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.

Who so denieth the Bishop of Romes supreme gouernement, saithe M. Har∣dinge, he vtterly denieth Goddes prouidence: & thus the great prouidence of God, is brought foorthe to serue M. Hardinges simple reason. The like consideration, as may be supposed, moued Petrus Bertrandus to write this special Glose vpon the Decretalles,* 1.1 Non videretur Dominus discretus fuisse, vt cum reuerentia eius lo∣quar, nisi vnicum post se talem Vicarium reliquisset.* 1.2 Otherwise Christe shoulde not seeme to haue dealte discreetely, sauinge his reuerence, onlesse he had lefte some one suche Vicare b••h••nde him: And therefore he saithe further, Christo data est omnis potestas in Coelo, & in terra: Ergo Summus Pontifex, qui est eius Vica••ius, habet eandem potestatem. Al manner power bothe in Heauen and Earth is geuen to Christe, Therefore the highest Bishop, whiche is his Vicare, hath the same power. Likewise they say,a 1.3 Papa potest facere omnia, quae Christus ipse potest. The Pope may doo, what so euer Christ him selfe may doo. And, b 1.4 Papae, & Christi, est vnum Tribunal. The Pope and Christe haue one Consistorie, and keepe one Courte.

Upon occasion hereof, M. Hardinge seemeth to reason in this sorte: Onles there be one appointed by God to be the Vniuersal Bishop of the worlde, hauinge Omnia iura in scrinio c 1.5 pectoris sui, al manner lawe, and right in the closet of his breaste:d 1.6 Cui sit pro ratione vo∣luntas, whose pleasure may stande in steede of lawe: Unto whome, what so euer he doo, noman may say,e 1.7 Domine cur ita facis? Sir, why doo you so? And the same neither ex∣horte, nor teache, nor minister Sacrament, nor exercise Discipline, nor doo the dewtie either of Bishop, or of Priest, or of Deacon, or any other the meanest officer of the Churche, but onely take vpon him to rule, and gouerne the whole Churche: Onles there be some suche one, then, saith M. Harding, God hath no prouidence, neither is careful for his Churche.

If controuersie growe, aboute the vnderstandinge and sense of Goddes woorde, if it be necessarie that a Councel be called, if contention fal out betwéene any other inferiour Bishoppes, then saithe M. Hardinge, it is necessary, there be one supreme Iudge, that may in fallibly declare Goddes meaninge, that may summon the Councel, that may heare, and deter∣mine maters betweene the Bishoppes. Touchinge the searchinge out of the sense of the Scriptures,* 1.8 S. Augustine geueth sundrie good rules: But this strange rule of re∣course to the Pope, he toucheth not, nor taketh it for any rule.

But they say, The Scriptures be darke: therfore we must séeke the meaning of them in the Doctours. The Doctours agrée not: Then must we weigh & trie them

