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.

M. Hardinge sh••oteth faire, but far from the marke. To proue Priuate Masse in the Primitiue Churche, for lacke of Priestes he allegeth Tertullians wife, cer∣taine wemen out of Cyprian, and Serapions boy: not y^e fittest people that might haue been founde to say Masse. And yet that the folie might the more appeare, he hath besides geuen a special note in the Margine of his booke, by these woordes, Proufes for Priuate Masse. Wherof I conceiue some hope, that he mindeth no more to slippe away vnder the colour of single Communion, as he hath doone hi∣therto: but simply, and plainely, as he hath here noted vnto the worlde, to stande vpon the bare termes of Priuate Masse. For els his note was not woorth the noting.

As touchinge Tertullian, wée must remember that the faithful in that time, for feare of the Tyrannes vnder whom they liued, were often driuen to pray a sunder. Wherefore when they might priu••ly assemble togeather, besides that they presently receiued there, they reserued certaine portions of the Mysteries to be re∣ceiued afterwarde in their houses at home, to put them daily the better in remem∣brance, that they were the members of one Churche.

This maner of the Churche considered, Tertullian being a Priest, as S. Hie∣rome writeth of him,* 1.1 and hauing a wife, wrote vnto her an exhortation, that if it shoulde please God, to take him first from the worlde, that she woulde remayne stil vnmaried, or at the least not matche with any Heathen, shewing her the dan∣gers that thereof might ensue: that she should be suffered neither to kéepe the so∣lemne feastes, nor to watche, nor to pray with the Congregation. Amonge other thinges he saithe thus:* 1.2 And wil not thy husbande know, what thou eatest before o∣ther meates? And if he know it, he wil beleeue it to be Breade, but not that Breade that it is called.

Here M. Harding, as if the Gospel of Christe were become odious vnto him, in scorne and disdaine calleth vs Gospellers,* 1.3 by the name of that Gospel, that he so wilfully hath forsaken, returning to his olde vomite. And out of these woordes of Tertullian thrée thinges (he saith) he wil teache vs: of whiche thrée thinges not∣withstandinge his Priuate Masse is none. Of the first wée haue to speake other∣where. Of the seconde there is no question. In the thirde M. Hardinge hath manifestly corrupted both the woordes, and meaning of Tertullian. He saith, The thinge, that wee receiue is no Breade: but so Tertullian saith not. His woordes be these, Thy husbande wil thinke it (onely) Breade, and not that Breade that it is called, That is to say the Sacrament of Christes Body: or the Mysterie of any Holy thinge, as Christian men beléeue of it: like as Chrysostome also saith of y^e water of Baptisme, Ethnicus cum audit lauacrum Baptismi,* 1.4 persuadet sibi simpliciter esse aquam. A Heathen when he heareth of the bathe of Baptisme, beleeueth it is nothing els but plaine w••ter.

But that the thinge, whiche our bodily mouthe receiueth, is very Breade, both the Scriptures and also the olde Catholike Fathers haue put it out of doubte. S. Paule fiue times in one Chapter nameth it Breade.

* 1.5 Cyrillus saithe,* 1.6 Christe vnto his faithful Disciples gaue peeces of Breade. And S. Au∣gustine saithe, The thinge that ye see is Breade, as your eyes beare you witnesse. I passe by Gelasius,* 1.7 Theodoretus, Chrysostome, Origen, Iustinus Martyr, Irenaeus, Clemens, and others, who altogeather with one consent haue confessed, that in the Sacrament there remaineth the nature and substance of Breade. Wherefore it is muche presumed of M. Hardinge to say,* 1.8 there remaineth no Breade, specially hauing nothing to beare him in his Authour here alleged.

Yet for aduantage he hath also falsified Tertullian,* 1.9 Englishing these woordes, Illum panem, Him, as if it were the person of a man: as Thomas Ualois wri∣tinge vpon S. Augustine, De ciuitate Dei, hath turned this woorde, Apex, which was the tufte or creaste of the Flamines hatte,* 1.10 into a certaine Chronicler that wrote stories: Or as the Diuines of late yeres vpon the Gospel of S. Iohn,* 1.11 of this Greeke woorde Lonche, whiche signifieth a Speare, haue made Longi∣nus the Blynde knight.* 1.12 If Tertullian had not meante, Illum Panem, that Breade, he woulde not haue saide, Illum, at al: but rather Illud, referringe the same vnto Corpus. A smal difference betwéen Him, and It.* 1.13 So was there smal difference between Sibboleth, and Shibboleth. Yet was it sufficient to discrie the traitour.* 1.14

And where as M. Hardinge thus hardly and violently contrary to the phrase and manner of speache, and as it may be doubted, contrary to his owne know∣lege and conscience, hath Translated, Illum Panem, Him, so as, to my remem∣brance neuer did man before, meaninge it was the very person of a man, that the woman had in hir hande, and did eate before other meates, Cyrillus* 1.15 saithe, Non asseueramus anthropophagiam: Wee teache not our people to eate the person of man.

