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 Apologie, Cap. 20. Diuision. 3.

For whereas somme vse to make so greate a vaunte, that the Pope is onely Peters Successour, as though thereby he carried the Holy Ghoste in his bosome, & cannot erre, this is but a mater of nothing, & a very trifelinge tale. Gods Grace is promised to a good minde, and to any one that feareth him, not vnto Sees & Successiōs. Richesse, saithe S. Hierome, maie make a Bishop to be of more might, then the reste: but al the Bishoppes, whosoeuer they be, are the Succes∣sours of the Apostles. If so be the Place, and Consecration onely be sufficient, why then, Manasses Succeded Dauid, and Caiphas Suc∣ceded Aaron. And it hath benne often seene, that an Idol hath benne placed in the Temple of God. In olde time, Archidamus the Lace∣demonian boasted mutche of him selfe, howe he came of the bloud of Hercules. But one Nicostratus, in this wise abated his pride: Nay, quod he, thou seemest not to descende from Hercules. For Hercules destroied euil menne: and thou makest good menne euil. And when the Phariseis bragged of their linage, howe they were of the kinred and bloude of Abraham,* 1.1 Ye, saithe Christe, seeke to kil me, a manne vvhiche haue tolde you the truthe, as I hearde it from God. Thus Abraham neuer did. Yee are of youre Father the Diuel, and vvil needes obeie his vvil.

M. Hardinge.

The Pope succedeth Peter in auctoritie and power. For whereas the Shepe of Christe continewe to the worldes ende, he is not wise, that thinketh Christe to haue made a shepeherde temporarie or for a time, ouer his perpetual flocke. Then what shepeherdly endoument our Lorde gaue to the firste shepe∣herde,

at the institution of the shepeherdely office of the Churche: that is he vnderstanded to haue geeuen ordinarely to euery successour.* 1.2 To Peter he gaue that he obteined by his praier made to the Father, that his Faithe should not faile. Againe, to him he gaue grace that to performe, the perfor∣mance whereof at him he required, to witte, that he confirmed and strengthened his brethren: where∣fore the grace of stedfastnesse of Faithe, and of confirminge the waueringe and doubtful in Faithe, euery Pope obteineth of the holy Ghoste for the benefite of the Churche. And so the Pope, although he maie erre by personal erroure, in his owne priuate iudgemente, as a man, and as a particular Doctour in his owne opinion:* 1.3 yet as he is Pope, the successour of Peter, the Vicar of Christe in earthe, the shepeherde of the vniuersal Churche, in publique iudgemente, in deliberation and definitiue sentence * 1.4 he neuer erreth.* 1.5 nor neuer erred. For when so euer he ordeineth or determineth any thinge by his highe Bishoply Auctoritie, intendinge to binde Christen menne to performe or beleue the same, he is alwaies gouerned and holpen with the grace and fauour of the holy Ghoste. This is to Catholique Doctours a very certaintie, though to sutche doughty Clerkes as ye are, it is but a mater of nothinge, and a very triflinge tale.

Gods grace in one respecte, is promised bothe to a good minde, and to one that feareth God, and also in an other respect, to the successours of Peter. S. Hieromes saieinge to Euagrius, whiche nowe you haue alleaged three or foure times, wil not handsomly serue you for so diuerse pointes, as a ship∣mans hose for diuerse legges.‡ 1.6 Once againe I tel you, thereby he meaneth nothinge els, but that, the greatnes of Rome ought not to geue Auctoritie to a wronge priuat custome, (by whiche Deacons, in certaine cases were preferred before Priestes) against the right generall custome of the worlde. And bishoppes be the successours of the Apostles, we graunte, yet is the Pope the successour of Peter,* 1.7 who was shepeherde of al Christes Lambes and shepe, and therefore also* 1.8 of the Apostles them selues, and so hath a higher auctoritie.

As for your example of Archidamus, who boastingly fetched his petigree from Hercules, you muste consider, succession of vertue alwaies foloweth not succession of bloude. Nowe wee do•• acknowledge in the Pope a succession of shepeherdly power, euen sutche as was in Peter.‡ 1.9 VVhiche power is not taken awaie by lacke of Peters holines. Christe likewise by his answeare to the Phariseis, though he affirmed, they succeded not Abraham in loue of truthe, and that for their malice, they were of their Father the Deuil: yet ••e denied not, but that they came lineally of Abra∣ham, and were of his bloud, though not of his godlines. Sutche succession meane not we, speakinge of the Pope, whose succession is deriued of Peter: but the succession of power and auctoritie, and* 1.10 of infallibilitie of Faithe in iudgemente and sentence definitiue.

The B. of Sarisburie.

Here wee haue founde one Pope with twoo Capacities. In one respecte he is a Man: in an other respecte he is aboue a Man: but whether, in that respecte, he be Angel, or Archangel, it is paste in silence. One waie he Succedeth Peter: an other waie he Succedeth, I knowe not, whom. One waie he maie Erre: an other waie, though he woulde neuer so faine, he cannot erre. In his Bed, at his Table, on Horsebacke, or els where, wee maie wel mistruste him: for in these places he maie be deceiued, as wel, as others. But, in Councel, in Consistorie, and in place of Iudgemente, it is moste certaine, yee saie, he cannot erre. For in these places he hathe the Holy Ghoste, I trowe, at his Commaundemente. His Povver Pastoral, his Succession in Authoritie, and Infallibilitie of Faithe, his Place, his Chaire, & his Consecration,* 1.11 are sufficiente for euer to preserue him from Erroure. To like pourpose Salluste sommetime saide of Cicero, Aliud Stans, aliud Sedens, de Republi∣ca sentit: While he Standeth vp, he hath one minde, touching the common State: When he sitteth downe,* 1.12 he hath an other. Apolloes Nonne, while she sate mewed in her Caue, was inspired, and Prophesied, and gaue Oracles: but after that shee came abroade, shee was no wiser, then other wemen. Thus your Doctours saie, as it is before re∣ported, Veritas adhaeret Cathedrae: Papa sanctitatem recipit à Cathedra: The

Popes Truthe is fastened vnto his Chaire:* 1.13 The Pope from his Chaire receiueth his Holinesse.

