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.

What wée may thinke of the other Hundred proufes, whiche M. Hardinge, as he saith, hath leafte vntouched, it may the sooner appeare, for that this one proufe that is here brought foorth in stéede of al, is not onely vntrue, but also vtterly with∣out any shadow, or coloure of truthe. These authorities of Leo, Symmachus, and Bonifacius, for as muche as they are alleged without woordes, may likewise be

past ouer without answeare. Howbeit this Bonifacius the seconde, in defence of this quarel, is forced to saye, that S. Augustine that Godly Father, and al other the Bishops of Aphrica, Numidia, Pentapolis, and other countreis adioyninge, that withstoode the proude attempte of the Bishops of Rome, and founde out their open forgerie in falsifieinge the Nicene Councel, were altogeather inflamed, and leadde by the Diuel.

But howe doothe this appeare to M. Hardinge, that the Bishop of Rome had al the Bishops of the East in Subiection, to vse, and commaunde them, as his Seruantes? In what Councel was it euer Decréed it shoulde be so? who subscribed it? who recorded it? who euer sawe suche Canons?* 1.1 The best Plea, that Pope Ni∣colas can make in this behalfe, is, that Peter was firste Bishop of Antioche, and after of Rome: and S. Marke his Scholar Bishop of Alexandria. Hereof, he thin∣keth, it may verie wel and substantially be geathered, that the Bishops of Rome ought to haue al the worlde in Subiection. In déede in the counterfaite Chartar▪ or Donation of the Emperour Constantine, authoritie is geuen to the Bishop of Rome ouer the other foure Patriarkes, of Antioche, of Alexandria, of Constan∣tinople, and of Hierusalem. But the Bishops of Rome them selues, and of them selues diuised and forged this Chartar, and that so fondely, that a verie Childe maye easily espie the folie. For biside a greate number of other vntruethes, at that very time, when it is imagined, that Chartar was drawen, there was neither Patriarke, nor Bishop, nor Priest, nor Churche in Constantinople, nor the Citie it selfe yet builte, nor knowen to the worlde by that name. This notwithstan∣dinge, the Bishop of Rome vpon this simple title, hathe besette his Miter with thrée Crownes, in token, that he hath the Uniuersal power ouer the thrée Diuisi∣ons of the worlde, Europa, Asia, and Aphrica. And so as the Kinge of Persia in olde tymes intitled him selfe, Frater Solis, & Lunae, euen so Pope Nicolas* 1.2 calleth him selfe, The Prince of al Landes and Countreis.

But what dutie the Bishops of the East partes owed to the Bishops of Rome, whosoeuer hath read, and considered the storie and practise of the times, may soone perceiue. Firste the Councel of Nice appointed euery of the thrée Patriarkes to his seueral charge, none of them to interrupte, or trouble other: and willed the Bi∣shoppe of Rome, as Rufinus reporteth the storie, to ouersee Ecclesias Suburbanas, which were the Churches within his Prouince:* 1.3 and therefore Athanasius calleth Rome, the Chiefe, or Mother Citie of the Romaine Iurisdiction. And for that cause, the Bishops of the East in their Epistle vnto Iulius, calle him their Fe∣lowe Seruante: and Cyrillus the Bishop of Alexandria, writinge vnto Coelesti∣nus, calleth him his Brother. Felowes, and Brothers be titles of Equalitie, and not of Subiection.

Certaine it is,* 1.4 that sundrie of the Bishops of Rome, beganne verie rathe, to séeke this Preeminence, euen with manifest forgerie, and corruption of Councels, as is alreadie proued.* 1.5 But the Bishops of other countreis neuer yelded vnto them, nor vnderstoode these vaine titles. The Bishops of the East, writinge vnto Iu∣lius, allege that the Faithe, that then was in Rome, came firste from them,* 1.6 and that their Churches, as Sozomenus writeth, ought not to be accompted inferiour to the Churche of Rome: And as Socrates further reporteth, That they ought not to be or∣dred by the Romaine Bishop. Gennadius the Bishop of Constantinople, togeather with the Councel there, thus writeth vnto the Bishop of Rome, Curet sanctitas tua vniuersas tuas custodias, tibique subiectos Episcopos:* 1.7 Let thy Holines see vnto thine owne charge, and vnto the Bishops appointed vnto thee.

