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 knoweth wel, that these Decrées whiche he here allegeth, coulde neuer be founde writen, neither in the Councel holden at Agatha in Fraunce, nor at the other Councel holden at Eliberis,* 1.1 now called Granado in Spaine: but were set foorthe many hundred yeres after in the name of those Councels, by one Gra∣tian, a man of great diligence, as may appeare by his geathering: but of no great iudgement, as wée may sée by his choise. Yet here M. Hardinge shuffleth a greate many of them togeather, that the one may the better countenance the other.

But let vs receiue the authoritie of these Decrees, and graunte there was no errour committed by Gratian in his geathering: Yet wil they stande M. Harding in smal stéed••. For as in many other maters they vtterly cast him, so they nothing reléeue him for his Masse. For thus it is concluded by bothe these Councels, Qui in na••ali Domini, Paschate, & Pen••ecoste non Communicant, Catholici non credantur, ne•• inter Catholicos habeantur.* 1.2 They that receiue not the Communion at Christmas, Easter, and Witsonnetide, let them not be taken, nor reckened for Catholike people. It appeareth by these general Councels, that in the whole Churche of Rome, sauinge onely a few Massinge Priestes, there is not one man woorthy to be accompted Catholique.

And to drawe neare to the purpose, who so wil narrowly vewe the poinctes of these Decrées, shal soone sée they cannot stande with the very forme and order of the Churche of those daies. For bisides that I haue alreadie prooued by the autho∣ritie of S. Hierome, and S. Augustine, that the holy Communion was then mini∣stred vnto the people in Rome euery day: Fabianus also Bishop of Rome, whiche is likewise brought foorthe here for a witnesse, hath plain••ly Decréed, not that the people should heare Masse euery Sonneday, as it is soothely warranted by M. Harding, but that they should receiue the Communion euery Sonneday. His woordes be plaine:* 1.3 Dercernimus vt in omnibus Dominicis diebus altaris oblatio ab omnibus viris, & mulieribus fiat, tam Panis, quàm Vini. Wee Decree, that euery Sonneday the oblation of the Aultare be made of al men and wemen, bothe of Breade and of wine. Here besides that in these woordes is included the receiuinge of the Communion euery Sonneday, may be noted also by the way, that by this authoritie of Fabian, men and wemen made the Sacrifice of the Aultare, and that of Breade and Wyne, and therefore after the order of Melchisedech.* 1.4 Therefore S. Bernarde saith, Non solus Sacerdo•• sacrificat, sed totus conuentus fidelium: Not onely the Priest sacrificeth, but also the whole companie of the faithful. These thinges wel considered, the sense, that M. Harding woulde so faine wringe out of these Decrees, wil séeme vnlikely.

Moreouer, when did S. Augustine, S. Hierome, S. Chrysostome, or any other learned Father, or Doctour of that age euer vse this manner of speache, Audire Missas, To heare Masse. Certainely this phrase was so farre vnacquainted, and vnknowen in that worlde, that the very Originals of these Decrees haue it not: but onely haue these woordes, Tenere Missas, To holde Masse: as may be seen in the booke of Councels,* 1.5 noted purposely in the Margine. The Italians this day séeme to speake farre better.* 1.6 For of them that heare Masse, and vnderstande not, what

they heare, they say, Videre Missas,* 1.7 That is, not to heare, but to sée Masse.

And for so muche as M. Hardinge séemeth to delite him selfe with this kinde of speache,* 1.8 To heare Masse, To the entente he may make some simple body beléeue, that the people hearinge that they vnderstande not, are neuerthelesse wel and deuout∣ly occupied, and therein followe the order of the Primitiue Churche, I wil also de∣maunde of him,* 1.9 what learned Doctour or Auncient Father euer tooke, Hearing, in that sense. Surely Christe in the godly, ioyneth hearinge and vnderstandinge bothe togeather. Thus he saith,* 1.10 Audite, & intelligite: Heare ye, and vnderstande ye. And the wise man saithe,* 1.11 If thou geue thine eare, thou shalt receiue knowledge. And God himselfe in the Deuteronomie saith,* 1.12 Thou shalt reade the woordes of this Law, in the pre∣sence of al the people of Israel &c. That they hearinge may learne, and feare the Lorde your God, and may keepe and fulfil al the woordes of this law. And in the booke of Kinges it is written thus,* 1.13 Loquere nobis Syriac••: nam audimus. Speake to vs in the Syrian tongue: For wee heare it. That is to say, For wee vnderstande it. And to that vse hath God endewed vs with the sense of hearing, that thereby wée might learne, and atteine knowledge. And therefore Aristotle calleth hearinge, the sense of vnderstanding.

