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A07146 The reliques of Rome contayning all such matters of religion, as haue in times past bene brought into the Church by the Pope and his adherentes: faithfully gathered out of the moste faithful writers of chronicles and histories, and nowe newly both diligently corrected & greatly augmented, to the singuler profit of the readers, by Thomas Becon. 1563. Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567. 1563 (1563) STC 1755; ESTC S101368 243,805 590

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auncient writers the Sacrament of baptisme was not commōly ministred but at two tymes in the yeare that is to say at Easter and Witsontyde at whiche tymes it was solemnely and with greate reuerence ministred in the presence of all the congregation In the yeare of oure Lorde 676. Lib. Concil Volat. Pol. Ch●on Pope Gregorye the firste made a decree that Monkes shoulde not baptise nor be Godfathers to children at their baptisme In the yere of our Lord ▪ 590 Sabell Pantal. D. Barns This decree did Pope Eugenius the thyrd renue In the yeare of our Lord. 1147. Lib. Concil Chron. The aforesayd Gregorye also ordained that Nūnes by no meanes should be Godmothers to chyldren eyther at Baptisme or at Confirmation Chron. Ioan. Stella Pope Calixte the seconde pronounced all suche excommunicated as toke money eyther for baptisyng or for burying In the yeare of our Lorde 1120. Ioan. Tilio Volat. Pantal. Pope Nicolas the first ordained that the sacrament of baptisme should stād in effecte althoughe it were ministred of a Pagane and Infidel In the yeare of oure Lorde 871. Achilles Dist. 4. De consecratione The same Pope made a decree that baptisme shoulde not be twyce ministred to one person Ioan. Philip. Bergom Pope Iginius decreed that children whiche were to be Christened ▪ shoulde haue a Godfather and Godmother for to be witnesses that they were baptised In the yeare c. 143. Lib. Concil ▪ Sabell Polidor D. Barns Pope Leo the third appoynted that when the childe is eyther christened or bishoped he should haue but one Godfather be it a man childe or a woman childe In the yeare of our Lord. 817. De consec Dist. 4. Capi. Non plures Guil. Durand Ioan. Stella ▪ Phil ▪ Bergom Pope Theodore the fyrste made a decree that no father should be Godfather to hys owne sonne or doughter nor no mother Godmother to her own sonne or doughter In the yeare of our Lord. 936. Ioannes Laziardus Item he ordayned that if any man were Godfather to another mannes doughter hys sonne myght not afterward take her to wife 30. Quest. 1. Cap. Non Oportet Pope Vrban the seconde made a decree that a man and his wife may not be Godfather and Godmother to one childe at Baptisme 186.30 Quest. 4. Cap. Quod autem Pope Alexander the thyrd ordayned that when it is doubtefull whether the childe be baptised or not he shoulde be baptised on this maner If thou be baptised I baptise thee not agayne but if thou be not baptised I baptise thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen In the yere of our Lord 1161. Guilihelmus Durandus Pope Leo Pope Damasus and Saint Ambrose brought in the exorcismes coniurations the benedictions blessings with the other solemne ceremonyes Guil. Durand Pope Celestine made a decree that neither young children nor any other of what age soeuer they bee shall bee christened before y e priests thorow their coniurations breathings spittyngs saltings do driue the deuill out of thē In the yeare c. 428. Chron. Germ. Dist. 4. de Cons. Pope Clement the fyrst put oyle and creame to the baptisme and cōmaunded that all y t shall be baptysed should be annoynted therewith crossed in y e forehead In the yere c. 92. Chron. Lib. Concil Ioannes Laziardus Pope Siluester the fyrst also ordayned that al y t were baptised should be annoynted with oyle creame In the yeare c. 315. Plat. Volat. Sabell In the Councell Braccarense it was ordayned that there should be no money payde for oyle and creame ▪ wherwith y e infantes be annoynted in their baptisme Lib. Concil In the Councell holden at Chartage it was decreed y t a woman althoughe neuer so well learned maye not presume to baptise except necessitye compelleth Concil Durand In the councell Ilerdense it was ordayned that euery prieste that can not haue a fonte of stone maye haue any other conuenient vessell meete for that purpose Prouided alwaye that it be neuer after caryed out of the church Guili Durandus Of the Lordes Supper commonly called of the papistes The sacrament of the altare POpe Alexander the fyrste commaunded that only vnleuended bread shuld be vsed at the Lords supper In the yeare c. 119. Lib Concil Grat. Plat. Sabell Before that time the bread appoynted for the Lords Supper was indifferent whether it wer leuended or vnleuended Notwithstanding the Grekes from the Apostles tyme vnto this daye haue euer vsed leuended bread in the ministration of the Lordes Supper as they vse also wine only in their cuppe where as suche as be vnder the Pope customably mingle water w t the wine according to Pope Alexanders decree Pope Nicolas the seconde decreed y t the bread and the wine whiche are set vpon the altare are not only after the conseeration the sacramentes of y e bodye and bloud of Christ but they ar also the very self same body and bloud of our Lord sauiour Iesu Christ y t was borne of Mary the Uirgine so that the very bodye of Christ is there truly and vnfaynedly handled of the priests handes broken and torne on peces with y e teeth of y e faithfull In the yere c. 1961. De consecrat Dist. 2. Ego Berengarius Pope Innocent the third assembled at Rome in the councell Laterane a wonderfull swarme of spirituall smeared shorelinges to the number of .xii. hundred and odde wherof .viii. hundred at the least wer monkes fryers chanons and such other monkyshe monstures which with one consent for y e maintenaunce of theyr beastly idlenesse idle beastlinesse deuised confyrmed y e doctrine of transubstātiatiō making it an article of our faith to beleue in payn of damnation that after the prieste hath whispered ouer y e bread wine a fewe latine words as Hoc est enim corpus meum Hic est enim sanguis meus c the bread is turned into the natural bodye of Christ fleshe bloud bone sinowes guttes loynes euen as he was borne of Mary the Uirgine and hanged on y e crosse Agayne the wine is turned into y e very naturall bloud of Christ which he receaued of Mary the Uirgine as it was shedde for our redemption on the crosse no substance of bread and wine remayning but the very substance of bread wine turned vnto the naturall substance of the body bloud of Christ onely y e accidentss of bread wine remaining this monsture of transubstātiation was hatched and brought forth by Antichrist and his chaplaynes In the yeare c. 1215. Decret de summa trinitate Cap. Firmiter But as this doctrine of transubstantiation was vnknowen to the Church of Christ before y e wicked and vnlawfull assemblye of y e venimous dragon pope Innocent hys pestilent papistes euen so lykewyse
neither of thē vnder the kinde of bread dronkē or vnder y e kinde of wine eaten although it may seme a matter to be graunted y t the body in drinking and the bloude in eating is receaued Ibidem One the same both thē now both here there is sacrificed of all He is whole in heauen he is whole on y e altare also He both sitteth on the ryghts hand of the father remaineth vnder the kinde of the sacrament Ibidem These consecrations are made with the signe of the crosse For thorow the vertue of the crosse of the wordes transsubstantiation of the natures of bread and wine is made As water can not be consecrated without wine so likewise cā not wine with out water be transsubstantiated turned into y e substance of Christes bloud For oute of Christes side flowed both bloud and water Ibidem This is to be noted y e if the wine be frosen in the chalice the priest must so long breath vpon it til it be molten the Vse disolued If it can not be done so let him put fyre vnto it He y t hath communicated if he may conueniently and without hurting of nature he ought to abstayne frō spitting Notwithstanding after a cōuenient time he may spit so y t he spit there where y e spittle may not be trodē vpon For a spirituall mā iudgeth al things he is iudged of no mā And al things are cleane to them y t are cleane This is the difference betwene y e sacramentes of the law of the Gospell y t the sacraments of the lawe signified only but the sacraments of the Gospel do both signifye and iustifye Ibidem The sacrament may not be chawed as other meate is but it must be torne with the former teeth and made softe with y e tongue discretly moderatly and softlye y t no percell thereof cleane to y e teeth which paraduenture afterwarde it might chaunce to be cast out by spitting or hemmyng Ibidem It is to be noted y t whosoeuer will receaue the body of Christ he must bee ●asting from al corporall meates For seing y t the soules ar spirituall and immortall they ought fyrste of all to receaue the nourishments of euerlasting life Ibidem The oblations of the Masse bycause of y e excellency of so great a sacrament whiche is made in it is aboue all other prayses and it is a prayse by it self neither is it comprehended vnder the nūber of other prayers Durand In. Rat. di off Lib. 5. That blessed Uirgine is the verye Lodestarre For if we which ar in this world wil prayse her worthely she wil lede vs vnto the heauen of saluation The blessed Uirgin also is to be praysed and prayed y t shee will make vs that are colde warme in charitie thorowe the Sonne Christ whome shee brought forth In the church nothyng is to be song or red but y t is canonised autorized approued and expressely set forth or at y e leaste suffered of the holye Churche of Rome So long as we lyue in thys worlde we are set in a slipperye place and are impugned of deuills Therefore haue we alwayes neede of the Suffrages helpes intercessions and meditations of Saintes To eate before the houre of eating before masse bee ended and done in appoynted and necessary fastes the holy Canons doe affyrme y t it is deadly sinne Rat. di off Lib. 6. The crosse whiche is made on oure forehead is our banner wherwith we ouercome the deuill For there is none other signe made but the crosse that in this signe alone y e deuil knowing y t he is ouercome may shake for feare flee Although a simple priest may minister vnctions or annoylinges yet thys annoynting of the children in the forehead whē thei be bishopped none may geue but the hie priest y t is to saye the Byshop ▪ For it is redde of the Apostles alone whose vicares the byshops are y t they by the imposition of hands gaue the holy ghost In the confyrmation or bishopping of children the fulnesse of the mysterye of the whole Christen religion is made perfect In baptisme remissiō of sinnes is geuen by the holy ghost But here y e holy ghost is called vpon to come y t he may vouchesafe to come downe and inhabite y e house which he hath sanctified And the holy ghost is poured vpon y e childe at y e inuocation of y e bishop Therefore sayth Pope Vrban By the imposition or laying on of the byshops hande the holy ghost is geuē whereby a faythful heart is made wide opē to receaue wisedome constancye y t a mā may be a full and a perfect Christian. The byshop in bishopping children doth two things Fyrst he annoynteth the yong childe in y e forehead Secondly he striketh him on the face The annoynting signifyeth the encrease of grace y t he shuld be bolde to take those things in hand whiche pertayne vnto the fayth He striketh him on the face to put him in remēbraunce y ● he should not from henceforth bee ashamed or afrayde to confesse the name of Christ. As though the Byshop should say to y e person confyrmed Bee so strong valiaunt couragious stoute in the fayth of Christ in the confession of y e same y t whosoeuer shal thus strike thee or any otherwise seke to displease or hurte thee bicause thou confessest the faith of Christ thou notwithstanding be not abashed at all these thinges For they y ● are striken are wonte to be abashed Rat. di off Lib. 6. Among all the saintes the glorious Mother of God Mary y e perpetual Uirgin is the chiefe principal We ought at al times to haue her in remēbraūce which without ceasing maketh intercession for vs sinners vnto her Sonne Durand in Rat. di off Lib. 7. There be .iii. degrees of the soules departed some are Valde bonae maruelously good Some ar Valde malae maruelously euill Some are Mediocriter bonae meanely good Now note y t the suffrages which are made in the churches for the dead y t are maruelously good ar thankes geuings For those ●oules y t are perfectlye good when they departe frō their bodies flye streyghtwaies vnto heauen neither haue they any neede of our helpe For the soules y t are maruelouslye euill there are also done certayn consolations after a sort For our helpes do not profit them bicause their soules go streyghtwayes downe vnto hel For the soules y t ar meanely good which are in purgatory there are expiatorye sacrifices wherwith they maye be releued and holpen For the soules y t are meanely euil whiche are in hell there are also propitiations or mitigations of their paines For after the minde of Austen whom our prayers good dedes profyt either they profytte them y t they may haue full remissiō of their
institution and that if any would not so receaue it the same should abstayne from the whole In the yeare of our Lord .494 dist 2. de consecrat cap. Comperimus Pope Iulius the first also commaunded that the people should receaue the mysteries of Christes body and bloude accordyng to Christs institution both the breade and the cup one seuerall from the other as the Apostle sayth let a man examine himselfe and so eate of that breade and drinke of that cup. In the yeare of our Lord .338 de consecrat dist 2. cap. Cum omne In a certain councell holden at Basile it was concluded that according to christes institution the lay people also should receaue the Sacrament in both kindes And this decree was not onely established by the authoritie of the emperour Sigismund and the cōsent of the other noble and learned men whiche were there present but it was also confirmed approued and allowed by Pope Eugenius the fourth In the yeare c 1430. Lib. Concil Chron. Not only in the primatiue churche but also in the time of S. Cipriane s. Hierome S. Ambrose S. Austen S Iohn Chrisost c. and many hundred yeares after the lay people receaued the Sacramēt of Christes body and bloud vnder both kindes as they lykewise had the Sacramētal bread geuen thē in theyre hādes and not put in theyre mouthes as the Papistes vse in these our dayes Are not these the wordes of saint Ambrose vnto the Emperoure Theodosius when he would haue receaued the Sacrament comming blustring and blowyng from sheding innocent bloud O Emperour saith he howe shalt thou with such handes take the holy body of the Lord With what folishe hardinesse shalt thou receaue in thy mouth the cup of the precious bloud seing that thorow the madnesse of thy wordes so muche bloude is wrongfully shed Seuen thousand men sayth the historye were slaine at the commaundement of the Emperour Tripar hist. Lib. 9. cap. 30 That this Emperour Theodosius was a lay man the Papistes themselues will confesse I doubt not Here then learne we two notable thinges one is that in the tyme off Ambrose the lay people accordyng to Christes institution receaued y t Sacrament vnder both kinds The second is that the lay people also had the Sacramentall bread geuen thē into theyr hande of the ministers and not thrust into theyre mouthes as the massyng Papistes vse at this daye but this godlye plant of Christe hath that wild bore of Rome with his Antichristiane and filthy pigges ●oted vp subuerted and destroyed Take eate sayth Christe Drinke ye all of this sayth he Matth. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. All saith he and not priestes only The cup of the mysterie of Christes bloud was so frelye suffred before the tiranny of the Romish bishop preuayled that not onely it was ministred to auncient people but also to yong children as the monumentes of the olde writers do manifestly declare Cipr. in serm de lapsis The Grekes the Ethiopes and the Bohems with diuers other nations as histories make mention haue vnto this daye alwayes obserued and kepte the auncient and Apostolique maner of receuing the Sacramēt vnder both kinds according to the institution and ordinaūce of y e Lorde Christ by no meanes obeying the wicked decree of y e bishop of Rome vnto the contrary Of receiuing the Sacrament vnder one kinde after the popes inuention POpe Innocent the thyrd as some write did firste of all forbid in the councell Laterane that the lay people should receiue the holy communiō of the body and bloud of Christ vnder both kindes about the yeare c 1215. Other affirme whiche I iudge to be more true that that wicked decree of taking awaye the cup of the mystery of Christes bloud from the laye people contrary to christes institution and commaundement was first of al graūted confirmed and established in a coūcel holden at Constance the xiii session where y e most famous clerk Iohn Wicklief our countrey man was condemned for an heretike the two learned men Iohn Hus Hieronymus de Praga were most cruelly and most vniustly murthered and brent also for heretikes of the bloudy Papists notwithstandyng the Emperours safeconduct for deniyng the Popish article of Transubstantiation and maynteyning the receyuing of the Sacrament vnder both kindes In the yeare c. 1415. This is worthie to be noted that the Papistes them selues in that theyr deuilish decree confesse and graunte that Christes institution is that the lay people shoulde receaue the Sacrament vnder both kinds and that in the primatiue Churche all the communicātes did not only receiue the mystery of christs body but also y e mystery of Christs bloud one seuerall from the other according to y e instituciō of christ And notwithstandyng the premisses they straightly charge and commaūde that from that time forwarde none of the Laytye shal receaue the Sacramēt but onely vnder the kind of bread and that they must beleue certeinly and by no meanes doubt that the whole body and bloude of Christ is truely contayned as well vnder the kinde of breade alone as vnder the kinde of wine also that therfore it is sufficient for the laytye to receaue the Sacrament vnder one kynd and that whosoeuer frō that tyme fourth shall presume to receaue the Sacrament vnder both kindes except he be an holy annoynted or think of this decree otherwise than well he shall be taken iudged condemned and punished like an heretike accordyng to the appointment of the ecclesiasticall lawes that is to say brent to ashes as the good mōke of Eye in Suffolk was in the dayes of kynge Henry the eight O woluish and bloudy Antichristes A Christen man to be murthered for obeiyng the commaundemēt of Christ yea and that of them whiche will be taken for the heades of Christs church whiche also ought rather to shed theyr owne bloude than y t any iot or title of Gods worde should be left vndone O tirannye incomparable It is not lawfull eyther to put to or take ought frō y e testament of a mortall man if it bee once allowed and shal y e vile donghills of the earth presume to alter chaūge the blessed and euerlasting Testament of y e only begotten sonne of god which he sealed with his most precious bloud deliuered to his church to be inuiolably kept vntil his returne Drinke ye all of thys sayth Christ and not ye smeared shorelyngs only In a councell holden at Basile it was decreed y t not only the lay people but the priests also when they themselues make not Goddes body shuld communicate onely vnder one kynde In the yeare c. 1437. Of confyrmation or bishoppyng of Children POpe Clement the fyrst as the papistes fayne fyrste of all ordayned the confyrmation or byshopping of children and commaunded y t the childe being once baptised shuld as sone as is possible be bishopped For sayth he
