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.

As Rome hauinge atchieued the Empier of the whole worlde, bothe for re∣noume, & honoure, and also for wisedome, & learninge, which commonly folowe the Empier, was the noblest, and most famouse of al other Citties, so for commoditie of accesse out of al Kingdomes, and Countries, bothe of the East, & of the Weast, and also out of Aphrica, and Aegypte, and other countries of the Sowthe, and also for receiuinge of Questions, and Resolution of doubtes, it seemed to be planted in the fittest place of al the worlde.* 1.1 For as Thucydides calleth the Cittie of Athens, Graecia of al Graecia: so some called the Cittie of Rome in those daies of hir honoure, Epitome orbis terrarum, The abbridgemēt of the whole worlde. The Admiration of this glorie drewe such resorte of people thither, that Beda a learned man of this Coun∣trie beinge there, and seeinge the multitude of strangiers, that came onely ot gase, and to see newes, expounded these foure solemne letters S. P. Q. R. in this wise. Stultus populus quaerit Romam. Foolishe Folke Flee to Rome. Therefore for opportu∣nitie of the place, and expedition of answeare, many maters of question, and doubt∣ful cases were brought thither. Many, I say, but not al. For menne that wanted Councel, wrote, and sought vnto them, that had the fame of learninge, and were thought best hable to make them answeare. So Marcellinus, Dulcitius, Bonifa∣cius, Euodius, and others, sent their questions to S. Augustine, and desired his Counsel. S. Ambrose saithe,* 1.2 as it is before alleged, that many that had beene with the B. of Rome,* 1.3 woulde afterwarde for their better satisfaction sende to him. And Leo* 1.4 him selfe beinge B. of Rome, & therefore as M. Hardinge thinketh, the Oracle of al the worlde, thouht it not amisse to submitte him selfe, and to aske counsel of o∣ther Bishoppes. Therefore this saieinge of M. Hardinges neither is vniuersally true, nor prooueth his purpose. For if he wil saye, Some menne in cases of doubte sought to Rome for counsel: Ergo, the Bishop there was called the Heade of the Churche, this Conclusion will hardely folowe.

Kinge Iosias in a greate case of Religion,* 1.5 sent to a woman named Olda, the wife of Sellum, to knowe her Counsel: And it was a prouerbe emonge the Iewes, Qui interrogat,* 1.6 interroget in Abila. Who so wil seeke Councel,* 1.7 let him seeke it in Abila. Yet neither was Olda the Heade of the Churche: nor Abila the chiefe towne in Israel, or Iuda.

But al the worlde saithe M. Hardinge, hath receiued lighte from Rome. But al the worlde seethe, this is an other manifest vntrueth: and neuerthelesse beinge graun∣ted, yet woulde it not conclude of his side.

In deede in a kinde of speache bothe Rome, and Antioche, and Alexandria, and any other greate Cittie famous for Religion, maie be called the Heade, or Springe of the Gospel.* 1.8 So. S. Iohn callethe Babylon. Magna mater fornicationū, & abomina∣tionum terrae. The greate mother of the Fornications, and of the Abominations of the earthe.

And so Arnobius calleth Hethruria,* 1.9 which is y^e countrie wherein Rome standeth: and S. Ambrose calleth Rome it selfe, Caput superstitionis, The Heade of Superstition.

But if we seeke the place it selfe,* 1.10 from whence the light of Religion firste sprange foorthe, we must néedes confesse, it was Hierusalem, and not Rome. For so it is written in the Prophete Esaie,* 1.11 De Sion exibit lex, & verbum Domini de Hie∣rusalem: The Lawe shal proceede from Sion, and the Woorde of God from Hierusalem. And therefore the Bishops of the East beinge in a Conuocation at Constantino∣ple,* 1.12 cal Hierusalem, The Mother of al Churches. Yet neuerthelesse, euery greate Metropolitane Cittie within her owne Prouince, maye be honoured with the like Title. So saithe Nazianzenus of the Cittie of Caesarea, where S. Basile was Bi∣shop, Caesarea prop•• Mater est omnium Ecclesiarum &c•• Caesarea is in a manner the Mo∣ther of al Churches:* 1.13 and the whole Christian Common wealth so embraceth, and beholdeth it, as the Circle embraceth, and beholdeth the Center. So Chrysostome likewise auaunceth the Citie of Antioche, Cogita Vrbis magnitudinem, quòd non de vna, vel de duabus, vel de tribus, vel de decem animabus, nunc nobis est consideratio: sed de millibus infini∣tis, de totius Orbis Capite. Consider the greatnesse of this Citie: wee haue to deale not for one, two, three, or tenne soules: but for infinite thousandes, euen for the Head of the world. Thus Chrysostome calleth Antioche, the Head of the worlde, for that, in that Pro∣uince of Syria it was the Head: like as Rome also was the Head Citie, and prin∣cipal Churche of the Weast.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Coelius Rhodi∣ginus. lib. 18. Ca. 25.
• * 1.2

  Ambros. lib. 10.
• * 1.3

  Epist. 83.
• * 1.4

  Leo Epist. 27.
• * 1.5

  Regum. 2. ca. 22.
• * 1.6

  Paralipom. 2. ca. 34.
• * 1.7

  Samuel 2. ca. 20.
• * 1.8

  Apocalyp. ••••.
• * 1.9

  Arnob. li. 2. ad∣uersus gentes.
• * 1.10

  Ambrosi. Serm. 66.
• * 1.11

  Esai. 2.
• * 1.12

  Theodo. li. 5. ca. 9
• * 1.13

  Cregor. Nazi∣anzen. in Epist. ad Caesarienses. Ad populum Antiochen. ••om. 3.