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. 7. Diuision. 5.

And seeinge one manner of Woorde is geuen to al, and one onely Keie belongeth to al, wee say, there is but one onely Power of al Mi∣nisters, as concerning Openinge, and Shuttinge. And as touchinge the Bishop of Rome, for al that his Flatteringe Parasites singe these woordes in his eares, To thee wil I geue the Keies of the Kinge∣dome of Heauen, (as though these Keies were fitte for him alone, and for no body els) excepte he goe so to woorke, as Mennes Consciences maie be made pliaunte, and be subdued to the Woorde of God, wee de∣nie, that he doth either Open, or Shutte, or hath the Keies at al.

And although the taught, and instructed the People (as woulde God he might once truely doo, and perswade him selfe, it were at the leaste any peece of his dewtie) yet wee thinke his Keie to be neuer a white better or of greater force, then other mennes. For who hath seuered him from the reste? Who hath taught him more conningely to Open, or better to Absolue then his bretherne?

M. Hardinge.

Your grounde beinge false, what ye buylde thereon some faileth. The whole Power of the Keies pardy (howe often times muste we tell you one thinge?) standeth not in preachinge onely, but in sundry other excellent ministeries also, as wee haue proued. If the Bishop of Rome preache not, he doth neis the Open, nor shut by preachinge: wee graunte. Yet mens Consciences beinge made plaint and

subdued by the VVoorde of God by others,* 1.1 that preache at his appointement, he maie by vertue of the Keies either Open or Shut, Loose or Binde, as by discretion he seeth cause. And whereas Christe saide to Peter, and therefore to the Bishop of Rome Peters Successour, To thee wil I geue the Keies of the Kingdome of Heauen:* 1.2 wil ye call them flatteringe Parisites, that yelde to him that, whiche Christe gaue to him? Sutche vomite sheweth what humour your stomake is charged withal. Denyinge the B. of Rome, whom for al the spite ye beare towarde him, ye must acknowledge to be a Bishop, to haue the Keies at al, onlesse he preache in his own Personne, ye declare your greate ignorance, and fowle temeri∣tie. Know ye not, that a Power annexed to an Order, and Vocation is not taken away from one by not exercisinge the same in his owne Person?

The B. of Sarisburie.

The effecte hereof, besides other ordinarie idle talke, standeth in twoo pointes. Firste, M. Harding saithe, The Pope, though he doo nothing him selfe in his owne Personne, yet he maye sufficiently féede the Flocke of Christe, and Binde, & Loose, and discharge al dewties by his Deputies, and Vnderuicars, that is to saye, by his Cardinalles, and Bishoppes, whiche are as careful, and zelous for their offices, and tender theire charge, as mutch, as he. This ground, I trow, is not false: and there∣fore, what so euer M. Harding shal builde thereon, it can neuer faile. Notwithstan∣ding, I doo not remember, that either Christe, or his Apostles euer vsed to doo y^• like. One saide sommetime,* 1.3 Impudens est Imperator, qui, cùm alienis oculis omnia ei agen∣da sint, postulat sibi aliorum Capita, & Fortunas cōmitti: He is a shamelesse Captaine, that, whereas he must guide al thinges by the eies of others, wil require other mennes liues, ad goodes to be committed to his handes.

Pope Damasus saithe,* 1.4 Illi Episcopi, qui talia sibi praesumunt, videntur mihi similes esse Meretricibus. quae starim, vt pariunt, infantes suos al••s nutricibus tradunt educandos: vt suam citiùs libidinem explere valeant. Sic & isti Infantes suos, id est, populos sibi Com∣missos, alijs educan dos tradunt, vt ipsi suas libidines expleant, id est, vt pro suo libitu Saecu∣laribus curis inhient, &, quod cuique visum fuerit, liberitis agant: Sutche Bishoppes takinge sutche maters vpon them selues, seeme like vnto H••rsottes: Whiche as soone, as they be once deliuered, streight waie deliuer out theire Children vnto N••urces, that they maie the rather fo∣low their pleasures. Euen so these Bishoppes diliuer ouer theire children, that is to saie, the peo∣ple committed to theire Charges, to be reared, and brought vp by others▪ that they maie the bet∣ter accomplishe theire pleasures, that is to saie, that they maie geeue them selues ouer to world∣ly cares, and doo what so euer shal like them beste.