For hearing voide of al manner vnderstanding is no hearing.* 1.14 Cicero saithe, In illis linguis quas non intelligimus, quae sunt innumerab••les, surdi profectò sumus: In the tongues that wee vnderstande not, which are innumerable, wee are doubtlesse deafe, and heare nothing. By this it appeareth, y^t the simple people hearing Masse in a straunge lan∣guage,* 1.15 is deafe,* 1.16 & heareth no Masse at al. The Emperour Iustinian saith, Nō multū interest, vt••um abfuerit tutor, cum negotiū contraheretur an praesens ignorauerit, quale es∣set quod contrahebatur. There is no greate difference, whether the Tutour were absente, when the bargaine was made (in the behoufe of his Pupil) or being present vnderstoode not ye manner of the bargaine. Likewise also in an other place he saithe, Coram Titio aliquid facere iussus, non videtur praesente eo fecisse, nisi is intelligat. He that is cōmaunded to doo a thing in the presence of Titius, seemeth not to doo it in his presence, onlesse he vnderstande it. Upon the whiche woordes Alciat writeth thus,* 1.17 Quid opus erat eius praesentiam ad∣hibere, qui quod agatur, non intelligat? Siquidem aiebat Epicharmus philosophus, Mentē esse, quae videt, non oculos. Qui igitur animo non adest, abesse videtur. what n••edeth his presence, that vnderstandeth not, what is done? For the Philosopher Epicharmus saith, It is the minde that seeth, and not the eies. Therfore he that is not present with his minde (to vnder∣stande what is doone) may be taken for absent.

I haue alleged these authorities rather then other, for y^t in them wée may see the very light and sense of Nature. How then can M. Harding thinke, he may steale away inuisible vnder the cloke of these woordes, of hearinge Masse? Uerely in the sauour & iudgement of common reason, it is as straūge, & as fonde a speache to say, I wil heare Masse, As it is to say, I wil see the Sermon.* 1.18 For what is there in the Masse, that the vnlearned can heare?* 1.19 The oblation, that they imagin, is an outwarde ac∣tion, or dooinge, and therfore is to be séen, & not to be hearde: The Consecration, as they vse it, is spoken in silence, & may not in any wise be hearde: Their Commu∣nion is none at al, and therefore cannot be hearde. These be the three substantial partes,* 1.20 wherof as M. Harding saith, the whole Masse consisteth. How then can he say, The vnlearned man heareth Masse, that heareth not one parte of the Masse?

If by this woorde, Masse, he vnderstande the praiers that be saide in the Masse, the vnlearned vnderstandeth them not,* 1.21 and therefore heareth them not. Chry∣sostome speakinge of him,* 1.22 that heareth the praiers in a straunge vnknowen ton∣gue, saithe thus: T•• rectè oras: Spiri••u, scilicet, concitatus sonas: sed ille nec audiens, nec intelligens ea, quae dicis, paruam ex ea re vtilitatem capit. Thou praiest wel: for thou soundest out woordes beinge moued ••y the Spirite: but the vnlearned, neither hearinge nor vnderstandinge, what thou sayste, hath thereby but smal profite.

Likewise saith S. Paule•• Qui loquitur lingua, non hominibus loquitur, sed Deo: Nul∣lus

enim audit.* 1.23 He that speaketh with tongue, speaketh not vnto men, but vnto God: For no man heareth him. M. Hardinge saith, The vnlearned heareth the Masse, and o∣ther prayers, ye although he vnderstande not one woorde, that is spoken: But S. Paule, and S. Chrysostome saye, The vnlearned heareth not, bicause he vnder∣standeth not.* 1.24 God saithe vnto the wicked, and not vnto the Godly: Ye shal heare with your eares,* 1.25 and shal not vnderstande.

Now let vs sée what M. Hardinge geathereth out of these two Councels. Then of like (saithe he) specially in smal townes, and villages, they had Masse without the Communion of many togeather. Of like,* 1.26 was neuer good argument in any Schooles.

Thou séest (Good Reader) the best that here canne be had, is but a gheasse, and as it shal afterwarde appeare, a very simple, and a blinde gheasse. It is a woon∣der to see so great a mater,* 1.27 and so single proufes. You haue taught the people, that in your Masse Christe him selfe is Presently,* 1.28 and Really Sacrificed for the sinnes of the worlde:* 1.29 that al that euer he did, or suffred for our sakes, is liuely ex∣pressed in the same: and that al Kinges, Princes, and other estates must needes stoope vnto it. And yet was the same for the space of sixe hundred yeeres, to be founde onely in poore Townes and Uillages, and that onely by gheasse, and blinde coniecture, and none otherwise? Or coulde it neuer al that while once entre into any Citie, or good Towne? And beynge so good a thinge, can no man tel vs, who published it, and saide it firste?

