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.

Before the time that Goddes Holy wil was, that Doctour Luther should begin to publishe the Gospel of Christe, there was a general quietnesse: I graunte: sutche as is in the night season, when folke be asleape. Yet, I thinke, to continewe sutche quietnesse, no wise man wil wish to sleepe stil.

Ye saye, They haue forsaken the Catholique Churche: They went from vs. who were not of vs. Nay rather, M. Hardinge, wée are returned to y^e Catholique Churche of Christe, & haue forsaken you, bicause you haue manifestly foresaken the wayes of God. But what if a man would alitle put you frendely in remēbrance? Sir, it is not so longe sithence your selfe were out of your owne Catholique Churche: and so were gonne out from your selfe: bicause your selfe were not of your selfe. For if your selfe had bene of your selfe, you would haue remained better with your selfe. It is no wise∣dome, in carpinge others, to offer occasion against your selfe. I beseche God to geue you grace, that you maye Redire ad cor, and returne againe to your selfe. But here you bringe in a great many Vntruthes in a thronge togeather. You saye, that as God commaunded the people of Israel to obey Aaron, so Christe commaunded al his Shéepe to obey the Pope succedinge Peter: You saye, Christe made the Pope Shepheard ouer his whole flocke: You cal him Our Pastour, and our Iudge: you cal him the head Shepheard: & for proufe hereof, for some countenance of Truthe, ye allege the one and twentith Chapter of S. Iohn, in whiche whole Chapter not∣withstandinge, ye are not able to finde, neither any suche commaundement of Christe: nor any mention of Peters Successour: nor Al his Shéepe: nor Shep∣heard ouer his whole Flocke: nor Our Pastour: nor Our Iudge: nor Our Head-shepheard. It is mutche to reporte Vntruthe of a man. But to reporte Vntruthe of Christe, and of his Holy Woorde, and that willingly, and witingly, and without feare, some menne thinke it to be the Sinne against the Holy Ghoste.

As for these woordes, Feede my Sheepe, Feede my Lammes, they perteine as wel

to other the Apostles,* 1.1 as to Peter. Christe saide generally to al his Disciples, Goe ye into al the worlde, and preache the Gospel. And Paule saithe of him selfe, Ego plus omnibus laboraui: I haue taken more paines (and more fedde the flock) then al the rest. Surely me thinketh it is a weake kinde of reasoninge, to saie thus, Christe bade Peter féede his shéepe, Ergo, he made him headshepheard ouer al the worlde.

But if this whole Prerogatiue hange of Féedinge the Flocke, what then if the Pope Féede not? What if he neuer minde to Féede, as thinkinge it no parte of his office? To conclude, what if he be vtterly ignorant, as many haue benne, and cannot Féede? Yet must he needes be the headshepheard ouer the whole flocke? and must al the shéepe obey him, and heare his voyce, that cannot speake? Verily S. Augustine saithe, Qui hoc animo pascunt oues Christi, vt suas velint esse, non Chri∣sti, se conuincuntur amare,* 1.2 non Christum, vel gloriandi, vel dominandi, vel acquirendi cupiditate: Who so euer they be, that Feede the sheepe to the ende to make them theirs, and not Christes, they soue them selues, and not Christe, for desire either of glorie, or of rule, or of gaine.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Matthae. 28. 1▪ Cor. 15.
• * 1.2

  Augustin in Io∣han. Tracta. 123.