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 obiection beinge al one with the former, may the sooner be discharged by the former answeare.

Notwithstandinge here wée may learne by the way, that the olde Fathers when they vse this woorde▪ Missa, meane not thereby a Priuate Masse, as M. Har∣dinge woulde faine haue it taken, but a Communion. These be the woordes:* 1.1 At Easter, Christemas, Epiphanie, the Ascension of our Lorde, Witsonneday, and at the Natiuitie of S. Iohn the Baptist, let them holde their Masses, Teneant Missas, in Cities or Parishes. Now it is knowen and confessed by M. Hardinge, that in greate Parishes, and Cities, at their Solemne Feastes they vsed to haue general Communions for al the whole people, and no Priuate Masse.

Notwithstanding for auoidinge of errour, it is also further to be marked, that this same woorde, Missa,* 1.2 in the olde writers, sometime signifieth no Masse at al, neither Priuate nor Common: but onely a resorte and méeting of the people togea∣ther in place and time of Praier, as it may sundrie waies appeare, and namely by olde Translations out of the Gréeke into Latin touchinge the same. For that the Gréeke Writer vttereth by the woorde that signifieth an assemblie, or méetinge of the people, the same doothe the Latine Interpreter oftentimes Translate by this woorde, Missa. For example, Sozomenus in Gréeke writeth thus:* 1.3 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is when the people came togeather: that dooth Epiphanius Translate into Latine thus:* 1.4 Cum populus congregaretur ad Missas, When the peo∣ple came to Masse.* 1.5 Likewise Socrates writeth thus in the Gréeke, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, That is to saye, To haue a Congregation, or assemblie by them selues:

That doothe Epiphanius translate into Latine thus:* 1.6 Apud se ipsos Missarum ce∣lebrare solennia, that is, Emonge them selues to celebrate the solemn••ties of the Masse. In these and many other like places, whiche I purposely passe by, it must néedes be confessed, that, Missa, can not any way be taken for the Masse, but onely for an assemblie of y^e people. For which cause al manner of common praiers many times are called,* 1.7 Missa, as may be seene in Cassianus an auncient writer, and sometime Scholar to S. Chrysostome, In Canone diuinarum orationum, and in Honorius and others, sufficient onely to be touched. But emongst al other significations, it can not be founde that this woorde Missa,* 1.8 in any olde writer was euer taken for the Priuate Masse, notwithstandinge any thinge by M. Hardinge yet alleged.

Now if a man woulde say, that this Councel of Agatha, that is here brought in, by this woorde Missa, meante nothinge els but ordinary praiers, in whiche sig∣nification the olde writers, as I haue proued, haue often taken it, and so dispensed with them, that dwelt farre from the Church, onely to haue suche ordinary Prai∣ers at home, and for the holy Communion to resorte to the parish Churches, per∣haps M. Harding shoulde not finde muche to replie against it. If he wil say, I force and racke this exposition onely of mée selfe, without president, it may please him to remember, that the same practise is yet continued vntil this day, in many parishes within this Realme:* 1.9 and that the law it selfe determineth a difference betwéene Ecclesia parochialis,* 1.10 and Ecclessia Baptismalis.

But let this woorde, Missa, in these Decre••s be taken for the Masse, that is to say, for the Ministration of the Sacramentes. Yet is not M. Harding muche ther∣fore the neare to proue his purpose. For, alas, what a simple reason is this, vpon principal Holy Daies the Priest receiued the Sacrament solemnely in the Common Churche with al the whole pari••he: Ergo, at other times he receiued alone? Or how hangeth this argu∣ment, At certeine times al the people receiued togeather, Ergo, at other times the Priest receiued alone? Or this, The Prieste ministred the Sacramentes in a Chapel, Ergo, he saide Priuate Masse? What leadeth M. Harding thus to say? What, was there no companie at al in the Chapel to Communicate with the Priest? Uerely it is prouided by the Decrée it selfe,* 1.11 that there should be a lawful, and an ordinarie companie. And that in suche companies, yea, and in mens seueral houses, they had the Communion ministred, it is euident by the Preface of the Councel of Gangra againste the Heretique Eustac••ius. These be the woordes, In domibus coniugatorum ne orationes quidem de∣bere celeb••ari persuaserun••, in tantum, vt easdem fieri ve••ent: & oblationibus quae in domi∣bus factae fuerint, minimè communicandum esse decernant. They haue perswaded the people, that praiers may not be made in maried mens houses: and that so farre foorthe, that they forbid any suche pra••ers to be made, and determine, that no man may Communicate of the ob∣lations made in houses. Here wée haue not onely the Communion, but also the ordi∣narie vse of the Communion in Priuate houses.