Further saith M. Harding, Christ said vnto Peter, To thee wil I geeue the Keies: Feede my Sheepe: Confirme thy Brethren: Ergo, the Pope is a Lorde Paramounte, and hathe a Power Pierclesse ouer al the world. Peter of Palus hereof writeth thus: Christus dixit Apostolis,* 1.5 Quaecunque ligaueritis in terra, erunt ligata & in Coelo, Non dixit, In Coelis, sicut Petro dixerat: Sed in Coelo Vno. Vnde non sunt tantae perfe∣ctionis, sicut Petrus: Christe saide vnto the Apostles, what so euer ye shal Binde in Earthe, it shalbe bounde in Heauen. He saide not, It shalbe bounde in Heauens, as he saide to Peter: But in One Heauen. Therefore the other Apostles were not of sutche perfection, as Peter was.

Againe he saithe,* 1.6 Illa verba, Quaecunque ligaueris, intelliguntur de Vtro{que} Foro, & de Vtra{que} Potestate. Illa autem Verba, Quorumcun{que} ligaueritis, intelliguntur an∣úm de Foro Conscientiae: These woordes (spoken vnto Peter) VVhat so euer thou shalt Binde, are vnderstoode of bothe Courtes, as wel of the Courte of Judgemente, as of the Courte of Conscience. But these other woordes (Spoken vnto the other Apostles) VVhat so euer you shal Binde, &c. are vnderstoode onely of the Courte of Con∣science.

This fantasie,* 1.7 it séemeth, he learned out of these woordes of Origen: Non modica differentia est,* 1.8 quòd Petro quidem datae sunt Claues, non Vnius Coeli, sed multorum Caelorum: vt quaecuque I gauerit super tertam, sint ligata, non tantùm Vno in Caelo, sed euam in omnibus Coelis. Ad alios dicit, vt soluant, & ligent, non in Coelis, sicut Petrus, sed in Vno Caelo. quia nō sunt in tanta perfectione, sicut Petrus, vt ligēt, & soluāt in omnibus Coelis. The difference is greate: For vnto Peter are geeuen the Keies, not of one Heauen but of many Heauens: that, what so euer he bindeth in Earth, shalbe bound, not onely in One Heauen, but also in al the heauens. But vnto the reste he geeueth Power to Binde, and Loose, not in the Heauens, as Peter doo the, but in One Heauen: for that they were not in sutche perfection, as Peter was, to Binde, or Loose in al the Heauens.

This Multiplication of Heauens, as I haue saide, is but a fantasie: and yet to M. Hardinges pourpose it maketh nothing. For Origen by this woorde Peter, meante not Peter the Apostle, but any other Godly Learned Prieste, or Bishop: whom he expresseth here vnder the name of Peter. For it foloweth immediately, Ergo, quantò melior fuerit, qui soluit, tantò beatior erit, qui soluitur: quoniam in omni∣bus solutus est Coelis: Therefore the better man he is, that looseth, the moore blessed is he, that is Loosed:* 1.9 for that he is Loosed in al the Heauens. Againe he saithe, Quod si nos idem loquimur, quod Petrus locutus est, efficimur Petrus. Et nobis dicetur, Tu es Petrus. Petra enim est, quisquis est Discipulus Christi: If wee speake the same, that Peter spake, wee are made Peter: And vnto vs it shalbe saide, Thou arte Peter. For he is the Rocke, that is the Disciple of Christe.

And againe he saithe,* 1.10 Hoc dictum, Tibi dabo Claues Regni Coelorum, Coeteris quoque commune est. Et, quae sequuntur, velut ad Petrum dicta, sunt omnium Communia: This saieinge, To thee wil I geue the Keies of the Kingdome of Heauen, is common to the reste of the Apostles. And the woordes, that folow, as spoken vnto Peter, are common vnto al.

So saith S. Augustine,* 1.11 Petrus, quando accepit Claues, Ecclesiam Sanctā significauit: Peter, when he receiued the Keies, signified the Holy Churche. So saithe S. Basile, Petre, inquit, amas me•• Pasce Oues meas: Et consequenter Omnibus Pastoribus, & Do∣ctoribus eandem potestatem tribuit. Cuius signum est, quo'd omnes ex Aequo & li∣gant, & Absoluunt, quemadmodum ille: Christe saide vnto Peter, ••ouest thou me? Feede my Sheepe. And in like sorte vnto Al Pastours, and Doctours he gaue the same Povver. A tokē wherof is this, that al others Binde, & Loose Equally, as vvel as he.

Likewise saithe S. Ambrose,* 1.12 Dominus dixit Petro, Pasce Oues meas. Quas Oues, & quem Gregem non solùm tune Beatus Petrus suscepit, sed & nobiscum eas susce∣pit: & cum illo cas nos suscepimus omnes: Our Lorde saide vnto Peter, Feede my Sheepe. Whiche Sheepe, and Flocke, not Onely Blessed Peter then receiued, but he receiued the sa ne togeather vvith vs: And al wee haue receiued the same togeather vvith him. Likewise S. Cyprian,* 1.13 Christus eandem dedit Apostolis omnibus potestatem: Christe gaue vnto al his Apostles like and Equal Power.

