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.

These woordes, Opus Operatum, Opus Operans, Opus Operantis, as they are strange, and Barbarous, so are they not founde, neither in the Scriptures, nor in the Olde Doctours, nor in any Ancient Councel: but haue béene lately diuised by Certaine Newe Scholastical Doctours of M. Hardinges owne side: who notwith∣standinge, cannot yet wel agrée vpon their owne diuise, nor can certainely tel vs, what they haue founde.

Opus Operantis, some of them cal the VVoorke,* 1.1 and woorthinesse of the Prieste. But Innocentius ••▪ rather calleth Opus Operantis, The Prieste him selfe. Likewise aboute these Woordes, Opus Operatum, they haue made muche a doo•• and yet are not wel resolued of it, what it shoulde be. Scotus, and Biel saie, It is the Conse∣cration, the Oblation, and the Receiuinge of the Sacramente. Gerson saithe, It is the VVoorde of the Creatour, and the power of the Holy Ghost.* 1.2 Pigghius saithe, It is the wil of God, that appointed the Sacramente to this purpose. Gropper of Colaine saithe, It is the Bodie of Christe.* 1.3 How be it, it were harde to saie, either that Christes Bodie is a Woorke, or that any Woorke is Christes Bodie.

It were a pointe of Maisterie, to make al these co••trary Resolutions agrée in one.* 1.4 Thus it fareth euermore, where as menne shoote without a marke.

How be it, if neither M. Hardinge, nor any other of his felowes for him, be hable to finde these woordes,* 1.5 Opus Operatum, in any Ancient Doctour, or Councel, then, notwithstandinge the greate multitude of his Woordes, my Assertion standeth stil true. But if he, and others of his side, haue maineteined this Doctrine, euen in suche sorte, as I haue vttered it, then by his owne Confession, they haue decei∣ued the worlde by wicked, and blasphemous Doctrine, to the greate Derogation of the Glorie, and Crosse of Christe.

And, for as muche as, M. Hardinge séemeth nowe, to blushe at his owne Termes, and ther••fore beginneth to shunne, and to shifte the same by vaine, and friuolous expositions: it shal not be amisse, to open the true meaninge thereof, bothe by the Olde Recordes of the Ancient Writers, in whose daies the like folie began to growe, and was then reprooued: and also by the plaine woordes of M. Hardinges owne allowed Doctours.

S. Augustine saithe,* 1.6 There were some in his time, that thought, and taught the people, that if a man had béene Baptized, and had once receiued the Commu∣nion, notwithstandinge he liued wickedly, and mainteined Heresies, and wilful Doctrine, yet he coulde not be condemned, onely bicause he was Baptized, and had once receiued the Holy Communion: which thinge now is called, Opus Operatum.

Chrysostome saithe,* 1.7 Mulieres, & parui pueri pro magna custodia, ad collum suspē∣dunt Euangelia: VVeemen, and yonge Children for greate safetie, hange the Gospel at their neckes. They thought, the Gospel it selfe, and of it selfe, coulde saue them from al missehappes,* 1.8 not bicause thei beléeued in it, but onely bicause it was hanged or tied aboute them:* 1.9 And this is also, Opus Operatum.

So there were certaine in Olde times, that, of mere superstition, vsed to Mini∣ster the Communion vnto the Dead, and to laie the Sacramente in the mouthes of them, that were departed: as S. Benet also caused the Sacramente to be laide vpon a dead womans breaste:* 1.10 thinkinge,* 1.11 that the very outwarde Ceremonie ther∣of, without Faithe, or inwarde motion of the partie, might be sufficient to doo her good: Whiche also is called, Opus Operatum.

Euen in S. Paules time there were certaine, that of like superstition, beganne to Baptize the Dead: which thinge also continued a longe while after, as maie ap∣peare by the Councel of Carthage.* 1.12 They thought, the very outwarde woorke of Baptisme it selfe, onely bicause it was donne, without any further motion of the minde, was sufficient to remit their sinnes.

This Olde errour our Aduersaries of late yéeres haue taken vp, and made it Catholique: bearinge the People in hande, y^t their Masse it selfe, ex Opere Operato, Onely of it selfe, and bicause it is saide, is auaileable for the Remission of their Sin••es.

Thus they expounde their owne dreame:* 1.13 Ex Opere Operato, id est, ex ipsa Con∣secratione, & Oblatione, & Sumptione Venerabilis Eucharistiae. Ex opere Operato, Is as

muche to say, as for the very Consecration, and oblation, and Receiuinge of the Reuerende Sacramente.

In Manipulus Curatorum, whiche, not longe ••••thence, was thought to be a Booke moste necessary for al personnes, and Curates, as conteininge al necessarie Doctrine for the Churche of God, it is written thus:* 1.14 Opus Operatum, est actus ex∣ercitatus circa Sacramentum: sicut Opus operatum in Baptismo, est Inspersio, vel Immer∣sio Aquae, & prola••io verborum. And therefore Cardinal. Caietane at Augusta in Germanie, requiringe Doctour Luther, to recante this Article, saide thus: Fides non est necessaria accessuro ad Eucharistiam:* 1.15 Paithe is not accessary for him, that wil re∣ceiue the Sacramente: Meaninge thereby, that the very Sacrament it selfe, onely bi∣cause it is ministred, is sufficient, although the receiuer be vtterly voide: of Faith.

