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. 3. Diuision. 1.

Furthermore (wee Beleeue) that there be diuers degrees of Ministers in the Churche: whereof some be Deacons, some Priestes, some Bishoppes: to whom is committed the office to instructe the people, and the whole charge, and settinge foorthe of Religion.

M. Hardinge.

Here it had ben your parte to haue declared your faithe touching the Holy Sacrament of Order,* 1.1 agreable to the faith of the Catholike Churche: That there be seuen orders in the Churche, foure lesser, and three greater:* 1.2 for so by good reason they are called. And as for the institution, auctoritie, and e∣stimation of the greater, specially of Priesthood and Deaconship, ye might haue alleged the Scrip∣tures: so for the Lesser the example of Christe, the Tradition of the Apostles, and the testimonies written of the Apostles scholers, of those that bothe nexte, and sone after folowed them, namely Dionys. cap. 3. Hierarch. Ecclesiast. Ignatius epist. 8. ad Ecclesiam Antiochenam, Ter∣tullian in praescript. aduersus Hereticos, Gaius Pope and Martyr in Diocletians time, Sozimus in S. Augustines time, Isychius, Eusebius Caesariensis is his Ecclesiastical historie, and Epiphanius in the ende of his Booke contra Haereses.

The B. of Sarisburie

Gentle Reader, if I should leaue these, and other like M. Hardinges woordes vnansweared, thou mightest happily thinke, he had saide somewhat. Here, he saithe, it had benne our Parte to haue tolde thée of Seuen Orders in the Churche, thrée Greatter, and foure Lesse: Hauing in déede him selfe cleane forgotten his owne Parte. For notwithstandinge this controlment, and accoumpte of so many Orders, yet he nameth no moe Orders, then wée haue named. And verily, if he would haue folowed his owne Authorities, it had benne hard for him, in any good Order to haue made vp his owne accoumpte.

For his owne Anacletus saithe, Ampliùs, quàm isti Duo Ordines Sacerdotum, (Episcopi, & Presbyteri) nec nobis à Deo collati sunt,* 1.3 nec Apostoli docuerunt: More then these two Orders of Priestes (Bishoppes, and Elders) neither hathe God appointed vs, nor hauē the Apostles tought vs. And yet of these same Two seueral Orders, S. Hierome semeth to make onely One Order. For thus he writeth: Audio, quendam in tantam erupisse

vecordiam,* 1.4 vt Diaconos Presbyteris, id est, Episcopis anteferret: I heare saye, there is a man broken out vnto sutche wilful furie,* 1.5 that he placeth Deacons before Priestes, that is to saye, be∣fore Bishops: And againe: Apostolus praecipué docer, eosdem esse Presbyteros, quos Episcopos: The Apostle, Paule, specially teacheth vs, that Priestes, and Bishoppes be al one.* 1.6 The same S. Hierome writinge vpon the Prophete Esai, reckenethe one∣ly fiue Orders, or Degrees in the whole Churche: The Bishoppes, the Priestes, the Deacons, the Entrers, or Beginners, and the Faitheful. And other Order of the Churche he knoweth none.

Clemens saithe,* 1.7 Tribus gradibus eommissa sunt Sacramenta Diuinorum Secretorū, id est, Presbytero, Diacono, & Ministro: The Mysteries of the Holy Secresies be committed vnto three Orders: that is, vnto the Priestes, vnto the Deacons, and vnto the Ministers: And yet Deacons, and Ministers, as touchinge the name, are al one.

Dionysius likewise hathe thrée Orders,* 1.8 but not the same: For he rekenethe Bishoppes, Priestes, & Deacons. And whereas M. Hardinge maketh his ac∣coumpte of Foure of the Lesse, or Inferiour Orders, meaning thereby, Ostiarios, Lectores, Exorcistas, Acoluthos: The Doore keepers, the Readers, the conuerers, and the Waiters, or Folowers:* 1.9 His owne Ignatius addethe thereto thrée other Orders: Cantores, Laboratores, Confitentes: The Chounters or Singers, the Labourers, and the Con∣fessours. Elemens addeth thereto, Catechistas, The Infourmers, or Teachers of them that were entringe into the Faithe. A litle vaine Booke, bearinge the name of S. Hierome, De Septē Ordinibus Ecclesiae, addeth yet an other Order, and calleth them Fossarios, that is, The Sextines, or Ouerseers of the Graues. And, least you should thinke he rekeneth this Order, as emongst other necessarie offices to serue the people, and not as any parte of the Cleregie, his wordes be these, Primus in Clericis Fossariorum Ordo est: qui in similitudinem Tobiae Sancti sepelire morruos admonet: The Firste Order of the Cleregie, is the Order of the Sextines: whiche, as Holy Tob••e was woonte to doo, casse vppon the people for the burial of the deade.

Likewise to the thrée greater Orders Isidorus addeth an other distincte & seue∣ral Order of Bishoppes:* 1.10 vnto whom agréethe Gulielmus Altisiodorensis, & Got∣tofredus Pictauiensis, as appeareth by Iohannes Scotus. Againe of the other In∣feriour Orders, S. Hierome leaueth out the Coniurers, & VVaiters: S. Ambrose leaueth out the VVaiters, and Doore Keepers: The Canons of the Apostles leaue out Coniurers, VVaiters, and Doore keepers, al thrée togeather.

