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.

He that séethe no marke, muste shoote by ayme. What, saithe M. Hardinge, if foure or fiue men of sundrie houses within one Parishe be at the pointe of death, and require their rightes, and the Prieste haue di••••ed? Herevpon, he thinketh, may be grounded an argument inuincible for his Masse. But what if the Prieste were fastinge? shoulde he then say foure Masses to serue al foure? And what if noman happen to be sicke? then hath M. Hardinge loste a good argument. Alas, muste he leaue al the olde Doctours, and holy Fathers, and begge at deathes doore, to geate somewhat to healpe his Masse? In this case, saithe M. Hardinge, either the Prieste must communicate after he hath dined, whiche is against the Canons: or the sicke man muste receiue alone, whiche is proufe sufficient for the Masse: or els he muste passe without that necessarie vitaile, whiche were a cruel iniurie, and a thinge contrarie to the Primitiue Churche. To answeare these pointes, if the Prieste not withstandinge his diner, communicate with the sicke, then hath M. Hardinge yet founde no Priuate Masse.* 1.1 And it appeareth by S. Augustine, and ••ertaine olde Canons, that in the Primitiue Churche bothe the Prieste and people sometimes communicated togeather after Supper.

And why is this prouision thought so necessarie? Or why is it counted so cruel an iniurie, if the sicke man passe without it? Shal noman be saued that so de∣parteth? In déede that were a cruel iniurie. Infinite numbers of Children, and others departe this life in Goddes mercie, without that vitaile. In the Primitiue Churche this order was thought expedient, not for the sicke, for they in their

health receiueda 1.2 dayly, and in their sickenesse had the Sacrament ordinarily sent b 1.3 home vnto them: but for personnes excommunicate, and inioined to penaun••••: who vpon great and notorious crimes coulde not be suffred to communicate with the rest of the faithful, sometimes duringe their whole life, but onely when they shoulde departe the worlde. This extremitie was vsed for terrour of others, and suche reconciliation was thought necessarie at the ende for solace of the partie, that he shoulde not vtterly be swalowed vp in despaire, but might perceiue he was receiued againe emongst the faithful, & so departe comfortably, as the member of Christe.* 1.4 And therefore it was decréed by the Councel of Carthagè, That if any man after suche Reconciliation, had recouered his health againe, he shoulde neuer thelesse not be re∣ceiued to the Communion of the Church, but onely be admitted to the common Praiers. Thus farre foorthe, and in this case this prouision was counted necessary in the ende.

How be it I confesse,* 1.5 sometimes it was otherwise vsed, and at laste grewe to suche superstition, that it was thrust into mennes mouthes after they were dead: as we may sée by the Councel of Carthage forbiddinge the same. But if the peo∣ple woulde nowe Communicate euery day, as they did then: or at leaste oftener, then they doo nowe, then shoulde not this mater seeme so necessary at thende, as it is here pretended: and so had M. Hardinge lost an other argument.

But let vs graunte M. Hardinge his whole requeste: let his Prieste come, and minister to the sicke. What maketh al this for his Priuate Masse? the members of these argumentes hange togeather like a sicke mans dreame, not one péece like an other. For if here be a Masse, whiche of the twoo is it, that saithe this Masse? Is it the sicke man, or the Prieste? The Prieste hath dined, and therefore may not: the sicke man is no Priest, and therefore cannot. Here woulde M. Hardinge faine finde a Masse: but he can finde no man to say his Masse: and so hath hitherto founde no Masse at al. And thinketh he to prooue his Masse by y^• thinge that is no Masse?

Againe, graunte wée this action of the Priest not onely to be a Priuate Masse, but also, the necessitie of the sicke considered, to be lawful. Yet coulde not this President make it lawful to be done openly in the Churchs, where as is no suche case of necessitie. The circumstances of place, of time, of cause, of ende, of man∣ner of dooinge be not like. In case of necessitie a dispensation was graunted to the Priestes of Norwey to Consecrate the Mystical Cuppe without Wine:* 1.6 for that Wine beinge brought into that countrie by meane of the extreme colde can not laste. Yet was it neuer thought lawful for al other Priestes, in al Churches ge∣nerally to doo the same.

Notes

• * 1.1

  August. ad Ia∣nuariū Epist. 118. Conci. Cartha∣gin. 3. Can. 6.
• a 1.2

  August. De Ser∣mon. Domini in Monte. cap. 12.
• b 1.3

  Ius••inus Martyr Apologia. 2.
• * 1.4

  Concil▪ Cartha. 6. ca. 13.
• * 1.5

  Concil. Cartha. 3. can. 6.
• * 1.6

  ••olaterran. li. 7.