But what if the very woordes of these Councels, wherevpon M. Hardinge hath founded his Masse, make manifest proufe against his Masse? The woordes be these: Al Secular Christian folke, be bounde to receiue the Communion at the least thrise in the yere. This Relaxation or Priuilege is graunted onely vnto the Secular Christians. Whereof it foloweth necessarily, y^t al Ecclesiastical persons, as Priestes, Deacons, Clerkes, & others what so euer of y^e sorte were not excepted, but stoode stil bounde to receiue orderly, as thei had doone before: and y^t was at al times when so euer there was any Ministration. And so by the plaine woordes of these Councels the priest receiued not alone: neither hath M. Hardinge yet founde out his Priuate Masse.

But that the whole mater may the better appeare, not by gheasse, or ayme, but by the very Ecclesiastical order of that age, we must vnderstande, that these and suche other lyke Decrees were made, not for the greattest parte of the people, that in those daies vsed to Communicate in al their assemblies, but for a fewe, that were negligent, and haled backe. For otherwise the general order dooth wel ap∣peare, by al the Ecclesiastical recordes of that time.

And whereas M. Harding hath taken exception of smal townes and villages, which he gheasseth had then the Priuate Masse, it was decreed and straitely ordred in a Councel holden at Gerunda in Spaine,* 1.30 that al litle Churches in the Coun∣trie should confourme them selues vnto the greate Cathedral Churches that were in Cities, and Townes, as wel for order of the communion, as also for Singinge, and other Ministration.* 1.31 But by M. Hardinges owne graunte there was no Pri∣uate Masse then in Cathedral Churches: It followeth therefore necessarily (this Councel of Gerunda standing in force) that there was no Priuate Masse then in Townes or Uillages.

And that the people did then commonly receiue the Sacrament euery Sonne∣day, * 1.32 it appearet•• by most certaine, and vndoubted proufes. The Councel holden at Matiscona in Italie hath this Canon:* 1.33 Decre••imus vt omnibus Dominicis diebus al∣••aris oblatio ab omnibus viris, & mulieribus offeratur. Wee haue decreed, that euery Son∣day the Oblation of the Aultar be offred of al bothe men and wemen. Likewise the Councel holden at Antisiodorum.* 1.34 Decernimus, vt vnaquaé{que} mulier quando Communicat, Do∣minicalem suum habeat. Quod si non habuerit, vsque in alium diē Dominicū, non Com∣municet.

Wee decree that euery woman,* 1.35 when she dooth Communicate, haue her Domini∣cal: if she haue it not, let her not Communicate vntil the next Sonneday. Likewise Caro∣lus Magnus a longe while after, Emonge other his ••cclesiastical lawes writeth thus: Vt populi oblationes sacerdotibus in Ecclesia offerant, & in die Dominico Com∣municent.* 1.36 That the people offer their Oblations vnto the Priestes in the Churche, and receiue the Communion vpon the Sonneday.* 1.37 By these Councels and De∣crees, it appeareth plainely without Gheasse or Glose, that the people vsed com∣monly in al that time, and longe after, to Communicate the holy Mysteries euery Sonneday. Therefore M. Hardinge must yet séeke further for his Priuate Masse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  M. Harding al∣legeth Councels that cannot be founde.
• * 1.2

  De Con. dist. 2. Sa••cularis.
• * 1.3

  Inter Decret•• Fab••ani, ca. 7.
• * 1.4

  Bernard. in Ser∣mone in Die pu∣rific••.
• * 1.5

  Con. Agathen.
• * 1.6

  Can. 31.
• * 1.7

  To heare Masse.
• * 1.8

  To heare Masse.
• * 1.9

  Hearinge.
• * 1.10

  Matth. 15.
• * 1.11

  Ecclesi. 6.
• * 1.12

  Deuterono. 31.
• * 1.13

  4 Reg. ca. 18.
• * 1.14

  Cicero in Tus∣culanis quaest.
• * 1.15

  De authoritate & consen. tuto. & Cur. Non multum.
• * 1.16

  Deverbor. & rer. significat.
• * 1.17

  Andr. Al••iatus••
• * 1.18

  To heare Masse.
• * 1.19

  To see the Ser∣mon.
• * 1.20

  Folio. 12. b.
• * 1.21

  Chrysost. in. 1.
• * 1.22

  Corin. Hom. 3••.
• * 1.23

  1. Cor. 14.
• * 1.24

  ••sai. 9.
• * 1.25

  Matthae. 13.
• * 1.26

  Of like.
• * 1.27

  Innoce. 3. in pro∣logode officio Missae.
• * 1.28

  Durandus li. 4.
• * 1.29

  Rupertus de Missa.
• * 1.30

  Con. ••erunden. Ca. 1.
• * 1.31

  De Conse. dist. 2. Institutio Mis∣sarum.
• * 1.32

  Concil.
• * 1.33

  Matisconen. 2. ca. 4.
• * 1.34

  Concil. Antisio∣doren. Can. 42.
• * 1.35

  Missa sig¦nifieth the ••om∣munion.
• * 1.36

  Ex Cassandro.
• * 1.37

  Libr. 6. Cap. 162