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.

Here ye Harpe muche vpon one stringe, whiche so iarreth in the eares of the Hearers, as your confuse Harmonie can like noman, onlesse he be a Minstrel of your owne Secte. The Auctoritie and power of the Keies consisteth not altogeather, nor Principally in Preachinge, or pronouncinge of the Gospel, as already we haue proued. VVhat maye wee iudge of you? procedeth this of Malice, or of Ignorance, that thus ye confounde the Keies, the Powers, and the Ministeries?

Preachinge is one thinge, to gouerne the Churche is an other, to remitte and reteine sinnes is an other, to distribute the Sacramentes is an other. Dothe not S. Paule in cleare woordes speake Seuerally, and distinctly of Ministeries,* 1.1 where he saithe, that he was not sent of Christe to Baptise, but to Preache the Gospel? This Doctrine of yours, whereby ye confounde the Keies, Powers, and Ministeries, dothe not onely obscure the Scriptures, and bringe the people to greate errours: but also vnder pretence of a loue towarde preachinge of the Gospel, leadeth them into contempt of the Sacramentes, and special∣ly of the Sacrament of Penaunce, without which, if after Baptisme we haue sinned, (not beinge letted by case of necessitie, wherein VVil, Desire, and Vowe is accepted)* 1.2 we can not attaine to Saluation. As you folow Caluine your Maister in this and sundrie other false, and perilous Doctrines, so it is to be feared, if your wicked temeritie be suffered to proceede, that at length hauinge brought al Reli∣gion to bare Preachinge, ye wil abandon al the Sacramentes of the Churche, as thinges not necessarie. For so that wicked Maister of yours teacheth:* 1.3 That, where Christes death maye be remembred other∣wise, there* 1.4 al the Sacramentes be Superfluous. And that I seeme not to sclaunder him. I remitte you to his Commentaries vpon the firste Epistle of S. Paule to the Corinthians, where expoundinge these wooordes, Doo this in my remembraunce, he saithe thus: The Supper is a token of remembrance or∣deined to lifte vp, or helpe our infirmitie: for if otherwise we were mindeful inoughe of Christes deathe, this helpe (he meaneth the Blessed Sacrament of the Aultar) were superfluous, whiche is com∣mon to al the Sacramentes, for they be healpes of our infirmitte. Lo, by Caluines Doctrine, if we re∣member the deathe of Christe, bothe the Euchariste, and al other Holy Sacramentes be voide, and Su∣perfluous. And then, because no other thinge bringeth to our remembrance the Deathe of Christe, more then Preachinge, to what purpose serue al the Sacramentes?

Thus these Defenders with their Maister Caluine haue founde a shorter waie to Heauen, then was knowen before.

In an other place he seemeth to derogate muche of the necessitie of Baptisme of Christen mens Children.* 1.5 VVhere he saithe, that by reason of Gods promise the issue whiche commeth of Faitheful parētes,* 1.6 is borne Holy, and is a Holy Progenie, and that the childrē of suche, beinge yet enclosed in the wombe, before they drawe breathe of life, be neuerthelesse chosen into the couenaunt of life euerla∣stinge. This doctrine, when it shal take place, as by you Defenders it is sette in a good furtherance, what shal we looke for, but that the necessarie Sacrament of Baptisme (without whiche who is to be compted a Christen man?) and the moste Blessed, and confortable Sacramente of the Aultar, and the Holesome Sacrament of Penance,* 1.7 and Absolution, and the reste of the Sacramentes, shal be nomore estee∣med and vsed, then nowe ye esteeme, and vse the Masse, Holy Breade, and Holy VVater? This beinge once brought to passe, shal not the people easely be induced either to receiue Mahometes Religion, or somme other, as farre from God, as that is: or to allowe the pleasant trade of life of the* 1.8 Epicureans, the moste parte beinge already thereto inclined, and no smal number wel entread?

But to returne againe to the Keies, whiche seme to you to haue no force ne vse but in Preachinge: First, as touchinge the scorneful scoffer vttered by you, Sir Defender, in Latine, and by your interpre∣ter in Englishe, againste Priuate Confessions, and against the Ministers of the Churche appointed by God for grace of reconciliation to be imparted to penitentes: your light mockinge sprite deliteth your selues not so muche, as it pitieth vs to see you bothe so faste bounde in Satans fetters. Nexte concerninge Confession* 1.9 necessarely required to the vse, and power of the Keies, whiche you speake of at your pleasure, thus we saye accordinge to the Scriptures: Amonge sundry effectes, for whiche Christe gaue the Keies to the Apostles, and their Successours, this is one, that by Power of them they should remitte,* 1.10 and reteine Sinnes, as himselfe saide, VVhose sinnes ye remitte, they are remitted vn∣to them: and whose sinnes ye reteine, they are reteined,* 1.11 But sinnes can not duely be remitted or re∣teined, onlesse they be knowen to him,* 1.12 that hath auctoritie thereto: and knowledge of sinnes (speci∣ally suche as are priuie) can not be had of man, who can not see into the harte of man, •• but by Confes∣sion of the sinner: VVherefore consequently it foloweth, that they receiued this auctoritie to heare the Confession of Christen people desirous to be assolted, and reconciled.