So likewise saithe Beda, Potestas Ligandi, & Soluēdi, quamuis Soli Petro à Domi∣no data videatur, tamen absque vlla dubietate noscendum est, quòd & Coeteris Apostolis data est: The Power of Bindinge, and Loosinge, notwithstanding it seeme to be geeuen Onely vnto peter, yet without al doubte wee muste vnderstande, that it was geeuen also to the reste of the Apostles.

Briefly, M. Hardinges owne Scholastical Doctours Confesse, that the Power of the Apostles was One, and Equal. But they saye, that the whole multitude of the Churche was committed onely vnto Peter: and not likewise to any other: and that therein onely standeth al the difference.* 1.14 Heruaeus saithe, Quamuis Apostoli eandem habuerint à Christo, & aequalem potestatem Clauium, & Iurisdictionis,

tamen Iurisdictionem,* 1.15 siuè Materiam subiectam, non habuit, nisi Petrus, & cui eam Pe∣trus committere voluit: Notwithstandinge the Apostles receiued of Christe equal Povver of the Keies, and Iurisdiction, yet the Iurisdiction, or mater wherein to vse their Power, none had, but Onely Peter, and to whome so euer Peter woulde commit the same. And thus he imagineth, that al the Apostles, sauinge Onely Peter, had Keies geuen them, but no House to Open: and Iurisdiction, but no people to gouerne.

Verily Alphonsus de Castro saithe,* 1.16 Quando absoluit Simplex Sacerdos, tantùm absoluit de Culpa, sicut Papa: VVhen a Simple Prieste Absolueth, he absolueth as mutche, touchinge Sinne, as doothe the Pope.

But touchinge the Pope, howe greate so euer he fansie his Keie to be aboue al others, if he neuer vse the same, & if he either knowe not, or vtter not the Woorde of God, wee saie, as before, wel maie he shut vp the Kingedome of God before menne:* 1.17 but open it he cannot. Origen saithe, Qui funibus Peccatorum suorum constringitur, frustrà vel Ligar, vel Soluit: He that is bounde with the bandes of his owne Sinnes, Bindeth and Looseth but in vaine.

To conclude, S. Augustine saithe,* 1.18 Cùm Petro dicitur, Omnibus dicitur, A∣mas me? Pasce Oues meas: These woordes of Christe, Louest thou mee? Feede my Sheepe: when they are spoken vnto Peter, they are spoken vnto Al Priestes, or Ministers. He ad∣deth further, traque miseri, dum in Petro Petram non intelligunt, & nolunt credere, datas Ecclesiae Claues Regni Coelorum, ipsi eas de manibus amiserunt: Therefore wretched menne, while in Peter they vnderstande not Christe that is) the Rocke, and while they wil not beleeue, that the Keies of the Kingedome of Heauen are geuen (not vnto Pe∣ter alone, but) vnto the Churche, they haue quite loste the Keies out of their handes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Preache by a De∣putie.
• * 1.2

  Matthae. 16.
• * 1.3

  Titus Liuius Decade. 3. Lib. 6.
• * 1.4

  Damasus Papa Epistola 4.
• * 1.5

  Petrus De Palu∣de, De Potestate collata Aposto∣lis, Arti. 1.
• * 1.6

  Petr. de Palude.
• * 1.7

  Equal Povver.
• * 1.8

  Orizen. in Mat∣tha. Tractatu 6.
• * 1.9

  Origen in Mat∣thae. Tracta. 1.
• * 1.10

  In eodem Tra∣ctatu.
• * 1.11

  Augu. in Iohan. Tracta. 50. Basili. in Vtia Solitaria, Ca. 23.
• * 1.12

  Ambros. De Di∣gn••ta. Sacerdo∣tali, Cap. 2.
• * 1.13

  Cyprian De Sim peicetrate Prae∣tatorum. Beda in Homil. in ••uangel. Quē ine dicunt.
• * 1.14

  Heruaeus De potestate Papae Cap. 12.
• * 1.15

  Equal Povver.
• * 1.16

  Alphonsus Ad∣uersus Haeres. Li. 2. De Abso∣lutione.
• * 1.17

  Origen. in Mat∣thae Tracta. 1.
• * 1.18

  Augustin. De A∣gone Christia∣no Ca. 30. August. De A∣gone Christiano Ca. 31.