A replie vnto M. Hardinges ansvveare by perusinge whereof the discrete, and diligent reader may easily see, the weake, and vnstable groundes of the Romaine religion, whiche of late hath beene accompted Catholique. By Iohn Iewel Bishoppe of Sarisburie.

The B. of Sarisburie.

M. Hardinge standeth very longe, in discoursinge this mater by natural rea∣son▪ And for that he knewe, S. Augustine saithe, Si ratio contra Diuinarum Scriptu∣rarum

authoritatem redditur, quamlibet acuta sit, fallit verisimilitudine: Nam veta esse non potest. If natural reason be alleged against the authoritie of the holy Scriptures, be it ne∣uer so suttle, it beguileth menne by a likenes, or colour of the Trueth: for true it cannot be. And for that he also sawe, the reasons he hath brought, are very simple, and carrie no weight, he hath therefore thrust a great many of them in a thronge togeather, bothe to fil the Hearers senses, & also, that the one might the better aide the other.

For his entrie, in mirthe, and game, he calleth vs Gospellers. God open the eies of his harte, that he may sée the brightnesse of Goddes Gospel, and consider, what it is, y^t he hath refused. Surely, it is an horrible thing, for a Christian man, thus to make mockerie of the Gospel of Christe. S. Paule saithe, Si opertum est E∣uangelium, in illis, qui pereunt, est opertum: If the Gospel be couered, it is couered from them, that perishe.

It misliketh him that we builde the vnitie of the Churche vpon Christe onely, and not also vpon the Pope: and this he calleth these New Gospellers Doctrine. God be thanked: these Gospellers haue good warrant for their Doctrine. S. Paule saithe, Eum dedit Caput super omnia ipsi Ecclesiae, quae est Corpus eius. God hath geuen Christe to be Heade ouer al, euen to the Churche, whiche is his Bodie. And againe, Ille est Caput, qui dat salutem Corpori. Christe is the Heade, that geueth health vnto the Bodie. Christe is our peace: Al we are one in Christe Iesu. Therefore S. Gregorie saithe, Nos quoque à vobis non longè sumus: quoniam in illo, qui vbique est, vnum sumus. Agamus ergo ••i gratias, qui solutis inimicitijs in Carne sua, fecit, vt in omni orbe terrarum vnus esset Grex, & vnum Ouile, sub se Vno Pastore. We are not farre away from you: bicause in him, that is euery where, we are al one. Therefore let vs geue him thankes, that enemitie be∣inge broken in his Fleashe, hath caused that in al the worlde there shoulde be one Flocke, and one Folde vnder him selfe, beinge the one Shepehearde. These places, and infinite other like, are good warrantes of our Doctrine.

Nowe, if M. Hardinge be hable by the Scriptures, or Holy Doctours, to say as muche for the Bishop of Rome, that he is the Heade of the Churche, that is to say, the Heade of Christes Bodie: or that the Church receiueth influence, or health from him: Or that he is our Peace: or that we are al one in him: or that al the worlde is one Flocke, and one Folde, and he the one Sheepehearde: Or that S. Paule, as he saide, There is one Lorde, one Faithe, one Baptisme, so he saide also, There is one Pope: then haue we some cause, to thinke accordinge to M. Hardinges fantasie, that the vnitie of the whole Churche is founded, and builte vpon the Pope. Cer∣tainely, it seemeth, S. Augustine woulde not geue this priuilege vnto S. Paule. His woordes be plaine, Nec Paulus radix eorum erat, quos plantauerat: sed ille potius, qui ait, Ego sum vitis: vos estis Sarmenta. Caput etiam eorum quomodo esse poterat, cum dicat, Nos omnes vnum esse Corpus in Christo, ipsumque Christum Caput esse vni∣uersi Corporis? Neither was Paule the roote of them, whome he had planted: but rather he, that saith, I am the vine, and you are the sprigges. But the Heade of them how coulde he be, seeinge he him selfe saithe, Al we in Christe are one Bodie: and, That of the whole Bodie Christe him selfe is the Heade? If S. Paule, as S. Augustine saithe, coulde not be Heade of the Churche, howe may we then thinke, that the Bishop of Rome may be Heade of the Churche?

