The olde doctours holy fathers of the church s. Ciprian S. Chrisostom s â–ª Ambrose S. Hierom s. Augustin others that receiued the sacrament at the Apostles hands and as it may be thought continewed the same in suche sort as they had receiued it neuer make mention in any of all theyr bokes of adouring or worshipping of the sacrament It is a very new deuise and as it is well knowne came but lately into the church About thre hundred yeres past Honorius beynge then Bishop of Rome commaunded the sacrameÌ„t to be lifted vp the people reuerently to bow down to it â–ª After hym Urbanus the fourth appointed a holy daye of Corpus Christi and graunted out large pardons to the kepers of it that the people shuld with better wyll resorte to the churche and kepe it holy This is the greatest â—…ntiquity of the whole mater aboute tâ—…re hundred yeares ago it was firâ—…e found out and put in pracâ—…ise But Christ and his Apostles the hoâ—…y fathers in the primitiue câ—…urche y â— doctours that folowed them and other learned and godly meÌ„ what soeuer for the space of M. cc. yeres after Christ neuer heard of it Once again I say for the space of M. cc. yeres after Christes ascension into heauen this worshipping of y â— sacrameÌ„t was neuer known or practised in any place within y â— who le catholike churche of Christ throughout the whole world But after it was once receyued put in vse and the people began to worship the sacrament w t godlye honour the learned men schole doctours that then were sawe it coulde not stande withoute great daunger coÌ„fessed that the ignorant sort therby might sone be led into idolatry Marke I beseche you what I say for I know vnto sum men it semeth not possible y t there may be any kind of daunger in worshipping the sacramente of Christes body And therfore sum haue alledged Saint Augustius words in this behalfe Nemo maÌ„ducat nisi prius adoret No mon eateth Christes body but first he doth worship it And agayn Non peccamus adorando sed magâ—…s pâ—…caremus non adorando 〈◊〉 offende not in worshippinge the fleshe of Christ but 〈◊〉 we shoulde offence if we shoulde not worship it But in dede the schole doctours and learned men sawe there might be daunger in worshipping the sacrament and therfore gaue warning of it Ioâ—…n Duns and william Durand say thus if there remayned the substaunce of bread after consecration the people would therof take occasion of Idolatry and in steade of Christes bodye woulde geue godly worship vnto y â— bread And therfore they thought it best to remoue away the bread â–ª and to bring in transubstaÌ„tiation a word neâ—…ly deuised â–ª neuer once herd or spoken of before the councel of Laterane holden at Rome in the yere of our Lorde M. ccxv But the olde doctours fathers which fyrste planted the churche and to whome more credit is to be geueÌ„ wryte plainlye that in the sacramente after consecration there remayneth styll very bread wyne in nature and substaunce as before And to alleadg one or two in stead of many Saint Augustine sayeth in a sermon ad infantes Quod videtis in mâ—…nsa panis est That thynge that ye see vpon the table is bred Gelasius also sayth in lyke sort Non desinit esse substaÌ„tia panis vel natura vini sed maneÌ„â—… in suae proprietate naturae It leaueth not to be the substaunce of bread or the nature of wyne but they remayne in the propertie of theyr own nature Theodoretus and olde doctour of the church likwyse saith Christus ea sy mbola quae videntur cor poris sanguinis sui appelatione honorauit non naturam transmutans sed naturae adiiciens gratiam Christ saith Theodoretus honoted the bread aâ—…d wyne which we see with the names of hys bodye and bloud not chaunging the nature therof but vnto the same nature ioyninge his grace I knowe not â–ª what maye be more clearlye 〈◊〉 Saint Augustin sayth it is bread Gelasius saith it leaueth not to be the substaunce nature of bread and wyne Theodoretus sayth Christ honoured the bread and wyne with the natures of his body and bloud â–ª but yet chaunged not theyr nature â–ª Thus the olde godly bishops and fathers of the churche acknowledge and affirm that bread remayneth in the sacrament after coÌ„secratioÌ„ But Duns and Durand and sum others of y â— yong fathers and doctours say if the people worship the sacrament and bread remain then must they nedes be in great daunger of idolatry Wherfore we may wel conclude of them both for as much as it is cleare by the olde doctours y â— bread remaineth that the people resortinge to the masse and therâ—… worshipping the sacrament must nedes be in daunger of idolatrye Fartherthey say Idolatry may be done to y e sacrament if a man happen to worship the accidents of the bread that is to say y â— whitenes or rouÌ„dnes or other such outward fourmes or shewes of breade as he seeth with his eye and geue the honoure vnto in y t stede of Christs body O miserable people y t thus is lead to worship they know not what For alas how many of theÌ„ vnderstandeth these distincâ—…ions or care for them how many of theÌ„ vnderstand after what sorte accidentia may be sine subiecto or how whytenes is founded in the sacramente or what is the difference betwene substantia and accidens Or what priest when he went to masse euer taughte the people to knowe these thynges to auoyde the daunger Undoubtedlye I could neuer yet perceyue by any readinge eyther of the scriptures or els of other prophane writings but that y e people of all ages hath euer more ben redier to receyue idolatrye then to learne y e distinctions and quiddities of Logike or Philosophye Thus we see euen by the confession of Duns Durand other theyr owne doctours that he that goeth to the masse worshippeth the sacrameÌ„t onlese he be learned and take good hede maye soone commit idolatrye The doctrine of it selfe is newe y e prosite of it such as the churche of god for the space of twelue hundred yeares was well hable to be without it The ieopardy of it great and horrible scarcely possible to be auoided I speake not these thinges good bretherne to thentente to spoyle Chryst of the honour that is due vnto hym I knowe and confesse that Christes blessed body is most worthy of al honour I know 〈◊〉 the flesh of the son of God is not therfore the lesse honourable because it is now become glorious and sytteth in heauen at the right hand of God his father The body of Christ sitting aboue al heaueÌ„s is worshipped of vs beynge here beneath in earth Therefore the priest at the Communion before he enter into y â— holy misteries geueth warninge vnto the people to mount vp wyth theyr mynds into heauen
