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 is the best proufe of al others. A shorte answeare may wel serue it. For beinge but a litle vewed, it is hable to answeare it selfe. There is neither autho∣ritie in the tale, nor weight in the mater: The translation is péeuishe: and all without the compasse of sixe hundred yéeres.

S. Augustine saith,* 1.1 that certayne Heretiques in his time named the Donati∣stes, that they might the rather preuayle in disputacion against S. Augustine, and other Christians, and that the worlde might vnderstande they had some compa∣nie of their syde, therefore for a shewe subscribed their articles with the names of certaine that were deade, and oftentimes suche, as neuer were Donatistes. Suche a policie me thinketh M. Hardinge hath here begunne to practise. For what is this Leontius that wrote this storie? or who euer heard of his name before? I trowe he hath raised vp one of the seuen Sleapers to helpe him to Masse. He should haue shewed vs, as his manner is, what this straunge Doctour was: what bookes he wrote:* 1.2 where, when, in what age, and in what credite he liued. If he had saide, This Iohn the Almonar liued aboue sixe hundred yéeres after Christe, and this Leontius, that wrote his life, a greate while after that, this one circumstance woulde haue answeared the mater wholy. For notwithstandinge the rest of this

tale were true,* 1.3 yet my assertion standeth still good, that within the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christe, M. Hardinge is not hable to finde his Priuate Masse.

Vincentius in his booke that he calleth Speculum writeth thus:* 1.4 After Gre∣gorie was dead, Bonifacius ruled the Churche of Rome. This Bonifacius obteined of the Emperour Phocas, that the Churche of Rome should be the head of al Churches, and that bi∣cause the Churche of Constantinople wrote it selfe by that title. The nexte yere after that Augustine that was called the Englishe mens Bishop,* 1.5 died. The yeere folowinge Iohn the Almonar was in great fame, at whiche time also Mahomet first spread his Religion in A∣rabia. The same computation of yéeres appeareth in Freculphus, Sabellicus, Palmerius, and others. Wherefore M. Hardinge might wel haue spared this tale, as nothinge els but bewrayeing his wante of better mater, and prouinge that his Masse is of the very age of Mahomet.

But to leaue both thaduantage of the time, & also the exception against the Au∣thour, let vs consider the likelihood of the dooynge: & if Iohn the Almonar saide this Priuate Masse in his Chappell, howe safely he might so doo by the order of the holy Canons,* 1.6 whiche to breake Damasus saithe, is blasphemie against the holie Ghoste. M. Hardinges Leontius saith, Iohn the Almonar saide Masse in his Oratorie at home, beyng sure of no more cōpanie but of one of his owne householde seruaūtes alone.* 1.7 But Pope Soter, as it is before alleged by M. Hardinge, straitely commaundeth that no prieste pre∣sume to celebrate the Sacrament without the companie of two togeather.a 1.8 And againe that no prieste dare to Minister, without the companie of some other priest. And in the b 1.9 Councell holden at Orleance it is decréed thus: It is lauful for euery Christian man to haue a Chappel in his house: but to haue Masse saide there it is not lawful. And in the c 1.10 Councel holden at Laodicea, It is not lawful for Bishoppes or priestes to minister the Oblations at home. Likewised 1.11 Pope Felix, It is not lawful to minister the Communion at home, but vpon exceedinge great necessitie. The same order was taken in the Coun∣cel of Acon, and in sundrie other Councels. Which Decrées beinge so manie, and so straite, it is not likely that Iohn the Almonar beinge so holy a man, would wilfully breake them al without cause.

Neither in déede if M. Hardinge wil throughly beholde the mater, shal he finde here any Masse spoken of at al, neither bread, nor wyne, nor Consecration, nor Oblation, nor Eleuation, nor Altare, nor Uestiment, nor any other thinge to the Masse belongynge.

And if we agree there was Masse saide there, yet may there growe an o∣ther doubte, whiche of these three saide that Masse: I meane, the Bishop, or the Gentleman, or the Seruaunt. For here is no more noted, but that they said the Lordes praier al thrée togeather: which verely is not y^e manner of Priuate Masse. For there the priest as he receiueth alone, so he saithe the Pater Noster him selfe alone. But in the Communion as the people saide the Lordes prayer al togeather, as it is noted by S. Gregorie,* 1.12 so they receiued al togeather. Thus M. Hardinge bringeth a witnesse for the Masse, that saieth nothinge for the Masse. The lawe saithe,* 1.13 Qui mutum exhibet, nihil exhiber. He that presenteth a dome bodie, presenteth no bodie.

But he wil replie, here is the very name of y^e Masse: & facit Missas. And to make the more appearance, M. hardinge helpeth it foorthe with a preatie false transla∣tion of his owne.* 1.14 For, whereas it is written in the Latine, Cū benedixisset sancta, he translateth it thus, VVhen he had Consecrate the Sacrament: And likewise these woordes, Post finem orationum, he translateth thus, After he had doone the praier of Con∣secration: notwithstandinge he knewe right wel, that in these woordes there is no mention at al, neither of any Sacrament, nor of any Consecration. And thus Vocat ea quae non sunt,* 1.15 tanquam sint. He calleth thinges that be not, as though they were:

and yet is not afraide of Lex Cornelia de falsis. But this I trowe he him selfe wil confesse, is no sincere, nor plaine dealinge. Yet wil he saye, here is the very woord Missa. It is wel knowen, that Missa, is no Gréeke woorde, and therefore Leon∣tius, what so euer he were, in his Gréeke tongue coulde not vse it. As for the Translatour, séeynge he was not hable to write true Latine, we may wel thinke he had simple skil in the Gréeke.