in a manner by the reason of that vse coulde it by heart and song it in stretes and hie wayes so that it came to passe that whē certain shepheardes did synge it in the fielde and layed breade vpon a stone at the pronouncing of those wordes of consecration the bread was turned into fleshe But the shepheardes by Gods iudgement were striken vnto death for their presumption thorowe fyre that came downe from heauen Therfore the holy fathers haue decreed y t those words should be spoken in silence forbiddyng all men vnder payne of excommunication that no man presume to speake those wordes but priestes onely when they are at the altar yea and that at Masse agayn when they haue on their Massing garmentes Thys tale telleth Guil. Durandus in his booke called Rationale diuinorum officiorum also Ioannes Billet in his boke de diuinis officiis Honorius in his treatise de gēma animae wherof thou mayest learne two thinges Firste that in the primatiue churche and ●ong after whē Christen religion was moste pure the wordes of the Lordes Supper or as the papistes terme them of consecration were not spoken in hocker mocker as they be now but playnely openlye and distinctly that al myght heare thē vnderstand them and learne them vnto their great comforte ▪ and edifying Secondly y t the words of consecration were at that time of so great vertue y t whosoeuer pronounced them ouer the bread were he Lay or Spiritual priest or Ploweman Byshop or Butcher the breade was strayghtwayes tourned into the naturall bodye of Christ as we may see here by y e shepeheardes whiche were laye men and not holye annoynted whiche were in the fielde and not in the Church whiche had on their shepeheardes clokes and not halowed vestments whiche had but a cōmon stone to laye their breade on and no halowed altare And here mayest thou see y t any laye man if he can pronounce the words of consecration hauing bread layed on a stone may make Christes body as wel as y e priest For if y e lay men by y e vertue of y e words could make Christes bodye at that tyme be thou certayne and well assured y t they bee able to doe the same euen nowe also notwythstandyng the holye fathers decrees to the contrarye For the vertue of Goddes worde abydeth alwayes one If the Massemonger therfore can make hym y t made them as theyr doctryne declareth then can the Laye man lykewyse make theyr maker and so maye the Laitie stryue with the spiritualtye to the vttermost in God makyng Nowe that the popyshe priestes can make God whiche made them although I coulde bryng forth and alledge manye authorities euen oute of theyr owne bookes yet will I at thys presente contente my selfe with one or two sentences which are written in a boke called Stella Clericorum The authors wordes ar these I ste qui creauit me dedit mihi creare se qui creauit me sine me creatur mediante me That is to say in Englyshe He that made me gaue me power to make hym and he that made me withoute me is made by the meanes of me Agayne he sayth Cum ergo tantae dignitatis sit sacerdos quod creator sit sui creatoris totius creaturae ipsum perdere vel damnare inconueniens est Which is thus Englished Seyng then that a priest is of so great dignitie that he is the maker of hys maker and of euery creature to destroye or to condemne hym it is not conuenient Pope Alexander the fyrste ordayned that the bread whiche the prieste hath at hys Masse shoulde bee but of a small quantitye saying Thys oblation the lesser it bee the better it is Guilielmus Durandus Pope Alexander also commaunded that the breade shoulde be vnleuened bread whiche the prieste vseth at hys Masse Platina Sabelli Lib. Concil Poly. Christ. Massaeus Whye theyr singing cake is rather rounde than otherwyse Antoninus maketh thys reason The hoste sayeth he is made round after the manner of a penye bicause Iudas solde Christ for thirtye pens Guilielmus Durandus writeth thus The hoste is formed rounde bycause the earth is the Lordes and al y t is therin y e round world all y t dwel in it y t the outward fashion therof may signifie him that wanteth both beginning and ending Pope Alexander likewyse appoynted y t the wine in y e chalice shuld be myngled with water to signifye the vnion vnseparable felowship of Christ hys church Ioan. Laziard ● Ioan. Stella Libro Concil Grat. Sabel Pope Honorius the third commaunded y t the Missall bread shoulde be heaued and lifted vp aboue the Priestes heade at the sacryng tyme as they call it and y t all the people should fal down and worship it In the yeare of oure Lord. 1214. Extra de celeb Miss Can. San● cum olim Gabriel Biel super Canone Missae Lect. 14. et Lect. 50 Dec. 3. Tit. 1. Cap 10. Pantaleon Here may al men see how auncient a thing thys Pope holy sakeryng is which notwithstanding the blynd and sely shepyshe symple soules thynke to be y e beste part of the Masse Uerely it is a little more than three hundred and fortie yeres olde A deuilishe an Idolatrous inuentiō is it not altogether vnlyke to the setting vp of the golden calfe in the wildernesse Pope Gregorye the ninth ordayned y t the sacryng bel shoulde be rong whē the priest lifteth vp the Missall bread Chalice aboue hys head to moue the people to beholde that new found God whiche is not as the true God ought to be worshipped in spirite and truth but in knockyng knelyng and liftyng vp of handes In the yeare c. 1225. Anselmus Ryd Pope Leo Pope Victor Pope Nicolas Pope Innocent Pope Honorius pope Vrban ▪ Monke Lanckfrancke Monk Gratian Fryer Thomas Fryer Bonauenture and such lyke monstures belly Gods inuented fyrst of all the God of the altare and made of the Sacramente or holy sygne of Christes body and bloud the true naturall real corporal carnal substantiall c body of Christ GOD and man fleshe bloude and bone synowes guttes and loynes euen as he was borne of Marye the Uirgine and hanged on the Crosse no breade nor wyne remayning but the substance of breade tourned into the substaunce of Christes naturall bodye and the substance of wyne chaunged into the substance of Christes naturall bloude So that we handle hym with oure handes put hym in our mouthe teare hym with oure teeth eate hym digest hym c and partely with theyr Sophistrye they persuaded and partely with theyr tyrannye they compelled the people so to beleue as the cruell and bloudye papistes lyke wyse doe in thys our age where the deuill and the Pope reygne whiche dayes was not knowen nor heard of in y e Church of Christe so newe is the doctryne of transubstantiation and of theyr missal
ceremonies must alone be coūted worthy to beare office in the Church to be reputed and taken for the only pyllars of our mother holy Churche to be had in estimation aboue all men and to be reuerenced as Gods of all men and so many as be of contrarye opinion teaching that our whole saluation commeth only from God thorowe fayth in the bloude of Christ must be adiudged seditious persons sowers of discorde authors of new learning teachers of straūge doctrine and heretikes But as I may by coniecture speake my minde cōcerning this ceremonie I thinke verelye that as the ceremony of dealing holy bread on the Sondayes wherof we shal hereafter speake was ordained of y e fathers of Christs Church at that time to put the people in remembraunce of Christes body breakyng so lykewise at the same time was this ceremony of water sprinckling brought into the Churche to put the people in remembraunce of Christes bloud sheadyng on the altare of the Crosse for their sinnes But as the papistes in processe of time lost the signification of holy bread of al other ceremonies therfore ioyned vnto the certain doctrines of error false faith so likewise haue thei done in y e ceremonie of holy water They not knowing the cause of the first instititution haue fayned the holy water as they cal it to be of such and so greate vertue might and power that it is able to put away sinne to geue health both of minde body to make so many holy and pure as be sprinckled with it to geue abundaunce of thynges to dryue awaye deuils to chase awaye all the power of our ghostly enemye yea and to plucke him vp by the rootes and vtterly to destroy him with all his Apostatike aungels to put backe diseases to expell all corrupte and pestilente ayres to dispatche all y e guyles subtilties sleyghtes and disceates of the lurkyng enemye ●o banyshe al thynges that be contratye to the healthe prosperitye and quietnesse of all such as dwel in y e houses where it is sprinckled to geue securitie of hope corroboratiō strengthning of faith to bring the holy ghost at the laste what not Are not all these things read in their exorcismes coniuratiōs of their bewitched salted water as we haue tofore hearde and in other Popishe treatyses Reade we not these wordes in their Popish primare which we are taught commaūded to say whē we sprinckle our selues with y e water in the Church porche before we enter into y e Church Aqua benedicta sit mihi salus ● vita Praesta mihi domine per hanc creaturam aspertionis aquae sanitatem mentis integritatem corporis tutelam salutis securitatem spei corroborationem fidei nūc in futuro Whiche is thus Englished The blessed water mought be vnto me health and life Graunt me O Lord by thys creature of the sprincklyng of water health of mynde wholenesse of body defence of health safegarde of hope strengthnynge of faith now and in tyme to come And bicause this their dreame should be of the more credit they haue fathered those their lyes as they do many other of an auncient Byshop of Rome called Alexander the first whiche liued In y e yere c. 119. And here mayest thou see what a lying generatiō the Papists are as I maye speake nothyng of their pestilent and abhominable doctrine Of Holy Bread THe vse among the Christians was firste of all y t so many as came together into the church dayly for to pray and to heare the worde of God the same should also dayly receaue together the holye communion of the body bloud of Christ. But when the multitude that professed Christ began to encrease and waxed very great so that that order could not conueniently be obserued kepte the auncient fathers of Christes church made a decree y e all y e Christians shuld communicate on the Sondayes together and be no more bounde vnto the dayly communiō as they to fore were And here of commeth thys sentence of S. Austen Dayly to cōmunicate I neyther cōmende nor discommend but on the Sōdaies to receaue y e communion I would coūcell all men Whē this receauyng of the communiō euery Sonday was not done with such deuotion sobernesse and grauitie as it ought to haue bene but thorowe that often cōming vnto it much dissolution lightnesse was shewed of diuerse people the Elders of Christes Church thought it mete for y t present tyme to take awaye the custome of receauing the communion euery Sonday to appoint that the Christians should receaue the communion together thrice in the yeare y t is to say at Easter at Witsontyde and at the feaste of Christes natiuitie But when this order also was not duly and reuerently obserued it was iudged and thought mete that the people shoulde commonly receaue the Lordes Supper but once in the yeare that is to say at Easter and that in the stead therof bicause the remembraūce of Christs passion and death should not be forgotten nor his blessed body breaking and precious bloud sheadyng fall from the remembraunce of the people whiche is preached declared and set forth to the faythful at the Lordes supper by breaking and eating the bread and by pouring out by drinkyng the wine The Fathers of Christes Church instituted the ceremonies of holy bread and holy water to put the people in remēbraūce of Christes body breakyng and bloude sheding y ● as they see the bread whiche is distributed euery Sonday of the minister broken on many peces so they should set before the eyes of their mind the breaking of Christs body on the altare of the Crosse for the remission of their sinnes again that as they see the water sprinckled abrode so they should remēber that Christes bloud was shed for them on the Crosse by the effusion and sheading wherof they be purged clensed and purified from al filthinesse of sinne iniquitie by thys meanes addresse themselues to be thankefull to God the Father for so inestimable and excedyng greate benefites giuen vnto them in the death of his Sonne And these ceremonies of holy bread and holy water at that tyme were not onely ministred to y e people of the Godly Pastors but it was also euerye Sondaye preached and declared vnto thē what the ceremonies signified and wherefore they were instituted of the rulers of Christes church euē to put thē in remēbraunce of Christes body breakyng and bloud sheadyng on y e altare of the Crosse for the remission forgiuenesse of their sinnes And it is not to be doubted but the Godly Ministers in those dayes did with sorowfull hearts minister those ceremonies to the people seyng that they for their vnthankefulnesse dissolution of lyfe were depriued of the holy communion of Christs body and bloud and fedde with ceremonies of mans inuention and dyd lykewise diligently exhort the people so to frame
them y t are in the church shall saye the Letanye These thynges done there must be made in the pauemente of the church a crosse of ashes and sand wherin y e whole Alphabete or Christs crosse shall be written in Greeke and Latin letters After these things the Bishop must halow an other water with salt and ashes and wine and consecrate y e altare Afterwarde the twelue crosses y t are paynted vpon the church walles the Byshop must annoynt them with chrisme cōmōly called Creame These thinges once done the clergye and the people may frely come into the church ring the bells for ioye c. Ibidem Holy water proprely euen of her own vertue hath power and strength to expell and put out deuills And therefore it is sayde in the coniuration thereof That it maye be made a coniured and be witched water to chase awaye all the power of thee nemye yea to plucke vp that same enemye euen by the verye rootes c. Ibidem The manner and order of consecrating or halowing altars is this First the byshop muste beginne Deus in adiutorium meum intende Secondly he shall make holy water Thyrdly at y e foure corners of y e altare he shal make foure crosses with holy water Fourthly the Byshop shall goe seuen tymes aboute the altare and seuen tymes he shall washe the table of the altare or altare stone with holy water hauyng y e holy water sprinckle made of Ysope The churche also shall be sprinckled agayne with holy water and whatsoeuer holy water doth afterwarde remaine shall bee poured out beneath at the altare Fiftlye in the foure corners of the Sepulchre wherein y e Reliques are laide the Byshop shall make foure crosses with y e creame and y e Reliques shall be layde vp in a bagge with three graines of Franckencense and put agayne in the Sepulchre Then shall there be made in the middes of the Sepulchre a table with the signe of the crosse Sixtly the stone which is called the table shall be made mete and laide vppon the altare and being so made mete the Byshop shal annoynt it with oyle in fiue places and lykewise shall he afterward doe w t the Creame as it is sayd of y e oyle The Byshop also shal confyrme the altare in the forehead or forefronte with a crosse of creame and shal burne franckensence vpon the altare in fiue places Afteral these things be done y e altare shal be couered with fayre clothes And the priest may now lawfully sing masse vpon it when he will Ibidem The Apostolike See as Anacletus the Pope sayeth is the heade and the hanggell Cardo of all other Sees For as the doore is gouerned by the hanggell so are all churches gouerned and ruled by the authoritye of that See And therfore thei are called Cardinalls bycause y t by thē the whole churche is gouerned sicut ostium per cardinem as y e doore by the hanggel The prelate of y e see is called Papa y t is father of fathers namely the vniuersall bishop for he is the prince lorde and ruler of the whole church vniuersal And he is called Apostolicus bicause he occupieth y e roume of the prince of y e Apostle Peter He is also called Summus Pontifex y e highest bishop bicause he is y e head of al bishops frō whō thei as membres frō the head descend and al receaue of his fulnesse euen so many as he calleth in partem solicitudinis non in plenitudinem potestatis into part of the carefull trauayle but not into the fulnesse of power He is y e Melchizedech whose priesthoode farre excelleth al other Guili Durand In R at di off Lib. 2. In the administration of the Sacramentes some spiritual sanctification is geuen thorow the blessing or cōsecration of the garmentes of the water and such like Ibidem Priestes when they are ordered take of y e byshops hand a chalice with wine in it a paften with the hoste or singing cake y t by these instrumentes they may know y t thei haue receaued power to offer vp vnto God propiciatorye sacrifices euen the bodye and bloude of Christ. In consideration wherof when the byshop geueth these thinges vnto them he saith Take power to offer sacrifice vnto God and to singmasse both for the quicke and the dead in the name of our Lorde There is great difference betwene byshops and priestes For albeit there are six things which cōmonly pertaine vnto all priests y t is to say to catechise or teach or baptise to preache to make gods bodye to losen and to bynde yet belong there specially vnto the bishop nine things y t is to say to order clerks to blesse virgins to consecrate bishops to laye on handes to halowe churches to put down them y t ar to be degraded to celebrate sinodes to make crisme to halowe vestmentes or vessels There are other things also which appertain vnto y e office of a bishop as to cōfyrme children to geue the solemne blessing before the Paxe suche lyke Ibidem When the priest pronounceth these wordes of Christ Hoc est corpus meum Hic est sanguis meus This is my body This is bloude the bread and wine are conuerted and tourned into fleshe bloud with y e power of the word wherwith y e word was made flesh dwelled amōg vs wherwith he spake it was done he cōmaunded they wer made wherwith he chaunged a woman into a pillar of salt turned a rod into a serpent wherwith he chaunged the fountaines into bloud turned y e water into wine For if the word of Helias could bring downe fyre from heauen shall not the word of Christ thē be able to chaunge bread into flesh Uerely it is a greater thing of nothing to make y t is not thā to chaunge y t which already is into an other thing Yea it is a greater thing without al comparison y t God is made man and yet continueth still God thā the bread is so made fleshe y t it ceaseth to be bread That was once done by incarnation but this is continually done by consecratiō At y e pronoūcing therefore of the wordes of y e bread is by the mighty power of god transsubstantiated chaūged into y e substance of flesh The deuine materiall substance of this sacrifice is y e word whiche ioyned vnto y e element maketh a sacramente as y e word vnited to flesh maketh christ mā For it is to be noted y t in the body of christ he speaketh of the sacrament xi miracles are considered of y e whiche no euidente reason can be rendred and shewed although reasons made by similitudes may serue for this purpose The fyrst is y e bread wine are turned into the substance into y e body bloud of Christ wherof we alredy shewed certayn reasons An other reason also serueth for this purpose For both corporall meate