reasoninge the very true cause is suppressed and an other cause of purpose set in place For example I say I confer with you vnder protestation lest I shoulde seme to call y t doetrine into doubt which I knew to be established by gods word by sufficient authority thronghout this â—…ealm And you would haue it taken that I do it bicause I am a Bishop Which indede is of your syd a sophistication à non causa vt causa So likewise I say you alledg no dectors nor scriptures nor generall CouÌ„celles as true it is bicause ye haue none to alledge But you woulde make men beleue ye dare not alledg theÌ„ bicause ye stand bound in Recognisaunce to y â— coÌ„trary And this of your syd is another Sophi stication à non causa vt causa Where you saye ye will shewe me that I brought this in out oâ—… all purpose it had bene more for your credit if ye would haue done it out ofhand But forasmuche as y e fairest shew of your learning haÌ„geth on the futurtens standeth only vpoÌ„ promis I trust you will bring forth your olde Doctours and Councels and perfurme this bothe together whiche wil be ye know when The trueth of our Doctrine against traÌ„substantiation was proued sufficiently and well allowed before your doctrine with transubstantiation was euer heard of For you are not able to shewe me not so much as the very name of transubstantiation in any kind of wryter new or old before the late Councell of Laterane whiche as you know was holden in Rome M. CCxv yeres after Christ. So longe the Church of God and the Catholik faith was able to stande without your transubstantiation Whiche if it were so true as ye would haue men think it I merneile it coulde neuer be knowen before ¶ Sarum BUt as touching my callinge I am not only readie to answer anye man in any thing that I professe but also vpon snfficieÌ„t allegatioÌ„ as I haue proâ—…sed very wel coÌ„teÌ„t to yelde vnto you ¶ Cole THat you are required that you refuse make large offer to no purpose The reply Sarum â–ª THat you required me I haue partly perfourmed euen in my last Letters as you your self do know right well and that not altogether from the purpose as it shall appeare Brig you forth asmuch of your syd and I wil say ye cumme wel to the purpose ¶ Sarum BUt I besech you what reason of your faith in these matters gaue you suÌ„time when you wer in place Scriptures Doctors CouÌ„celles ye had none as now appeareth by your silence ¶ Cole VVE brought more then ye were able to answer all were it not Scriptures nor doctours nor councelles The Reply Sarum IN steed of scriptures Doctors and Councelles ye brought such extremity as the world hath not sene the lyke and as you are now loth to heare of And yet it pleased god that the same should be anwered sufficiently with patience sufferance But here am I glad ye confesse one trueth by the waye that ye brought in all that tyme nether scriptures nor Doctours nor generall Councelles of your syde and yet I trow ye were frie from RecognisaÌ„ce This I beleue passed you vnwares and not of purpose â–ª As your Proloquâ—…tor in the disputation at Oxforde gaue out one trueth by chaunce vndad uisedly as he gaue knowledge to the audience in the diuinitie schole of what matters they would dispute For thus he said and that in your owne hearinge Virâ—… 〈◊〉 conuenimus hûc holdiè disputaturi contra horribilem illam Haeresim de veritate Corporis Sanguinis Christi in Eucharistia Brethern saide he we cume hither this daye to dispute against that horrible Heresie of the veritie of Christes body and blud in the Sacrament God wolde haue him vtter sume trueth then as you doo nowe bicause he was Pontifex illius anni But forasmuch as you confesse ye brought nether Scriptures nor Doctours nor Councelles Iremit the matter to your own reader to consider what ye brought Sarum THerfore the ground of your persuasion must then needes be Nos habemus legem secuÌ„dum legem c. Yoâ—… know what foloweth that is we haue a law accordiug to our law he must die ¶ Cole This argument I would faine see proued The Reply Sarum YOur whole practise and the order of your doiuges for sixe yeres together hath proued it sufficiently And besides y t a Bishop of yours euen in that tune sittyng in iudgement vpon a pore man in a case of ReligioÌ„ and hearing him alledge the Scripturs and other authorities for him self rounded a geutlemaÌ„ in the ear that sate next to him with these wordes Naye if we stryue with them in Scriptures reasoning we shall neuer haue done We must proced agaiÌ„st them with the Law ¶ Sarum FOr as truly as God is God if ye would haue vouchsaued to folow eyther the Scriptures or the â—…ncient Doctours or the Coâ—…celles ye wolde neuer haue restored again eyther y â— suppremacie of Rome after it was once abolished or the priuate Masse or y â— communion vnder one kynd c. ¶ Cole 〈◊〉 and bold asseâ—…eration maketh no proâ—… in the Law The Reply Sarum TRue and ernest asseueration maketh a proufe sufficient in y â— law as loÌ„g as â—…e haue nothinge to the contrarie as in ded ye haue not nor neuer shall haue But w tout question your terrible garde of Billes halbardes your grinning and skoffing with other like your demeanour as ye vsed in the disputations at Oxforde against the marâ—…irs and faithfull witnesses of goddes trueth and as now your crakes of many things and bringing forth of nothing I beleue to any wise man maketh but smal proufe in diuinity But if ye wold haue had any wise man myslik my asseueratioÌ„ ye should haue shewed by what scriptures by what CouÌ„celles or by what doctours ye restored these thinges again ¶ Sarum IT greaueth you that I should rest vpoÌ„ the negatiue and so put you to your proufes Wherin notwithstandinge ye alledg against methe custom of y â— scholes yet you know Christ vsed the same kind of reasoning in his schole As when he said to the Pharisies Hoc Abraham non fecit This thing AbrahaÌ„ neuer did And again when be answered them in y e case of diuorse A principio non fuit sic it was not so from the beginning he stode only vpon the negatiue ¶ Cole HEreis againe one place that I reken you put not in your selfe For it maketh quyt against you For Christ proued the Pharisies were not Abrahams Children and that a man maye not put away his 〈◊〉 for euery cause The Reply Sarum I See you would faine put me out of credit as thogh I wer not able to answere your letters without conference But this I reken you do for a ioly policie that while your reader is lokig vpon me he should forget the whole matter that we talk of Yâ—… y â— eraÌ„ples
