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.

Concerning the title of Supreme Head of the Churche, wée néede not to searche for Scriptures to excuse it. For, firste, wée diuised it not: Secondly, wée vse it not: Thirdly, our Princes at this presente claime it not. Your Fathers, M. Harding, firste entitled that moste Noble, and moste Woorthy Prince, Kinge Henrie the Eighth, with that Vnused, and Strange Style, as it maie wel be thought, the ra∣ther to bringe him into the talke, and sclaunder of the worlde.

Howe be it, that the Prince is the Highest Iudge, & Gouernoure ouer al his Subiectes what so euer, as wel Priestes, as Laie menne, without exception, it is moste euidente, by that hath benne already saide: by that shal be saide hereafter: by the whole course of the Scriptures: and by the vndoubted practise of the Primi∣tiue Churche. Verily, the Prince, as it shal afterwarde better appeare, had Bothe the Tables of the Lavve of God euermore committed to his charge: as wel the Firste, that perteineth to Religion, as also the Seconde, that perteineth to Ciuile Gouernemente.

But nowe, M. Hardinge, if a man would aske you, by what VVoorde of God your Priestes, and Bishoppes haue exempted them selues from y^e Iudgement, and Gouernement of theire Princes: Or, by what VVoord of God the Princes hande is restreined more from his Cleregie, then from other his Subiectes: or, by what VVoorde of God, yee woulde stablishe Tvvoo Supreme Gouernoures in one Realme, I marueile, in what Scriptures yée woulde seeke to finde it. Your owne Doctoures, and Glosers saie, as it is before alleged:* 1.1 Quaeritur, quis exemit Clericum de Iurisdictione Imperatoris, cùm priùs esset illi Subiectus? Dicit Laurentius, quòd Pa∣pa de consensu Principis: Question is moued, who hath exempted the Prieste from the Iu∣risdiction of the Emperour, whereas before he was his Subiecte? Laurētius saith (not the VVoorde of God, but) the Pope exempted him, by the Consente of the Prince.

Further, M. Hardinge, we beséeche you, by what VVoorde of God can your Pope claime him self, to be the Heade of the Vniuersal Churche of God? Where is it recorded? Where is it written? In what parte of the Testamente, Newe or Olde? In what Lavve? In what Prophete? In what Epistle? In what Gospel? Where is his Headship? Where is his Vniuersal Povver? If yée can finde it, then maie yee shewe it: If it cannot be founde, then shoulde yée not saie it. As for that you, and other your Felowes haue alleged before, for proufe hereof, it is so childish, & so weake, that, I thinke, yée cannot now comme againe with the same, without blusshinge.

Touchinge the Right, that wée saie, belongeth vnto al Christian Princes, it hath benne inuested,* 1.2 and planted in them from the beginninge. For, to leaue other Authorities of the Scriptures, Pope Eleutherius him selfe wrote thus vnto Lucius, sommetime Kinge of this Realme of Englande: Vos estis Vicarius

Dei in Regno, iuxta Prophetam Regium: You are Goddes Vicare vvithin your ovvne Realme, according to the Prophete Dauid.

Paule the Bishop of Apamea, writeth thus vnto the Emperoure Iustinian, in a cause mere Ecclesiastical, touchinge Religion: Transtulit ipsum Dominus, vt Ple∣nitudinem directionis vestrae custodiret Serenitati:* 1.3 Our Lorde hath taken Pope Aga∣petus awaie, that he might leaue the Fulnesse of order (concerninge these Heretiques, Dioscorus, and Eutyches) vnto your Maiestie.

Tertullian saith,* 1.4 Colimus Imperatorem, vt hominem à Deo Secundum, Solo Deo Minorem: Wee Woorship the Emperoure, as a man nexte vnto God, and infe∣rioure onely vnto God.

And, nothwithstanding the name of Heade of the Churche belonge peculiarely, and onely vnto Christe, as his onely Right, and Enheritance (for as the Churche is the Body, so Christe is the Heade) yet maie the same sommetimes also be applied in sober meaning, and good sense, not onely vnto Princes, but also vnto others, far inferiour vnto Princes. Chrysostome saithe, Videntur mihi istae mulieres Caput fuisse Ecclesiae,* 1.5 quae illic erat: It seemeth vnto mee, that these vveemen vvere the Heade of the Churche, that was at Philippi. Likewise againe, speaking of the Em∣peroure, he saithe thus: Laesus est, qui non habet parem vllum super terram, Summi∣tas, & Caput omnium super terram hominum: Wee haue offended him, that in the Earthe hath no peere, the Toppe, and the Heade of al menne in the VVorlde. If he were the Heade of al menne, then was he the Heade, not onely of Bishoppes, and Cardinalles, but also of the Pope him selfe: Onlesse the Pope were no man.

To conclude, our Princes néede nomore to claime their Lawful Authoritie, and Emperial Righte, by y^• Exāple of Nero, whereof yée haue moued mutche vntime∣ly, and wanton talke, then your Pope néedeth to claime his Vsurped, & Coloured Power, by the Examples of Annas, and Caiphas.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Extra. De maio∣rita. & obedien. Ca. 2. In margi.
• * 1.2

  Epist Eleutherij. Citatur inter Leges Edwardi Primi.
• * 1.3

  Quintae Synodi Act io. 1 pijssimo.
• * 1.4

  Tertullian. Ad Scapulam.
• * 1.5

  Chryso. in Epist. ad Phili. Hom. 13 A Wooman Head of the Churche. Chrysosto. ad Po∣pulum Antioch. Homil. 2.