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 most certaine, and therefore the more lamentable, that, as it now fareth through the whole Churche of Rome, the people knoweth, neither the Substance, nor the Meaninge, nor the Use, nor the Effecte, nor the Ende, or purpose of the Sa∣crament, nor the Consecration, nor any Woorde thereto belonginge. They heare nothinge: They sée nothinge: They vnderstande nothinge: They learne nothinge: The Pope, the Cardinalles, the Bishops, the Priestes teache them nothinge: It is thought to be the surest fence, & strongest warde for that Religion, that they should be keapte stil in ignorance, and know nothinge: M. Hardinge bothe in this place, and also before, calleth them al Hogges,* 1.1 & Swine, as insensible, & Brute beastes, and voide of reason, and hable to iudge, and conceiue nothing. Yet he blussheth not to say, The people of the Latine Churche is sufficiently instructed, touchinge the Sacramentes: And y^e more sufficiētly, as it appeareth, then euer they were instructed in the Primitiue Churche, or in y^e time of y^e Olde learned Fathers. Uerily Ignorance is easily lear∣ned: They may soone be taught, to know nothinge, But the Doctrine, that he mea∣neth, standeth in Transubstantiation, & Real Presence, and other like maters in∣cident vnto the same, suche as the Godly people in the Olde times neuer learned. How be it, if the people were thorowly instructed, and knewe the meaninge of al Mysteries, woulde M. Hardinge thereof conclude, That therefore they shoulde not heare the Woordes of Consecration? Is this the Logique of Louaine? who euer taught him to frame suche a Syllogismus? In what Forme, in what Moode may it stande? How may this Antecedente, and this Consequente ioine togeather?

But, where he addeth, That in consideration hereof, the Fathers thought it cō∣uenient, y^t woordes of Consecration should be pronounced in Silence, this, bisides other great wantes, is also a great vntrueth, to make vp his simple Syllogismus. For what were these Fathers? what names had thei? where dwelte they? In what Councel, in what Countrie mette they? This is a very strange case, that, beinge Fathers, and suche Fathers, hable to alter the Traditions of the Apostles, and the whole state of the Churche, nom•• should knowe them, but onely M. Hardinge.

As for S. Basile, whose name he muche abuseth to this purpose, it is plaine, y^t he speaketh not, neither of y^e Sacrament, nor of the woordes of Consecration. And here, good Christian Reader, marke, I beséeche thée, the circumspection, & constan∣cie of M. Harding. For proufe of his late inuented order of the Latine Churche, he sheweth vs examples of the Gréeke Churche: & to auouche his Consecration in Si∣lence, he allegeth the Authoritie of S. Basile, who, by his owne Confession euer∣more pronounced the same alowde with open voice, & neuer in Silence. He shoulde neither so vnaduisedly auouche the names of Ancient Fathers, nor haue so smal regarde vnto his Reader.* 1.2 True it is, as S. Basile saith, Familiar vse breedeth con∣tēpte. And for y^t cause Pope Innocentius saith, The woordes of Consecration were commaunded to be saide in Silence, Ne Sacrosancta verba vil••scèrent: L••••st the holy woordes should be despised. The like hereof is surmised also by Iohn Billet. Thomas of Aquine saith, That the Oblation, and Consecration belonge onely to the Priest, and that therefore the woordes be spoken in Silence, as nothinge perteininge to the People. But if the people be thus naturally inclined, the lesse thei heare, or know thinges, the more to haue them in admiration,* 1.3 then were it good, they should neuer heare, neither the Woordes of Baptisme, nor any parte of the Gospel, nor the Lordes Praier, nor the Name of God, or Christe, no nor the Masse it selfe. And, as now their eares be bar∣red from hearinge the woordes, that make the Sacrament, so were it good policie, their eies were also barred, from séeinge the Sacrament. For naturally contempte groweth as wel of Sight, as of Hearinge, or rather more. For by M. Hardinges skil, these were good waies, to breede Reuerence in the people, & to increase Deuo∣tion. But this is an vnreuerent reuerence, and a disordred honoure of God. The people of God is not made to serue the Sacramentes: but the Sacramentes are made to serue the people. But these be the secrete woorkes, & policies of Satan, to make the simple beléeue, they Reuerence the Sacramentes, & yet vnderstande no parte, neither of the meaning, nor of the vse of the Sacramētes. Lactantius saith,* 1.4 Hinc fida silentia instituta sunt ab hominibus callidis, vt nesciret populus, quid colere••: Therefore suttle, and crafty men diuised to haue their Sacrifices wrought in Silence, that the people shoulde not knowe, what thinge they honoured for their God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Articul. 13. Di••uisione. 6.
• * 1.2

  Basil. De Spir. Sanc. Ca. 27. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.3

  Innocen. 3. De Sacro Altaris Myster. li. 3. Ca. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Billet, De Di∣••in. Officijs. Thom par. 3. que. 183.
• * 1.4

  Lactant. li. 5. cap. 20.