of the lord that thiÌ„g whiche I also haue deliuered vnto you that is that the Lord Jesus in the nyghte that he was betrayed tooke breade c. SAint â—…aule after he was once appoynted oute by God to bee hys choseÌ„ vessel to cary his name a monge al people hauing occasion to make his abode for a long tyme in the Citie of Corinth began there to instructe the people to drawe them from the foltes and errours that they and theyr Fathers had longe lyued in afore tyme and to leade them to the gospell of Christ whyche then God of his mercie had newly shewed vnto the worlde And therwithall he deliuered vnto them the sacrament or holy misterye of Christes laste supper to be practised and continewed amongest them as a most certein pleadge and testimony of the same But after that throughe the wickednes of the Iewes he was driuen to depart theÌ„ce and to saile into Siria the faise Prophetes men full of pryde and vayne glory taking occasion at his absence sought meanes to discredit what so euer he had taught or don and caused the people not only to mislyke the gospel of Christ that they had receyued at Sainet Paules hand but also to missence the sacramentes For as touchinge the Gospell they were fallen from it in to sundrye great and horrible heresies concerning the resurrection and other speciall pointes of Chrystes religion And as touching the sacramentes where as S. Paule had appointed theÌ„ the holy misteries of the breaking of Christes bodye and sheddynge of his bloud that they shoulde al eat and drynke together wyth feare and reuerence in remembraunce of his deathe and passion and so cleue together in brotherlye charitie as being all the members of one body they forgetting the very vse and institution therof made small accompt of Christes death toke eche maÌ„ to him self seuerally his own supper despised their pore bretherne rent and deuided the church of God and so make y e holy sacrament of loue and charitie to serue them as an instrumente of discord and dissension Therfore saith S. Paule vnto theÌ„ shall I praise you for thus doing in this thing surely I may not praise you For I see your congregations comen metings are not to the better but to the worse For a redresse hereof he calleth them back to the first originall to the institution of Christe from whence they were fallen â–ª For I saith he â–ª being amongst you delyuered you none other thinge theÌ„ that I had receiued of the Lorde That thinge he thought meetest for you And therfore with y e same ought you also to be contented Thus when soeuer any order geuen by God is broken or abused the best redresse therof is to restore it again into the state that it first was in at the beginning Thus when the Temple of god at Hierusalem was so shamfullye difordred by the priestes and Leuites â–ª that it was become a caue of theues Christe for reformation therof called them backe again to the first erection of the temple Scriptum est Domus mea Domus orationis vocabitur It is written saith Christ in the Scriptures My house shal be called the house of prayer Thus was the temple of God vsed at the beginning and thus ought it to be vsed now Thus when Christ was apposed by the Scribes and Pharises in the case of diuorse whether he thought it lawful for a man to put his wyfe from him for euery light cause to mary another he made them answer by the first institutioÌ„ ordinaunce of mariage A principio non fuit ita Scriptum est EruÌ„t duo in carne vna It was not so saith Christ at y e beginninge It is written They shal be two in one fleshe Now therefore they are not two but one fleshe As if he shoulde haue said This is the ordinaunce of God my father Thys may not be broken for your pleasures sake but must remayne in strength and last for euer This S. Paule that the Corinthians might the better vnderstand that they had vnreuerently missensed the Lords supper be the more willynge to redresse the same â–ª laied Christes first institutioÌ„ before theyr eyes as a true patern whereby the sooner they might redresse it Lokes aith he what thig I receiued of the Lorde the same thing I delyuered cuer faithfully vnto you I gaue you not any phaÌ„sy or deuise of mine own but that thing only that Christ had before deliuered me This rule is infallible Hereby your doings may best be tryed This I iudge to be the very true meaning of these words of S. Paule Nowe for as muche as in this laste age of the worlde the â–ª same holy sacrament or misterie of Christes last supper hath ben lykewyse stayned w t diuerse foule abuses speciallie for that notwithstandinge it hath pleased almighty God of his great mercye in these our daies to remoue away all suche deformities and to restore agayn the same hâ—…ly misteries to the first original yet there be diuers that wilfully remain in ignoraunce and not only be vnthankfull vnto almighty God for his great benefites but also take pleasure in the erroures wherin they haue of long tyme ben trayned And that not only the pore ignorant but also the riche such as should be learned know god I haue thought it good therfore at this tyme to stande the longer vpon the same words of S. Paul that we may the more clearly see the firste institution of the holye sacramente how far in these latter dayes we haue straied from it It was to be â—…oyed for as muche â—…s the glorius light of the Gospell of Christ is nowe so mightely anâ—… so farre spread abrode that no mâ—… would lightly misse his way as afore in the time of darknes and perishe wilfully But we may remember when the Iewes were deliuered out of Egypt and had ben wonderfully conducted through the redsea and set at liberty were passing quiet ly into the land of promisse a land flowyâ—…g with mylke and honye yet weâ—… there diuers wery of their beyng there and fayne would returne againe into Egypt to be in bondage in thraldome and in misery as they had ben before We maye remember when the Iewes were deliuered from Idolatry wherin they and theyr fathers had long continued were brought to the true knowledge worship of the euerliuing God of Israell notwithstaÌ„ding they were in dede the people of God yet wer there many amongest theÌ„ y t mislyked the tyme and as it is reported by the Prophet Hieremye cryed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him SermoneÌ„ quem locutus es nobis in nomine domini non audiemus ex te â–ª sed facientes faciemus omne verbum quod egreditur ex ore nostro vt facri ficemus reginae coeli libemus ei libamina sicut fecimus nos patres nostri reges nostri prin cipes nostri in vrbibus Iudae in plateis HierusaleÌ„L saturati
