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
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
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
shall sit in them Mountaines woddes marriceâ— prisonâ— denneâ— are more safe for me For in those the Prophetes either vosuntarely abydinge or cast thether by violence did prophesie by the spirite of god How could a man more plainely declare that the true churche both then was and after shuld be vexed and persecuted by those that in sight and power of external gouernment were taken for the church At is notable also that Augustine hath Deciuit dei lib. 20. speaking of Antichriste Rectius putant etiam latine dici sicut in graeco est non in templo sed in teÌ„plum dei sedeat â—â—nq ipse sit templum dei quod est ecclesia Some thinke it were better spoken in Latine as it is in the Greâ—e as to say that Aâ—â—ithriste shoâ—th sit not in thâ— temple of God but as the temple of God aâ— thoughe himselfe were the temple of God â–ª which is the churche What Bernarde dyd thinke of the churche in his time aboue 400. yeares agoe it appereth in viuers places There is no sounde parte now faith he in the clergie it remaineth therfore that the man of sinne be reuealed And in an other place All my friendes vt now become my foes all my mainteinere â—â—e now become aduetsariâ—â— â–ª The 〈◊〉 of Christe â—o seruice so Antichrist If I should â—â—eite out of authourâ— and Histories al such testimonies as serueth to this purpose I shoulde be a greate deale longer then this place requireth I will therfore at this time omitte them Seting therfore it doeth euidently appere that in the latter time they shall beare the name of the churche whiche in déede be not the right churche wée must booke diligently that wée gene not ouer to euery power that wil claime the name of the churche but consider whither the true marke of the holy churche be amonge them What is the true marke of Christes churche Christe the true pastour noting whiche were his shéepe faseth 〈◊〉 sheepe will here my voyce And as by his worde and voyce he calleth them into his folde so by his sacramentes there he marketh them The right churche therfore as the folde of Christe hath the true worde of God and vse of his sacramentes accordyng to the same for the due markes therof So much then as the worde of God and vse of the sacramentes be corrupted amonge ady people or congregacion so farre shall that company be from the shate of the true and perfit churche of Christe Therfore it is easie to iudge what is to be thought of them that leaue the worde of God and worship him well nere altogether with their owne deuised phaÌ„tasies That the scripture which is the voyce and worde of God is the true triall of the church wée haue good authoritie in the auncient fathers S. Augustine contra PetilianuÌ„ cap. 2. The controuersie is betweene veâ— the Donatisteâ— saith he where the churche is Therefore what shall wee dot shall wee seeke if in our owne wordes or in the wordes of out forde Iesus Christe the head therof thinke wee ought rather to seeke it in his wordes that is trueth and best knoweth hie body Therfore they be not to be compted the churche that with their owne wordes will san they he the churche but they whose doctrine â—â—â—réeth with the worde of Christe that is head of the churche In like maner hath Chrisostome in Mat. cap. 14. wherfore saith he in this thâ—â— off chaifâ—ouâ— men ought to resorte to the seâ—â—â—â— tureâ— â—ecause in this time since theresie is come into the churches there can be no other proufe of true christianitie nor any other refuge for christian men desyryng to know the tune faith but onely the holy for iptureâ— for before it was she wed by many meanes which was the churche of Christe which was gentilitie But now to them that will knowe whiche is the right churche of Christe there is no meanes but only by the scriptures S. Augustine hath the like in many wordes in the. 16. cap. contra epistolam Periliani whiche I let passe here for breuiries sake The place beginneth in this wise Vtrum Donatistae ecclesiam teneant non nisi diuinatu scripturarum canonicis libris ostendant Quianee nos ppterea dicimus nobis credere oportere quod in ecclesia Christ sumus c. Wherfore a Christian conscience that in this daungerous time wyll walke safely must take the word of god to be his only state must â—ake the holy scripture to be as well the rule whereby his shall measure the true paterne of the church as the very touchstone wherby he must trie al the doctrine of the same For god in time paste spoke by