drinke is made fleshe and bloud by the meanes of nature It followeth therfore much more stronglye y t the self nature y t is to saye God is able immediatly to make y e bread should be tourned into hys bodye and y e wine into hys bloud The second miracle is y t the bread is daily transsubstantiated into the bodye of God yet there is no augmentation or increasing in God Reason proueth this thing to be true For al though I know any secret matter which I publish to many although al they thorowe my declaration know it yet in me alone or in my mynd there is neuer the more augmentation for al this The thyrde miracle is y t the body of God is dayly receaued and eaten yet is there made no dimunicion or lesing therof The reason If a thousand candles be lighted at my candle yet is there neuer the lesse light in my candle The widowe of Sarepta also did eate yet was there neuer the lesse meale in her pot nor oyle in her pytcher The fourth miracle is y t the thyng which is indiuisible and can not bee deuided is notwithstanding deuided remayneth whole perfect in euery part of y e sacrament This is proued by reasō In a glasse wherin any thing is represented shewed although it be deuided by parts yet in euery one of thē is y e same thing represented The fift miracle is y t the body of God taken receaued of the wicked is not defiled The reasō is this For neither is the sunne shining vpō fylthy places defiled or made anye thing y t worse The sixt miracle is y t the body of Christ which is the meate of life bringeth death to sinners Reasō proueth this to be true For those meats which ar good wholesome as capons good wine are hurtfull to thē y t are sicke feble in body The seuenth miracle is y t the bodye of Christ being receaued of the priest or of any other y ● mouth of the receauer being shut is taken vp into heauē Reasō proueth this For Christ came out of the body of the virgine vncorrupt He rose also out of the graue being shut Agayn he came into the house where y e Disciples wer gathered the doores being shut The eyght miracle is y t although the body of Christ bee in comprehensible cannot be measured yet it is contayned in so little an hoste This maye be proued by this reasō Theapple of y e eye which is very little comprehendeth a great thing The ninthe miracle is y t one the self same whole bodye is in diuerse places and is receaued of diuerse at one time The reason For the word of mā also once vttered spokē according to the nature of the voyce is al whole together in y e eares of diuerse Moreouer he y t made the body the place maketh both to be in the one as he willeth Agayne the Moone the Sunne the light are in diuerse places are seene of diuerse The tenth miracle is y t the bread being transubstātiated turned into the substance of y e body of Christ y e accidentes of the bread do remayne y t is to say the weight y e coloure the sauor To shewe a reason in this behalfe by any similitude we can not The leuenth miracle is y t vnder the kinde of bread both is is receaued the body bloud of Christ yea whole Christ. Likewise vnder the kinde of wine is receaued both the body and bloud of Christ. The reason is thys Although at one dinner I eate both before I drinke after yet am I not coūted to dine twice Durand in Rat. If it be demaunded what it is y t the mouse eateth when shee knaweth and byteth the sacrament or what is consumed to ashes when the sacrament is burnt Pope Innocent the thyrd answereth and saith euen as the substance of bread is miraculously turned conuerted into the body of our Lord when it beginneth to be vnder y e sacrament so likewise after a certayn manner miraculously it retourneth and commeth agayne when the same body ceaseth to be there not y t that substance of breade cōmeth agayne which was turned into the fleshe of Christ but in the stead thereof an other thyng miraculouslye is made although suche accidentes might be without a subiecte and so eaten Guilielmus Durandus In. Rat. di offi Libro 4. Both the good and the euil eate the bodye of Christ but the good vnto saluation the euell vnto condemnation For excepte the euill also dyd eate the body of Christ the Apostle woulde not haue sayd He y t eateth vnworthely eateth hys owne damnation bicause he maketh no difference of the Lordes bodye Ibidem But what becommeth of the bodye of Christ when it is receaued and eaten It may be aunswered That if the corporall presence bee sought it muste bee sought in heauen where Christ is sitting on the ryght hand of God Notwithstanding for a tyme he dyd exhibite hys corporal presence y t he myght prouoke allure the Communicantes vnto the spirituall presence Therfore when y e sacrament is holdē tasted and eaten Christ is corporally present in sight in touching in sauour And so long as y e corporal sense is affected the corporal presence is not taken away But after y ● the corporall sense in receauing fayleth the corporall presence is no more to be soughte but y e spirituall presence is to be retayned For whē y e dispensation is ended Christ goeth frō y e mouth to the heart For it is better that he goeth forth vnto the minde than that he shoulde goe downe vnto the bellye For he is not the meate of the fleshe but of the soule He cōmeth to be eaten not to be cōsumed to be tasted not to be incorporated He is eaten w t the mouth but he is not digested in the stomacke he refresheth the minde but he goeth not oute into the draught Ibidem The host is lifted vp of the priest at masse that the people not comming before the consecratiō but by this knowing that it is done may fal prostrate vpon the groūd worship Christ which is come doun vpō the altare according to this saying of y e Apostle In y e name of Iesus let euery knee bow c. Again that they should honour him with hart mouth as the apostle saith with the hart it is beleued vnto righteousnesse but with the mouth confessiō is made vnto saluation Ibidem Although vnder the kinde of bread y e bloude is receaued w t the body vnder the kinde of wine the body is taken w t the bloud yet after y e minde of pope Innocent the thirde neither the bloud vnder the kinde of bread nor the body vnder the kinde of wine is dronken or eaten For as neither the bloud is eaten nor the body dronken so is
the Sacramentall wyne after consecration the frute of the vyne what other thing is that to saye than to call it wine Nynthly The naturall corporall substantiall and reall body of Christ whiche he receaued of Marye the Uirgin is denyed to be in the Sacrament of the altare I aunswere The Sacrament is an holy signe of the body and bloud of Christ whiche whosoeuer receaueth worthely and accordyng to Christes institution receaueth the very bodye and bloude of Christe yea whole Christ thorow faith which is the mouth of y e soule so y t he is incorporate made one w t Christ fleshe of his flesh and bone of hys bones Tenthly The mariage of Pristes is admitted I answere It is in the word of God no where denyed Gods Priests in the olde lawe were al maryed men and had wyues The Apostles of Christ and the Byshops and Ministers of the Primatiue Church and many hundred yeares after til the Bishop of Rome playd the tyraunt and right Antichrist in forbydding and condemning the mariage of Priestes were all maryed men At this present also in all the congregations of God whersoeuer the pope is not admitted to be supreme head the Bishops and Ministers of the Churche do freely marye wiues Neither was the mariage of Priestes euer forbydden in any nation till the Byshop of Rome and hys adherentes brought in that deuilyshe decree of the single lyfe of Priestes that thys Prophecie of Saint Paule myght be fulfilled The spirite speaketh euidently that in the later tymes some shall departe from the fayth and shall geue hede vnto spirites of errour and deuelyshe doctrines of them whiche speake false through hypocrisye and haue their consciences marked with an hoate yron forbidding to marye and commaundyng to abstayne from meates whiche God hath created to be receaued with geuyng thankes of them whiche beleue and know the truth For all the creatures of God are good c. Are not these the wordes of the holy Apostle To auoyde fornication let euery man haue his owne wyse and euery woman her owne husband Agayne Wedlocke is honourable among all persons ▪ and the bed vndefiled That God hath made free ▪ no man ought to make bonde Eleuenthly The vowes of obedience pouertie and chastitie are broken and not obserued of the Cloisterers Monkes Friers Chanons Nunnes Anckers Anckeresses c. I aunswere with the Preacher A foolish and an vnfaithful vow displeaseth God Whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne sayth the Apostle But these monasticall vowes are not of fayth for they haue no grounde in the worde of God therfore are they sinne What Godlynesse can there be in the vowe of pouertye seyng that the vowers thereof caste awaye all laboure contrarye to the commaundement of God and lyue idlely vnder the pretence of long prayer and are fedde lyke Epicures and belly-gods of the laboures of other mens handes and of the sweat of other mens browes And what poynte of holynesse is in their vowe of obedience seyng they vowe it to the Pope and to their Abbotes and Prioures and vtterlye denye to be obedience to the temporall Princes and Rulers to whome they owe obedience by the worde of God vnder payne of dānation As touching their vow of chastitie who knoweth not that it is both foolishe and presumptuous Can there be any greater folly or presumption in the worlde than to worshippe God with our own inuentions to vowe that vnto him whyche lyeth not in power to fulfill Oure Sauiour Christ sayth All can not awaye with this saying That is to liue vnmaryed but they to whom it is geuen The wise man also sayeth I knowe that I can not lyue chaste except God geue me the gyfte To striue againste God and nature is mere madnesse Twelfthly The fasting dayes are not so religiously with such abstinēce obserued ▪ as heretofore they haue bene I answere the people in times yast haue ben taught of their curates ▪ on those dayes whiche the Church that is to say the Pope and the Byshops hath commaunded to be fasted that they should faste vnder payne of deadly sinne abstayne from fleshe and eate but one meale that daye To make that sinne whiche is not contrary to the worde of God is the doctrine of Antichrist To thynke it more acceptable to God for to catelfishe than to eate flesh is mere madnesse and plaine superstition seyng that all the creatures of God are good nothynge is to be cast alwaye that is receaued with thankes geuing All thynges are pure to them that are pure And those thinges whiche God hath made cleane no man ought to iudge vncleane Notwithstāding such dayes of abstinence as are commaunded by the Prince and receaued by publique order are still with great reuerence and high deuotion religiously obserued and keept when notwithstanding we right well knowe that the true and Christen faste is to abstayne from sinne and to practise vertue to cease to do our owne will and to accomplishe the good pleasure of God and at all tymes to lyue temperatly and soberly as our Sauioure Christ sayth Take heede to your selues least any tyme your heartes be ouercome with surfetting and droncknesse and cares of this lyfe Thyrtenthly Iustification is taught by fayth alone without workes I aunswere The Prophet saith A ryghteous man shall lyue by hys owne fayth And the holye Apostle sayth We playnly affirme that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Agayne we haue beleued on Iesus Christ that we myght be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the deedes of the lawe bicause by the deedes of the lawe no fleshe shall be iustified Faith bicause it alone apprehendeth and layeth hande on the mercifull promises of God is counted alone to iustifie when notwithstanding it is God alone that iustifieth as s. Paul sayth It is God that iustifieth This faith is no dead and idle worke of the holy Ghost in the hearts of the faithfull but liuely and mightie in operation as Sainct Paule sayth Faith whiche worketh mightely by loue And this loue whiche issueth out of a pure heart and out of a good conscience and out of a faith vnfayned is so feruent and stronge that it brasteth out into good workes and can no more cease to worke ▪ than fyre can cease to burne when mete matter is ministred vnto it or the Sunne cease to shyne when the tyme of the cleere daye requireth Therfore a faythfull man is compared to a tree planted by the riuer side whiche bringeth forth her frute in due tyme. For whensoeuer occasion is offered to a faythfull man to worke he worketh strayghtwayes yea and that freely and willingly with out any compulsion or feare And yet doth not he these good workes to be iustified by thē for he is already iustified by fayth but to shewe that his faith is true
persecute impugne and condemne c. Of Priestes POpe Anacletus ordayned that there shoulde bee priestes sette in euery citye towne and village to teache the people Gods word and to minister the Sacramentes He ordayned also that priestes should be honoured aboue all men and that thei should not be vexed or toubled but borne withal and reuerenced of al mē Agayne that when any priestes were made they shuld be solemnly openly made In y e yere c. 101. Lib. Concil Plat. Fascic Temp. Iacob Phil. D. Barns The aforesaid Pope also made a decree that al such as backebite or slaunder any priest should be excommunicated For sayth he he that slaundreth a priest slaundreth Christ. For priestes without doubt are Christs Lib. Concil Chroni Pope Gaius made a decree y t none should be made a priest except he were fyrst a dorekeper secondlye a Reader thirdly an Exorciste or cōiurer fourthly an Acholite a lighter carier of candels fiftly a Subdeacon sixtly a Deacon seuenthly a prieste and fynallye a bishop if he can come vnto y e promotion In the yeare c. 384. Chron. Plati Fasc Temp. D. Barns Some ascribe thys decree to Pope Stephen the second Grat. Ioan. La. Pope Siricius ordayned y e priestishe orders should not be geuen altogether at one time but at sundrye tymes In the yere c. 389. Sabell Plat. Ioan. Lazia 77. Dist. Cap. In singulis Pope Gelasius the first commaunded y e only priestishe orders shuld be geuen only foure times in y e yeare yea and y t on the Saterday In the yeare c. 494. Volat. Isidor D Barns Pope Boniface y e first instituted that no man shuld be made priest before he be xxx yeres olde For Christ sayth he was thirtie yeres old before he toke on him y e office of preaching In the yeare c. 425. Sigebert Sabel Chron. Pope Zacharias notwithstādyng made a decree y t if necessitye requireth priestes shoulde not onely be made at .xxx. yeres olde but also at .xxv. In the yere c. 752. Dist. 79. Cap. Si triginta Pope Siricius of whō we spake afore decreed y t al those men that haue bene twice maryed or els haue maried a widow to wyfe shoulde by no meanes be receaued vnto the order of priesthode Isidor Plat Albert. Krantz Pantal. Pope Gelasius y e first of whō also we spake afore ordayned likewise y t none which wer twice maried should be admitted vnto ecclesiastical orders without the bishop of Romes dispensation Chron. Ioan. Stella D. Barns Pope Anastasius made a law y t none which was lame or maymed or wāted any of hys members should be admitted to be a priest In the yere c. 404. Grat. Sabel Plat Polydor. c. The aforesayd pope made a decree y t no straungers specially such as come frō beyonde the seas should be admitted vnto y e clergie except they brought with them a testimonial sygned with the handes of fyue byshops 37. Dist. ca. Extraneo Ioan. Laziard Pope Pelagius ordayned that no mā shuld be admitted vnto the ministery which eyther of ambition or elles for worldely lucre and easye liuyng desyreth to come vnto it In the yere c. 552. Christ. Massaeus Pope Hilary the fyrst made a decree that no man should be admitted to bee a priest except he were both wel learned and well mannered In the yeare of our Lord. 465. Ioan. Stella Dist. 55. Cap Penitentis Pope Iohn the nynthe ordayned y t if any man had committed murther the same shoulde neuer be admitted to receaue holy orders Againe if any priest were founde gyltye of that faulte he shoulde be irregulare and neuer after be receaued into the ministery In the yere c. 904. Dist. 5. C. Miror Ioan Stella Pope Zepherinus decreed y t whē a byshop shuld make eyther deacō or priest both priests lay mē shuld be present In the yere c. 208. Phil. Bergom Pope Innocent the fyrst ordayned y t no diffamed person should be admitted to be a priest In the yere c 408. Dist. 50. Cap. Canones Phil Bergom Pope Zozimus ordained that no gelded person nor bond mā shuld be made a priest except he were fyrst made free of hys Lord. In the yeare c 424. Fasc Temp. Chron. But thys constitution of y e byshop is euell kept of certayne men sayth Ioannes Laziardus For nowe a dayes sayth he not only bondmē but also bastardes and whores children ar receaued into the ministery and haue the gouernement of paryshes committed vnto them and they also bestowe the patrimony of Christ vpon whores at their pleasure The aforesayd pope made also a decree that priestes should be no tauernhunters nor yet sel wine themselues He ordained again y t a deacō shuld not presume to minister the sacramente of Christs body bloud to y e people if eyther bishop or priest wer present Dist. 93. Cap. Praesente praesbitero Phil. Bergom Pope Anicetus forbad first of al priestes to haue beardes or to weare long side heare In y e yere c. 159. Sabell Lib. Concil Petrus de natal Some ascribe this decree to pope Anacletus Plat. Poli. Massaeus Pope Anicetus also commaunded y e priestes crownes should be shauen not foure cornered sayth he like vnto Simō Magus but as round as a boule like vnto Simon Petrus to put the priests in remembraunce that they shoulde despise this world and set al their mindes vpon the heauenly crowne Petrus de nat Christ. Massae D. Barns Pope Zacharias inuented the priests apparel In y e yere c 752. Chron. Achil. Pope Benet y e third cōmaunded that priests shuld walk in an order weare apparel mete for their degree In the yeare c ▪ 863. Fasc Temp. Chron. Pope Gregory the fourth in a certain councel ordayned y t al the clergye both byshops and priests shuld lay a syde all costly apparel by no means wear rīges precious stones gold siluer or any such like sūptuous ornamēts but rather homely sober apparel after y e exāple of Christ of his apostels In the yere 846. Ioan. Tit. in Chro. Galliae Plat. Pope Pelagius y e first ordained y t priestes vnder paine of deadly sin shuld say Mattens appointed for the day In the yeare c. 580. Dist. 19. Cap. Elutherias fra Ioan. Stell Pope Vrban the second ordained likewise y e priests should say euery day our ladies Mattens openly in the church that vpon the satterday the whole seruice shuld be of her In the yere c. 1086 Sabell Ioan. Stella Nauclerus Guil. Durand Polichron Pope Anastasius the second made a decree that no priest should omitte the saieng of his diuine seruice except it be masse although he bee neuer so muche oute of charitie and neuer so greatlye stuffed ful of rancor and malice
