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.

This gheasse is one of the weakest of al the reste, and therefore M. Hardinge hath staied it vp on euery side with other gheasses, that one gheasse mighte healpe [ 1] an other. The firste gheasse is, what Damasus shoulde meane by these woordes, propter Haereticos.

[ 2] The next gheasse is, that this order was taken by Milciades, againste certaine Heretikes, that in the holy Ministration keapte not the Catholike vsage.

[ 3] The thirde gheasse is, that this woorde Ecclesia, muste néedes signifie the peo∣ple of the parishes, and not the material Churche.

[ 4] The fourthe gheasse is, that the Sacrament was then Consecrate in litle rounde Cakes, as of late hath bene vsed.

[ 5] The fifthe gheasse is, that the Sacrament was sente to euery seueral house: whiche must haue bene an infinite labour to the Deacon that caried it, and woun∣derous paineful.

[ 6] The sirt gheasse is, that first euery husbande receiued y^e Sacrament in his house alone: & so the wife: and so y^e seruantes: & so likewise y^e children, euery one seuerally by him selfe alone. Whiche thinge I recken M. Hardinge him selfe thinketh not very likely. So many gheasses are here in a thronge heaped togeather. Which if I denie altogeather, M. Hardinge is hardely hable to proue: If I graunte him altogeather without exception, yet al are not hable to proue his priuate Masse.

Firste in this place of Damasus neither is there mention of any Masse, nor a∣ny perfite sense, or reason in the woordes. For thus it is written.* 1.1 Milciades fecit, vt oblationes consecratae per Ecclesias ex consecratu Episcopi dirigerentur, quod declaratur fermentum. Milciades caused that th'oblations consecrate, by the Churches by the Conse∣cration of the Bishop shoulde be directed, whiche is declared leauen. Neither is there any kinde of thinge either goinge before, or followinge after, whereby we may gheasse the meaninge.* 1.2 It is muche to sée so learned a man as M. Hardinge is, so scanted of authorities, that he is thus driuen to proue his Masse by suche places, as be vt∣terly voide of sense & reason. But a man must vse such weapons as may be gotten.

The twoo woordes, propter Haereticos, that are patched in by Ado a man of late yeeres, as they doo nothinge healpe the sense, so haue they no healpe of the sto∣rie of that time. For a man may wel demaunde of Ado this newe Doctour, what were these straunge vnknowen Heretikes without name, that you at the laste for a shifte haue espied out? where beganne they? where dwelte they? what taught they? howe longe continued they? who mainteined them? who confuted them? what Councel condemned them? For it séemeth somewhat straunge, that there should be companies, & routes of Heretikes in the worlde, that noman euer knew but Doctour Ado.

And where as M. Hardinge putteth in of his owne bisides his booke (for Dama∣sus hath no suche thinge,* 1.3 nor any other thinge like) that these newe founde Here∣tikes, in the Ministration keapte not the Catholique vsage, he shoulde haue shewed for his credites sake, what other vsage they keapte, that was not Catholique: for his woorde is not yet Canonized. The worlde wil beleue neither him nor Ado with∣out some proufe.

Further to increase absurdities, he saithe, by these woordes, per Ecclesias, is meante, not the material Churche, but the people of the Church: that is to saie in plainer termes, Ecclesia,* 1.4 is not a Churche, but a priuate house. I graunte the Gréeke

woorde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, out of whiche our Englishe woorde, Parishe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 séemeth to haue bene taken, signifieth a Congregation, or méetinge of neighbours, or a companie dwel∣linge within some space togeather, whether it be in compasse more or lesse. So saithe Eusebius:* 1.5 Dionysius writeth vnto Basilides the Bishop of the diuisions of Pentapo∣lis.a 1.6 Athanasius saithe, that Demetrius tooke vpon him the Bishoprike of Alexan∣dria, and, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of the diuisions in Egypte. In these places and certaine others, that might be alleged out of Basile, Nazianzene, and other Gréeke fathers, this woorde, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 séemeth to signifie a Bishoprike, or a Diocese, and not a seue∣ral parishe.b 1.7 And therefore Irenaeus thus writeth vnto Uictor Bishop of Rome, The Priestes of Rome, meaninge thereby the Bishoppes there, sent the Sacrament 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to them that came out of other dioceses or diuisions. And Eusebius thus writeth of Hippolytus: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. He beyng Bishop of an other diuision. Thus much touchinge this woorde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, beyng moued therto by the straunge interpretation of M. Hardinge. Certainely, I thinke, he him selfe will say, that sithence the Churche was once in peace, neither this woorde Ecclesia, nor this woorde Parochia euer signified a priuate house, in any kinde of writer, or in any time.

But, saithe M. Hardinge, Adoes Heretikes (for Damasus speaketh of none) bare al the swaie, and woulde not suffer the Catholike people to communicate in the Churche. Therefore we must néedes vnderstande here priuate houses. Alas, when did Heretikes euer beare suche swaie in the Churche of Rome? Or if they did at any time,* 1.8 as it is vntrue, onlesse he meane the Soueraine Heretikes, the Pope & his Cardinalles, yet may we thinke, that the Catholiques were so weake in the common Churche beinge altogeather, and so stronge in their owne houses beinge alone? Or were these Heretikes hable to withstande a whole Congrega∣tion: and not hable to withstande one single man by him selfe?

Marke wel, good reader, how handesomely M. Hardinges argumentes hange togeather. He muste néedes thinke thée to be very vnsensible, that hopeth thou wilt yéelde to suche gheasses.

To leaue a great number of other like absurdities, M. Hardinges argumentes are framed thus: The Sacrament was receiued in Priuate houses (albeit there appeareth no suche thinge by Damasus) Ergo, one man receiued alone. Surely then had that man a very emptie house: he might wel singe, Tanquam passer solita∣rius in tecto. It is more likely, that beinge a godly man, he would desire his wife, and familie to receiue with him, as I haue saide before.

Againe, the Sacrament was sent emonge the Parishes: Ergo, there was pri∣uate Masse. The force of this reason may soone be séene. But who saide this Masse: whether it were the Messenger, or the receiuer, I leaue it to M. Hardinge to consi∣der. He might better haue concluded thus, The Bishoppe sente the Mysteries a∣broade for the people to Communicate: ergo, he meante a Communion, and no Priuate Masse.

Further he saithe, this was done in time of necessitie, bicause of Heretikes: and yet by the same he defendeth the Masse vsed now without any suche necessitie: and that in the Churche of Rome, where, he saithe, can be no Heretikes.

To conclude, this maner of sendinge abroade the Sacrament, was afterwarde abolished by the Councel holden at Laodicea.* 1.9

Thus is M. Hardinge driuen to goe by Gheasse: to imagine strange Heretikes: for shewe of some antiquitie, to allege vaine Decrees without sense: to auoutche suche orders, as he knoweth were longe sithence condemned: and to comment the same with his owne Gloses.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In libro Concil. impresso Colon. An 1551.
• * 1.2

  M. Hardinge allegeth autho∣rities without sense or reason.
• * 1.3

  M. Hardinge addeth of him selfe biside his Author.
• * 1.4

  Ecclesia, a priuate house.
• * 1.5

  Eusebius. ll. 7. ca. 26. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• a 1.6

  Athanasius in Epist. de senten∣tia Dionysii ad∣uersus Arrian.
• b 1.7

  Eusebius Hist li. 5. ca. 26.
• * 1.8

  Soueraine He∣retikes.
• * 1.9

  Concil. Laodi∣cen. Ca. 14