sumus panibus bene nobis erat malū non vidimus That is We wyll not heare the word that thou spekest v◅to vs in the name of y t lord but we wyll do euery thinge that shall procede oute from our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Quene of Heauen and to offer vp Drinke offerynges vnto her as both we haue done and oure fathers and our kinges our princes in the citie of Iuda and in the streates of Hierusalem For then had we plentie of victualles and were wel and felt no euyl We remember when the Gospel of Christ was preached by S. Paule at Ephesus the deuels mouth was therby stopped all his force and power taken from him yet there was a great n◅ber that rose vp against Paule violently withstode his doctryne and cryed out wyth mayn voyte agaynst him Magna est diana Ephe siorum Great is Diana the Goddesse of the Ephesians Euē so in these dayes notwithstanding the comparisō may happely seme somwhat od◅ous where as the holy Communion is restored to the vse and fourme of y ◠primitiue church to the same order y ◠was deliuered and appointed by Christ and after practised by the Apostles and continued by y e holy doctoures and fathers for y e space of fyue or sixe hundred yeares throughout all the whole Catholick churche of Christ without exception or any one sufficient exāple to be shewed to the contrarye yet are there sum this day that refuse it and shun it vnaduisedlye and wilfullye run hedlong to the Masse of a good zele I hope but not according vnto knowledg For alas they vnderstande not what ▪ they do they know not neither the communion neyther the Masse neyther wil they harkē or inquire to come to knowledg And so in y t middest of the light they remayne stil in darknes Wherfore as I said afore I haue thought it nedefull to intre at sumwhat herof at this tyme haue good hope through Goddes grace so to laye forth the whole matter not with eloquence of words but w t simplicity of the truth y t it maye be plaine both vnto thē that haue forsaken the masse for what cause and howe iustly they haue forsakē it and also vnto them that as yet delite in it what maner of thinge it is that they delyte in I knowe sum man wil saye for as much as y ◠sacrament is a holy thing the ordinaūce of Christ the high mistery of his death of our saluation to remain in the church for euer Therfore it cannot possibly be abused all that we speake this day in this behalfe we speak of malice and not of truth True it is the sacrament is an holy thing y ◠ordinaunce of Christ the mistery of our saluation yet is there nothing so good no ordinaūce so holy no mistery so heauenly but through y ◠foly frowardnes of man it may be abused The Serpent that was set vp by Moises in the wildernes was an holy thinge for it was a sacrament a figure of Christ hanging on the crosse yet was it abused The Gospell of Christe is an holy thynge yet S. Paule sayth to the Philippians there were sum then that preached it for malice and contention doing therby seruice not vnto Jesus Chryste whō they professed in their mouth but vnto theyr owne bellye And thus beyng holy in it self yet was it shamefully abused And what thing is there s◅ holye as the name of God and yet what thing is there so often taken in vain or somuch abused But to cum neare to our purpose the sacrament of Baptyme is an holy thinge yet hath it ben abused and that in the churche of God yea euen at the beginnynge of the churche euen when the Apostles of Christ were yet a lyue and the bloude of Chryste as yet fresh greene before theyr eyes In S. Paules tyme there wer sum that baptised for y ◠dead after that there were sum that baptised such as wer alredy dead sprinkled thē with water in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy gost laied their handes ouer them called thē by their names as if they had ben alyue Whyche thing was reproued forbiddē in the councell of Carthage Others there were that baptised childrē before they were borne beynge as yet in theyr mothers womb Which thing is mencioned and reproued by S. Augustin All these as may sone appeare were gre◅t abuses Thus the sacrament of Baptisme not withstanding it were a holy thing yet was abused The sacrament of the brekinge of Christs body the sheading of his bloud is an heauenly mistery and an holy thing yet hath it oftē tymes ben abused and that in the Primitiue churche when the religion of Chryste semed to be in hyghest perfection In the time of Tertullian and of S. Ciprian which was athousand and four hundred yeres ago wemen commenly toke the sacrament home with thē in theyr napkins layed it vp in theyr chests and receiued a portion of it in the morning before other meats This was an abuse of the sacrament therfore was it brokē In S. Ciprians and S. Augustines tyme yong babes as sone as they were Baptised receyued the Communion But that was a great abuse For by the doctryne of S. Paule the holy misteryes ought to be geuen vnto none but onely vnto suche as be able to vnderstand the meanyng therof to sudge the Lordes body and to declare his death And therfore now infantes when they be baptised receyue not the Communion In the tyme of S. Hierom sum portion of the holy Communiō was sent from the churche to the newe maried man and to his wyfe to be receyued at home This was a disorder of the sacrament and therfore now is not vsed S. Ireneus sayth that one Marcus a necromanser was wōt to enchaunte the cup of the sacrament of Christes bloud so that the liquour should seeme to increase multiplie from a litle to growe to a great quantitie This also was an horrible abuse of Christes holy sacraments Summe of late tyme haue receyued the communion for theyr purgation to cleare them selfe againste sum notorious slaunder And then the priest chaunged the wordes which comenly be vsed at the ministration and said thus Corpus domini nostri Iesu Christi sit tibi ad purgationem Sum others haue vsed to hang the Sacrament as an Agnus Dei before theyr breastes for a protection against the assaultes of the deuel all other wordly enemies S. Benet ministred the communiō vnto a woman that was dead it may well be thought that other did so as well as he For it is forbidden by generall consent in two counselles th one holden at Antifrodorum the other at Carthage No man can lightly denye but these were greate abuses For Christ appointed not the Sacrament of his laste supper that wemen should beare it home
