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. 17. Diuision. 1.

As touchinge the multitude of vaine, & superfluous Ceremonies, wee knowe, that S. Augustine did greuousely complaine of them in his owne time: & therefore haue we cutte of a great number of them: bicause wee knowe, that mennes consciences were encumbred aboute them, and the Churches of God ouerladen with them. Neuerthelesse wee keepe stil, & esteeme, not onely those Ceremonies, whiche, wee are sure, were deliuered vs from the Apostles: but somme others too bi∣sides, whiche wee thought mighte be suffered without hurte to the Churche of God: for that we had a desire, that al thinges in the Holy Congregation might, as S. Paule commaundeth, be donne with comelinesse, & in good order. But, as for al those thinges, whiche, wee sawe, were, either very superstitious, or vtterly vnprofitable, or noi∣some, or mockeries, or contrarie to the Holy Scriptures, or els vn∣seemely for sober, & discreete people, whereof there be infinite numbres nowe a daies, where the Romaine Religion is vsed, these, I saie, wee haue vtterly refused without al manner exception: bicause we would not haue the right worshippinge of God to be any lenger defiled with∣sutche folies.

M. Hardinge.

S. Augustine, whom ye alleage wrongfully against the Ceremonies of the Catholique Churche. spea∣keth onely of the cuttinge awaie of suche manners, and rites, as be crepte into some one particulare Countrie, neither conteined in Holy Scriptures, nor established by Councels of Bishops, nor confirmed by Custome of the whole Churche. But howe proue you by that place, that you maie pul downe Aultars, and Images: disallowe the Vowe of Pouertie, Lente, Oile? &c. S. Augustine referreth the taking awaie of any Custome, or manner vnto dewe Authoritie, exhortinge it to be donne. Vbi faculras tribuitur: VVhere Power is geuen to doo it. Neither els may it be donne lawfully at al, &c. Ye thinke, wee haue many ridiculous, and fonde thinges, in our Ceremonies. If we had,* 1.1 as in deede wee haue not, would ye laugh at them, as Cham did at the nakednesse of his Father Noe? &c. Laugh on ye cursed Chana∣nees: but wee wil daunce before the Arke: we will‡ 1.2 shire our heade with Paule, &c.

The B. of Sarisburie.

This mater had benne ouer colde, had not M. Hardinge a litle enflamed his Choler in the ende, & cried out vpon his Cursed Chananees. His Aultars, his I∣mages, his Vowes, his Lentes, & his Otles be answeared sufficiently otherwheres.

S. Augustines woordes,* 1.3 concerninge this mater, are pregnante and plaine: H••c∣nimis doleo, quia multa, quae in Diuinis Libris saluberrimè praecepta sunt, minùs curan∣tur: & tam multis Praesumptionibus sic plena sunt omnia, &c. This thinge greeueth me, that so many thinges, whole somely commaunded in the Holy Scriptures, are not regar∣ded: and of thinges are ful of so many presumptions,* 1.4 &c. And againe, Quamuis ista contra Fidem non sint, tamen ipsam Religionem, quam Paucissimis, & Manifestissi∣mis Celebrationum Sacramentis Misericordia Dei liberam esse voluit, seruilibus one∣ribus

ita premunt, vt tolerabilior sit conditio Iudaeorum: qui etsi tempus liber∣tatis non agnouerint, Legalibus tamen sarcinis, non humanis Praesumptionibus subijciuntur: Al be it these thinges be not against the Faithe, yet with seruile burthens they so oppresse our very Religion, whiche God of his Mercie woulde haue to bee free, vnder very fevve, and moste manifeste Sacramentes of Diuine Seruice, that the state of the Ievves is mutche more tolerable (then the state of the Churche of Christe). For the Jewes, notwithstandinge they knewe not the time of Libertie, yet were they subiecte to the packes, and burthens of the Lawe (of God): and not vnto the Diuises, and Presumptions of Menne.

Of sutche Diuises,* 1.5 and Presumptions, Chrysostome saithe, Non dicunt, Cur Legem Mosi, sed Cur Traditionem Seniorum transgrediuntur? Vnde patet, eos multa innouasse, cùm Deus contrà vetuisset, ne quid adderent, aut minuerent. Sed illi, cùm timerent, ne Principatum amitterent, ceu legum Latores, vt Maiores esse vide∣rentur, plurima innouarunt. Quae res ad tantam peruenir nequitiam, vt praecepta sua custodirent magis, quàm Praecepta Dei: The Phariseis saie not vnto Christe, Where∣fore doo thy Disciples breake the Lawe of Moses, but, Wherefore doo they breake the Traditions of the Elders? Whereby it appeareth, that they had altered many thinges: whereas God had commaunded, that they shoulde neither adde, nor diminishe. But fearinge, leste they shoulde lose their Authoritie, as if they had benne Lawe Makers, to thende they mighte seeme the greatter, they altered mutche. VVhiche thinge (in the ende) grewe to sutche a wickednesse, that they keapte their ovvne Commaundementes, more then the Commaundementes of God.

