A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to a certaine booke lately set foorthe by M. Hardinge, and entituled, A confutation of &c. By Iohn Iewel Bishop of Sarisburie.

The B. of Sarisburie.

It is true, that M. Hardinge saithe, S. Augustine in this place speaketh no∣thinge of purpose and specially of the Sacramente. Certainely it had benne great vanitie for him, to wil his Hearers, to séeke for the Sacramente in Heauen aboue. But he speaketh of the embracinge, and holdinge the very Body of Christe, beinge nowe in Heauen. Whiche thinge is wrought onely by Faithe, and none other∣wise: Whether it be in the Sacramente, or without the Sacramente. Infinite sen∣tences haue benne vttered by the Holy Fathers to like purpose.

S.* 1.1 Augustine saithe, Accedite ad eum, & illuminamini: Quid est, Accedite, nisi, Credite? Comme vnto him, and receiue the Light: What is, Comme vnto him, but, Be∣leeue in him? Againe, Ambulando non laborabitis: Ibi enim Acceditis, vbi Cre∣ditis: Your walkinge shal not be paineful to you: For there ye Comme to him, where ye Beleeue in him.* 1.2 Againe he saithe, Exijt de Manibus eorum: Non enim apprehen∣dere eum potuerunt, quia Manus Fidei non habuerunt: Christe departed out of their handes. For they coulde not laie holde on him, bicause they had not the Handes of Faithe. Againe, Christus non rectè tangitur: id est, non rectè in eum Creditur: Christe is not vvel touched: that is to saie, Christe is not wel Beleeued. Likewise againe he saith, Sunt in Corde Spirituales Manus: There be certaine Spiritual Handes in the Harte. And therefore S. Ambrose saithe, Stephanus in Terris positus, Christum tangit in Coelo:* 1.3 Steuin beinge in the Earthe, (by Faithe) toucheth Christe beinge in Heauen.

But as S.* 1.4 Augustine so often saithe, wée Embrace, & Holde Christe by Faithe: so is not M. Hardinge able to shewe, that he euer once saide, Wée Holde Christe with Mouthe, or Teethe, or receiue him downe into Our Bellies. And therefore S.* 1.5 Ambrose saithe, Non Corporali tactu Christum, sed Fide Tangimus: VVee touche not Christe by Bodily touchinge: but vvee touche him by Faithe. And againe, Fide Christus Tangitur: Fide Christus videtur. Non Corpore Tan∣gitur: non Oculis comprehenditur:* 1.6 By Faithe Christe is touched: By Faithe Christe is seene. He is not touched with our Bodies: He is not holden with our Eies. Likewise S. Augustine saithe, Dominus consolatur nos, qui ipsum iam in Coelo se∣dentem Manu contrectare non possumus:* 1.7 Sed Fide contingere (possumus). The Lorde Comforteth vs, that cannot novve Touche him vvith Hande, sittinge in Heauen: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by Faithe vvee maie touche him.

Nowe, for as mutche as M. Hardinge saithe, S. Augustine in this place ma∣keth no mention of the receiuinge of Christes Body in the Sacramente, it shal not be from the purpose to consider, what he hath written otherwheres, touchinge the same.* 1.8 Thus he saithe, Christus est Cibus noster, quo nihil dulcius: Sed si quis habeat Palatum sanum in Corde: Christe him selfe is oure Meate, then whiche there is nothinge more sauerie: so that a man haue a sounde taste in his Harte. Againe he saithe,* 1.9 Dominus dixit se Panem, qui de Coelo descendit, hortans vt Credamus in eum. Credere enim in eum, hoc est Manducare Panem viuum. Qui Credit in eum, Manducat: Inuisibiliter Saginatur, quia Inuisibiliter renascitur. Infans Intus est: Nouus Intus est: vbi nouellatur, ibi satiatur: Our Lorde called him selfe the Breade, that came from Heauen, exhortinge vs to Beleue in him. For to Beleue in him, that is to Eate the Breade of Life. He Eateth, that Beleeueth in him. He is fedde Inuisibly, bicause he is newe borne Inuisibly. In wardely he is an Infante: Inwardely he is Newe. Where he is renewed, there is he filled.