kepe it in their chests nor that it shulde be sent home to new maryed men and wemen to be receyued in seuerall nor that it shuld be ministred to babes and infa◅tes that knewe not what it ment nor that Inchaunters or Necromansers shoulde therby auaunt their detestable practises nor y t men shoulde therby discharg them selues from slaunder nor that it shuld be hanged before mens brestes and caried about as a shielde against the Deuel nor that it should be ministred vnto dead men or women ◅losed vp in theyr mouthes layd with them in theyr graues But y t such as bare the name of Chryst trusted to be saued by his bloude shoulde communicate together solace them selues in the remembraunce of his death This Christ himselfe hath instructed vs ▪ do this he saith in remembraunce of me Thys is the very true lawfull vse of the holy Communion of Christes body and bloud and all others are abuses We se therefore that albeit the sacrament be an holy thinge and an heauenly mistery yet that notwithstanding it may many waies be abused But what nede we so manye proues in a thinge that is so euident Saint Paule hymselfe saw the abuses thereof in his tyme. S. Paule hymself euen in the beginnyng of the Churche wythin forty yeares after Christes death withnesseth that euen then there were abuses crept into y ◠sacramēt and therfore repro◅eth the Corinthians And for redresse therof calleth them backe to the example fyrste institution of Christ. That same selfe thyng sayth he that I receyued of the Lord that I delyuered vnto you in suche sort as I had receyued it Let that be a paterne for you to folow Summe man perhappes wil heare reply notwithstanding the sacrament in it self either through the wickednes or through y e foly of man may be and haue benabused yet neyther was there euer nor can there be any such abuse in the masse For it standeth of foure special parts godly doctrine godly consecration godly receyuinge of the sacrament and godly prayers In conclusion it is so heauenly so godly a thing that no foly or wickednes can enter into it These thinges good brethern I know haue ben oftē times spoken out of such places as this is stoutly auoutched in your hearing And therfore after that the masse had ben once abolished by y ◠noble prince of godly memory kind Edward the sixt the next prince for that she knew none other religion aud thought well of y e thyng that she had ben so lōg trained in would nedes haue it put in vre again through all her dominions it was forthwith restored in lyke māner in all points as it had ben vsed before without any kynde of alteratiō or chaung as I beleue that theyr verye doinges therein might stand for proufe sufficient that neyther the masse it selfe nor any parsel or point therof had euer ben abused But alas what if they that most of all other defend the masse thēselues fynd faultes and abuses in y e masse Mark I pray you what I say what if the very mainteyners and proctours of the masse confesse plainly vnto the worlde in theyr bokes openly printed set abrode y t there haue ben be abuses errours in the Masse Albertus Pigghius the greatest piller of that parte in a litle trea◅ise that he writeth of the Masse hath these wordes Quod si qui abusus in rem sacratissimam saluberrimam irrepserunt vt irrepsisse plerosque non diffitemur scimus ad quem ad quos pertineat eosdem corrigere That is to say if there haue certein abuses crepte into y ◠holy and holsom thing that is the Masse as I graunt there haue crept in very manye yet we know to what man men the redresse thereof doth apperteine Here Pigg◅ius graunteth simply wythout colour that diuerse abuses haue at sundry tymes priuily crept into y ◠Masse And yet I beleue he was no such enemy to the cause that he would euer haue graūted somuch specially against y e same self thyng that he defended vnlesse he had knowen it perfectly to be true It any man doubt of this man Albertus Pigghius and knowe not hys authority nor what he was let hym vnderstand y t when I speake of him I speake of all for thys is he that all the rest haue chosen to follow as their captain The greatest learned mā as it is supposed and as he hymselfe thought that ◅uer wrote in y ◠quarrell He hath founde out errours and abuses in the masse and is not abashed opēly to confesse the same Of these errours I haue intended sumwhat to intreate at thys tyme not of all for that would be an infinite labour but of so many and so ta◅eforth as the tyme shal suffer me I wyll not here enter to speake eyther of transubstātiation either of the real presence eyther of y ◠sacrifice eyther of the comen sale or vtteraunce eyther of the superstitious ceremonies of the Masse which are for the most parte both verie vayne and also in maner wythout number Of these thinges I am content to disaduauntage myselfe at thys tyme and bryefly to touche two or thre pointes as of the latin tong wherin commenly the masse hath ben vsed of the Communion vnder one kynd of the Canon of the adoration of the sacramente and of the priuate masse And of these things I intēd to speak although not so largely and with so manye words as y ◠cause would require yet by Goddes grace so simply so truely that who so will be moued with truth or reason shal sone perceiue there hath ben abuses in the Masse And if there were but one of these abuses in it yet were it worthy to be spoken of and to be amēded But if we shall plainly see with our eyes that all the er rours disorders besyde a great number els whyche I wyllingly passe by haue ben in the masse O good bretherne let vs not then thinke that so many godly men in these our dayes haue spokēagainst it without cause First as touching y ◠vnknow◅n and straung tong y t hath ben vsed in the Masse S. Paules counsel and commaundement is in generall that what so euer is done or sayd in the congregation shoulde so be done and sayd that the hearets may haue confort thereby yelde thankes vnto God and saye Amen But the same saint Paul saith if thou make thy prayer in y ◠congregation with thy spirite or noyce of a straung wordes howe shal the vnlearned man thereunto saye Amen For he knoweth not what thou sayest For not withstādig thy praier perhappes be good pet hath the other no cōfort or profit by it And therefore he saith ▪ farther I had leuer vtter fyue words in the congregation wyth vnderstanding of my meaning so that the reast may haue instructiō therby then ten thousand wordes in a straunge knowen tong Saint