The Councel of Alexandria committed the Uisitation, and Reforminge of al the Churches in the East, vnto Asterius:* 1.8 and of al the Churches in the Weast,

vnto Eusebius the Bishop of Uercellae.* 1.9 By Authoritie of whiche Commission, Eusebius togeather with Hilarius, Uisited, & corrected al the Churches of Illyri∣cum, Fraunce, and Italie. A man might saye, where was then the Uniuersal power of the Bishop of Rome? S. Basile saith,* 1.10 The state and safetie of the Churche of Antioche, dependeth of Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria, and not (as M. Hardinge here saith) of the Bishop of Rome. And therefore he desireth Athanasius, to sée vnto it.

The Emperours Honorius,* 1.11 and Theodosius appointed ouer al maters of doubte arisinge within the Countrie of Illyricum, to be hearde, and ended before the Bi∣shop of Constantinople, and not before the Bishop of Rome. And the very Close vpon the Decrées, expoundinge that same Lawe of Honorius, & Theodosius, hath these woordes,* 1.12 Imperator dicit, quòd Patriarcha Constantinopolitanus habet idem in suis subditis, quod Papa habet in suis. The Emperour saith, the Patriarke of Constantino∣ple hath the same authoritie ouer the people of his Prouince, that the Pope hath ouer his. The Emperours woordes be these,* 1.13 Constantinopolitana Ecclesia Romae veteris praerogati∣ua laetatur: The Churche of Constantinople enioyeth nowe the Prerogatiue of olde Rome. And therefore, for more proufe hereof, whensoeuer any Patriarke, in any of these foure principal Sees,* 1.14 was newely chosen, he wrote letters of Conference, and Freendship vnto the other Patriarkes: wherein euery of them declared vnto other their Religion,* 1.15 & consent of Faith. Thus did the Bishop of Rome vnto others: and thus did others vnto him. This is an vnfallible tokē, y^t their authoritie was equal, and none of them had power, and gouernement ouer his fellowes. And therefore, when Eulogius y^e Bishop of Alexandria had written thus vnto Gregorie, beinge then Bishop of Rome, Sicut iussistis, as ye commaunded, Gregorie vtterly shunned, and refused that kinde of writinge:* 1.16 for thus he answereth him. Hoc verbum Ius∣sionis, quaeso, à meo auditu remouete. Scio enim quis sim, & qui sitis. Loco mihi Fra∣tres estis: Moribus patres. Non ergo Iussi, sed quae vtilia visa sunt, indicare curaui. I pray you, haue awaye this woorde of Commaundinge from my hearinge. For I know, bothe, what I am, and also, what you are. Touchinge your place, you are my Bretherne: touchinge manners, you are my Fathers. Therefore I Commaunded you not: but onely shewed you what I thought good.

Finally, for that Michael Palaeologus the Emperour of the East partes, in the Councel holden at Lions,* 1.17 aboute the yéere of our Lorde. 1442. after greate in∣treatie made vnto him by the Bishop of Rome, had acknowleged the Bishops of the Easte to be subiecte vnto him, after he returned home againe into his Empire, and was deade, his Cleregie woulde not suffer him to be buried. Yet, saith M. Hardinge, Al the Bishops of Graecia, Asia, Syria, Aegypte, and to be shorte, al the Orient, ren∣dred, and exhibited their humble obedience to the Bishop of Rome.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Nicolaus. PP. ad Michaelem Imperat.
• * 1.2

  Nicol. PP. ad Michaelem Im∣peratorem: Princeps super omnem terram. Concil. Nicen. Can. 6.
• * 1.3

  Rufinus, li. 1. c. •• Athanas. in E∣pist. ad solitariā vitam agē••es: Metropolis Ro∣manae ditionis.
• * 1.4

  Cassiodor. li. 4 ca. 24.
• * 1.5

  Cyril. Epist. 27. pag. 294.
• * 1.6

  Sozom. li. 3. c. 8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.7

  Socra••. li. 2. c. 15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.8

  Rufin. li. 1. c. 29.
• * 1.9

  Rufinus, li. 1. ca. 30. &. 31.
• * 1.10

  Basil. Epist. 48.
• * 1.11

  Cod. De Sacro∣sanctis Eccle. lege 6.
• * 1.12

  Dist. 22. Reno∣uantes. In Glosa
• * 1.13

  Cod. De Sacro. Eccle. lege. 6.
• * 1.14

  Literae Synodi∣cae.
• * 1.15

  Greg. li. 1. epis. 24. 25. & li. 6. Epistol. 5.
• * 1.16

  Gregor. li. 7. E∣pist. 30.
• * 1.17

  Paulus Aemylius in Historia Gallorum. li. 8.