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.

Wée are not the Ministers of Antichriste, M. Hardinge, but the witnesses of the Truthe of Christe. He is Antichriste, as S. Paule sheweth you, that sit∣teth in the Temple of God, and auanceth him selfe aboue al that is called God. And, to speake more particularely of the mater, by S. Gregories Iudgement, he

is Antichriste,* 1.1 or the Forerenner of Antichriste, that calleth him selfe, The Vni∣uersal Bishop: And vaunteth him selfe, as the King of Pride: And hath an Armie of Priestes prepared for him: And setteth him selfe, as Lucifer, aboue al his Brethren. Of him Cardinal Franciscus Zarabella saithe thus, Papa facit, quic∣quid libet,* 1.2 etiam illicita: & est plusquam Deus: The Pope doothe, vvhat him listeth, yea though it be vnlavvful: and is more then a God. This is An∣tichriste, M. Hardinge,* 1.3 by the Iudgemente of the wise, and godly: and the suppor∣ters of him, who so euer,* 1.4 and where so euer they be, are the Ministers of Anti∣christe.

It is greate Arrogancie, to auance a Bishop aboue a Kinge: Notwithstandinge in somme good meaninge it maie be true. So a Iudge, in knowledge of the Lawe: so a Doctoure of Physique, in his profession: so a Pilote, in knowledge of the Sea, and guidinge of a shippe: so a Captaine, in Martial affaires is aboue any Kinge: And it behoueth a Kinge, be he neuer so wise, or Mighty, in euery of these seueral faculties, to be guided by them. And thus is the Kinge inferioure, not onely to a Bishop, as you saie, but also to euery Inferiour Prieste.

So S. Chrysostome saith of Christes Apostles:* 1.5 Omnem Terrarum Orbem per∣uaserunt, & omnibus principibus fuerunt magis propriè Principes, Regibus potentiores: The Apostles roaued ouer the whole worlde, and were more Princelike in deede, then the Princes them selues, and more puissante, and mighty, then the Kinges.

So saide the Emperoure Valentinian vnto the people of Millaine,* 1.6 Eum collo∣cate in Pontificali Solio, cui nos quo{que} Moderatores Imperij, nostra Capita submitta∣mus: Place ye sutche a man in the Bishoppes Chaire, vnto whom wee our selues, that go∣ueine the Empiere, maie stoope our Heade.

For the Prince is bounde to the Obedience of Goddes VVoorde, no lesse, then if he were a priuate Subiecte. And if he refuse to heare, and to reuerence the same, as the declaration of Goddes Holy Wil, he is accursed. But what is this, M. Har∣dinge, to your pourpose? Woulde you therefore that the Kinge shoulde sweare his Obedience vnto the Bishop?

In this respecte, by your owne Learninge, any Simple Prieste maie wel be a∣boue the Pope. So saithe your owne Doctoure Panormitane, Papa tenetur Con∣fiteri: & in eo actu Sacerdos est Maior illo: The Pope is bounde to Confesse him selfe: And in that acte of Confession,* 1.7 the Prieste is aboue him. And againe, Papa non potest cogere Sacerdotem, vt reuelet Confessionem: quia in illo actu Sacerdos est Maior, quàm Papa: The Pope cannot compel a Prieste, to open that hath benne saide vnto him in Confession. For in that Acte, the Prieste is greater then the Pope. Yet, I trowe, yée woulde not therefore, the Pope shoulde sweare Obedience to a Prieste.

This therefore, M. Hardinge, it is, that gréeueth vs, to sée the poore Stoole of Humilitie, whereon S. Peter sate, blowen vp nowe into a Mounte of Pride: and the Pope to require Homage, and Fealtie of Kinges, and Emperours, as of his Subiectes. It gréeueth vs to sée you, and others your felowes, in respecte of the Pope, so mutche, not onely to abase, but also vilely to abuse the Maiestie of them, vnto whom Christe, and his Apostles were alwaies obediente. Remember, what one of yours hath written, and published to the worlde in this behalfe. Stanislaus Orichonius saithe thus,* 1.8 Tantùm Sacerdos praestat Regi, quan∣tùm homo praestat bestiae: Quantùm Deus praestat Sacerdoti, tantùm Sa∣cerdos praestat Regi. Qui Regem anteponit Sacerdoti, is anteponit Creatu∣ram Creatori: A Prieste is so mutche aboue a Kinge, as a Man is aboue a Beaste: As mutche as God is better then the Prieste, so mutche is the Prieste better, then a Kinge. He that setteth the Kinge before a Prieste, setteth the Creature before the Crea∣toure.

