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 B. of Sarisburie.

What thinge is there, either so vile, or so horrible, but by sutche proper excuses maie soone be smoothed? Chrysostome saithe, Haec, etsi minima esse videantur, ta∣men magnorum sunt causae malorum.* 1.1 Nam & Ciuitates, & Ecclesias saepe numerò euer∣terunt. Propterea nec à lachrymis abstinere possum, cùm primos istos consessus & salutationes audiam, ac in mentem veniat, quot, quantá hinc mala in Ecclesia Die orta sint: These thinges, notwithstandinge they seeme smal, yet are they the causes of greate euils. For oftentimes haue they ouerthrowen bothe Citties, and Churches. There∣fore I cannot absteine from weepinge, when I heare of these Superiorities, and Salutati∣ons: and consider, how many, and howe greate euils haue growen thereof in the Churche of God.* 1.2 S. Hierome, mutche mislikinge the state of his time, saithe thus, Episcopi, velut in aliqua sublimi specula constituti, vix dignantur videre mortales, & alloqui conserous suos: The Bishoppes, as if thei were placed in somme high Castle, scarce∣••y vouchesaue to looke vpon poore mortal menne, and to speake vnto their felowe seruantes.

Touchinge the Bishop of Rome,* 1.3 it is not for nought, that S. Gregorie saith, Rex Superbiae in foribus est: The Kinge of Pride is euen at hande. In the Popes ovvne Booke of the Ceremonies of Rome,* 1.4 it is written thus, Electus Impera∣tor cum suis omnibus, seruato ordine, per gradus ascendit suggestum. Et vt primùm videt Pontificem, detecto capite,* 1.5 illum, genu terram contingens, veneratur: & iterum, cùm appropinquat ad gradus Sedis, genuflectit: demum, vbi ad Pontifi∣cis pedes peruenit, illos in reuerentiam Saluatoris Deuotè osculatur: The Em∣peroure Electe goeinge in arraie with al his traine, passeth vp the staires into the Scaffolde. And as soone, as he seethe the Pope, he woorshippeth him with bare heade, touchinge the grounde with his knee: Againe, when he commeth to the foote of the Popes throne, he kneeleth downe. Laste of al, when he commeth vnto the Popes Feete, he kisseth them de∣uoutely in the reuerence of our saueour. This is ordered, as a special Ceremonie, and appointed vnto the Emperoure, as parte of his duetie.

Likewise it is written of the Empresse, as concerninge her duetie: Impera∣trix Coronata,* 1.6 mox osculatur Pedem Pontificis: The Empresse beinge Crowned immediately kisseth the Popes foote.

Againe of the Pope him selfe it is written thus: Papa nemini omninò mor∣talium reuerentiam facit, assurgendo manifestè, aut Caput inclinando, seu dete∣gendo: The Pope him selfe geeueth no manner of reuerence to any man aliue, either o∣penly by standinge vp, or by bowinge downe, or by vncoueringe his Heade.

But the Pope, saie you, humbly, for his owne personne, refuseth sutche ho∣noure, and hereby teacheth Kinges, and Emperours, and al their Subiectes to be humble. A strange case, to teache Humilitie in the Schole of Pride. Sutche Humilitie taught Iulius Caesar, Diocletian, and Maximinus. Iulius Cae∣sar raughte oute his foote for Pompeius Poenus to kisse, that folkes might sée his Golden Slipper sette with stoanes.* 1.7 Pomponius Laetus saithe, Diocle∣tianus edicto sanxit &c. Diocletian commaunded by Proclamation, that al menne shoulde fal downe, and kisse his Feete: whereunto also be added a certaine reuerence, adour∣ninge his shoes with Golde,* 1.8 and Diamondes. Maximinus also afterwarde did the like.

Sutche Humilitie shal Antichriste teache, auancinge him selfe aboue al that is woorshipped, or called God.

Sutche Humilitie y^• Diuel tooke vpon him to teache, when he saide to Christe, I wil geue thee al these thinges,* 1.9 if thou wilte fal downe, and woorship me.

Thus maie the Pope cal him selfe Lorde of Lordes: Kinge of Kinges: and sette his foote on Emperours neckes: and yet neuerthelesse, if he can frame a newe title, and saie, He is Seruus Seruorum Dei, The Seruante of Goddes Seruantes, it is no Pride: it is but Humilitie.

Antoninus saith,* 1.10 Non minor honor debetur Papae, quàm Angelis. Vnde Papa recipit à Fidelibus Adorationes, Prostrationes, & Oscula pedum: quod non per∣misit Angelus à Iohanne Euangelista sibi fieri: There is no lesse honour dewe vnto the Pope, then vnto the Angels of God. Therefore the Pope suffereth the Faitheful to VVoorship him, to fal downe before him, and to kisse his Feete: whiche thinges the Angel of God woulde not suffer S. Iohn the Euangeliste to doo vnto him.

This, M. Hardinge, is no maliceous Railinge, as yée cal it, nor Spite, nor Poi∣son, nor Vntruthe stuffed with false, and cankered sclaunders. By the reporte of your owne Doctours, and by your owne Confession, it is the Truthe.

The Porphyrie Stoole of easemente serueth, ye saie, to put the Pope in minde of his Hu∣manitie, that is to saie, that he maie remember him selfe, in the middes of al his glorie, to be a man. No, no, M. Hardinge, your owne Authours, and stories can tel you, that stoole serueth, to put the Pope in remembrance of his Virilitie:

that the worlde maie knowe, he is no woman.

But let your imagination stande for true. Yet maie wée thinke, your Popes are so forgeatful, or so dulheaded, or so blockishe, that they haue neede to be taught by so vile examples, to knowe them selues? Certainely this is a Mystical kinde of Stoole of Easemente. Wée cannot lightly lacke Mysteries at his handes, if so homely a place be so ful of Mysteries. Kinge Alexander the Greate vnder∣stoode him selfe to be a Man Mortal,* 1.11 for that he was sommetimes of natural neces∣sitie forced to sléepe. But Christes Vicare: Peters Successoure: The Doctoure of al Doctoures: The Father of al Fathers: The Maister, and Teacher of al the worlde, were it not for a stoole of casemente, woulde quite forgeate his owne Hu∣manitie, and coulde neuer remember him selfe to be a Man.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chrysostom. in Matthae. Homil. 74.
• * 1.2

  Hieronym. in E∣pist ad Galathas Cap. 4.
• * 1.3

  Kisse the Popes foote.
• * 1.4

  Gregor. Lib 4. Epist. 38.
• * 1.5

  Ceremoniar. Li. 1. Sectio. 5. Ca. 3. Deuotè os∣culatur.
• * 1.6

  Ceremoniar. Li. 1. Sectio. 5. Ca. 6. Ceremoniarium. Lib. 3. Cap. 2.
• * 1.7

  Seneca. Pomponius Lae∣tus in Diocle∣tiano.
• * 1.8

  Alexander ab Alexandro. 2. Thessalon. 2.
• * 1.9

  Matthae. 4.
• * 1.10

  Antoninus in Summa, Par. 3. ti. 22. Ca. 5. §. 4.
• * 1.11

  Plutarch. in A∣lexandr••.