M. Hardinge. The .23. Diuision.
And that in the Greeke Churche also, euen in the time of Chrysostome, the Communion vnder the forme of Breade onely, was vsed, and allowed, it appeareth by this notable storie of Sozomenus a Greeke writer: whiche bicause it is longe,* 1.1 I wil here rehearse it onely in Englishe, remittinge the learned to the Greeke. VVhen Iohn, otherwise named Chrysostome, gouerned the Churche of Constan∣tinople very wel, a certaine man of the Macedonian Heresie had a wife of the same opinion. VVhen this man had hearde Iohn in his Sermon declare, how one ought to thinke of God, he praised his doc∣trine, and exhorted his wife, to conforme her selfe to the same iudgement also. But when as she was ledde by the talke of noble wemen, rather then by her husbandes good aduertisementes, after that he sawe counsaile tooke no place, excepte ({que} he) thou wilt beare me companie in thinges toutching God, thou shalt haue no more to doo with me, nor liue any longer with me. The woman hearinge this, promisinge fainedly, that she woulde agree vnto it, conferreth the mater with a woman seruant that she had, whome she esteamed for trustie, and vseth her helpe to deceiue her husbande. About the time of the Mysteries, she holdinge fast that whiche she had receiued, s••ouped downe, makinge re∣semblance to pray. Her seruant standinge by, geueth to her secretely, that whiche she had broughte with her in her hande. That, as she put her teeth to it, to bite it, hardeneth into a stone. VVith that the woman sore astonied, fearinge leasie some euil shoulde happen vnto her therefore, whiche came by the power of God, ranne foorthwith to the Bishop, and bewrayinge her selfe, sheweth him the stone, hauinge yet in it the printes of her bitte, representinge a strange mater, and a wonderous colour: and so with teares of her eyes, besought forgiuenes, promisinge her husbande she would consent and agree to him. If this seeme to any incredible (saithe Sozomenus) that stone is witnes, whiche to this day is keapt amonge the Iewels of the Church of Constantinople.* 1.2 By this storie it is cleare, the Sacramēt was then ministred vnder One Kinde onely. For by receiuinge that one forme, this woman woulde haue perswaded her husbande, that she had communicated with him, and with that holy Bishop. Els if bothe kindes had then beene ministred, she shoulde haue practised some other shifte for the auoiding of the Cuppe, whiche had not beene so easie.