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.

M. Hardinge. The .25. Diuision.

Though I might bringe a great number of other places, for the vse of one kinde, whiche after the most common rule of the Churche, was the forme of Breade: yet here I wil staie me selfe, puttinge the reader in minde, that the Communion hath beene ministred to some personnes vnder the forme of VVine onely, and hath beene taken for the whole Sacrament, specially to suche, as for drinesse of their throte, at their death, coulde not swallow it downe vnder the forme of Breade. VVhere as it appeareth by S. Cyprian, and also by S. Augustine,* 1.1 that the Sacrament was geuen to infantes in their time, we finde in S. Cyprian, that when a Deacon offred the Cuppe of our Lordes Bloude to a litle maide childe, which through defaulte of the Nourse, had tasted of the Sacrifices that had beene offred to Diuels: the childe tourned a way her face by the instincte of the diuine Maiestie (saieth he) closed fast her lippes, and re∣fused the Cuppe. But yet, when the Deacon had forced her to receiue a litle of the Cuppe, the yea••••

and vomite followed, so as that sanctified drinke in the Bloude of our Lorde, gwoshed foorthe of the polluted bowels. If the Sacrament had beene geuen to this Infant vnder the forme of Breade before, she woulde haue refused that no lesse, then she did the Cuppe, that the Deacon then woulde not haue geuen her the Cuppe. And that this may seeme the lesse to be wondred at,* 1.2 Ioannes Teutonicus that wrote scholies vpon Gratian, witnesseth, that euen in his time, the custome was in some places, to geue the Sacrament to Infantes, not by deliueringe to them the Bodie of Christe, but by powringe the Bloude into theire mouthes: whiche custome hath beene vpon good consideration, abrogated in the Churche of Rome, and keapte in the Greeke Churche, as Lyra writeth vppon S. Iohn.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sermone 5. de 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.2

  De consecrat. dist. 4. Can. 4. Si qui apud illos Haereticos.