A reioindre to M. Iewels replie against the sacrifice of the Masse. In which the doctrine of the answere to the .xvij. article of his Chalenge is defended, and further proued, and al that his replie conteineth against the sacrifice, is clearely confuted, and disproued. By Thomas Harding Doctor of Diuinitie.

Testimonies for outward Priesthod, and for the Sacrifice to be made by the special Priestes.

LEt vs beginne with the blessed Martyr, and learned Bishop S. Cyprian, who to declare the excellencie of the Churche of Christe that now is, aboue the olde Synagogue of the Iewes, that was vnder Moyses: among other prerogatiues numbreth this for one. that in the Churche, Non sunt haereditariae successiones Pon∣tificum, vel vni Leuiticae tribui ministeria assignata, sed de omni tribu, & gente, & lingua, quos dignos & ido∣neos Diuinae probat electio, secundùm vitae, non generis meritum, statuit Sacerdotes, quibus Calicem sanguinis sui inexhaustae plenitudinis abundantia semper refertum conseruandum tradidit, & erogandum. The successions of Bishops come not by heritage, neither the ministeries be assigned vnto the Leuitical tribe onely, but whom Gods election approueth to be worthy and meete, he ordeineth them Priestes, out of euery tribe, nation, and tongue, according to the desert of their lyfe, and not of their birth, to whom he hath deliuered the Chalice of his bloud filled alwaies with infinite abundance, to be kepte, and distributed.

Here the election of God appointing certaine spe∣cial persons to be Priestes, allowed for worthy and meete in respecte of good life, not of noble parentage, the function and ministerie whereunto they be ordeined, whiche is to attende vppon the Chalice of Christes bloude, to consecrate, offer vp, and distribute the same

(for thus to doo belongeth to Priestes): these thinges doo argue manifestly, an outward Priesthode, and shewe as it were to the eye, that they, who be thus chosen of God, and to whom suche ministerie and office is com∣mitted in the Churche, are special Priestes. For cer∣tainely, what answer so euer may be made by a wrangler touching the reste of S. Cyprians saying, the Erogation here spoken of, that is to say, the geuing and distributing of Christes bloude, perteineth not to euery Christian man, but to him that properly and specially, and by con∣secration of a Bishop is made Priest.

The holy and eloquent Father S. Leo speaking of the Priesthode of Christe after the Order of Mel∣chisedek, geueth vs a most plaine testimonie for the spe∣cial and outward Priesthode. When the Sacrament saith he) of this Diuine Priesthode commeth vnto humaine fun∣ctions (that is to say, when men be made Priestes) it runneth not by way of generations, neither is that thing chosen, which fleshe and bloude hath created: but the priui∣ledge of Fathers hauing no place, and the order of families set aparte, the Churche taketh those gouernours, whom the holy Goost hath prepared: Vt in populo adoptionis Dei cu∣ius vniuersitas sacerdotalis atque regalis est, non praero∣gatiua terrenae originis obtineat vnctionem, sed dignatio coelestis gratiae gignat Antistitem. That in the people of Gods adoption, whose vniuersitie is Priestly, and Kingly (that is to say, who in general and vniuersally are Prie∣stes and Kinges) it be not the prerogatiue of earthly pro∣genie, that shal obteine the annointing, but that he be made a high Priest, whom the heauenly grace vouchesaueth to ordeine.

Lo to the function and ministerie of the Sacrifice of Christe that is after the order of Melchisedek, the people, whom God hath adopted and chosen for his be not admitted, be they neuer so much vniuersally Prie∣stes and Kinges, as the Scripture calleth them, for offe∣ring vp pure Sacrifices from the Aulter of their harte, and for ruling their fleshe, and subduing fleshly lustes vn∣to the spirite, which are priestly and kingly partes: nei∣ther is any of them for doing this duetie a Priest after the Doctrine of S. Leo, but onely he, whom the holy Ghoste hath prepared, and promoted to haue the spe∣cial annointing of the external Priesthode, and so is or∣deined a Priest: for elles as touching the vniuersal An∣nointing of the holy Ghoste, euery spiritual Priest, that is to say, euery faithful person, hath it.

