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.

Sir defender, ye saie, speaketh like a Liberal Gentleman. Againe yée saie, No sir, Maugre your scoffinge heade. These, and other like woordes, M. Hardinge, are sittinge, and seemely for your personne, and maie wel becomme your mery witte.

Where wee saie, Let the Bishop of Rome be of greater povver, then any General Councel, yée answeare vs readily, And so he is: Where wée saie, Let him be of more VVisedome, then al other Bishoppes, Yée answeare againe, Wee saie not so: As if yée woulde allowe the Pope Authoritie, and Power with∣out Wisedome. Yet wise menne haue saide, that Povver vvithout VVisedome is the kingedome of Folie.

Somme of your frendes haue saide, Si Totus Mundus sententiaret in aliquo nego∣tio contra Papam, videtur, quo'd standum esset Sententiae Papae: If the whole worlde shoulde geeue sentence in any mater againste the Pope, it seemeth, wee ought rather to stande to the Popes iudgemente, then to the Iudgemente of al the worlde. Albertus Pigghi us saithe, Certius est iudicium Papae, quàm iudicium Generalis concilij, aut To∣tius Orbis terrarum: The Iudgemente of the Pope is more certaine, then is the Iudgement of a General Councel, or els of al the whole worlde. An other saithe, Papa virtuali∣ter est Tota Ecclesia: The Pope by Power is the whole Vniuersal Churche. An other saith,* 1.1 Potestas solius Papae excedit Potestatem residuae Ecclesiae: The Popes one∣ly Power excedeth the Power of al the Churche biside.* 1.2 An other saithe, Papa non po∣test subijcere se Concilio Generali: The Pope cannot submitte him selfe to a General Councel. Vpon these woorthy Fundatiōs yée haue built vp the Popes Infinite, and Vniuersal Povver: And therefore yée saie, Sir Defender woulde seeme, to graunte you of free gifte, that he muste needes graunt perforce, whether he wil or no.

Al this not withstandinge, M. Hardinge, others of your more indifferente Do∣ctoures, would haue tolde you an other tale. S. Bernarde saithe, Quae maior super∣bia esse potest,* 1.3 quàm vt Vnus homo toti Congregationi iudicium suum praeferat, tan∣quàm Solus habeat Spiritum Sanctum? What greatter pride can there be, then that One man should esteeme his owne iudgemente more, then the iudgemente of al the Churche, as if he onely had the Sprite of God? Whereunto picus Mirandula addeth these woordes, Imò Simplici potiùs Rustico, & Infanti, & Aniculae magis, quàm Pontifici Ma∣ximo, & mille Episcopis credendū est, si isti contra Euangelium, illi pro Euan∣gelio faciant: Naie, wee ought to beleue a Simple plaine Husbandeman, or a Childe, or an Olde Wooman, rather then the Pope, and a thousand Bishoppes, if the Pope, and y^e Bi∣shoppes speake againste the Gospel, and the others speake with the Gospel.

The Bishoppes in the Councel of Ferraria saie thus, Quacunque facultate Ro∣mana Ecclesia praedita sit, Vniuersali tamen Ecclesiae, quam Generalis Synodus prae se fert, inferior est: With what so euer power the Churche of Rome be endewed, yet is it inferioure to the Vniuersal Churche,* 1.4 that is represented by the General Coun∣cel.

The Bishoppes in the Councel of Basile saie thus,* 1.5 Etsi Papa sit Caput Mini∣steriale Ecclesiae, non tamē est maior tota Ecclesia. Alioqui errante Pōtifice, quod saepè contingit, & contingere potest, tota erraret Ecclesia: Although the Pope be the Ministerial heade of the Churche, yet is he not greater, then al the Churche. Otherwise, when so euer the Pope erreth, whiche thing happeneth oftentimes, and maie wel happen, the whole Churche shoulde likewise erre.

Againe they saie,* 1.6 Nonnulli os suum ponenies in Coelum, Potestatem Romani Pontificis supra Potestatem Sacrorum Generalium Conciliorum, contra Iuris Diuini, & Humani Veritatem, à Sanctis Patribus aliâs declaratam, exaltare ni∣tuntur: Many menne settinge theire face againste the Heauen, goe aboute to exalte the power of the Bishop of Rome aboue the Power of Holy General Councelles, contra∣rie to the Truthe of the Law, both of God, and man, declared vnto vs by the Holy Fathers.