But who can better expounde Tertullians minde,* 1.16 then Tertullian him selfe?* 1.17 In his Booke De Corona militis, speakinge of the same mater, he cal∣leth it Sacramentum Eucharistiae, The Sacrament of thankes geuinge. And against Marcion he writeth thus,* 1.18 Christus non reprobauit panem, quo Corpus suum repraesentat. Christe refused not the Breade, wherewith he representeth his Body. And S. Augustine likewise saith, In sacramentis Videndum est, non quid sint, sed quid significent. Touching Sacramentes, wee must consider, not what they be in deede, but what they signifie. So also saithe S. Chrysostome. Ego non aspectu iudico ea, quae vi∣dentur,* 1.19 sed mentis oculis Corpus Christi video. I iudge not those thinges whiche are seene,* 1.20 after the outwarde appearance, but with the eyes of my minde I se the Body of Christe.

This is the thinge that the husbande beinge a Heathen coulde not see. For beléeuinge not in Christe, he coulde not vnderstande that the Breade should be the Sacrament or Mysterie of Christes Body.

And that this was the very meaninge of Tertullian, it may wel appeare by the woordes that immediatly folow.* 1.21 The husbande (saithe he) wil doubte, whether it be poyson or no: and therefore wil dissemble, and beare for a while, that at length he may accuse his wife for poysoninge before a Iudge, and doo hir to death, and haue her dower.

Touchinge S. Augustine and Origen, the portion so taken was to be vsed with reuerence, as beinge the Sacramente of Christes Body: and so ought wée also reuerently to haue and to order the water of Baptisme: the Booke of the Gos∣pel, and al other thinges that be of God: as the Iewes were also commaunded to keepe their Manna reuerently in a golden potte.* 1.22 Tel me, saith S. Augustine Whether of these twoo thinges, trowe ye, to be the greater, the Body of Christe (mea∣ninge thereby the Sacrament of Christes Body) or the woorde of Christe?* 1.23 If ye wil an∣sweare truely,* 1.24 ye must needes say, that the woorde of Christe is no lesse then the Body of Christe. Therefore looke, with what diligence ye take heede, when the Body of Christe is ministred vnto you, that no parte thereof fal vnto the grounde: euen so with like ••••i∣gence must ye take heede, that the woorde of God beinge once receiued, be not loste from a pure harte.* 1.25 Likewise S. Chrysostome touchinge the same, Si haec vasa sanctificata ad priuatos vsus transferre si•• periculosum est, in quibus non est verū Corpus Christi, sed Mysterium Corporis Christi continetur:* 1.26 If the mater be so daungerous, to put these san∣ctified vessels vnto priuate vses, wherein is conteyned not the very Body of Christe, but the Mysterie or Sacrament of Christes Body &c. Al these authorities doo declare, that the Sacramentes of Christe ought discreetly and reuerently to be vsed.

The storie that S. Cyprian reporteth,* 1.27 as it sheweth the manner of kéeping of the Sacrament, so it seemeth also to shew, that God was offended with the same▪ The like whereof hath often béen séen in the water of Baptisme, and in other Holy thinges, as appeareth by Nicephorus* 1.28 and others in sundrie places. Ther∣fore this authoritie serueth M. Hardinge to smal purpose, vnlesse it be to prooue, that as God was then displeased with Sole receiuinge in priuate houses, so he is now displeased with Sole receiuing in the Masse.

Concerninge the storie of Serapion, here are interlaced many faire woordes for increase of credite, that it was written by Dionysius Alexandrinus, and re∣cited by Eusebius, as though the sicke man had onely desired his Housel before he departed, & nothing els. But the special mater wherevpon the storie is grounded, is passed by. Eusebius recordeth in plaine woordes, that the booke, wherein Dio∣nysius wrote this storie, was intituled De Poenitentia. Whereby he geueth to vnderstande, that the Sacrament then was not generally sente home to al mens houses, but onely vnto them that were excommunicate, and might not receiue in the Congregation emonge the faithful, and nowe laye in despayre of life.

