saithe, the Scriptures were falsified, and ful of errours.g 1.22 Fourthly they abstained from fleashe: and yet in their faste, they had & v∣sed al manner delicate and strange fruites, with sundrie sortes of Spices in greate abundance:h 1.23 They absteined from Wine, & yet vsed other liquours more deintie, and pretious, then any Wine, and thereof dranke while their bellies would holde. S. Augustines woordes thereof be these, Distenti, et crepantes, I leaue y^e rest. Nowe iudge thou, gentle Reader, whether partie séemeth best to resemble the Manichets.

But whereas he thus vpbraideth vs, By their fruites ye shal knowe them. Verily whiles the Bishop of Rome euen in the Cittie of Rome mainteineth his houses of Ribaudrie and open Stewes, and M. Hardinge is ready, & hable by his eloquence and Diuinitie to defende the same, they haue no iuste cause, greatly to boaste them selues of their fruites. Howe be it, it maye be thought, Christ gaue vs this lesson, not thereby to trie the true Doctrine from the false, but a true professour from an

Hypocrite. Otherwise our liues muste be tried by the Gospel, not the Gospel by our liues.

Nowe let vs examine that Horrible Heresie, that M. Hardinge hathe espied in the Rules of Rhetorique, by whiche, saithe he, the Secretaries vnskil is betraied, euen in the foreheade of our Booke. This entrie, saithe M. Hardinge, touchinge the complainte of Truthe, is so indifferent and common to bothe the parties, that either maie vse it, as wel as other. Whiche kinde of beginninge, saithe he, is called Exordium commune, and by the learned in Rhetorique is misliked as faultie. First of al, M. Hardinge, this séemeth to me a strange kinde of beginninge, in so déepe a disputation of Diuinitie, to make your first quarrel vnto Rhetorique. Bilike for lacke of better Entrie, ye thought it good to rushe in as you might. In déede either of vs maie séeme to stande in defence of Truthe. I denie it not. For as we haue the substance, and Truthe it selfe, so are you contente to claime the name. And so far forthe Truthe is common to vs bothe.* 1.24 So the wicked Heathens Celsus, & Antiphon, notwithstandinge they published their Bookes against the Truthe, yet they entituled the same 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Booke of Truthe. S. Hierome saithe, Mendacium semper imitatur Veritatem. Falshed euermore beareth a shewe of Truthe. In this sorte Truthe is common to either partie.* 1.25 Origen saithe, Veritas Christus: si∣mulata Veritas Antichristus. Christ is the Truth it selfe: Antichrist is the Truth countrefeite. Al this notwithstandinge, Christ refused not to vse the same kinde of entrie, that M. Hardinge so muche mistiketh:* 1.26 but saide vnto the Phariseis, Ye seeke to min∣der me, a man that haue tolde you the Truthe. And S. Paule to the Romaines saithe, They haue turned the Truthe of God into falshed. The like might I saie of Tertullian, Cyprian, and other Fathers. Yet, I trowe, M. Hardinge wil not therfore reproue either Christ, or Paule, or Tertullian, or Cyprian: nor saie, they vsed suche a Be∣ginninge, as their aduersaries might haue vsed as wel as they, and had forgotten their Rules of Rhetorique.

Lothe I am so longe to stande in so light a mater. But I marueile mutche, that M. Harding being so great an Artificer in so smal cases, had no better eie to his owne Entrie. For if in writing the Defence of Truthe, it be a faulte in Rheto∣rique to beginne with the il intreatinge, & cōplainte of Truthe, what then may we thinke it to be in the Defence of manifest & knowen errour, to beginne, as M. Har∣dinge dooth, with Whoores, with Théeues, with Apes, with Asses, with Children of the Diuel, and with many other like vnséemely scoffes, and scornes? What Rhe∣torique, what Eloquence, what Arte, what Skil is this? What Oratour euer vsed it? what Rhetorician, what Sophiste, Gréeke, or Latine euer taught it? Verily this was sometime accoūpted an old rule in Rhetorique, which it séemeth M. Har∣dinge had quite forgotten:* 1.27 Scurrilis Oratori dicacitas magnoperé fugienda est. This Secretaries Beginninge, by M. Hardinges owne confession is sutche, as either partie indifferently might wel haue vsed. But M. Hardinges Beginninge is sutche, as neither partie with any modestie might haue vsed.

M. Hardinge also might haue remembred, that the skilful in Rhetorique, as they mislike Exordium Commune,* 1.28 so they also mislike Commune Argumentum, that is, a Reason or Proufe so Common, that it may indifferently serue bothe parties. Whiche kinde of proufes if M. Hardinge woulde haue wéeded out of his Bookes, he should haue lefte very litle to trouble the Printer.