Now let M. Hardinge shew vs as muche for the ordinary vse of Priuate Masse, or for any Priuate Masse at al, and that without his surmises, and Gheasses: And then let him hardly require Subscription.

Thou maist sée good Reader, these be but very poore healpes. In his former al∣legation he sought his Masse in litle Townes and Uillages: now he hunteth for it in Priuate mennes houses: and yet cannot finde it. They say, they haue had the vse and possession of their Priuate Masse these fiftéen hundred and threscore yeres, and more. Wherefore it is much to be marueiled, that of so longe conti∣nuance of time, of so many Doctours, and Councels, they haue so s••lender proufe•• to bringe for it.

Yet for clearer aunsweare vnto M. Hardinges blinde gheasses, it appeareth by the plaine woordes of the same Councel of Agatha, that in those daies the people

receiued the holy Communion togeather with the Prieste, and not the Prieste by him selfe alone: The woordes are these,* 1.12 Lapsi in haeresim agentes paenitentiam, cùm Catechumeni egredi commonentur, discedant. They that haue fallen into some Heresie, and doo penance for the same, when the Nouicies (that be not yet Christened) be commaunded to departe out of the Churche, let them departe also. They were commaunded foorthe, not to the entent they shoulde not heare Masse, but that they shoulde not Commu∣nicate with the reste. For it is wel knowen bothe to M. Hardinge, & also to others, that al suche as were newly entred into the Faithe of Christe, but were not yet Baptized, and were called Catechumeni, after the Sermon was ended, were commaunded out of the Churche before the Distribution of the holy Mysteries: and so likewise were the Penitentes, that they should not Communicate with the rest of their brethren. Whiche is a manifest and vndoubted proufe, that the reste of the brethren that remained stil, did communicate altogeather. And so it followeth in the same Canon, Hoc si obseruare voluerint, constituto tempore admittendis ad alta∣re obseruatio relaxe••ur. If they wil doo thus, after a time apointed their penance shal be re∣leased, and they shal be admitted againe vnto the altare (whiche was the Communion table) there to receiue togeather with the congregation, and no more to be com∣maunded foorthe.* 1.13 Hereunto agréeth an other Canon set foorth in the name of Si∣ricius toutchinge the same case by these woordes: Certaine, that after their penaunce haue gonne backe againe like dogges vnto their vomite, we decree that they shal ioyne in praier onely, with the faithful within the Churche: and that they may be present at the celebration of the Mysteries, although they be not woorthy: but that they be keapte of from the banket of the Lordes Table,* 1.14 to the intent that by this aduertisement beinge corrected, they may bothe amende them selfe, and also shewe example vnto others. Here we may plainely sée, that the rest receiued, and these that had offended sate by, and receiued not, for Example vnto others. But what Example coulde that haue bene, if they had ab∣steyned altogeather?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Missa vsed for the Communion.
• * 1.2

  Missa vsed for any assemblie of the people.
• * 1.3

  Sozome, li. 7. Ca. 5.
• * 1.4

  Epiphan. in tr••∣par. histor. li. 9. ca. 9.
• * 1.5

  Socra. li. 5. ca. 15.
• * 1.6

  Epiph. in Tri∣par. li. 7. cap. 31.
• * 1.7

  Cassia. li. 3. ca. 12••
• * 1.8

  Missa in th••old writers neuer taken for Pri∣uate Masse.
• * 1.9

  16. qu••••st. 1.
• * 1.10

  Quida•• Abbas.
• * 1.11

  Can 21. In qui∣bus est legiti∣mus ordinari∣us{que} conu••ntus. In Pra••fatione Conci ••angren.
• * 1.12

  Cōcil. Agathe••. Can. 60.
• * 1.13

  Epistola D••∣cretal. Sirici••••
• * 1.14

  Offēders keapte from the Lordes Table.