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.

Here maiste thou, gentle Reader, easily see, that M. Hardinge, either had not that abundance of Stoare, whereof notwithstandinge he hath made vs so large a promise, or els had no greate regarde vnto his choise. For Dionysius hath no token, or inkling of any suche Sacrificinge of the Sonne of God vnto his Father. But clearely, & in moste plaine wise he sheweth the difference, that is bitweene the Sacrifice of the Crosse,* 1.1 and the Sacrifice of the Holy Communion. Thes•• be his woordes, The Priest extolleth those thinges, that Christe wrought in his Fleashe vpon the Crosse, for the Saluation of Mankinde: and with Spiritual eies, beholdinge the Spiritual vnderstandinge thereof, draweth ne••re to the Figuratiue Sacrifice of the same. Here Dionysius calleth not the Ministration of the Holy Mysteries, the Sacrificing•• of Christe vnto his Father, as M. Hardinge woulde force vs to beleeue, but a Figuratiue Sacrifice,* 1.2 that is, a Figure, or a Signe of that greate Sacrifice. And Pachymeres the Paraphrast expoundeth the same woordes in this wise▪ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: He commeth to the Breade, and the Cuppe.

Then the Prieste, saith Dionysius, after certaine Praiers, and Holy Songes, excuseth him selfe, as not woorthy to make that Sacrifice: and pronounceth these woordes out with a lowde voice, Tu dixisti &c. Thow hast saide, Doo this in my Remembrance. Hereof M. Hardinge concludeth thus:

The Priest excuseth him selfe, Ergo, He Offereth vp the Sonne of God vnto his Father. A yonge Sophister woulde neuer so vnskilfully frame his argumentes. Other∣wise the Respondent might easily saie, Nego Consequentiam, & Consequens. For what order, or sequele is there in this Reason? Howe maie this Antecedente, and this Consequente agrée togeather?

M. Hardinge knoweth, there be other sundrie causes, wherefore the Prieste shoulde excuse his vnwoorthinesse, and not this onely, that he imagineth. The Prieste in the Liturgie, or Communion, y^t beareth the name of S. Basile,* 1.3 praieth thus: Fac nos idoneos, vt tibi Offeramus Sacrificiū Laudis: Make vs meete, to offer vnto thee (not Christe thine onely Sonne, but) the Sacrifice of praise.* 1.4 In like manner Nazianzene saithe, Howe can they, or dare they offer vnto God, (he saith not, The Bodie of Christe Really, and in deede, but) the Figure of these greate Mysteries? But M. Hardinge, beinge vtterly voide of other reasons, prooueth his imagined Sacri∣fice of the Sonne of God, onely by the vnwoorthinesse of the Priest.

This is the Iust Iudgement of God, that who so endeuoureth him selfe to deceiue, and blinde others, shalbe deceiued, & blinded him selfe.* 1.5 For Dionysius vseth the very like woordes, speakinge of the Sacramente of Baptisme: Sacerdos cogitans negotij magnitudinem, horret, atque haesitat. The Prieste consideringe the weight of the mater, is in an horrour, and in an agonie. Likewise S. Basile excuseth his owne vnwoor∣thinesse of hearinge the Woorde of God: Quae autis digna est magnitudine earū rerum, quae dicuntur? Cogitemus, quisnam ille sit, qui nos affatur. What eare is woorthy to heare the Maiestie of these thinges? Let vs consider, who it is, that speaketh to vs. S. Paule speakinge of the Glorie, and Puisance of the Gospel, in the ende,* 1.6 in respecte of his owne vnwoorthinesse, vseth this Exclamation, Et ad haec quis idoneus? And who is meete to publishe, and to speake these thinges? S. Cyprian saithe, Wee are not woorthy to looke vp into Heauen, and to speake vnto God. O, saithe he, what merciful fauoure of our Lorde is this, that wee maie calle God our Father: and euen as Christe is Goddes Sonne,* 1.7 so maie wee be called the Children of God? Quod nomen nemo nostrum in Oratione auderet at∣tingere, nisi ipse nobis sic permisisset orare. Whiche Name (of Father) none of vs in our Praiers woulde dare to vtter, sauinge that he hath geuen vs leaue so to praie. By these, the sclendernes of M. Hardinges reason maie soone appeare: The Prieste excuseth his owne vnwoorthines: Ergo, He offereth vp the Sonne of God. It is a Fallax, Ex meris Parti∣cularibus, or, A non distributo ad distributum: and concludeth in Secunda Figura Af∣firmatiuè. An erroure knowen vnto Children.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dionys. Eccle Hierar. ca. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  Pachymer. in 3. cap. Ecclesi. Hierarch.
• * 1.3

  Liturgia Basili••
• * 1.4

  Nazian▪ in Apo∣loge. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.5

  Eccles. Hierar. ca. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.6

  Basi. Hexamer 1▪ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉;
• * 1.7

  2 Corin. 2. Cyprian. in Oration. Domi∣nicam.