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.

Iewel. Pag. 197.

* 1.1S. Augustine findeth is not appointed by Christ, or the Apostles, vvhat daies vve ought to fast.

Harding.

* 1.2You kepe your kinde, in alleging thinges out of their kinde. S. Augustine there speaketh of that, which is to be founde in the writinges of the Apostles. For thus it went before, In Apostolicis literis, in the Apostolike writinges. There he findeth not the Lenten fast. But he findeth it in the Apostolike Traditiōs, saying in the very same epistle. In his rebus de quibus nihil cert•• statuit scriptura diuina, mos populi Dei, vel instituta maiorū prolege ••edendasunt. Looke in what thinges the holy Scripture hath determined no∣thing of certaintie, the custome of the people of God, o•• the ordinaūces of the Forfathers,* 1.3 are to be kept as a lawe.

Marke that the custom of Gods, people must be ••ol∣den for a law: prolege, for a law M. Iewel. It is the epistle alleged by you, that saith, Traditiōs, and customes must be

kept for a law. And his owne wordes another where are Vt quadraginta illi dies ante Pascha obseruetur,* 1.4 Ecclesiae con∣suetudo roborauit. That the fortie daies before Easter should be kepte, the custome of the Church hath confir∣med, and strengthened it. And generally he saith: Quae non scripta, sed tradita custodimus, quae quidem toto terra∣rum orbe obseruantur, dantur intelligi, vel ab ipsis Aposto∣lis, vel plenarijs Concilijs commendata, atque statuta retine∣ri. Looke what thinges we kepe, not being written, but deliuered by tradition, which are obserued al the worlde ouer, thereof intelligence is geuen vs, that they be kepte in vre, as thinges cōmended vnto vs, and ordeined either by the Apostles them selues, or by the General Coun∣celles.

Nowe seing the Faste of the fortie dayes was, and is generally kepte in the Churche, and yet not firste commaunded by any general Councel: it remaineth ac∣cording to S. Augustines rule, that it was instituted of the Apostles. And S. Hierome by name saith, it came from the Apostles. In fidei regula discrepamus. We differ in the rule of faith from the Montanistes. For they denie three persons confounding them into one. They accompt the second Marriages as il, as Aduoutrie, and make three Lenten fastes. Nos vnam Quadragesimam secundùm traditionem Apostolorum toto anno, tempore nobis congruo ieiunamus: We faste at a time conuenient one Lent, in the whole yere, according to the Traditions of the Apostles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Epist. ••6.
• * 1.2

  Lenten fast is not founde in the Apo∣stles vvri¦tinges, but in the Aposto∣like Tra∣ditions. Aug. in e∣pist. 86.
• * 1.3

  Custom is a lavve.
• * 1.4

  Augustin. epist. 118.