Angustine wrytynge vpon the Psalmes sayth thus Oportet nos humano more non auicularum ratione cantare nam Merulae Psipttaci Corui docentur sonare quod nesciunt We must sayth S. Augustin in the prayers that we make to god not chirpe lyke birdes but synge lyke men For Popinioyes Rauens and other birdes are taughte to syng they know not what Iustinian a christian Emperor made a strait constitution that all Bishops and priestes should pronounce the words of the ministration with open voyce y â— the people might say Amen And to passe by all other authoryties and examples in thys behalf before the church grew to corruption all christian men throughout the worlde made theyr common prayers and had the holy coÌ„munion in theyr owne commen and known tong But in y â— masse as it hath ben vsed in thys later age of the worlde the priest vttereth the holye misteries in suche a language as neyther the people nor oftentymes himself vnderstaÌ„deth the meanynge And thus the death of Christ and hys passion is setforthe in suche sorte as the poore people can haue no conforte or frute therby nor geue thankes vnto God nor saye Amen Of all that holy supper and most confortable ordinaunce of Chryst there was nothing for the simple soules to consider but only a number of gestures and countenaunces and yet neither they nor the Pryeste knewe what they mente Thinke you this was Christes meanyng when he ordeyned the coÌ„munion fyrst Thinke you that s. Paule receyued these thynges of the Lorde and deliuered the same to the CorinthiaÌ„s O good brethern Christ ordeyned the holy sacramente for our sakes that we might therby remeÌ„ber y e misteries of his death know the price of his bloud Touchinge the second abuse of the communion vnder one kind it would be long to say so muche as the place woulde seme to require For besydes the Institution of Christ the wordes of S. Paul whyche to a christian man maye seme sufficieÌ„t it was vsed through out the whole catholike churche sixe hundred yeares after Christs ascension vnder both kinds without exception But in one word to say that may be sufficieÌ„t for a wise man to consider Gelasius an olde father of the churche and a bishop of Rome sayth that to minister the coÌ„munion vnder one kind is open sacriledge His wordes be these Diuisio vnius eiusdémque mysterii sine graÌ„di sacrilegio non potest peruenire I trust I shall nede no farther euidence to proue y t the masse in this part hath ben abused The third point y â— I promised to speake of is the canon a thing for many causes very vain in it self so vncertein that no man can readilye tel on whoÌ„ to father it S. Paule saith scio cui credidi cerâ—…us sum I know whom I haue beleued I am certein And vnto Timothe he sayth permane in his quae didicisti sciens a quo didiceris Stande stedfastly in such thinges as thou hast learned knowinge of whom thou hast learned them Yet many men this day stande to the CanoÌ„ as vnto the holiest part of all the masse and know not of whoÌ„ they haue learned it Summe saye Alexander the first made it summe saye Leo summe say Gelasius summe say Gregorius the fyrste Gregorius sayth one Scholasticus summe others say Gregorius the third But Innocenâ—…ius tertius to put the matter quyte out of doubt said plainely it came froÌ„ Christe and from hys Apostles Howe be it who soeuer was the â—…yrste deuiser of it it forceth not The substaunce of it and the meanyng is more material â–ª therof I think it nedeful to touch sum part in as few words as I maye For notw tstanding I haue small pleasure in opening suche maters as may seme odious yet is it behoueful for euery man to vnderstand of that thynge that was compted so high holy what maner a thig it was and what it conteyned First the priest in the Cannon desyreth God to blesse Chrysts body as though it were not sufficieÌ„tly blessed alredi Further he saith that he offereth and presenteth vp Christ vnto his father whiche is an open blasphemy For contrarywyse Christ presenteth vp vs and maketh vs a swete oblation in the sight of God his father Moreouer he desyreth God so to accept the body of his sonne Iesus Christ as he once accepted the sacrifyce of Abel or the oblacion of Melchisedech It is knowen that Abel offered vp of the fruit of hys flock a lamb or a shepe and that Melchisedech offred vnto AbrahaÌ„ and his companie returning from the battaile bread and wyne And thynk we that Christ y e son of God standeth so far in hys fathers displeasure that he nedeth a mortall and a miserable man to be his spokesman to procure him fauour or think we that God receiueth the body of his only begotten son non otherwise then he once receyued a shepe or a lambe at the handes of Abel or theÌ„ AbrahaÌ„ receiued bred and wyn of Melchâ—…sedech If no why then maketh the Priest thys prayer in the canon immediately afther the conâ—…ecration supra quae propitio ac sereno vultu respicere digneris accepta habere sicuti accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui iusti Abel sacrificiuÌ„ patriarchae nostri Abraham quod tibi obtulit summus sacerdos tuus Melchisedech That is to say loke down with merciful countenauÌ„ce vpon these sacrifises that is the body of Christ thy son and the cup hys bloude and vouchsafe to receyue theÌ„ as thou sumtyme vouchsauedst to receyue the oblatioÌ„s of thy chyld Abel the iuste and y â— sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham and that thinge y t was offred vnto the by thy hygh pryest Melchisedech Besides thys he desyreth God y â— an angel maye come cary Christes body away into heauen This is y â— prayer that he maketh â—…ube hec perferri per manus sancti angeli tui in sublime altare tuum â–ª what a fable is this that Chryst shuld be borne vpon an angel so caried vp away intoheueÌ„ I would not stand so long vpoÌ„ these folies if force draue me not therunto Therfore I leaue to speake farther of the Canon geuing you occasion by these few thinges y e better to better to iâ—…dge of the reast The fourth matter that remayneth to be touched is y t adoration a great matter full of dauÌ„ger and ful of ieopardie and so muche the more dauÌ„gerous for that it is an honouâ—… beÌ„loÌ„ging onely vnto God and yet without any warraunt of Goddes worde Christ that best knew what ought to be done here in when he ordeyned and deliuered the sacrameÌ„t of his body and bloud gaue no commaundemente that any man shuld fall downe to it or worship it S. Paul that toke the sacrament at Christes hande and as he had takeÌ„ it deliuered it to the Corinthians neuer willed adoration or godly honoure to be geuen vnto it
