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.

Constantine, ye saie, gaue ouer the Cittie of Rome, and al the VVeaste parte of the Empiere to the Pope, and to his Successours for euer. And this thing erye

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saie,* 1.1 yrketh our hartes ful soare. Yea verily, M. Hardinge, it irketh vs mutche in your behalfe, to sée you, a man of wisedome, and Learninge, to warrante sutche folies without blusshinge. This whole Donation of Constantine, wherevpon ye builde the Popes vvhole Kingdome, hath not shewe sufficient to mocke a childe. The effecte, & sense thereof is this, that Constantinus the Emperoure, the thirde daie after he was Christened, in the honoure of S. Peter, willingly leafte al the Weaste parte of the Empiere, and departed to Byzantium, which is nowe called Constantinople. to dwel in the Easte: & y^• he gaue the whole Emperial, and Ciuile Dominion, not onely of the Cittie of Rome, but also of Italie, France, Spaine, Arragone, Portugal, Englande, Germanie, Scotlande, Irelande, Pole, Den∣marke, Sueden, and Hungarie, to the Pope. This doubtelesse, being true, had ben a toily liberal,* 1.2 and a Princely gifte. And one of your frendes saithe, Volunt aliqui, quòd ratione huius Doni, Summus Pontifex Imperator est: & quòd potest insti∣tuere, & destituere Reges, sicut Imperator: Somme saie, that by meane of this gifte, the Pope is an Emperoure, and maie set vp, and pulle downe Kinges, as an Emperoure.

But Pius Secundus, beinge him selfe afterwarde Bishop of Rome, saithe, Dicta Palea, Constantinus, falsa est: The saide Decree (named Constantinus, con∣teining Constantine the Emperours Donation,* 1.3 or Chartar) is vtterly false. So saith Antoninus the Archebishop of Florence, Valla, Volaterrane, Hieronymus Cathalanus, Otho Frisingensis, and others moe. Of this Fable wee shal haue occasion to speake hereafter.

Constantius the Heretique, sonne vnto Constantinus, as you saie, mutche misliked his Fathers dooinge. Nai, M. Hardinge, if Constantius were aliue, he would rather finde faulte in your discretion, that reporte sutche Folies of his Fathers dooinges. Where ye saie, God suffered him not to returne, and to dwel in Rome, it pal∣leth the déepthe of your Diuinitie, to searche vp the causes, and secretes of Goddes sufferance. Althoughe Constantius, beinge encumbred with dangerous warres, & greate affaires, were forced to staie in other Countries, and could not haue lea∣sure to returne to Rome, yet he stil continued the Lorde of Rome, as also did a greate number of other Emperours, that folovved after him. Therefore Pope Bonifacius thus wrote vnto the Emperoure Honorius:* 1.4 Roma est Vrbs vestrae mansuetudinis: Rome is your Maiesties Cittie. Likewise Pope Agatho writeth vnto the Emperoure Constantinus:* 1.5 Haec est Vrbs Seruilis Maiestatis vestrae: This is your Maiesties bonde Cittie: And Constantinus the Emperour him selfe saithe, Dono Archiepiscopo Antiquae nostrae Romae: To Donus the Arche bishop of our Cittie of Olde Rome.

But what néede moe woordes? The case is so cleare, •• that no man of learninge can cal it in question.

Briefely, touchinge this fonde Fable of Constantines Donation, Cardinal Cusanus saithe thus,* 1.6 Donationem diligenter expendens, reperi in ipsamet Scriptura manifesta argumenta Confictionis, & Falsitatis: Diligently weighinge this Dona∣tion of Constantine, I haue founde in the very penninge thereof manifeste argumentes of for ginge and falshedde. These, M. Hardinge, be the Recordes, and Presidentes of moste certaine, and most ancient memorie, that ye would haue publisshed vnto the world. By sutche Monumentes your Pope claimeth the right, and possession of the Empiere. And your frendes marueile, that ye can defende sutche falshedde, and forgerie, so wel knowen, and so manifeste, for very shame.