Page "John Jewel" Paragraph 26

Much of Jewel ’ s Apology concerns doctrine of the church.

Concerning the role of the clergy, Jewel on the one hand rails against the Roman Catholic practices of sacerdotalism and refutes the pope's claim to be the “ vicar general of Christ ,” but on the other hand maintains a need for specially called clergy.

Jewel lists three church offices: deacon, presbyter, and bishop.

The pope, who is more technically the bishop of Rome, must not be regarded as the “ vicar general of Christ ” or in any sense the foundation of the church but as equal to the other patriarchs in the church.

The pope has become too powerful, says Jewel, and “ usurps a power which belongs not to him .” He should be judged only by how well he executes the function of the office of bishop — that is, instructing, admonishing, and teaching the people and administering the sacraments.

Like Luther in his 1520 work On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, Jewel says ( referencing Augustine ) that “ bishop is the name of a work or office, and not a title of honour ; so that he who would usurp an unprofitable preeminence in the church is no bishop ” ( II. 6, 304 ).

Moreover, Jewel, like Luther, compares the pope to “ Lucifer ” and says the pope has “ become the forerunner of antichrist ” ( II. 6 ).