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.* 1.1

The authorities here alleged are full of Fogge, and false grounde, and can a∣bide no falt footinge: and therefore M. Hardinge Trippeth them so lightly ouer.

Touchinge this Epistle of Anacletus, and other like Epistles Decretal, I wil onely geue a taste, and leaue the iudgement thereof vnto the Reader.

First one Petrus Crabbe the compiler of the Councelles complaineth muche, that the examples, from whence he tooke them, were woonderfully corrupted, and not one of them agreeing with an other,* 1.2 and expresseth the same by these woordes, Exemplarium intolerabilis nimia{que} differentia, & deprauatio.

Againe, Gratian him selfe vpon good aduise is driuen to say, that al suche Epi∣s••les ought to haue place, rather in debatinge of mater of Iustice in the Consistorie, then in de∣termininge, and weighing the truthe of the Scriptures.

Bisides this, neither S. Hierome, nor Gennadius, nor Damasus, nor any o∣ther olde Father, euer alleged these Epistles, or made any accompte of them: nor the Bishops of Rome them selues, no not when suche euidence might haue stande them in best steede, namely in their ambitious contention for the Superioritie o∣uer the Bishops of Aphrica.

The contentes of them are such, as a very childe of any iudgement, may soone be hable to discrie them.

Clemens informeth S. Iames of the order,* 1.3 and manner of S. Peters death: yet it is certaine,* 1.4 and Clement vndoubtedly knew it, that Iames was putte to death seuen yeeres b••••ore S. Peter.

Antherus maketh mention of Eusebius Bishop of Alexandria,* 1.5 and of Felix Bishop of Ephesus: yet was neither Eusebius, nor Felix, neither Bishoppe, nor borne al the time, that Antherus liued.

Marcellinus saith,* 1.6 The Emperour might not attempte to presume any thinge against the Gospel: Yet was there then no Emperour aliue, that vnderstoode Christe, or knew the Gospel.

Marcellus writeth to the Emperour Maxentius,* 1.7 and chargeth him straitely with the authoritie of Clement: yet was Maxentius an Infidel, a cruel Tyran, and a persequutor of the Churche: and neither knew, nor cared for the name of Clement.

Zephyrinus saithe,* 1.8 Christe commaunded his Apostles to appointe the threescore and twelue Disciples:* 1.9 Yet S. Luke saith, Christe him selfe appointed them.

S. Luke saithe,* 1.10 Iohn the Baptist gaue this counsel to the Souldiers, Be ye contented with your wages &c.* 1.11 Yet Meltiades quite altereth the whole storie, and nameth Christe in steede of Iohn.

It woulde be tedious, and needlesse, to open al: these few notes may suffice for a taste.

Now touchinge this Anacletus,* 1.12 whom M. Harding hath fournished with his titles, as though it were the very true Anacletus in déede, First he saith, Clemens was his predecessour:* 1.13 Contrary wise, Irenaeus that liued immediatly afterwarde, and Eusebius saie, Anacletus was predecessour vnto Clement. Whereby it may appeare, that Anacletus wrote this Epistle, after that he him selfe was deade.

He maketh mention of S. Peters Churche: yet was there no churche built in the name of Peter,* 1.14 within thrée hundred yeeres after Anacletus.

Againe,* 1.15 he allegeth the Decrées and Canons of the olde Fathers: His woordes be these, Haec ab antiquis Apostolis, & patribus accepimus: These thinges haue we re∣ce••ued of the Olde Apostles, and auncient Fathers, as if the Apostles had béene longe be∣fore him: notwithstanding S. Iohn the Apostle was yet aliue, and Anacletus him selfe was one of the oldest Fathers.