The same S. Leo geueth vs yet a more euident te∣stimonie for the outward and special Priesthode in an other place, saying thus: Omnes in Christo regeneratos, Crucis signum efficit Reges. Sancti verò spiritus vnctio con∣secrat Sacerdotes, vt praeter istam specialem nostri ministerij seruitutē, vniuersi spiritales & rationales Christiani agno∣scant se regij generis, & sacerdotalis officij esse consortes. The signe of the Crosse, maketh al that be regenerate in Christe Kinges. But the annointing of the holy Ghoste doth consecrate Priestes, that besides this Special seruice of our Ministerie, al spiritual and reasonable Christians vniuersally acknowlege them selues to be partakers of a Kingly linage, and of a Priestly office. Here he acknow∣legeth a special Priesthode, and an vniuersal Priesthode: that, is the external, this, is the internal and spiritu∣al Priesthoode. That, perteineth to certaine called

thereto and annointed by the holy Ghoste, this, to al in general that be faithful Christians. And though he confesse al Christians to be Priestes, yet he acknowled∣geth some to be Priestes after an other manner, who be chosen and admitted Ad specialem Ministerij Seruitu∣tem, that is to say, to doo a special seruice of Priestly mi∣nisterie.

This special and external Priesthode S. Augustine vn∣derstandeth, where he writeth thus vnto S. Hierome a Priest, him selfe being a Bisshop. Quanquam secundùm ho∣norum vocabula, quae iam vsus Ecclesiae obtinuit, Episcopa∣tus Presbyterio maior sit, tamen Augustinus Hieronymo minor est. Albe it after the rate of wordes of Dignities, which the custome of the Churche hath now obteined, Bisshoprike is greater then Priesthode, yet is Augustine lesse then Hierome.

S. Ambrose expounding the place of the Epistle to the Ephesians, where S. Paule speaketh of Apostles, Prophetes, Euangelistes, Pastours, and Doctours by Christe placed in the Churche: by Apostles, vnder∣standeth Bisshops, and by Prophetes, he vnderstandeth them, that be first in degree after Bishops, whiche Or∣der may now be the Order of a Priest, saith he, meaning the Special Priesthoode geuen by Consecration of a Bishop.

Of this Priesthode is to be vnderstanded the .3. Ca∣non of the .4. Councel of Carthage, in which those two hundred and fourteen Bishops, among whom S. Augustine was one, as it is certaine by his owne sub∣scription, describe a fourme how a Priest ought to be ordered, that is, consecrated into that holy Order.

Of this Priesthode speaketh S. Augustine writing A∣gainst the Epistle of Permenian, where making mention, of Baptisme and of power to baptise, he saith thus. Vtrum∣que Sacramentum est, & quadam consecratione vtrumque homini datur, illud cùm baptizatur, istud cùm ordinatur. Ideo{que} in Catholica vtrumque non licet iterari. Either (of them) is a Sacrament, and by a certaine Consecration either is geuen vnto a man, that, when he is baptized, this, when he is ordered. And therefore in the Catho∣like Churche either may not be iterated, or taken twise. For the outward and special Priesthod these fewe may suffice.

Notes

• Cyprian. de vnctio∣ne Chris∣matis.
• Erogatiō of Chri∣stes bloud
• Leo. Ser∣mone. 2.
• Leo hom. 3. in An∣niuers. die suae As••ūpt.
• Special Priesthod
• August. ad Hieronym. epist. 19.
• Ambros. in Epist. ad Ephes. 4.
• qui ordo nunc potest esse Pres∣byteri.
• Concil. Carthag. 4. Can. 3.
• Augustin. lib. 2. cōtra epist. Par∣men. c. 13.