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.

Vnto the Christian Reader.

PErusinge a certaine booke lately set foorthe in the name of M. Har∣dinge, and weighinge the substance, and parcelles of the same, good Christian Reader, I called to minde these woordes spoken sometime by Socrates the Philosopher, touchinge his Accusers, in his owne defence before the Iudges:* 1.1 My Lordes, in vvhat sorte your affections haue been sturred vvith mine Accusers eloquence, vvhile ye hearde them speake, I cannot tel. But vvel I vvote, for mine ovvne parte, I mee selfe, vvhom it toucheth moste, vvas almost persuaded to beleeue, that al, they saide, vvas true: yea, although it vvere against mee selfe. So handesomely thei can tel their tale: and so likely, and so smoothely they conueigh their maters. Euery vvorde, they spake, had appearance of truth. And yet in good soothe they haue scarcely vttered one vvoorde of trueth.

Thus then saide Socrates of his Accusers. Euen so may I say now of M. Har∣ding. For bothe in trueth of mater, and also in probabilitie of vtterance, they are muche alike. Aristotle, touching the darckenesse, and doubtefulnesse of natu∣ral worldly thinges, saith thus, Quaedam falsa probabiliora sunt quibusdā veris: Certaine fals heades (by meane of good vtterance) haue sometimes more likelyhoode of Trueth, then Trueth it selfe. For Trueth is many times brought in simple, and naked, in poore araye. But Falsheade must needes apparel, and at∣tiere her selfe with al her furnitures. Thus, many times wee are deceiued, and embrace Falsheade in steede of Trueth. And this is the miserie of the Simple. For neither are they hable to teache them selues: nor haue they, where with to discerne their teachers. There was neuer, neither errour so horrible, but the Simple haue receiued it: nor poison so deadly, but the Simple haue dronken it. In this sorte S. Hierome saithe,* 1.2 Infidelitie vvas sometime published, emonge the Simple, vnder the name of Faithe: And Antichriste shalbe adoured, and ho∣noured in steede of Christe.

Touchinge the state, and issue of the mater, where as I, vpon iust occasion of∣fered, and onely in regarde of the trueth, sometime saide in great audience, that in any of these cases here mooued, our Aduersaries are not hable to allege, either any one sufficient clause, or sentence out of the Scriptures, Councels, or Ancient Fathers, or any certaine vsage, or example of the primitiue Churche, M. Har∣dinge hath here alleged, and published, not onely one, or other, but, as he him self saith, and as it is thought of many, great numbers of suche Authorities of Scrip∣tures, Councelles, and Doctours, bothe Greeke, and Latine, and many anciente, and euident examples to the contrary. The places are noted: the woordes are cleare: It cannot be denied: and, as it is supposed, al the worlde is not hable to answeare it.* 1.3 It seemeth now an vndoubted trueth, that as wel these, as also al o∣ther the Doctrines, and Orders of the Church of Rome, haue beene deriued di∣rectly from Christe him selfe, and his Apostles: and haue continued the space of

fifteene hundred, and thertie yeeres at the least. Therefore some haue wisshed, my woordes had been more warily qualified, and vttered with more circum∣spection. Euen this is it, that Aristotle saide, The shevv of trueth beareth often more likelyhoode, then truth it selfe. There is no way so easy, to beguile the Simple, as the name, and countenance of Ancient Fathers. The Arian Here∣tiques alleged for them selues the Ancient Father Origen: The Nestorian here∣tiques alleged the Councel of Nice: the Donatian Heretiques alleged S. Cy∣prian: the Pelagian Heretiques alleged S. Ambrose, S. Hierome, and S. Augu∣stine: Dioscorus the Heretique alleged Gregorius, Cyrillus, and Athanasius: and complained openly in the Councel, euen in like sorte, and as iustly, as M. Hardinge dooth now: Ego defendo dogmata Santorum patrum. Ego illorum habeo testimonia, non obiter, nec in transcursu, sed in ipso∣rum libris posita.* 1.4 Ego cum Patribus eiicior. I mainteine the Doctrine of the Holy Fathers. I haue their vvitnesses, not vttered by chaunce, or by the vvaye, but vvritten in their bookes. I am excommunicate, and cast out, and ban∣nisshed vvith the Fathers. If the Diuel can shew him selfe, as the Angel of light: and if False Prophetes can come in the name of Christe•• muche more may some others come in the name, and vnder the coloure of certaine Fathers.

