your purpose for that your priuate masse is nothinge lesse then necessitée In necessitée many thinges may be graunted that otherwyse are not tollerable The thiefe that Christe at his death witnessed should be with him in Paradise was neuer baptised beinge excluded by necessitie The auncient histories make menciou of diuers martirs that died before they weare baptised beinge excluded by necessitee And yet is this sentence neues the lesse true Baptisme is necessarie to a christian man Likewise if wes should graunte your case of necessitee yet is this sentence alway true The supper of the Lorde in the ordinary vse of it ought of necessitie to haue communicants to be partakers of it But ye shall heare the foundacion of our proffes againste sole receiuinge by the priest in place of ministery and they shall not bee gaily garnished with colours and amplifications to make theim appere more goodly then they be but plainly and nakedly set for the that euen the meanest may see what force and strength they haue For I write not this so muche to you whom I know not as to an number partely of vnlearned persons partly yonge men leaâ—â—ed but not much conuersant in the scriptures to whose hand these your writinges beinge brought hathe boone greater face of proffe then any man meanly conuersante in the controuersées of this time can acknowledge to be in them Our proufe is this In the celebration of this Sacramente of the Prouffes againste priuate masse out of the scripture Lordes Supper wee ought to doo that only and nothing els that Christ the aucthour of it did in his institution But in Christes institution appeareth neither sole receiuinge nor ministring vnder one kinde Therfore in celebration of this Sacrament neither sole recounâ—â—ge nor minystringe vnder one kinde ought to bee vsed The maior is Saincte Ciprian proued at large and much staied vpon in his Epistle ad ceâ—isium de sacramento sanguinis in the beginninge wherof he seemeth to signifie that by inspiracion hee was admonyshed of God to aduertise men only to doo us Christe did in the institution of his Sacrament I thought if saith hee both godsy and necessary to write if any man continew in this errour he meaneth vsing water only in the Sacrament in stede of wine that he seing the fighte doe veturne to the roote and beginninge of the lordes ordinance and institution And thinke not that I doe this vpon my owne phantasie or any humayne iudgement c. but when one is charged by the inspiration and commanndmente of god it is necessary for a faithful seruant to obey beyng hofden excused with all men because he taketh nothinge vpon hym arrogantly that is compessed to feare the displeasure of god if he doe not as he is bidde Doe you know therefore that we be admonished that in offeringe the sacrament of the lorde bloud his owne institution should be kepte and no other thinge bee done then that the lorde dyd first for vs him selfe No man can make any exception to this proposition onlesse he wyll cleane weaken Cyprians reason againste those abusers of the Sacrament And then shal we haue no ground to stay vpon but euery glose or interpretation vpon humayne pretenses shal be admitted This assertion of Cyprian is confirmed by Ambrose vppon the first to the Corinthes There hee saith that they receiue the Sacrament vnworthely whiche celebrate otherwise then the Lorde deliuered it For he saith Ambrose cannot bee deuouie which presumeth to doe it otherwise then the aucth our hathe taughte Yea and addeth that we shall make an accompte howe we haue vsed it For the proofe of the Minor let vs consider the historie therof as it is set out in the Euangelistes In the celebration of the Sacramente vsed by Christe there appereth two partes the mattier and the forme The mattier is bread the body of Christe wine and the bloud of Christ of which hee that altereth or taketh away any doth alter and maime christes institution as appereth by Ciprian The forme of ministringe the Sacramente must be taken out of Christes doinges At that time it was taken blessed with thankes geuinge broken distributed eaten dronken charge geuen to remember Christe and his death Therfore hee that altereth or taketh away any of these things maimeth the forme of christes institution and breaketh Ciprians rule Moreouer the force of these wordes Gaue to them present doth binde to a company because it signifieth a bestowinge of the death of christe not to one but to many Therefore in Luke he geueth an expresse commaundmente of distributinge as hee doeth of eating and drinking saying Take you this and deuide it amonge you But howe can he deuyde it it there bee not a company to receiue it onlesse we should to the deludinge of Christes ordeinance make suche a phantasticall breakynge and deuiding as you doo in your masse For therin by Sergius decrée ye breake it into thrée partes th one of which ye let fall into the wine which there soked signisieth the body of Christ raysed from death and sittinge in the glory The other drie parte that the pryeste eateth signifieth the body of Christ beinge vpon the earth The thirde parte which is wonte to tary on the aulter to the ende of masse signifieth the deade in the Sepulchers vntill the daye of iudgement O great vanities wherewith God punisheth the rashnes of folishe men folowynge their owne phantasies and leauing his holy word But to returne to the proofe of the mattier I wyll folow Cipryans example and confirme the maner of Christes institution by the testimony of S. Paul In him I finde two argumentes One is in these wordes Vnus panis vnum corpus musti sumus Nam omnes de eodem pant participamus Which wordes the holy fathers interpreting cal the Lordes holy supper a Sacramente of vnitée Because that as the breade consisteth of many graines and the wine made of many grapes so wée that bee partakers of that one loffe and one cuppe should be knit together in loue and charitée as the members and partes of one mistical body Wherfore Chrisostome noteth that it is not sayde this eateth of one breade and hee of another but all be partakers of one breade and addeth why we be one loffe and one body Because of the common participacion that we haue of the sacrament This significacion is cleane taken away by priuate masse the vse wherof may séeme rather to be a Sacrament of separation and dispension as after shall more appere The seconde argumente out of Sainct Paul is where to the Corinthê he reprehendeth the abuse of the lords Supper brought in by dissension and factions that weare amonge them Wherby it came to passe that one company would not tary for another to communicate but one sort would receiue with out another Against this abuse hee allegeth the institution of Christ signifienge the same to be against such receiuinge in partes and therfore exhorteth them to tary vntill the
enim apostoli statuerunt sancta Romana tenet ecclesia After consecration saith hee let all be partakers which wil not be excommunicate For so the Apostles decreed and the holy churche of rome obserued The same wordes by some are attributed to Calixte Doo you not heare excommunication threatned to all that doo not communicate Doo you not heare that the Apostles decreed it and the holy church of Rome obserued it And wil you yet stand so stubburnly in your assertion that there was priuate masse in the primatiue church Wil you haue better witnesses of that time then Iustine then Dionisius then Anacletus then Calixte then the other holy fathers before mencioned would Ambrose haue blamed the people for not resortinge to the sacramente dayly Would Chrisostome haue saide that they which be present and not receiue doo wickedly and impudently Would they haue commonly vsed as Iustine saith to send to those that could not be present if Christes institution and the maner of the prymatiue churche had ben such that the minister might celebrate alone without callinge or offeringe and people without offence bee present and not communicate as you of longe time haue vsed it Surely say what you wyll and alledge as ofte as you liste the aucthoritée of your holy mother the churche of Rome so many hundred yeres I thinke very few that haue feare of god and care of their saluation wyl geue credite vnto you Especially seinge you can bringe no better testimonies for your purpose then in this defence you haue vsed Agaynst coÌ„munion vnder one kinde An other poincte that you picke out of these aucthorities of Tertul. and Cyprian is for ministrynge vnder one kinde wherein wée haue the institucion of Christe expresly against you as wée had in the other For in the Euangelistes and S. Paule wée se testified that Christ tooke breade and gaue with it his body and afterwarde tooke the cuppe and gaue with it his bloud and willed them to obserue vse the same Here you muste of necessitie flée to your â—lde place of refuge that is that to receiue vnder bothe kindes is not of the substance of the sacrament but such a thynge as may be altered by spirituall gouernours For Christes bodie say you is not without his bloud therfore he that receiueth his body vnder forme of breade receiueth his bloud also Per concomitantiam Therfore you say the people is not defrauded of that Christes will was that they shoulde receiue yea and for good consideracions honorable to the bloud of Christ they receiue it more conuenient then vnder bothes kindes O profounde and déepe sette reason wherin you séeme to make your selfe wiser than Christe him selfe that ordeined the sacrament While you will séeme with your gay gloses to glorifie the bloud of Christe you cleane take away the right forme and maner of his sacramente These are the vanities wherwith God iustly doeth punish you for your rashenesse in leauyng his worde and folowyng the phantasies of your owne braine But it should haue béen your obedience to Goddes worde to consider that the communion of Christê body and bloud is not the worke of nature in this Sacrament For what so euer is here geuen in these thynges is to be taken by faith and is offered to vs in the wordes of Christes promisses So much is geuen vs as God appoincted to giue Of whose will and pleasure wée know no more then his wordes declare vnto vs. But Christ as I saied tooke twoo partes of the sacrament in one of the whiche he saied wée shoulde be partakers of his body in the tother of his bloud and lefte his prescripte and appoincted wordes as well for the tone as for the tother Wherfore wée must more trust him than mans subtill deuise You alledge a perpetuall societie of the body and bloud whiche ye call Concomitantiam It is your owne deuise and not Christes promisse in his sacrament In Christes naturall body that is in heauen I know his flesh is not without his bloud But in the sacramente whiche is no naturall worke how will you assure me that the flesh and bloud is ioinctly signified and geuen to mee vnder one parte onely seyng Christ himself who knew as wel as you the ioincte condicion of his flesh and bloud did notwithstandyng in twoo sundrie external thinges geue the communion of them to his disciples Therefore the faieth of the communicantes in the tone parte receiueth the body of Christe trustynge to Christes promisses The same faith in the other parte receiueth the bloud beléeuyng also our sauiours wordes therin It hath respecte to Christes wordes and promisses it looketh not how the body and bloud is in Christe naturally What grounde shal our faith haue if we leaue the worde of God Oh ye will say our holy mother the churche hath so ordeined it Yea but I say to you that if your mother the churche of Rome be the folde of Christe and if the shéepe therof be his shéepe they will heare his voyce and obey