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.

The answeare, that is already made vnto Dionysius, and Origen, maie also serue to that, is here alleged of Chrysostome. Yet for some further declaration of Chrysostomes meaninge, it maie please thée, good Christian Reader, to vnderstan∣de, that Chrysostome in the very same Homilie here alleged,* 1.1 writeth thus: Quid Si∣gnificat panis? Corpus Christi. What dooth the Breade Signifie? The Bodie of Christe. And in his Homilies vpon S. Matthew he writeth thus:* 1.2 In istis vasis, non est Verum Corpus Christi, sed Mysterium Corporis eius continetur: In these vesselles is not the very Bodie of Christe, but a Mysterie of his Bodie is therein conteined. And therefore in the same Homilie vpon the Epistle to the Corinthians, he withdraweth the mindes of the people from the Sensible Elementes of the Breade, and the Wine, and lifteth them vp by Spiritual cogitations into Heauen. Thus he speaketh vnto the peo∣ple: Vbi Cadauer,* 1.3 ibi Aquilae. Cadauer est Domini Corpus, propter Mortem. Aquilas au∣tem appellat, vt ostendat, ad al••a ••um oportere contendere, qui ad hoc Corpus accedit. Where as the Carkesse is, there are the Eagles. The Carkesse is the Lordes Bodie, bicause of his Death. But Eagles he nameth, to shewe, that he must flee on high, that wil comme neare to that Bodie. Afterwarde he addeth thus, Ascende ergo ad Coeli portas, & diligenter attende: imò non Coeli, sed Coeli Coelorum: & tunc, quod dicimus, intueberis. Therefore goe vp vnto the gates of Heauen, and marke diligently: Naie, I saie not to the gates of Hea∣uen, but of the Heauen of Heauens: then shalt thou see the thinges, that I speake of.

Thus therefore that Godly Father Chrysostome dealeth with his people, as if they were already in Heauen, and willeth them to beholde, not the Breade, and Wine, whiche are thinges corruptible, but the very Bodie, and Bloude of Christe: not the outwarde Sacrament, but the Substance of the Sacrament: not the thin∣ges that lie present before them, but the thinges, that, touching Bodily Presence, are awaie. For in the holy Communion there is none other sight laide before vs, but onely the Crosse, and Death of Christe, and that Lambe of God, that taketh awaie the sinnes of the worlde. And the very cogitation hereof, saith S. Augustine, so mooueth our hartes,* 1.4 as if we sawe Christe hanginge presently before vs vpon his Crosse.

In this wise therefore, hauinge remoued the peoples hartes into Heauen, and placed them euen in the sight of Christe, he saith further vnto them: For this Bodies sake thou art no lenger dust, and ashes: This Bodie hath made the free: This Bodie was bro∣ken for thee vpon the Crosse: This Bodie must wee Adoure, as the Wise men did: This Bodie, not nowe vpon the Earth, but at the Right hande of God in Heauen: This Bodie, that thou seest with thy Sprite, and touchest with thy Faith, whereof the Sacrament that thou receiuest, is a Mysterie. So saith Emissenus,* 1.5 Sacrum Dei tui Corpus Fide respice, mente continge, Cordis manu suscipe. With thy Faith beholde the holy Bodie of thy God: touche it with thy minde: receiue it with the hande of thy Harte.

But M. Hardinge wil replie, Chrysostome saith, As Christe was in the stalle, so he is now vpon the Aultar: and, as he was sometimes in the Womans Armes, so is he now in the Priestes Handes. True it is, Christe was there: and Christe is here: but not in one, or like sorte of Beinge. For he was in the stalle by Bodily Presence: vpon the Holy Table he is by waie of a Sacrament. The woman in her armes helde him Really: the Priest in his handes holdeth him onely in a Mysterie. So saith S. Pau∣le, Christe dwelleth in our hartes:* 1.6 and no doubtes, the same Christe, that laie in the stalle. It is one, and the same Christe: but the difference standeth in the manner of his Being there. For in the stalle he laie by Presence of his Bodie: in our hartes he lieth by Presence of Faith.