In like manner saithe S. Cyril,* 1.6 Vellent suam Doctrinam, & Paternas Tra∣ditiones ab hominibus potiùs suscipi, atque in admiratione, honore{que} haberi. Quicquid igitur Christo credentium accesserit, sibi detractum putant: The Phariseis woulde, that menne should receiue, and magnifie their Doctrine, and the Traditions of the Fathers: Therefore howe many so euer Faitheful came vnto Christe, they thought so many were loste from them.

It is not true, y^t ye saie, Traditions maie not be changed, or abolished without the general Consente of the whole Churche. For Ceremonies, as thei neuer grew togeather at one time in al places, so can they not lightly be abolished togeather at one time in al places.* 1.7 Socrates saithe plainely, Videtur mihi, Multa modò in his regionibus, modò in illis Consuetudinem obtinuisse: It seemeth vnto me, that many thinges haue benne receiued by Custome, novve in one Countrie, and novve in an other. Againe he saithe, In vniuersum certèe, & in omnibus Obseruationibus pia∣rum precum, non possunt duae Ecclesiae inueniri, quae prorsus inter se consenti∣ant: Verily to speake Vniuersally, in al maner of Obseruations, or Fourmes of Common Praier, there cannot tvvo Churches be founde, that agree thorovvly bitvvene them selues. S. Augustine saithe plainely, Omnia talia, &c, vbi facultas tribuitur, sine omni dubitatione resecanda existimo: Al sutche thinges, in my iudgemente, ought to be cut of,* 1.8 as soone as iuste occasion, or Power is geeuen, vvithout any manner of doubtinge. So saithe Pope Steuin, Si nonnulli ex Praedecessoribus, & Maioribus nostris fecerunt aliqua, quae illo tempore potuerunt esse fine culpa, & posteà vertuntur in errorem, & Superstitionem, sine tarditate aliqua, & cum magna Authoritate à posteris destruantur: If sundrie of our Predecessours, or Elders haue donne certaine thinges, whiche at that time might wel be donne without hurte, and afterwarde are turned into errour, and superstition, vvithout any staggeringe, and vvith greate Authoritie let them be destroied, and abolished by the Successours.

We laugh not, as, ye saie, at the nakednesse of our Father, M. Hardinge. Our Father is in Heauen, the Father of Light, the God of Glorie: and in him there is no nakednesse. Wée laugh not at any of these thinges, but wee saie with S. Au∣gustine,

as it is alleged before, Hoc nimis doleo, &c. This thinge very mutche greeueth me,* 1.9 that so many thinges wholesomely commaunded in the Holy Scriptures, are not regar∣ded: and that al thinges are ful of so many presumptions: And that, as S. Chrysostome saithe,* 1.10 These thinges are called vpon, and more regarded, then the Lawes, and Com∣maundementes of our Father. Our Father saithe of you, and of your Felowes: Volunt facere, vt obliuiscatur Populus meus Nominis mei propter somnia sua: They wil cause, that my people shal foregeate my name, for loue of their Dreames. Our Fa∣ther saithe,* 1.11 Two-euils haue my people donne: They haue foresaken me the Fountaine of the Water of Life: and they haue ripte vp to them selues broken Cesternes, y^t can holde no Wa∣ter. Our Father saithe,* 1.12 What is chaffe vnto the Corne? Who hath required these thinges at your Handes? To be shorte, hereof Christe him selfe saithe thus, Euery plante, that my Heauenly Father hath not planted, shal be pluckte vp by the Rootes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vntruthe. For S. Augustine, speakinge of his time, saithe, Tam multis Prae∣sumptionibus ita plena sunt omnia, &c.
• ‡ 1.2

  Then be yee circumcised, as Paule vvas. For this vvas onely a Ievvishe Cere∣monie.
• * 1.3

  August. Epist. 119
• * 1.4

  August. in ead. Epistol.
• * 1.5

  Chrysost in Mat∣thae. Homil. 52.
• * 1.6

  Cyrill. in Iohan. Lib. 8. Cap. 1.
• * 1.7

  Socrates, Lib. 5. Cap. 22. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Socrates, eod. loco.
• * 1.8

  August. Epist. 19. Dist. 63. Quia Sancta.
• * 1.9

  August Epist. 119
• * 1.10

  Chrysost in Mat∣thae. Homil. 52. Hieremi. 23.
• * 1.11

  Hieremi. 2.
• * 1.12

  Hieremi. 23. Esai. 1. Matthae. 15.