hys collecte And at the ende thereof the whole people by y e masse boke are taught to say AmeÌ„ The priest saith the Lorde be with you the people by y e masse boke is taught to answer And with thy spirite The priest saith lift vp your harts the people by y e Masse boke shuld answere we lyfte them vp to the Lorde The priest turneth him to the people saith Orate prome fratres sorores Pray for me brothers sisters And by the verye order of y â— masse boke y e peple shuld know what he saith and at his request shuld pray for him Herby we se y t what soeuer praters be vsed about the ministration of the sacrament ought to be the commen requestes of all y â— people Therfore saith Iustinus an olde godly father a holy martyr Vbi gratias egit praepositus vniuersus populus acclamat Amen That is wheÌ„ the priest hath geuen thanks y â— who le people say Amen And ChrisostoÌ„ likwyse saith Ne mireris si populê° in mysteriis nostris cum sacerdote colloquatur Marueile not sayth Chrisostom though the people and the priest in our misteries talke together For in the commen prayers that be vsed about the ministration the priest and the people both in voyce hart shoulde ioyne together And wheÌ„ the priest hath once done the consecration the people should at his hand receiue the communion the Masse boke it selfe biddeth him to breake the breade in three parts And therof haue idle heads of late lym phansied out many misticall follies as though one parte therof were offred for them that be in heauen the other for theÌ„ that they saye be in purgatorie The third for them that be alyue These be fantasies and very folies wout any grouÌ„d ether of the holye scriptures or of the doctors or of the olde catholik church But in very dede the breaking and diuiding of the bread is a remainent of the true and the olde communion that was in vse in the tyme of the doctoures of the church and of the holy catholike fathers For to that end the bread is broken that it may be deuyded amonge the people And therfore the supper of the Lorde is called Fractio panis that is the breaking of breade Moreouer the priest by the Masse boke is taught to saye Accipite edite Take ye eate ye And habete vinculum charitatis vâ—… apti sitis sacrosanctis mysterâ—…s That is haue ye the bond of charity that ye may be mete for y e holy misteries And to whom shall we thynke the priest speaketh these wordes It were to vaine a thyng for him in the open congregation to speake to him self and specially in the plural nuÌ„ber Yet were it a great deale more vayne for hym to speake the same wordes to the breade and wyne and to say vâ—…to them Take ye eate ye or haue ye the bande of charitie that ye may be meete for the holye misteryes Therfore it is euident that these words shuld be spoken to the people And that in suche sort as they might well vnderstand them and prepare theÌ„ selfe to the coÌ„munion And to conclude the priest by his own Masse boke is bidden to say these words immediately after the. Agnus Dei Hec sacro sancta coÌ„mixtio consecratio corporis sanguinis domini nostri Iesu Christi fiat mihi omnibus sumentibê° salus mentis corporis That is to say this commiâ—…tion and consecration of the body and bloud of our Lorde Jesus Christ be vnto me and to al that receiue it health of body soule Thus in the masse boke it self which as I said afore is the verye rule and direction of the Masse if it were vsed accordingly we fynde a Communion for the whole congregation to reteine together no priuate masse Perhaps there may be sum that wyl say we graunte these things be spoken of the coÌ„munion in the old doctors but there be as many thinges or 〈◊〉 spoken by them of the priuate masse and all that you dissemble and passe by I knowe such replies haue bene made by diuerse But good bretherne I wyll make it plaine vnto you thorow gods grace by y â— most auÌ„cieÌ„t wryters that were in and after the Apostles tyme and by the order of the first primitiue church that then there could be no priuate masse and that who so would not communicat with the priest was then commaunded out of the congregation In the canons of the Apostles there is a decree made against al suche as would be present at the communioÌ„ and yet not receyue the sacrameÌ„t The words be these Fideles qui in ecclesiaÌ„ ingrediuntur scripturas audiunt et communionem sanctam non recipiunt tanquam ecclesiasticae pacis perturbatores à communione arceantur That is suche christian men as come to the churche and heare the scriptures and receyue not the holy communion let them be excommunicated as men that disquiet the whole Churche Calixtus a Bishop of Rome not long after the Apostles tyme geueth out the lyke commaundement in y â— same behalf His words be these Peracta consecratione omnes communicent qui noluerint carere ecclesiasticis liminibê° sic enim Apostoli statuerunt sancta Romana tenet ecclesia That is when the consecration is done let euery man receyue the communion vnlesse he will be put of from the entry of the churche For this thyng haue the Apostles ordeyned the holy churche of Rome continueth the same S. Chrisostom vpon the epistle of S. Paule to the Ephesians sharpely rebuketh the people for refrainyng the holy Communion Thus he saith Nones dignus communione ergo nec precibê° Qua ratione preco dicit abite tu vero imprudenter perstas Thou wilt say saith s. Chrisostome that thou arte not worthye to receyue the Communion Then art thou not worthy to be present at the comen praiers The deacoÌ„ saith vnto you that will not coÌ„municate geat you hence and yet thou lyke an impudent man standest stil. S Gregorye in his dialogues shewed the maner of the CoÌ„munion in his tyme to the like purpose Diaconus clamat si quis non communicat exeat locum cedat alteri The deacon saith S. Gregory speaketh out a loud Who so will not communicate let him departe awaye and geue place to others This was the order of the olde tyme. The DeacoÌ„ gaue warning to the people Exeunto catechumeni Exeunto paenitentes Let such as be yong nouices in y â— saith go forth let such as are in theyr pe naunce go forth That they that might not communicat with the reast shoulde departe from the church not be present at the coÌ„munion And this order continued still vntill the tyme of S. Gregory which was sixe hundred yeares after Christ. Who was there theÌ„ that consecrated the bread wine and receyued altogether to hymselfe alone where then was the priuate masse where theÌ„ was the single
