Kings Sermo disciâ—â— stella Cleri happier or more blessed then Angels and a creator of his creator Insomuch that he that made him without him is made by the meanes of him Are not here excellent vnder Priests in their authority aboue Kings For he that setteth the King before a Priest setteth the creature before the creator saith Stamslâ—â—s Orichouius In their consecration they are aboue the mother of Christ more blessed then the Angels yea aboue the supreme maiesty For God made the world and they make him that made the world euen the God-head of Christ For otherwise they cannot be the creator of their creator without giuing a beginning to him that hath no beginning As the vnder Priest is before God in the consecration so hee is in the place of God in the offering For the offering vp of the humanity of Christ is proper to the God-head of Christ Ioh. 6.51 As the vnder Priest is in the place of God in the offering so he is before Christ in the offering For God looketh not to the sacrifice but to the worthinesse of the offerer which was the cause he reiected Cains when he accepted Abels As the vnder Priest is excellent in his consecration and offering so he is in his mediatorship Not intreating onely in the Masse for the quicke and the dead but for Christ himselfe Praying the Father to accept the body and bloud of his Sonne as he accepted the sacrifices of Abel Abraham and Melchisedec Is not here an excellent vnder Priest that desireth that God would so accept the bloud of his Sonne the Redeemer of the world as hee did the bloud of beasts As the vnder Priest is a mediator to intreate God to accept the sacrifice of his Sonne So likewise he desireth God to command his holy Angels to conuay the body and bloud of his Sonne to his high Alter Bonauentur cited by Doctor Buckly saith That the Priest doth lift vp the body vpon the Altar As though he should say Behold he whom the world is not able to containe is our prisoner therefore let vs not let him go vnlesse we do first obtaine of him that which we doe desire Must he not needes be their prisoner that cannot depart of himselfe vnlesse he be carried Nay must he not needes be their prisoner whose belly is his sepulcher The Priest is Iesus Christ his sepulcher saith that treatise intituled Stella Clericorum Because he swalloweth downe his body and bloud into his belly Briefly as the vnder Priest hath power to make his Creator so he hath to giue remission of sinnes before his Creator nay as well as his Creator Priests haue obtained saith the Annoation vpon the Rhems the wonderfull grace Luk. 5. annot Mark 2. annot to remit sinnes Againe their is one court of consciencce in earth and another in heauen and the iudgement in heauen followeth and approueth this on earth And Cardinall Cusanus saith This power of binding and loosing is no lesse in the Church then it is in Christ For the holy Church of Rome Caâ—d â—usa ad Bohamos saith Pope Iulius hath power granted vnto her by a singular priuiledge to open and to shut the gates of the kingdome of heauen to whom she listed So the vnder Priest with the king of pride in the remission of sinnes would communicate to a creature that which is proper to the Diuinity For no man can remit sinnes but God onely Therefore he which remitteth sinnes is God because no man forgiueth sinnes but God And thus the vnder Priest in the Masse taketh vpon him to be as a God when he saith Et ego authoritate mihi concessa c. And I by my authority do first absolue thee from the sentence of the lesse excommunication if thou haue need thereof And besides I absolue thee from all thy sinnes Thus much concerning the excellency of the vnder Priest who is the maker the offerer and the mediatour of this excellent sacrifice that is offered to vphold religion and the worship of God which Christs sacrifice cannot do Secondly it is necessary to know who it is that can make a round cake a God by consecration able to performe this The Maister of the Sentences saith That an hereticke cannot consecrate Moreouer whosoeuer bewrayeth himselfe to be of the latter standing is an heretique by Kellisons censure which all popish Priestes do in offering vp bread vnconsecrate for the remission of sinnes In the first part of the Canon which beginneth with Te igitur the bread vnconsecrated yet called a holy sacrifice and without spot is offered vp for the Catholicke Church In the second part of the Canon beginning with Memento Domini It is offered not consecrate for the redemption of soules That it is not consecrate it is manifest for in the fift part of the Canon beginning with Quam oblationem The vnder Priest desireth that it may be made the body and bloud of Christ Neither are the words of consecration as they terme them namely Hoc est enim corpus meum reade