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 it appeareth, that M. Hardinge somewhat misliketh his Catholique Maisters, and thinketh it now an errour, to say, That a Mouse may eate the Bo∣die of Christe: and therefore he calleth this parte of his owne Doctrine, A vile as∣seueration. But if this Asseueration of M. Hardinges owne Doctours, & greatest Doctours be so Uile, then Uile were they, that firste diuised it. And yet I cannot wel sée, how he may so lightly recante the Doctrine, that he was borne, & brought vp in, and condemne his owne felowes of villanie, without blame.

How be it, One good excuse he séemeth to haue, that this parte of his Religion was neuer Uniuersally receiued, nor counted Catholique. And therefore he saithe, It is no keie of his Religion. If M. Hardinge wil measure al the reste in this sorte, I feare mee, very fewe partes of his whole Religion wil prooue Catholique. And yet the firste diuisours, and setters foorthe, and mainteiners hereof, tooke this euer∣more for a principal keie, as without whiche the rest of their Doctrine coulde not stande. Yet were they euermore accoumpted, bothe as Uniuersal for their Lear∣ninge, and as Catholique for their Religion, and as constante in the same, as M. Hardinge.

But in déede, the Olde holy Fathers, S. Ambrose, S. Augustine, S. Hierome, S. Chrysostome neuer hearde of this strange Doctrine: nor, if they had hearde it, would euer haue taken it for locke, or keie of their Religion: but would rather haue thought him woorthy to be lockte vp, as a madde man, that woulde either haue taught it, as greate numbers haue doone: or els haue doubted of it, as M. Hardinge doothe. Now let vs see, by whome this Doctrine hath béene mainteined. So, whe∣ther it haue béene holden for Catholique, or no, it wil soone appeare.

Yet notwithstandinge, I muste protest before hande, that the speaches, that they haue vsed in this behalfe, are so Blasphemous, and so Uile, that for the Reue∣rence, I beare to the glorious Bodie of Christe, I can neither heare them, nor vt∣ter them without horrour.

Firste of al, Thomas of Aquine saithe thus:* 1.1 Quidam dixerunt, quòd cùm pri∣mùm Sacramentum sumitur à Mure, vel à Cane, desinit ibi esse Corpus, & Sanguis Chri∣sti: Sed hoc derogat veritati huius Sacramenti: Some haue saide, that, as soone as the Sacrament is touched of a Mouse, or a Dogge, the Bodie, and Bloude of Christe streigthway

departeth from it. But this is a derogation to the trueth of this Sacramente. By these woor∣des, M. Hardinges iudgemente is vtterly condemned, as vttered against the trueth, and in the derogation of this Sacramente.

M. Hardinge maie not wel calle in question, whether this Doctoure were Ca∣tholique, or no. For Christe saide vnto him by a vision in his dreame, Benè scrip∣sisti de me Thoma: O Thomas, thou hast written ful wel of m••e. And therefore he is cal∣led, Doctor Angelicus, an Angelical Doctoure, for that in learninge, and iudge∣mente he so far surmounted al other Doctours, and was accompted moste Ca∣tholique.

In the Councel of Arle it is written thus: Qui non benè custodierit Sacrificium, & Mus,* 1.2 vel aliquod animal comederit illud, quadraginta dies poeniteat: Who so keepeth not the Sacrifice wel, and duely, and a Mous, or any other beaste happen to eate it, let him be put to penance fourtie daies.

Iohannes de Burgo saithe, Mus comedens Hostiam, suscipit Corpus Christi: The Mouse eatinge the Sacramente,* 1.3 receiueth the Bodie of Christe.

Alexander de Hales saithe thus,* 1.4 Quidam dicunt, Vbicunque ponantur species, siue in mundo loco, siue in immundo, siue in Ventre Muris, ibi est Corpus Christi. Et in hoc non derogatur Corpori Christi, nec Sacramento: Some saie, Where so euer the Fourmes be laide, whether it be in a faire place, or in a foule, or in the belly of a Mouse, there is the Very Bodie of Christe. And this is no hinderance, neither to the Bodie of Christe, nor to the Sa∣cramente.

Againe he saithe, Si Canis, vel Porcus deglutiret Hostiam Consecratam integra••m, non video, quare Corpus Domini non simul ••rai••ceretur in ventrem Canis, vel Porci: Yf a Dogge, or a Swine shoulde eate the whole Hoste beinge Consecrate, I see no cause, but our Lordes Bodie shoulde enter into the belly of the Dogge, or of the Swine.

Gerson saith,* 1.5 Brutū sumit Corpus Christi per Accidens, quia sumit illud, in quo est: A brute beaste receiueth the Bodie of Christe, bicause it receiueth that thinge, wherein Chri∣stes Bodie is conteined.