VVherefore the Confessiō, yea of Secrete sinnes, is necessary to Saluatiō by* 1.13 thinstitution of Christe. For in that he instituted the ende, he instituted also the meanes, whiche shoulde be necessarie to the obteininge of the ende: onlesse we woulde make Christe our Lawemaker to haue failed his Churche in thinges necessarie. That sinnes can not either be remitted, or reteined, excepte the Prieste knowe them,* 1.14 we are bolde so to saye with the Fathers, and specially with S. Hierome, who so* 1.15 vnderstoode the woordes of Christe: where he promised the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen to Peter. Sacerdos pro officio suo cùm peccatorum audierit Varietates, scit qui ligandus, sit qui Soluendus: The Prieste (saithe he) when as accordinge to his office he hath hearde the diuersities of sinnes, knoweth who is to be bounde, who is to be loosed. Right so as in the time of Moses lawe he pronounced not, who was cleane of Lepre, who was not, before that he had vewed the colour, the bunches, and al other tokens of that disease. And thus it foloweth of the woordes of Christe, that Confession of al Sinnes, at leaste deadly, muste be made to the Prieste, before they can be remitted. VVhiche Prieste is the Minister of this Sacramente, and hath auctoritie to absolue, either Ordinarie, or by Commission of the Superiour.

Againe, for proufe that Confession is necessarie, wee sate, that to remitte and reteine sinnes committed againste God, as to binde and to loose, be iudicial actes. And therefore by these woordes Christe ordeined a Courte,* 1.16 a Consistorie, a seate of Iudgemente in the Churche, and ap∣pointed the Apostles and their Successours to be Iudges. And that this maye appeare not to be a fantasie of our owne heades, S. Augustine so expoundeth those woordes of S. Iohn in his Reuela∣tion: Et vidi ledes, &c. And I sawe seates, and some sittinge on them, and iudgement was ge∣uen. VVe muste not thinke (••aithe he) this to be spoken of the laste iudgement, but we muste vn∣derstande the Seates of the Rulers, and the Rulers themselues, by whome nowe the Churche is gouer∣ned. And as for the Iudgement geuen, it semeth not to be taken for any other, then for that, whereof it was saide, VVhat thinges yee binde in Earthe, they shalbe boūde also in Heauen: and what thinges ye loose on Earthe, they shal be loosed also in Heauen. Sundrie other Fathers haue vttered in their writinges the same Doctrine.* 1.17 Hilarius vpon the sixtenth Chapter of Matthewe saithe, Bea∣tus Coeli ianitor, &c. Blessed is the Porter of Heauen, whose earthly iudgement (that is to saie, whiche is geuen here on Earthe) is a foreiudged auctoritie in Heauen, that what thinges be bounde,* 1.18 or loosed in Earthe, they haue the condition of the same Statute also in Heauen. S. Cyprian hath the like sayinge in an Epistle to Cornelius. Chrysostome saithe, that Christe hath translated al iudgemente, whiche he receiued of the Father, vnto the Apostles, and Priestes. Gregorie Nazianzene in an Oration to the Emperour and his Princes, saithe to the Emperour, Ouis mea es, & nos habe∣mus Tribunalia:* 1.19 Thou arte my Sheepe, and we haue our seates of iudgement. S. Gregorie the Pope compareth the Sacrament of Penaunce with a courte of Iustice, in which causes be first examined and tried, and afterwarde Iudged. That the same is to be donne by the Prieste. S. Bernarde sheweth: VVho, as also the learned Father Hugo de S. Victore, be not afraide to saie after S. Cyprian, Hilarie, and Chrysostome, that the sentence of Peter remittinge Sinnes, goeth before the sentence of Heauen.

This Ordinance of Christe requireth, that al. Trespasses, Offences, Disorders, Transgressions, and Sinnes committed against him and his Lawes, be referred to this Consistorie.

VVhether these Defenders allowe Publike Confession, or no, we knowe not: but whereas they in∣ueigh against Priuate Confession, and saie in spiteful woordes, which they haue learned in the Schole of Satan, beinge lothe the Sinnes of the People, whereby he holdeth his Kingdome, shoulde be remitted, that Christes Disciples receiued not the auctoritie of the Keies, that they shoulde heare priuate Con∣fessions of the People, and listen to their whisperinges: VVe tel them that Confession of al deadly Sinnes is of the* 1.20 Institution of God, not of Man. But concerninge the maner of confessinge secretely to a Prieste alone, it is moste agreable to Natural Reason, that secrete Sinnes be confessed secretely

