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.

Here M. Hardinge saith, He wil Trippe, & Daunce lightly ouer this Article. And therefore notwithstanding he woulde seeme to holde De Iure diuino, that is by the Scriptures, yet for haste he allegeth not any one woorde of the Scriptures, as of him selfe, but onely vpon the reporte and credite of others. Howbeit Pope Zosimus in al that longe contention,* 1.1 he had with the Bishoppes of Aphrica, tou∣chinge these maters, neuer alleged any woorde of the Scriptures, but onely the Councel of Nice, whiche he him selfe had falsified. And Meltiades writing here∣of to the Bishoppes of Spaine,* 1.2 séemeth to claime onely by Custome, and not by any right of Goddes Woorde.

Neuerthelesse sithence that time, they haue founde out sundrie places of the Scriptures to auouche their Title,* 1.3 and haue forced the same to serue their purpose. Christe saithe,* 1.4 Al power is geuen to me: Hereof Stephanus the Bishop of Patraca concludeth thus:* 1.5 Ergo in Papa est omnis potestas supra omnes potestates tam Coeli, quàm terrae. Therefore in the Pope is al power aboue al powers, as wel of Heauen, as of earth. Some others there be that reason thus:* 1.6 Peter entred into the Graue before Iohn: Peter drew his Net ful of Fishe: vnto Peter Christe saide, Confirme thy brethren: Ergo, The Pope is head of the Churche. Bonifacius the eight saith, In principio creauit Deus Coelum, & terram: non in principijs: God made Heauen, and earth, in the beginninge: and not in the beginninges, as in manie: And againe, Spiritualis omnia dijudicat, He that is spiritual iudgeth al thinges: Ergo, The Bishop of Rome ought to haue an Vniuersal power ouer al the worlde. By these, and other like authorities of the Scriptures they conclude, that the Pope holdeth his authoritie, not by any ordinance of man, but De Iure diuino, That is, euen by the right of Goddes vndoubted Lawe. And therefore Pope Bonifacius determineth the mater in this wise to holde for euer: Declaramus, Dicimus, Definimus, Pronuntiamus, omninò esse de necessitate salutis omni humanae creaturae,* 1.7 subesse Romano Pontifici. Wee declare, say, determine, and pronounce, that vndoubtedly it standeth vpon the necessitie of Saluation, for euery mortal creature,* 1.8 to be subiecte to the Bishop of Rome. Likewise saith the Glose vpon the same: Quicquid saluatur, est sub summo pontifice. What so euer is saued, is vnder the highest Bi∣shop. If ••••ese claimes be good, it is no harde mater to holde by Scriptures.

But,* 1.9 for as muche as they seeme to make greatest accompte of these woordes of Christe,* 1.10 Thou art Peter, and vpon this rocke I vvil builde my Churche, Therefore for answeare herevnto,* 1.11 vnderstande thou good Christian Reader, that the Olde Catholique Fathers,* 1.12 haue written & pronounced, not any Mortal man as Peter was,* 1.13 but Christe him selfe, the Sonne of God to be this Rocke. Gregorius Nyssenus saith, Tu es Petrus &c. Thou arte Peter, and vpon this Rocke I vvil builde my Churche. He meaneth the Confession of Christe: for he had saide be∣fore: Thou arte Christe, the Sonne of the liuinge God. So saith S. Hilarie, Haec est vna fo••lix fidei Petra,* 1.14 quam Petrus ore suo confessus est. This is that onely Bles∣sed Rocke of Faithe, that Peter confessed with his mouthe. Againe he saith: Vpon this Rocke of Peters Confession,* 1.15 is the buildinge of the Churche. So Cyrillus, Petra nihil a∣liud est, quàm firma, & inconcussa Discipuli Fides. The Rocke is nothinge els, but the stronge,* 1.16 and assured Faithe of the Disciple. So likewise Chrysostome, Super hanc Pe∣trā,