windes to cease they driue away also al wicked spirites and deuills Ration di off Pope Vitalian brought in Organs to make the people merye In the yeare of oure Lorde 653. Chronic. Volat. Platina c. Pope Sixtus the seconde ordayned fyrst of al that the Supper of the Lord shuld be celebrated at an altare which before was not the vse For the holy mysteryes of the Lordes bodye and bloude vntill that time was ministred vpon a table according to the practyse of Christ of hys Apostles and of y e primatiue Church And here may all men see from whence the popyshe altares come for the which the stubborne sturdye stoute papistes doe so stoutly striue Aboute the yeare of oure Lord if stories bee true two hundred three score and fiue came in the altares fyrste into the Church Other affyrme that they came in aboute the yeare of our lorde 294● But I beleue that altares came not in the Churche before the yeare of our Lorde 590. When the popishe peuyshe priuate Masses beganne fyrst to creepe in ▪ Volat. Durandus Fasci● Temp. Mas. Pet. Aequillinus Ioannes Stella Pope Felix the fyrst instituted the halowing of altares commaunding y t no Masse shoulde be song vpon any altare til it be halowed In the yeare c. 272. Sabell Pantal. Pope Hormisda decreed y t no altares should be set without the consent and special licence of the Metropolitane or of the Byshop of the diocesse In the yere of our Lord. 514. Chron. Ioan. Stella D Barns Pope Boniface the thyrde appoynted white linnen clothes to be layd vppon the altares In the yere c. 605. Pol. Pope Sixtus the fyrst ordayned that the corporasse clothe which the prieste vseth at hys masse shoulde be made of fine white linnen cloth In the yere c. 129. Plat. Sabell Grat. D Barnes Pantal. The same Pope also ordayned that laye men but specially laye women shoulde not once touche the ornamentes of the Church as copes vestments altare clothes c nor the halowed vessell as Chalice Pixe Crosse Chrismatorye Sensers Candlestickes c. Plat. Sabell Pope Stephen the fyrst made a decre y t a priest in hys diuine seruice shoulde vse none other but halowed garments In the yeare c. 261. Sabell Pope Adriane the fyrst being bishop of Rome there was a synode or councell holden at Franckforde in y ● which it was decreed that whosoeuer doth any seruice in the Churche he shoulde weare a surples vpon hys backe in seruice tyme and no man to goe in hys common apparel withoute a surples no not so muche as the sexten or Belringer In the yeare of our Lord. 796. Christ. Massaeus Pope Siluester the fyrst cōmaunded that the priest at his masse shuld weare no silke nor any coloured clothing but a white linnen Albe only For Christ sayeth he was buryed in a fyne white linnen cloth In the yeare c 315. Grat. Plat. Ioan. Stella D. Barns Pope Zepherinus commaunded chalices of glasse to bee vsed in the ministration of the Lordes Supper In the yere c. 208. For before that tyme the sacrament of the holy signe of Christs bloude was ministred in cuppes made of woode accordyng to y e vse of Christ of his apostles of y e primatiue church Petrus de nat Plat. Math. Pal. Pantal. Pope Vrban the fyrst ordayned afterward that the chalices should be made eyther of siluer or of golde or of tinne In the yeare of our Lord .222 Platina Grat. Pol. Bergom The saying of Byshop Boniface concerning chalices and byshops is very notable and aunswereth iustly to our tyme. Olim inquit Episcopi aurei lignei● vtebantur calicibus nunc vero lignei Episcopi calicibus vtuntur aureis In times paste sayth he Golden byshops vsed wodden chalices but now wodden bishops vse golden chalices Pope Leo the second deuised y t Paxe In the yeare of our Lord. 676. Platina Pasc. Temp. Pope Innocent y e third inuented pixes and boxes for the reseruation of the sacramentall bread In the yere c. 1195. Paul Volat. Phi. Pol. Pantal. Pope Agapetus the fyrst commaunded the people to go on procession on y e Sondayes to folowe the crosse In the yere c. 533. Plat. Pal. D. Barns Pope Gregorye the fyrst broughte in banners into the churche Thys was that Gregorye whiche sente Austen the Monke into Englande to preache to the englyshe nation the fayth and doctryne of the bishop of Rome with al hys superstitious traditions counterfayte religions and such other wicked abhominations Thys Monkyshe Austen with xl Monkes moe when they arriued and came on lande in the easte side of Kent in y e Iland of Thanet entred in with a crosse with banners displayed hauing a crucifixe paynted vppon euery one of them singing the Letanye with orate pro nobis to al aungels Archangels Patriarches Prophets priestes Apostles Martirs Confessors Uirgins Monks Nunnes Heremites and finally to all he saintes and shee Saintes y t they mighte haue good lucke and well to fare in settyng forth their Romyshe religion Whiche swarme of monkes when they hadde once thorow their hipocrisy and flattering obtained of y e Kyng to inhabite at Canterbury went ioyfully forth on their iourney hauyng their crucifi●e crosse and banners borne before them and singing Alleluia with a lustye courage and merye voyce vntil they came to y e city where they practised al kinde of superstition as beades bidding popyshe fasting wiuelesse liuyng long laten Mattens and Masses singing Saintes reliques boastyng c. In the yeare of oure Lorde 590. Chron. Ranulphus Cestrens Pope Fabiane the fyrste deuised the Chrismatories In the yeare c. 242. Plat. Volat. D. Barns Pope Leo the thirde brought in the sensers In the yeare c. 817. Pol. Doct. Barns Pantal. Pope Alexander the fyrste as they fayne inuented the holy water with the holy water buckets and sprinckels In the yeare c. 119. Libro Concil Grat. Pol. Plat. Sabel Pope Siluester the fyrst with y e oyle brought in also the oyle pots In the yeare c. 315. Sabell Plat. Pantal. Pope Iohn the eyght made a decree that if any man dyd take awaye anye thyng once appoynted and dedicated to y e seruice of god either out of an holy or vnholy place y e same man should be counted gilty of sacrilege In the yeare of our Lorde c. 887. Quest. 17. cap. 4. Siquis Ioan. Laziard Of Images to be had in Churches PAulinus Bishop of Nola as some write was one of the firste promoters chiefe proctors to haue Images in Churches In the yeare c. CCCCL Pantal in Chronogra Pope Gregory the first ordained that Images should be had in Churches for to be laye mennes bookes but by no meanes to be worshipped nor kneled vnto In the yeare of our Lorde 590. Greg. Lib. 9. Epist. 9. Chron. Pope Gregory
from y e beginnyng vnto thys daye would y e churche of the Grekes neuer receaue it but alwayes haue abhorred it as a newe straunge yea a deuelysh and damnable tradition of Antichrist as they in lyke manner woulde neuer admit that wicked exe●rable traditiō of receauing the sacrament of Christes bodye and bloude vnder one kynde contrary to the institution of Christ nor the damnable and deuelyshe decree of the syngle lyfe of priestes althoughe that Romyshe Antichrist with the Satanicall Sectaryes haue soughte all meanes possible to bring it to passe Pope Honorius the thyrd dyd not only commaunde y t the sacrament of the altare as the papistes terme it should be worshipped and kneled vnto of the people but also that it should be borne vnto the sycke after a most comely sort with al reuerence and honour yea and that with candlelight also thoughe it be at hye noone dayes In the yere c. 1214. D. 3 Tit. 1. Cap. 10. Lib. Concil Pant. Pope Innocent the thyrde ordayned that the sacrament of the altare should be kept in y e churches cōtinually vnder locke and keye to the entent to be in a redinesse at al times least saith he thei that are sicke should want y e spirituall cōfort in y e troublesome tyme of death In the yere c. Lib. Concil Chron. Pant. But in y e primatiue church there was no such reseruation and kepyng of the sacramental bread eyther for the sicke or for the hole as it is at this presente For in the Apostles tyme and manye yeares after if any bread remayned of the communion it was not reserued hanged vp in the Pixe to be worshipped as the vse is among the papistes brought in by the deuil and Antichrist but it was geuen to the poore people to eate And in the tyme of Hesichius of Origen as their commentaries vpon Leuiticus do testifye the bread that remayned after the cōmunion was brent to ashes And Clement Pope of Rome made a decree that if any of the sacramentall breade remayned after the Lordes Supper was once done the clarkes should not reserue it to be hanged vp and worshipped but consume and eate it The old custome was this sayth Euagrius in hys ecclesiasticall historie that when much of the holy partes of the vndefyled body of Christ our God did remayne that the young children whiche were wonte to goe to schole shoulde bee called to eate them And Saint Hierome witnesseth also in hys commentarye vppon Sainte Paules Epistle to the Corinthians that after the communion whatsoeuer they lefte sayth he of the sacrifices he meaneth the sacramentall breade and wine they consumed it there together in the Churche eatyng their common Supper Pope Iulius the fyrst appointed that the Sacramente of the altare shoulde not be ministred with milke In the yeare of oure Lorde .338 Guili Durand Notwithstanding we read that in the tyme of Pope Innocent the eyghte it was suffered that the priestes of Norduegia mighte syng Masse with water for lacke of wine In the yeare c. 1484 Math. Palmer Pantal. Pope Innocent the third bearing rule it was ordained in the councel Laterane y t when soeuer the Sacramente of the altare is caryed aboute there shoulde be borne before it a bel ringing with a light to cause the people to knele down and worship it In the yeare c. 1195. Iacobus de visaco In the councell Arelatense it was decreed y t if any priest were negligent in keping the bodye of Christ so y t eyther mouse or any other beaste did eate it y t priest for hys offence shuld do penance fortye dayes Dist. 3. De. consecrat In the coūcell Remense it was enacted y t whereas afore the manner was for the priests oftentymes to deliuer y e sacrament of Christes body and bloud to Laymen and to Laywomen yea to childrē for to beare it vnto the sicke the priestes from thenceforth shoulde no more so do but beare it themselues vnto them saying that it is an horrible and detestable thing for such to carye the holy body of the Lord to y e sicke whiche are forbidden to come into the Chauncel or to approche nye vnto the altare De consec Dist. 2. In a certayne councel holden at Rotomage it was decreed y t the sacrament should be geuen from henceforth neyther to Laymen nor to Laywomen in their handes any more but y t the priest should put it in their mouthes contrary to the vse and practise of the primatiue church and many hundred yeares after Lib. Concil Pope Boniface the second made a decree that at the ministration of the Lordes Supper the people the Clergy should be present not to be gasers but partakers of those holy mysteries In the yeare c. 529. Ioan. Stella Pope Anacletus decreed y t a priest whensoeuer he doth cōmunicate shall haue two at the least to be partakers with him and that such as be present and will not communicate shal as vngodly persons be excommunicate and put out of the cōgregatiō In the yeare c. 101. Grat. Plat. Phil. Bergom In the c●ūsell Antiochen it was like wise agreed that suche as were in the Churche and present at the common prayers heard the preaching of gods worde and yet refused to receaue the Lordes Sacrament they should be taken for none of the number of the true Christians Lib. Concil Pope Zepherinus appoynted that all that professe christ or beare the names of Christiās being of the age of twelue or thirtene yeres or vpwarde should at the least once in the yere as at Easter receaue the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christe In the yeare c. 208. Plat. Sabell Volat. Laziard c. Pope Fabiane commaūded that euery Christian should receaue the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud thrice in the yeare that is to say at Easter at Witsontide and at Christmasse In the yere of our lord .242 Eusebius Plat. Sabell Volat. Ioan. Stella Pantaleon In the Councell Agathense it was decreed that those seculare men which did not receaue the Communion at Christmasse Easter and Witsontide shoulde not be taken for true Catholikes Lib. Concil There is a decree as Guilihelmus Durandus writeth that suche as ought to receaue the Sacrament at Easter muste abstayne ab amplexibus that is to saye from gyuing their wiues the due beneuolence as Sainct Paule calleth it three dayes afore and three or fiue or vii dayes after as though the acte of Matrimonye were vncleane when notwithstandyng the holy Apostle calleth Wedlocke honorable and the bedde vndefiled Rationale di off Of receauing the Sacrament vnder both kindes according to Christes Institution POpe Gelasius ordayned that all Christians be they spirituall or temporall as they terme them shoulde receaue the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ in both kinds according to Christes
ought by their office to haue giuen their minde to the preaching of the gospell and the prouision making for the poore set all their pleasure on pleasaunt singing not caryng how they liued afore god so that with their voyces they might please y e world He was therefore compelled to make a decree that all suche as be in the holy ministery should from thenceforth vnder the payne of excommunicatiō geue their minds no more to singing but apply themselues to the studies of the holy scriptures and the reading of the gospell In Regist. part 5. cap. 44. Undoubtedly sayth S. Gregory true prayer c●̄sisteth not in the voyce of the mouth but in the thoughts of y e heart For our words do not make the voices the pithier of y e greater force to come vnto the most secret eares of God but our desire and affections Therefore sayth the Lord in the gospel Enter into thy closette sparre the doore He sparreth the doore and prayeth in hys closet whiche holdeth his peace with his mouth poureth out the affection of his minde in the sight of god aboue Moral Lib. 22. cap. 18. S. Iohn Chrisostome also writeth on this maner It is the duty of a deuout mynde to praye to God not with the voice or with the soūd of the voice but with the deuotion of the minde and with the fayth of the heart Agayne he saith the crieng of the voyce is not the worke in prayer vnto god whome we knowe that he beholdeth the secretes of the heart but the crieng of faith and the deuotion of a godly and pure mind Therfore the beste waye to pray is to pray with hart minde spirit soule and and inwarde man Hō 44. de Ioan. Paul Festo The Emperoure Iustiniane made a law that all byshops and priestes both in the time of diuine seruice and also in the ministration of the holy sacramēts should with so open and cleare voyce pronounce all thynges in the tounge which the people vnderstand that they might therby be the better edified and also be the more feruently stirred vnto deuotion and prayinge to God For sayth he so doth the holy Apostle teache in his first Epistle to the Corinthians saying If thou geue thankes onely in the spirite that is to say in an vnknowen tounge howe shall he that occupyeth the roume of the vnlearned say Amen at thy thankes geuinge seynge he vnderstādeth not what thou sayest Thou verely geuest thankes well but y e other is not edified● And again in his Epistle to the Romans he sayth on thys manner to beleue with the heart iustifyeth and to knowledge with the mouthe maketh a man safe In consideration whereof sayth that Godly Emperoure it is conuenient that amonge other prayers those thynges also whiche are sayde in the holy oblation that is to saye in the ministration of the Lordes super or the hloy communiō of the body and bloud of Christ be vttered spoken with a loude voice of the deuout Byshops priest to our Lord Iesu Christ one God with the father and the holy ghost willyng thē to know that if they neglect any of these things they shall not only geue accōpt therof in y e dreadeful iudgement of the great God our sauiour Iesu Christ but we also hauing knowledge herof wil not be cōtent nor leaue the things vnreuenged In constitut Authen 123. Guilihelmus Durandus sayth that the vse of singing was ordained for carnal and fleshlye men and not for spirituall and godly minded men Rat. di off Polidorus ●ergilius writeth on thys manner Howe greatly that ordinaūce of singyng brought into the Churche by Pope Damasus and Sainct Ambrose began euen in those dayes to be profitable Sainct Austen declareth euidentlye in the booke of hys Confessions where he asketh forgeuenesse of God bicause he had giuen more heede and better eare to the singing than to the weighty matter of y e holy wordes But now adayes saith Polidore it appereth euidently y t it is much lesse profitable for our commen wealth seyng our singers make such a chattering charme in the tēples that nothyng can be heard but the voice and they that are present they are present so many as are in the Citie being content with such a noyse as delight their eares care nothyng at all for the vertue pithe and strength of the wordes so that nowe it is come to this point that with the common sort of people all the worshippyng of God semeth to be set in these singsters although generally there is no kynde of people more light nor more leud And yet the greater parte of the people for to heare them boing bleating and yelling ●locke into the Churches as into a common gameplace They hire them with money they cherishe and feede them yea to be short they thinke them alone to be the ornamentes and precious iewels of Gods house c. Wherefore without doubt it were better for religion to cast out ●f y e churches suche chatteryng and ●anglyng ●ayes or els so to appoynt them that when they sing they should rather rehearse the songes after the manner of such as reade than followe the fashion of chatteryng charmers whiche thyng S. Austen in his aforesayde booke doth witnesse that S. Athanasius Byshop of Alexandria dyd in hys diocesse and he commendeth him greatly for it Lib. 6. de inuent rerum Cap. 2. Cornelius Agrippa writeth of singing in churches on this manner Athanasius dyd forbyd singing in hys Churches bycause of the vanitye thereof But Ambrose as one more desyrous of Ceremonyes and pompe ordayned the vse of singing and makyng melodye in Churches Austen as a man indifferent betwixt both in hys booke de confessionibus graunteth that by this meanes he was in a greate perplexitie and doubt concernyng thys matter But nowe a dayes Musicke is growne to such and so greate licentiousnesse that euen at the ministration of y e holy Sacramente all kynde of wanton leude trifelyng songes with pipyng of Organs haue theyr place and course As for the diuine seruice and common prayer it is so chaunted mynsed and mangled of oure costlye hired curious and nise Musitions not to instructe the audience withall nor to stirre vp mens mindes vnto deuotion but with an whoryshe armonye to tickle theyr eares that it may iustly seme not to be a noyse made of men but rather a bleating of brute beastes while y e children ney discant as it were a sorte of coltes other bellowe a tenoure as it were a companye of oxen other barke a counterpoynt as it were a number of dogges other roare out a treble lyke a sort of bulles other grunte out a base as it were a number of hogges so that a foule euel fauoured noyse is made but as for the wordes and sentences and the very matter it selfe is nothing vnderstranded at all but the authoritye and power of iudgemente is taken
c. Guilielmus Durandus writeth on this manner Anastasius the Pope sayth he ordayned that stāding and not sitting the Gospell should be heard to declare the redynesse that we haue vnto battell for to kepe the fayth of Christe Agayne to set forth our ready and bent will in that behalfe many sayth he when the Gospell is red cast of their vppermost garmentes to declare that all temporall and worldly thynges are to be forsaken for the law of Christ and of his Gospel according to this saying Behold we haue forsakē al followed thee Pope Marcus brought in the Crede and commaunded that the Clergy and the people should sing it together with a loude voyce for the confirmation of their fayth In the yeare of our Lorde 336. Plat. Antoni Fasc Temp. Durandus Some ascribe this constitution to Pope Damasus Iac. Philip. Bergom The Crede that is songe at Masse some say was made at the Councell of Nice some affirme that it was made at a Councell holden at Constantinople Chron. Germ. Pope Leo the thyrde ordayned sensyng In the yeare c. 817. Plat. Pol. D. Barns Pantaleon And a councell holden at Rothomage commaundeth that the altare should be sensed after the Gospell Lib. Concil Durand Pope Gregorye the firste commaunded the Offertorye to be sayd Polid. Pantal Chron. Germ. Some attribute it to Pope Eutychianus Plat. Some affirme that the Author therof is not knowen Guil. Durandus Antonin As for their solemne and superstitious yea their abominable and blasphemous Orison Suscipe sancta trinitas c which the Popysh Massemonger saith holdyng the chalice in his handes with the roūd cake ●ayd vpon the paten therof after the Offertorye the Author therof is not knowen neyther maketh it any matter except it were better Bernard Abbas de officio Missae The Lauatorye or washynge of the priestes hands at Masse was borowed of the heathenyshe and Idolatrous priestes whiche vsed alwayes to wash theyr handes before they offered sacrifice to their Idolls Poli. Vergil Pope Leo added these wordes to the Masse whiche the prieste sayeth after the Lauatorye when he tourneth hym to the people Orate pro me Fratres Sorores c. In the yeare of our Lord. 444 Chron. Germ. The Secretes were so secretly made that the secret Authors of those suttle secretes are hytherto secrete and vnknowen except ye will father them on Pope Gregory and Pope Gelasius as the Papistes doe all other thyngs wherof they can finde no certayne author Pope Gelasius ordayned Vere dignum iustum est c. to be sayd in the Masse before the Prefaces and Sanctus In the yeare c. 494. Petrus de nat D. Barns Pope Gelasius and Pope Gregory of whom we spake afore are counted the authors and makers of the Prefaces Anto. polid Durand Fas. Temp. Pope Pelagius the firste perceauyng many and diuerse Prefaces to be made of many and diuerse men selected and chose out of so great a multitude nyne Prefaces whiche Pope Gelasius tofore had made with the note or tune and gaue them to be songe at Masse before the Canon as autentyke and Godly These nyne Prefaces are sōg at Christmasse at the Epiphany of our Lord at Lent at the feasts of the Crosse of the Resurrection of the Ascētion of Witsontide of the Trinitie and of the Apostles In the yeare c. 552. Sigisbert petrus de natal ▪ poli D. Barns pant c. Pope Vrban the second made the tēth Preface in the honour of Mary the Uirgine In the yeare c. 1086. poli Vergil Valent. Vannius Pope Sixtus the first brought in the Sanctus In the yeare c. 129. Anto. Durand Fasci Temp. polidor c. The Canon of the Masse was patched cobled and clouted together of diuerse Popes and contayneth many notable blasphemies The authors therof are named Pope Gelasius the first pope Siricius pope Clement pope Leo the first pope Gregory the first pope Gregory the third pope Alexander the first pope Sixtus the first pope Pelagius pope Sergius and a certaine man called Scholasticus with other Chron. Pope Gelasius made Te igitur clementilsime pater c. In the yeare c. 494. Durand pos D. Barns Pope Siricius added Communicātes memoriam venerantes c. In the yeare c. 389. Rat. di off polid Pope Clement put in these wordes Vna cum famulo tuo domino nostro papa c. Antonius Pope Leo the first thrust in Hanc igitur oblationem c. 444. Sigisbert polid D. Barns Pope Gregory the firste deuised these wordes Diesque nostras in tua pace disponas c. plat Chron. Germ. Pope Gregorye the thyrde put these wordes also to the Canon Quorum solemnitas in conspectu tuae maiestatis c. 740. Naucler Sigisb Plat. But the Massemongers nowe leaue out these w●rds and say them no more For what displeasure to Pope Gregory I knowe not Iodocus Clitoueus in the exposition of the Canon casteth awaye these wordes as superfluous And here see we that al Papistes do not like and approue whatsoeuer all Popes doe Pope Alexander the first added these wordes Qui pridie quam pateretur c. vnto these wordes Hoc est enim corpus meum In the yeare c. 119. Durand Anton Volat. Polid. Pantal. These wordes Noui aeterni testamenti mysterium fidei whiche the Papistes vse in their consecration of the mistery of Christes bloud although sayth Antoninus they be not founde in the Euangelistes yet must we beleue that Christ so did and spake For that manner of consecrating saith he was deliuered to the Churche of blessed Peter and of the other Apostles whiche were present when Christ did consecrate as it is specified In decret Extra de celeb Missae Cap. Cum Marthae Pope Sixtus ordayned that the Canon of the Masse should be secretly said and Sub silentio In the yeare c. 264. Anselmus Ryd Chron. If thou wilt knowe good Reader why all thinges be done with suche secretie and silence of the Massyng Papistes when they come to the handelyng of the mysteries of Christes body and bloud contrary to the practise of the primatiue Churche yea and contrary to the commaundemēt of Christ whiche sayth That I saye vnto you in darkenesse speake ye in the lyght And y t ye heare secretely tel it abrode openlye euen vpon the house toppes contrarye also to thys saying of the holye Apostle So ofte as ye shall eate thys breade and drinke of the cup shewe set forth preache declare the Lordes death till he come Againe contrary to the commaundement of the godly Emperoure Iustinian and finally contrary to certayne auncient decrees of the Popes owne makynge heare what a tale they tel It is reported sayeth Guilielmus Durandus that when in olde tyme the Canon was sayde openlye and with a loude voyce al