vntill the sixt part of the Canon Thus they bewraying themselues to be of the latter standing by offering bread vnconsecrate for the remission of sinnes are heretiques by Kel censure And cannot consecrate as the Maister of the Sentencâ—s saith Thirdly we are to consider what other things hinder the consecration which we can no better do then by taking a view of their own Canon Wherein the Priest is commanded To frame his whole mind and intent to the crosses and words He is commanded also to make choise of one Host and let it lye amongst the rest alwaies prouided and that his minde be vpon them all at once He is moreouer commanded with one breath to speake these words Hoc est enim corpus meum without thinking any other thing For if the Priest do not speake these words cum intentione consecrandi that is with an intent and minde to consecrate they be not made the body and bloud of Christ but remaine still nude nude and bare creatures of bread and wine Hâ—lcot Tho. de Aqui. in rationale diuino â—um â—ffiâ—io Therefore Holcot saith vpon the Maister of the Sentences The lay people worship a wafer that is not consecrate Therefore to auoide the errour of such idolatry The Maister of Sentences aduiseth them to worship with a condition saying Lord if thou be there I worship thee If thou be not there I worship not Whose counsell an Inquisitor of Spaine following As Maister Cyprian Valera writeth said to auoide idolatry I adore thee Lord If thou be there In which matter of ambiguity likewise the Priest in the cantels of the Masse is commanded to take vp his owne Host before any other because he beleeueth and is assured of his owne howbeit he beleeueth of the rest but is not assured Moreouer there must be great heed taken by the Priest that a little water be put into the wine For if there should so much
be put in as to cause the wine to loose his colour the consecration wereof none effect Fourthly we are to search the Scriptures Page 386. whether the bread may be consecrated and made a God or no Kellison saith it may For the sacrifice of the Masse saith he is the sacrifice which Christ offered at his last Supper when taking bread and wine into his hands he blessed them and by blessing turning them into his sacred body and bloud he told his Disciples that it was his body and bloud which he gaue for them If Christ consecrated the bread and wine when he blessed it where are the wordes of consecration Seeing there is none named but a testimony that he gaue thankes If not when he blessed the bread It is not like it was done after as they would haue it by vertue of these words Hoc est enim corpus meum namely after his Disciples had receiued it who being alwaies ready to obay the Lords command did take when Christ commanded them to take and did eate when he commanded them to eate which both went before he said this is my body There be words of God nominated in the first of Genesis wherby God made al the world Yet though we haue the words of the Creation a new creature we cannot make much lesse without words of consecration the Creator of all things Who will not giue his glory to a creature that is he will not be made by a creature a worke farre excelling all his workes for a man to make his Creator Isay 43. These things breifly considered how can Kellison proue that Christ consecrated the bread when he changed not the substance but the vse Which created for a temporall life to feed the body is changed by the Omnipotency of the word which is Christ to feed the soule to eternall life 1. Cor. 11.26 Luke 22.18 And that he changed not the substance but the vse it is manifest by the words of the Apostle where it is called bread after the words of consecration and the wine the bloud of grape Both liuely representing the death of our Sauiour as the Annotation vpon the Rhems confesseth The bread the body of Christ with the bloud poured out the wine Luk. 22. annot Iohn 6 annot the bloud powred or shed out of the body Therefore the Masse Priest should alwaies receiue both kinds by their owne confession because he must liuely expresse the passion of Christ and the separation of his bloud from his body Which cannot be done by a round cake or vnbloudy sacrifice For if it could he needed not both to consecrate and receiue boâ—â— kinds as he is commanded But Kellison citing the speech of our Sauiour namely Your fathers did eate Manna and did die further vrgeth If it be true saith he that the blessed Eucharist is onely a signe of Christ and his body and bloud Then I demand of our Aduersary Page 706. with what shew of truth Christ would preferre it before Manna Why should Christs bread giue life rather then Manna seeing that Manna signified Christ who is the bread as well as the Eucharist Our Sauiour spake in that place of