Although by that, I haue thus shortly touched, the likelyhoode hereof may soone appeare, yet I beseeche thee, good Christian Reader, consider also these, and other like phrases, and manners of speache, whiche in these Epistles are very familiar, and may easily be founde. Persequutiones patiēter portare: pe••o vt pro me orare debeas: Episcopi obediendi sunt, non insidiandi: Ab illis omnes Christiani se cauere debent. Here is not so muche, as the very congruitie, and natural sounde of the Latine Tongue. And shal wee thinke, that for the space of three hundred yeeres, and more, there was not one▪ Bishop in Rome, that coulde speake true Latine? And specially then, when al the whole people there, bothe wemen, and children were hable to speake it naturally without a teacher?* 1.16 Uerily, the Pope him selfe saith, Falsa Latinitas vitiat rescriptum Papae. False Latine putteth the Popes owne write out of credite.

As for the substance and contentes of these Epistles, they touche nothing, nei∣ther of the state of the Churche in that time, nor of Doctrine, nor of Persequution, nor of Heresie, nor of the office of the Ministers, nor of any other thinge, either agreable vnto that age, or in any wise greatly worthy to be considered.

Al their drifte is, by salsi••ieinge of the Scriptures, & by al other meanes, onely to stablishe the state,* 1.17 and Kingdome of the See of Rome. Anacletus thus inter••a∣ceth the woordes of Christe, Super hanc Petram, id est, super Ecclesiam Romanam, aedi∣fieabo Ecclesiam meam. Vpon this Rocke, that is to say, vpon the Churche of Rome, I wil builde my Churche. And againe, Romana Ecclesia Cardo, & Caput est omnium Ec∣clesiarum. Vt enim Cardine ostium regitur,* 1.18 ita huius sanctae Sedis authoritate omnes Ec∣clesiae reguntur. The Churche of Rome is the Hooke, and ye Head of al Churches. For as the doore is ruled by the Hooke: so al Churches are ruled by th▪ authoritie of this holy See (of Rome).

Pope Stephanus saith,* 1.19 Hae•• Sacrosancta Domina nostra Romana Ecclesia. This holy our Lady the Churche of Rome.

And what néeded M. Hardinge to allege onely Anacletus, beinge so wel stoa∣red of sundrie others? For Pope Euaristus, Alexander, Sixtus, Teles••horus, Higinus, Pius, Anicetus, Soter, Eleutherius, Uictor, and al the reast of the an∣cient Bishops of Rome, whose names haue beene abused to this purpose, agrée in one. Al they are made to say, Wee are the Vniuersal Bishops: wee are the headdes of the Vniuersal Churche: Al appeales ought of right to lie to vs: wee cannot erre: wee may not be controlled: For it is written, The Scholer is not aboue his Maister. If these authorities were sufficient, then were the case cleare of M. Hardinges side. But he saw, they were forged, & ful of vntrueth: and therefore he thought it best to trippe so lightly ouer them. As for Anacletus him selfe, that was Peters Scholar, and the reast of the ancient Bishoppes of Rome, they were holy men, and godly Fathers: and liued in continual persecution: and were daily taken, and put to death: and had no leisure to thinke vpon these ambitious, and vaine titles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Epistles Decretal.
• * 1.2

  In admonitione ad lectorē, ante Decret. Liberij. Dist. 20. Decre∣tales.
• * 1.3

  Clemen ••pis. 1.
• * 1.4

  Hieronym. de Ecclesiast. Scrip∣toribus.
• * 1.5

  Anther. Epis. 1.
• * 1.6

  Macellin. Epis. 2. ad Oriental.
• * 1.7

  Marcell. Epis. 2.
• * 1.8

  Zephyrin. epis. 1.
• * 1.9

  Luc. Ca. 10.
• * 1.10

  Luc. 3.
• * 1.11

  Meltiad. Epist. 1.
• * 1.12

  Anaclet. epist. 1.
• * 1.13

  Irenaeus li. 3. ca. 3.
• * 1.14

  Dist. 93. Iuxta Sanctorum.
• * 1.15

  Anacleti Epis. 3.
• * 1.16

  Extra. De re∣s••riptis. Ad au∣dientiam.
• * 1.17

  Anacle••i. epist. 1.
• * 1.18

  Anaclet. Epist. 3.
• * 1.19

  Dist. 79. Opor∣tebat.