So saithe Eusebius Emissenus,* 1.10 as he is alleged by Gratian: Cùm ad Reue∣rendum Altare Coelestibus Cibis satiandus accedis, Sacrum Dei tui Corpus, & San∣guinem respice, Honora, Mirare: Mente Continge: Cordis Manu Suscipe: & maximè haustu Interiori assume: VVhen thou commest vnto the Reuerende Aul∣tare, (or Communion Table) to be Fedde with the Heauenly Meates, beholde the Holy Body, and Bloude of thy God: Honoure it: Woonder at it: Touche it (not with thy Bodily Mouthe, but) vvith thy Minde: Receiue it (not with thy Bodily Hande, but) vvith the Hande of thy Harte: and specially take it with thy In∣ner taste.

Therefore S.* 1.11 Augustine saithe, Quisquis cum Fide, & timore Verbum Dei au∣dis, consolatur te Fractio Panis. Absentia Domini non est Absens. Habeto Fidem: & tecum est, quem non vides. Ideò Dominus absentauit se Corpore ab omni Eccle∣sia, & Ascendit in Coelum, vt Fides aedificetur: VVho so euer thou be, that with Faithe, and Feare hearest y^e Woorde of God, the Breakinge of Breade doothe Comforte thee. The Absence of our Lorde is not Absente. Haue thou Faithe: and he, whom thou seest not, is with thee: Therefore our Lorde, as touchinge his Body, hath Absented him selfe from al his Churche, and is Ascended into Heauen, that our Faithe maie be edified.

And in this selfe same place, that M. Hardinge saithe, maketh so litle for our purpose, he saithe thus: Quomodo tenebo Absentem? Quomodo in Coelum manum mittam,* 1.12 vt ibi sendentem teneam? Fidem mitte: & Tenuisti. Parentes tui tenuerunt Carne: Tu tene Corde. Quoniam Christus Absens, etiam praesens est. Nisi Praesens esset, à nobis ipsis teneri non posset. Sed, quoniam verum est, quod ait, Ecce ego vobiscum sum vsque ad Consummationem Saeculi, & abijt, & hîc est: Et redijt, & nos non deseruit. Corpus enim suum intulit Coelo: Maiestatem autem non abstulit Mundo: How shal I holde Christe, beinge Absent? Howe shal I thruste my hande into Heauen, that I

maie holde him Sittinge there? Sende vp thy Faithe: and thou holdest him. Thy Fathers (the Iewes) helde him in Fleashe: Holde him thou in thy Harte. For Christe beinge Ab∣sente, is also Presente. Onlesse he were Presente, wee coulde not holde him. But, for as mutche as it is true, that he saithe, Beholde, I am with you vntil the ende of the worlde, Therefore he is gonne, and yet is here. He is comme againe, and hath not forsaken vs. For he hath auanced his Body into Heauen: but he hath not vvithdravven his Maiestie from the VVorlde.

Al these thinges wel considered, whereas M. Hardinge in the ende conclu∣deth with these woordes: Thus al your Allegations, and Reasons, concerninge this mater, be sufficiently answeared, I doubte not, but his discrete, and indifferent Reader wil thinke, He crewe longe, before it was daie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  August. Aduer∣sus Iudaeos. ca. 9.
• * 1.2

  Augustin. in Io∣han. Tracta. 48 Augustin. in Io∣han. Tracta. 121. August. De Na∣tura & Gra. Ca 69.
• * 1.3

  Ambrosius Ser∣mone. 98.
• * 1.4

  Faithe re∣ceiueth, &c.
• * 1.5

  Ambrosius in Lucam. Lib. 10. Cap. 24.
• * 1.6

  Ambrosius in Lucam, Lib. 6. Cap. 8.
• * 1.7

  August. in Epist. Iohan. Tracta. 1.
• * 1.8

  Augustin. in Io∣han. Tracta. 7.
• * 1.9

  Augustin. in Io∣han. Tracta. 26.
• * 1.10

  De Con. Dist. 2. Quia Corpus.
• * 1.11

  August. Feria. 2. Paschatis.
• * 1.12

  Augustin. in Io∣han. Tracta. 50.