It shameth mee, M. Hardinge, to see you so vainely occupied about these vani∣ties. Yee maie wel be liberal in dealinge hereof. They coste you but litle: they are onely your owne. Scriptures, Doctoures, or Councels, to witnesse your saieinges, yee allege none. For further declaration of this whole mater, I beseche thee, good Christian Reader,* 1.14 to consider the shorte treatie that I haue written before, tou∣chinge the sundrie Erroures, and euidente Heresies, that haue benne notably founde in Popes. Alphonsus de Castro, one of M. Hardinges owne special Do∣ctours, saithe:* 1.15 Non dubitamus, an Haereticum esse, & Papam esse, coire in vnum possint, &c. Non enim credo, aliquem esse adeò Impudentem Papae Assentatorem, vt ei tribuere hoc velit, vt nec Errare, nec in Interpretatione Sacrarum Literarum hallucinari possit: Wee doubte not, whether one man maie be a Pope, and an Heretique bothe togeather. For, I beleue, there is none so shamelesse a flatterer of the Pope, that wil saie, (as you saie, M. Hardinge) The Pope can neuer Erre, nor be deceiued in the Exposition of the Scriptures.

Likewise Erasmus saithe: Si verum est, quod quidam asseuerant, Romanum Pontificem Errore Iudiciali Errare non posse,* 1.16 quid opus est Generalibus Con∣cilijs? quid opus est, in Concilium accersere Iurisconsultos, ac Theologos eru∣ditos? Si Papa pronuntians labi non potest, cur datus est Appellationi locus, vel ad Synodum, vel ad eundem rectiùs edoctum? Quorsum attinet, tot Acade∣mias in tractandis Fidei quaestonibus distorqueri, cùm ex Vno Pontifice, quod ve∣rum est, audire liceat? Imò qui fit, vt huius Pontificis decreta cum illius Pontificis de∣cretis pugnent? If it be true, that somme menne saie, that the Bishop of Rome can ne∣uer Errre in Erroure of Iudgemente, what neede wee then so many General Coun∣celles? And in the same, what neede wee so many Lavviers, and learned Diuines? If the Pope cannot Erre in geeuinge sentence, wherefore lieth there any Appeale from the Pope, either to a Councel, or els to the Pope him selfe beinge better enfourmed? What neede wee to trouble so many Vniuersities, in discussinge of Maters of Faithe, whereas wee maie learne the Truthe of the Pope alone? Naie, howe commeth it aboute, that one Popes Decrees are founde contrarie to an others: if it bee so certaine, that the Pope, who so euer he be and what so euer he saie, can neuer Erre?

That yee speake of Peters Succession, is vaine, and childishe. Of suche folie Athanasius saithe:* 1.17 Persuasus est, in Magnitudine Vrbium Religionem esse sitam: This wise man imagineth, that Religion standeth in the Greatenesse of Citties. S. Hie∣rome saithe: Potentia Diuitiarum, & Paupertatis Humilitas vel Sublimiorem, vel Infe∣riorem Episcopum non facit. Caeterùm omnes Apostolorum successores sunt: The Wealthe of Richesse, and the Basenesse of Pouertie maketh a Bishop neither Higher, nor Lower. But al Bishoppes be the Apostles Successours.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iohan. 8.
• * 1.2

  Luke. 22.
• * 1.3

  Vntruthe, ioi∣ned vvith impu∣dent flatterie, & extreme folie.
• * 1.4

  Vntruthe, ioi∣ned vvith impu∣dent flatterie, & extreme folie.
• * 1.5

  Vntruthe, ioi∣ned vvith impu∣dent flatterie, & extreme folie.
• ‡ 1.6

  This place of S. Hierome is ansvveared be∣fore, Par. 2. ca. 3. Diui. 5.
• * 1.7

  Peter vvas the Shepeheard, and the Apostles the Sheepe. A vaine vntruthe vvith∣out ••auoure. Cyprian s••the, Christus parem dedit Aposto∣lis omnibus potestatem.
• * 1.8

  Peter vvas the Shepeheard, and the Apostles the Sheepe. A vaine vntruthe vvith∣out ••auoure. Cyprian s••the, Christus parem dedit Aposto∣lis omnibus potestatem.
• ‡ 1.9

  The Pope suc∣cedeth in povver but notin Ho∣linesse.
• * 1.10

  Al this maie be called the Suc∣cessiō of folie.
• * 1.11

  Sallustius in Ci∣ceronem.
• * 1.12

  Nicola. Cusanus de Authoritate Ecclesi. &c. Dis. 19. Sic om∣nes. in Glossa.
• * 1.13

  The Pope cannot Erre.
• * 1.14

  Par. 6. ca. 5. Di. 2.
• * 1.15

  Alphonsus, De Haeresib. li. 1. ca. 4.
• * 1.16

  Erasm in Anno∣tationibus, In 1. Corin. 7.
• * 1.17

  Athana. In Apo∣logia Secunda. Hieronymus ad Euagrium.