himself. For what manner of feeding is there in these accidents and holy forms? Or, how can that thing that feedeth not the body, represent unto us the spiritual feeding of the soul?

The matter is plain enough of itself, and needeth no cavil. The signification and substance of the sacrament is to show us how we are fed with the body of Christ, that is, that like as material bread feedeth our body, so the body of Christ, nailed on the cross, embraced and eaten by faith, feedeth the soul. The like representation is also made in the sacrament of baptism; that as our body is washed clean with water, so our soul is washed clean with Christ's blood. Therefore, St. Augustine saith, "Nisi sacramenta similitudinem quandam earum rerum, quarum sacramenta sunt, haberunt, omnino sacramenta non essent."—" If sacraments had not a certain likeness and representation of the things whereof they be sacraments, then indeed they were no sacraments."

This representation Rabanus Maurus expoundeth thus: " Quia panis corporis cor confirmat, ideo ille congruentur corpus Christi nuncupatur; et quia vinum sanguinem operatur in carne, adeo refertur ad sanguinem."-" Because (not the accident or forms of bread, but) bread itself confirmeth the heart of the body, therefore it is conveniently called the body of Christ; and because wine worketh blood in the flesh, therefore it hath relation unto the blood."

So likewise saith Druthmarus: "Vinum lætificat et sanguinem auget, et, ideo, non inconvenienter sanguis Christi per hoc figuratur." (Not the accidents or forms of wine, but) " Wine itself rejoiceth the heart, and increaseth blood; and, therefore, the blood of Christ conveniently is hereby signified."

Mr. Harding, for that he cannot utterly deny it,

the matter being so plain, is therefore contented to grant, that the 'sacrament is the figure of Christ's body. But to help out, and to shift the matter, he hath devised such a strange kind of figure, as seldom hath been heard before, notwithstanding the holy learned fathers speak plainly and simply, and use no kind of such glosses.

St. Jerome saith," Ad tropicam intelligentiam sermo referatur: quando dico, tropicam, doceo verum non esse quod dicitur, sed allegoriæ nubilo figuratum." Let that saying be expounded by a figure when I say, a figure, I say, the thing that is spoken is not true indeed, but figured under the cloud of an allegory."

Likewise Chrysostom saith, " Audisti fuisse figuram; ne ergo mirare, neque omnia require in typo. Neque enim typus esset, si omnia, quæ verita' accidunt, haberentur."-"Ye have heard that it was a figure, therefore marvel not; and being a figure, require not all things to agree: for, otherwise, it were no figure."

So likewise St. Augustine saith, "In principio cavendum est, ne figurarum locutionem ad literam accipias. Ad hoc enim pertinet quod ait Apostolus !

Litera occidit.' Cum enim figurate dictum sic accipitur, tanquam propriè dictum sit, carnaliter sapitur; neque ulla mors animæ congruentiùs appellatur."" First of all, thou must take heed that thou take not a figurative speech, according to the letter or sound of the words; for that is it, whereof St. Paul saith,The letter killeth.' For when the thing that is spoken under a figure is so taken as if it were plainly spoken, there is a fleshly understanding. Neither is there any thing that may better be called the death of the soul." All this, and much more to like purpose, thou mayest find in my former reply to Mr. Harding.

St. Jerome saith, "When I say it is a figure, then I say, it is not the truth." Chrysostom saith: "If it were the truth itself, it were no figure." St. Augustine saith, "Beware thou expound not a figurative speech according to the sound of the letter, as if it were the truth indeed, for that is the death of the soul." Thus the holy fathers have taught us to find a difference between a figure and the truth itself.

Another fantasy Mr. Harding hath found: that the sacraments of the new law work the thing itself that they signify, through virtue (as he saith) given unto them by God's ordinance to special effects of grace. This, as I said, is but a fantasy; for the sacraments of the old law, and of the new, in truth and substance are all one. St. Paul saith, "Omnes.eundem cibum comederunt."-" The fathers in the old law did all eat the same meat ;" that is to say, the same Christ, that we eat. St. Hilary saith, "Sub nube fuerunt, et Christo, aquam petra præbente, potati sunt."-" They were under the cloud, and were drenched with Christ, the rock giving them water."