But graunte wee there be no errour in the woorde: yet wil it not necessarily followe, that Missa in this place importeth the Masse. For as I haue already pro∣ued by sundrie authorities, Missa is oftentimes vsed for any kinde of prayer. As it maye further appeare by an Epistle of Chromatius,* 1.16 and Heliodorus, sente vn∣to S. Hierome touchinge Gregorie the Bishop of Corduba: and by the woordes of the councel of Cabilon.* 1.17 Whiche thinge also very wel agreethe with the cu∣stome and order of the Churche of Alexandria at that time,* 1.18 whereof Nicephorus writeth thus:* 1.19 Quarta hebdomadis die, & ea, que Parasceue dicitur, Alexandrini Scri∣p••uras legebant, Doctoribus eas interpretantibus: omnia{que}, quae ad Synaxin pertinent, peragebant, praeter Diuinorum Mysteriorum perceptionem. At{que} eam illi antiquitùs ha∣buere consuetudinem: At Alexandria they reade the Scriptures vpon Wenesdaies, and Fridaies, and the Doctours, or preachers expounde the same. And they doo al thinges, that apperteine vnto the Communion, sauinge onely the receiuinge of the Holy Mysteries. And this custome there they haue had of olde.

Touchinge these woordes, Benedicere Sancta,* 1.20 they doo no more signifie the Con∣secration of the Sacrament, as M. Hardinge hath translated it, then these woordes Ex∣tollite manus vestras in Sancta, doo signifie the liftinge vp of handes to the Sacra∣mente. Chrysostome in his Liturgie vseth the same maner of speache to a farre other purpose.* 1.21 For after the Communion is ended, and the people readie to de∣parte foorthe, he writeth thus, Sacerdos Benedicit Sancta, & exuit. Here if M. Har∣dinge wil take Benedicere Sancta, for Consecration, there must néedes followe a greate inconuenience, that there were two Consecrations in one Communion: yea, and one Consecration after al was ended. It may appeare that Chrysostome by these woordes meante a solemne praier to conclude the whole. For it foloweth immediately, O thou that arte the fulfillinge of the lawe and Prophetes, Christe our God, thou that haste fulfilled al the dispensation of the Father, fil our hartes with ioye, and glad∣nesse now and for euer. This Chrysostome calleth Benedicere Sancta: and the same séemeth to be the meaninge of this Leontius, what so euer he were. And not∣withstandinge al these thinges were graunted, yet is not M. Hardinge hable ther∣of necessarily to importe his Priuate Masse.

But saith he, The place was Priuate, the audience was Priuate, the purpose was Priuate: onely one noble man, onely one seruaunte, al was Priuate. And further he saithe, It was a ve∣ry straite case, that so Holy a Bishop, in so populous a towne, coulde finde no man to Communicate with him but his owne seruaunt onely. Yea doubtlesse it was a very straite case, that a noble man shoulde be driuen to helpe the priest to Masse: A straite case for M. Har∣dinge to renne to Alexandria, a thousande miles beyonde al Christendome, to séeke his Masse, and that not in open Churche neither, but onely in a Priuate Oratorie: A straite case, that for the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christe and more, there was not one Priuate Masse to be founde in the whole Churche of Rome: A very straite case, that M. Hardinge is thus forced to leaue S. Augustine, S. Hierome, S. Chrysostome, and al other the godly learned Fathers, and to rake vp of the dust Hippolytus, Abdias, Leontius, and other like newe Doctours without name or credite, suche as neuer were thought woorthy to be alleged or named before.

Yet he forceth his gheasses further: The noble man came vnlooked for: The seruaunte might haue had some suddaine pange, or some conscience of his vnwoorthinesse, and so the priest per∣force

must haue receiued alone. Here to aunsweare gheasse with gheasse, euen so might the priest also him selfe haue had some suddayne pange or quame:* 1.22 as in deede it is specially presumed by the lawe, that it maye so happen: or els some suddaine consci∣ence of his owne vnwoorthinesse: and so had there béene no Masse at al. Alas these gheasses be to light in so greate a mater.

Here further for his pleasure he saithe, M. Iuel harpeth manie iarringe argumentes. Of my argumentes I make no vaunte: If they sounde wel in Goddes eares, they are wel in tuene: God be thanked we leade not the people by aymes, and gheas∣ses: we reare vp no newe Doctours: We combre not the peoples eares with lyes and fables, as M. Hardinge dooth: We bringe foorth neither wemen, nor boyes to proue the Communion, as these men are driuen to doo to proue their Masse.

