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.

I cannot imagine, wherefore M. Hardinge should so often telle vs, that the peo∣ple in the Primitiue Churche was taught plainely. For, as nowe, in his Churche of Rome, al thinges of purpose are drowned in darknesse, & the simple people suf∣fered to knowe nothinge: no not the meaninge of the Sacramentes, whiche of al other thinges should be moste plaine.

For, briefely to open some parte of the Mysteries, whiche euery of the simple vnlearned People may not knowe, marke, I beseeche thée, good Christian Reader, how plainely they haue determined the manner of Christes beinge in the Sacra∣ment. Thomas of Aquine y^t most famous of al the Schooledoctours writeth thus: In Corpore Christi in Sacramento non est distantia partium ab inuicem,* 1.1 vt oculi ab ocu∣lo, aut Capitis à pedibus: sicut est in alijs Corporibus organicis. Talis enim distātia par∣••ium est in ipso Corpore Christi vero: sed non prout est in Sacramento. Quia sic non ha∣bet Quantitatem dimensiuam. In the Bodie of Christe in the Sacramente there is no distance of partes, one from an other: as bitweene eie, and eie: or eie, and eare: or heade, and feete, as it is in other natural Bodies: For suche a distance there is in the True Bodie of Christe: but not as it is in the Sacramente. For so it hath no dimension of Quantities. Out of which woordes the Reader may geather by the way, that, the True Bodie of Christe is not in the Sacramente. O what a Christe haue they diuised for them selues? He hath neither Quantitie, nor Proportion of Bodie, nor distance of partes: he is neither longe, nor shorte, nor rounde, nor broade, nor thicke, nor thinne: his eies, his eares, his heade, his feete are al in one. Yet is this the very Proportion, and stature of Christes Bodie, euen as he walkte vpon the Earthe: and euen as he was na••le•• vpon the Crosse.

And leaste any man should stagger hereat, and stande in doubte, this mater is ouerlookte, and considered in the Decrees by the Canonistes, by these woordes: Sed secundum hoc videtur, quòd vbi pars est, ibi est totum: & secundum hoc videtur, quod pes, & nasus sunt coniuncti: quod non credo. By this it appeareth,* 1.2 that, where as the parte is, there is the whole: and that Christes foote and his nose are bothe togeather. But I cannot ••••∣leeue that. So clearely, and plainely these menne are woonte to teache the people.

I passe ouer the reste of their Doctrine. Sometimes their Accidentes haue power to nourishe: Sometimes the same Accidentes are partes of the Substance: sometimes Substance muste be an Accidente: Sometimes Accidentes muste be Substance. To be shorte, thus of Night they make Daie, and of Daie they make

Night. They are nowe ashamed of their owne Doctours, that lately were in highest roome, and, as it befelle sometime vnto them, that enterprised the Tower of Babylon, one of them vnderstādeth not an others language. And therefore now their buildinge is at a staie.

This is the simplicitie, and plainesse of M. Hardinges Churche. It is an easier mater, for the simple people to goe to Heauen, then for him, and his felowes to agrée wel, and thorowly of the waie.

Here M. Hardinge without either Scripture, or Co••ncel, or Doctour, hath in∣••erlarded a longe Fable of his owne: whiche notwithstandinge, as he saithe, is the Doctrine of the Churche. But miserable is that Churche, that hathe neither Scrip∣ture, nor Councel, nor Doctour, to approue her Doctrine.

Firste he imagineth, That Christes Bodie is Really in the Sacramente, so longe, as the Sacramente is a Sacramente. Againe, by the tenoure, and force of his Doctrine, Yf Christes Bodie once departe awaie, then is the Sacramente nomore a Sacramente. Thus this Doctrine turneth rounde. If it be a Sacramente, then is Christes Bodie there: yf Christes Bodie be there, then is it a Sacramente. So simply, and plainely they teache the people. O happy are they, that haue sutche Maisters.

Further he saithe, The Substance of the Breade, and VVine is Really changed into the Bo∣die, and Bloude of Christe. And this he auoucheth by Scriptures without woordes, and by Doctours without names.

Afterwarde, he keepeth greate Mutes aboute Qualities, and Quantities: Howe far the coloure, or sauoure, or other qualities of the Breade maie be altered: and into howe smal mites the Breade maie be crommed (for these be his owne woordes) and yet neuerthelesse Christes Bodie continewe in it. No doubte, a very plaine, and comfortable, and a saue∣ry Doctrine for the people. S. Ambrose, S. Augustine, S. Hierome, S. Chryso∣stome, and other learned Fathers traueiled far, and deepely withe great studie: S. Paule was lifted vp into the thirde Heauen: yet none of them coulde vnder∣stande it.

In the ende he saithe, There must be a conuenience, and a Resemblance bytweene the Sacra∣mente, and the thinges, whereof it is a Sacramente. For example, As Water dooth washe, and refreashe our Bodies: so by Resemblance wée are taught in the Water of Bap∣tisme, that Christes Bloude dooth washe, and refreashe our Soules. And, as our bodies be Feadde by material Breade: so in the holy Communion wée are taught by like Resemblance, that our soules are Feadde with the Bodie of Christe. Sutche conuenient Likenesse there is, bitweene the Sacramente, and the thinge that is Represented by the Sacramente. But what sutche Resemblance, or Likenesse can M. Hardinge imagin herein, to further his fantasie? Wherein are his Accidentes like vnto Christes Bodie? Or wherein is Christes Bodie like vnto his Accidentes▪ Wil he saie, that the Accidentes of Breade doo nourishe, and increase the Substance of our bodies? Or y^t our soules liue so by Christes Bodie, as our bodies liue by Ac∣cidentes? If he leaue this Resemblance of Feedinge, and Nourishinge, what other Resemblance can he finde?

O, howe muche better were if, for M. Hardinge simply, and plainely to confesse, that, as wel for this Article, as for the rest, he is vtterly destitute, not onely of the Scriptures, but also of General Councelles, and Anciente Fathers: and hath no∣thinge to allege, but onely certaine vaine imaginations of his owne?

Notes

• * 1.1

  In. 3. quaest. 7•••• ar. 30.
• * 1.2

  De Con. Dist. 2. Vbi pars. In Glosa.