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 .30. Diuision.

But for auoidinge that our aduersaries woulde hereof conclude, it is to be vnderstanded, that

this Canon speaketh against the Heretiques named Manichaei: who in the time of Leo the first abou•••• fourtie yeeres before Gelasius, wente aboute to spreade their Heresie in Rome, and in the partes of Italy. Their Heretical opinion was, that Christe tooke not our fleashe and Bloude, but that he had a phantastical bodie, and died not, ne rose againe truely, and in deede, but by way of phantasie.

And therefore at the Communion, they absteined from the Cuppe: and the better to cloke their Heresie, came to receiue the Sacrament in the forme of Breade with other Catholike people. Against whome Leo saithe thus.* 1.1 Abdicant enim se Sacramento salutis nostrae &c. They driue them selues a∣way from the Sacrament of our Saluation. And as they denie that Christe our Lorde was borne in trueth of our fleashe, so they beleue not that he died, and rose againe truly. And for this cause they condemne the day of our Saluation, and gladnes (that is the Sonneday) to be their sadde fastinge day. And where as, to cloke their infidelitie, they dare to be at our mysteries: they temper them selues so in the Communion of the Sacramentes, as in the meane time they may the more safely keepe them priuie. VVith vnwoorthie mouthe they receiue Christes Bodie: but to drinke the Bloude of our Redemption, vtterly they wil none of it. VVhiche thinge we woulde aduertise your holines of, that bothe such men may be manifested by these tokens vnto you, and also that they whose Diuilishe simulation and fai∣ninge is founde, beinge brought to light, and bewraied of the felowship of Saintes, may be thrust out of the Churche, by Priestly authoritie. Thus farre be Leo his woordes.

Gelasius that succeded fourtie yeeres after Leo, imployed no lesse diligence then he did, vtterly to vanquishe and abolishe, that horrible Heresie. Of whome Platina writeth, that he banished so many Manichees as were founde at Rome, and there openly burned their bookes. And bicause this heresie should none els where take roote, and springe, he wrote an Epistle to Maioricus, and Ioannes, two Bishoppes, amongst other thinges warninge them of the same. Out of whiche Epistle, this fragment onely is taken: whereby he dothe bothe briefely shew what the Manichees did for clokinge of their infidelitie, as Leo saithe: and also in as muche as their opinion was, that Christes Bodie had not very Bloude, as beinge phantastical onely, and therefore superstitiously absteined from the Cuppe of that ho∣ly Bloude: geueth charge and commaundement that either forsakinge their Heresie they receiue the whole Sacramentes, to witte, vnder Bothe Kindes, or that they be keapte from them wholy. Here the woordes of Leo afore mentioned, and this Canon of Gelasius conferred together, specially the storie of that time knowen: it may soone appeare to any man of iudgement, against whome this fragment of Gelasius was written. Verely not against the Church for ministringe the Communion vnder one Kinde, but against the detestable Manichees, who goeinge aboute to diuide the Mysterie of the Bodie and Bloud of Christe, denieynge him to haue taken very fleashe and Bloude, so much as in them laye, loosed Christ, whereof S. Iohn speaketh:* 1.2 and woulde haue made frustrate the whole woorke of our Redemption.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Serm. 4. De quadragesima.
• * 1.2

  ••. Iohan. 4.