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.

Princes vse to sitte vnder a Cloth of Estate: Bishoppes, and Deanes vnder painted Thrones, or

Cloth of Arras: Ergo (saithe M. Hardinge) The Sacrament ought to be hanged vp vnder a Canopie. I trow, It is not lawful for al men, to vse suche argumentes.

In such sorte Durandus reasoneth:* 1.1 The Arke of the Couenant was caried by the Leuites: Ergo, The Pope must be caried alofte vpon the Deacons shoulders. And againe, they séeme by practise, further to reason thus, The Pope is caried vpon mens shoulders: Ergo, The Sacrament must be caried before him, whither so euer he goe, vpon a faire white Iannet.

And, where as it liketh M. Hardinge, thus merily to sporte him selfe with Bishops sittinge vnder Painted Bourdes, Certainely, I recken it muche fitter for the Churche of God, to haue Painted Bourdes, then Painted Bishoppes, suche as he is, that claimeth to be the Bishop of al Bishoppes: and yet doothe not in déede any parte of the office of one Bishop. The Bishoppes Chaire, or Stalle, was appointed at the first, as a place most conuenient for him to reade, & to preache in. But what néedeth more? Suche vanitie of woordes should not be answeared.

For the rest, God him selfe commaunded Moses, to make the Tabernacle, and also shewed him in the Mounte, in what order, and forme it should be made.

Neither durst Moses, or his Workemen,* 1.2 to adde, or to minishe, or to alter any one thing of their diuise: or to doo any thing more, or lesse, otherwise then God had ap∣pointed him. When Dauid of his Deuotion woulde haue builte a Temple vn∣to God,* 1.3 God forbade him by the mouthe of his Prophete Nathan, and saide, Thou shalt builde me no Temple. Afterwarde Salomon set vpon to builde the Temple: not, when he woulde himselfe, but onely, when God had so willed him. Neither folowed he therein any parte of his owne fantasie, but onely that selfe same Plat, and Proportion, that God had geuen to his Father. For so saith Dauid him selfe: Al this paterne was sent to mee in writinge by the hande of the Lorde,* 1.4 whiche made me vn∣derstande al the workemanship of the paterne.

Here marke, good Christian Reader: In euery of these Examples, God hath bridled our Deuotion, and hath taught vs to worship him, not in such sort, as may séeme good in our eies, but onely as he hath commaunded vs. Yet can M. Harding, by his conninge, applie euery of these same Examples, to prooue thereby, that wée may honour God in suche sorte, as wée of our selues can best diuise.

This was euermore the very roote of al Superstition. And therefore almighty God saith, My thoughtes be not, as your thoughtes: nor my waies, as your waies. VVho euer required these thinges at your handes?* 1.5 M. Hardinge woulde fayne, in al, that he taketh in hande, be called Catholique: and yet neuerthelesse mainteineth a méere Parti∣cular Deuotion, onely vsed within this Realme, and that onely within these few late yéeres, and neuer either vsed, or knowen, in any other Christian Countrie els: and therfore suche, as can in no wise be called Catholique.

But he saith, There is now founde one amonge other Monstruous, and strange formes &c. This, I trowe, is not that Sobrietie, & Modestie, that was promised at y^e beginning. Suche Eloquence woulde better become some other person, then a man professinge Learning, & grauitie. Herein I wil gladly geue place to M. Hardinge. It is rather a testimonie of his impatience, & inordinate Choler, then good proufe of the cause.

Certainely, if the Sacrament be bothe God, and Man, as here, I know not how godly, it is auouched, then is this but a very simple honour for so greate a Ma∣iestie. Undoubtedly, this is a very strange, & monstrous Doctrine, to tcache y^e peo∣ple, that Christe being bothe God, & Man, and now Immortal, and Glorious, may Canker, and Putrefie, and bréede woormes. The time was, when, who so had vtte∣red such woordes of Blasphemie, had béene reckened a Monster emonge the Faith∣ful. But this is the iust iudgement of God.* 1.6 He geueth men vp into a reprobate minde, to turne Goddes Trueth into a Lie, and to worship, and serue a Creature, forsakinge the Creator, whiche is God blessed for euer.

I trust, our Doctrine abbridgeth not any parte of Christes Glorie. Wee A∣doure him, as he hath commaunded vs, sittinge in Heauen at the Right hande of the Power of God. And therefore, O M. Hardinge, ye haue burnte your brethren, and scattered their boanes vpon the face of the Earthe, and wrought vpon them, what your pleasure was, onely bicause they woulde not be traitours vnto God, and geue his Glorie vnto a Creature.

Chrysostome expoundinge the complainte of Laban against Iacob, for stealing away of his Goddes, writeth thus:* 1.7 Quare Deos meos furatus es? O excellentem in∣sipientiam: Tales sunt Dij tui, vt quis eos furari queat? Non erubescis dicere, Quare fura∣tus es Deos meos? Wherefore hast thou stollen away my Goddes? O what a passinge Folie is this? Be thy Goddes suche ones, that a man may steale them? And art thou not ashamed to say, Wherefore hast thou stollen away my Goddes? This mater néedeth no farther application. Uerily the thinge, that M. Hardinge calleth God, and Man, may soone be stollen away with Pixe, and Canopie, and al togeather. If Chrysostome were now aliue, he woulde say to M. Hardinge, as he saide to Laban: Art thou not asha∣med &c. And, touching the honouring of Christe, he saith,* 1.8 Discamus Christum, prout ipse vult, venerari. Honorato nan{que} iucundissimus est honor, quem ipse vult, non quem nos putamus. Nam & Petrus eum honorare putabat, cùm sibi pedes eum lauare prohibe∣bat: Sed non erat honor, quod agebat, sed contrarium. Let vs learne to honoure Christe, as he hath willed vs. For to him, that is honoured, that honour is most pleasant, that he him selfe woulde haue, not that wee imagine. For Peter thought to honour Christe, when he forbade him to washe his feete. How be it, that was no honour vnto Christe, but contrarie wise, it was dishonoure.

To conclude, where as M. Harding, in the impatience of his heate, demaundeth of vs, VVith vvhat Face wee can finde faulte with the hanginge vp of the Sa∣crament vnder a Canopie: Wee may easily answeare him thus: Euen with the Same Face, wherewith Linwoode founde faulte with the same: and with y^e Same Face, wherwith al Christendome, Englande onely excepted, hath euermore refu∣sed, to doo the same.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••••urand. li. 2.
• * 1.2

  Exodi. 25. &. 27.
• * 1.3

  2. Samuel. 7.
• * 1.4

  1. Paralipomen. 28.
• * 1.5

  Esai. 55.
• * 1.6

  Rom. 1.
• * 1.7

  Gene. 31. Chrysostom. in Genes. hom. 57.
• * 1.8

  Chrysostom. ad Populum Antio•• chenum, hom. 60.