Againe they saie,* 1.7 Ecclesia Romana non est Vniuersa, sed est de Vniuersirate Corporis Mystici, id est, Ecclesiae: Et sic est Membrum dicti Corporis Mystici, vt pater per Beatum Gregorium. Igitur ex quo est Membrū dicti Corporis, non est, nec esse potest Caput illius: Cùm differentia sit inter Caput, & Membra: The Churche of Rome is not Vniuersal, but a parte of the Vniuersal Mystical Body of Christe, whiche is the Churche: and so is it a Member of Christes saide Body Mystical, as it appeareth by S. Gregorie. Therefore, for as mutche as it is a Member of the saide Body, it is not, neither can it be the Heade of the same Body. For there is a difference bitweene the Heade, and the Body.

Likewise againe they saie,* 1.8 Allegant, Papam impunè posse tollere Constitutio∣nem Concilij Generalis, contra prohibitionem ipsius Concilij Generalis: supponentes, Papā else Pastorem Vniuersalis Ecclesiae. Sed ipsorum suppositum est falsum: & cō∣sequenter ipsorum assertio super eo fundata est falsa: Thei saie, The Pope maie safely abo∣lishe the Decree of a General Councel, notwithstandinge the same General Councel haue decreed the contrarie:* 1.9 supposinge, that the Pope is the Bishop of the Vniuersal Churche. But theire supposal is false: and so consequentely false is theire Doctrine, that they haue builte thereupon.

Therefore, M. Hardinge, this parte of your Booke, emonge the reste, woulde more aduisedly haue benne considered. D. Cole him selfe, notwithstanding other∣wise wel enclined vnto your faction, yet in this pointe is wel content to géeue you ouer.* 1.10 Thus he saithe of him selfe: I holde herein rather with Gerson, that the Councel is aboue the Pope.

The Pope, yée saie, in one respecte, as he is a Man, in his owne singulare persone, maie happen to erre: But in an other respecte, as he is Heade Pastoure, and Chiefe Bishop, and is placed in Peters Chaire, he cannot erre. And thus, as the Heathens, in olde times, imagined theire Centaurus to be halfe a Man, and halfe a Horse: or theire Ianus to haue twoo faces, the one behinde, and the other before: euen so haue you imagined twoo Popes in one body: the one goeinge backewarde, the other forewarde: the one bearinge Light, the other Darkenesse: the one deceiued, the other not deceiued: the One speakinge Truthe, the other Falsehedde: and yet both these Popes incorporate to∣geather in one Persone. Geue vs leaue therefore, M. Hardinge, to saie nowe, as the whole Vniuersitie of Parise said,* 1.11 not longe sithence, vnto Pope Leo, A Domino nostro Papa, iam non bene consulto, appellamus: Wee appeale from our Lorde the Pope, beinge, as nowe, not wel aduised.

Certainely,* 1.12 S. Hierome saith, Non est facile, stare in loco Pauli, tenere gradum Petri, iam cum Christo regnantium: ne fortè veniat Angelus, qui scindat Velum Tem∣pli tui, qui Candelabrum tuum de loco moueat: It is no easy mater, to stande in Peter, or Paules place nowe reigninge with Christe: leste the Angel comme, and rente a sunder: he vele of thy Temple, and remoue they Candesticke from his place.

The place of S. Hierome to Euagrius,* 1.13 is answeared before.

Notes

• * 1.1

  9. quaest. 3. Nemo. In Gloss.
• * 1.2

  Alb Piggh. Eccl. Hiera. li. 6. ca. 13. Heruae. De pote∣sta. Pp. Cap. 23. Petr. De Palude, de potestat. Pp. Artic. 4.
• * 1.3

  Extra. De Iudi∣cijs. Cùm venis∣sent. Iohā. Andr. Berna. Citatur à Pico Mirand. In quae. An Papa sit supra Concil. Picus Mirandul. eodem loco.
• * 1.4

  Conc. Ferrarion. Session 10.
• * 1.5

  Concil. Basilien. Inter Epistolas Synodales.
• * 1.6

  In appendice Conc. Basilien. Sacrosanctae Generali.
• * 1.7

  In eadem appē∣dice, Et Primò.
• * 1.8

  In eadem appē∣dice, Eod. capite.
• * 1.9

  The Pope is not pastoure of the Vnt∣uersal Churche.
• * 1.10

  D. Cole.
• * 1.11

  Appellatio Vni∣uer. Parisien. à Leon. 10. An. 1517.
• * 1.12

  Hierony. ad He∣liodorum, De laude vitae Soli∣tariae.
• * 1.13

  Parte. 2. Ca. 3. Diuisi. 5.