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.

M. Hardinge. The .33. Diuision.

I wil adde to al that hath ben hitherto saide of this matter, a saieinge of Martin Luther, that suche as doo litle regarde the grauitie of auncient Fathers of the olde Churche, maie yet some what be

moued with the lightnes of the younge Father Luther, Patriarke, and founder of theire newe Churche. Lightnes I maie wel cal it, for in this sayinge, which I shal here rehearse, he dothe not so soberly al∣lowe the Popes primacie, as in sundrie other treatises he dothe rashly, and furiousely inueigh against the same. In a litle treatise intituled, Resolutio Lutheriana super propositione sua. 13. De po∣••estate Papae: His wordes be these: Primum quod me mouet Romanum Pontificem esse alijs omnibus, quos saltem nouerimus se Pontifices gerere, Superiorem, est ipsa voluntas Dei, quàm in ipso facto videmus. Neque. n. sine voluntate Dei, in hanc Monarchiam vn∣quam venire potnisset Rom. Pontifex. At voluntas Dei, quoquo modo not̄a fuerit, cum re∣uerentia suscipienda est, ideoque non licer temer•• Romano Pontifici in suo primatu resi∣stere. Haec autem ratio tanta est, vt si etiā nulla scriptura, nulla alia causa esset, haec tamen satis esset ad compescendam temeritatem resistentium. Et hac sola ratione gloriosissimus Martyr Cyprianus, per multas Epistolas confidentissimè gloriatur contra omnes Episco∣porum quorumcunque aduersarios. Sicut. 3. Regum legimus, qu••d decem Tribus Israel discesserunt à Roboam filio Salomonis, & tamen quia voluntate Dei, siue auctoritate fa∣ctum est, ratum apud Deum fuit. Nam & apud Theologos omnes, voluntas Signi, quam vocant operationem Dei, non minus quàm alia signa voluntatis Dei, vt praecepta prohibi∣tiua &c. metuenda est. Ideo non video, quomodo sint excusati à Schismatis reatu, qui huic voluntati contrauenientes, sese à Romani Pontificis auctoritate subtrahunt. Ecce haec est vna prima mihi insuperabilis ratio, quae me subijcit Romano Pontifici, & primatum eius confiteri cogir. The first thinge, that moueth me to thinke the Bishop of Rome to be ouer al other, that we knowe to be Bishoppes, is the very wil of God, which we see in the facte, or deede it selfe. For without the wil of God the Bishop of Rome coulde neuer haue ben commen vnto this Monarchie. But the wil of God, by what meane so euer it be knowen, is to be receiued reuerently. And therefor it is not lawful rashely to resiste the Bishop of Rome in his primacie. And this is so greate a reason for the same, that if there were no Scripture at al, nor other reason, Yet this were inough to s••aie the rashenes of them, that resiste. And through this onely reason, the most glorious Martyr Cyprian in many of his Epistles vaunteth him self very boldly against al the aduersaries of Bishoppes, what so euer they were. As in the thirde booke of the Kinges we reade, that the tenne Tribes of Israel de∣parted from Roboam Salomons sonne. Yet bicause it was doone by the wil or auctoritie of God, it stoode in effecte with God. For amonge al the Diuines, the wil of the Signe, whiche they cal the workinge of God, is to be feared no lesse, then other Signes of Goddes wil, as commandementes pro∣hibitiue &c. Therefore I see not, howe they maie be excused of the gilte of schisme, whiche goinge against this wil, withdrawe them selues from the auctoritie of the Bishop of Rome. Lo this is one chief inuincible reason, that maketh me to be vnder the Bishop of Rome, and compelleth me to con∣fesse his primacie. This farre Luther.

Thus I haue briefely touched some deale of the Scriptures, of the Canons and Councelles, of the Edictes of Emperours, of the Fathers saieinges, of the reasons, and of the manifolde practises of the Churche, whiche are wonte to be alleaged for the Popes primacie, and supreme auctoritie. VVith al, I haue proued that, whiche M. Iuel denteth (125)* 1.1 that the Bishop of Rome Withein sixe hundred yeeres after Christ, hath beene called the Vniuersal Bishop, of no smal number of menne of greate credite, and verie ostentimes heade of the Vniuersal Churche, both in termes equiualent, and also expressely. Nowe to the nexte article.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The .125. Vntrueth▪ For, Peter onely ex∣cepted, ei∣ther of these titles resteth yet vnproued.