Moreouer he saithe in scorne, as his manner is, that wee would haue al the people, that wil not receiue, to be driuen out of the Churche. O M. Hardinge, Howe longe wil you thus wilfully peruerte the waies of the Lorde? You knowe, this is neither the Doctrine, nor the practise of our Churche. How be it the auncient Doctours haue bothe taught so, and also practised the same. Anaclerus saithe,* 1.23 Alter the Con∣secration is ended,* 1.24 let al receiue, onlesse they wil be thrust from the Churche. And Calixtus saithe further, For so is it appointed by the Apostles, and so is it obserued in the Churche of Rome.

Nowe saithe M. Hardinge, the place was priuate, Ergo, there was a Priuate Masse. A Childe may soone sée, that this reason hath no holde. For touchinge that the place was priuate,* 1.25 S. Gregorie saithe thus of one Cassius the Bishop of Narnium, He saide Masse (which is, he ministred the Communion) in an Oratorie within his Palace, and with his owne hande he gaue the Bodie of the Lorde,* 1.26 and peace vnto them al. The like hereof wée may sée in the preface before the Councel of Gangra. And in the Tri∣partite Storie it is writen thus: Gregorie Nazianzene at Constantinople in a litle Ora••orie,* 1.27 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, made assemblies of the people. Here we sée, The action was common, and a ful Communion ministred, notwithstandinge the place were priuate.

Againe he saithe, There were but thrée,
Ergo, but one did receiue.

This reason holdeth as the former.

Consider now gentle Reader, how aptely M. Hardinge answeareth to the pur∣pose. I demaunde the authoritie of S. Augustine, S. Hierome, or some other Ca∣tholike auncient Father: he answeareth me with a childishe Fable. I demaunde of the vsage of the open Churche: he answeareth me with a priuate Oratorie, as though at that time there had béene no Churches builte. I demaunde, what was doone in the face and sight of the people: He answeareth me, what, he supposeth, was doone in a Corner. I demaunde of him vndoubted truthe, and certaintie: he answeareth me by coniecture and blinde gheasse.

I beleeue he woulde not willingly haue hindred his owne cause. If he coulde haue founde better mater, doubtlesse he woulde haue brought it foorthe. Is this the Antiquitie, is this the Uniuersalitie, that they so much talke and glorie of? Is this the common consente of al the worlde?

Thus then, gentle Reader, standeth my answeare to this tale. Firste that [ 1] it was forbidden by many decrées to minister the Sacrament in priuate houses: and therefore vnlikely that Iohn Almonar beinge a godly man woulde presume to doo the contrary.

Secondly, that this woorde, Missa, vsed here by the rude and vtterly vnlear∣ned [ 2] Interpreter, dothe not necessarily importe the Masse.

Thirdly that M. Hardinge the better to furnishe out the mater, hath violently, [ 3] and of purpose, falsified the Translation.

[ 4] Fourthely, that notwithstandinge here were graunted the Celebration of the Sacrament, yet it cannot be forced thereof, that the Prieste receiued alone.

[ 5] Fifthly, that although this were proued a priuate Masse, yet hath M. Harding vtterly missereckened him selfe, and so gotten nothinge. For it was without the compasse of sixe hundred yéeres.

[ 6] Laste of al hereunto I adde, that the place, where these thinges are imagined to be doone, was il chosen, and very vnlikely to serue this purpose. For M. Har∣dinge is not hable to proue, that in the Citie of Alexandria, was euer any one pri∣uate Masse saide, either before that time, or euer sithence.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••ugust. epist. 1••2.
• * 1.2

  M. Hardinge rangeth with∣out the compasse of .600. yeeres.
• * 1.3

  Iohn the Almonar.
• * 1.4

  Vincentius in specul. lib. 23. ca. 17.
• * 1.5

  Anno domini. 610.
• * 1.6

  25. quaest. 1. vio∣latores.
• * 1.7

  De Con. dist 1. Hoc quo{que}.
• a 1.8

  De Con. dist. 1. vt illud.
• b 1.9

  De Cons. dist. 1. vnicui{que}.
• c 1.10

  Concil. Laodi∣cen. Ca. 58.
• d 1.11

  Inter Decreta Felicis Papae, Decre. 4.
• * 1.12

  Gregori. lib. 7. epist 63.
• * 1.13

  De verborū & rer. significa. Apud Labeonē.
• * 1.14

  M Hardinge corrupteth, and falsifieth his translation.
• * 1.15

  Roman. 4••
• * 1.16

  Chromatius.
• * 1.17

  De con. dist. 1.
• * 1.18

  Solent plures.
• * 1.19

  Nicephorus. li. 12. ca. 34.
• * 1.20

  Benedicere Sancta.
• * 1.21

  Chrysost. in Li∣turgiae ad finē.
• * 1.22

  De Con. dist. 1. vt illud.
• * 1.23

  De Conse. dist. 1. Episcopus.
• * 1.24

  De Con. dist. 2. Peracta.
• * 1.25

  Gregor. hom. 37. in euang.
• * 1.26

  In praefatione in Concil. Gangren.
• * 1.27

  Histor. tripart. lib. 9. ca. 8.