consecration should communicate together if they woulde not that they should be excommunicate For so sayth he did the Apostles appoint and the holy Church of Rome kepeth that order In the yeare of our Lorde 217. Grat. de consec dist 1. cap. Paracta Item Can. Omnes This aforesaide constitution is also ascribed to Pope Anacletus De consec dist 1. cap. Episcopus Lib. concil In the primatiue Church saith Durande all that were present at the celebration of masses that is to say at the ministratiō of the Lordes supper were wont euery day to communicate that is to receaue with the minister the Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ bicause all the Apostles did drynke of the cup accordyng to this saying of the Lord Drinke ye all of this c. Againe he sayth Uerely the priest himselfe nowe eateth all the partes of the Host. Notwithstanding in certaine Churches he taketh one parte and distributeth the other two partes to the ministers that is to saye to the Deacon and Subdeacon accordyng vnto that whereof S. Luke maketh mention that Iesus in Emaus tooke the bread and brake it vppon the table and also as some say he did eate before the two Disciples and what remayned he gaue it vnto them ▪ He also afterwarde did eate part of the broyled fish and of the honycombe and the residue he gaue to hys Disciples And therefore after that the Deacon and Subdeacon haue communicated the clerkes and religious persōs come also vnto the communion that they also may be partakers of the holy Communion Afterwarde the people also doth communicate bicause Christ did not only eate with his Apostles which were fewe in number but also when he shoulde ascende into heauen he did eate with a multitude of hys disciples And a little after he sayth The high Byshop the pope receaueth one part of the hoste and geueth an other parte thereof to the Deacon with a kisse an other portion to the Subdeacon without a kisse c. Of these thinges aforesayd may we euidently perceaue that in times paste before papacye bare rule in the church of Christ the celebration of the Lordes Supper was not a priuate repaste of one alone but a banket of many accordynge to thys sayinge of the Apostle my brethren when ye come together to eate the Lordes Supper tary one for an other Agayne All we are partakers of one breade Pope Gelasius the first commaūded that the communion shoulde be ministred in both kindes to them that come vnto the Lordes table and that if any were otherwise affected they shoulde be put awaye from the Lordes table For saith he the diuision of one and the same mystery can not be done with out great sacrilege In the yere c. 494 De cons. dist 1. cap. comperimus A councell holden at Constance did first of all by publique law forbid that the lay people should receaue y e Lordes supper vnder both kinds charging and commaunding that from thence forth the layty shoulde communicate onely vnder one kind when notwithstāding the commaundement of Christ is farre otherwise Drink ye al of this saith he And Sainct Marke sayth They all dranke of it Here is no exceptiō of the laytye The holy Apostle saint Paule also whensoeuer he maketh any mention of the Lordes supper ioyneth alwayes the bread and the cup together not diuiding the one from the other after the doctrine of the pope In y e yere c. 1417. Lib. Concil Gabr. Biel. c. The Author of the postcommunion is not knowen saith Durandus Notwithstanding Platina maketh Gregory y e first Author of it So likewise writeth Ioannes Stella and Iacobus phillippus Bergomensis Pope Leo y e first brought in Ite missa est and Benedicamus domino with Deo gratias for a final conclusion of the masse so that now euery man may go home as wise as they came In the yeare c. 444. Michael Bucchingerus It is to be noted saith Durand that y e masse is ended three maner of wayes Firste of all by Ite missa est and that is in solemne feastes when Te deum laudamus and Gloria in excelsis is songe And it is so much to say Be packing homewarde For the wholsome sacrifice for mankynd is sent or offered vnto God Or it sheweth to the people that the masse or the prayers are done Or the meaning of Ite missa est is this Go after christ and folow him for we may not abide in this worlde but by good workes we must make hast vnto the country of heauen whiche thynge we maye easelye do for the sacrifice is sente to appease God y e father by the power whereof the helles are broken and the gate of paradyse is open Ration di offi Secondly the Masse is ended by Benedicamus domino and y t is on workyng dayes and generallye when there are no songes of gladnesse songe before whereby the people shoulde be allured and stirred vp to geue god thankes Agayne the masse is concluded by Benedicamus domino on all fasting dayes and lowe feastes Rat. di offi Thirdly the masse is finished by Requiescant in pace and y t is when they sing masse of Requiem for the dead And then ye maye not aunswere Deo gratias but Amen that is to saye So be it For reast is wyshed vnto them c. Rat. di off The councel Aurelianense ordayned y t the people should not depart out of y e church after y e masse be done til they be blessed of the priest Hereof commeth it to passe y t the people on the solemne feasts be blessed with an empty cuppe after y t the prieste hath dronke all vp Lib. Concil Guili Durand Pope Alexander the fyrst made a decree that the people should be sprinckled with holy water after Masse bee done that they may sayth he thereby be made holy pure and cleane In the yeare of oure Lorde 119. Grati. Platina Sabellicus Of these things aforesayd most gentle Reader whiche I haue truly and faythfully alleged out of the popyshe Chronicle writers mayest thou euidently see y t the Romishe and popyshe masse is not so auncient of so greate antiquitye as the Romanistes and papistes bragge but rather that it is a late and yesterday inuention Agayne y t it was not instituted of Christ nor of hys Apostles but fyrst of all clouted together of certayne Popes euerye man bringing in hys patch and at the laste beautifying it with straunge feathers like vnto Esopes crowe More than a thousand yeare was thys monstrous masse in patching before it culd be brought vnto any perfection if that may receaue perfection that is most of all imperfecte Uppon this wicked superstitious and Idolatrous masse are all monasteries colleges chauntries free chappels fraternities and all the sectes of Antichrist y t pope founded and builded purgatorye also and y e whole
papacie is confyrmed and stablished by the Masse So long as y e Masse endureth so long shall papisme continue y e Pope with his Cardinalls Monkes Fryers Chanons Nunnes Ankers Ankresses with all their superstition and Idolatrye But if y e masse once fal then fal they also down to the ground I will not say down to hel frō whence all these their false worshipping of god fyrst of all came and had their beginning according to y e Prophecye which thou redest in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn And albeit y t the tirauntes of this worlde and the hipocrites of the same whose God is their bellye striue neuer so much for y e defence and vpholding of this their popish masse they w c sweard fyre haltar these w c fained holinesse crafty persuasions paynted eloquence false allegatiōs of y e holy scriptures aūcient writers mony bribes gifts supplicatiōs lamētatiōs c. Yet shall it perishe and come to noughte with al the wicked patrons defenders ●autors of y e same according to this prophecy of our sauiour Christ Euery plante y t my heauenlye fāther hath not planted shal be plucked vp by y e rootes And s. Paule sayth y t the Lord shal slay y e Antichrist that sonne of perditiō with the breath of his mouth that is to say with hys holy worde Of certayne decrees appertayning vnto the Masse POpe Vigilius ordayned y t priests when they syng masse shoulde turne their faces to y e east In y e yeare c. 553. Petrus de nat D. Barns Pope Gelasius the fyrst cōmaunded y t y e priests should stretch out their armes holde vp their hands in their masses but specially whē they say the secrets the Canon the prefaces In the yere c. 498. Chron. Germ. Pope Alexander the fyrst made a decree y t one prieste shoulde saye but one masse in one daye In the yeare c. 119. Grat. Plat. Sabel Lib. Concil Pope Telesphorus notwithstanding cōmaunded y t on Christmasse day euery priest mighte sing three masses one at midnight an other at the cockcrowing and y e third when it is fayre day light agayne y t on all other dayes no priest shal sing masse before three of y e clocke in y e morning In the yeare c. 139. Lib. Concil Plat. Sabell Pant. Pope Felix the fyrste decreed y t the priests shuld say masse in no place but in y t which is halowed The same pope also ordayned y t none should say masse but priestes only except necessitye enforced to the contrary agayn y e masses shuld be sayd for the memorye of martirs In the yere c. 269. Plat. Phil. Bergom Sabel D. Barns Chron. Angl. Pope Pius y e fyrst made a decree that those priestes whiche negligently and without due deuotion say masse shuld be extremely punished In the yere c. 147. Lib. Concil Sigesbert D. Barns Pope Leo the fourthe enacted that a laye man shoulde not presume to come into the chauncell while the prieste is at Masse In the yeare c. 858. Sigisbert Platina Pope Sotherus ordayned y t a prieste shoulde not saye masse except two at y e least were present In y e yeare c. 168. Volat. Punctius D. Barns Pope Simmachus appoynted y e Gloria in excelsis shoulde bee song at masse vpon sondayes principall feastes saintes daies but specially in y e feastes of martirs In the yere c. 499. Plat. Durand Ranulph Cestrens Pope Nicolas the fyrst made a decree y e Gloria in excelsis shoulde bee song on maūdy thursday although it be in lent In the yere c. 871. De cons. 1. Cap. Gloria Ioan. Laziard Cel. And this he appoynted for the solemnitie of y e institution of y e sacrament of Christs body bloud Ioannes Stella Pope Gregorye y e thirde ordayned y t the Christians shoulde offer Dirige Grotes and Masse Pens for their frendes soules departed and y e priests shuld remember the dead in their masses and offer sacrifice for them In the yere c. 740. Ioannes Nauclerus D. Barns Pope Nicolas the fyrst appoynted y t no man should heare the masse of any priest y t is an whoremonger In the yeare c. 871. Lib. Concil Gratian. Volat. D. Barnes The same was also decreed in a certayne councel holden at Mantua vnder pope Alexander the second In the yere c. 1062. Dist. 32. Praeter Et Capit. 18. Siquis ammodo Dist. 56. Capi. Apostolica authoritate Pope Gregorye y e seuenth otherwise called Hyldebrand excommunicated all those priestes y t were whorehunters and made a decree y t no man shoulde heare the masse of an whoremonging priest and y t if any mā contrarye to his ordinaunce would presume to heare y e masse of suche a filthye incontinente priest the same shoulde be taken for an Idolatoure In the yeare c. 1073. Dist. 16. Quaest. 7. Chron Pope Vigilius commaunded y t the Canon of the Masse shoulde be read in no place but at y e altare and of no man but of a priest yea and y t when he hath on his backe his halowed vestures In the yeare c. 535. Chronic. Germani Achilles Pope Martine the fyrst commaūded that the masse should be song openlye with a loude voice In the yere c. 643. Guili Durand Pope Telesphorus ordayned y ● Alleluya shoulde not be song in the temples frō Septuagesima vnto Eas●er euen but y t in the steade thereof Laus tibi shuld bee ●ong at Mat●ens Prime and Houres Euen song and at Masse a Tra●e In the yeare of oure Lorde 139. Chronic. ●uili Durand Pope Stephan the fyrst decreed y t the 〈◊〉 of y e church should be put ●● no prophane vses and y t none shuld touc● 〈◊〉 but such as ar holy annoynt●d 〈◊〉 y ● vengeaunce punyshment y ● 〈◊〉 on Balthazar King of Babilon fal 〈◊〉 th● also ●hat presume to touch holy 〈◊〉 with their vnholy handes In the 〈◊〉 of our Lorde 261. Lib. Concil Guili ▪ Durand 〈…〉 the fyrst commaunded 〈…〉 euen so many as are 〈◊〉 ●oly annoynted should by no meanes touch y e chalice nor the paten therof with their bare hands Hereof came it to passe y t the Laye people were not suffered to touche the bare chalice whē they came vnto the Lordes table in the 〈◊〉 of papi●●rye In the yeare c. 129. Chron. Germ. Lib. Concil Pope Gregory the first commaunded that priestes should haue light at their masse and that there should be set vppon the altare a candle brēnyng all the Masse time In the yeare of our Lorde 590. Nauclerus Primeus Chron. Pope Clement ordained that if the altare clothes or Corteynes or Corpoporasse clothes be so worne that they can no longer doe seruice that thē they shall be brent and the ashes of thē buried in sanctuarye
prophecie of our Sauiour Christ shall for euer euer abide true Euery plāt that my heauenly father hath not plāted shall be plucked vp by the rootes Of the Massing Priest FOrasmuche as no man hath authoritie and power to consecrat make and offer the body and bloud of Christ as the Papistes teach but he onely whiche is a priest lawfully made and appointed no neither Aungels nor Archaungels neyther blessed Mary nor any Sainct in Heauen Pope Gaius the firste of that name ordayned that he whiche shoulde be a Massemonger or Godmaker that is to saye a prieste shoulde as it were by degrees ascende and come vp vnto the order of priesthoode Therefore he appoynted that suche one as woulde be a priest and saye Masse shoulde fyrst of all be a doorekeper secondelye a Reader thyrdelye an Exorciste or Coniurare fourthlye an Acholute a lyghter and carier of Candles fyftlye a Subdeacon sixtly a Deacon and seuēthly a priest Plat. Polid. c. Pope Calixte the fyrst appoynted y t y e aforesayd orders shuld be geuē foure times in the yeare y t is to say at y e Embring dayes whereas before they wer geuen only in y e moneth of December so y t whosoeuer wil be a Massing priest must diligently attend vpō those times Plat. Valent. Vannius Pope Boniface the fyrst made a decree y t no man shoulde be made a Massyng Prieste before he were thirtye yeres of age Grat. Dist. 78. Cap. Si quis triginta Pope Zacharius the fyrst notwithstāding fearyng that Ladye Masse would wante Chaplens and customers dispenseth wyth the former acte and graunted that a man might bee made a Massyng Prieste at the age of .xxv. yeares if necessitye so required Lib. Conc●l Pope Anicetus ordayned y t the Massing priest should weare no long haire nor bearde but y t he should haue Aures patentes and y t he shuld haue his crown shauen as rounde as a bowle Gratian. Dist. 23. Cap. Prohibere fratres Plat. Pope Leo the fyrst made a decree y t no man that is bonde should be admitted to be a Massemonger Dist. 54. Cap. Episcoporum Nullus Pope Bonifacius the fyrst commaunded y t no banckeroute or endebted person shuld be admitted vnto y e Clergye Plat. Lib. Concil Pope Calixt y e first appointed y t whosoeuer wil take vpon hym the order of a Massing priest must forsweare mariage leade a single lyfe Grat. Dist. 27. Ca. Presbyteres Nauclerus Pope Gregorye the fyrst made a decree y t none y t had bene twice maryed shuld be admitted to be a priest Dist. 33. Cap. Maritum duarum Pope Gelasius the fyrst ordained y t no dismembred person shuld be admitted vnto y e order of priesthode Grat. Dist. 55 Cap. Si euangelica Pope Clement the fyrst appoynted y t the priest after he had sayde Masse should continue fastyng by the space of three houres before he eyther eate or drinke Dist. 2. de consec De tribus Gradibus And Gratianus witnesseth that a priest also ought to come to Masse fasting De cons. Dist. 2 Can. Liquido Item Cap. Sacramenta altaris Of the dignitie and power of the Massing Priest and of the honour that is due vnto hym be he good or bad PRiestes are worthye to be honoured of all men for the dignitie whiche they haue of GOD. For God hath geuen them power to bynde and to loose as it is written Whatsoeuer ye shall bynde vpon earth shall also be bounde in heauen And whatsoeuer ye shall losen vppon earth shal bee losoned also in heauen For a priest after a certaine manner is lyke Mary the Virgine And thys is declared by three thinges Fyrst as the blessed Virgine dyd conceaue Iesus Christ by fyue woordes as is it mentioned in the Gospell of Luke Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum So lykewyse the Prieste maketh the true bodye of Christ by these fyue woordes Hoc est enim corpus meum And as whole Christ immediatly after the consent of Mary was in her wombe so lykewyse immediatly after y e pronunciation of y e wordes of consecration the breade is transsubstātiated turned into y e true body of Christ. Secondly as the blessed Virgine after shee had broughte forth Christ dyd beare hym in her handes layde hym in y e maunger so likewyse y e priest after the consecration immediatly lyfteth vp the body of Christ and laieth him down again beareth him handleth him in his hands Thirdly as y e blessed Virgine was sāctifyed in y e wombe before she conceaued Christ so likewise y e priest receaueth orders is annoynted before he consecrateth For without taking orders he could consecrate nothing and therfore a lay-man although he be neuer so holy can do nothing in this matter although he should pronounce the wordes of consecration In consideration whereof we must know y t the dignitie of priests after a certayne manner doth farre excel the dignitie of Angels For power to make y e body of Christ is geuē to none of the Angells so that the baseste and moste inferioure prieste in the worlde can doe that whiche the greatest and highest Aungell in heauen can not do Therefore Barnarde sayeth O the worshipfull dignitye of priestes in whose handes the Sonne of God as in the Virgines wombe is incarnate Wherefore Austen sayeth that in the consecration of the holy hoste all the heauenly courte serueth hym that is to say the priest and the Lorde of heauen commeth downe vnto hym Ambrose therefore also sayth writing vpon Luke Doubte thou not but y t the Angels are there present when Christ is present vpon the altare so y t priests are to be honoured aboue all Kinges Princes Knyghtes and men of Nobilitie For a prieste is higher than Kynges more blessed and happye than Aungells beyng the maker of hys maker and therefore he is worthye to bee honoured c. Yea let it be graunted that the priest bee euill yet is he to be honoured for y e dignitye of priesthoode as it is declared in the decrees Priestes although they bee euill yet ought we to honoure them for the sacramentes sake 1. Quaest. 1. Sacramenta c. Sermones Discipuli in Sermon 28. De honore As there are nine quiers or orders of Angells in heauen so like wise ar there nyne dignities of priestes Fyrst Priestes are aboue all Kynges and Princes of the earth as God sayeth by Ieremye I haue set thee thys daye ouer Nations and Kingdomes And this to bee true appeareth thus The dignitye of the prieste is such and so great y t it lyeth in his power to consecrate and make Kinges but all the Kynges of the worlde are not able to make one Priest And for a profe thereof that priestes be greater and of farre more excellencye than Kinges are it is to be noted y t there is no Prince so greate whiche doth not bowe
