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. 2. Diuision. 1.

In deede wee graunte, that certaine new and very strange sectes, as the Anabaptistes, Libertines, Menonians, and Zvvenckfel∣dians haue benne stirringe in the World, euer sithence the Gospel did firste springe. But the Worlde seeth nowe right wel, thankes be geeuen to our God, that wee haue neither breadde, nor taught, nor keapte vp these Monsters. In good folowship, I praie thee, who so euer thou be, reade our Bookes, they are to be solde in euery place. What hath there euer benne written by any of our companie, that might plainely beare with the madnesse of any of those Heretiques? Naie, I saie vnto you, there is no Countrie this daie so free from theire Pestilent infections, as these be, wherein the Gospel is freely, & commonly preached. So that, if they weigh the very mater with earnest, and vpright aduisemente, this thinge is a greate Argument, that this same Doctrine, whiche wee teache, is the very Truthe of the Gospel of Christe. For lightly neither is cockle woont to growe without the wheate, nor yet the chaffe without the Corne. For from the very Apostles times, who knoweth not, howe many Here∣sies did rise vp euen togeather, so soone as the Gospel was firste spreadde abroade? Who euer had hearde tel of Simon, Menander, Saturninus, Basilides, Carpocrates, Cherinthus, Ebion, Valētinus▪ Secundus, Marcosius; Colorbasius, Heracleo, Lucianus, Seuerus, and other like, before the Apostles were sent abroade? But why stande wee reckeninge vp these? Epiphanius rehearseth vp foure score sundrie Heresies: and Augustine many moe, whiche did springe vp euen togeather with the Gospel. What then? Was the Gospel therefore not the Gospel, bicause Heresies sprange vp withal? Or was Christe therefore not Christe?

And yet, as wee saide, dothe not this greate croppe, and heape of Heresies growe vp emongest vs, whiche doo openly, abroade, and frankely teache the Gospel. These poisonnes take theire be∣ginninges, theire encreasinges, and strength emongest Our Ad∣nersaries, in blindenesse and in darkenesse, emongest whom Truthe is with tyrannie, and cruelty keapte vnder, and cannot be hearde, but in Corners, and secrete meetinges. But let them make a proufe: Let them geeue the Gospel free passage: Let the Truthe of Iesus Christe geue his cleare light, and stretche foorthe his bright beames into al partes: and then shal they foorthwith see, howe al these sha∣dowes streight wil vanishe, and passe awaie at the light of the Go∣spel, euen as the thicke Miste of the night consumeth at the sight of the Sonne. For whilest these menne sitte stil, and make mery, and doo nothinge, wee continually represse, and put backe al those Heresies, whiche they falsely charge vs to nurrishe, and mainteine.

M. Hardinge.

As for Libertines, what other Substance hath your Gospel,* 1.1 bisides carnal libertie, and licentious liuinge?* 1.2 To breake the vowe of chastitie solemly made to God, by whose grace, and your endeuoure it might wel haue benne kepte, and to breake it for wantonnesse, and to satisfie luste: is not that pro∣per to Libertines? To geue ouer fastinge, watchinge in prayer, and ConfesSion of Sinnes, whiche shoulde be made to a Prieste, by* 1.3 whom onely (excepte in case of necessitie) God promiseth forgeuenes: To regarde no Tradition, though it came from the Apostles: briefly, to teache that al kinde of outwarde Godlines is superstitious, and Pharisaical, and that euery mā must without staggaring, or doubting be∣leue, that him selfe shalbe saued, if he haue Faith,‡ 1.4 doo he what him liste, is this no pointe of libertie? VVhat made so many malepert Prentises, pleasante Courtiers, discoursinge Parlamente Machiauellistes, and al other what so euer fleash wormes, Merchātes, idle artificers, to embrace your Gospel, rather then the grauer and deuouter sorte of men, whiche be weaned from the pleasure of this life: but that it was plausible to the VVorlde, and pleasant to the Fleashe, from whiche that kinde of men are moste hardly drawen? And yet foresoothe doo not ye foster vp Libertines.

VVho can recken the sectes that be in Germany,* 1.5 being* 1.6 sixteene or moe professed in some one towne? Bemelande is almoste as ful of Heresies, as of Houses. Silesia is as bad, and Morauia a Countrie there adIoininge is neuer a whit better. And yet do not these Sectes bud, where your Gospel is freely, and openly preached?