his prophetes many and sundry waies but last of all by his dere sonne Whose doctrine how perfite it was the woman of Samaria witnesseth sayinge When Messias commeth he shall telâ—â— all thinges And the same Messias hym selfe saieth I haue made knowen to you all that I haue heard of my father And therefore sendinge his Apostles hee saith Teach them to obserue all that I haue commaunded As if he had sayd ye shall declare vnto the gentils not whatsoeuer shal seeme good to your selfe but those thinges that I haue commaunded you Those thinges therfore are to be hard those thinges we must stay vppon In those we must séeke our saluation and life What soeuer is not agreinge with them must be cast of and compted of no forse So saieth Origine Wee must nedes cal the holy scriptures to witnes In Hierem Hom. 1. For our senses and declaracions withoute those witnesses haue no credite So saith Hierom. That hath not aucthoritie in the scripture in euen as lighily contenmed as it is spoken And againe in psal 86. Consider what hee saith Which were in it not which be in it So that except the Apostles whatsoeuer should be spoken afterwarde let it bee cutte of let it not haue authoritie Therfore be one neuer so holy after the Apostlee bee hee neuer so eloquent he hath not authority Because the lord wyll make his declaracion in the writinge of people and princes that were in it In that place Hierome at large declareth that the doctrine of god must bee proued by such wrytinges as were in the churche vntil the Apostles time and those that after folowed to bee of no sufficient authority were they neuer so holy Let vs stay therefore vpon the canonical scriptures and holy worde of god For saith S. Cyprian Hereof arise schismes because we selâ—e not to the head nor haue recourse to the springe nor kepe the commaundementes of the heauenly maister Let he aske Peter saith Ambrose let vs aske Paule if we wyl finde out the trueth And Christ him selfe biddeth vs searche the scriptures and not presume of our owne spirite vppon vnwritten verities beside the worde of god What credite is to bee geuen to those that so speake Chrisostome teacheth vs. As Christ saith he when hee vnderstode that they sayde
Doeth not the Apostels proue it at large But for as much as you are not able to proue the negatiue I will no further trouble you therwith Yet when there is an affirmatiue imploied in the negatiue as there is here thoughe I discharge you of very gentilnes from the proufe of th one order of schooles will driue you to proue the other though it were in factes muche more in doctrine Your negatiue was 2. Cap. that there was no priuate Masse at all in the primatiue churche thus you say and shewe no cause why This terme priuate A distictioÌ„ of priuate whiche you in this place first inuented I meane Luthers schoole may be taken concerning this matter diuers waies One way priuate is contrarie to common A. to many And in this significacion wée neuer saied that any Masse was priuate For the catholike church euer taught that the Masse is a common or publique sacrifice restrained to none so but that the whole churche or any liuely membre therof had thereby great commoditée and might beyng prepared and well disposed bee partaker not onely of the common Praier and Suffrages offered vp to God in the Masse but also of the holy sacramente of Christes body and bloud therin consecrated and offered Wée neuer yet prisoned vp the holy Sacrifice of the Masse or the sacramente therin receiued or the vse of ani of them from any that disposed them selues godly If you had harde vs preache that the Masse is onely auailable to the priest or to princes or to vs of England or to them of Italie or to men and not to women or to such as are aliue and not to suche as are dead or to say that none ought to receiue the Sacrament but the priest you might haue charged vs that wée wente aboute to enclose that to some one sorte of priuate profit that ought to remaine in common for all sortes of people And in this wise wée neuer taught that any Masse was priuate But you haue the other significacion of this terme priuate B. That is the soole receiuynge of the Sacramente by the priest imbarrynge none to communicate with him yea rather reioysing if any would be so wel disposed to receiue with him And lamentynge when he séeth the people so euill disposed that none will order theim selues so that they may worthely receiue with him And yet not forsying theim to receiue when they are not disposed nor readie And in this meanyng of priuate the catholike churche doeth teache that the