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.

M. Hardinge wandreth stil aboute his Figures, and out of Goddes Omni∣potent Power, diuiseth a very féeble argument. For thus he reasoneth:

Christe maketh mention of his Ascension into Heauen:
Ergo, His Bodie is Really in the Sacrament.

He hath no iust cause to be offended, for that I lay his Logique thus abroade. It behooueth the Reader to sée, by what force eche thinge is prooued. Uerily, if he Conclude not thus, he renneth at riotte, and Concludeth nothinge.

As touchinge Christes Ascension into Heauen, S. Augustine, & other Ancient Fathers séeme to vse the same, to prooue, That there is no such grosse presence in the Sacrament.* 1.1 S. Augustine thereof writeth thus, Si ergo videritis Filium ho∣minis Ascendentem &c. If you shal see the Sonne of man ascendinge vp, where he was be∣fore &c. And what is this? Hereby he openeth that thinge, wherewith they were offended. For they thought, he woulde geue them his Bodie: But he tolde them, that he would Ascende into Heauen, and that whole as he was. When ye shal see the Sonne of man Ascende thither, where he was before, then shal you see, that he geueth not his Bodie in suche sorte, as you i∣magine: then shal you perceiue, that his Grace is not consumed, or wasted by morsels.

S. Chrysostome saith, as it is before alleged, Ad alta oportet eum contendere, qui ad hoc Corpus accedit. Aquilarum, non graculorum, est haec Mensa. He must mounte on high, that wil come to this Bodie. For this Table serueth for Egles, and not for Iayes. So saith S. Hierome, Ascendamus cum Domino in Coenaculum magnum, stratum, & mū∣datum: & accipiamus ab eo Sursum Calicem Noui Testamenti. Let vs goe vp with the Lorde (into Heauen) into that greate Parlar spreadde,* 1.2 and cleane: and let vs receiue of him a∣boue the Cuppe of the New Testament.* 1.3 The like might be alleged of other moe Ca∣tholique, and Ancient Fathers. For Cyrillus saith in most plaine woordes, Sa∣cramentum nostrum Hominis manducationem non asserit, mentes credentium ad crassas cogitationes irreligiosè inducens.* 1.4 Our Sacrament auoucheth not the Eatinge of a Man, lea∣dinge the mindes of the Faithful in vngodly manner to grosse (or fleashly) cogitations.

Doublesse it séemeth to make very simple proufe of M. Hardinges side, to say thus:

Christes Bodie is Ascended into Heauen: Ergo, The same Bodie is Really, and Fleashely in the Sacrament. But M. Hardinge wil say, Christe speaking to the Capernaites, made mention of his Omnipotent Power, Therfore in y^e Sacrament there must néedes be a Fleashly Presence.* 1.5 First, as it is before alleged, Nicolas Lyra saith, Christes woordes to the Capernaites perteine nothing to the Sacrament, but onely vnto the Spiritual Eatinge of Christes Bodie, whiche in deede is the Omnipotent Worke of the Spirite of God.

And againe, would M. Harding make al the worlde beléeue, if Christes Body be not fleashly, and grossely in the Sacrament, according to his fantasie, that then God therefore is not Omnipotent? Uerily, the olde Catholique Fathers acknow∣lege Gods Omnipotencie in the Water of Baptisme: yet is not Christe therefore

Really Present in the water.* 1.6 S. Chrysostome saith, Cum Baptizaris, Sacerdos te non Baptizat: Sed Deus est, qui Caput tuum Inuisibili Potentia continet: & nec Angelus, nec Archangelus, nec vllus alius audet accedere, & tangere. When thou art Baptized, it is not the Pr••est that dippeth thee: but it is God, that by his Inuisible Power holdeth thy head: and neither Angel, nor Archangel, nor any other power dareth to approche, and touche thee.

S. Augustine saith,* 1.7 Paulus Baptizauit tanquam Minister: Dominus Baptizauit tanquā potestas. Paule Baptized as a Seruante: The Lorde Baptized, as the power it selfe.* 1.8 Againe, Nec iam Baptizare cessauit Dominus: sed adhuc id agit: Non ministerio Corporis, sed Inuisibili opere Maiestatis. The Lorde letteth not yet to Baptize: but continueth Baptizing stil: not by the Ministerie of his Bodie, but by the Inuisible worke of his Maiestie. So like∣wise saith Leo the Bishop of Rome:* 1.9 Christus dedit Aquae, quod dedit Matri. Virtus enim Altissimi, & obumbratio Spiritus Sancti, quae fecit vt Maria pareret Saluatorem. ea∣dem facit, vt Regeneret Vnda Credentem. Christe geue vnto the Water, the same, that he gaue vnto his Mother. For the power of the Highest, and the ouershadowing of the holy Ghost, that caused Marie to beare the Saueour, the same causeth, that Water dooth Regenerate the Beleuer. It appeareth by these authorities, that Christe in the Water of Baptisme sheweth his Inuisible, and Omnipotent power. Yet wil not M. Hardinge say, that Christe is therefore Really, and Fleashly Present in the Water of Baptisme.

Therefore it was but vaine labour to allege Christes Omnipotent power, to prooue this Fleashly Presence in the Sacrament.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Augustin. in Ioan. tractat. 27 Illi enim puta∣bant eum ero∣gaturum cor∣pus suum. Certè vel tunc intelligetis, quòd Gratiae eius non consu∣mitur morsibus: Chrysost. in. 1.
• * 1.2

  Corin. 10. ho. 24
• * 1.3

  Hieronym. ad Hedibiā quae. 2.
• * 1.4

  Cyrill. ad obie∣ction. Theodor. Anathematis. 11. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.5

  Nico. Lyra in Psalm. 110.
• * 1.6

  Chrysostom. in Matthae. hom. 51.
• * 1.7

  August. in Iohā. Tract. 5.
• * 1.8

  August. contra literas Petiliani li. 3. ca. 49.
• * 1.9

  Leo de Natiui∣ta. Sermone. 4.