id e••t, In hac Fide, & Confessione aedificabo Ecclesiam meā. Vpon this Rocke, that is to say,* 1.17 vpon this Faithe, and this Confession I wil builde my Churche. Likewise S. Au∣gustine, Petra erat Christus, super quod fundamentum etiam aedificatus est Petrus. Christe was the Rocke, vpon which ••undation Peter him selfe was also builte. And addeth further bisides, Non me aedificabo super te: sed te aedificabo super me. Christe saithe vnto Peter, I wil not builde mee selfe vpon thee: but I wil builde thee vpon mee. Al these Fathers be plaine: but none so plaine as Origen. His woordes be these, Petra est, quicun{que} est Discipulus Christi: Et super talem petrā construitur omnis Ecclesiastica Do∣ctrina. Quod si super vnū illum Petrum tantùm existimas aedificari totā Ecclesiā▪ quid di∣cturus es de Iohanne Filio Tonitrui, & Apostolorum vnoquo{que}? Num audebimus dicere, quòd aduersus Petrum vnum non praeualiturae sint portae Inferorum? An soli Petro dan∣••ur a Christo Claues Regni Co••lorum? He is the Rocke, who so euer is the Disciple of Christe: And Vpon suche a Rocke al Ecclesiastical learninge is builte. If thou thinke, that the whole Churche is builte onely vpon Peter,* 1.18 what then wilt thou say of Iohn, the Sonne of the Thunder, and of euery of the Apostles? Shal wee dare to say, that the Gates of Hel shal not preuaile onely against Peter? Or are the keyes of the Kingedome of Heauen geuen onely vnto Peter? By these few it may appeare, what right the Pope hath to claime his authoritie by Goddes woorde, and as M. Hardinge saith, De Iure diuino. In déede touchinge the same woordes of S. Mathew,* 1.19 S. Hierome writeth thus, Istum locum Episcopi, & Presbyteri non intelligentes, aliquid sibi de Pharisaeorum assumunt su∣percilio. Bishoppes and Priestes not vnderstandinge this place, take vpon them some parte of the proude lookes of the Phariseis. And againe he saithe, Nouerint Episcopi, se magis consuetudine, quàm dispositionis Dominicae veritate, Presbyteris esse maiores. Let Bi∣shoppes vnderstande, that they are greater then the Priestes, more of Custome, then of the truthe of Goddes ordinance. By this it appeareth, that the Bishop of Rome holdeth by Custome, and not, as M. Hardinge saith, De Iure diuino.

As for the Decrées of Councels, the Edictes of Princes, the saieinges of holy Fathers, the Necessitie of Reason, and the Practise of the Churche, how iustly they be auouched by M. Hardinge, they shalbe seuerally examined, as they come.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Zosimus in Con∣cil. Aphricano.
• * 1.2

  Meltiades in e∣pist. ad ••pis. Hi∣spani••e.
• * 1.3

  Iohn. 17.
• * 1.4

  Matth. 28.
• * 1.5

  In Concil. Late∣ran. sub Leone.
• * 1.6

  Reginal. Polus aduersus H. 8. Regem Angliae. De Maiori. & obedien. Vnam Sanctam. 1. Corinth. 2.
• * 1.7

  De Maior. &c. Vt suprà.
• * 1.8

  Glosa ibidem.
• * 1.9

  Math. 16.
• * 1.10

  Marke. 8.
• * 1.11

  Luke. 9.
• * 1.12

  1. Corinth. 10.
• * 1.13

  Gregor. Nyssen. in Testimonijs delectis exve∣teri testam.
• * 1.14

  Hilar. de Trini. ••i. 2.
• * 1.15

  Hilar. de Trini. li. 6.
• * 1.16

  Cyril. de Trini. li. 4.
• * 1.17

  Chrysostom. in Matthae. hom. 55. De Verbis Do∣mini secundum Matthae. Serm. 13 Origen. in Mat∣thae. tracta. 1.
• * 1.18

  Marc. 3▪
• * 1.19

  Hieronym. in Matthae. Ca. 16▪ li. 3.