* 1.21 Clement amongest those thinges that he acknowledgeth him selfe to haue receiued of Peter, this is One, as he writeth in his firste Epistle translated by Rufine the Prieste: That, if it fortune either enuie or Infidelitie priuely to crepe into any mans harte, or any other like euil: he whiche re∣gardeth his Soule, be not ashamed to confesse those thinges to him, that is in Office ouer him, to the ende that by him, through the woorde of God, and holesome counsel, he maye be healed. So as by perfite Faithe and good woorkes he maye escape the paines of euerlastinge fire, and come to the re∣wardes of Life that endureth for euer. No man speaketh more plainely of Secrete Confession * 1.22 then Origen, and that in sundry places, to whiche for Breuities sake I remitte the Reader. In. 2. Ca. Leuitici, Homil. 2. De Principijs, Lib. 3. In Psal. 37. Homil. 2. VVhere he com∣pareth the state of a sinner to a man, that hath euil and vndigested humours in his Stomake. And saithe that as by remaininge of suche euil matter, the man feleth him selfe very sicke, and by vomi∣tinge of it foorthe, he is eased: so the sinner by keepinge his sinnes secrete, is the more greuousely charged in his owne conscience, and standeth in daunger to be choked with the Fleume and humour of his sinnes. But if he accuse him selfe, and confesse his faultes, he bothe vomiteth foorthe his sinnes,* 1.23 and digesteth the cause of the same. S. Cyprian as in many other places, so moste plainely speaketh of Secrete Confession. Sermone. 5. de lapsis. Although (saithe he of certaine deuoute persons) they be entangled with no greate Sinne,* 1.24 yet because at leaste they thought of it, the same vnto the Priestes of God Confesse they sorowfully and simply. They make Confession of their Con∣science, they laie foorthe the burthen of their minde, &c.

S. Augustine treatinge of the Power of the Keies in many places, but specially of Confession in Psal. 60. VVhere speakinge muche of the necessitie of Confession, he saithe thus: VVhy fearest thou to be Confessed? If not beinge Confessed thou remaine hidden, not beinge Confessed thou shalt be damned. And afterwardes thus: To this ende God requireth Confession, to deliuer the humble: to this ende he damneth him that confesseth not, to punishe the Proude. Therefore be thou sorie before thou be Confessed: beinge Confessed, Reioyse: thou shalt be hole.

By these and many other Holy Fathers, of whome there is no doubte, but they had the Holy Ghoste for their Teacher and prompter of al Truthe, the Catholike Churche hath benne persuaded, that the recital and rehersinge of* 1.25 al sinnes before the Prieste is necessarie to Saluation: onlesse necessi∣tie for lacke of a Prieste or other wise, exclude vs from it: and that a* 1.26 General Confession in no wise suffiseth. True Faithe acknowlegeth, that Confession is to be made of al •• Sinnes, as •• commaunded by Christe, and the Apostles, commended to vs by the •• Fathers of the Primitiue Churche, by al •• lear∣ned Doctours, and general vse of the •• whole Churche. And if the expresse terme of Secrete or auri∣cular Cōfession be* 1.27 Seldome mētioned in the Auncient Fathers, as that of Publike Confession is often times, as in the Nicene Councel, and in sundry other places: that is nothinge repugnant to the Do∣ctrine of the Catholike Churche.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Corin. 1.
• * 1.2

  Vntruthe, as by the Ansvveare maye further appeare.
• * 1.3

  Caluines vvicked do∣ctrine a∣gainste the Sacramēts.
• * 1.4

  A greate vn∣truthe, ioined vvith a sclaun∣der. Reade the Ansvveare.
• * 1.5

  Contra In∣terim.
• * 1.6

  These be not M. Caluines vvoordes, but S. Paules: Filij vestri Sancti sunt, 1. Corin. 7.
• * 1.7

  Quid •• Coe∣lum ruat?
• * 1.8

  Othervvise called the Ro∣maines.
• * 1.9

  Vntruthe. For it is not requi∣red of necessi∣tie, as shal ap∣peare.
• * 1.10

  Mat. 16. & 18.
• * 1.11

  Vntruthes, tvvo togeather. See the An∣svveare.
• * 1.12

  Iohan. 20.
• * 1.13

  Vntruthe. For M. Hardinges ovvne Doctours saie, It vvas or∣deined by Tra∣dition, and not by Christe.
• * 1.14

  Mat. 16. Comment. in Mat. 16.
• * 1.15

  Vntruthe, In mistakinge, and abbridginge S. Hieromes vvoordes.
• * 1.16

  This Consi∣storie stoode sometime in Excommunica∣tion, sometime in Preachinge.
• * 1.17

  In Mat. Cap. 16.
• * 1.18

  Li. 1. Epi. 2. De dignit. sacerd. li. 3.
• * 1.19

  This saieinge perteineth, no•• to Confession, but to the Au∣thoritie of Gods vvoorde.
• * 1.20

  Vntruthe. As it is prooued before. Confession grounded vpon Natural Reason.
• * 1.21

  A vaine forge∣rie.
• * 1.22

  Vntruthe. For he speaketh onely of open Confession.
• * 1.23

  Al this belon∣geth to open Confession.
• * 1.24

  Confession of euil thought.
• * 1.25

  Vntruthe: Reade the An∣svveare.
• * 1.26

  Vntruthes, many, and ma∣nifeste, as shal appeare.
• * 1.27

  Vntruthe. For it is neuer founde. Other∣vvise let him shevve it.