your wayes from my waies saith the Lorde It is a daungerous thyng for a mortall man to controlle or fynd fault wyth the wisdom of the immortall God Tertullian an olde father of y â— church sheweth vs the wilfulnes of maÌ„s hart after it hath once enterprysed to presume a lytle agaynste Gods truth and ordinaunce Praeâ—… scripturas faciunt vt post 〈◊〉 contra scripturas faciunt â–ª Fyrste saith he they attempte sumwhat besyde the scriptures to th enteÌ„t that afterward they maye gather courage and boldnes to do contrary to the scriptures At the end they procead as far as the Scribes and Pharisies that for maintenaunce of theyr owne tradicions despised and brake the commaundementes of God For redresse therem there is no better waye then to folowe S. Paules councel here and to haue recourse to Goddes holy worde Saint Ambrose saith Interrogemus Petrum Interrogemus Paulum si verum volumus inuenire If we will fynd out the truth and be put out of doubt saith Saint Ambrose let vs harken what Peter Paule will say vnto vs. Saint Cyprian sayth Hinc schismata oriuntut quia caput non quaeâ—… ad fontem non reditur caelestis magistri praecepta non seruaÌ„tur Hereof saith Saint Cyprian aryse schismes diuisions for that we seke not to the heade nor haue recourse to the spryng nor kepe the commaundementes of the heauenly master Tertulliâ—… saith Haec ratio contra omnen haeresim valet hoc veruÌ„ est quod primum fuit This reason saith he is able to confound al maner he â–ª resies That thing is true y r was first appointed O that our aduersaries and all they that stand in the defence of the Masse this day woulde coÌ„tente them selfe to be tudged by thys rule O that in all the controuersies that lye betwen vs and theÌ„ they woulde remyt the iudgemente vnto Godes worde So shoulde we sone agree ioyne together So shoulde we delyuer nothynge vnto the people but that we haue receyued at Godes hand And if there be any here that haue had or yâ—…t hath any good opinioÌ„ of the Masse I beseche you for Godes sake euen as ye tender youre owne saluation suffer not your self wilfully to be led away tunne not blyndlye to yâ—…ur owne confusion Thinke with your self it was not for nought that so many of your bretherne rather suffered them selues to dye to abyde all maner extremitie and cruelty then they woulde be partakers of that thinge that you reken to be so holy Let their death let their asshes let theyr bloud that was so aboundantlye shed before youre â—…ies sumwhat preuaile with you and mout you Be not ruled by your wilfull affections Ye haue a good zeale and mynde towardes God Haue it according vnto the knowledge of God The Iues had a zeale of God and yet they crucifyed the sonne of God Searche the scriptures there shall ye fynde euerlastyng lyfe There shall ye learn to iudge your selfe and your owne doinges that ye be not iudged of the Lorde If euer it happen you to be present againe at the masse thinke but thus with your selfe what make I here What profyte haue I of my doinges I heare nothyng I vnderstand nothyng I am taught nothing I receyue nothynge Christe bad me take I take nothynge Chryste bad me â—…ate I eate nothing Christ â—…ad me drink I drink nothing Is this the institucion of Christ Is this the Lordes supper Is this the right vse of y â— holy misteryes Is this it that Paule deliuered vnto me Is this it that Paule receiued of the Lorde Let vs say but thus vnto our selfe and no doubt God of his mercy wil open our heartes we shall see our errours and content our selfe to be ordâ—…ed by the wisdome of God to do that God will haue vs doo to beleue that God will haue vs beleue to worship that God wyll haue vs worship So shall we haue comforte of the hoâ—…y mysteries So shall we receyue the fruytes of Chrystes death So shall we be 〈◊〉 of Christes bodye and bloud Sâ—… shall Christ truly dwell in vs and we in him so shall all errour be taken from vs So shall we ioyne al together in gods truth So shal we all be able with one hart one spirite to know and to glorifie the only y â— true and the liuing God â–ª and hys only begotten sunne Iesus Christ to whom both with the holy ghost be all honour and glory for euer and euer Amen An Index or table of the most notable thinges and wordes conteined in thys work A A 〈◊〉 of the bread if they be worshipped it is â—…dolatry 141. they are vnâ—…nown of the peo 〈◊〉 141. b. Accidentium substaÌ„tia 65. b â—…doratioÌ„ of y r bread 137. b a new 〈◊〉 138. very daungerous 139 Agnus 〈◊〉 128. b Albertus Pigghius look Pighius Altar must be made of ston whi 149. 〈◊〉 Antyquitye boasted in vain 106 Antiquity of the papists religioÌ„ 49. b Apostles knoledge in MoÌ„tanus 〈◊〉 109 Apostles churche an infant 111 Apâ—…l â—…rom Pope to counsel forbod 93 argâ—…mentes gathered of D. Colâ—…s wordsagainst â—…he Pope most effecâ—… 92 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 â—…ble â–ª 〈◊〉 147 ArgumeÌ„t of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 47 ArgumeÌ„t of D. 〈◊〉 â–ª very 〈◊〉 110. b. of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â–ª touching y â— church 111. b. 〈◊〉 propoâ—…ded â—…y Satum vnpossible to be proued by the papistes 4. b AsseueracioÌ„ trewâ—… is sufficient prouâ—… in the law 46 Authorities papists do forge wheÌ„ they laâ—… 41 B Baptim abused 126 b. for the dead after y r dead ibideÌ„ Baptim ministered at al times indifferently 108 Baptizynge for the dead 92 Basil counsel erred 91 Bishop of Constantinople attempted the supremacy 15 Bishop vniuersal 47 Bishop vniuersall against gospell and old canons 110 Bishop onlye must coÌ„secrat the church why 149 Bishop muste were purple saÌ„dals why 148. b. Bohemyshe people vnmercifully delt withall 85 Bold offer of SaruÌ„ 162 bound not to dispute 75 Bread remaineth in the sacrameÌ„t 140 Bread wourshiped 137. b a new deuis 138. Idolatri 139. b Bread sacramentall must be rouÌ„d why 150 Bread sacramentall diuided in three why 156 Buâ—…ers Caluins reasons answered by the Papistes how 7 Camotenses 64. b Canon of the masse 135 Chalice must be of sil uer or gold 150 Children sing in the church with men wemen 69. b Christs body not suf 〈◊〉 blest alredi 136. offred by the priest ibidem Christ hath nied of our praiers 136 Christs sacrifice for â—…s euery day 169. â—… Christ and his 〈◊〉 no infants 111 Christs flesh honorable 142. his 〈◊〉 is to be 〈◊〉 eateÌ„ in heauen 143 Christâ—… death applied vnto vs howe 169. be â–ª Church may not be halowed but of a bishop 〈◊〉 149 Church is ladi of her own lawes handmaid of christ 110. b Church an infant in thapostles tyme. 106. b Churche may not be reformed w t hout ge nâ—…rall consent 114 Church can not 〈◊〉