priest may receiue the Sacramente at Masse alone when none other is disposed to receiue with him Now if you be able wee require you to proue thaffirmatiue included in your negatiue Whiche is this That euery priest or any other ought when he receiueth the sacrament to haue companie to receiue with him in the same time and place vpon payne of Gods high indignation and then wee will yelde vnto you If you be able to proue neither the negatiue nor the affirmatiue storme not so sore against the doctrine of the catholik churche the whiche falsehed many times assaulteth and was neuer yet able to ouerthrow As you say 3. Cap. there was no priuate Masse in the primatiue church and say vntruly so may you say and say truly there was no christian kynge in the Apostles time That all thynges shuld not be brought to the forme of the primatiue churche There was no christian man that then counted any thinge his owne of suche thynges as he possessed but all were common There was then no doctrine taught but it was confirmed by miracles There was no woman that might come with open face to the churche There was no Bisshop indewed with temporaltées There was no distinction commonly of parishes There was nothyng eaten that was mingled with bloud There was no whole realmes turned to the fayth There was no receuyng of the Sacrament but after supper There was no infant but was housled And thus may wée rolle in a greate sorte suche there was not truly as you rolle in diuers of yours falsly And will you I beséeche ye reforme al thynges to the very state of the primatiue churche now Will you suppresse al christian kyngê which were not in the Apostels time A. Wyll you alter the state now and make all thinges to be common Wyll you disgrace all preachers that woorke not miracles Wyl you inforce women to hoodwinke them selues in the churche will you rayle against bisshoppes that kéepe any temporalties Wyll ye set men at liberty to doo their duty at what churche they will Wyll ye inhibit the folkes to eate bluddynges or Pigions or Capons suche as are killed by stiffilyng Will you inforce vs to be houseled after supper Wyll you housell all babes and infantes againe B. To call suche thynges to the state of the Apostels time The primatiue churche the state of infaÌ„cie and of the primatiue church againe is nothyng els but to enforce a taule man to come to his swadlynge clothes and to crie alarme in his cradel again I trust when you say there was no priuate Masse in the primatiue churche not withstandinge you disalowe priuate Masse yet you wil alowe Masse to bee in the primatiue churche or els wisdome would haue sayed more generally there was no Masse at all nor priuate nor common c. And yet there is an open difference betwéen these two sentences there was no priuate Masse at that time and there ought to be no priuate Masse at any time In the one wée conceiue the vse of that age not withstandynge the law of the churche euen then might stande indifferently to the contrarie vpon circumstances and good consideracions And in the other wée precisely conceiue what the lawe doeth determine either lawfull or vnlawfull The constant faith C. the pure life An argumente of the coÌ„parison of the times the feruent charitée the contempte of the worlde that then florisshed so amongest such as professed Christ might cause perhappes that no Masse was celibrated but that diuers christians and specially lookyng for continuall persecucion would be houseled there at and be alwaies sure to haue their viaticuÌ„ as it is termed in the olde Cannons that is to say their vâ—age prouision In that state of burnynge charitée and of contempt of the worlde and al the pleasures therof some of the people perhaps of their owne accorde did alwaies willyngly and gladly prepare theim selues at euery Masse to be housled with the priest And will you now in the state of keycolde charitée D. when the people are nothyng willyng to dispose theim selues to receiue their housill E. plucke the priest from the aulter whose office as to offer that dayly sacrifice for the people vnlesse ther be that wil receiue Will you imbarre him that is bounde to offer vp the dayly sacrifice of dutie because they will not dispose theim selues to receiue their housill Who as concernyng so