downe hys necke in confession to the Prieste and humble hymselfe before the priest as before God being in dede Goddes vicare Therefore God oute of hands exalted the Priestes aboue al men and aboue all creatures as a certaine Doctor sayth speakyng of Priestes Although by nature ye bee men yet in dignitye ye excell all men Agayne A Prieste is hygher than Kynges more blessed and happye than Aungells and the maker of hys maker Secondly God hath honoured them in temporall thinges For those thinges which God reserued vnto himself that is to say the tenthes y e offerings the fyrst frutes and the other Patrimonyes of Christe crucifyed he hath freely geuen to y e priests for the sustentation and mainteinaunce of their body that they being free from laboure when other mē must nedes worke for their liuing may y e more quietly serue God in spirituall thinges Thyrdly God hath honoured them in geuing them suche immunities priuileges liberties and fredomes that no earthlye Prince hath iurisdiction ouer them neither king neither Prince neither any other seculare mā no neither dare any man lay violente hande vpon them no not vppon the lessest of y e order For whosoeuer doth the contrary he is excommunicate with the greater excommunication eo facto both in heauen and in earth Uerely God doth so defend thē y t none dare trouble thē eyther in worde or in deede insomuche y t whatsoeuer displeasure is done vnto any of them he thynketh it to be done to hymselfe as the Lorde hymselfe sayeth by y e Prophete Zacharye He y e toucheth you toucheth the apple of myne eye Agayne in the Psalme he sayeth touch not myne annoynted so y t priests are not to bee molested so muche as with a worde but they ar to be honoured as the Lorde sayde to Moses and Aaron I wil blesse them y e blesse you and curse them that curse you In consideration wherof the priestes and mē of the church are priuileged insomuche that whosoeuer doe make or cause to bee made or to be kepte any statutes that bee agaynste the libertyes of the priestes and men of the Clergye they are strayght wayes excommunicate accursed Item no worldely Prince dare make exactions vppon the Clergye neyther dare any man aske any kynde of paymentes or take any thing of the Clergye For if he doe he is out of hande excommunicate neyther can he be absolued from the aforesayd excommunication excepte he make restitution at the full Fourthly God hath honored the priestes in that he hath committed vnto them the soules of the faythfull that is to say the holy Churche of the whiche Chrisostome saith The church is more honourable than heauen and the aungels all other creatures Christ hath loued the Churche more than himselfe for whose sake he came downe from heauen into this world and serued for it xxxiii yeares and at the laste suffred bitter death for it and doth nowe geue vnto it his body for meate his bloud for drinke and after this life he geueth himselfe vnto it for a rewarde Moreouer he hath committed thys welbeloued Churche to priestes with all the giftes that is to say the Sacramentes For the order of priesthood onely hath power to baptise except it be in necessitie at whiche tyme it is lawefull for euery man and woman to baptise Also he alone hath aucthoritie to minister the Sacrament of confirmation Item the priest alone hathe power to heare confession to geue absolution and to enioyne penaunce accordynge to this saying of Christ take the holy Ghost whose sinnes ye forgeue they are forgeuen them but whose synnes ye do retayne they are retayned Itē he alone hath power to minister the Sacramēt of extreme vnction c. In this incomprehensible dignitye God hath singularely honoured them aboue all other men Ye are that lyght of the worlde sayth he For as the worlde shoulde be nothynge without lyght euen so is the Churche nothyng without priestes Fiftly God hath honored thē in this that he hath streightly charged all men to be obedient vnto them as vnto him selfe of what condition or state so euer they be as he sayth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Whatsoeuer is not lawefull sayth Austen it is the shepheardes office to forbyd and the duty of the flock to heare and to obey Therfore all men muste obey the Priestes euen as Christ when they commaunde them to faste to kepe holy day c. Therfore the Lorde threatneth them that are disobedient and rebell agaynst the commaundement of Priestes saying he that is proude and will not obey the commaundement of the Priest let hym dye the death An example hereof haue we in Dathan Abiron and Chore whiche rebelled agaynste Moses and Aaron and therefore the earth opened and swalowed them vp quick Sixtly God hath honored them by giuyng them power to bynde and to loosen as it is written Whatsoeuer ye shall binde vpon the earth c. This power of binding and losoning is vnderstande one waye of excommunication whiche is the spirituall swearde and it is greatly to be feared An other way this power is to be vnderstand of the absolution of sinnes Therfore the Bishop whē he maketh priestes bloweth and breatheth vpon them saying Take the holy Ghost c. Seuenthly God hath honored them in that they are called aungels in the scriptures Therefore sayth Gregory All that are termed by the name of a priest are called Aungels But wherefore are they called aungels Verelye bicause they haue certayne properties with the angels First bicause it is the office of aungels to minister vnto God and vnto men as the Apostle saith All Aūgels are ministring spirits So likewise is it the dutye of priestes to serue God day night and to minister vnto men with the Sacramentes Secondly bicause an aungell is pure in lyfe so in lyke maner ought euery priest to be chast and pure in his life and conuersation For to liue chast is an aungelike life as Ambrose saith they that are not maried nor do mary are as aungels in earth Damascen sayth Abstinence from mariage is the folowyng of aungels Thyrdly it is the office of Aungels to enforme and instructe men by good inspiration So likewise is it the priestes duty to do by the word of god Fourthly it is y e duty of aungels to prayse god so likewise are the priestes bounde vnder payne of deadly synne to say eueryday theyr mattens prime and houres euen ●ong c. vnto the prayse of God Eyghtly God hath honored y e priests in this that they are in some poyntes like to the most blessed virgine Mary First as the most blessed virgin Mary did conceaue thorowe fyue wordes the true body of Christ Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum so likewise the priest thorow fiue words Hoc est enim corpus meū maketh the body of
of the Aungels hath God geuen that whiche he hath geuen to the priest I meane Whatsoeuer ye bynde on earth shal be bounde also in heauen Note there are two keyes that is to say of knowledge and of power geuen of the Lord to blessed Peter and to other men not to al mē but to Priestes alone and to their successoures For althoughe God alone forgeue synne yet neuer or verye seldome dothe he forgeue synne withoute his ministers that is to say Priestes Whiche thyng may be proued by the Lepers to whome when the Lorde had healed them he sald Go shewe your selues to the priestes and humbly obey them And whyle they were goyng they were made cleane It maye also bee proued by Lazarus whom when the Lorde had raysed vp he sayd to hys Disciples Loose hym and let hym go But wherfore dyd not the Lorde hymselfe loosen hym from y t knots of the byndings which had losoned hym frō y e bondes of death And wherfore dyd he not commaunde Mary and Martha hys systers to loose him or hys kynnesfolke the Iewes whiche were nerer vnto hym by the course of nature than the Disciples of y e Lord Verelye to declare manifestlye and to proue playnly that the power to loose and to bynde is geuen of the Lorde to priestes alone Beholde how great the goodnesse of God and the worthinesse of priestes is For the Lorde himselfe worketh good somtime euen by them y e are euell and that to thys ende bycause the keyes of the Churche should not be despised or set at nought of the faythfull For although priestes sometime haue not thys power ex merito yet haue they it ex officio dignitatis And if any priest ●e vnworthye which god forbid y t hurteth hymselfe it hyndreth thee nothyng at all Beholde what greate power is geuen to you priestes For your tounges are made the keyes of heauen O how great dignitie saith Bernard hath god geuen to you How great and excellent is y e prerogatiue of y e priestes order He hath preferred you aboue the Kynges of y e earth He hath exalted thys order of priestes aboue all men Yea as I may speake more highly he hath preferred you before Aungells thrones and powers For as he toke not Aungels but Abrahams sede to bryng to passe redemption so lykewyse hath he committed y e consecration of his body and bloude not to Aungells but to men that is to saye to priestes only Seing then y t a priest is of so greate dignitie y t he is the maker of hys maker him to destroy or to condemne it is not conuenient c. This is a very heauenly priuilege this is an exceding great glory this is a grace excelling all grace a priest to holde God in hys hands We beleue are thorowly perswaded y t the celebration of so noble a mysterye is committed to none of the Aungels to none of the Archeaungels nor to any other heauenly spirites but to your order onely c. For on the altare thorowe the mouthe and the handes of y e priestes the bodye of Christ is made euen that very bodye whiche is on the right hand of God c. O ye priestes howe greate a thing is this that at the lifting vp of your handes Kynges bowe down their heades yea Kings and Queenes offer giftes to you All the Churche or congregation confesseth calleth you fathers and desireth you to praye for them c. O the worshipfull holynesse of priestes handes O blessed and happie exercise O the true ioye of the worlde where lowe things ar ioyned to y e most high thinges when Christ handleth Christ y e priest y e sonne of God Thou hast a delight to be with the sonnes of men Therefore sayth Peter speakyng of priests ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthoode an holy Nation a wonne people c. O ye priests consider the excellencye of your moste noble dignitye For the lord hath enriched beautified you before al other his creatures Verely priestes ar worthy to be honoured seing y e the Lord hath geuē vnto thē passing al other so greate grace and honoure in the worlde Ex lib cui titulus est Stella Clericorum Of the ceremonies of the popyshe Churche Of holy water POpe Alexander the fyrst as y e papistes fayne ordayned water mingled with salte to bee halowed afterward sprinckled vpon the people to put away their sinnes and to make thē holy and pure He also commaunded y t it shoulde bee kept both in churches and in houses to chase and dryue away deuills and wicked spirites not onely oute of houses wher mēdwel but also out of y e hearts of the faythfull as though fayth and y e deuel could dwel together in one heart In the yere c. 110. Grat. Plat. Sabel Lib. Concil D. Barns P●antal The wordes of pope Alexanders canon ar these We blesse y e water mingled with salte for thys purpose that all that bee sprinckled therewith may bee made holy and pure whiche thyng we commaunde all Priestes lykewyse to doe For sayeth he if the ashes of an heyfer sprinckled made holy and clensed the people from veniall synnes Muche more water sprynckled wyth salte and halowed with holye prayers doth sanctifye make holye and clense the people from veniall synnes And if the salte being sprynckled by Helizeus the barennesse of the● water was healed Howe muche more salte being halowed with Godlye prayers taketh awaye the barennesse of such thynges as appertayne to man and sanctifyeth and pourgeth them y t are defiled and multiplyeth suche goodes as we haue nede of and turneth away y e disceates of the deuill and defendeth men from al naughty and wicked fansies c. De conse Dist. 3. Cap. Aquam sale conspersam Lib. Concil Is not this good stuffe is not this worthy to be called gods seruice Oughte not y e people to ryse vp make curtesy to the Popyshe shauelynge when he sprinckleth thē with water of so great vertue Are not the scriptures here wel applied Doth not this ceremony make Christ Iacke out of office with all hys workes and merites God haue mercy on vs and shortly confoūd Antichrist Guilihelmus Durādus sayth y t the holy water hath deserued to haue of God so great vertue that as outwardly it washe●h the body from filthynesse so inwardly clēseth the soules from sinnes O blasphemye intollerable This is y e goodly Godlye Catholyke doctrine wherwith the vngoodly vngodly Papistes infecte the mindes of such Christians as are simple and light of belief yea wherwith they caste the soules of all suche as put their confidence and trust in these pylde begarly and lousy ceremonyes into euerlastyng damnation And yet must they be called laudable ceremonies well worthy and God will to be frequented and vsed in the Churche of Christ. And the teachers of thys doctrine the ministers of these
their liues according to the rule of Gods worde that the Elders of Christes Churche seyng their repentaunce and amendement of life might thereby be occasioned to restore vnto them the holy and blessed communion which is the partaking of the body and bloud of Christ. Thus were the ceremonies not altogether vnprofitable to the people of y t age But it is in these our dayes farre otherwise For the ceremonies in the Popish Churches are stil retained but who knoweth the signification and meanyng of thē The bread is euery Sonday distributed and the water sprinckled but howe ofte is the death of Christe preached But as touching y e ceremonye of holy bread wherof we now speake it is become a vayne tradition and vtterly vnprofytable yea wicked and abhominable as all other popyshe ceremonyes are lykewise For where as it was instituted to put the people in remembraūce of Christes body breakyng the priestes deale it vnto thys ende y t the people eating thereof shuld beleue to receaue health and saluation both of body and soule For these are the wordes which they vse in halowing the bread as they terme it takyng vpon them by thys meanes to make the creatures of God more holy than euer God made them Benedic domine hanc creaturam panis qui benedixisti quinque pan●s in deserto vt omnes gustantes ex his recipeant tam corporis quā animae sanitatem That is to say Blesse O Lorde thys creature of bread which didst blesse fyue Loaues in the wildernesse that al that taste of them may receaue healthe both of body and soule What other thyng is thys than to attribute the vertue of oure saluation to a pylde beggarly ceremony which alone commeth of y e meere mercye and gracious goodnesse of God to al men that repent and beleue in Christ Iesu hys onely begotten Sonne and oure alone Sauioure● If we maye obtayne health both of bodye and soule by their be witched bread then was Christ promised geuen conceaued borne circumcised persecuted and put to death for oure synnes in vayne yea then was Christ without cause made of God the Father vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctifying and redemption y t as it is written He that reioyceth shoulde reioyce in the Lorde We knowe sayth the Apostle y t man is not iustifyed by the workes of the law but by the fayth of Iesu Christ and wee haue beleued in Christ Iesu that wee myght be iustifyed by y e faith of Christ and not by the workes of the lawe bicause no fleshe shall be iustifyed by the workes of the law If we be not iustifyed by the workes of that lawe which God hymselfe commaunded shall we hope to bee made ryghteous by the obseruaunces of mennes triflyng traditions croked constitutions idle inuentions drousye dreames fonde fantasyes antichristian actes deuilysh decrees 〈◊〉 O blasphemous Papistes Of Procession POpe Agapetus the fyrst commaunded the people to goe procession solemnely on sondayes other feastiual daies In the yeare c. 533. Platina Polyd. D. Barnes Guilielmus Durandus writeth that when the people goe a Procession the Belles are ronge to thys ende euen to make the deuills afrayde and to chase them awaye For sayeth he the deuills are wonderfully afrayde when they heare the trompettes of the church militaunt I meane the Belles euen as a Tyraunte is greatlye afrayde when he heareth in hys owne land the trompets of some myghtye Kyng that is his enemye And thys is also the cause why the church when there is any great tempest ringeth the Belles y t the deuills hearyng the trompets of y e euerlasting King shuld be afrayde and trudge away and cause no more tempestes to aryse c. Rat. di off Of Sensing POpe Leo the thyrde brought Sensing into the church In the yeare c. 796. Pol. D. Barns Pantal. Of Candles bearing on Candelmassedaye POpe Sergius otherwise called Pope Swinesnoute cōmaunded y t al the people shuld go on procession vpon Candelmasse day and cary candels about with them brenning in their handes In the yeare c. 684. Durand G. Achilles Howe thys candle bearyng on candlemasse day came first vp y t author of our english festiual declareth on thys māner Somtyme sayeth he when the Romaines by greate myght and royall power conquered all the worlde for they had great dominion they were so proude y t they forgat God made them diuerse Gods after their own luste And so among al they had a God y t they called Mars that had beene to fore a notable Knight in battayle And so they prayed to hym for helpe and for that they woulde spede y t better of this Knyght the people prayed dyd great worship to his mother y t was called Februa after whiche woman muche people haue opinion that y e moneth February is called Wherfore y e second day of thys moneth is candlemasseday The Romaines thys nyghte went aboute the citie of Rome wyth Torches Candles brennyng in worship of thys woman Februa for hope to haue y e more helpe and succoure of her sonne Mars Then was there a Pope y t was called Sergius and whē he sawe Christen people drawe to thys false Maumetrye and vntrue beliefe He thought to vndoe thys foule vse and custome and turne it into Gods worship and our Ladyes gaue cōmaundement y t all Christen people shoulde come to Churche and offer vp a candle brennyng in the worship y t they dyd to thys woman Februa doe worship to our lady to her sonne our Lord Iesu Christ. So y t now this feast is solemnely halowed thorowe al Christendome And euery Christen man and woman of couenable age is bounde to come to church and offer vp their candles as though they were bodily with our Ladye hopyng for this reuerence worship y t they do to our Ladye to haue a greate rewarde in heauen and of her sonne our lord Iesu Christ and so they may be syker and it be done in cleane lyfe and with good deuotion c. Of Ashes sprincklyng POpe Gregory the fyrst ordained y t the people on Ashe wednisday shuld be sprinckled with halowed Ashes to put thē in remembraunce y t they are but earth duste and Ashes In the yeare c. 590. Anselmus Ryd Of Palmes bearyng POpe Gregorye the fyrst also appoynted y t Palmes shoulde bee borne aboute in procession on Palme Sonday Ansel. Ryd Of halowing Palmes Ashes Candles c. POpe Gregorye the fyrste in lyke manner deuised the halowing of Palmes Ashes Candles c. Durand Antonin Of Crepyng to the Crosse. POpe Gregorye the fyrst likewyse broughte into the Churche the Crepyng vnto the Crosse. Sigesb Antoninus Of the halowing of the Paschal POpe Zozimus ordayned that the Paschall Taper shoulde be halowed on Easter euen and set vp in euery paryshe church In y e yere of oure Lorde 414.