his worde If they doo not alledge the name as ofte as ye wyll I will say you be shéepe of an other folde and not of his For he saith Oues meae vocem meam audiunt He saith not they heare them selfe their owne deuises but they heare my voyce Remember what Cyprian saith Only Christe is to be hearde in this And wee must not looke what other did before vs but what Christe did before all other When we doubt we must haue recourse to the order taken by Christe and by the Apostles in their wrytinge But ye will say the churche hath aucthoritie to alter diuers thinges especially beyng indifferent and not of the substance of the sacramente Yea but Cyprian saith the preceptes of this sacrament bee Grandia magna And if he be called least in the kingdome of god that altereth one of the least commaundementes what shal be sayd of him that taketh awaye these great and weightie commaundementes Ciprian wrate against those that were called Aquarij water drinkers which vsed only water in stede of wine in the ministration of the sacrament But they offended not so much as you doe For they altered only the licour and that vppon holy considerations They kepte the wordes and promysses of Christe But you take away the one parte cleane and leaue out the wordes and moste comfortable promysses of Christes bloud to bee shed for vs. If then Cyprian were so earnest againste those vsers of water in stéede of wyne how muche more earnest woulde hee haue ben againste this maner if it had ben common in his time Here those places that you recite may séeme to helpe you and to make againste vs. For where Tertullian speaketh of the Paynimes wife hee mencioneth bread only And wheÌ„ Ciprian reporteth that the woman kept the lordes body in her coffer it may séeme to be vnder one kinde These are but coniectures and the same very vncertaine For oftentimes in the
doctours where one kinde is mencioned both are vnderstanded as after shal more appere But to make this more probable you alledge afterwarde oute of Ambrose the hystorie of Satyrus his brother that hanged the sacrament aboute his necke in a stole as you call it when in a shipwarke he leaped into the sea whiche must néedê be informe of bread onely because neither our brayne nor yours can deuyse which way wyne can be in such an instrument inclosed Surely if wée had not knowen before that you had nothing in the aunciente fathers directly to mainteine your maymynge of Christes sacrament this your coniectural gatherynges and surmisinge reasons woulde most euidently declare it to be true Woulde a man thinke that any hauyng the feare of God woulde in so weightie mattiers either grounde his owne conscience or séeke to confirme others by suche féeble proofes and argumentes Is not this a stronge reason thinke you Satyrus S. Ambrose brother in extreame danger of shipwrake purposing to leape into the sea tooke of one that was in the ship only the sacramente of the Lordes body and tied it aboute his necke therfore in the primatiue churche in ministration of the sacramente they gaue onely one kinde vnto the laytie Though it had ben here mencioned that Satyrus had in this extremitée receiued one kinde alone it had bene no argument to proue that it might orderly bee vsed in the churche But as Ambrose signifieth this Satyrus at that time was but as I might say a nouice in Christian religion not so farre instructed in the faith that hee was as then admitted to the communion of the Lordes supper And therfore hee had not the sacramente aboute him selfe but tooke it of other christian men that were there Which whether they were ministers or other the place maketh no mencion but that it calleth them Initiatos That is such as in the congregation were admitted to the communion Neither is there any thinge to the contrary but that the same persons whiche had the sacrament of our Lordes body had also aboute them the sacrament of the bloud either in some conuenient vessel or els after some other fashion as dyuers of simplicitie vppon a zeale at that tyme vsed That is either by sokinge the sacramente of the body in the wyne or els by moystinge a linnen-cloth in the sacrament of the bloud and so carying it with them For euen as I signified before that persecution and trouble of the churche at the beginninge draue some to receiue at home in their houses in like maner the same troublous time and other cases of necessitie with feruencie of zeale caused men to seke other shifts also and to doo those things by simplicitie vpon zeale at a time that in the common vse of the sacramentes they coulde not doo accordinge to the worde of god Therfore as some learned and holy meÌ„ for the time did winke and beare with suche thinges so afterwarde other euen as holy and profoundly learned did mislike and reproue the same As for example when men did trauaile any daungerous iourney and for zeale and deuotion would haue the sacrament with them because they could not conueniently cary wine with them that they might go as nighe to Christes institution as might be they would soke the sacrament of our Lordê body in the bloud Some other would moyste a linnen cloth in the sacrament of bloud as I said before and kepe it to moyste with water when they would receiue Some that either of nature could not or for religion would not drinke wine at other times vsed only water Some vppon other consideracions vsed milke for wine in the sacrament Some were perswaded that in such cases men might vse one kynde Wherfore to sicke men or children they would vse wine alone But the particular cases of a few ought not to be taken for a general rule of the holy churche Neither those thinges which some did as Ciprian termeth it vppon simplicitie by sufferance should be brought as testimonies what the church either then did or ought nowe commonly to doo For a man may well doubte whether these shiftes that men in necessitie did vse beside the institution of Christ were acceptable to god or no although dyuers of them might séeme to procede of a feruent zeale and to bee done of good and godly men It appereth in Cyprian that many of them that vsed water for wine were godly men and yet by zeale and simplicitie did erre Therfore hee saith of them in this manner If any of our predicessours either by ignorance or simplicitie did not obserue and kepe that whiche the lorde by his example and instruction did teach vs to doe by gode mercy his simplicitie may be pardoned But we cannot be forgeuen which be instructed admonyshed by the lorde to doe as he dyd c. The godly and holy fathers dyd beare in many poyntes with the zeale and simplicitie of a number in that tyme. Wherfore those examples cannot bee brought iustly to proue the common maner vsed in the primatiue churche which by manifest testimonies I wyll a lytle after declare to haue be farre otherwyse in the same times that these thinges were done That the same thinges before rehearsed were not generally allowed it may appeare by this that when the church was setled they did forbid those things and bound them so nigh as might bee to Christes institution Hereof ye haue example in Iulius his decrées 1. Hom. Conc. Wher all the fashions before recited are expressely forbidden Wee heare saith he that some led with schismaticall ambition in the diuine misteries doe consecrate milke for wine some serue to the people the sacrament of the body moysted in the bloud as a perfite communion other offer in the sacramente of the lordes cuppe the iuice of grapes squised some diepe a linnen cloth in the wine and kepe all the yere Therefore saith he henceforth it shat not be lawful for any in their sacrifice to offer any other thinge but only the cuppe mixed with water and wine Gelasius also after him euen as flatly forbad receiuing vnder one kinde sayinge We finde that some takinge a portion of the fordes body refuse the cuppe whiche because I know not of what superstition they doe it either let them take the whole sacrameÌ„t or be kept from the whole For the diuision of this mistery cannot be without great sacrilege Here you sée that Gelasius doth count it and cal it sacrilege to receiue vnder one kinde and your sorte contrary to this affirme it to be Herisie if a man say the people should receiue vnder both kindes of bread and wyne If you would rightly haue proued your ministringe to the laytie in one kynde you shold not haue brought coniectures vppon suche rare chaunses as may séeme for the tyme to be borne with rather then alowed but you should haue shewed some playne and euident examples that it was in the primatiue church commonly vsed in celebration of
Chrisostome saieth in whiche vessels is not the very body but the mistery of it For if those wordes were litterally to bee vnderstanded as you say then should the holy vessels that conteyne the sacramentes haue in them not only the mistery of Christes body and bloud but his very body really in dede Which Chrisostome denieth In the. 83. Homil. vpon Mathew the same doctour saith Si mortuus Iesus non est cuius simbolum aut signum hoc sacrificium est If Christ be not deade of whom is this sacrifice a figure and signe And vpon the. 22. psalm Vt quotidie in similitudinem corporis sanguinis Christi panem vinum secundum ordinem Melchisedech nobis ostenderet in sacramento That hee might dayly shew vs in the sacrament bread and wine accordynge to the order of Melchisedech as the similitude of his body and bloud As before hee vsed Symbolum signum misterium so he hath here Similitudinem Likewise Dionisius de ecclesiastica Hierarchia cap. 3. Per venerabilia signa Christus signatur sumitur By those reuerent signes Christe is signified and receiued Ambrose also De hijs qui imciantur misterijs cap. 9. Ipse clamat dominus Iesus Hoc est corpus meum Ante benedictionem verboruÌ„ caelestium alia species nominatur Post consecrationem corpus Christi significatur Our Lorde Iesus crieth this is my body Before the blessing of the heauenly wordes one kinde is named after consecratione Christes body is signified In the. 4. boke also De sacramentis cap â–ª 8 The same Ambrose saith Fac nobis hanc oblationem ascriptam rationabileÌ„ acceptabilem quod est figura corporis sanguinis domini nostri Iesu Christi Make to vs this offering alowable reasonable acceptable whiche is the figure of the body and bloud of our lord Iesus Christ Here he acknowlegeth the sacrament to bee a figure In the. 6. boke De sacrameÌ„tis cap. 1. He hath these wordes also Ideo in similitudinem quidem accipis sacramentum sed verae naturae gratiam virtutemque assequeris Therefore thou receiuest the sacrament as a similitude but thou atteinest the grace and vertue of the true nature in dede This sentence of Ambrose conteineth our whole doctrine of the sacramente of Christes body and bloud whiche is that it is a figure or signe of his body and yet not a bare or naked figure but suche a one as there by we atteine in déede the full grace and benefite of his body that suffred for vs and was crucified vpon the crosse and haue our soules fed and norished with the same to euerlastinge lyfe Origine vppon Mathew saieth Panis sanctificatus iuxta id quod habet materiale in ventrem abit in sesessum encitur c. The sanctified bread saith he according to that it hath material passeth into the bealy and is auoyded oute of the body But accordinge to the prayer that commeth to it it is profitable makinge that the minde vnderstandeth and hathe regarde to that is profitable Neither is it the matter of the breade but the word spoken ouer it that profiteth him which receiueth it not vnworthely And thus much haue I spoken of the typicall and figuratiue body Much also may be sayd of the liuely worde it selfe whiche was made