by the Maister of the Sentences.* 1.9 The Maister of the Sentences him selfe some∣times is not holden: then muste we seeke further to the Schoole Doctours. The Schoole Doctours canne in no wise agrée: there is Scotus againste Thomas: and Occam against Scotus: and Alliacensis against Occam: the Nominales against the Reales: the Scholasticalles against the Canonistes: the contention is greater, & the doubtes darker, then euer they were before. Neither is there any resolution to be hoped for, but onely of the Bishop of Rome: whome M. Hardinge calleth the supreme Iudge:* 1.10 who, as one saithe, is Doctor vtriusque Legis, Authoritate, non Sci∣entia, Doctour of bothe Lawes, by Authoritie, not by knowlege. How be it, it appeareth his knowlege, and authoritie in suche cases are bothe like. For not withstandinge any his determination, the contention standeth stil as it did before. Truely Al∣phonsus de Castro,* 1.11 a Doctour of the same side, saithe, Cum constet plures Papas adeò illiteratos esse, vt Grammaticam penitus ignorent, qui fit, vt sacras Literas interpretari pos∣sint? Seeinge it is wel knowen, that many Popes be so voide of learninge, that they be vt∣terly ignorant of their Grammar, how may it be, that thei can expounde the holy Scriptures? Thus that supreme Iudge, at whose onely handes M. Hardinge woulde haue al the worlde to seeke for the very sense of Goddes woorde, as Alphonsus saithe, may goe to schoole to learne his Grammar. And what if the Pope be an Heretique, as Liberius was an Arrian:* 1.12 Honorius an Eunomian: Anastasius was a Photi∣nian: and as Lyra saithe, Multi Papae inuenti sunt Apostatae, Many Popes haue been rennegates of the Faithe:* 1.13 Or what if he be a ••orcerer, and haue league and conference with the Diuel, as had Syluester the seconde?* 1.14 Yet must we needes haue recourse vnto suche a one, as vnto the mouthe of God, for the certaine sense & meaninge of Goddes woorde? Uerily, in the olde times, menne that stoode in doubte of any ma∣ter of learninge, and woulde gladly be resolued, sought vnto the best learned, and not vnto the Pope.* 1.15 Pope Leo himselfe in a case of doubte, thought it good to con∣ferre with other Bishoppes. The Bishoppes of Numidia sente, not to the Bi∣shoppe of Rome to be resolued, but vnto S. Cyprian, and other Bishoppes within Aphrica.* 1.16 So likewise S. Hierome writeth of him selfe, Ob hanc causam vel maximè Alexandriam nuper perrexi, vt viderem Didymum,* 1.17 & ab eo in Scripturis omnibus, quae habebam,* 1.18 dubia omnia exquirerem. For this cause chiefely I wente of late to Alexandria, to thintent I might see Didymus, and be resolued by him in al suche doubtes, as I had founde in the Scriptures. And S. Ambross saieth, that certaine learned menne in mater of question, hauinge receiued answeare, and determination from the Bishoppe of Rome, yet not withstanding for their better satisfaction, sought further vnto him. Thus he writeth,* 1.19 Post Romanae Ecclesiae definitionem, meam adhuc expectant sen∣tentiam.* 1.20 After the discussinge of the Churche of Rome, they yet looke for my sentence.

As for General Councelles, it is wel knowen, and, God willinge, shal appeare hereafter more at large, that they were called and summoned by the Emperours onely, and not by the Bishoppes of Rome. Sozomenus saithe,* 1.21 Imperator praece∣perat, Concilium Mediolani celebrari. The Emperour had commaunded a Councel to be keapte at Millane.

Maters of variance betwéene Bishoppes were taken vp, not onely by the Bi∣shop of Rome, whose greatest practise these many yéeres hath beene to inflame, and mainteine discorde amonge Princes, but also sometimes by the Prince, sometimes by Councelles, sometimes by other Bishoppes, sometimes by some inferiour per∣sones, that were no Bishoppes.* 1.22 S. Ambrose was sent for into Fraunce, to paci∣fie the Bishoppes there. Bernarde beinge but an Abbate, compounded that greate dissension, that was betweene Pope Innocentius, and Peter in the Churche of Rome. Therefore to these purposes, it is nothinge needeful to erect

a new Uicare General, or to geue any man this Uniuersal power ouer the Church of God.

M. Hardinges reasons procéede thus, God is careful, and hath a special prouide••ce for his Churche: Doubteful places of the Scripture mus••e be expounded: General Councelles muste be summoned: Bishoppes beinge at variance muste be reconciled: Ergo, The Bishop of Rome is Christes Vniuersal Vicare, and Heade of the Vniuersal Churche. Otherwise, saithe he, the Churche canne neuer be rightly gouerned, nor preserued in Unitie. But Goddes name be blissed for euer. God is hable to gouerne his Churche, not onely with∣out suche a Uicare, but also maugr•• suche a Uicare. Miserable were Goddes Churche, if it stoode onely at the Bishop of Romes gouernement. Longe it were to open the loosenes, and dissolution of his owne Churche, that lieth before him. S. Bernarde speakinge of the same saithe thus,* 1.23 Mali ibi proficiunt: boni deficiunt. Il menne there goe foreworde: But good menne goe backewarde. A planta pedis, vsque ad verticem Capitis, non est in ea sanitas.* 1.24 From the sole of the foote, vnto the crowne of the heade, there is no whole parte in it. And againe, Serui Christi seruiunt Antichri∣sto. They woulde be called the Seruantes of Christe, and yet in deede they serue Antichr••st. If the Bishoppe of Rome can no better rule a fewe Churches in one Citie,* 1.25 howe then is he hable to rule the infinite multitude of the whole Uniuersal Churche of God?