It gréeueth vs,* 1.9 to sée S. Gregories woordes, by S. Gregories Successours, so proudely broken. For thus he wrote, welneare a thousande yéeres sithence, vnto the Emperoure Mauritius, againste Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople, claiminge then the same Vniuersal Authoritie, that is nowe vsurped by the Pope:* 1.10 Ille coercendes est, qui Sanctae Vniuersali Ecclesiae iniuriam facit: qui corde tu∣met: qui gaudere de Nomine Singularitatis appetit: qui Honori quoque Imperij vestri se per priuatum vocabulum superponit: Your Maiestie muste represse him, that do the this wronge vnto the Holy Vniuersal Churche: that swelleth in harte: that desireth to enioie a Name of Singularitie: that also, by a priuate Title, (callinge him selfe the Vniuersal Bishop) placeth him selfe ouer and aboue the Honoure of your Empiere.

Touchinge the knowledge of Goddes woorde, and cases of Religion, certaine it is, the Kinge is inferiour to a Bishop. But if the Bishop be negligente, and doo not his office: or, if he be wilful, and doo it not rightly: or, if he be ignorante, and cannot doo it: Then is the Bishop vnder the Prince, Subiecte to his checke, and by him maie be pounished. So writeth the Emperoure Constantinus vnto the people of Nicomedia:* 1.11 Si quis Episcoporū in consultè tumultuatus sit, Ministri Dei, hoc est, mea executione, illius audacia coercebitur: If any Bishop vnaduisedly woorke trouble, his boldenesse shalbe repressed by the Order of Goddes Minister, that is to saie,* 1.12 by my execution. Therefore S. Paule saithe, Let euery soule be Sub∣iecte to the Higher Powers. Whereunto S. Chrysostome addeth these woordes: Etiamsi Apostolus sis,* 1.13 etiamsi Euangelista, etiamsi Propheta, siue quisquis tandem fueris. Neque enim Pietatem subuertit ista subiectio: Although thou be an Apostle, although thou be an Euangeliste, although thou be a Prophete, or what one so euer thou be (yet be thou Subiecte to the Higher Powers). For Godlinesse is not hindered by sutche subiection.

Your quarrel, ye saie, is againste Christe: For his personne the Pope beareth. Haue ye not readen, He that despiseth you, despiseth me? Tel vs, I praie you, saie you, doothe the Pope cal him selfe any Princes or Emperours Vicegerent, and not rather the Vicare of Christe alone?

It forceth not greately, by what title the Pope liste to claime. He cannot lightly wante Authoritie, while he maie penne his owne Commission. I trows, wee maie saie of him, as Cicero saide sommetime of one in Rome, Asinius Sena∣tor Voluntarius, Lectus ipse àse: Asinius is a very vvillinge Senatour, him selfe appointed and chosen by him selfe.* 1.14 Verily, Antichriste shal sit in the Tem∣ple of God, euen in the place of Christe, and beare him selfe as Christes Vicare.

Howe be it, Let the Pope doo the duetie of a Bishop: Let him Exhorte: Let him Preache: Let him dispense Goddes Mysteries: Let him fulfil his Office: Let him doo the parte of an Euangeliste: And wée wil loue him, and reuerence him, although not, as Christes Vicare General, yet at leaste, as a Bishop. Otherwise wee muste saie vnto him, as S. Gregorie saide sommetime to Cyriacus the Bishop of Constantinople,* 1.15 Omnes Magnos esse, & Honorabiles cupio, quorum tamen Honor Honori Omnipotentis Dei non detrahat. Nam quisquis se contra Deum Hono∣rari appetit, mihi Honorabilis non est: I wishe that al menne shoulde be greate, and ho∣norable: so that theire honoure be not preiudicial to the honoure of Almighty God. For who so euer shal desire him selfe to be honoured againste God, shal not be honourable vn∣to mee.

One highe & woorthy Reason wée alleged out of your Pope Innocentius the thirde: The Sonne is higher, and greater, then the Moone: Ergo, the Pope is higher,* 1.16 and greater, then the Emperoure. This Pope Innocentius is he, that saide, Either he would lose his Miter, or els he would pul the Emperoure Philips Emperial Crovvne from his Heade.