fleash and very meat in deede whiche meate he that eateth shal surely liue for euer whiche no yll man canne eate c. Here note you firste that Origine saieth that the mattier of the consecrated breade of the sacrament passeth into the bealy and is auoyded out expresly againstâ— your interpretacion of Christes wordes wherby ye say the breade is transsubstantiate and no mattier of it leftâ— but onely accidencies Secondly that he calleth the sacrament Typicum symbolicum corpus the typicall and figuratiue body Thirdely that he affirmeth constantly that no ill man can eate the very flesh of the seconde person in Trinitie And yet that is one of the necessarie labels that your sorte doeth teache to depende vpon your wrongefull interpretacion of Christes wordê Wherfore Origine with this one sentence teareth of diuers of your counterfaited Labels that you stitche to Christes testamentes by drifte of reason without the warrant of his holy worde More ouer Austine de doctrina Christ lib. 3. cap. 9. After he hath declared that in the new Testamente God hath lefte vnto his people but few sacramentes and ceremontes and the same to be vnderstande not carnally seruilely accordyng to the letter and there for example hath mencioned baptisme and the celebracion of the Lordes body and bloud in the ende he addeth these wordes In whiche saith he as is folow the letter and to take the sygure for those thynges that are signified by them in a poincie of seruile infirmitie so to interprete the signes euill is the poincie of wandrynge erronâ— As he counteth it a fonde and wicked errour not to interprete the sigkes well and accordynge to Gods worde so by a streight litteral sence to take the signes for the thynges signified he esteemeth a seruile infirmitie What can be more plainly spoken against that interpretacion that you make vpon these woordes of Christe wherby you doo binde vs to a seruile litterall sence of this worde Js and in suche forte take the signes of this sacramente for the thinges signified as you affirme breade and wine whiche S. Augustine and the other Doctours call the externall signes cleane to be tourned into the body bloud of Christ The same Augustine contra AdimaÌ„rum Manich. The Lorde faieth this is my bobie when he gaue the signe of his body Also vpon the. 98. psal he speaketh in this maner Ye shall not eate that body that you se not ye shal not drinke that bloud that they shall shedde It is a misterie that I tell you whiche shal reliue you if you vnderstande it spiritually Wyll you not yet vnderstand from whence our men receiued this interpretacion will you not yet perceiue that wée sucked not it out of our owne singers but were led vnto it by the testimonies of holy scriptures and teachyng of these aucient fathers Will you not cease vniustly to bourden vs that wée cauill and dally vpon titles and sillables whereas your self in this sentence woulde driue vs to suche an vnderstandyng of this one sillable Js as the like is not in the whole Bible But ye will aledge for your selfe as you signifie in you writyng that Ambrose Cyprian Chrisostome and other auncient fathers haue in this case vsed the termes of transmutacion alteration conuersion transelementation c. Wherby they haue plainly declared theyr meaninge to bee as yours is and that no bread there remayneth but only the substance of Christes body True it is in déede that those holy fathers vsed such wordes not for that they were of your opinion but only to th end they might more reuerently as méete was and more liuely expresse the dignitie and effect of that heauenly mistery wherin Iesu
the sacrament the whiche are nothinge els but very accidentes the alteracion wherof doo lie in the discrecion of spirituall gouernours without damage or hurte doone to the substance of the sacrament or the vse there of and are to be compted amongest suche thinges as saincte Paule speaketh of when he wrote Cetera cum venero disponam I wil set the other thynges in order when I come But the greate matter you harpe on to haue companie together in one place to receiue at any time with the priest is because that in the vse of this sacrameÌ„t ther ought to be a coÌ„munioÌ„ 7. Cay And I pray you is not there a coÌ„munion among all christians in praier A. For in our praier we say our father not my father which arte in heauen thy wil be doon in earth as it is in heauen not in mée as it is in heaueÌ„ geue vs this day our daily bread wée say not geue mée this day my daily bread forgeue vs our trespasses wée say not forgeue mée my trespasses c. Whereby wée know that wée communicate in praier with all christendome beyng members of one misticall bodie of Christe And will you inhibite mée to say my Pater noster when I am alone in my chaumber voyde of companie to say with mée or will you shutte vp al christendome in some narow roome that thei may be togethers at one time to say the Lordes praier Or will you graunte that there may be a Communion in praier amongest all christians without any respecte to haue them together at one time in any one place and that there can be no communion in the vse of the Sacrament vnlesse all the communicantes be together in one place and at one time Haue you any scripture to leade you to say that the communion in the vse of the sacrament must of necessitée haue all the communicantes in one place at one time closse vp more then the coÌ„munion in praier One of the articles of the Créede is B. Credo sanctorum communionem I beléeue the communion of sainctes I beléeue wée haue communion in Baptisme in penance in confirmacion in extreme vnction in praier in fastyng in almes déedes And must all they that practise any of these be driuen to doo it at one place in one season or els to haue no parte of such a communion as there is comprised in these holy sacramentes Is this your doctrine Wher haue you these in scripture There is an olde doctour called Dionisius that teacheth vs why it is called a communion Not because it requireth vnitie and idemptitée of time and place in the communicantes but because al christians therby beyng liuely members of one body first are brought to an vnitée with Christe their head and then euery member with the misticall body and then euerie member with other So that in the workynge of this meruelous vnitée number time and place are no principall dooers but foreners and very strangers in déede And the place of Saincte Paule meaneth no lesse in the first to the Corinthes QuoniaÌ„ vnus panis vnuÌ„ corpus musti sumus omnes quideÌ„ de vno pane de vno casice participamus wherby wée here the christians are pertakers of one lofe and yet there is no one particular place able to receiue theÌ„ nor yet no one particular lofe able to serue theÌ„ Surely as touchinge your fancie to haue of necessitie the communicantes closed vp in one place there to be serued at one especial time C. or els to be no partakers of the communion it wil fal in processe of reasoning to so many follies that we must know how large the place muste be and how longe you wil appoinct the time apperteining to one communion And as for the place when the multitude of the communicantes are verie greate whether may be a communion betwixt him that receiueth at the Aulter in our Lady chapell in Paules and him that receiueth in the lowest place of the west ende of Paules church It there may why are they not partakers of one communion that receiue in twoo diuers churches in London not so farre distante the one from the other as our Ladie chappel is from the west ende of Paules And if they can not let vs knowe why and haue some scripture for proufe therof If they may why may not the communicantes be partakers of one communion in thrée churches and why not be partakers of one coÌ„munion in foure or fiue churches no further distant If not limit you then the furthest distance that a communion may be had in and bringe in scriptures doctours or any counsels to proue the limitacion and wée wil crie creake And in like maner wée may reason for the appoinctmente of time Appoincte you the longest time that a communion may be had and shew some good euidence for your limitacion And likewise we wil crie creake You driue men to these trifels that the worlde may know you hange in nifels Erasmus Roterodamus in his epistle that he wrote against false gospellers 8. Cap. reporteth how they were wonte in the olde time in the primatiue churche A. to deliuer euery one the sacrament in their handes to beare home with them and receiue it when their deuocion serued Obim saieth he corpus domini dabatur in manu vt domi cum vellent sumerent qui accepissent The Lordes body in olde time was deliuered into folkes handê to the entente that they who hadde taken it might receiue it when they woulde When diuers people tooke the Lordes body in their handes to receiue it at home in their seuerall houses when their deuocion serued them to receiue it are any yet so vnwise to thinke that they that so receiued it were either in one place coÌ„sidering their houses werâ— seuerall or at any one time consideringe the varietie of their deuocions willes purposes and trade of life Do you not se in these few wordes that the partakers of any one communion were not-wonte to be clogged to receiue it in any place or at any one especiall time Do not you manifestly heare a reseruacion of the sacramente confessed here And where as it was deliuered in their handes as wine is not vnderstande you not thereby a communion vnder one kinde But you will say it was but Erasmus reporte But I say he reported it as he founde in auncient writers And Erasmus pardie was wont to be a great man amongest you and do you so litle estéeme him now You haue ouerrun him I graunte as you haue doone Luther that was once your God B. Erasmus is not the first father of this reporte But Tertulian him selfe whiche florisshed not long after the Apostles time in his seconde â—ooke that he wrote to his wyfe reporteth no lesse How that the christian wife kepte it close from hir husbande beyng a Panime that she receiued euerie mornynge secretly before meate And if it so happed that he espied