But God hath other waies, and meanes, whereby he hath euer gouerned his Churche. S. Cyprian saithe,* 1.26 Ideò plures sunt in Ecclesia sacerdotes, vt vno haere∣sim faciente, coeteri subueniant. Therefore there be many Bishoppes in the Churche, that one runninge into Heresie, the rest may healpe.* 1.27 And againe, The Churche is preserued in vnitie,* 1.28 by the consent of Bishoppes agreeinge in one: And to this ende S. Hierome saith, as is before alleged, Nouerint Episcopi, se debere in commune Ecclesiam regere.* 1.29 Let Bishoppes vnderstande,* 1.30 that they ought to rule the Churche, as al in one.

As for the vnitie, that M. Hardinge meaneth, it is a vile subiection, and serui∣tude: it is no vnitie. S. Hierome saithe, Nomine vnitatis, & Fidei infidelitas scrip••a est:* 1.31 Nam illo tempore nihil tam pium, nihil tam conueniens seruo Dei videbatur, quàm vnitatem sequi, & à totius mundi communione non scindi. Infidelitie hath beene written vnder the name of Faithe, and Vnitie. For at that time, nothinge seemed either so godly, or so meete, for the Seruant of God, as to folow vnitie, and not to be diuided from the Com∣munion of the whole worlde. They séemed, saithe S. Hierome, to folowe vnitie, and yet notwithstandinge they honge in infidelitie. So likewise saithe the wise man, In tanto viuentes ignorantiae bello,* 1.32 ••ot, & tanta mala pacem appellabant, Where as they liued in suche a warre of ignorance, so many, and so greate mischiefes they called Vnitie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  De Maiorit•••• & obedient.
• * 1.2

  Vnam Sanctam. In Glosa.
• a 1.3

  De Sentent. Excommu. ••a. Si aliquid. Ho∣s••ien.
• b 1.4

  De transla∣tione Epis••o. 〈◊〉〈◊〉Quanto. Inno∣cen. 3.
• c 1.5

  Extra. de Con∣stitutionibus. li∣cet Romanus.
• d 1.6

  De transla. E∣piscop. Ca. Quanto. in Glosa.
• e 1.7

  De concessione prabende. Ad Apostolatus. in Glosa.
• * 1.8

  De Doctrina Christiana. li. 3.
• * 1.9

  Magister non ••enetur.
• * 1.10

  Baldus.
• * 1.11

  Alphonsus de Castro li. 1. Ca. 4.
• * 1.12

  Alphonsus de Castro li. 1. Ca. 4
• * 1.13

  Nico. Lyra in Matthae. 16. ca.
• * 1.14

  Platyna in Syl∣uestro.
• * 1.15

  Leo Episto. 37. ad Episcopum Rauennatem.
• * 1.16

  Cyprian. li. 1.
• * 1.17

  Epis. 4.
• * 1.18

  Hiero. in proce∣mio in Epist. ad Ephes.
• * 1.19

  Ambros. li. 10.
• * 1.20

  Epis 83.
• * 1.21

  Sozomenus, ci∣tatur inter Acta Liberij.
• * 1.22

  Ambro. De obi∣tu Valētiniani. Bernardus in Canti••a Canti. Sermo. 22.
• * 1.23

  Bernard. ad Eugenium li. 4.
• * 1.24

  Bernard. de Conuers. Pauli. Esa. 1.
• * 1.25

  Bernard. in Cantica Canti.
• * 1.26

  Cyprian. ad Ste∣phan. lib. 3.
• * 1.27

  Epis. 13.
• * 1.28

  Cyprian. li. 4.
• * 1.29

  Epis. 9.
• * 1.30

  Hieronym. in Epis. ad Titum. Ca. 1.
• * 1.31

  Hieron. contra Luciferianos.
• * 1.32

  Sapientiae. 14.