But mankinde, saithe M. Hardinge, dependeth moste of sense: Therefore the whole Churche must haue one man to rule and gouerne ouer it: and that man is Peters successour, and Christes Vicare in Earthe. I maruel that none of the Olde Fathers coulde euer vnderstande, either the necessitie of this reason, or this special name, and title of Christes Uicare. How be it, one true woorde M. Harding hath vttered amongst many others: that is, that to apointe Christe Uicare, it perteineth onely vnto Christe, and to none other. Of whiche grounde we may wel reason thus: Christe neuer ordeined, nor appointed, nor once named, the Bishop of Rome, or his Successoure to be his Uicare, that is,

to be an Uniuersal Bishop ouer the whole Churche: therefore by M. Hardinges owne position, the Bishop of Rome hath of longe time vsurped a power againste Christe, without Commission, and in déede is not Christes Uicare. S. Hierome saithe generally of al Bishoppes, Nouerint Episcopi, se magis Consuetudine, quàm dispositionis Dominicae Veritate, Presbyteris esse maiores. Lette Bishoppes vnderstande, that they be greater then the priestes by order, and Custome (of the Churche) and not by the trueth of Goddes ordinance. If Christe, as S. Hierome saithe, appointed not one priest aboue an other, howe then is it likely, he appointed one Priest to be, as M. Har∣dinge saithe, Prince and ruler ouer al Priestes throughout the whole worlde?

As for the Uniuersal supplieinge of Christes roome, Tertullian saithe, The Holy Ghoste is Christes Vicare. For thus he writeth, Sedet ad dextram Dei Patris: misit Vicariam vim Spiritus Sancti, qui credentes agat. Christe sitteth at the right hande of God the Father: and insteede of him selfe, sent the power of the Holy Ghoste as his Vicare, to di∣recte them that beleeue.

But bicause we are not onely ledde inwardely by Goddes Sprite, but also out∣wardely by our senses, therefore hath Christe appointed, not one man to be his Ui∣care General ouer al, but euery of his Apostles, and so euery Priest to be his Uicare within his Diuision. So saithe Eusebius Bishop of Rome, Caput Ecclesiae Chri∣stus est: Christi autem Vicarij Sacerdotes sunt, qui vice Christi, legatione funguntur in Ecclesia. Christe is the Heade of the Churche: and his Vicares be the Priestes, that doo their Message in the Churche, in the steede of Christe. Therefore saith S. Hierome, Potentia di∣uitiarum, & paupertatis humilitas, vel sublimiorem, vel inferiorem Episcopum non facit▪ Caeterum omnes Apostolorum successores sunt. The stoutnes of ri••ches, or the humilitie of pouertie, maketh a Bishop neither higher, nor lower: But al Bishoppes be the Apostles suc∣cessours. Other vniuersal Uicar of Christe, there is none named in the Scriptures, onlesse it be he, of whom S. Paule forewarneth vs, Homo ille sceleratus, filius per∣ditus &c. That wicked man, that Childe of perdition, that setteth him selfe vp against God, and that so farre foorthe, that he wil sitte in the Temple of God, and shewe him selfe, as if he were God. But this Uicare Christe shal destroie with the spirite of his mouthe.

To conclude, M. Hardinge séemeth to reason thus, Mankinde dependeth moste of sense: Ergo, the Pope is the Heade of the vniuersal Churche. Here is a very vnsensible ar∣gument: nor sense, nor reason can make it good. By as good sequele he might say,

Mankinde dependeth most of sense: Ergo, one Kinge must rule ouer the whole worlde.

Notes

• Augustin. ad Marcellinum Epis. 7.
• 1. Corinth. 4.
• Ad Ephes. 1.
• Ad Ephes. 5.
• Ad Ephes. 2.
• Gregor. li. 4. Epis. 36. Ad Eulogium.
• Iohn. 10.
• Ad Ephes. 4.
• August. contra literas Petilia∣ni li. 3. Ca. 42. Iohan. 15.
• Ephes. 1.
• Christes Vicare.
• Hieronym. in E∣pist. ad Titum.
• Tertul. De prae∣scriptionib. cō∣tra Haereticos.
• Eusebij Episcopi Rom. Epist. 3.
• 2. Corinth. 5. Hieronym. ad Euagriū tom. 2. Pag. 329.
• 2. Thessalon. 2.