A detection of sundrie foule errours, lies, sclaunders, corruptions, and other false dealinges, touching doctrine, and other matters vttered and practized by M.Iewel, in a booke lately by him set foorth entituled, a defence of the apologie. &c. By Thomas Harding doctor of diuinitie.

Iewel.

Pope Honorius vvas a Monothelite heretique.

Harding.

* 1.1Now at length M. Iewel you say that, which hath some face of truth. For Honorius in deede fel into the heresie of the Monothelites. But he fel into it, when as yet it was not euidently condemned by the Churche in any general Councel. He fel into it, but he defended it not: and yet the crime of heresie is not properly incurred, without a stubborne defence of falsehod.

Againe, he did not only not make any heretical De∣cree, touching the defence of that heresie, by the au∣thoritie

of the See Apostolike, but rather as a publike person, he did resist that heresie.* 1.2 For he induced Hera∣clius the Emperour to bannishe Pyrrhus the Patriarke of Constantinople, and Cyrus the Patriarke of Alexandria, who were giltie of the Monothelite heresie. How then standeth it together, that Honorius did bothe fauour, and hate the selfe same heresie?

Some men considering what he did, say, that he was falsly accused of the heresie, but others thinke rather, that in his harte he fauoured the heresie, yet bicause the Romaine Churche, to witte, the Bisshoppes of Ostia, of Porto, of Preneste, of Velitro, of Sabini, and suche o∣thers, that hauing their bishoprikes neare there about, are moste commonly resident in Rome, or are moste easily assembled thither to euery Consistorie with a great number of Priestes, of Deacons, and of other lear∣ned men, who are the Councel,* 1.3 and Senate of the Pope: bicause I say, they are and euer haue benne euen from the beginning, men of great experience (as it may appeare in S. Cyprians workes) and of constancie in the faith, as who liued with diuerse Popes one after the other: bicause then this reuerend companie were know∣en to resiste, as wel the Monothelite heresie, as al other heresies: it standeth wel together, that, Pope Honorius, albeit in his owne person he fauoured that heresie,* 1.4 yet durst not to publishe it in the cōmon assemblie, but con∣trarywise did there, as they gaue him Councel. Where∣by it came to passe, that he both deposed Monothe∣lites openly, and yet fauoured their opinion priuily. And this is the only Pope, who may iustly be burdened with heresie.

But now consider good Reader the worke of God, when he should come to confirme his brethrene, that is to say, to doo any open thing, whereby the other Bis∣shoppes might be established in their faith: then was he constrained to doo that, whiche might edifie, and not hinder the true faith, that God might be iustified in his woordes,* 1.5 who sayd to S. Peter, vppon this rocke I wil builde my Churche, and Hel gates shal not preuaile against it,* 1.6 and thou being once conuerted confirme thy brethrene: feede my sheepe,* 1.7 feede my lambes.

For when Honorius came to this pointe, whether in publike Consistorie the Monothelite heresie (whiche taught, that there was but one wil in Christe) should be allowed or no! then, as Platina recordeth, the Pope infourmed the Emperour, as wel by letters, as by mes∣sangers, that Christe had two willes: and that was done by the common assemblie, and the letters went, as the deede of the See, and Churche of Rome: whereas in the meane time Honorius was of an other minde with∣in him selfe. And they that are about great personages knowe right wel, that they doo many times sende ma∣ny messages, and letters, through the aduise of their Councel, whiche the greate personages them selues would not haue to take place. Thus we see a double person in him that gouerneth: one, which he hath in re∣specte of his owne priuate minde, and iudgement, the o∣ther, which he hath, or rather taketh as put vpon him, by the publike office, which he beareth.

Now concerning the matter of Succession, the pub∣like person is only to be regarded, which in Pope Honorius was Catholike. For that is the personage, whiche may

hurte, or hinder the Church. Of that publike personage Pope Agatho, who followed not long after Honorius, doubted not to write, as it is recited in the sixth general Councel Act. 4.* 1.8 concerning this very heresie of the Mo∣nothelites. Apostolicae memoriae meae paruitatis praedecessores dominicis doctrinis instructi, ex quo nouitatem haereticam in Christi immaculatam Ecclesiam Constantinopolitanae Ec∣clesia praesules introducere conabantur, nunquam neglexe∣runt eos hortari, atque obsecrando commonere, vt a praui dogmatis haeretico errore, saltem tacendo desisterent, ne ex hoc exordium dissidij in vnitate Ecclesiae facerent, vnam vo∣luntatem, vnámque operationem duarum naturarum asse∣rentes in vno Domino nostro Iesu Christo. The predeces∣sours that were before me, seelie man that I am, men of Apostolike memorie, and instructed in the Doctrine of our Lorde, since that the Bishops of Constantinople en∣deuoured to bring an heretical noueltie into the vnspot∣ted Church of Christe, neuer ceased to exhorte them, and with earnest meane to admonish them, that they would, at the least wise by forebearing talke, surcease from the heretical errour of their wicked opinion, least affirming, that there was in our Lord Iesus Christe but one wil, and one operation of two natures, hereby they should cause strife to beginne in the vnitie of the Church. Thus the predecessours of Agatho, emong whom Ho∣norius was one, did, as he reporteth, alwaies openly defende the Catholique faith against the Monothe∣lites.

It is to men knowen perhaps sometimes, that the Pope, or prince leadeth an euil life, as for example, in fornica∣tion, or in Aduouterie. Yet so long as their lawes forbid

them bothe, the menne are of euil example, but the law∣es are good and holesom, and the common Weale is wel prouided for. But if once Aduouterie, or Fornicati∣on should be made lawful by Lawe (as some menne say that vserie somewhere is) then is the common Weale domaged.* 1.9 But sithens the time that S. Peter sate first at Rome, God hath wrought this miraculous, yea thrise mi∣raculous worke, that there was neuer yet any open As∣semblie or Synode kepte, wherein any Heresie, by any one of so many as haue ben S. Peters Successours, was euer decreed. The publique sentence, and iudgement of the See Apostolike, in matters of faith, was neuer to this daie defiled, or defaced with false doctrine. That is the Succession which we holde of, and whereof S. Augu∣stine said so long time past:* 1.10 Numerate &c. Recken vp by tale the priestes euen from the very seate of Peter, and in that rew of Fathers, see who succeded other: that is the Rocke, which the proude gates of Hel doo not ouercome.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of Pope Hono∣rius.
• * 1.2

  Platina in Honorio.
• * 1.3

  Cypria. in epist. ad Clerum vib. Rom.
• * 1.4

  Pope Ho∣norius only bur∣dened vvith the crime of heresie among the Popes
• * 1.5

  Math. 16.
• * 1.6

  Luc. 22.
• * 1.7

  Ioan. 21.
• * 1.8

  Concil. 6. General. Act. 4.
• * 1.9

  No he∣resie euer decreed openly by any of the Popes
• * 1.10

  August. in Psalmo contra partem Donati.