agreed y t if any noble mā do spoyle a priest or any poore man or religious person and y e Byshop shall commaund hym to come vnto hym y t the cause maye bee heard he refuse to come letters shall be sēt thorow out al bishops one to another which shall declare to al y e countreyes round about y t that man is excommunicated and is so to bee reputed taken til he hath shewed hys obedience to the ordinary and made restitution Caus. 24 ▪ Quaest. 3. Capit. Si quis de polentibus In a councell holden at Paris it was ordayned y t no priest should excommunicate any man before y e cause be euidently proued and openly knowen Ibidem Cap. de illicita In the councell Rothomagense it was decreed y t all manner of tythes should bee payde to the Priestes both corne Haye Fruite Oxen Shepe Goates c. For all tythes are sanctifyed to the Lorde And forasmuche as many are stubborne and disobedient and wil not truely and faythfully pay their tithes as they ought to doe it was ordayned in that Councell that all suche as will not pay them shoulde be admonished once twice or thrice according to the cōmaundement of the Lord. If they will not then amende that they shall then be excommunicate and accursed till they haue made due satisfaction and sufficient recompence Caus. 16. q. 7. cap. Omnes decimae The manner and fourme of Excommunication TWelue Priestes must stand about the Byshop and holde burnyng candles in their handes whiche candles at the latter ende of the curse or excommunication they must throw downe vpon the grounde and treade them vnder their feete Afterward letters must be sent roūd about vnto Parishes contayning the names of them that are excommunicate and also the cause of their excommunication Caus. 11 ▪ quaest 3. cap. Debent In concilio Arausicano we reade these wordes we folowing the canonical ordinaunces and examples of the holy fathers do vtterly sequester and banish by the authority of God and the iudgement of the holy Ghost al violatours disturbers hinderers and destroyers of Gods churches frō the lap of holy mother Churche from the company and felowship of al christianitie vntil they repent amend and satisfie the Church of God Ibidem cap. Canonica The manner of reconciliation of them that were excommunicate WHen any man y t is accursed or excōmunicate is penitēt sory for his sinne desireth forgeuenesse promiseth to amende the Bishop y t did excōmunicate him shall come before the church dore and xii priestes with him shall stande round about him on euery side And if the person y t is excommunicate fal flat downe on the grounde and asketh forgeuenesse promising amendement thē shall the Byshoppe take hym by the ryght hande and leade hym into the Church and restore him to the christen congregation Afterward they shal sing the seuen penitentiall Psalmes with these prayers Kirie eleyson and Pater noster Saluum fa● seruum c. With this collecte Praesta quesumus domine huic famulo tuo dignum paenitentiae fructum vt ecclesiae tuae sanctae a cuius integritate deni●●erat peccando admissorum veniam consequendo reddatur innoxius Per Christum dominum nostrum Amen Whiche is thus Englished ▪ Graunt we beseche thee O Lord to this thy seruaunt the worthy frute of repentaūce that be obtaynyng forgeuenesse of his sinnes may be restored pure and faultlesse to thy holy Churche from the integritye and purenesse wherof thorow sinne ▪ he had wandred and gone astray By Christ our Lord. So be it Causa 11. Quest. 3. cap. Cum aliquis Of penaunce POpe Nicolas the firste appoynted that this shoulde be the penaunce of hym y t hath slayne his mother First by y e space of an whole yere he shall not be suffered to come into the Churche but he shal stād before the church dore praying beseching god cōtinually to forgeue hym so haynous horrible a sinne Secondlye when the one yeare is ended he shal haue licence to come into the Churche and to stand among y e hearers but he by no meanes shalbe suffred to come vnto the communion or Sacrament of the bodye and bloud of Christ. Thirdly whē the third yeare is once past he shall be admitted vnto the holy communion c. All this time he may eate no fleshe nor presume to drincke wine excepte it be on solēne feastes and sondayes and from Easter vnto Whitsontyde And whensoeuer he will take any iourney he maye not ryde but go on foote He maye not go vnto the warres except it be to fyght agaynst the paganes He must also euerye weeke faste three dayes eate no meate till it be night c. In the yeare c. 8711. Caus. 33. tract de paenitentia cap. Latorem praesentium Pope Siricius made a decree that those which are penitents may not in the tyme of their penaunce mary nor excercise y e worke of mariage lest they shoulde be counted as dogs returnyng vnto their vomit or as sowes whiche beyng cleane washed walowe tomble them selues again in the miry puddels In the yeare of our Lorde 389. Caus. 23. quaest 2. Cap. De his vero Pope Leo the first notwithstandyng of his great fauour and singular goodnes graunteth to al such as are already maried that they euen in the time of their penance may lawfully enioy the libertie of matrimony lest peraduenture while they abstaine from y t which is lawfull they shal fall into the daunger of that which is vnlawfull In the yeare c. 444. Ibidem G. Audiuimus The same decree also Pope Leo the thirde made declaryng that it is more tollerable and may better be suffered that a yonge man euen in the time of his penance to auoyd the daūger of incontinency do ioyne vnto him a wyfe than he should incurre and fal into the sinne of fornicatiō In doing this saith he it semeth that the matter whiche he hath done is venial and pardonable so that he knowe none other besides hys owne wife Notwithstanding saith he in speakyng thus we make no law but we shewe what is more tollerable In y e yere c. 817. Ibidem cap. In adolescentia Pope Gregorye the fyrste ordayned this to be the penaunce of the maryed man that he shall not enter into the Churche before he hath purified and washed himselfe with water if he haue had the knowledge of his wiues body and geuen her as the Apostle saith the due beneuolence In the yeare of oure Lord. 590. Caus. 33. Quaest. 4. cap. Vir cum propria vxore Pope Pius the fyrste made a decree that if thorowe the negligence of the priest any of the bloud he meaneth the Sacrament of Christes bloude as the expositour doth declare in the same place do droppe down vpon the groūd the Prieste shall lycke it vp wyth hys tounge c. and he shall do penaunce for
him out draweth and al thoe y t therto procure or assente And all thoe y e purchasen letters of any Lordes court y e processe of righte maye not bee determined nor ended And all thoe y t the peace of y e land distrouble And al thoe y e bloude drawe of man or woman in violence or in vilonye or make to bee drawen in Churche or Churchyard wherefore the Church or Churchyarde is interdicted or suspended and thoe y t be against right of our Lord the King and al thoe that warre sustaine against the King wrongfullye And all thoe y t be common robbers rouers or man-slayers but it bee themselfe defendyng And thoe that beene agaynst the great Charter of the Kyng that is confyrmed of the Courte of Rome And all thoe y e false witnesse beare wronglye namely in cause of Matrimonye in what court so it be or out of court And all that false witnesse bring forth in righte of Matrimonye for to destroye man or woman or for to disherite any man of land or tenement or any other cattell And all false aduocates that for mede put forth any false exceptions or quarels through the which right of Matrimony is fordone or any other manner of right in steade of iudgement and al thoe y t for mede or fauour or for any other encheson maliciously mā or womā bryng out of their good fame into wicked or make them for to leese their worldly goods or honour or them put wrongfully to their purgation of the whiche was none before And al thoe y e maliciously distrouble or letten the right presentement of holy Churche there the very Patrone should present and all that therto procure with worde or deede or with false enquest or with other power And all that maliciously despisen the maūdement of the kyng to take a cursed man fro the time y t he hath lyen in cursyng lx dayes no remedie will seeke And all those y t their liueraunce purchase agaynst the right of holy Churche And that mede take for to distrouble peace there loue shuld be or charitie or strife maintaine with worde or dede and till they haue yelded again their mede that they toke of them they may neuer be assoiled And al those that hold houses māners gronges of parsons vicares or any other man of holye Churche against their wil or their attornies wil. And al thoe that any manner good moueable or vnmoueable awaye beare w t strength or wrongfully away draw or waste of the whiche cursing they may not be assoiled til they haue made satisfaction to whom the wronge is done And al thoe that any manner of goods with violēce or malice beare out of holy Churche stede or Abbeye or house of Religion whiche that therein is layde or done for warrandise or succoure or for to be kepte And all thoe that therto procure or assent and all thoe that them maintayne or sustayne and all thoe that haue layde hande on priest or clarke with malice but it be himselfe defendynge And all thoe that Sarrazens Coūce● or helpe against Christendome And all thoe that their children wrongfully father wittingly or their children wittē any other mā with malice And al thoe y t wearry or slea their generations or their children destroye with drinkes or with any other crafte And al thoe that false money clippe or sheere them to aduauntage to disceaue any man with And all thoe that false the Popes Bull or counterfaite the Kings seale And al thoe that bye or sel with false measures or false waights that is to saye to bye with one sell w t an other And all thoe that false the kings standard themselfe witing And all thoe that any testament distrouble or therto procure with worde or with deede wherefore the deades will is not fulfilled And all thoe that forsweare them vpon the holydome willyng or witing for mede or for hate for to doe any man or womā to lose their worldly goods or honor And all robbers or rouers openly or priuily by daye or by night or any mans good steale wherefore they were worthye to haue iudgemēt And all thoe y t withhold any mās good that haue bene spered axed for thrice in holy church themself weting And all those that distrouble the peace of holy Churche or of the land and all fellons and thoe that them maintaine And all false conspiratoures al false forswearers in assises or in any other court And al those y t any false plaints put forth against the fraunchise of holy Church or of the king or of the realme And all those that offringes that bene offred in holy Churche or in any other sted within the prouince of Caūterbury witholden put away in any other place agaynst the wil of the parson or vicare or theyr attourney in the parishe y t it is offered in And al those that their goodes awaye geue for dread of death in fraude of holye Churche or to forbeare their debts paying al those that such giftes take or therto helpe or Councel And all those that let or hinder prelates or Ordinaries for to hold consistory Session or chapiters for to enquire of sinnes of excesse in good amendemente of mans soule And all witches and all that on them beleue al heretikes that beleue not in the Sacrament of the altare that it is gods owne body in flesh and bloud in forme of bread and al other Sacraments that touchen health of mans soule And all iuglars vsurars that is to say y t if any man or woman lend their cattell vnto man or woman for any auauntage to take by couenaūt more thā their own and if there be any such found in town or citie the citie or the towne should be enterdited by the old law and nouther done their Masse nor Sacrament vsed til he were out thereof And al thoe y t withhold tithes or withdraw theyr tithes witingly or maliciouslye to the harme of holy Church or tithes letten to be geuen of the goods which y t bene commaunded to be geuen by the lawe of holy Church y t is to say of al fruites of yardes cornes herbes that waxe fruites of trees of all manner beastes y t be newing of wolle lambe these in time of yeare of swannes gees dowes duckes of bees hony waxe of hay also as often as it neweth of flaxe hemp of windmils and of all manner mils of all manner of marchaundise of chaffaryng men and of men of craft And all those that maliciously or wittingly any other withhold the which ought to be giuen to holy church and thoe that therto procure in word or in dede Modus fulminandi sententiam PRaelatus Alba indutus cum ceteris sacerdotibus in ecclesia existentibus cruce erecta candelis accensis stans in pulpito pronuncient verba quae sequūtur Whiche is thus in Englishe The manner
of thundring the sentēce THe Prelate hauyng on hys Albe with the other Priestes that are in the Churche the Crosse beyng lyft vp and the candels lyght standing in the pulpit let them pronoun●e the wordes that folowe EX authoritate dei patris omnipotentis beatae Mariae Virginis omnium sanctorum excommunicamus anathematizamus diabolo commendamus omnes supradictos malefactores Excommunicati sint anathematizati diabolo commendati Maledicti sunt in villis in campis in vijs in semitis in domibus extra domos in omnibus alijs locis stando iacendo surgendo ambulando currendo vigilando dormiendo comedendo bibendo aliud opus faciendo illos a luminibus omnibus bonis ecclesie sequestramus diabolo damnamus in paenis inferni animas eorum extinguamus sicut extinguitur ista candela nisi resipiscant ad satisfactionem veniant That is to saye By the authoritye of God y e father almyghtie and of the blessed Uirgyne Marye and of all Sainctes we excommunicate we cursse and committe to the Deuyll all the aforesayde malefectoures and euyl doers Excommunicate mought they be curssed and giuen ouer to the Deuill Cursed be they in Townes in Fieldes in Wayes in Pathes in Houses out of Houses and in all other places Standyng Lighyng Rysyng Walkyng Runnyng Watchyng Sleaping Eatyng Drinkyng and whatsoeuer thynge they doe besydes We sequester them from the thresholdes and all the goodes of the Churche and we giue them ouer to the Deuill And let vs quenche their soules in the paynes of hell as this candle is now quenched and put out except they amende and come vnto satisfaction Finita sententia extinguat lumen ad terror● pulsatis cāpanis That is to say When the sentēce is ended let him put out the candle to make the people the more afraide and ring the belles In an olde written boke I find thus written The Articles of the generall sentēce must be read foure times in the yeare openly in the Churche before all the people yea and that in the mother tong that is to say the first sonday of Aduent and the first sonday of Lent Trinitie sondaye and on the sondaye whiche is within the Octaues of the Assumption of the blessed virgine Mary And when the Priest hath read the Articles of y e general sentence let hym with all hast put out the candle which he holdeth in his hand and with great violence cast it away from him saying Auctoritate dei patris omnipotentis filij Spiritus sancti sanctae Mariae Matris domini nostri Iesu Christi sanctorū Apostolorum Petri Pauli omnium Sanctorum sanctorum Canonum nostri Ministerij excommunicamus anathematizamus a Sacramentis sanctae ecclesiae a cōmunione corporis sanguinis domini nostri Iesu Christi sequestramus omnes illos vel illas qui praenominati sunt Et sicut extinguitur haec lucerna hominum ita extinguatur lumen eorum in secula seculorum nisi ad emendationem satisfactionem venerint Fiat fiat Amen That is to saye By the authoritie of God the father almightye and the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and of S. Marye the Mo of our Lorde Iesu Christ and of y e holy Apostles Peter and Paule and of al Saintes and of the holy Canons and of our ministerie we excommunicate we curse and we sequester from the sacramentes of holy church and frō y e cōmunion of the bodye and bloud of oure Lorde Iesu Christ al those men or women that are to fore named And as thys candle which mē vse is quenched and put oute so let their light be quenched and put oute worldes withoute ende excepte they amende and make satisfaction So be it So be it AMEN The priest must take hede sayth the olde written boke that he reade not on the foresayde sondayes the generall sentence at masse time after y e Gospel as certain vndiscrete priests do by this meanes interrupting the masse but he shal read it either immediatly after the aspersion or sprinckling of y e holy water or els after the procession Hereafter followeth a treatise of the articles of the generall greater curse found among other old bokes at Cantorbury in the parishe church of S Paule In the yeare c 1562. GOod men and women it is ordayned by the councell of al holy church fyrst of oure holy father the pope of Rome and his Cardinalls and by all hys councel and sithen of al Archbyshops and Byshops and by all the Clergye of holye church y t euery man of holy churche y t hath cure of mans soule that is to say persons vicares and paryshe priests should shewe among hys parishoners foure tymes of the yeare the articles that bene written in the generall sentence that is to saye the poyntes that longen to the greate curse The one daye is the fyrst sondaye of Aduente The second day is the fyrst Sonday in cleane lenton The thirde daye is the sondaye next after Whitsontide And the fourth day is the next sonday after the Assumption of our Ladye And the poyntes muste openly bee taught and shewed to the people or leude men y t they maye knowe the greate mischiefe and disease thereof y t no man or womā should be perished for defaulte of learning ne haue matter to excuse hem by Wherefore ye shoullen vnderstande at the beginning y t thys worde Curse is thus much to say as departing fro god and al good workes Of two manner of cursing holy church telleth The one is cleped the lesse curse The other is cleped the more curse That we clepen the lesse curse is of this strength y t euery man and woman y t falleth therin it departeth hym froe al the Sacraments y t beene in holy Churche y t they maye none of hem receaue tyll they bee assoyled for ryghte as a swearde departeth y e head or y e lyfe from y e body right so as to saye ghostlich Curse departeth mans soule fro god fro al good workes The more curse is much worse is of this strength for to departe a man fro God and fro all holy church and also fro y e company of all Christen folke neuer to be saued by y e passion of Christ ne to bee holpen by the Sacramentes that bene done in holy Churche ne to haue parte with any Christen man ● Clerkes sayen that a childe before that he is christened it hath a wicked spirite dwelling within hym in hys soule the whiche wicked spirite is halsed or coniured or caste out of hym thorowe the prayer of the prieste before the churche dore when it shall be christened The which sacrament of baptisme is groūded in holy writ and is beginning of al other sacramentes and was veriliche betokened in the passion of oure Lord Iesu Christ by water that ranne oute of hys side from