such fathers that eate the signe and not the thing signified that is Manna to fill their bellies without looking to Christ the true life of the soule 1. Cor. 10.3 Whereas the Apostle maketh mention of fathers that eate the same spirituall meate that we do that is not onely Manna the signe as they did whom Christ speaketh of but also by faith feed on Christ the spirituall meate as we do Saint Augustine saith Whosoeuer vnderstood Christ in Manna did eate the same spirtuall meat that we do But whosoeuer sought onely to fill their bellies with Manna which were the fathers of the vnfaithfull they haue eaten and are dead So also they did drinke of the same spirituall drinke that we do but spirituall drinke that is which was receiued by faith not which was drunke in with the body Againe you shall not eate the body which you see nor drinke that bloud which shall be shed of them that crucifie me but I haue commended vnto you a certaine Sacrament which being spiritually vnderstood shall giue you life Words which are no other but as witnessing signes do change the sound by times when the selfe same faith abideth to the â—â—ting of the same spirituall meate and to the drinking of the same spirituall drinke But to answere the question wherein it is demanded why should Christs bread giue life rather then Manna We may answere Christs bread as the creature of God can giue no more life then Manna For then Iudas might haue bene saued as well as the rest of the Disciples For he eate the bread of the Lord though not bread the Lord. As S. Augustine cited by M. Caluin saith But if Kellison had asked why Christ the true bread of life should giuâ— life rather then Manna which was but as a witnessing signe It might easily haue bene answered seeing Christs is life yea the fountaine of life it selfe and bestoweth it by the effectuall working of his holy Spirit Rom. 8.10.11 vpon his members in whom he dwelleth And therefore may easily giue it being the Creator when the creature cannot But this as S. Augustine speaketh is a miserable bondage of the soule to take the signes in stead of the things that be signifiâ—â— Contrary to the counsell of S. Chrysostome Let vs not confound saith he the creature and the creator both together lest it be said of vs They haue honoured a creature more then their maker Kellison to proue a reall presence a round cake to be God citeth also this saying of our Sauiour Except you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no life in you Christ who with his sanctified mouth spake these words also said And this is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the Son and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life Againe whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life Al which words being true it must needs follow that to eate is to beleeue in him For if these words might be vnderstanded otherwise Then a man might haue euerlasting life without the eating of Christs flesh and drinking his bloud which is against Christs expresse wordes Ioh. 6.53 who saith Except you eate the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you Or else we must needs say that a man eating may be saued not beleeuing in Christ which is contrary also to the written word which saith He that beleeueth not is condemned already Ioh. 3.18 Therefore of necessity to beleeue in Christ and to eate him is al one Crede manducasti saith S. Aug. Beleeue and thou hast eaten If it were literally to be vnderstood of Christs reall presence Then first of all Christ should be in a
from sinners and made higher then the heauens hath no neede dayly as those Priests first for his owne sins then for the peoples to offer sacrifice For this he did once for all in offering himselfe That which they did daily and vnsufficiently in offering the sacrifice of beasts Christ did once and perfectly in offering himselfe From hence appeareth first Reuel 1.5 the excellency of his loue Secondly the excellency of his mediatorship The excellency of his loue who loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud What greater proofe can there bee of his loue then this that of tender compassion and loue towards vs as a most mercifull and excellent high Priest he offered vp himselfe in sacrifice euen a slaine and bloudy sacrifice for the sins of the world And so with his bloud once powred forth and once offered hath wâ—shed away all our sinâ— and reconciled vs to his Father Secondly insueth as a fruit of his passion the excellency of his mediatorship But now our Priest hath obtained saith the Apostle a more excellent office in as much as hee is the mediator of a better Testament which was made vpon better promises namely the remission of sinnes perfected by his death and sufferings Ier. 31. Heb. 1.16 For I will