Likewise saith Leo, " "Mysteria pro temporum ratione variata sunt; quum fides qua vivimus nulla fuit ætate diversa."-" The sacraments are altered according to the diversity of the times. But the faith, whereby we live in all ages, was ever one." Likewise St Augustine, "Sacramenta illa fuerunt, in signis diversa, in rebus quæ significabantur, paria."" These things were sacraments, in the outward tokens divers; but in the things tokened, all one with ours."

Mr. Harding will reply, St. Augustine saith, "Sacramenta Novi Testamenti daut salutem.""The sacraments of the New Testament give salvation." But who can better expound St. Augustine's meaning than St. Augustine himself? He addeth

immediately, "Cum ergo jam teneas promissa, quid quæris promittentia Salvatorem? Hoc dicu, teneas promissa, non quòd jam acceperimus vitam æternam, sed quòd jam Christus venerit, qui per Prophetas prænuntiabatur."-" Wherefore seeing thou hast the promises (of the coming of Christ) already perform ed, what seekest thou the things that promised the. Saviour? I say, Thou hast the promises already performed, not for that we have already received everlasting life, but for that Christ is already come that, was promised by the Prophets." Therefore when. St. Augustine saith, "Our sacraments give salvation," his meaning is this, Our sacraments teach us. that salvation is already come into the world.

Addition. Mr. Harding. So then " Dare," is to teach; and Salus," is salvation come into the world. Here is gay gear for wantons to dally with words in matter of our salvation.

The Answer.-Oh, what proper sport ye make yourself with this gay gear, Mr. Harding!" Dare" (you say) is not Latin to teach. I answer you, neither is Dare Latin to contain. But this I say, "Sacraments give grace so far forth as sacraments be able to give grace." Your own Bonaventura saith, "Non est aliquo modo dicendum, &c."-" We may not in any wise say, that the grace of God is really contained in the sacraments, as water is contained in a vessel, or a medicine in a box. For so to take it, it But we say, Sacraments contain the grace of God, because they represent or signify the grace of God."

were an error.

Thus far forth, Mr. Harding, sacraments are able to give grace. And therefore your school doctors thus commonly define a sacrament: "Sacramentum est invisibilis gratiæ visibile signum."-" A sacrament is a visible sign of grace invisible." As for the meaning of St. Augustine, I made it plain by

other his words immediately following, which you guilefully have dissembled. For thus he saith, "Thou hast the promises already performed, not for that we have already received everlasting life, but for that Christ is already come, that was promised by the Prophets." And although the death of Christ be already passed, yet is it laid lively and freshly before our eyes in the ministration of the sacraments.

St. Ambrose saith, "In baptismo crucifigimus in nobis Filium Dei."-" In baptism we crucify in our"In selves the Son of God." St. Chrysostom saith, " In mysteriis mors Christi perficitur."-" The death of Christ is wrought in the mysteries." Thus the grace of God is given unto us in the sacraments, because it is represented and laid before us in the sacraments. Thus saith St. Augustine, thus saith St. Chrysostom, St. Ambrose, and other holy fathers. They were no wantons; neither did they, nor do we, dally, as you say, with these things. We use them humbly with obedience and reverence, as the instruments of the grace of God.

Thus St. Augustine saith in another place, " Illa fuerunt promissiones rerum complendarum; hæc sunt indicia completarum."-"The sacraments of the old law were promises of such things as should afterwards be accomplished. Our sacraments of the new law are tokens that the same promises be already accomplished." Thus the holy fathers say, "The sacraments of the new law work salvation," because they teach us that our salvation is already wrought. So Bonaventura saith of the sacraments of the Old Testament, "Mundare dicebantur; id est, mundatum ostendebant."-" They were said to make a man clean, because they shewed or signified that a man was made clean.”

Addition. Mr. Harding. What then? Will it follow, that because our sacraments do shew that