come vnto the practise of the churche and recordes of she fathers D. of the latter .ix. hundreth yeres They crie so thicke and thréesolde against you that you are not able to abide them And therefore you were woonte to disgrace them art By what aucthoritée I pray you woulde you haue them all discredited It sanorth of a maruerlous arrogancie to discredite them all Can your doctrine creepe no other wayes into credit vnlesse you deface the practises of the churche and the aucthoritée of the fathers for the space of .ix. hundreth yeres and odde Haue you no other meanes to get honor but to dishonour so many auncient fathers as haue written this latter .ix. hundred yeres Know you not the scripture Qui masedixerit patrives matri morte morietur And what malediction is there greater then to blase that our learned fathers that liued so godly in praiers fastyngs almesdéedes continuall studie of doctrine that hath their common agréementê for the space of .ix. hundred yeres and more disceiued Christes flocke know not the right faieth but trayned the people to the state of dampnation And I pray you if they were so many yeres disceiued and yet giuen all the while to spiritual exercises more then you as it appereth by their workes or any now a daies what assurance can you make vs that you do now know the truth Beynge a man far vnderneth them in all peinâ—tes and one that hath not continued here muche as I here say aboue fortie yeres and not bestowed the fourthe parte of that time neither as I here in studie of the scriptures or olde doctours Shal you with .ix. or .x. yeres studie in the matters of doctrine thinke your selfe able to sit as a iudge to controll all such doctours and the doctrine whiche they haue left in recorde for the space of .ix. hundred yeres No man gaue you such aucthoritée but your self Luther and Melancthon tooke vpon them to be reformers of religion in all poinctes But if you marke them they make no mattier of necessitée to communicate the laytie with bothe kindes They acknowledge that a general couÌ„sell may take order in it as a thynge indifferent And hauyng no scripture for the prouse of the necessitée thereof They confirme also the being of christê body in a thousaÌ„d places at once meanyng therin as the catholskes meane If you had acquainted your self with Abraham and Isaac 13. Cay that sayed that quaecunque promisit deus potens est facere What so euer God promiseth he is able to performe it Or with the Angell that saied vnto Mary in as greate a mattier as this is Non est impossibile apud deum omne verbum There is no worde vnpossible vnto God as well as you haue acquainted your selfe with Ismaell and Agar that se no farther then the trade of common nature or if you had marked but the very rule of nature how of an antecedent grauÌ„ted all necessarie consequence doo by force of reason issew there hence you woulde neuer put the mattier in question Wée finde in scripture that eur sauiour saied in the consecracion of the blessed sacrament This is my bodie that shall be desmered for you And when the sence of this sentence is as the catholike churche teacheth the very reall presens of Christes body to be in the blessed sacramente vpon this sence once setled many labelles doo necessarily hange not expressedly had in scripture but by drifte of reason out of the first veritie gathered And so did saincte Chrisostome S. Ambrose S. Basill and S. Bernard when they vnderstode the sence of Christes wordes concerning the consecracion to be as the holy catholike churche vnderstoode it And not to haue powre in the parlour at Hierusalem onely where the sacrameÌ„t was first instituted but in all places where the thinge was so practised as Christ began it Therunto they sawe they muste néedes confesse by drifte of argumente that Christes body is in diuers places at once and of the remainders of the accidentes you néede no other proufe but your owne sensis your iye and your tastyng And of the alteracion of the substance of breade the fathers in diuers ages saw it so depende vpon the first veritie that they haue omitted no varietée of termes to expresse it and to brynge it into the knowledge of the worlde They haue transmutation transelementation mutation conuertion faction afteration transsubstanciation and diuers other such that are not to be rehersed now You haue taken vpoÌ„ you to controll that counsell of Constance alredie but now you will controll the greate counsel of Lateran where were so many learned clarkes as there were neuer more gathered together And the counsell of Valense and the counsell of Rome sub Nicolao and the generall counsell of Florence and the counsell of Basill In the whiche all your errours concernyng the holy sacrament are ouerthrowen Concernyng your doubte how Christes hodie is in diuers places at once sithen you beléeue no counsel that hath determined that mattier nor auncient fathers