be mercifull vnto their vnrighteousnesse and I will remember their sinnes and iniquities no more saith Iehouah that made the Testament or couenant concerning the remission of sins And by his death confirmed the same Therefore he forgaue sinnes saith Chrysostome when he gaue the testament by his sacrifice If therefore he forgaue sins by one sacrifice now there is no need of a second Theodoret where there is remission of these things Now there is no oblation for sinne for it is superfluous after remission is giuen And he promised saying Their sinnes and iniquites I will remember no more Which promise of God Rom. 4.5 is euery day more and more performed in the iustification of the vngodly man who is iustified by faith in Christ by hauing his righteousnesse imputed vnto him that hath none of his owne The second vse consisteth in the Kingly dignity of our Sauiour who being exalted and placed in tâ—e highest degree of honour giueth as he hath receiued Psal 68.8 Eâ—h 4.8 gifts for men By the merit of his manhood gifts vnto men through the power of his God-head the gift of the holy Ghost 1. Ioh. 4.13 The gift of grace Rom. 5.15 The gift of faith Ephes 2.8 The gift of righteousnesse Rom. 5.17 The gift of life Rom. 6.23 with other graces infinite decking vs fit for the bridegroome Since then saith the Apostle that he by the right hand of God hath bene exalted and hath receiued of his Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you see and heare As God did beautifie the soules of the Apostles with supernaturall knowledge making them of Fisher-men Preachers and to speake as the Spirit gaue them vtterance to euery one in his owne language So he doth likewise through the same spirit Rom. 10.17 Eph â—1 18 Rom. 8.2 Gal 3.13 open the hearts of the hearers of his word that he may sow the seed of immortality namely the Gospel in them To the bringing forth of faith through the which the holy Ghost applyeth the benefites of Christs passion To the begetting the Church anew lost in Adam and to the reëdifying of it dayly more and more 1. Pet. 1. 1. Cor. 6. Ioh. 6. 1. 1. Cor. 10. 12. Ephes 2. vntill it come to the full period of perfection For Christ by the holy Ghost doth sprinckle vs with his bloud doth make vs his members doth feed vs with himselfe doth make vs drinke of himselfe and doth build vs vpon himselfe that we may be complet in him which is the head of all Principality and Power How then commeth it to passe that Christs sacrifice is not sufficient to vphold religion and the worship of God Kellison telleth vs the reason is If Christ neuer offered any other sacrifice Pag. 291. then that of the crosse then is he not a perpetuall Priest because hee hath no sacrifice which either by himselfe or by his Ministers is perpetually offered Then it may be of them demanded wherein the eternall Priest-hood of Christ consisteth Heb. 7. annot The Annotation vpon the Rhems telleth vs That Christ is not called a Priest for euer onely for that his person is eternall or for that he sitteth on the right hand of God and perpetually prayeth and maketh intercession for vs or for that the effect of his death is euerlasting For all this proueth not in proper signification that his Priesthood is euerlasting and perpetual But that Christs eternall Priest-hood consisteth in the perpetuall sacrifice of his body and bloud in the Church Yet by an vnbloudy sacrifice Pag. 144. pag 614. pag. 288. Pag. 387. continually to be offered as Kellison saith not immediatly from Christ the high Priest but onely by his vnder and virgin like Priests For the worship of God and exercise in religion which sacrifice in the Masse so offered is a most pleasing and cleane sacrifice not onely in respect of the outward forme which is vnbloudy but also in respect of the most chast pure and virgin like flesh and bloud of Christ Now then seeing Christs sacrifice as the Annotation vpon the Rhems teacheth consisteth in the perpetuall sacrifice of his body and bloud in the Church Then it consisteth not in that sacrifice Kellison speaketh of because it is vnbloudy without bloud therefore without profite For without shedding of bloud is no remission Heb. 9.22 If Christs perpetuall Priest-hood consisted in that vnbloudy sacrifice then should Christs perpetuall Priest-hood surcease to be when that should surcea so to be offered But seeing a sacrifice offered by an vnder Priest is so powerfull to vphold religion and the worship of God which the sacrifice of Christ cannot Let vs behold this sacrifice so highly commended and so maiestically offered by virgin-like Priests And first the excellency of the Priests that maketh and offereth it For though they doe stile themselues vnder Priests as the Pope stileth himselfe Seruus seruorum The seruant of seruants yet they challenge notwithstanding with him supreame power ouer the Creator of all things To the manifestation hereof we are first to consider the excellency of the Priest in the consecration They tell vs that in their handes Stella Clericorum as it were in the virgins wombe the Sonne of God is incarnated and taketh flesh That in their consecration they are aboue the blessed mother of Christ For she caused Christ to come into her virgin like wombe with eight words Ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum whereas their Priests make him come into the hoast with fiue words onely that is to say Hoc est enim corpus meum That they are more higher in authority then
