A detection of sundrie foule errours, lies, sclaunders, corruptions, and other false dealinges, touching doctrine, and other matters vttered and practized by M.Iewel, in a booke lately by him set foorth entituled, a defence of the apologie. &c. By Thomas Harding doctor of diuinitie.

Brentius the first author of this new deuise, of laying the Aduersaries sharpe wordes together in one heape, practized by M. Iewel.

This deuise of laying together in a heape al the sharpe wordes, with whiche one feeleth him selfe prickte, cul∣led out of the aduersaries wri••••nges, is very strange and new, and before this age, whiche bringeth forth many rare nouelties, was neuer vsed of any learned man. In our time it is begonne, and for ought I know, first practi∣zed by Brentius, who in the beginning of his booke against Bullinger, entituled, Recognitio propheticae & Apo∣stolicae doctrinae, &c: written in defence of his newe do∣ctrine of Vbiquitie, laieth together in a heape al the wordes, that Bullinger had vttered in his booke against him, whiche might seeme sharpe, rough, and vngentle: so softely must these menne now be handled, after that they haue spent al their intemperate railing vpon the Pope,

the Papistes, the most blessed Sacrament of the Aulter, the daily Sacrifice, the other Sacramentes, and the godly Ceremonies of holy Churche. Wherefore M. Iewel is not like to haue the glorie of this new deuise: he must be content to yeelde it vnto Iohn Brentius, whose ape and folower he is in this, as in many other pointes wor∣thy of smal praise.

Now if Bullinger the grande Captaine of the Sacra∣mentaries, of which secte M. Iewel is a professed main∣teiner, thought it not vnseemely for the grauitie of his Ministership, to be so plaine with Brentius, as to put him in minde sometimes of his deserued titles, by saying, he was, Rixator, Spiritus inflatus, Calūniator, &c. a Branler,* 1.1 a pufte Sprite, a spiteful speaker, a skoffer, a mocker, a Hickescor∣ner, a peruerter, a lyer, vncleane, impudēt, a babler, a brabler, a craker, a thrower of Christ out of his heauenly seate, madde, light, childish, a iangler, a reuiler, a sclaunderous person, an Eutychian, a Sophiste, a railer, woorse then Swenckefeldius him selfe: Againe, if he thought it not discommendable in him selfe being the chiefe Superintendent of Zurich, to cal Brētius booke writen in defence of that new heresie, Brentianas nebulas, figmenta. &c. The mistes and deuises of Brentius Head, vaine, and peeuish ••oies, knauish fo∣lies, a doctrine dissoluing the hope of the faithfulles assured saluation in heauen, a madnesse, a phantasie, Sophistrie, crafty fetches, most false deuises, a feeble write, Sophismes, guiles, a booke of Riddles, a fabulous monstre, a Sophistical Egypte, stincking trifles prodigious Vbiquitie frantique wor∣des, &c: If Bullinger I saie, one of your noblest Worthies, thought it not vnseemely for his degree and state, to vse suche bitter eloquence, and order of speach in reprouing

Brentius, and was neuer, and, it is like, should neuer haue benne reproued for it among them of your owne Sacramentarie Secte M. Iewel: why are you so heauy a Maister to me, whom you esteeme muche lesse, then Henrie Bullinger the Successour of your great Patriarke Zuinglius in the Chaier of your doctrine at Zurich, as to blame that in me, whiche you could not finde in your harte to disallow in Bullinger? Wel how so euer in please you fauorably to iudge of your owne great Maisters, and laye lode of reproches vpon me: yet this muche you maie cal to your consideration.

Wordes considered alone without composition, sounde good, or euil, according to their signification: and al manner of wordes may be vsed without blame. Of the sentences, and whole sayinges onely, where the circum∣stance may be considered and weighed, faire, or fowle speache is conceiued. Now if thou wilt take the paines Reader, to turne to the places of my bookes, whence M. Iewel hath piked out those wordes, for vse of whiche he reproueth me, as a man of vncourteous vtterance: thou shalt right wel perceiue (in case heresie haue not vtterly bewitched thyne vnderstanding, and bereued thee of al iudgement) the verdure of my speache to be suche, as may seme conuenient for a vessel of the holy Ghoste to taste of.

It may please M. Iewel to consider, that by degree of Schoole, and by lawful calling otherwise, I stand in the place of teachers. And therefore though at this present the Pulpite be denyed me, yet I find not my selfe wholly so discharged of the office of teaching. Now hauing no other conuenient meane to teache, but by writing: what

ought I at this tyme to write rather, then Confutations of his, and his felowes false doctrine, and Defences of the Catholique Faith? Whereas this muche I could not do, but that it behoued me to deale with him, who aboue al others most busily impugneth Gods truth, and conse∣quently with those of his side: I thought it not good, for ryuing of harde blockes, to vse softe wedges.

And though I had litle hope by any way to ryue a sunder the harde knotte, wherein their hartes, and He∣resie are faste growen together: yet that some others by them enuegled might be brought to a better minde, who not being so desperate, be neuerthelesse hardly withdrawen frō their errours, by reason of long custom, and carnal libertie by the same mainteined: I iudged the stile and order of writīg, that I haue vsed, to be most pro∣fitable for their behalfe. For they seing the Captaines of deceiuers so with iuste sharpnes rebuked, and their Heresies with deepe strokes so deadly wounded, wil the rather be induced to abhorre their former errours, to be∣thinke themselues, and by their reproufe, learne to amend their owne faultes as oftentimes young Princes, and noble children be corrected, with beholding correction ministred to other children of baser condicion.

Howbeit, if al should be accompted to vse vnciuile, and vncourteous speache, out of whose writinges such wordes may be gathered, as M. Iewel reproueth in me: I knowe not, what Doctor, what Father my escape that reproche. Neither S. Cyprian wrote al thinges so Martyrlike, nor S. Basil so meekely, nor S. Ambrose so grauely, nor S. Chrysostom so sweetly, nor S. Augustine so temperately, nor S. Gregorie so humbly: but with

searche, no smal multitude of suche wordes might easily be founde in their learned and godly workes, with no lesse vehemencie of spirite vttered against Heretiques, and other wicked persons. What shal I say of S. Hierom, whose vtterance against Heretiques of lesse malice, and against other men of more honestie, then these men are of, is such, that to many he seemeth to thunder, and to lighten, rather then to speake?

But what speake I of men? I reporte me to those that haue perused the bookes of the olde, and newe Testa∣ment, whether the like tokens of ernest zeale, and iuste griefe, be not oftentimes founde in the Prophetes, and the Apostles them selues, who were the Secretaries of the holy Ghoste.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In Respō∣sione Brē∣tij ad pri∣mam par∣tem Bul∣lingeri. pag. 8. &. 9.