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.

It is maruel, that M. Hardinge, in so shorte a ••ale, cannot auoide manifest con∣tradiction. He holdeth, and teacheth, that this is the honouringe of Christe, God, and Man: and yet he saithe, It is no greate Keye of his Religion. Uerily, what so euer Keye he nowe make of it, greate, or smal, he bringeth in very smal Authori∣ties, and proufes, to make it good.

Concerninge the Canopie, wherein al this question standeth, he is wel con∣tented, to yelde in the whole, as beinge not hable to finde it once mentioned in any manner Olde Writer. But the hanginge vp of the Sacrament, and that euen ouer the Aultar, he is certaine, maye wel be prooued by that solemne Fable, that we haue so often hearde vnder the name of Amphilochius. Concerninge whiche Fa∣ble, (for a very childishe Fable it is, and no better) I must for shortenesse referre thée, gentle Reader, to that is written before in the First Article of this Book, and in the .33. Diuision, as answeare to the same. Yet thus muche shortly, and by the waye. First M. Hardinges Amphilochius saith, that S. Basile, after he had saide Masse to Christe, and his twelue Apostles, immediately the same night, put one portion of the Sacrament in the Dooue, that was then hanging ouer the Aultar: & the nexte daye folowinge sente for a Goldesmith, & caused the same Dooue to be made: the same Dooue, I saye, that he put the Sacrament in, the night before. And so M. Hardinges Dooue, was a Dooue, before it was made. But Dreames, & Fa∣bles are woorthy of Priuilege. Yet, least this tale should passe alone, it is accompa∣nied with a Miracle. For after that time, when so euer S. Basile was at Masse, & lifted vp the Breade, the same Dooue (so saithe this Amphilochius) vsed euermore to rowse her selfe ouer y^• Aultar, & mooued, & sturred of her selfe hither, and thither: muche like to the Mathematical Dooue, that Architas Tarentinus made, that was hable to flie alone. If this Golden Dooue had not beene endewed with Sprite, & Life, this tale had lost halfe his grace. Againe Pekham in his Prouincial geueth a straite commaundement to al Priestes, that the Breade in the Pyxe, be changed and renewed euery seuenth day, for avoidinge of putrefaction, or some other loth∣somnesse, that may happen. But M. Hardinges Golden Dooue had a special vertue aboue al others, to keepe the Breade seuen yéeres togeather without corruption, and the same at the last, méete to be geuen to a sicke man in his death bedde.

But there is mention made of Golden, and Siluern Dooues in the Councel of Constantinople. I graunte. How be it, there is no mention made there of any Pyxe, or Reseruation of the Sacrament. But if euery Dooue there were a Pyxe, or, as they cal it, a Monster, then hath M. Hardinge a greate aduantage. For séeking out but one Pyxe, he hath founde twentie, and that al togeather in one Churche, some aboute the Aultar, some aboute the holy Fonte, and some els where. And yet I coulde neuer vnderstande, but euermore in one Churche, were it neuer so bigge, one Pyxe was thought sufficient. O what paines M. Hardinge hath taken to furnish a Fable? God graunte vs to be simple as Dooues, in obeieing of Goddes Trueth:* 1.1 and wise as Serpentes in discerning, and eschewing lies.

The reast, that is alleged, of Symmachus, Gregorius Romanus, Gregorius Turonensis, & Theodorus, as it is not denied, so it is no parcel of this Question. The hanginge of the Sacrament, and the Canopie, wherein the greatest danger stoode, beinge remooued, somewhat may be considered touchinge Reseruation, when it shalbe thought necessarie. Wherein to counterpoise the credite of these foure obscure and late Doctours, wée haue the authoritie of eight other doctours counted Learned, and Ancient, Clemens, Cyprian, Origen, Cyr••••, Hierome, Au∣gustine, Hesychius, and Nicephorus, as it is already prooued.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  M••tthae .10.