Where he saithe in grosse, that our Apologie is nothing els, but a lumpe of Lyes: the Truthe therof, I trust, shal appeare by this Treatie. In the meane sea∣son, good Christian Reader, it may please thée to consider, that M. Hardinges mouth is no iuste measure in this behalfe. For some men thinke, it wil oftentimes vt∣ter vntruthe without measure. But he saithe, we haue falsified Tertullians mea∣ninge, placinge this woorde Ignotos, in stéede of Extraneos, and so at our pleasure

makinge exchange of woordes, and geuinge the olde Father a newe Liuerie, and thereby empairinge our whole credite. A greate outcrie in so smal a matter. This greate exchange of woordes is nothinge so haynous as it is pretended. For bothe Ignotus is Extraneus, and Extraneus also in Tertullians meaninge is Ignotus. And M. Hardinge wel knoweth, that Tertullian speaketh namely, and onely of suche Aliens and Strangers, as knewe not the Truthe of God. Whether of these two woordes it shal like him to leaue vs, the sense is al one: it forceth nothing. If he wil néedes refuse this woorde, Ignotus, so y^t he receiue the other woorde, Extraneus, and graunte, that he and his felowes be Strangers to Goddes Truthe, it shalbe sufficiente.

Howe be it he addeth farther, that they of his side are nowe no Strangers, but knowe God, as his deare frendes, and kinsfolke. Euen so saide the Phariseis of them selues,* 1.29 Nunquid & nos Coeci sumus? What be we blinde too? But Christe answeared them, Yf ye were blinde, then had ye no sinne. Now ye say, that ye see: There∣for your sinne remaineth stil.* 1.30 And againe, I am come to Iudgemente into the worlde, that they that see, maie be made blinde. And againe, The Children of the kingdome shalbe thro∣wen foorthe into vtter darknesse.

Yet further M. Hardinge saithe, After that the Gospel had benne sounded abroade by the Apostles, and theire Successours, then was the Truthe nomore a Stranger, or a Pilgrime in Earth. Whereby he woulde closely conclude, that his Churche of Rome can neuer erre. But this is too vaine a Paradise.* 1.31 For Daniel speakinge of the later daies saithe, Veritus prosternetur in ••erra, The Truthe shal be ouerthrowen in the Earthe. Chrysostome saithe, Abornihatio Desolationis stabit in Sanctis Locis Ecclesiae, The Abomination of de∣solation shal stande in the Holy places of the Churche. S. Augustine saithe, Vsque ad hu∣ius s••eculi finem, inter persecutiones mundi, & consolationes Dei peregtinando procurrit Ecclesia: Vntil the worldes ende, the Churche goeth foreward, as it were in a Pilgrimage, by∣tweene the persecutions of the worlde, and the comfortes of God. And againe, Tota Ciuitas Dei peregrinatur in terris: The whole Cittie of God (which is the Churche) is a Stranger, and a Pilgrime in the Earthe. Verily as longe as Satan the Prince of darkenesse is Prince of this world, so longe the Truthe of God passeth in this world as a Stran∣ger: and beinge emonge Strangers, as Tertullian saithe, easily findeth enimies, & is it intreated.* 1.32 He saithe further, Caeterum vnum hoc gestit, ne ignorata damnetur: This onely thinge Truthe desireth, that noman condemne her, before he knowe her.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tertull. in Apo∣logetico.
• * 1.2

  Iohan. 8.
• * 1.3

  Cornel. Tacit••••.
• * 1.4

  Marion, ex Tertul.
• * 1.5

  Aelius, è Lactās.
• * 1.6

  Euseb. Li. 5. C. 11.
• * 1.7

  Tertul. in Apo∣loge.
• * 1.8

  Tertull. in Apo∣lo. Cap. 3.
• * 1.9

  Suetonius Trā∣quil. in Nerone.
• * 1.10

  1. Corinth. 11.
• * 1.11

  De Vtilita. Cre∣dendi ad Hono∣ratū. Lib. 1. Ca. 1. Cōfess. li. 5. ca. 6. Matth. 7.
• * 1.12

  2. Corinth. 11
• * 1.13

  Matth. 15. Hierem. 2.
• * 1.14

  Hierem. 23.
• * 1.15

  2. Corinth. 11.
• a 1.16

  See what is answeared in the fourth pare herof, Ca. 1. Di. 1.
• b 1.17

  In quaest. in Nouum Testam. Quae. 72.
• c 1.18

  Leo Serm. 4. de Quadragesima.
• d 1.19

  Aug. Epist. 19.
• e 1.20

  August. con. Faustum. Lib. 32. Cap. 19.
• f 1.21

  M. Hardinge Fol. 220. b.
• g 1.22

  Augu. de Mo∣rib. Mantchae. Lib. 2. Cap. 15. Peregrinas & exquisitas f••u∣ges multis fer∣culis variatas.
• h 1.23

  Aug. De Mo∣rib. Manichae. Lib. 2. Cap. 13.
• * 1.24

  Origen. contra Celsum, Li. 3. & Lib. 4.
• * 1.25

  Origen in Mat∣thae. Tract. 27.
• * 1.26

  Iohan. 8. Roman. 1.
• * 1.27

  Cic. De Orator. Lib. 2.
• * 1.28

  Cicer. Lib. 1. De Inuentione: Ar∣gumentum Cō∣mune vitiosum est.
• * 1.29

  Iohan. 9.
• * 1.30

  Iohan. 9. Matthae. 8.
• * 1.31

  Daniel. 8. Chrysost. in opere Imperfecto, Ho∣mi. 49. August. De C••∣uita. Dei, Li. 18. Cap. 51. De Ciuit. Li. 19. Cap. 27.
• * 1.32

  Tertullian in Apologetico.