If this Exposition seeme to M. Hardinge ouer exquisite, or curious, then wil

I saie further: Christe is so vpon the Table,* 1.7 as the Faithful people is vpon the Table. S. Augustine speakinge to the people saith thus, Vos estis in Mēsa, vos estis in Calice: Yowe are vpon the Table: yowe are in the Cuppe. But the people is not there Grossely, Really, and in deede, but in a Mysterie. Euen so is Christes Bodie vpon the Table, not Grossely, not Really, or in deede, but in a Mysterie. And as Chryso∣stome saith, The Priestholdeth Christe in his hande, euen so S. Gregorie saith, Abel helde Christe in his hande, and that foure thousande yeeres before Christe was borne: and yet, not a bare signe, or a naked token, but the very same Christe, that Esaie sawe, and that Iohn Baptist pointed with his finger. For thus stande his woordes: Quem Iohannes in Ostensione, quem Esaias in locutione,* 1.8 hunc Abel Significando in ma∣nibus tenuit. Thus Chrysostome saith, the Priest holdeth Christe in his hande, as Iohn Baptist helde him: as Esaie helde him: as Abel helde him.

And, that this was Chrysostomes meaninge, it appeareth by the very forme, and order of his woordes. For he saith, Thou Seest the holy Ghost: thou Seest, & Touchest that princely Bodie. Thus he speaketh of a Spiritual seeinge, and tou∣chinge, wherewith we see, and touche thinges, be they neuer so farre absent from vs. For otherwise, touchinge bodily sight, M. Hardinge knoweth, the Holy Ghost cannot be seene: and by his owne Doctrine, the Bodie of Christe is there Inui∣sible.

But least M. Hardinge take occasion hereof, to saie, This is a Fantastical, and a Vaine kinde of seeinge, Let him remember the woordes that S. Hierome writeth to Paula, and Eustochium, touchinge theire aboade at Bethleem.* 1.9 Magos tria deferen∣tes munera in visione beatis oculis vidisti. Ipsa eadem munera Fide Deo obtulisti: Cum i••sdem Magis Deum Puerum in Presepio adorasti. Thou sawest with thine happie eyes the Wise menne carrieinge their three sortes of presentes: Thou tookest the same presentes, and offe∣redst them vnto God by Faith: with the same Wise men thou Adouredst God beinge a Childe in the Manger. She sawe the Wise men, and yet sawe them not: She receiued their Presentes, and yet receiued them not: She Adoured the Childe in the Manger, and yet the Childe was not there. Thus she did, not verily, or in deede: and yet not vainely, nor by waie of Fantasie notwithstandinge: but truely, and effectually, by Presence of Faith.

Thus did the Wise menne see Christe: thus doo we nowe see Christe. Thus did they worship him: thus doo we worship him. They sawe him, and worshipped him beinge in Earth: we see him and worship him being in Heauen. They had him Bo∣dily Present: we haue him, Bodily Absent, and Present onely to our Faith.

And in this behalf S. Ambrose saith,* 1.10 Magis videtur, quod non videtur: It is best seene, that is not seene. That is to saie, Wée sée more certainely with our Faith, then wée can sée with the eies of our Bodie. For our Bodily eie maie deceiue vs: But the eie of our Soule, whiche is Faith, cannot deceiue vs.

M. Hardinges reason hereof standeth thus: The Priest at the time of the holy Ministration, saide, O God be merciful to me being a sinner: And, Looke vpon vs, O Lorde Iesus Christe our God from thy holy Tabernacle, and from the Throne of thy Glorie: Ergo, he made his praiers, and gaue Adoration to the Sacrament. Of the same premisses he might muche better conclude the contrary. The Priest withdrewe his minde from these Sensible, and Corruptible Elementes, and Adoured Christe beinge in Heauen in his Tabernacle, and in the Throne of his Glory, Ergo, he did not Adoure the Sa∣crament.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chrysost. in. 1. Corin. homi. 24.
• * 1.2

  Chryso. in Ope∣re Imperfecto homi. 11.
• * 1.3

  Chrysost. in. 1. Corin. homi. 24.
• * 1.4

  De Con••. Dist. 2. Semel mortuus.
• * 1.5

  De Cons Dist. 2. Quia Corpus.
• * 1.6

  Ephe. 3.
• * 1.7

  Augustin. Cita∣tur a Beda in. 1. Corinth. 10.
• * 1.8

  Gregori. in Io∣bum li. 29. c. 38.
• * 1.9

  Hi••ronym. ad Paulam, & Eu∣stochium.
• * 1.10

  Ambros de his, qui initiantur Mysterijs. Ca. 3.