it that he woulde thinke it were breade and not that which christian men tooke it to be Non sciet maritus quid secreto ante omnem cibum gustes Et si sciuerit panem non illum credit esse qui dicitur Thy husbande shall not know what thou doest eatâ— secretly before thy meate And if he do know it he beléeueth that it is breade and not he whome wée call it Ponder these wordes well and se whether it agréeth not with Erasmus reporte When the christian wife did secretly receiue the holy sacrament was there any company receiued with hir Can a thyng done in companie be secret Or coulde she kéepe close from the Panime hir husbande that thyng that should be often practised in any open assemblie Were not thinke you the panimes that at that time were the greater numbre diligent to searche what the christians did Séemeth it not in hir secret receiuyng before all meates that she reserued the sacrament at home to receiue it when she woulde And where Tertulian saieth that if it chaunced that her husbande knew what she eate he would thinke it to be bread makynge no mencion he woulde thinke it to bee wine and not the very body of Christ as the christians do confesse Furthermore séemeth not this woman to haue receiued it vnder one kinde For hir husband that saw hir eate the fourme of bread that was wonte to be first receiued woulde soone haue perceiued when she dranke the fourme of wyne that shoulde be immediately receiued after To conclude it appereth by these olde writers that this woman receiued alone without any company to receiue with hir And that she reserued the sacrament with hir at home to receiue at mutabitur sacro sanctum corpus christi sed virtus benedictio viuificatiua gratia magis in eo est They are then madde that saie the misticall benediction or blessing leaueth from the sanctification if any leauyng remaine of it till the next day For the very holy body of Christe shall not be changed But the power and vertue and the liuely quickenyng grace is continually abiding in it without company to receiue WheÌ„ ye heare Chrisostome tell of the dayly sacrifice when you heare the aunciente father Cirillus call them madde that denie the reseruacion when yée heare him say plainly and flatly that there is no alteracion in the very holy body of Christe though it be kept and the vertue and ful power of the consecracion and the liuely quicknynge grace doeth continew stil in the holy porcions that are reserued when S. Ciprian that holy martir maketh reporte of the holy sacrament reserued at home in the womans coffer to receiue when hir lust when deuocion serued hir and when he sheweth that God wrought the myracle in the stiryng of the fier from it because she thought to vse it vnreuerently to cause hir to forbeare When Tertulian afore that agréeth with the same and when Erasmus Roterodame a man famous in his time recordeth the matter as he had learned it of these holy fathers and other that the people receiued it in their handes receiued it at home receiued it when euery man saw his time Shal any man coÌ„tinue so impudent to denie that euer people vsed the soole receiuyng without company or deny the reseruacion The Scripture saieth In ore duorum vel trium c. Two or thrée witnesses are able to trie any matter and especially such witnesses as these are men of holy life aunciente fathers of greate learnyng called foorth to witnesse the trueth from euery quarter of the worlde some from Asia some from Africa some from Europa c. What say you to Satyrus E. that hanged the hely sacrament aboute his necke in a stole when he wente to the sea What say you to the greate clarke S. Ambrose bisshop of Millayn that praised him greatly for his so doyng Apered not there a reseruacion And I trow vnder one kinde vnlesse your brayne will serue you to enclose wine in a stole as mine will not What say you by Syrapion 9. Cap. who beyng in dispaier of his life sente for the priest to minister him the sacrament in the night season But when the priest lay sicke in his bed and coulde not goe him selfe he tooke Syrapions ladde the Sacramente in his hande and bad him moyste it and so minister it into the mouthe of his sicke maister The priest was sicke and coulde not rise The lad came in the night time the priest deliuered the sacramente into his hande he bad him moyste it and géeue it to the sicke A. And doeth not this proue bothe that the priest had reserued it and the moystynge thereof that the sicke man tooke it vnder one kinde and when he sent no more then woulde serue the sicke man was not there the howselyng of one alone without companie The twelfth Cannon of Nicene counsell prouideth for suche as are like to departe this life to receiue the sacrament or they departe And if any suche that is in the case howseled chaunce to recouer then to be amongest the communicantes praier The wordes be these De iis qui recedunt excorpore antiqua segis regusa obseruabitur etiaÌ„ nunc Ita ve si quis forte recedat ex corpore necessario vitae suae viatico non defraudetur Quod si desperatus asiquis recepta communione superuixerit sit inter eos qui sola oratione communicant Concernynge those that departe this life the olde rule of the lawe shall be kept now also So that any be like to departe this life he be not disceiued of his necessarie viage prouision for his life If he that was in dispaier of life after that he receiued the coÌ„munion chaunce to recouer let him be amongest them that do communicate by praiers onely The holy auncient counsell of all the learned fathers at Nice thought it conuenient that suche as were like to die should be howseled before their departyng And coulde this rule be vnuiolably kepte amongest so many casualties of sicknesse and sodeine infectiones and diuers other chaunces that fall at diuers and sundrie times bothe by day and night B. vnlesse the holy sacramente were reserued And vnlesse euery man receiued as necessitie serued alone with out company when necessitie so required Some time the priest as Chrisostome saieth in the celebracion of the dayly sacrifice receiueth without the people and sometime the people without the priest and some time one alone without any company at all as wée haue at large shewed afore In the bisshops and priestes absence 10. Cay the Deacons receiued alone if they were disposed to receiue as the fouretéenth Cannon of thauncient and olde counsel of Nyce hath taken order The wordes be these Peruenit ad sanctum consilium ê™ in locis quibusdam ciuitatibus presbiteris diaconi sacramenta porrigant Hoc neque regula néque consuetudo tradit vt ij qui offerendi sacrificij potestatem non
people that the admynistracion of the Sacramente of this offeringe was called an oblation As in Jraeneus sib 4 cap. 32. He taught vs a new oblacion of the new testamente whiche the church takinge of the apostels offereth vp to god in all the worlde But in other places after as in yt. 34. cap. he expoundeth him selfe and signifieth that he speaketh not of the offeringe of the Sacrament consecrated but of the breade and wine offered partely to the vse of the supper partely to the findinge of the poore Vt behoneth vs saith hee to offer to god the first fruites of his creatures And againe a lyttle after We must make offeringe vp to god and in all thinges be found thankfull to god our maker offeringe vp to him the firste fruites of his creatures in pure mynde in faith without hipocrisie in firme hope in feruent loue And this pure offeringe the church only offereth to our maker geuinge to hym parte of his creatures with thankes geuyng Instine also in his Apology affirmeth that after the communion all that would offered to the behalfe of poore people fatherlesse children and sicke persons An other occasion that the doctours vsed those termes of sacrifienge and offeringe was that in celebration of the Sacramente they had prayer for all states and thankes geuing to god for all his benefites which the doctours in infinite places affirme to be the true and only sacrifice of the new testament Csemens Asexan Strom. 7. sib Of god reioiseth to be honoured when aâ— by nature he nedeth nothing not withoute good cause we honour him with prayers and send vp to him that most excessent and holy sacrifice And after in processe of writing he geueth the same name to the reading and study of a godly man Wherby it may appeare as Sainct Augustine also signifieth that the fathers called euery good and godly action a sacrifice weare it priuate or common And therefore their successours by lyttle and little bente the same name vnto the action and celebration of the Sacramente wherin most solemly prayer and thankes geuinge were offered So wryteth Jraeneus sib 4. cap. 34. We offer to him not as one that nedeth but geuing thanks for his benefites to vs. And againe He wyll haue vs to offer our gift to the aulier often times our anlter is in heauen For thether our praiere and offeringes be directed To this agreeth Eusebius de demonstr Euang. sib 1. We offer saith he to the most high god a sacrifice of praiser we offer a ful swete and holy sacrifice after a new sort according to the new testament And that ye may not obiecte that in this place he speakech not of the sacrament It foloweth in this wise net my prayer be made as intense in thy fight Therfore we do sacrifice and burne incense to him sometime celebrating the remembrance of that great sacrifice accordinge to the misteries instituted by him selfe bothe geuing thankes to god for our saluation and offering holy hymnes and prayers vnto him some time consecrating and bequethinge our selues holly to him both in body and mynde Here he speaketh of the sacrament and maketh no mencion of any sacrifice propitiatory but only of the sacrifice of remembrance by prayer and thankes geuinge and of the offeringe vp of our selues to god which is the offerynge of Christes mistical body that sainct Augustine speaketh of in dyuers places Of whose testimonies ye are wonte to bringe some for the confirmation of your sacrifice As that hee hath De ciuitate dei The sacrifice saith he that we offer is Christes body But immediately he declareth that hee ment his misticall body that is the vnitie of the faithfull congregation For he addeth which wee offer not to martiâ—s because they be the same body them selfe How the bishop or chiefe minister offereth vp the people in the communion hee sheweth in his 59. Eristâ—e aâ— PausinuÌ„ Another cause 3. that the holy fathers call the sacrament an oblacion or sacrifice is because according to christes ordinance we celebrate the remembraunce of his death and passion which was the onely true and perfit sacrifice And so may ye perceiue that Eusebius did take it in the place before recited For he saieth we sacrifice celebratinge the remembrance of that greate sacrifice c. Chrisostonâ—e likewise Hom. 17 ad Ebreos After he hath in many wordes declared that there is no more but one sacrifice once offered by Christe for euer he addeth this Doe not we then offer euery day yes verely we offer but doing it in remembrance of his death And againe That we doe is done to the remembrance of that was done Before Sainct Augustine also de fide ad petrum declareth the same very plainly Belene stedfastly saieth he and in no wapee doubte that the only begotten of God beyng made flesh for vs did offer him selfe a sactifice to God as a sweete sauour To whom with the father and holy ghost in the olde testament beastes were offered and to whom now together with the father and holy ghost with whom he hath one diuinitie the churche ceaseth not to offer the sacrifice of breade and wine He saieth not of the body and bloud of Christ For in those carnall sacrifices there was the figure of the fleshe of Christ which c. but in this our sacrifice there is a thankes geuinge and remembrance of the body and blond of Christ that hee gaue and shed for vâ— Here he saith not there is an offering of the body bloud for our sinnes whiche he would not haue omitted if the churche had taught so in his time For some of these causes before rehersed the fathers vsed to cal the Lordê supper a sacrifice not meanyng as you doo that it was a sacrifice propitiatorie to be offered of the priestes for them selfe for the people This your facion of speakyng ye séeme to take of the maner of the Iewisse priestes which had an offeryng for them the people As though Christ had left to vs a like sacrifice as they had dayly to be repeted where as S. Paule in his whole Epistle to the Ebrues reasoneth against it and proueth the contrarie that Christe did it perfitly once for euer in suche sorte that it néedeth not to be reiterated But perhappes ye will obiecte S. Cyprian where he speakynge of the dead saieth We offer sacrifice for them But it is euident he offered there for Martiers whiche he was throughly perswaded were in heauen and néeded no offerynge for their sinnes Likewise Ambrose mencioneth that he offered for ValentiniaÌ„ the good Emperour of whom in the oracion made at his buriall he witnesseth that he doubted not of his saluacion but beléeued by the witnesse of Angels that he was caried to heauen Therfore their offeryng for the deade was no more but as I mencioned before the sacrifice of prayse and thankes geuynge to God for them This thyng the Greeke Cannon declareth more plainely where it is mencioned