The B. of Sarisburie.

Here, M. Harding, I haue purposely leafte out a greate heape of your talke, not thinkinge it needeful, to answeare al your voide woordes. Hauing nomore regarde, what ye saie, it was no harde mater for you to cal vs Libertines, and to saie, The Gospel, that wee Preache, hathe none other Substance, but Carnal Libertie, and Licenceous Liuinge. If ye had remembred, either y^• Cittie of Rome, where ye haue benne, or the Towne of Anwarpe, or Louaine, where ye nowe dwelle, ye coulde not wel, without blus∣shinge, haue charged vs with Carnal Libertie.

Our VVantons, and Fleashevvoormes, for so it liketh you to cal them, haue benne contented to forsake Fathers, Mothers, Wiues, Children, goodes, and Li∣uinges, & méekely to submit them selues to the extreme terroure of al your Cruel∣ties, and to yelde theire bodies vnto the Deathe: to be sterued for hunger: and to be burnte in Fiere: Onely for the name, and Gospel of Iesus Christe. Ye wil saie, as your woonte is, when ye haue nothinge els to saie, They died stubbernly in wil∣ful erroure. Yet, I recken, yée wil not saie, They died in greate pleasance, or Carnal Libertie. It is a strāge kinde of Fleashely VVantonnesse, for a man to denie him selfe, and to take vp his Crosse, and to folowe Christe. And yet is this the vvhole Substance of our Gospel.

Iustinus the Martyr, notwithstandinge he was an Heathen, and thought then, euen as you doo nowe, that the Professours of the Name of Christe, were no∣thinge els, but a sorte of VVanton, and vvilful people, yet when he sawe, howe Constantely they died, and howe patiently they suffred, what so euer was laied v∣pon them, he was at length conuerted him selfe, and by theire example became a Christian:* 1.7 Thus Eusebius reporteth his woordes, Ego ipse Platonis Disciplinis delectatus, &c. •• mee selfe takinge pleasure in Platoes Doctrine, and hearinge the Christians is spoken of, and seeinge them to goe courrageously, and boldely to theire Deathe, and to suf∣fer al sutche thinges, as were thought moste terrible, I thought it a thinge impossible, that sutche menne shoulde liue wickedly, or in Wantonnesse.

So likewise writeth Sozomenus touchinge the same, The Christians beinge spoiled of theire goodes, and regardinge nothinge, that they hadde, beinge h••nged on gib∣bett••s, and suffering al manner tormentes so without care, or sense, as if theire bodies had not

benne theire owne,* 1.8 neither allured with flatterie, nor amazed with threates, they gaue al menne hereby to vnderstande,* 1.9 that they suffered these thinges (not of Wantonnesse, but) for somme greate rewarde.

The Prophete Dauid saithe, In quo corriget adolescens viam suam? In custo∣diendo Sermones tuos: Whereby shal a yonge man (not grow to be a Fleashely wan∣ton, but) amende his life, and correcte his waie? He answeareth: (O Lorde) by the kee∣pinge of thy woordes.

Therefore wée maie iustly saie to you,* 1.10 as Cyrillus saide sommetime to Iulianus the Renegate in like case, Etiam pueri in Sacris Literis enutriti, statim fiunt religiosissi∣mi, etiamsi minùs eloquentes: Euen our Children beeing brought vp in the Holy Scriptures, streight waie becomme moste Godly: although not so eloquente, or welspoken.

If there be any sutche Fleashe vvoormes, and VVantons this daie, they be not the Gospellers, whiche woorde so mutche offendeth you: they be of you, and of yours, M. Hardinge, that is, not the professours, but the Mockers, & wilful despi∣sers of the Gospel.

Ye saie, Cōfession should be made vnto the Prieste, By whom Onely (ye saie) God hath promised forgeuenesse of Sinne. I beseche you, where finde you this Promisse? Shewe the woordes: Allege the Place: Regarde your Credite. Otherwise, ye wil be noted of Vntruthe. Where did God, or Christe, euer saie, Forgeeuenesse of Sinne is geeuen onely by the Prieste? If it be so in déede, then why doothe Chrysostome saie,* 1.11 Nunc necessarium non est, Praesentibus Testibus confiteri? Solus Deus te con∣fitentem videat: Nowe it is not needeful, to make Confession in the Presence of vvit∣nesses. Let God Onely See thee makinge thy Confession. Why dooth S. Hierome saie,* 1.12 Apud Deum, non Sententia Sacerdotum, sed reorum vita quaeritur: It is not the Sentence, or Absolution of the Prieste, but the Life of the Sinner, that is regarded before God. How be it, hereof wée haue sufficiently saide before.

