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 findeth smal force herein,* 1.1 to prooue that he séeketh for. S. Am∣brose rebuketh the slackenesse of some of his people that receiued so seldome, and wisheth them to communicate dayly altogeather. Wherein he quite ouerthroweth the priuate Masse.

As for S. Augustine, I must néedes say, he hath taken wronge, and is il vsed at M. Hardinges hande, as beinge by violence, and perforce made bothe to suppresse that he woulde say, and also to say that he woulde not say: and yet in the ende saithe not one woorde for priuate Masse, but plainely to the contrary. First he woulde haue S. Augustine say,* 1.2 that the Sa••rament of Christes Bodie to them of

the East was their dayly Breade, yea although they daily receiued it not. This mater of it selfe is not weighty. Yet S. Augustine saithe farre otherwise, not in any other of his Bookes, but euen in the selfe same sentence, where hence M. Har∣dinge had these woordes. For he addeth immediatly, Vnde probatur, non hunc in il∣lis partibus intelligi quotidianum Panem. Nam magni peccati crimine arguerentur, qui ex illo non accipiunt quotidiè. Whereby it appeareth, that they of the East vnderstande not the Sacrament to be their daily Breade. For then were they giltie of greate sinne, that doo not daily receiue it. But touchinge Priuate Masse, he saith thus, euen in the same place, Panis quotidianus po••est accipi pro Sacramento Corporis Christi, quod quotidiè accipi∣mus. The daily Breade may be taken for the Sacrament of Christes Body, whiche wee receiue euery day.* 1.3 S. Augustine saithe, The people then receiued the Sacrament euery day: whereof it foloweth necessarily, that y^e Priuate Masse was then saide neuer a day.

But the Grecians custome was, to receiue once onely in the yete: Ergo, the Prieste at other times receiued alone. No, saithe S. Augustine, this custome, or negligence, was not vniuersal emonge al the people of Grecia, but emonge a cer∣taine of them onely.* 1.4 For thus he saithe: Plurimi in orientalibus partibus non quoti∣diè Communicant.* 1.5 Many in the E••st partes doo not daily Communicate. Wherein may be wel implied, that some daily did Communicate: Otherwise the exception of many had béene in vaine. And that the rest did daily Communicate, it may plaine∣ly appeare by these woordes of S. Augustine in the same place, Vel authoritate Ec∣clesiae sint contenti, quòd sine scandalo ista faciant. Let them holde them selues cōtent with the authoritie of the Churche, that they may thus doo without offence. These woordes doo necessarily importe, that the rest receiued the Communion, and yet that notwith∣standinge were not offended with the negligence of their brethren, that receiued not. For if the negligence had béene general, and the whole people had abstei∣ned altogeather, as they doo now in the Churche of Rome, there had béene no cause at al, why one of them in that respecte shoulde be offended with an other.

Now touchinge the mater it selfe, Iesus Christe the Sonne of God, is our daily and euerlastinge foode,* 1.6 not to be remooued, and renewed after certaine daies, as the shew Breade of the Iewes,* 1.7 but to stande before the Mercie Seate of God for euer. Our daily Breade (saithe Germanus) is Christe,* 1.8 that is,* 1.9 and was before,* 1.10 and continueth for euer.* 1.11 Likewise S. Augustine saithe, Not the Breade that passeth into our body, but the Breade of euerlastinge life, whiche susteineth the substance of the Soule.

A Sacrament of this foode is the Breade, that Christe commaunded to be bles∣sed, broken, and deliuered in his remembrance: whiche also may be called the daily Breade: not for that it is daily receiued, but for that there is no day excepted, but it may be receiued euery day. And that in suche places, where as the Sacrament was not daily receiued of the people, it was not receiued priuately and daily of the Prieste, for continuance of the daily Sacrifice, as M. Hardinge surmiseth, it appea∣reth wel by sundrie good recordes. And to leaue S.a 1.12 Basil ad Caesariam Patritiam: theb 1.13 Councel of Laodicea: thec 1.14 Councel of Constantinople holden in Trullo: and the Synodald 1.15 Epistle sent from the Bishops of the Easte parte in, the defence of Macarius:* 1.16 S. Augustine saithe, Huius rei Sacramentum alicubi quotidiè, alicubi certis internallis dierum,* 1.17 in Dominico praeparatur, & de Mensa Dominica sumitur. The Sacrament of this thinge is prepared, or consecrate in the Churche, and recei∣ued of the Lordes Table, in some places euery day, in some places vpon certaine daies. Like∣wise also saithe S. Ambrose, Euery weeke wee must celebrate the oblation, although not euery day vnto strang••rs, yet vnto the inhabitantes at least twise in the weeke. S. Au∣gustine saithe, the Sacrament was ministred at certaine daies: S. Ambrose saithe, sometimes twise in the weeke: and not euery day. But what recorde hereof can be plainer, then the Councel of Toledo: The woordes in Englishe be these: There be sundrie Priestes in Spaine, that, touchinge the prayer that the Lorde taught, and commaunded

daily to be saide,* 1.18 saie the same onely vpon the Sonneday, and vpon no day els. Hereof wée may very wel geather, that if the Priestes in Spaine said the Lordes praier onely vpon the Sonneday, for so muche as the Communion is neuer ministred without the Lordes praier, therefore the Priestes in Spaine ministred not the Commu∣nion, but onely vpon the Sonneday.

These thinges wel considered, the weakenesse of M. Hardinges gheasses may the better appeare. For where he saithe, Some of the people withdrew themselfe, Ergo, no man did receiue: Or, Many absteined, Ergo, the Priest receiued alone, these reasons be of no value, neither are woorthy of any answeare. For of the same premisses the con∣trary wil rather folowe. S. Augustine saithe, Many in the East parte absteined. Hereof wée may wel geather: Ergo, Some absteined not. Otherwise he shoulde haue saide, Al absteined, and not some. Then further, Some absteined not: Er∣go, some receiued with the Prieste: So did not the Prieste receiue alone: and so hath not M. Hardinge yet founde his Priuate Masse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ambrosius li 6. de Sacram. ca. 4.
• * 1.2

  August. De Ser∣mone Domini in mon••e lib. 2. M. Hard falsi∣fieth S. Augu∣stines minde. The Sa••rament is not the Daily Breade.
• * 1.3

  The Sacrament receiued euery day.
• * 1.4

  Plurimi.
• * 1.5

  Augustinus. In the Greeke Church some re∣ceiued the Com∣munion euery day.
• * 1.6

  German▪ in rer••
• * 1.7

  Eccl. Theoria.
• * 1.8

  August. De ver∣•••••••• Domini sec.
• * 1.9

  Lucam serm 28.
• * 1.10

  Ambros. De Sa∣cramen. li 5. c. 4.
• * 1.11

  The Sacrament called the Daily Breade.
• a 1.12

  Basil. ad Cae∣sariam.
• b 1.13

  Concil. Laodi∣cen. ca. 49.
• c 1.14

  Con. Constan∣tinopol. ca. 52.
• d 1.15

  Concil. Alex∣andri. epistola Sy••odalis.
• * 1.16

  Augusti. in Ioh. tracta. 26.
• * 1.17

  Ambros. in epi. ad Timo. 1. Ca. 4. Concil. Toletan. 4. ca. 9.
• * 1.18

  The Communion ministred onely vpō the Sonday.