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.

M. Hardinge. The .4. Diuision.

Nowe touchinge the number, and iteration of the Masse, firste we haue good and auncient au∣ctoritee for (197)* 1.1 two Masses in one Churche in one daye. That eloquent and Holie Father Leo the firste, writeth thus to Dioscorus the Bishoppe of Alexandria. Volumus illud quo{que} custo∣diri, vt cum solennior Festiuitas conuentum populi numerosioris indixerit, & ad eam ••an∣ta multitudo conuenit, quae recipi Basilica simul vna non possit, Sacrificij Oblatio indu∣bitanter iteretur: ne ijs tantùm admi••sis ad hanc Deuotionem, qui primi aduenerint, vi∣deantur ij, qui postmodum confluxerint, non recepti. Cùm plenum pie••atis at{que} rationis sit, vt quoties Basilicam, in qua agitur, praesentia nouae plebis impl••uerit, toti••s Sacrifici∣um subsequens offeratur. This order we wil to be kepte, that, when a number of people com∣meth to Churche togeather at a solemne feaste, if the multitude be so greate as maye not wel be recei∣ued in one Churche at once, that the Oblation of the Sacrifice hardely be doone againe, leste if they onely shoulde be admitted to this Deuotion, who came firste, they that come afterwarde maye seeme not to be receiued:* 1.2 For as muche as it is a thinge ful of Godlinesse, and reason, ••hat howe oftentimes the Churche, where the seruice is doone, is filled with a newe companie of people, so oftentimes the Sacrifice there ef••soones be offred.

By this Father, whom the greate (198)* 1.3 General Councel of Chalcedon agnised for Supreame Go∣uernour of the Churche of Christe, and honoured with the singular title of Vniuersal Bishoppe, it is ordeined, that if anywhere one Churche coulde not conueniently holde al the people togeather at one time: they that came after the firste companie, shoulde haue their❧ 1.4 Deuotion serued by hauinge an other Masse celebrated againe. And least perhaps some might doubte whether that were lawful so to be doone or no, or because then some doubted thereof, as nowe likewise some seeme to doubte of it: to put the mater out of doubte, he saithe assuredly, Sacrificij Oblatio indubitanter iteretur. Let them not sticke to iterate, or doo againe the Oblation of the Sacrifice, that is to saye, Let the Masse be celebrated againe, indubitanter, without castinge peril, without stickinge, staggeringe, or doubtinge. In that epistle he sheweth two greate causes, why more Masses then one maye be doone in one Churche in one daye. The one is, leaste the aftercommers shoulde seeme rei••cted, non recepti, not receiued* 1.5: The other is, that the one parte of the people be not defrauded of the be∣nefite of their Deuotion: as himselfe saithe, Necesse est autem vt quaedam pars populi sua de∣uotione priuetur, si, vni••s tantum Missae more se••ua••o, Sacrificium offe••••e non possint, nisi qui prima diei parte conuenerint. It must needes be, that a parte of the people be be••efie of their deuotion,* 1.6 if, the custome of hauinge one Masse onely kepte, none maye offer the Sacrifice, but such as came to Churche togeather in the morninge, or firste parte of the daie. Nowe, the people

maye neither be reiected, whom God hath chosen: nor sparckled abroade, whom our Lorde hath gathe∣red togeather: neither ought they to be defrauded of their Deuotion, by withdrawinge the Masse from them, but rather to be styrred thereunto by their deuoute presence, at the celebration of the same, where the Deathe,* 1.7 and Passion of our Lorde is liuely represented before their eies: the very same Bo∣die, that suffered on the Crosse, of thē by the Ministerie of the Priest offered to the Father, in a Mysterie, but truely, not to be a newe redemption, but in Cōmemoration of the Redēption alreadie perfourmed.

By this testimonie we finde, that it was lawful within sixe hundred yeeres after Christe, (for Leo liued aboute the yeere of our Lorde 450.) to haue two Masses in one Churche in one daie, for so muche the woorde, iteretur, doothe importe at leaste, and if there were moe, the case so requiringe, the woorde wil beare it wel inough.

Nowe by this Holie Bishoppes Godly wil, the custome of hauinge one Masse onely in one daye was abrogated, and this decreed, that in time of two sundrie resortes of people to Churche, two sundrie Masses shoulde be celebrated, for the auoidinge of these two inconueniences, leaste the aftercommers shoulde seeme not receiued, but reiected like excommunicate personnes, and that a parte of the faith∣ful people shoulde not be put beside their Deuotion.* 1.8 VVhereupon I make this reason, The causes stan∣dinge, the effectes folowe: But the danger of the peoples seeminge to be reiected, and the defraudinge of their Deuotion, whiche are causes of iteratinge the Masse in one daye, did in that age in some Ho∣ly daies of likelihoode thrise, yea fower, or fiue times happen, and in our time certainely dooth com∣monly so often, or oftener happen: wherefore the Masse maye so many times be saide in a daye in one Churche.

VVhere great multitude of Christen people is, as in townes, wee see some resorte to Church earely in the morninge, making their spiritual oblations to the intent to serue God•• er they serue man in their worldely affaires, al cannot come so earely. Others come at their conuenient opportunitie, some at sixe, some at seuen, some at eight, some at nine, or tenne of the Clocke. If they, which through law∣ful lettes cannot come at the firste houres, comminge afterwarde be roundely tolde by the Priest, come ye at suche, or at suche houres, or els ye get no Masse here: shal not they accordinge to Leo his saye∣inge seeme to be reiected, and defrauded of their deuotion? Al wel disposed people aboute Powles cannot come to Postels Masse at foure, or fiue of the Clocke in the morninge, neither at high Masse there. Shal al suche in a Terme or Parlement time, when greate resorte is, be denied that spiritual conforte? And if they be, shal they not seeme reiected, and put from their deuotion? VVhich inconuenience that it might not happen, Leo willeth not onely twoo, but three, foure, or moe Masses to be doone on a day: for his wordes reporte no lesse. Cùm plenum pietatis, atque rationis sit, vt quoties Basili∣cam, in qua agitur, praesentia nouae plebis impleuerit, toties Sacrificium subsequens offe∣ratur: Let there be no stickinge at the iteratinge of the Masse: for as muche as (saithe he) it is a thinge ful of godlinesse,* 1.9 and reason, that how often the Churche, where the seruice is doone, is filled with a new companie of people, so often the Sacrifice there eftsoones be offered. Here he willeth plainely that Masse be doone Toties, quoties, at euery new resorte of the wel disposed people, and that for these weightie causes, least parte of the people shoulde seeme not receiued, and that they be not defrauded of their deuotion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The .197. Vn∣truth. For these tvvo Masses, vvere tvvo Commu∣nions.
• * 1.2

  Churche filled▪
• * 1.3

  The 198. Vn∣trueth. For there is no such Canon in al that Councel.
• ❧ 1.4

  This Deuoti∣on vvas, that the vvhole people shoulde receiue the Communi∣on: vvhich thing is contrary to Priuate Masse.
• * 1.5

  To the Com∣munion.
• * 1.6

  The people of∣fer the Sacrifice
• * 1.7

  A blinde Com∣mentarie con∣trary to the Texte.
• * 1.8

  A guil••ful Fallax A non Causa, vt Causa.
• * 1.9

  The Churche filled.