Luther, ye saie, Firste procured, that menne should acknowledge no One Head, and Iudge: Whom, as by your reporte, S. Cyprian saithe, they might obeie, as the Vicare of Christe. Of this One Heade, & One Iudge, neither Christe, nor his Apostles euer told vs. S. Cyprian,* 1.13 as it is saide before, saithe thus, Christus Parem dedit Apostolis omnibus potestatem: Christe gaue vnto al his Apostles Equal Povver. And S. Chrysostome saithe, Quicun{que} desiderat Primatum in Terra, inueniet in Caelo confusionem: VVho so euer seeketh the Primacie in Earthe, he in Heauen shal finde Con∣fusion.

The place of S. Cyprian, touching One Heade, and One Iudge, is wel alleged by you, M. Hardinge: but il applied. It is true, that S. Cyprian saithe, The People ought to obeie One Iudge, or One Heade, as the Vicare of Christe. But that by the same One Heade, or Iudge, he meante either the Byshop of Rome, or any one other certaine seueral Bishop, it is moste vntrue. S. Cyprians meanynge is,* 1.14 as I haue otherwhere more largely declared, that in euery Diocese the People ought to knowe One Bishop, as Head, and Iudge, and him to obeie, as the Vi∣care of Christ. One Head, or Iudge, I saie, in euery Diocese: not One Vniuersal Heade ouer al the Worlde. For proufe whereof, M. Harding, reade S. Cyprians Epistle vnto Florentinus Pupianus: and ye shal finde, that he vseth the selfe same woordes of him selfe, and not of the Pope: & I doubte not, but ye wil mutche mar∣ueile, and mislike your owne errour. His woordes be these, Vnde Schismata, & Hae∣reses obortae sunt,* 1.15 & oriuntur, nisi dum Episcopus, qui Vnus est, & Ecclesiae praeest. Su∣perba quorundam praesumptione contemnitur? Where hence haue Schismes, and Here∣sies spronge vp, or wherehence doo they springe, onlesse it be, that the Bishop, whiche is One, and ••uleth the Churche, by the prowde presumption of certaine is despised?

Here S. Cyprian calleth him selfe that One Bishop, and that One Heade, and

Iudge of the Churche.* 1.16 Yet was he onely the Bishop of Carthage in Aphrica: and not the Pope, or Bishop of Rome. Hereof I haue spoken more at large in my Former Replie.

Touching the Pope,* 1.17 wherein he maie be knowen for Christes Vicare, it were harde to saie: Onlesse it be for that, where so euer y^e Pope is presente, there Christe is awaie.* 1.18 Chrysostome saithe, Qui vanam gloriam non desiderat, ille debet Christi Vicarius factus, Christi Iustitiam praedicare: He, that desireth not vaine glorie, beinge made Christes Vicare, ought to preache the Justice of Christe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Libertie.
• * 1.2

  Libertines. The Do∣ctrine of the Liber∣tines Go∣spel.
• * 1.3

  Moste Vaine Vntruthe. See the Ansvveare.
• ‡ 1.4

  Vntruthe, ioi∣ned vvith vile sclaunder.
• * 1.5

  Bemelande. Silesia. Morauia.
• * 1.6

  Foure greate Vntruthes al togeather.
• * 1.7

  Euseb. Li. 4. ca. 8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Sozom. Li 1 Ca 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.8

  one Head. one Iudge
• * 1.9

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Psal. 119.
• * 1.10

  Cyrill. Contra Iulian. Lib. 7. Pag. 162.
• * 1.11

  Chrysost. De Poe∣niten▪ & Con∣fession.
• * 1.12

  Hieron. in Mat∣thae. Cap. 16.
• * 1.13

  Cypria. De Sim Praelatorum. Chrysostom in Matthae. Hom. 35▪
• * 1.14

  In the Former Replie, Artic. 4. Diui. 5.
• * 1.15

  Cyprian. Lib. 4. Epist. 9.
• * 1.16

  Dissensi∣ons emōg the Fa∣thers.
• * 1.17

  Artic. 4. Diui. 5.
• * 1.18

  Chrysost in Mat∣thae. Homil. 6.