The case stoode thus:* 1.29 Serapion in the time of persecution for feare of death had offered Sacrifice vnto an Idol. The faithfull beynge therewith fore offen∣ded, put him out of their Congregation, and gaue him ouer to Sathan. He be∣inge thus leaste as an Heathen and an Idolater, mought neither resorte to the common Churche, nor Pray, nor receiue the holy Communion, or any other spiri∣tual comforte amonge his brethren. So harde the Churche was then to be intrea∣ted for them, that had fallen backe into Idolatrie. After he had made al mea∣nes, and had with teares besought his brethren, and was no way considered, through heauinesse of minde he beganne to droope, and fell sicke, and for thrée daies laye speachelesse, and without sense. The fourthe day beynge somewhat reuiued, he saide to them that were aboute him, O how longe wil yee kéepe me here? Sende for one of the Priestes (that I may be restored before I departe.)

His minde was tormented with consideration of the state he stoode in, for that he had forsaken God. The Priest beinge sicke him selfe, in token he was re∣stored, and might departe as a member of Christe, sent vnto him the Sacrament by his boye. The rest that M. Hardinge addeth (And this solemnitie beinge doone, saith the storie, as though he had broken certaine chaines and giues, he gaue vp the spirite cheare∣fully) Al this is set to, either by Ruffinus,* 1.30 or by some other, I know not by whom, and is no parte of the storie. For neither doth Dionysius, nor Eusebius, in the Original make any mention either of solemnitie, or of Chaines, or Giues, or of chearefulnesse of Serapions departinge: but onely thus: And swallowinge downe a litle, streight waies he yeelded vp the Ghost.* 1.31 As for his ioyfull departure, I doubte nothinge. But any greate solemnitie there coulde not be betwéen a man in that case, and a boy alone, specially hauyng no suche outwarde pompe, as hath been vsed of late to make it solemne.

Now must I desier thée, gentle Reader, to haue an eie a litle backewarde to M. Hardinges note, geuen thée for a remembrance in the Margin by these woordes, Proufes for Priuate Masse: whiche note muste néedes be in the foote and conclu∣sion of al his argumentes. Therefore of these stories here by him reported we•• must conclude thus: Tertullians wife, and the woman of whom Cyprian spea∣keth, receiued the Sacrament alone, Ergo, Tertullians wife, and the other wo∣man saide Priuate Masse. Or thus, Serapions boy ministred the Sacrament to his Maister, Ergo, Serapions boy saide Priuate Masse. For if the conclusion be otherwise, wée conclude one thinge for an other. And in déede M. Hardinge may

as certeinly say, This action was a Masse, as he can say, Serapions boy was a Prieste.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hieronymus: De Ecclesiast. Scrip. Tertullian a maried Priest.
• * 1.2

  Tertullian, li. 2. ad vxorem.
• * 1.3

  Gospellers.
• * 1.4

  Chrysostom. in 1. ad Cor. hom. 7
• * 1.5

  1. Cor. 11.
• * 1.6

  Cyrill. in Iohan. li. 4. ca 14.
• * 1.7

  In sermone ad Infantes: cita∣tur a Beda.
• * 1.8

  1. Cor. 10.
• * 1.9

  Tertullian fal∣sified by M. Har. Ludoui. Viues.
• * 1.10

  De Ciui. Dei li. 2. ca. 13.
• * 1.11

  Iohn. 19.
• * 1.12

  Petrus Crini. li. 13. ca. 6.
• * 1.13

  Codrus Vrceus sermon. 8.
• * 1.14

  Iudicum. 12.
• * 1.15

  Cyrillus contra obiectiones
• * 1.16

  Theodoreti.
• * 1.17

  Tertull. De Co∣rona Militis.
• * 1.18

  Tertull. contra Marcionem li. ••. August. contra Maximinum li. 3. ca. 22.
• * 1.19

  Chrysost. in. 1.
• * 1.20

  Cor. hom. 7.
• * 1.21

  Sine gemitu▪ sine suspicione panis, an ven••nl.
• * 1.22

  1. q. 1. Interrogo vos.
• * 1.23

  Idem de tēpore.
• * 1.24

  The woorde of Christe is no lesse, then the Body of Christe.
• * 1.25

  Chryso. in opere imperfe. hom. 11.
• * 1.26

  The very Body of Christe is not conteined in the holy vessels.
• * 1.27

  Cyprian. De lapsis Sermo. 5.
• * 1.28

  Nicepho. li. 14. Ca. 17.
• * 1.29

  Eusebius li.6. ca. 44.
• * 1.30

  Ruffinus. li. 6. ca. 34.
• * 1.31

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.