Bonauentura liketh better the contrary Doctrine, as more agréeinge, as he saithe,* 1.6 bothe with Ciuil Honestie, and also with the Iudgemente of common Rea∣son, Haec Opinio est honestior, & rationabilior.

Peter Lombarde, the Maister of al Catholique Conclusions, one that taketh vpon him, to teache al others, when he commeth to this pointe, he standeth in a mammeringe, and is not hable to teache him selfe. For thus he saithe, touching the same:* 1.7 Quid igitur sumit Mus, vel quid manducat? What is it then, that the Mouse re∣ceiueth? Or, what eateth it? He answeareth, Deus nouit: God knoweth: I knowe it not.

Notwithstandinge his Resolution is this: Sanè dici potest, quòd Corpus Christi à brutis animalibus non sumitur: It maie very wel be saide, that a brute beaste receiueth not the Bodie of Christe. But this Sentence is reuersed, and not thought Catholique. For the greate Facultie of Parise hath geuen this iudgemente vpon the same, Hic Magister non tenetur: Herein the Maister is not allowed.

Therefore, notwithstandinge M. Hardinges contrary determination, this Doctrine hitherto appeareth right good, and Catholique.

Touchinge suche cases, as herein maie happen, Antoninus the Archebishop of Florence writeth thus:* 1.8 Si Mus, aut aliud animal, &c. Yf a Mouse, or any other woorme, or beaste happen to eate the Sacramente throwgh negligence of keepinge, let the keeper, throwgh whoes negligence it happened, be enioined to penance fourtie daies. And yf it be pos∣sible, let the Mouse be taken, and burnte, and let his ashes be buried in, or aboute the Aultare. But Peter of Palus saith, The Mouses entralles must be drawen: and the Portion of the Sacramente, that there remaineth, yf the Priest be squaimishe to receiue it, must reuerētly be saide vp in the Tabernacle, vntil it maie naturally be consumed. But the Hoste so founde in the

Mouses entralles may in no wise be throwen oute into the poole: as a certaine prieste sometime vsed a flee, that he founde in his chalice after Consecratiō. But if a man had such a feruent zele (saithe he) that his stomake would serue him, to receiue the same without horrour, there were no waie to it, Specially if the man were fastinge. So S. Hugh of Clunice mutche commen∣deth Goderanus a Prieste, for receiuinge the like portions caste vp againe by a Leper. But he saide afterwarde, S. Laurences gridy••on was nothinge so badde. Hitherto Antoninus.

And, for more likelihoode hereof, this is holden as a Catholique Conclusion of y^• side, Corpus Christi potest euomi:* 1.9 The very Bodie of Christe may be vomited vp againe.

I proteste againe, as before, the very blasphemie, & lothesomnesse hereof vnto a godly harte is vntolerable. Neither woulde I haue vsed this vnpleasant rehear∣sal, were it not, that it behooueth eche man to know, howe déepely the people hath béene deceiued, and to what villanie they haue béene brought.

This Doctrine hath béene published, & mainteined, in Schooles, in Churches, by the Schooledoctours, by the Canonistes, by Preachers, by Bishoppes, by General Councelles, and by him, that wrote the very Castle, and Forte of Faithe.* 1.10 Yet M. Hardinge doubteth not to saie, It is a vile Asseueration, and was neuer counted Catholique.

These be the Impes of their Transubstantiation. For like as Ixion, in stéede of Lady Iuno, hauinge the companie of a Clowde, begate Centauros, y^t were mon∣strous, & ougle fourmes of halfe a man, and halfe a horse ioined togeather: euen so these menne, in stéede of Goddes Holy Mysteries, companieinge with their••owne light, and clowdy fantasies, haue brought foorthe these Strange, ougle, deformed Shapes in Religion, Lothesome to remember, and Monstrous to beholde.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Thom. par. 3. De Euchar. quae. 79. arti. 3.
• * 1.2

  Concil. Arela∣ten. 3. can 6.
• * 1.3

  Iohan. De Burgo De Custodia Eu∣charist. ca. 10.
• * 1.4

  Alexan. par. 4. quaes. 45. m 1.
• * 1.5

  ••erson contr•• Floret. lib. 4.
• * 1.6

  Bonauen. in. 4. Senten. dis. 13. q. i. e.
• * 1.7

  4. Senten. dis. 13.
• * 1.8

  Antonin. De de∣fectih. Miss. 3. par. Summ. 3.
• * 1.9

  De Con. dist. 2. Si quis. In glosa.
• * 1.10

  Fortalitium ••i∣dei. li. 3.