in the sacrament bee they neuer so farre a sunder and yet can not any one alone minister it in one church withoute company to celebrate with him because Christes institution was otherwise Wil ye say here that company to eate vp the pascal lambe was not of the substance of the sacramente but an ornament to commend it or set it forth and might be altered by spirytual gouernours Although the Iewes weare very bolde in altering many ceremonies yet wée reade not that euer they durst aulter this chiefe sacrament as you take vpon you to alter change and take away by your spirituall gouernours all the partes of the Lordes Supper as I wyl declare to you in order by the doctrine of this your defense of pryuate masse The sacrament as it is in vse hath two partes the mattier and the forme the mattier is bread and the body wine and the bloud of Christ The forme of ministration is that the minister should take the mattier and with the wordes of the gospel geue it to them present as Christ dyd This forme say you may be altered by your spiritual gouernours For sometime the prieste may receiue alone with out the people sometime the people without the priest somtime both together So that no certaine forme of ministration is nedefull as you say in this sacrament to be kepte The mattier also ye signifie may bee altered at your pleasure For to receiue the sacrament of the bloud is not of the substance of Christes institution For if it weare the churche could not alter it as you doo commonly in ministringe to the people and as you coniecture by Tertus and Ciprian that they dyd in the prymatiue church Likewyse the sacrament of the body is not so muche of the substance but that vpon considerations the church may commonly omitte it and minister the wine only For so you séeme togather by the history of the chylde in Ciprian to whiche the prieste gaue only wine as you say So that the sacrament of the lordes supper by your doctrine either hath no parte that is of the substance of it but consisteth only of mutable accidences or els your churche is of such power that it may cleane alter and take away Christes institution For if you haue considerations for which ye may commonly leaue out the wine and vse bread only and other considerations for which ye may omit breade and vse wine only when bothe those considerations come together then may you take away bothe breade and wine and defraude the people of the whole sacrament or in stede of that may point them another What is this but with exceding arrogancie to make your spiritual gouernours omnipotent in alteringe and transposinge the sacramentes by Christ ordeyned Howe much more comely weare it for you reuoking your errour to say with Ciprian If we wil walke in the sight of Christe in the order of his sacramentes we must not swarue or departe from his preceptes and instructions geuinge thankes for that hee instructinge vs what we ought to doe hereafter doth pardon vs for that offence which by simplicitie we haue before committed Where you indeuour to proue 7. Cap. that there may be communion in the sacrament although it be receiued alone in th one part you make your comparison as you haue done before betwene thinges of nature very dyuers that is betwene praier and the lordes supper In the tother where ye confirme generall communion betweene all sainctes you proue that no man denieth There man be communion in the benefite of prayer say you though one doe pray alone A. therfore in the Lordes supper also Who séeth not that prayer and the Lords supper in the vse of them be nothinge like That praier is a common action which done of one alone maye stretch to the benefite and commoditée of many we haue aucthority in the scripture and example in Christe him selfe but that the Lordes supper is suche a commoÌ„ action we neither haue authoritie nor example in gods worde By as good a reason wée may proue that a man may baptise him selfe withoute a minister because one may pray alone without one to guyde him in the forme of his prayer Or that ones baptisme may profite another that is not baptised as a mans prayer may profite him that prayeth not But you must consider that there is greate difference betwene the nature of sacrament and other common good workes The sacraments haue an external forme by christ apointed in the administratioÌ„ of them which wée may not alter In other good workes and godly exercises it is not so And yet you recken them vp together as though they weare in all poyntes like As praier baptisme penance confirmation fastinge almes déedes c. Another mans praâ—â—r or almes dâ—â—de may profite you I graunt and procure gods grace for you May an other mans baptisme therfore receiue you into the church or an other mans penance satisfy for your sinnes I thinke you wyl scant affirme it although ye be ready to affirme straunge thinges No more therfore can your receiuinge profite another that receiueth not Christe taught vs and his holy worde commaundeth vs to pray on for another But he neuer saide receiue the communion or bée baptised one for another To confirme your purpose you bringe an article of our crede B. that is I â—eseue the communion of saincted By this you proue that there is a communion of all good thinges betwene them that are in place and time farre distante whiche wée deny not But to vnderstande how lytle this communion of saintes doeth serue your purpose of sole receiuing it behoueth to consider what communion is It is called of the Grekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may be defined to be a societie of a company or multitude whiche by certaine lawes and couenantes are all partakers of one thinge As amonge Marchantes that vpon certaine condicions occupy iointly and are partakers of like gaine and damage So all Christian men haue a certaine societie or coniunction whiche consisteth in this that they are all partakers of one saluation and all members of one mistical body the head wherof is christ Iesu The lawes couenantes wherby wée be all thus knit and ioigned together are the word of God the sacramentê vsed according to Christes institucion Therefore all churches of the worlde haue the same worde of God and the same sacramentes by them through faith are graffed into one and the same body of Christe thoughe they be thousandes of miles a sunder By the word of God our faith is instructed By baptisme wée be receiued first into the societie of christian communion and made members of the misticall body By the Lordes supper wée haue from time to time heauenly foode ministred vnto vs and as it were liuely spirite from the head of this body Iesu Christe He therfore that is baptised in India hath the same baptisme that wee haue and beyng graffed into the same
body hath communion with vs in baptisme Likewise they that receiue the Lordes supper be fedde with the same feede of the body and bloud of Christe that wée be and so haue communion with vs in that sacrament though in place they be farre of This is the communion betwéene christian men and this wée most reddely graunte But will you conclude here vpon that there is lyke communion of the benefite of soole receiuyng in priuate Masse as there is of praier when a man praieth alone Then must ye say the same of baptisme also As for example that our baptisme here may benefite some that are in Fraunce and receiue them into the churche like as our praier here may obteine the healpe and grace of God for them that be there Which were great folly to affirme In déed wée haue communion in baptisme but euery mans owne baptisme bringeth him the grace of that sacrament And in lyke maner is it in the Lordes supper Wée haue all communion therein and yet euery mans owne receiuyng doth profit him You will say perhaps you doo not inferre this vpon the argument of generall communion but onely that they whiche be in diuers places may communicate Wel sir I graunte you that but yet ye should haue inferred the other poincte if ye woulde orderly proue that ye began That is to be lyke coÌ„munion in the Lordes supper of one alone receiued as there is in praier when one man in place alone praieth â—â—r a multitude The multitude that praieth not may haue benefit by one mans praier But proue you by Gods worde that one man receiuyng or ministringe the Lordes supper alone doth benefit those that receiue not or that it is suche a thyng as may be doone of no for many And surely it standeth you vpon substaÌ„cially to proue that pointe or els your priuate Masse will fall to the grounde and bee of no estimacion For if people shall vnderstande that your sole receiuinge in your Masse doth not only nothing profite them that be present but as Chrisostome witnesseth bringeth them in gods displeasure if they receiue not them selfe thinke you that the gayne and aduantage thereof wyll bée so great as hath bene before Assure your selfe it wyl not But what doo you inferre vpon this proofe of communion betweene them that are in place farre distante forsoth in effecte this That if there may be communion betwene those that are not together in one place then a priest sayinge Masse in our Lady chappel in Paules at sixe a clocke in the morning doth communicate with him that doth the like in Iesus Churche at .ix. of the clocke the next day although in place and tyme they bee seperate Sir I deny your argument say that neither th one nor thother doth communicate with any Christian man because neither of both receiueth accordinge to Christes institution I confesse there is communyon betwene them that receiue in sundry places according to the order by Christ apoynted as there is likewise in baptisme But if they alter the sacrament they doo not cummunicate I sayd a little before that in the passe ouer all the companies of the Iewes in sundry houses did communicate and yet one might not eate vp the lambe alone because god had taken an other order Likewise all societées of Christian men communicate together in the Lordes supper and yet should not one celebrate it alone seinge Christes example sheweth and the Apostles interpretation declareth that in ministringe of it there shousd bee also a particuler communion as I may terme it betwene the members of one congregation Wherfore the grauntinge of communitie betweene all christian men in vse of the sacrament doth make nothinge against this that Christ ordeined it to be receiued as a feast with company to th ende it might more liuely represent both the general giuing and bestowing of his body to death for many and also the vnitie and concorde that ought to be betwéene Christian men receiuing together of one lose and one cup. For this purpose as S. Augustine signifieth he vsed those externall elementes of breade and wine to declare that as the bread of many graines is brought into one lofe and the iuice of many 〈◊〉 apes is made wine in one cup so the multitude of a christian congregacion receiuyng together the Lordes supper are made meÌ„bers of one body knit together in like faith and charitie and hauyng like hope of saluacion The like effecte is doone in baytisme as S. Augustine witnesseth In sermone ad infantes and wée be graffed into Christ and made partakers of his body and bloud But he wold haue it more liuely represented and set foorthe in this sacrament of communion as well for the multitude as for the apte signification of the externall elementes More ouer the ecclesiastical histories declare when Chrisostome was banisshed muche against the peoples heartes that diuers of them woulde not communicate with his successour but had their assembles and receiued the sacrament in an other place by them selues so that diuers of