Malice. ye saie,* 1.17 blinded vs: otherwise wee might haue seene other his more substantial, and better Reasons. So were it néedeful, M. Hardinge: for certainely this Reason is very simple. But the beste of his Reasons, ye can finde, is this:

The Soule is aboue the Body, Ergo, The Pope is aboue the Emperoure.

And howe like ye this Reason? saie you. Uerily, as a Reason without sense, or Reason: sutche as be many of your makinge. By the like Reason you maie saie,

The Cooke is alwaies aboute the Fire: The Fire is the highest of al Elementes: Ergo, of al Sciences the Cookes occupation is the highest.

By the same Reason ye maie proue, that the highest Emperoure is Subiects, not onely to the Pope, but also to euery simple Prieste. Yea further, of the same Reason there muste néedes folowe a greate inconuenience: That the Pope him selfe, for as mutche as he Ministreth Sacramentes, Teacheth, Exhorteth, and occupieth him selfe in Spiritual affaires leaste of al others, is therefore the lowest, and baseste of al his cleregie.

Nowe, M. Hardinge, I beseeche you, consider the weight, and drifte of your owne Reason.

The Popes Charge is Spiritual, saie you.

Ergo, the Emperoure is bounde to sv veare obedience to the Pope. By what Reason maie this Reason be proued? Uerily by the same good Reason ye maie saie, Euery Priestes Charge is Spiritual:

Ergo, the kinge is bounde to svveare obedience to euery Prieste. Yet by sutche proper Reasons the Pope hath auanced him selfe aboue al the states, and Princes of the Worlde.

But your Holy Father Innocentius, leste he shoulde séeme to wante Scri∣ptures, for proufe hereof allegeth also the woordes of God, spoken vnto the Pro∣phete Hieremie:* 1.18 Beholde I haue set thee ouer Nations, and Kingedomes, to the intente, that thou maiste pulle vp, and scatter, and builde, and plante. Ergo, saithe he, the Empe∣roure is Subiecte vnto the Pope. These proufes, ye saye, Our Defenders coulde not find. Further, ye saie, in your sober māner, VVhen wil you forsake the Schole of Lie∣ing? Truely if there be any sutch Schole, M. Hardinge, you maie claime of good right to be the Maister. Wée are as far frō lieinge, as you are from saieing the Truthe.

But what make these woordes of Hieremie for the Bishop of Rome? Wil ye saie, that the Prophete Hieremie was the Pope? Or, that the Kinge then was sworne to be subiecte, and loial vnto him? What Kinge, or Prince did Hieremie subdue? What People or Countrie euer did he ouerthrowe? One of your owne Do∣ctours saithe,* 1.19 Hieremias nullum Regem deposuit. Sed intelligitur positus supra Cen∣tes, & Regna, quasi habens Authoritatem super ea in annuntiando, & praedicando Vera. Nō de destructione Regum Mundi, sed de destructione Vitiorum, & plantatione Fidei, & morum.* 1.20 Vt illud Pauli, Dei aedificatio estis: Dei Agricultura estis: Hieremie deposed no Kinge. But wee vnderstande, that he was placed ouer Nations, and Kingedomes, as hauinge Authoritie ouer the same, in openinge, and preachinge of the Truthe. He speaketh non of the ouerthrowinge of the Kingedomes of the World, but of the ouerthrowinge of vices, and of the planting of Faith, and manners. In this sense S. Paule saith to the Corinthians, Ye are Goddes buildinge: Ye are Goddes tillage.

The very Glose it selfe saithe, Vt euellas Regnum Satanae: vt plantes bona: vt aedi∣fices Ecclesiam: I haue placed thee, to roote vp (not the Kingedomes of the worlde, nor the states of Common Weales, but) the Kingedome of Satan: to plante good thinges: to builde vp the Churche. His whole Commission was limited with these woordes, Posui Verbum meum in Ore tuo:* 1.21 I haue put my Woorde in thy Mouthe.

Sutche Authoritie had Elias ouer Kinge Achab. And therefore he saide vnto him,* 1.22 It is not I, that trouble Israel, but thou, and thy Fathers house. Sutche Authoritie had Iohn the Baptiste ouer Kinge Herode: and therefore he saide vnto him, It is not lawful for thee, to haue thy Brothers Wife.

