A replie vnto M. Hardinges ansvveare by perusinge whereof the discrete, and diligent reader may easily see, the weake, and vnstable groundes of the Romaine religion, whiche of late hath beene accompted Catholique. By Iohn Iewel Bishoppe of Sarisburie.

The B. of Sarisburie.

O, what daungerous cases here are imagined, and al, to fraye the people from Godds Woorde? If the ignorant reade the Scriptures (saith M. Hardinge) they wil prooue Heretiques: For Heretiques sucke their venime owt of the Scriptures. The Conclusion hereof is this: Euery of the people maie safely reade M. Hardinges VVo••rde: but Goddes VVoorde they maie not reade. There is no manner danger in M. Hardinges Booke: But Goddes Booke is full of dangers. The reason hereof it is harde to gheasse: onlesse it be, for that Goddes Booke is fulle of Trueth, and M. Hardinges Booke is fulle of erroure.

That he here calleth Heresie, is the Euerlastinge, and Manifest Truethe of God: whiche, when it was first preached, and published by S. Paule, was like∣wise euen then called Heresie.* 1.1 For thus S. Paule answeareth in his owne de∣fense, Secundum hanc sectam, quam vocant Heresim, colo patrium Deum. Accordinge to this secte, whiche they calle Heresie, I woorship the God of my Fathers.

But if the Laie People, whom M. Hardinge for his pleasure calleth Curious Busie Bodies of y^e Uulgare sorte, maie easily be leadde into Heresies by Readinge y^e Scriptures, for that they be vnlearned, howe then happened it, that M. Hardinge him selfe, beinge a man so deepely trained in al kinde of learninge, coulde so lightly be leadde into the same? I trowe, he was then no Curious Busy Body. Doubtles he was none of the Uulgare sorte.

In the primitiue Churche, and longe after the Apostles time, there were sun∣drie Sectes, and sortes of Heresies, as it is plain•• by S. Augustine, Epiphanius, Theodoretus, and others. Yet, that notwithstandinge, the Ancient Fathers then euermore called vpon the people, and exhorted them to Reade the Scriptures, to thintente they might the better auoide Heresies. For Ireneus, writinge against the Heretiques called Ualentiniani,* 1.2 saithe thus, Haec omnia contulit eis Scripturarum Dei igno••antia: Al this befelle vnto them, bicause they knewe not the Scriptures. As Christ also saith vnto the Sadduceis, Erratis nescientes Scripturas: Ye are deceiued (not bi∣cause ye knowe, but) bic••use ye knowe not the Scriptures. So S. Hierome saith, Omni studio leg••dae nobis sunt Scripturae,* 1.3 vt probati trapezitae sciamus, quis numus pro∣bus sit, quis adulter. We must reade the Scriptures with al diligence, that as beinge good ex∣changers, we maie knowe the lawful Coine from the Copper. So Chrysostome, Manichaei, & omnes Hereses decipiunt simplices.* 1.4 Sed si habuerimus sensus animae exercitatos ad dis∣cretionem boni, & mali, poterimus huiusmodi discernere. Quomodò autem fiunt sensus nostri exercitati? Ex vsu Scripturarum, & frequenti auditione. The Manichees, and al Heresies deceiue the simple. But if we haue the senses of oure mindes practised to discerne good, and yl, w•• maie be hable to discerne them. But howe maie our senses become practised? By the vse of the Scriptures,* 1.5 and often hearinge. Likewise saith Theophylacte, Illis, qui scrutantur Diuinas Scripturas, nihil potest illudere. Illae enim sunt Lucerna, qua fur deprelienditur, Nothinge can deceiue them, that searche the Holy Scriptures.

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For that is the Candel, whereby the thiefe is espied.* 1.6 This iudgement had the Olde Ca∣tholique Fathers of Readinge the Holy Woorde of God. But, that a blinde man can better avoide dangers, then he, that seeth: or, that a naked man in the middest of his enemies, can better acquite him selfe, then he, that is armed, it seemeth a very vnsensible, and an vnlikely doctrine.