But, good Christian Reader, for thy better vnderstanding, least happily thou be deceiued, it may please thee to know, that these Authorities, alleged here by M. Harding, are neither new, nor strange, nor vnknowen to any man of meane learning but haue beene bothe often brought in, and alleged by others, and also weighed, and examined, and thorowly confuted longe a goe. In deede M. Har∣ding hath added of him self some bewtie of his eloquence, and maiestie of woor∣des▪ and yet not so much, nor suche, but it may easily be answeared, although not with like eloquence, whereof in these cases there is no neede, yet at leaste with more trueth. I trust, by indifferent conference hereof, thou shalt soone see the Ancient Fathers, Some that neuer were, by M. Hardinge surmised, and countrefeited: Some vntruely alleged: Some corruptely translated: Some per∣uersly expounded: Some vnaptly, and gui••efully applied: Their woordes some∣times abbridged▪ sometimes enlarged: sometimes altered▪ sometimes dissembled: Fabulous, and vnknowen Authorities newly founded: Childish Argumentes fondly concluded: To be shorte, infinite Vntruethes, and knowen Vntruethes boldely auouched•• In consideration hereof S. Augustine crieth out, O rerum Naturae obscuritas:* 1.5 quantum ••egmen est Falsitatis? O the Darkenesse of Natural thinges. VVhat a coouer••e haue lies to lu••ke in? Therefore Socrates saith, VVee may not beleeue euery Argumente, that is shevved vs, vpon the sight. But must open it, and searche it, and looke it through. For oftentimes it seemeth otherwise, then it is. It seemeth stronge without, and is weake within.

Kinge Agesilaus, when he vnderstoode his Enimies of policie, to coouer the smal∣nesse, and weaknes of their bodies, had bomebasted, and embossed out their coates with greate quarters, that they might seeme bigge, and mighty men, and that his souldiers therewith were muche dismaide, after he had ouerthrowen, and slaine them in the fielde, pulled of their coates, and stript them, and left them naked: and, when he had caused his Souldiers to beholde the poore, lither, sclender, wearishe bodies, nothing like that, they seemed before, then saide he vnto them: Lo, these be they, of vvhom ye stoode so muche afraide: these be their greate bodies: these be their mighty boanes. Euen so, good Reader, if thou stande in feare of these M. Hardinges Authorities, and Argumentes, and thinke them terrible, and inuin∣cible, for that they are embossed, and wrought out by arte: take them, rippe them, open them, searche them, weighe them, strippe them naked, shake them out, con∣ferre them with the places, from whence they were taken: consider the Causes, and the Circumstances, what goeth before, what commeth after: marke the Storie of the time: examine the Iudgemente of other Fathers: and thou shalt marueile, wherfore thou stoodest so muche afraide, or euer thoughtest them to be inuincible.

It were aboue al thinges to be desired of God, that his Heauenly Trueth might passe foorth without these contrarieties, and quarrels of iudgementes: and many godly wise men are muche offended, to see it otherwise. But thus it hath been euer from the beginning. Cain was against Abel: Esau against Iacob: The Kinge∣dome of Darkenesse was euer against the Kingedome of Light: The Scribes, and Phariseis were greeued with Christe: Celsus, Prophyrius, Iulianus, Symmachus were greeued with the Glorie of the Gospel. Christe him selfe is the stoane of of∣fense, laide to the Resurrection, and ruine of many. But through these offenses, and contentions the Trueth of God breaketh out, and shineth more glorious.

Blissed therefore be the name of God, that hath offered this occasion. For I haue no doubte in God, but of this necessarie conflicte, through his mercie, there shal issue some sparkle, to the glorie of his holy name. For as Moses Rodde deuou∣red the Roddes of the Sorcerers, euen so wil the Trueth of God deuoure Errour. Darkenesse cannot stande before the light. Tertullian saithe, Scriptura diuina Haereticorum fraudes, & furta conuincit, & detegit: The Holy Scripture discloaseth▪ and confoundeth the suttle••ies, and robberies of Heretiques. And Ne∣hemias saith,* 1.6 Greate is Veritie, and preuaileth.