them by the Emperours thretnynges coulde not be constreined to communicate with him that was bisshop after him This their dooyng was to no purpose if diuersitie of time and place doo not declare a seperacion betwéen them that be of one congregacion The whole vse of excommunication in the primatiue churche doth so sufficiently proue this as no reasonable man néedeth greatly to doubte it The effecte wherof this your deuise may séeme to take away For what other thyng is excommunication as touchyng the externall acte then a debarryng of the partie to receiue with other of the same congregacion and therby to note him not to be of that misticall body But after your deuise a priest that is excommunicated of the bisshop may say Masse in his chamber and affirme that he will communicate with him whether he will or no. Because distinction of place maketh nothyng to the purpose Because wée necessarily require a numbre together you presse vpon the mattier very earnestly and thinke by your dalliyng foly to driue vs to many folies For you curiously require a mesure of place a prescription of time and a certaine number of persons as it were therby to portray vnto you a perfit plat of a christian communion for so it pleaseth you to dally in this weightie mattier I answer that wée se in the Euangelistes and S. Paule that Christe tooke breade and gaue with it his body that he tooke wine also and gaue with it his bloud that he did it in coÌ„uenient place and time that he had a company with him to receiue and willed them to distribute amonge them Therfore with S. Cyprian wée compte his example in these thynges necessarie and not to be altered As for the kinde of breade or wine the fashion or quantitie of place the conueniencie of time the increasing or deminisshynge of the number or company wee recken amonge those thinges that may be altered as you say
the sacrament But that you were neuer able to doo and so was it said in the protestation that you call the challenge For herein the whole number of the fathers be against you And that you may not iustly say that wee bragge of our empty boxes that haue the name only and no stuffe in them I wyll rechearse and shewe you some of the mattier which shal be directly applied to that maladie and disease that you haue brought to the right vse of the lordes holy sacrament You hard before rehearsed oute of Iustine declaringe the maner of the church of Rome in his time that both bread and wyne were geuen to companies of the towne and contrey and the same also sente vnto those that were absent Here is manifestly declared that such as were absent and receiued at home in theyr houses had both kindes sent vnto them contrary to your coniecture vpon Tertullian where you say one kinde only is mencioned and therefore receiued Tertullian and Iustine were both of the church of Rome B. and were not in time farre a sunder Therfore it is like one maner was vsed in bothe theyr ages The fleash saith Tertullian him selfe is fed with the body and bloud that the soule may be filled of god He saith not only the body wherein the bloud also may be vnderstanded but hee addeth seperately the Bloud Declaringe the maner of Christes sacrament ministred in two sundry partes Cyprian also speakinge not only of priestes but of other laye men that were like to abide persecution and martirdome for Christ saith in this wise How doe wee teach and prouoke them to shedde their bloud in confession of Christ if wee deny them his bloud or bowe make we them meete for the cuppe of martirdome if wee do not first by communion admitte them to drinke the cuppe of the lorde Is not this a playne testimony C. what maner of mynistracion was vsed in Cyprians time And wyll you then vpon a surmise gather the contrary If ye rede this father in all places where he speaketh of the sacrament you shall finde nothinge more common then Bibi sanguinem Christi How wisie thou saith Ambrose to Theodosius the Emperour with those hands receiue the holy body of our lord how wilte thou be so bolde with thy mouth to be partaker of the lords bloud This Emperour was a laye man E. neyther is it likely that he receiued any otherwayes then the other people did at that time And shall wee thinke by a vayne coniecture of the history of Satirus that the custome of that time was otherwise because your mocking head could not deuise how to cary wyne in a stole and yet they of that time as ye may perceiue by dipping a linnen cloth in the sacrament of the bloud had deuysed which way it might be done But to our purpose Withoute confusion and doubt saith Gregory Nazienzene eate his body and drinke his bloud if thou haue any desire of life in thee And yet hee speaketh to the people Oratione 4. in sanctum pascha Hilariê° also li. 8. de trinitate These thinges saith hee beinge eaten and dronke make that wee be in Christ and Christe in vs. Basile de baptismo vpon these wordes As often as ye shall eate c. What profit haue those wordes saith he That we easing and drinking may be perpetually mindeful of him that died for vs and so may bee instructed in the sight of god and his Christ of necessitie to kepe the doctrine deliuered by his Apostles Here beside the mencion both of eating and drinkinge he addeth of necessitie to kepe this doctrine of the lordes supper whiche you in many poyntes without pricke of conscience take vppon you to aulter Prystes saith S. Hieronime vpon Sophon whiche make the sacrament and dystribute the bloud of the lord vnto the people This man was priest in Rome in Ambroses time and yet he signifieth that the maner then was to mynister the bloud to the people E. And shall the history of Satyrus nothing perteining to the mattier perswade vs the contrary What can be more plaine and expresly against you then that Chrisostom hath Hom. 18. in poster ad corinth There he saieth that in this sacramente the priestes parte is not better then the peoples For it is not saith he as it was in the olde law where the priestes had parte and the people parte neither coulde the people be partaker of that was the priestes But now it is not so for one body and one cuppe is indifferently offered to all And it is notable that he saieth All be like worthy to be partakers neither doth the inferiour differ any thing at all froÌ„ the priest in that matter Why doo you then so plainly againste Chrisostome make difference of dignitie betwéene the priest and the people Is not this which Chrisostom speaketh agaynst one of the chiefest reasons that you haue for the geuynge of one kynde to the people But S. Paule to Timothie and Titus declareth other causes that shoulde make the order of ministerie honorable not to defraude the people of one parte of the sacrament Cyprian againe in the same sermon De lapsis that you afterward aledge and the same Hystorie sheweth that all the companie of lay men and women tooke the sacrament of the Lordes cuppe and dronke of it in order one after an other But I feare I shal séeme to moste men to commit muche foly in that I stande so longe with aucthorities to proue that thinge whiche of it selfe is most manyfest that is that in the primatiue churche the only maner in the common celebracion of the sacrament was that all receiued vnder bothe kindes of breade and wyne Seynge therefore Iustine saieth that on sundaies breade and wine consecrated were distributed to companies of the towne and countrey seynge Gelasius calleth it sacrilege to deuide the sacrament seynge Cyprian counselleth that lay men should be admitted to the communion of the Lordes cuppe and by an Hystorie sheweth that in his time they vsed it seynge Chrisostome affirmeth no difference to be betweene the priest and the people in vse of this sacramente seyng all the residue of the fathers of al countreyes and all ages of the primatiue churche agrée to the same were it not more then willfull blindenesse not to se that holy men at that time in celebracion of the sacramente ministred both partes to the people accordyng to Christes institucion and the doctrine of S. Paule to the Corinth Were it not almoste desperate stubburnesse to perswade the contrarie to ignorant people and by libelles priuily spred to deteine the vnlearned in errour But it stoode you vpon to say somewhat least you shoulde séeme to haue nothynge to say And yet in very déede it had been better for the confirmacion of your doctrine to haue sayd nothyng For then perhaps such as of simplicitie depende vpon your aucthorities woulde haue thought that you had had farre better prouision
commonly of hym that hee was a deceiuour to purge him selfe of that suspicion witnessed that hee spake not of him selfe because he spake out of the lawe and prophetes euen so if any man sayinge that he hath the holy ghost speaketh of hym selfe and not out of the gospele wee must not beleue him For as Christ said the holy ghost shall not speake of him selfe but shall declare vnto you those thinges that it hathe hearde That is those thinges that I haue spoken he shal confirme These wordes of Chrisostome cleane ouerthroweth the ground of all your vnwriten verities beside the worde of god much more such doctrines as be expresly against the same as is your sole receiuinge and communion vnder one kind Wherfore neither your multitude of sundry nacions and great learned clerkes neither the continuance of .ix. C. yeres if it were so neyther the name of your holy mother the churche which you so often repete can bee any sure proufe of your doctrines without the expresse testimonies of the scripture to witnes the same For the holy ghoste whiche you assure your churche of doth not speake of himselfe saith Chrisostom but confirmeth that Christe spake before After that you haue at your pleasure in sundry partes of your treatise charged him that you write against with folly rashnes arrogancie and impudency euen in those pointes that the same crimes may bee more iustly retourned to your selfe and yours in this place also you indeuour to debase and imminishe his estimation extenuatinge his age continuance in study of holy scripture and maner of life in comparison of your late holy fathers which you doo greatly extolle Such is your shiftes when the matter will not healpe it selfe to transferre your talke to the persons by scorneful disdeining of other to procure your self aucthoritie What your opinion is of him your writing declareth but they whiche haue bene of longer and better acquaintance with him then you are doo right well know and in his behalfe doo protest that .xx. yeres sence he was able fully to haue answered stronger argumentê for these matters then any that you haue brought at this time But whatsoeuer hee is to you god bee praised in him he so liueth as the most malicious of your parte cannot iustly blame him and his learnings is suche as when the matter shal be tried I doubt not but it wil fal out that he with his .xl. yeres age and such other whom in like maner you disdaine shal shewe more true diuinitie then a many of your hoare heades and greate reading clerkes as you thinke whose aucthoritie and name alone ye iudge sufficient to beare downe whatsoeuer shall bee brought against them Towarde the ende you shewe your opinion of reall presence of Christes 13. Cap. Of reall presence body in the sacramente and in that parte blame vs as though we had more acquainted our selfe with Ismael and Agar as you say then with Abraham and Isaac thereby signifâ—yng that we misdoubted the almightie power of god in bringinge that to passe whiche he promiseth or speaketh in the institution of his sacramentes But I muste néedes iudge this to bee in you eyther ignorant blindnes or hatefull malice Blindnes if you doo not vnderstande