longeth to And all secular iustices or iudges y t bene in offices and han the lawe to kepe when they be proued and required to doe her office in helping of the people y t han suffered wronges and harme but if they do rightfulnesse and truth by her cōming be they learned mē or leude els they ben accursed And al thoe y t ben wedded together against the lawe of God and of holy churche in degrees that bene forbidden as in consanguinitie or in affinity or gossibred And all that bene professed in any religion and broken out of her order and become wedded men or women Also priestes y t beene within holy orders forsaken her order and be comen wedded and al y t procuren helpen or assenten therto And al that knowen in matrimonye when it shall be made anye great defaulte or letting but if they by some way doe holy church to know it And when any churche or chappell is suspended or interdited by lawe they bene accursed openly that constreynen any priest for to sing therin or by ringing of bells or by any other waye maken hem to heare masse that beene openliche accursed by name And also when any man of holy church by commission doeth oute of holy Churche or curseth any man or woman and nameth hym by name on holy church behalfe that he goe oute of the Churche while masse gods seruice is in doing but if he do his bidding he is accursed And also al y t maynteynen hem or bidden hem holde them stil in the church and none of them may be assoyled but by y e court of Rome And al y t her goods geuen in drede of death in fraude of holy church or to forbarre her dettes and al thoe also y ● such giftes taken or coūcelen or helpen thereto bene accursed Also al thoe y t letten Prelates or Ordinaries or Chapiter for to enquire of synne there nede is for helpe or health of mans soule And al thoe y t against y e lawe of holy church byen or sellen any benefice of holy church And all y t byen or sellen holy orders or falsely stelen 〈◊〉 thoe bene accursed y t maken any ●ate or plee in y e patronage wherethorowe the very patrone is let of hys ryght And al y t breken any point of the Kings great Charter or els any point of the Charter of the forest in whiche bene writtē the fredomes of this land y e diuerse Kings han graunted both to learned to leude In the great Charter bene contayned .xxxv. poyntes and y e Charter of the forest comprehendeth xv points vt in tractatu vocato Pars oculi in prima parte et in tract vocat Regimen animarum in prima sui parte plenius continetur Also al men and women y t which in perill of death bene assoyled or in any other perils of hym y t hath not power by lawe oute of peril of death to assoyle hem assone as they be recouered but they take absolution of hym that hath power to assoyle hem they turnē agayn bene in the same curse as thei wer before worse for● vnbuxumnesse Al y t bene open lechouris open aduouteris cōmon wemen all thoe y t wittingly and quietly defend them y t they be not punished by the law after monishing vpon paine of cursing y t no man let them house to hire ne receaue hem into her house after the time that they be knowen Also al that comynen with hem that bene accursed in eating drinking in receauing in helping in fauouring but only in hope to bring hem to amendment And all Okereris and vsureris that is to say if man or woman lende good or cattell to her neighbour for to take aduaūtage for her lending and thoe y t it maintaine assenten to such geuing or taking or filling y e derer therfore And if there wer such one in a city y e citye should be interdited and no masse ne sacramente done therein till he were out of the citie And all thoe y e maken when vsurye is taken that it bee not restored agayne And al that beleuen on witchecraftes or vsen it And all that wilfully sleen hemselfe or ells any man woman or childe and all witches and all y t on witchecrafte beleuen maynteinen or vsen Also al that heresye maynteinen or sustaynen and all heretikes that beleuen not in the sacrament of the alter the whiche is Christes owne bodye hys fleshe and bloud in forme of bread and in other Sacramentes of holye Churche y t touchen health of soule And all thoe women that distroyen her owne children or any other womans children wyth drinkes or with any other witchcraft eyther wercke vnleefull And all y e fadren her children wrongfulliche on any man for malice or couetesie And all y t her children wilfulliche sleen or castē awaye or leyen at churches or Church doores or at hospitalls or in fieldes or in high wayes or leauen her children christened or vnchristened and goen away from hem and forsaken hem And all thor that offeringes that bene offered in holy Church or in chappels or in oratories or in any other stead within a paryshe with holden or putten away into other places agaynst the will of y e person vicarye or curate but if thei be priuileged Also Iohn Stratford sometime Archbyshop of Cantorburye hauing regarde to muche harme of mans soule and default of deuotion thorowe vilanye and synne y t weren vsed done about dead bodyes ligging vp yet is vsed about in many places or the body be borne to church there y t sometyme weren vsed and ordained about a corse for holy prayers for the soule now it is forbidden by constitution vpō paine of y e great curse that no mā vndirsong or take any folke into his house where the dead bodies bene watched to make any māner plaies but pray for y e soule And al y t there ought ells done or thither comen than to bidde for the soule thei mowen drede of y e same curse And al y e vsen simonye or geuen or vndersongen in way of simonie Al sacrilegiers y t is to say al y e wrongfulliche doen away any thing halowed or geuen to holy church ligging to be kept where 〈◊〉 it be or that any thing w t violence beare out of holy church al y t this procuren or assentē Also al thoe y ● doen in holy church or in holy place any foule sinne wherfore it hath nede to be newly halowed or reconciled Also all thoe y t withholden any mans good vniustly wetingly that hath bene axed openly in holy church three times And al that in violence lien hand or drawen bloud on father or mother and y t is to vnderstand both of bodilich ghostlich but it be himself defendāt And al y t helpē the Sarazens against Christē mē in warre of armes or in
any other thing Also al thoe that letters purchasē in any lords courte that no processe of right may be determined ne iudged in holy churche courte Also al thoe y e bloud drawen of any man or woman in violence or in any other vilonye in churche or in the churchyarde where thorowe y e churche or churchyarde is interdited polluted or suspended And all robbers rouers by day or by night that any mās good stelen for the whiche goodes a mā or woman were worthye to heare iudgement And al those that out of houses of holy church graunges personages or vicaries or any maneries of mens of holy church agaynst her will or her kepers wil any māner of goodes with violence beren out of holy place church or abbey or any house of religiō which weren lefte there for sikernesse or succour for to kepe all that therto assenten Also al thoe that withholdē a wydow her right or her dowry after her husbandes death or taken her good wrongfully All that procuren or geuē leue or commaundement any other to flea or to maime or to beate or by any other waye a greue any Ordinarye or iudge of y e lawe in body or in goods Al these aforesayd bene accursed with the greater curse Et cetera Many other pointes also longen vnto this greate sentence but I trowe to God it be no neede to rehearse here no mo Et sic finitur BUt thorowe authoritie of oure Lord God almightye our Lady S. Marye and all Saintes of heauen of all Aungells or Archeaungells Patriarches and Prophetes Euangelists Apostles Martyrs Confessours and Virgines also by y e power of all holy church y t oure Lord Iesu Christ gaue to S. Peter We denounce all thoe accursed y t we haue thus reckned to you And all thoe y e mayntayne hem in her sinnes or geuen hem thereto eyther helpe or councell so that thei bee departed from God and all holye churche and that they haue no parte of the passion of our Lord Iesu Christ ne of no Sacramentes that beene in holye Church ne no parte of the prayers among Christen folke but y e they bee accursed of God and of holy church fro the sole of theyr foote vnto the crowne of her heade sleapyng and wakyng sitting and standing and in all her wordes and in all her workes and but if they haue grace of GOD for to amende hem here in this life for to dwel in the payne of hel for euer withouten ende Fiat Fiat Do to the boke Quenche the candle Ring the bell AMEN AMEN Here folowe certayne Fragmentes of papistrye WE haue tofore heard where we entreated of the Lordes supper howe y e Pope Innocent the thyrde ordayned that the mysterye of Christes bodye otherwise called the sacramental bread should be kepte in churches continuallye vnder locke and keye to the entent to bee in a redinesse at all tymes leaste sayeth he they that are sicke shoulde wante y e spirituall comforte in the troublesome tyme of death Some curious fellowe peraduenture will here demaund why the sacramental wine is not also reserued and hanged vp as well as y ● bread seing Christ gaue thys generall commaundemente and sayde Drinke ye all of thys To thys question aunswereth Guilielmus Durandus saying The bloud of Christ is not reserued and kept for diuerse causes The fyrst is bycause wine which is liquide may easely thorowe negligence be spilt The seconde is bycause y t by the chalice whiche is on Maundye thursdaye receaued the ende of the olde lawe is vnderstanded The third is bicause y e body y t is reserued is not without bloude The fourth is that in y e the bloud is not reserued it is declared y e the olde sacrifice ought to cease For the bread signifyeth the newe testament but the wine signifyeth y e old testament To make euident pr●se of this matter the Lord when he ha● dronke sayde Consumatum est It is finished Therfore the chalice is receaued and the bread is reserued bycause the lawe hath now his ende the Gospel hath his beginning The fift cause is bycause Christ at the Lordes supper sayd Uerely I say vnto you I wil not from henceforth drinke any more of this frute of the Uine til I drinke that newe in the kingdome of my father He spake not of the body or of eatyng Yea we fynde that afterwarde he dyd eate part of the broyled fyshe and also of the hony combe but we do not finde that he euer dronke after Durandus in Rat. di off Lib. 6. Cap. 79. No bodye or Corps ought to be buried in the Churche or nigh vnto the place where the body and bloud of the Lorde is made but the bodyes of holye fathers whiche are called Patroni that is to saye defenders whiche thorowe theyr worthye and noble actes defende all the countreye Agayne Byshops and Abbottes and worthye Priestes and laye men whiche be of most highe holynesse As for all other they oughte to be buryed aboute the churche as in the yarde or in the porch or in y e voltes and suche lyke places as are nigh vnto the Churche Durandus in Ratio di off Lib. 1. When any Churche is to be halowed thys order muste be obserued Fyrst all the people muste departe out of the Church and the Deacon must remaine there onely hauyng all the doores shut faste vnto hym The Byshop with the Clergye shall stande withoute before the Churche doore and make holy water mingled with salt In the meane season within the churche there muste be set vp .xii. candles brennyng before xii crosses that are appoynted vppon the churche walles Afterwarde the bishop accompanied with the Clergye people shall goe thrice aboute the church without and the bishop hauing in hys hande a staffe with a bunche of Ysope on the ende shall with the same cast holy water vpon y e church walles and at euery time the bishop shal come vnto y e church dore strike y e threshold therof with his Crossierstaffe and say Tollite portas Principes vestras et eleuami●i portae aeternales et introibit Rex gloriae That is Lifte vp your gates O ye Princes and be ye lyfte vp O ye euerlasting gates the King of glorye shal enter in Then shal the Deacon or minister that is within saye Quis est iste Rex gloriae That is Who is thys king of glorye To whom the Byshop shall aunswere and saye Dominus fortis et potens Dominus potens in praelio That is It is the Lord strong and mightie euē y e Lord mightye in battayle At y e third time the Deacon shall open the church doore and the Byshop shall enter into the churche accompanied with a fewe ministers the clergye and the people abiding still without Entring into the church the Byshop shall saye Pax hui● domui That is Peace be vnto thys house And afterward the Bishop with
Corpus Christi The beginning of the feast of Corpus Christi The doctrine of the festiual concerning the feaste of Corpus Christi Pardon be longyng to the feast of Corpus Christi Midsommer day The Inuētion of the Crosse. The exaltacion of the Crosse. The transfiguration of oure Lorde The doctrine of the festiuall Thassmu●ion of our Lady Michelmasse day Dedicatiō daye or Churche holy day The feaste of al saint● The feaste of al soules The beginnyng of the feast of all Soules The cōceptiō and presentatiō of mary with the feastes of Aun● Ioseph Fraunces The visitacion of Marye Candelmasseday The feasts of the foure Euangelistes and of the foure Doctours Sonday A godlye lawe and worthy to be obserued This godly decree is s●lenderly obserued in Englande A generall rule for holy dayes The cōceptiō of mary The Annunciation of Mary The visitatiō of mary The beginning of saintes making Dominik● Fraunces Anthonye de padua Fryers Elizabeth ▪ Saintes Clara Peter Marter Stanislaus Saintes Lewes byshop of Colossa T●of Aquine Thomas byshop of Hereforde Saintes Bernardine the Grayfrier sainted Uincent Edmunde● Osmunde saintes Katerine sainted Iuo a saint Bonauenture a saint Bernarde a saint Heliopolde a saint Hughe of Lincolne a saint Hedwigis a saint Brigit a saint Vuolfgang a saint Iohn Gaulbert a saint Hughe the Monke a saint Lewes King of Fraunce a saint Edmund Peter de verona sainted Nicolas de Toleto a saint Pope Celestine a saint Charles y e great sainted Fraunces a sainte Thomas Becket sainted Of Beckettes translation Note A new idol set vp Becket the popes martyr saint A lousye saint an vnclenly Beckets penaunce very homely None saintes but such as the pope admi Swarmes of saintes The popes Sainctes ☜ Reliques set out to sale Reliques honoured Sainctes bones honored with Masses Hands of Shrines A good and godly acte but not profitable for the Popes market The anaūce● of Pilgrimages Pilgrimages ma●e not be hindred Pilgrimes may not be euill entreated Gregorye the firste a greate promoter of pardons Popes pardons nets for money and allurements vnto vice The ye●●● of Iubile A prophecye The yeare of Iubile altered ☞ Stations Christes natles worshipped Greate giftes for so litle labour Pardon beades Stringing of beades Note these scholepoīts The fyue Pardons beades The pardō that belōg to y e ●eads Bostō pardon Ghostly father Uowes chaunged Seruice neglected pardoned An ante di● The chappel of Scal● caeli Purgato●● White meates Fleshe Buriall Large promises They al at ●ow by the word of god brought to nought according to 〈◊〉 prophecy of christ Euery plāt that my heauenly ●ather hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the rootes The price of y e pardon The pardō of s Trinitye of hoūdeslowe Pardōs innumerable and good cheape ▪ Graciously considered Pardon of the Austen Friers Burton Lazare ▪ The pardō of Sainet Mary of ●unciuall ☞ Giue and it shall be giuen to you Giue money and the smoke of Rome shall be giuē to you The pardō of Saint Iohn of Beuerlay ☞ The pard●● of Saint Cornelis at We●●minster The sepulchre pardon̄ S. Erasmus pardon Fiue special giftes Money is the Marchant in all the popes affayres What is to be done that wee may haue true pardō What the popes pardons are Esay lv Math. xi Apoc. xxii Iere. ii Psal. xi The inuetour of the popes purgatory is not knowē The studie of Sathan The true purgatorye is y e bloud of Christ. The popes purgatorye diuersely maintained Where purgatorye is Luke xv The varietye of papists in placing of purgatorye The tormentes of Purgatory 1. Cor. iii. Psal. 66. Dist. 7. cap. Nullus ☞ Serm. 41. de animabus What most greuous paynes there are in Purgatory Example Howe is this proued The infinite multitude of soules in Purgatorye ☜ Iob. xix Remedies deuised by the papists agaynst the tormē●s of Purgatory The churches Church militant Church trinu●phant Church expectant Prayer for soules in Purgatory ☞ Prayer almosse Fasting pilgrimage pardons and Masses deliuer soules out of Purgatorye The profit of euerye Masse The doctrine of the festiuall cōcerning soules in Porgatory Of prayer for soules A narratiō A straunge sight Well proued substauncially of Almosse deedes for soules A narratiō Of Masses for soules ▪ ☜ A narratiō An other narration prodicious wōderful The great vertue of the masse Ten remedies to deliuer soules out of purgatorye Candles Sensing of the altare Sprinckeling of holy water Prayer for the dead Oblations for y e soules departed Fastinges ▪ watchings c. Q. xiii c. ii Animae Paying the dets of the dead Offering vp of bread and wine Fulfilling of y e deades penaunce The celebration of masses A narratiō Monstri simili Missa wherof it is deriued The vertues of the masse ☞ A fond fansye of the papistes Spedy deliueraunce of soules out of purgatorye Note this tale All is not golde that glistereth A trentall of Masses and what they are Trinities of Masses The .xii. vertues of the masse Psal. 9● Luke xxiii Luke vii ☞ ☜ Math. vii The vertues of the masse out of y ● Festiual The vertue of the masse out of Stella Clericorum No coūcell of force without y e consent of the Pope Al bishops must be at a general councell A good an● necessary deuice Sene twice in the yere ☜ No coūcell lauful with out the consent of the Pope What is to be done if matters cānot be quietly cōposed in y e lesser Sinodes Appeare or elsaccursed The authoritie of the popes decrees Popes decrees equal w t the word of God All thinges ar subiect to the pope Popeiudge of al ▪ iudged of none ☜ A lawful general coūcel is abou● the pope The preeminence of the pope Heretikes banished Heretikes put to death by the secular power The temporall offices the ●opyshe Byshops butchers Ioan. viii ☜ Fraunces Martyrs Of the state of the faithful after this life Heretikes expelled out of the Churche A good law Note well The cōpanie of Heretikes is to be eschued auoyded The great councell Laterane Heretikes condemned to be committed to the seculer powers so put to death Priests degraded Prieste● goodes Laye men● goodes Suspect of heresie The temporall rulers sworn to roote out heretikes Note O tyranny A newe kinde of Heresie Heresiarch ▪ Dead men excommunicate The company of heretiques is to be eschued Understād by heretikes all suche as in anye point resiste the pope or his decrees No cōpany with excōmunicate persons Ioan. Ep. ii Spoylers of y e church excommunicate A good a godly law ☞ The names of excōmunicate persons published One excōmunicate person may not excommunicate an other Hinderers of pilgrimages or spoylers of pilgrimes accursed Smiters of byshops or priestes ▪ spoylers or burners of churches accursed Spoylers of pilgrimes Chaplens ▪ Clarkes monks c ▪ accursed Disobediēt to bishops accursed This pope mitigateth y ● rigor of y e ecclesiastical censure A frendly decree Thys is wicked Neither ba●●el better her ring The pope deposeth Princes Practise ▪ Destroyers of Abbeies excommunicate Preachers not authorised by the Pope or some bishop accursed No man ought to be excōmunicate before his matter be knowē Paiment of tythes ☞ The penaunce of him that hath slayne his mother What opinion of mariage had this Pope thinke ye A Pope more reasonable Note how loth the Popes are to go from their olde Mumsimꝰ A foolishe diuine of so wise a head 1. Cor. vii The penaunce of them that are negligent about the Sacrament of the Altare Beholde hys curiositye ☜ The penāce of the Clergy cōuicte of great fauts Penaunce dispensed with Penaunce enioyned of the ghostly Father A rule for penaunce A greate priuilege A reasonable order Note thys well Ioan. xi Sed perquā●egulam A decree not to be despised Absolution must be receaued knelyng Pope The colledge of Cardinals Holy lande Holy crosse Bishops Abbot● pr●ours mōks Chanons Friers nūnes c. Curates ▪ Persons Uicares Priestes Clarks c. The king Quene c. Duke Earles Barōs c Parisheners True tithers Tillers Shipmen Marchāts Benefactors of the Churche Pilgrimes and Palmers Sicke persons Women in our Ladies bondes The holye bread giuer Prayeng for soules departed The three estates of holy church The generall sētence red foure tymes in the yeare What cursing is Enemies to holy church are fyrst accursed as most greuous offendours ▪ ☜ ☞ In Popish Churches all thynges are in Latib besydes surfyng ☞ A Caueat What this word curs● signifyeth Two manner of curses The lesser curse ☜ The more curse Note ☜ Wakings Reasons why the sacramental wine is not reserued in churches as y e sacramentall bread is Buriall The order of halowing churches The vertue of holy water The order of halowing altares The popes power The pope is Melchizedech Ioan i Psa cxlviii ▪ Gene xix Exod. vii Ioan ii ▪ Miracles This man for lacke of scripture to proue hys popysh trāsubstantiation fleeth to carnall reasons fleshly similitudes as al other papistes doe A wise reason and a cupstantial 4 Reg. iiii The ●biqu●●ty of christs bodye The monstrous and vnreasonable doctrine of transubstantiation Fabula sin● capite An homely shifte and a soule Corin. xii Why y e host is lifted vp aboue the priests head Phil ii Rom x Amōstrous kinde of doctrine Chebbiquity of christ●● bodye The signe of the crosse helpeth forward transubstātiatiō ☜ What is to be done if gods bloud be frosen in the chalice An h●e point in a lowe house i. Corin. ii Titus i. Sacramentes iustifye after the doctrine of the papists Howe the sacrament is to be eaten The masse excelleth al prayses done to god Mary ledeth to heauen Prayer vnto Marye the Uirgin Suffrages of saintes Fasting Crosse. Confirmation or smering of the infantes forehead The greate vertue of cōfirmation Note Mary oure intercessour Three degrees of soules Soules maruelouslye good Soules maruelously euill Soules meanely euill Soules in purgatorye knowe what is done for thē in thys worlde Soules in heauen know what is done here