And therefore the Bishoppes in the late Councel of Tridente haue determi∣ned thus,* 1.16 Si quis dixerit, per Sacramenta No••ae Legis non conferri Gratiam ex Opere Operato, sed Fidem Solam Diuinae Promissionis sufficere ad Gra••iam consequendam, a∣nathema sit: If any man saye, that Grace is not geuen by the Sacramentes of the New Te∣stament, euen for the woorke, that is wrought, but that Faithe onely of the Heauenly promise is sufficient to atchieue Grace, accursed be hee.

Likewise Gabriel Biel,* 1.17 Hoc Sacrificium in illis, pro quibus offertur, non praeexigit vitam Spiritualem in actu, sed in potentia &c. This Sacrifice in them, for whom it is offered, requireth not a spiritual (or godly) life in acte, and in deede, but onely in possibilitie. Neither is this against the saieinge of S. Augustine, VVho vvil offer the Bodie of Christe, but onely for them, that are the members of Christe? For thus wee vnderstande it, That the Oblation is made for the Members of Christe, when it is made for any, that may be the Members of Christe.

And therefore Cardinal Caietan, notwithstanding that he had spoken against Doctour Luther in open Conference to the contrarie, confesseth a general errour therein in his time. For thus he writeth,* 1.18 Vnde in hoc videtur Communis multo∣rum Error, quòd putant, hoc Sacrificium ex solo Opere Operato habere certum meritum, vel certam satisfactionem, quae applicatur huic, vel illi: Wherefore herein appeareth the Common Errour of many, that thinke, that this Sacrifice euen of the woorke, that is wrought, hath a certaine Merite, or a certaine Satisfaction, that may be applied to this man, or that man.

This of late yéeres was the Schooledoctours Catholique meaninge, touching these New Termes of their owne inuentinge: whiche now M. Hardinge, and his Felowes are faine, for shame, to colour ouer with some finer Uetnishe. Hereof, good Christian Reader, maiest thow iudge, how aptely this Doctrine may stande with the Glorie, and Crosse of Christe.

Now, touchinge these woordes, Oblation, and Sacrifice, with the shew wher∣of M. Hardinge thinketh it good skil, to das••e, and to abuse the e••es of the simple, First, where he saithe, A Mortal man offereth vp the Sonne of God in deede, and verily vnto his Father, and that Christ Cōmaunded suche a Sacrifice to be made, He knoweth him selfe, it is, bothe a greate vntrueth, and also a manifest, and a wilful blasphemie. And further, where he addeth, That the same Sacrifice so offered is available for the Dead on∣lesse there be some stoppe, or let in the Receiuer, This is a very vaine, and vnaduised folie: For Children know, that the Dead can neither receiue the Sacrament, nor make let, or stoppe against the receiuinge of the same. Therefore this addition might, haue beene better surueied, ere it came abroade.

In deede S. Augustine, hauinge ••ccasion somewhat to touche the state of the Faithful departed, saithe, y^t the Praiers of the liuinge, beinge either ••oined with Almosededes, or made at the time of the holy Communion, at whi••he time the Deathe of Christe is laide open before vs, and therefore our minde the more en∣flamed to deuotion, may vs auailable for the Dead. How be it, S. Augustine

herein compareth the Sacrifice of the Holy Communion, with the Sacrifice of al∣mosegeuinge, and in that behalfe of relieuinge the Dead, maketh either equal with the other. But for this presente, it is néedeles hereof to make farther trea∣tie. For M. Hardinge wel knoweth, this is none of the Articles, wée haue nowe in question.

But certaine it is, that S. Augustine, neither here, nor els where, euer mooued one woorde of Opus Operatum, that nowe so mightily is defended.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Biel Lectio. 27. Gerson contra Floretum. li. 4. Scotus Quod••••. ar. 2.
• * 1.2

  Innocentius. li. 3. ca. 5.
• * 1.3

  ••iel. Lectio. 27. Scotus Quod••••. ar. 2.
• * 1.4

  ••erson Contra Flor. li. 4.
• * 1.5

  Gropper arti. ••▪ Ca. 19.
• * 1.6

  Augustinus D•• Ciuit••. Dei, li. 2••. ca. 19.
• * 1.7

  Chrysostom. 〈◊〉〈◊〉Popul. Antioche▪ Homi. 20.
• * 1.8

  Chrysostom. in. 1. Corin. Homil. 43.
• * 1.9

  Heronym. in Matthae. lib. 4. ca. 23.
• * 1.10

  Concil. Cartha∣gin. 3. Can. 6.
• * 1.11

  Inter Decreta Deus dedit. Ca. 12.
• * 1.12

  Concil. Cartha∣gin. 3. Ca. 6.
• * 1.13

  Biel lection. 27. Scotus Quod▪ lib. ar. 2.
• * 1.14

  Manipulus Cu∣ratorum.
• * 1.15

  In Paralipome∣nis Vrspergen. An. 1518.
• * 1.16

  Concil. Triden. Session. 6. ca. 8.
• * 1.17

  ••iel lection. 81.
• * 1.18

  Caietan. in Quodlib. Devsu Spiritualium▪ quaest. 3.