thousand places at once yea in as many Hosts as pleaseth the Priests Secondly the wicked should receiue life as well as the godly Now that Christ is not present euery where their Annotation vpon the Rhems testifieth which thus saith Christ Reuel 6. annot nor his Saints be personally present euery where nor can be at once in euery place alike aâ— God is But their motion speed and agility to be where they list is incomperable and that their power and operation is according Here it plainely appeareth that Christ is not personally present according to his humanity euery where for that is proper to the God-head of Christ For if the flesh of Christ should be euery where Then the flesh of Christ is euerlasting which thing to hold 1. Ioh. 4.3 is to deny that Christ came in the fulnesse of time which is an especiall marke of Antichrist Secondly if Christ were really present in the Sacrament yea in the perfection and sweetnesse of glory as our Aduersary holdeth then it must of necessity follow that whosoeuer receiueth him receiueth life Whosoeuer saith Christ eateth my flesh and drinketh my hloud hath eternall life Col. 3.3.4 For what is death but the absence of God and his graces And what is life but the presence of God in whom our life is hid Aug. in trac Iohn 26. He that receiueth not this meate hath no life saith Saint Augustine and he that receiueth the same hath life and that euerlasting For as S. Gregory Missene cited vpon the Annotation of the Rhems saith That liuely body entring into our body changeth it and maketh it life and immortality Againe S. Cyrel there cited Ioh. 6. ann also thus speaketh Though by nature of our flesh we be corruptible yet by the participation of life we are reformed to the property of life Otherwise that comfortable doctrine of Saint Ambrose could not be true namely Thou shalt not feare death if thou beare Christ Nor that sweet sentence of S. Augustine cited in the Rhems namely Thou art life euerlasting and thou giuest not in thy flesh and bloud but that which thy selfe art Yet it is said in the Masse booke That the good folke receiue him and so do the ill though not all alike Mors est malis Vita est bonis It is death to the wicked but life to the godly But contrariwise Origen saith That Christ is the true food that no euill man can eate For if the euil maÌ„ could eate of the body of the Lord it should neuer be written Hee that eateth this bread shall liue for euer For the condemnation of the vnworthy receiuer lyeth not in eating the body of Christ 1. Cor. 11. but in not deseruing it as the Apostle testifieth in comming without faith the eye of the soule and therefore without Christ Whereas the worthy receiuer hauing faith Eph. 3 17. 1. Ioh. 3.24 hath Christ For by the spirit and faith Christ dwelleth in him Hauing Christ hee hath righteousnesse and so worthily presenteth himselfe to receiue the seale of a further confirmation and assurance by a visible signe of the inuisible righteousnesse which he bringeth with him by bringing Christ who is his righteousnesse Otherwise how can he looke for a confirmation at Gods hand of that by any seale or receiued signe which he hath not Abraham was iustified by an imputatiue righteousnesse hauing Christ dwelling in him by faith and afterward receiued circumcision as a token of the iustice of faith The Eunuch of Candace Queene of the Aethyopians first beleeued and after receiued baptisme as a witnessing signe that his sinnes were washed away by the bloud of the Lambe Christ Iesus Aug 〈◊〉 Ioh. Tâ—â—ct 26. This is to eate that meate saith S. Augustine and to drinke that drinke to dwell in Christ and Christ in vs Againe hee that dwelleth not in Christ and in whom Christ dwelleth not doth not eate spiritually his flesh But the annotation vpon the Rhems obiecteth That ill men receiue the body and bloud of Christ 1. Cor. 11. annâ—â— bee they ill lâ—â—ers or infidels for in this case they could not be guilty in that they receiue not How then were the Iewes guilty it doth appeare by two most excellent testimonies Not in receiuing Christ but in betraying and murthering