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.

What meaneth M. Hardinge, thus to encombre him selfe with these vaine, and miserable folies? S. Augustine saithe, A Sacrament muste haue a Resemblance, or Likenesse of that thinge, whereof it is a Sacramente. For without this Resemblance, or Likenesse, he saithe, a Sacramente is no Sacramente.* 1.1

Therefore M. Hardinge commeth in with his Fantasie, and telleth vs, that his Fourmes, and Accidentes are the Resemblance, and Likenesse of the Bodie of Christe. But, alas, wherein standeth this Comparison of Resemblance, and Like∣nesse? Or wherein are M. Hardinges Accidentes, and Christes Bodie like togea∣ther? Certainely M. Hardinge him selfe, notwithstandinge he can say many thinges, yet he cannot truely say, that Christes Bodie is either rounde, or plaine, or white, or thinne, or any way like vnto his Accidentes.

Yet must there be a certaine likenesse in effectes bitwéene the Sacrament, and the thinge it selfe, whereof it is a Sacramente. Of whiche effectes, the one is Sensible, and wrought outwardly to the Bodie: the other is Spiritual, & wrought inwardly in the minde. As for example, in the Sacramente of Circumcision, the Outwarde Uisible Cuttinge in the Fleashe, was a Resemblance of the Inwarde Spiritual Cuttinge of the Harte. In the Sacramente of Baptisme, the Out∣warde Washinge of the Bodie, is a Resemblance of the Inwarde Spiritual Washinge of the Soule.

Likewise in the Sacramente of the Holy Communion, as the Breade Out∣wardly Feedeth our Bodies: so doothe Christes Bodie Inwardly, and Spiritu∣ally Féede our Soules. Thus is Féedinge an effecte common vnto them bothe. And therein standeth the Resemblance, and Likenesse of the Sacramente. There∣fore Rabanus Maurus saithe,* 1.2 Quia Panis Corporis Cor confirmat, ideò ille congru∣enter Corpus Christi nominatur: Et, quia Vinum sanguinem ope••atur in Carne, ideò il∣lud refer••ur ad Sanguinem: Bicause the Breade confirmeth the Harte of our Bodie, there∣fore is the same conueniently called the Bodie of Christe: And bicause VVine woorketh Bloude in our Fleashe, therefore the VVine hath relation vnto the Bloude of Christe.

Now, if M. Hardinge, touchinge this effecte of Feedinge, wil compare his Ac∣cidentes with Christes Bodie, then must he say, That wée Eate Accidentes, and Drinke Accidentes, and be Feadde with Accidentes, and Liue by Accidentes: euen as in the Inner man wee Eate Christe, and Drinke Christe, and be Feadde with Christe, and Liue by Christe. Otherwise he muste confesse, that, touchinge the ef∣fecte of Feedinge, his Accidentes haue no Resemblance of Christes Bodie: and therefore can in no wise be called Sacramentes.

But, saithe M. Hardinge, the Accidentes Represente the likenesse of Breade: and the Breade, that was, Representeth the Bodie of Christe. Here is an other suttle drifte of M. Har∣dinges reason: from Accidentes, to Breade: and from Breade, to Christes Bodie. And so wée haue here fansie vpon fansie: and one Likenes vpon an other: but nei∣ther Scripture, nor Councel, nor Doctour, either Greeke, or Latine: or Olde, or Newe, to auouche the same.

But here appeareth a marueilous peruerse order in Nature. For by M. Har∣dinges driftes, neither can the Breade Signifie Christes Bodie, but onely when the Breade is abolished, & nothing leafte to Signifie: nor can these Accidētes Sig∣nifie the Breade, but onely, when there is no Breade remaininge there, to be Sig∣nified. And so the effecte of M. Hardinges drifte, and of this Resemblance pas∣seth from nothinge to nothinge, and standeth in nothinge.

Here it behooued M. Hardinge to haue foreseene the inconueniences, that might haue folowed. For if the Accidentes of the Breade ••e the Sacrament, for as much as in one péece of Breede there be sundrie Accidentes, it must néedes folow of these positions, that in one peece of Breade be sundrie Sacramentes, and so, sundrie Sa∣cramentes in one Sacramente. Innocentius him selfe espied this inconuenience: and therefore he demaundeth this question:* 1.3 Cùm sint mul••ae species, quomodò non sunt multa Sacramenta?

But this Resemblance, or Likenesse S. Augustine calleth, Visibilem Speciem E∣lementorū, The visible Fourme of the Elementes. By whiche woordes (saithe M. Har∣dinge) he meante onely the Shewes, and Accidentes of the Breade. In déede S. Au∣gustines woordes be true: but M. Hardinges Exposition is not true. For S. Au∣gustine by this woorde, Species, meante not the outwarde Fourmes, or Shewes, as it is supposed, but the very Kinde, and Substance, and Nature of the Breade.

So S. Ambrose saithe,* 1.4 Ante benedictionem Verborum Coelestium, alia Species no∣minatur: post Consecrationem Corpus Christi Significatur. Before the Blissinge of the Heauenly Woordes it is called (not an other Fourme, or an other Shew, but) an other Kinde, or Nature: But after the Consecration, Christes Bodie is Signified. Whiche thing•• may also plainely appeare by S. Augustine him selfe in the same place. For thus he writeth:* 1.5 Panis, qui Corpus Christi est, suo modo vocatur Corpus Christi, cùm ••e ve∣ra sit Sacramentum Corporis Christi &c. Vocatur{que} ipsa immolatio Carnis Christi, quae Sacerdotis manibus fit, Christi Passio, Mors, Crucifixio: non rei Veritate, sed Significante Mysterio. He saith (Not the Fourme, not the Shew, not the Accidente, but) The Breade, that is the Bodie of Christe (not verily, or in deede, but) after a manner is called the Bodie of Christe: where as it is in deede a Sacrament of the Bodie of Christe &c. And the Oblation of the Fleashe of Christe, that is made with the Priestes hande, is called the Passion, the Deathe, and the Crucifieinge of Christe: not in Truethe of the mater, but by a Mysterie Signifieinge.

Notes

• * 1.1

  August. epist. 23. ad Bonifacium.
• * 1.2

  Raban. Maurus li. 1. ca. 31.
• * 1.3

  Innocen. De Of∣ficio Miss. ca. 38.
• * 1.4

  Ambro. De illis qui initian. My∣sterijs. ca. 9.
• * 1.5

  De Con. dist. 2. Hoc est, quod ••••cimus.