A04468:1515
A defence of the Apology of the Church of England containing an answer to…A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to…
A defence of the Apology of the Church of England containing an answer to a certain book lately set forth by M. Harding, and entitled, A confutation of &c. By John Jewel Bishop of Salisbury.A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to a certaine booke lately set foorthe by M. Hardinge, and entituled, A confutation of &c. By Iohn Iewel Bishop of Sarisburie.
Imprinted at London : In Fleetestreate, at the sign of the Elephant, by Henry Wykes, Anno 1567. 27. OctobrisImprinted at London : In Fleetestreate, at the signe of the Elephante, by Henry VVykes, Anno 1567. 27. Octobris
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Your Lords Supper, saith M. Harding, availeth you nothing, but to your further Condemnation. So must it needs be, because M. Harding saith, it shall so be. These Tragical terrors are fit only to frail children: In the Date of the Lord each mans work shall appear. The simplest of our people understandeth the Nature, & Meaning of the Holy Mystery of Our Lords Supper: & therefore they receive y• same together to their great consolation. But in Your Lady Mass the simple people understandeth nothing, heareth nothing, &, saving a few unseemly Ceremonies, seeth nothing. And therefore they so seldom Communicate, & that only of custom, without any zeal, or comfort of conscience, as having no sense, or feeling in all these doings.1 Origē saith, Nisi Circuncisionis reddatur ratio, nutus est, & Opus mutum. Pascha, & aliae Solenuitates nutus magis sunt, quàm Veritas, usque hodiè Populus Israel surdus, & mutus est: Onlesse the reasons, or causes of Circumcision be opened, Circumcision is but a gesture, and a dumb kind of work. The Easter Feast, and other like Solemnities, are rather Ceremonies, then the Truth it self. Even still until this day, 2the people of Israel is deaf, and dumb. S. Ambrose saithe, Indignus est Domino, qui aliter Mysterium celebrate, quàm à Christo traditum est. Non enim potest devotus esse qui aliter praesumit, quàm datum est ab Authore: He is unworthy of the Lord, that Ministereth this Sacrament otherwise, then Christ delivered it. For he cannot be devout, that presumeth to use it otherwise, then it was first delivered from Christ the Author. These words seem somewhat to touch M. Harding, and his Company. But here he is contented, to allow us the very Sacrament, and true use of Baptism, and that available, and of force for the Remission of Sins. Whereby unadvisedly, and unawares he confesseth, that we have the very True Catholic Church of God. For S. Augustine saith truly, Baptismus Ecclesiae potest esse extra Ecclesiam: 3munus autem Beatae vitae non nisi intra Ecclesiam inuenitur: The Baptism of the Church may be without the Church: but the gift of Blessed life is not found, but within the Church. But why he alloweth us this Sacrament, rather then the other, it were a hard matter to discuss. Neither may we justly require reason of him that speaketh so much without reason.