the iust saith S. Stephen And in crucifying the Lord of glory 〈◊〉 â— 3â— Aâ—â— 2. â—6 saith S. Peter So the wicked are guilty not in receiuing Christ but in not receiuing him and in crucifying to themselues againe by sinne Hâ—b 6.6 Prou â— 4 the Sonne of God approuing therein by forsaking the law the horrible impiety of the Iewes S. Augustine saith They are guilty not because they receiue but because they receiued not the body of Christ For as S. Hierome teaâ—heth Heretickes do not eate the body of the Lord nor drinke his bloud Thus in conclusion wee may see that the Scriptures will not allow their cake to be a God Gabriel Biel saith Sâ—â—eâ— Canâ—s â—â—cl 40. That all their transubstantiatioÌ„ is not found expressed in the Canon of the Bible Scotus saith That neither by Scriptures nor by reason it can bee proued And the Iesuites themselues hold Annâ—t Popâ—sâ— tyr l. 1. Proâ— 4. That it is not once named of the ancient Fathers and the Apostles knew not of it before the death of Christ For saith saith the Annotation vpon the Rhemes Heb. 10. annot It is by his death and resurrectioÌ„ to life againe that his body is become apt and fit in such diuine sort to bee sacrificed perpetually Neither was it heard of after the death of Christ vntill the Councell of Lateran holden in Rome vnder Pope Innocentius the third in the yeare of our Lord 1215. In the reigne of King Iohn This verity saith Scotus about Transubstantiation was declared first in the Councell of Lateran Hauing thus farre taken a view of their sacrifice without bloud being vnfit to wash away sinnes and no better then bread prophaned to an idolatrous vse and therefore altogether vnable to vphold religion and the worship of God We may boldly conclude that the Protestants relying vpon Christ haue both a sacrifice and religion whereas they relying vpon a peece of bread haue no sacrifice nor religion Neither do they altogether relye vpon their god of bread For with him as with a God not all sufficient they haue ioyned many commissioners to the remission of sinnes their Holy water Ashes Palmes Candles and such like Hallowed with this clause as it appeareth in their Pontifical that they may be to vs the saluation of body and soule Christ his sacrifice taketh away originall sinne Theirs actually therefore of greater efficacy Concerning their reall presence or god of bread Thomas Aquinus thus teacheth As the body of our Lord was once offered vpon the crosse for the debt of Originall sin so it is daily offered vpon the Altar for the debt of daily sins Concerning holy water Augustine Steuâ—ns thus speaketh We hallow water with salt and praiers that by the sprinckling thereof our sins may be forgiuen By this we may see that their God of bread marcheth not alone in forgiuenesse of sinnes therefore not the onely sacrifice but a sacrifice accompanied with many companions to the vpholding of religion and the worship of God which Christs sacrifice as they say is not able to do Notes of Antichrist in the Rhems Reuel 12. 2. Thes 2. annot Heb. 9.14 Thus Gentlemen you may behold Antichrist sitting in the Church of Rome attempting to draw from the true faith abrogating the dayly sacrifice and openly atchieuing desolation Attempting to draw from the true faith in denying that Christ hath taken away our sinnes in drawing vs from beleeuing the remission of sinnes confirmed vnto vs by the Oath of God and sealed with his bloud By teaching that faith in Christ is an idle apprehension of Christs iustice and a lying faith that inherent euill is inherent righteousnesse wherewith we are saued Abrogating the daily sacrifice in denying the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice in vndertaking to offer Christ in the Masse to the Father not to vs but for vs which cannot be done but by his eternall Spirit nor without his death who dyed but once for all Openly atchieuing desolation in seeking by treason to ruinate States inciting men to rebell against their Soueraigne and by plotting the ruine of Gods Church by spirituall desolation as well as temporall Therefore Gentlemen seeing by diuers markes and tokens set downe in the Rhems the Church of Rome the fulnesse of the Gentiles accomplished is become the seate of Antichrist I will say with the kingly Prophet Dauid Kisse the Sonne lest he be angry and so yee perish in the way Psalm 1. And conclude with the Councell of Ambrosius Ausbertus one of your owne Doctors The Prophet Ieremy saith O my people go forth from the middest of them and saue euery man his soule from the rage of the Lords fury For none of the elect of God can in this life go forth from the middest of that wicked citty that is from the middest of euill which that Babylon signâ—fieth but by defying that they doe and by doing that they defie