But M. Hardinge threatened afore hande, that mine Answeare (be it true, be it false) shal soone be answered. How be it, if he wil not dissemble, but deale plain∣ly, and laye out the whole, and answeare the whole, as, he seeth, I haue dealte with him, perhappes it may require him some longer time. But if he dismembre my say∣inges, and ••ulle out my woordes, and take choise of my sentences, without regarde, what goeth before, or what cometh after: or, if he sende vs ouer suche pretie Pam∣flettes,

as he lately printed togeather, and ioined with the Turkish Newes of Mal∣ta, I warne him before hande, I may not vouchesaue, to make him answeare.

Notwithstanding, before he addresse him selfe to his seconde Booke, I would coun∣sel him, first, to consider better the ouersightes, and scapes of his former Booke: and further, to thinke, that, what so euer he shal write, it wil be examined, and come to trial. And let him remember, it is not sufficient, to cal vs Sacramentaries, and He∣retiques: or to condemne our Bookes for pelfe, and trasshe, and fardles of lies, before he see them. For these thinges wil now no lenger goe for Argumentes. But be∣fore al thinges, let him write no moe Vntruethes: For thereof he hath sente vs ye∣nough already: Let him nomore wreast, and racke the Scriptures: Let him nomore neither misallege, nor mysconstrue, nor corrupte, nor alter the holy Fathers: Let him nomore imagin Councels, and Canons, that he neuer saw: Let him nomore bring vs, neither his Amphilochius, nor his Abdias, nor his Hippolytus, nor his Clemens, nor his Leontius, nor any other like childishe forgeries: nor his Gheasses, nor his Vi∣sions, nor his Dreames, nor his Fables: Let him nomore bringe one thinge for an other: And, to be shorte, let him bring no moe Contradictions in his owne tales, nor be founde contrarie to him selfe. Otherwise, the more he striueth, the more he bewraieth his owne cause.

Now, good Christian Reader, that thou maiste be the better hable, bothe to sa∣tisfie thine owne Conscience in these cases, and also to vnderstande, as wel, what is saide, as also, what is answeared of either partie, I haue laide foorth before thee M. Hardinges Booke without any diminution, fully, and wholy, as he him selfe gaue it out. And to euery parcel thereof, accordinge to my poore skil, I haue laide mine Answeare: whether sufficient, or insufficient, thou maiste be Iudge. To thee it is dedicate: and for thy sake it is written. Here muste I say vnto thee, euen as S. Hierome saithe to his Reader in the like case: Quaeso, Lector, vt memor Tribunalis Domini,* 1.7 & de iudicio tuo te intelligens iudicandum, nec mihi, nec Ad∣uersario meo faueas: néue personas loquentium, sed causam consideres: I beseche thee, good Reader, that, remembringe the Iudgemen••seate of the Lorde, and vnderstandinge, that as thou doost iudge, so thou shalt be iudged, thou fauer neither mee, nor mine Aduersa∣rie, that vvriteth against mee: and that thou regarde not the personnes, but onely the cause.

God geue thee the Sprite of Vnderstandinge, that thou maiste be hable to iudge vprightly: God geue thee eies to see, that thou maist beholde the comfortable, and glorious face of Gods Trueth: that thou maist know thee good, and merciful, and perfit wil of God: that thou maiste gròw into a ful perfite man in Christe, and no lenger be blowen away with euery blast of vaine Doctrine: but maiste be hable to know the Onely, the True, and the Liuing God, and his onely begottē Sonne Iesus Christe: To whom bothe with the Holy Ghost be al Honour, and Glorie for euer, and euer: Amen.

From London, the .vi. of Auguste. 1565.

Iohn Ievvel Sarisburien.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Plato in Apolo∣gia Socratis.
• * 1.2

  Hieronym. con∣trae Luciferiae∣nos.
• * 1.3

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.4

  In Concil. Chal∣cedon▪ Action. 1.
• * 1.5

  August▪ de Mo∣rib•• Ma••••chae. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••. ca. 16.
• * 1.6

  3. Esdr. 4.
• * 1.7

  Aduersus error. Iohā. Hierosoly∣mitani.