and sée that in this controuersie wée stay not vpon gods omnipotency malice if you know it and vpbrayde vs with the contrary We graunt as fréely as you with Abraham and Isaac That god is able to performe whatsoeuer he both promise Wee graunt as freely as you with the Angell Thâ—â— no worde it 〈…〉 to god We graunte as fréely as you with Dauid That god hath done whatsoeuer his 〈…〉 We grauÌ„t with the holy fathers that 〈◊〉 greate and merueilous mutation and change is made in this sacrament by the power of gode worde Wee detest euen as muche as you all such as sée no more but common bread or a bare signe in this holy supper neither can wee thinke well of you when you doo so falsely charge us with that assertion But how can you shew that it was gods holy wil to haue so many miracles wrought as you without necessitie doo make in this sacramente Yea and of such sorte as be contrary to the maner of all those miracles that the holy scrinture mencioneth to bee wrought by his diuine power Moyses turned his rodde into a serpent but all that were presente sawe that it was a serpent He made water miraculously to come out of the rocke but al the children of Israell saw and tasted of the water Christe tourned water into wine but all the company dranke and felte it to be wine The same is to bee saide of all the residew of merueylous workes And when gods power had miraculously tourned these thinges that into the whiche they were tourned reserued and kepte that nature that was agreable to suche a thinge The serpent had the very nature of a serpent the water was of such nature as it behoued water to be the wins lost not the right nature of wins Otherwise it may séeme rather a iudglinge then miraculous workinge You neuer reade in all the course of the scripture that gods power tourned the substance of any thinge and left the qualitées of the other thinge that it was before sauing onely in this case that you imagine it God is able to turne darkenes into light and light into darkenes but it were madnes to require at gods almightie power to make lighte and not to haue a shininge that is to make lighte to be light and not to be light all at ones or to make light darkenes all one This were nothing but to peruert the order of gods wisedome Doo you not this in the sacramente when you apoint the body of Christ to be without quantitée proportion and figure or to be in a thousand places at ones which is proper only to his diuinitie Is not this to take away the nature of a body from his body and in déede to affirme it to be no body And yet wee say not but that god is able to worke that also if it be his pleasure But we say it was not gods wil and pleasure in ordeining the sacrament to haue it so For neyther is there any necessitie that should constraine him to it nor doth his word teach vs that ouer hee did the like Oh ye wyll say we muste beleue Christes wordes This is my body which be of as great power now as they were in the parlour at Hierusalent to make the very body of Christe really and carnaly present and so the Catholike church say you doth teache vs. Wherefore vpon this veritie once setled diuers other thinges must of necessitie followe by drifte of reason although they bee not expressely mencioned in scripture as the adoration of the sacrament the turninge of the substance of bread and wine the beinge of Christes body in many places at onâ—â— c. In déede in such is the vanitie of mans reason in gods
holy misteries For when it is once departed from the true sence of gods worde it draweth in as it were by linkes a number of other absudities none of which can haue any profft in scripture seing the first roote of them came not out of the true sence of scripture Euen so when you had deuised and geuen to Christes wordes another sence then the meaninge of them doth importe no maruel if the same reason doo leade you to a multitude of other doctrines not only beside the worde of god but expressely against it Whether that interprefacion that you make uppon these wordes doo more agrée with the scripture and grounde of our faith then that which we teach any indifferent man that is not contentiously bente to the one parte or to the tother may easely discerne Your sence is when Christ saith This is my body that the naturall substance of the breade which Christ toke was turned into the naturall substance of the very body that Christ dyed in notwithstandinge that the colour taste forme and power to norâ—she that were before in the substance of bread doth still remanynâ— â–ª And yet under those qualities and accidences of bread is really conteined the natural body of Christ hauing neither bignes nor any proportion or sensible qualitie rightly apperteininge to such a body To expresse this your meaning you vse to say that the bread is transsubstantiate into the body of Christ In what tonge or language was it euer séeue In what authour was it euer redde that Sunâ— es fui the verbe substantiue might be iuterpreted by transsubstantiare Or if the proprietie of the worde wil not in any wise admit that sence what one sentence or clause haue you in all the course of the bible that vnder the like wordes can receiue the like interpretacion Or what prouses can you bringe by conference of other places of the scripture that these â—â—â—des in this place ought of necessitie in this maner to be interpreted If neyther the proprietie of the tounge can beare the sence nor you can bring any examples or prouses out of the wordâ— of god where vpon men in so weightis a matter may stay their consciences is it not extreame crueltie in you vnder payne of damnasion to compel them to beleue it Here you will burden vs with the aucthoritie of the holy catholike churche which as you say hath alway receiued alowed that interpretacion Vnto this I answer that the catholike churche of Christe neuer generally receiued the meanynge of any sentence but that they gathered the same either by examples of the like or els by grounded reasons taken out of the scripture declared that of necessitie it must be so vnderstanded This rule was appointed to the churche by Christe and his Apostles who in their doubtes willed men Serutari scripturas to searche the scriptures Therfore when the churche decreed against the Arrians and other Heretikes that in this sentence In principio erat verbum the woorde was in the beginnynge that Verbum was to be taken for the person of the sonne of God Or when they decréed that the sonne was eiusdem substantie cum patre of the same substance with the father they stayed not onely vpon their owne consente and aucthoritie but brought a greate number of prouses out of the scripture that it must of necessitie be so taken as it appereth in Cyrill and other of the holy fathers Now then if this that you defend be the iudgement of the catholike church it hath vndoubtedly good proffe in the scripture or if you can bringe for it no such testimony oute of the worde of god it is euydent that you doo wrongfully father this interpretatioÌ„ vpon the holy catholike churche and vnder the couert of that name you doo promote set forth your owne errour And this much for your opinioÌ„ On the tother parte when wée interprete Christes wordes wée say it is a figuratiue spéeche and suche as the holy ghost often vseth in the institucion of sacramentes and ceremonies or in the deseriuyng of other misteries The figure is named Metonymia when the name of the thynge is geuen vnto the signe When these wordes therefore be laied vnto vs This is my body wée say it is moste true But mistically sacramentally figuratiuely not really and accordyng to the naturall substance For this interpretacion wée haue a number of examples out of the canonicall scriptures God speakynge of circumsicion saieth This is my couenante And yet was circumsicion not the couenante indéede but the signe testimonie wherby they were assured to be the people of God and partakers of his promisses The Paschale lambe is called the Passeouer and yet was it but a testimony and remembraÌ„ce of the greate benefite of God in passyng his plague from them This is the victorie saieth S. Paule that ouercome the world euen your faith And yet is not our faith the victorie it selfe but the instrument or meanes wherby the victorie is gotten In like maner diuers other places As I am a vyne God is a consumyng fier The seuen kine be seuen yeres And that S. Paule hath to the Corinthes Petracrat Christus The rocke was Christe And yet was not the rocke Christe himselfe really onlesse ye will take it as hee there doeth indéede for the spirituall rocke For that spirituall rocke was Christe himself verely and indéede not only in a misterie or signification So in the Lordes supper if you take bread for spirituall bread as Christe doth in the .vi. of Iohn I will say with you that it is really and essentially the verie true body of Christe it selfe and not onely mistically If wée had not these many examples with a greate number mee in the holy scripture to iustifie our maner of interpretacion yet the very wordes whiche the spirit of God by singuler prouidence hath vsed in the Euangelist and S. Paule doeth manifestly leade vs vnto this sence rather then to that you haue deuised For in the seconde parte of the sacrament where Math. and Marke say This is my bloud of the new Testament That Luke and Paule vtter in this maner This is the new Testament in my bloud Whiche can not be otherwise vnderstande but that this sacrameÌ„t is a testimonie or pledge of his laste will and gifte of our saluacion confirmed by his moste precious bloud Wherfore if you say neuer so often times with Math. and Marke This is my body This is my bloud wee wyll repete as often with Luke and Paule who were led with the same spirit This is the new Testament in my body and bloud This interpretacion and meanyng of Christes wordes which wée gather by conference with other places of holy scripture is confirmed also by the consent of the aunciente fathers in many places Whose testimonies I wil recite more copiously partely because you séeme to signifie that they altogether make for you in this mattier partely that all men may se how vniustly your sorte