In this so greate dissension, & darkenesse, what waie wil M. Hardinge take, to folow? By Anacletus, there be Two Orders: by Clemens, & S. Hierome, Thrée: by Hierome Countrefeite, Seuē: by others Eight, by other Nine, by others Tenne.

At this notwithstandinge, he telleth vs, our parte had benne, to haue shewed, that there be iuste Seuen Orders in the Churche, Thrée greate, and Foure Lesse, withoute doubte, or question.

Here, gentle Reader, it had benne M. Hardinges parte to haue shewed vs the Reasons, and Groundes of this Diuinitie: These they be, as they are alleged by the beste of that side:* 1.11 Christe saith, I am the Doore: Ergo, there muste be in the Churche an Order of Doore Keepers. Christe saithe, I am the Light of the World: Hereupon haue thei founded the Order of Acolutes, to carrie Tapers. And so for the reste. Thus mutche maie serue for a taste.

Now let vs consider, what these Orders haue to doo, and with how Holy, and weighty offices they stand charged in the Churche of God. Firste Clemens (of whoes Authoritie M. Hardinge maket be no smal accoumpte, for he calleth him the Apostles folowe) writeth thus:* 1.12 Vnus Hypodiaconus det aquam manibus Sa∣cerdotum: Duo Diaconi ex vtàque parte Altaris teneat flabellum confectum ex te∣nuibus membranis, vel ex Pauonum pennis, quibus leuiter abigant praeteruclantes

bestiolas,* 1.13 ne in Pocula incidant: Let one of the Subdeacons geue Water to the Priestes handes: Let two Deacons stande at the two endes of the Austore: either of them with a fanne made of fine Parchemente, or of Pecockes taises, therewith softely to chase awaie the fl••es, that they fal not into the Communion Cuppes. The offices of other Inferioure Or∣ders be these, as they be noted by one of M. Hardinges owne side:* 1.14 Ad Minores Or∣dines haec spectant: Portare Cereos, & Vrceolum: & Canes expellere de Ecclesia: To the sesse Orders these thinges belonge: to carrie Tapers, and Holy Water stockes: and to dr••ue Doogges of the Churche. These, I trowe, be the Mystical Holy Orders, whereof M. Hardinge saithe, Our parte had benne, to haue made somme songe discourse: beinge him selfe ashamed, as it maie appeare by his silence, either to name them in parti∣culare, or to open the Secretes of theire offices.

Howe be it in deede, good Christian Reader, sundrie of these offices in the Pri∣mitiue Churche were appointed to very good, & sober purposes: The Doore kee∣pers office was then, to keepe out Excommunicate personnes, that they should not presse in emonge the Faithful: The Psalmistes, or Singers office was, to singe the Psalmes, thereby to moue the peoples hartes to deuotion: The Exorcistes office was, by a special gifte of God▪ seruinge onely for that time, to cal foorth soule Sprites out of the Bodies of them, that were possessed. The Readers office was, openly, and plainely, and distinctely to pronounce the Scriptures vnto the people: and to this vse the Bishop deliuered vnto him a Booke with this charge:* 1.15 Accipe, & esto relator Verbi Dei: Take thou this Booke, and be thou a pronounc••r of the Woorde of God.* 1.16 And therefore Isidorus saithe, Tanta, & ••am clara erit eius vox, vt quamuis long•• positorum aures adimpleat: The Readers voice muste be so sowd, and so cleare, that it maye be hable to fille the eates of them, that stande far of. The Acolothes, or VVai∣ters office was, to attende vpon the Bishop, as a witnesse of his conuersation.

To sutche good vses these offices then serued in the Churche of God. But now there is nothinge leafte, sauinge the bare name onely, without any maner vse, or Office. For neither doothe the Ostiarius kéepe out the Excommunicates: Nor doothe the Acoluthus waite vpō the Bishop: Nor doothe the Exorciste cast foorthe Diuels: Nor doothe the Psalmiste Singe the Psalmes: Nor doothe the Reader o∣penly pronounce the Scriptures: (I might yet steppe alitle farther, to open the whole bewtie of the Cleregte of Rome) nor doothe the Deacon make prouision for the poore: nor doothe the Bishop preache the Woorde of God.

This had benne our parte to haue opened at large: And for leaning of the same, we were woorthy by M. Hardinges iudgemente, to be reproued.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sacramonte of Order By good reason.
• * 1.2

  Vntruthes boldly pre∣sumed, as by the aun∣svveare it may ap∣peare.
• * 1.3

  Anacletus Epi∣stola. 3. Hieronym. ad Euagrium
• * 1.4

  Orders.
• * 1.5

  Hieronym. in eadem Epistola.
• * 1.6

  Hierony in Esai, Cap 19. Catechumeni.
• * 1.7

  Clemens Epist. 2. De con. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 st 3. Tribus gradibus
• * 1.8

  Dionysi Eccle. Hierar. Cap. 5.
• * 1.9

  Ignatius ad An∣tiochen 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Hierony. De 7. ordinibus Eccl.
• * 1.10

  Isidor. Elymolog. Lib. 1. Cap. 12. Scotui in 4. Sen. Distin. 24. Qu. 1. Ambros in Epist. Ad Ephe. Cap. 4.
• * 1.11

  Petrus Lombar. senten Lib. 4. Distin. 24.
• * 1.12

  Clement consi. Apost. Li. 8. Ca. 15.
• * 1.13

  Orders.
• * 1.14

  Aureum Specu∣lum Pap••.
• * 1.15

  ••ist 23. Lector.
• * 1.16

  ••ist. 23. Cleros.