If it be true,* 1.23 that ye woulde seeme to saie, that the Popes Superioritie stan∣det onely in thinges Spiritual, wherefore then doothe Pope Nicolas saie, Christus Beato Petro Terreni simul,* 1.24 & Coelestis Imperij Iura commisit? Christe bath ge∣uen to Blessed Peter, the Right as wel of the worldly, as also of the Heauenly Empiere. Wherefore then did Pope Adrian thus write vnto the Emperoure Fredericus: Romae nostra Sedes est:* 1.25 Imperatoris est A quis in Arduenna, quae est Sylua Galliae. Imperator quod habet, totum habet à nobis. Sicut Zacharias transtulit Imperium à Graecis ad Teutonicos, ita nos possumus illud transferre ab Alemānis ad Graecos. Ecce in potestare nostra est, vt demus illud, cui volumus. proptereà constituti sumus à Deo super Gentes, & Regna, vt destruamus, & euellamus, & aedificemus, & plante∣mus: My Seate is in the Cittie of Rome: The Emperours Seate is at Acon in Ardenne, whiche is a Foreste in Fraunce. VVhat so euer the Emperoure hath, he hath it of vs. As Pope Zacharias translated the Empiere from Graecia into Germanie, so maie wee againe translate the same from y^• Germaines to the Greekes. Behold, it is in our power, to bestowe the Empiere vpon who wee liste. Therefore are wee appointed by God ouer Nations, and King∣domes, to pulle downe, to roote vp, to builde, and to plante againe. This Authoritie, I trowe, reacheth sommewhat further, then onely to causes Spiritual. One of your own Doctours saith,* 1.26 Magis esset acceptum Deo, quòd per Solum pōtificem Mun∣dus in Omnibus regeretur: It were more acceptable vnto God, that the worlde in Al Maters (both Spiritual, and Temporal) were gouerned onely by the Pope.

That Innocentius addeth, of the Sonne and the Moone, yée saye, is not a Reason, but a Similitude. This thinge maie easily be graunted. For in déede it is a Simi∣litude vtterly voide of either VVitte, or Reason. But who taught the Pope, so childishly to plaie with Similitudes, thereby to auance him selfe, and to abase the Empiere of the world? Who tolde him, that the Pope is the Sonne, and the Em∣peroure the Moone? Or, that the Emperoure is so far inferioure to the Pope, as y^• Moone is inferiour to the Sonne? Isidorus, that liued sixe hundred yéeres before Pope Innocentius,* 1.27 saithe quite contrarie, Per Solem intelligitur Regnum, & per Lunam intelligitur Sacerdotium: By the Sonne vvee vnderstande the Kingdome: and by the Moone vve vnderstande the Priesthoode: Whereby he geueth vs to consider, contrarie to the Iudgemente of your good Father Pope In∣nocentius, that, as the Moone is inferioure to the Sonne, so is the Pope infe∣rioure to the Emperoure.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pope a∣boue Kinges and Em∣perours.
• * 1.2

  Gregor. Lib. 4. Epist. 30.
• * 1.3

  Grego. Lib. 4. Epist. 38.
• * 1.4

  Francis. Zarabel.
• * 1.5

  Chrys. in Psal. 44
• * 1.6

  Theodoretus, Lib. 4. Cap. 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.7

  Extra. De Poe∣niten. & remiss. Omnis vtrius{que} Abbas.
• * 1.8

  Stanislaus Ori∣chonius in Chi∣mera, Fol. 97.
• * 1.9

  Pope a∣boue Kinges and Em∣perours.
• * 1.10

  Gregor. Li. 4. Epist. 32.
• * 1.11

  Theodoretus, Lib. 1. Cap. 19.
• * 1.12

  Roma. 13.
• * 1.13

  Chrysost. ad Ro∣man. Homil. 23.
• * 1.14

  2. Thess. 2.
• * 1.15

  Gregor. Lib. 6. Epist. 28.
• * 1.16

  De Maior. & Obedien. Solita. Carion. in Inno∣••en. 3.
• * 1.17

  Pope a∣boue Kinges and Em∣perours.
• * 1.18

  Hierem. 1.
• * 1.19

  Heruaeus de Po∣testa. Papa, ca. 13
• * 1.20

  1. Cor. 3.
• * 1.21

  Hierem. 1.
• * 1.22

  Pope a∣boue Kinges and Em∣perours.
• * 1.23

  3. Reg. 18.
• * 1.24

  Dist. 22. Medio∣lanensis.
• * 1.25

  Auentinus in Adrian. 4. Anno. 1154.
• * 1.26

  Heruaeus de Po∣testa. Papae. ca. 12
• * 1.27

  In Glossa in Gene. Cap. 1. Heruaeus de Po∣testa Papae. ca. 13.