doo terme vs Figuratores because wée interprete that sentence by a figure wheras it is not our deuise but the exposicion of all the aunciente fathers of the primatiue churche First I will beginne with Augustine contra Adimantum cap. 12. There it appereth that Adimantus vsed Moyses wordes Sanguis est anima trumake this sonde argument â—loud is the â—â—oule saith Moyses 〈◊〉 flesh and bloud saith Paule shall not possesse the kyndome of God Therefore the soule shal not possesse the kyngdome of God Auguâ—tnes answer to that argument is that this sentence Sanguis est anima must be vnder standed figuratiuely and not litterally as he in that argument tooke it To proue that he vseth these wordes of Christe Hoc est corrusmeum Saiyng in this wise Possum interpreâ—â— illud praeceptum in signo positum esse NoÌ„ enim dubitauit dominus dicere hoc est corpus meum cum daret signum corporis sui I may saieth Austine interzete that precept to consiste in a signe or figure For the lorde bonbted not to say This is my body when he gaue the signe of his body As if he had saied in a farre greater mattier then this that is in institutinge the sacrameÌ„t of his death and our redemption the lorde doubted not to vse a figure and to say this is my body when be gaue the signe of his body Therfore this sentence â—loud is the soule man soner be interpreted figuratiuely So that the meaninge of it is that bloud is the signe of the soule or life and not the very soule in déede The same Augustine in his exposition vpon the thirds psalme Iudam inquit adhibuit ad conuiuium in quo corporis sanguinis sui figuram discipulis suis commendauit Hee admitted Iudas to that feast wherin he commended to his disciples the figure of his Body and bloud The same exposition Tertullian maketh moste euidently in hys forth booke againste Martion Panem inquit acceptum distributum discipulis corpus suum illum fecit Hoc est corpus meum dicendo Hoc est figura corporis mei Christe saith Tertullian made that bread that he toke in his handes and gaue to his disciples his body sayinge this is my bodie that is to say the signe of my body What can bee playner then this exposition of this auncient father if men did not study rather to mainteine partes then to confirme trueth His purpose was there to proue against Martion that Christ had a true body in deds because in the sacrament hee ordeyned the signe or figure of his body and therfore afterward he addeth Figura autem non esset nisi veritatis esset corpus That should not be a figure of his Body onles hee had a very true body in deede Augustine againe in 23. Epistle to Bonifacius Si inquit sacramenta similitudinem quandam earum rerum quarum sunt sacramenta non haberent omnino sacramenta non essent Ex hac autem similitudine plerumque rerum ipsarum nomina sortiuntur Sicut ergo secundum quendam modum sacramentum corporis Christi corpus Christi est sacramentum sanguinis Christi sanguis Christi est ita sacramentum fidei sides est And a littell after Sicut de ipso Baptismo Apostolus Consepulti inquit sumus Christo per baptismum in mortem Non ait sepulturam significamus sed pror sus inquit consepulti sumus Sacramentum ergo tantae rei non nisi eiusdem rei vocabulo nuncupauit If sacramentes had not a certaine similitude of those thinges where of they be sacraments they should not be sacraments at all And for this similitude or likenes they commonly haue the names of the thinges them selfe Therefore as the sacrament of Christes body after a certaine fashion is Christes body and the sacramente of hys bloud is his bloud so the sacrament of faith is faith c. As the Apostle speaketh of Baptisme We bee buried saith he in death to Christ by baptisme He faith not we signifie burial but plainely we be buried Therefore he doth nothinge els but terme the sacrament of so great a thing by the name of the thinge it selfe Sainct Augustines meaninge is to declare to Bonifacius that Baptisme might bee called by the name of faith and that therefore the Infante baptised might be truly affirmed to beleue or to haue faith because it had Baptisme the sacrament of faith This he proueth by comparison with the sacrament of Christes body and bloud Which for a similitude or likenes hée saieth is called the body and bloud of Christ that after a certaine fashion adding that Baptisme in like manner is faith And yet no man wyl be so vnwise to say that Baptisme is faith in déede really Wherfore the like is to be iudged of the sacramente of the Lordes body wherby S. Augustine proueth it This also is diligently to be noted that Augustine saith all sacraments generally be vttered by name of the thinges them selfe because of a certaine similitude or likenes therfore Paule saith not we signifie our buryall but wée be buried callinge the sacrament by the name of that thing as Austine saith Againe in Libro sententiarum prosperi as it is recited in the decrées De consecratione distine 2. cap. Hoc est The same father hath these words Coelestis panis qui est caro Christi suo modo nom inatur corpus Christi cum reuera sit sacramentum corporis Christi Vocaturque ipsa immolatio carnis quae sacerdotis manibus fit Christi passio mors crucifixio non rei veritate sed significante misterio The heauenly bread which is the flesh of Christ after a fashion is named the body of Christ where as in dede it is but the sacrament of his body And the offeringe of the fleash which is done with the priestes hands is called the passion the death the crucifiynge of Christ not in veritie of the thinge but in a signifiynge mistery The glose in expounding these words of Augustine saith this Caeleste sacramentum quod vere repraesentat Christi carnem dicitur corpus Christi sed improprie vnde dicitur suo modo non rei veritate sed significante misterio Vt sit sensus vocatur corpus Christi id est significat It is called the body of Christ saith he that is to say it signifieth the body of Christ To this I wil adde Chrisostome Operis imperfecti Homil 11. Si inquit vasa sanctificata transferre ad priuatos vsus peceatum est in quibus non est verum corpus Christi sed misterium corporis Christi continetur quanto magis vasa corporis nostri c. If saieth hee it be sinne to transferre holy vessels vnto priuate vses in whiche is not the true body of Christ but that mistery of his body is conteined how muche lesse should wee c. What can more plainly declare the figuratiue sence of those wordê of christ hoc est corpus meuÌ„ then that
Christ by his vnfallible promisse vnfeinedly geueth to the faith of his people the very fruition of his body and bloud with the hole benefite of his precious death and passion and by the workinge of the holy ghost merueilously ioyneth vs in one body together with him Is not this thinke you a merueilous change and to mans estimation a miraculous worke when by the power of the holy ghost worde of god of commen breade and wine such as we daily féede our bodies with is made the dredful and reuerent sacramentes and mysteries of Iesus Christ wherby as I saide he doth not by a bare signe only but verely and in déede endow is faithfull people and make them partakers of his body and bloud Yea and that in such sorte that euen as truly as the bread doth norishe our body and euen as truly as the wine doeth comforte our spiritê so truly and vnfeinedly doeth the heauenly foode of his body and bloud toren and shed for vs by fait h in time of that holy supper no ryshe strengthen and comforte our soule and by the wonderfull workinge of his spirite make our bodies also apte to resurrection Truly when I earnestly consider the effecte of this sacrament as it must néedes be by the trueth of Christes promises I confesse I am not able with wordes to vtter so muche as in my minde I doo conceiue and together withal eschew the absurditie of your reall presence and transsubstantion Wherfore I merueile not if those holy fathers fearinge no suche inconueniences but lokinge rather pithely to expresse the thinge dyd vse those earnest wordes and manners of speakinge and yet mente not as you now of their wordes doo gather All though no similitude can sufficiently declare the thinge I wyll for the simplar forte so muche as I can indeuour by a comparison to set for the that I do conceiue If a temporal prince for certaine causes mouinge him would geue you a thousand pound land by the yere and for that purpose had caused the wrytinges to be made The same wrytinge vntill it bee confirmed by the prince is nothinge but common parchment and inke framed into letters by some inferiour mans hand neither doth it bring any effect but when the prince hath once added to his seale confirmed the graunt it is no more called parchement or common writing but the kinges letters patents And now hath that reuerence that all to whom they be shewed doo veile there bonetes as bringinge with it some parte of the princes maiesty Such a change is now made in those trifelinge thinges that before no man estemed You also to whom this lande should bee geuen would not thinke this writinge common parchement blotted with inke but the perfite déede of your prince wherby you were assuredly possessed of the foresaid lands Moreouer when the prince at the deliuery of the same should say sir here is a thousand pound land that I geue fréely to you and to your heires I thinke you would not be so fonde to thinke either that the Prince doeth mocke you because you sée not the laÌ„ds presently or els to conceiue with your selfe that you haue the landes really inclosed within the compasse of your writing For the kinges aucthoritie in the writyng geueth you as ful possession of the landes as though you helde theÌ„ if it were possible in your hande And you in this case might iustly saye to your friende shewing your letters patents Lo here is a thousande pounde lande that my prince hath geuen me If then there bee so greate a change made in framyng the couenant déede of an earthly prince If his seale doo bryng such force effecte to his gifte and letters patentes How much more merueilous change alteracioÌ„ or transmutacion muste wée thinke it to bee when the base creatures of breade and wine be consecrated into the sacrament of the euerlastyng couenante and testament of Iesu Christ wherin he geueth vs not earthly vanities but the precious foode of his body and bloude remission of sinnes and the heritage of his heauenly kingdome how muche more of effecte must this sacrament be that is sealed with the promisse and wordes of our sauiour Christ who is truth it selfe and cannot deceiue any that trusteth in him Wherefore to expresse this change of the externall elementes into so heauenly misteries to shewe the effecte of this sacrament to withdrawe the ignorant mindes of the people from the prophane cogitacion of a bare signe in this mattier the auncient fathers had good cause to vse suche wordes And yet therein doo they nothyng at all defende your miraculous workes that you deuise to be made in the Lordes supper As for the similitude wherewith you woulde declare the necessitie of your Labels depending vpon the first founded absurditie it is both of as smal force as other that you before vsed and you handle it with more sluttish eloquence then is méete for suche a mattier as this is For the drawyng of the Capons the scumming of the potte the stinkyng water the hewyng of wodde the puttyng on the broche with guttes garbage and al. c. Be phrases and termes more méete for the kitchinne then for the Diuinitee schoole and such as your self I thinke woulde not haue vsed if your mockyng spirite had not so rauisshed you as you wist not what you did If wée had resembled your Labels whiche you cutte out by drift of reason vnto so base mattiers you woulde haue sayd that wée had rayled and done otherwise then it became vs. But sens your selfe doth so take them wée must thinke that God oftentimes moueth his aduersaries to vtter trueth against them selues But if the same maister that you imagine to commaunde his seruaunte to make readie that hee may dine did meane onely that he should set vpon the table suche colde meate as was in the house because he saw no cause or necessitie of greater prouision And the seruaunte vpon his owne foolish head would mistake his maisters commaundement conceyuing that he woulde haue great straungers did kill his Capons Chickens and other prouision aboute his house and busied himselfe with more labour then thanke to make them readie Doo you not thinke I pray you that he might iustly be compted an vnprofitable seruaunt and worthy by correction to bee taught more witte for that he putteth his maister to greater chargies and himselfe to more paines then the mattier required if he had rightly vnderstanded his maisters will and commaundemente Euen so sir those thynges that you say foloweth by force of reason and argument vpon the first sentence do folow indéede only vpon that sence that your selfe doth imagine mistakyng your maisters wil and pleasure and not vpon that meanyng that Christe himselfe would haue his wordes to be taken in For all that he woulde haue done may be sufficiently done without the working of so manie miracles as you in this case would driue his omnipotencie vnto Wherefore wée are not