Grekes us Latins I will sende you to your great god Luther in a littell booke that he wrote against the Swinglians of the sence of the woordes of the supper of christe They yet remayne vndefaced There he answereth you at the ful Or els to Brentius that great Cane in the exposition of the article of thassention in the first of the Actes where he enterpreteth thereof at the full thoughe very farre in diuers poinctes from the sence of the churche Yet may he not suffer that blinde reason of yours to haue his force in no case It is but a very fonde daliance to braule vpon the labelles before you agrée vpon the originall veritée The trew sence of this littell sentence This is my body that shal be desiuered for you Is the roote and the originall of all suche labelles as wée teache not mencioned in scripture expresly but bulted out by drifte of argument as these are 〈◊〉 similitude for â—uwritteÌ„â—â—eeâ—â—â—â—â— that offend you so sore When the maister saieth to his seruaunt make redie that I may dine he speaketh nothynge in these wordes of scommynge of the potte of cleans water for the potage of the earbes to be chopped of scaldynge and drawynge the Capons of makyng after of hewyng of woodde of laiyng the clothe and other thynges necessarie belongyng to his dinner And yet if the seruaunt woulde leaue the potte vnscommed herbes vngathered make potage with stinkyng water put the Capon vpon the broche fethers guttes and all because his maister made no expresse mencion of the particular orderyng of all these I wéene no man woulde alow his wit or honestie Because in his maisters first commaundement all suche necessaries are imploied And so wée answer you as your mother the catholike churche hath taught vs. Wée néede not to shew you of accidentes remainynge without any subiecte nor of Christes body being in diuers places at once nor of the adoracion of the holy sacrament
congregation came together that they might receiue according to Christê institution That this was S. Paules minde it appeareth by his first proposition and reason and by the conclusion that he addeth in the ende When ye come together saieth he ye can not eate the Lorde supper wher firste it is to be noted that to the celebracion of the sacrament they resorted together and were not priuately in sundry corners He addeth the reason why they coulde not at their méetinges celebrate the Lordes supper Because euery man is occupied in eatynge his owne supper Herein Paule blameth them not onely for immoderate féedynge of their owne meate but also for the disordered vsyng of the Lordes supper in partes where as they should be together as Christ and his Apostles were This he declareth more plainly in that conclusion that he inferreth vpon the rehersall of christes wordes in ordering the sacrament For he saieth Therfore my bretherne when ye come together to eate the Lordes supper do you tarie one for an other What can more plainely declare that S. Paule tooke the right vse of the sacrament to be a common receiuynge together and not a seuerall vse by one man alone As if he had said In christes supper ye se the maister together with the disciples the table and the meate common to all not so muche as Iudas the traitour excluded one lofe and one cuppe discributed amonge the whole companie Therfore when yee come together ye must imitate the concorde and equalitie that he then vsed If he thought it an abuse in the Corinthes to receiue in partes he woulde counte it a farre greater abuse for .x. or xii to receiue eache of them seuerally in one church at one time as though they were of diuers religions or membres of diuers misticall bodies If the Corinthes in receiuyng by partes were blamed of Paule for that they séemed one to contemne an other may not pristes be as iustly blamed because they séeme in their priuate Masse to disdeine and contempne the people I wil now therfore conclude with Cyprians wordes If so be both it be ordeined by christe and the same confirmed by the Apostle that wee should do in this sacrament as our Lord did wee finde that wee steepe not that is commaunded if we do otherwise then Christ did Séeyng then Christe vsed company in ordeinyng the sacramente of that holy feast and supper Priestes also ought to haue company in ministring the same For the aucthoritée of the primatiue churche to confirme that this is the right vse of the sacramente Proufes againste priuate masse out of the fathers I will in this place bringe in onely twoo witnesses which shall not speake of this mattier lightly or by the way but of very purpose declare the maner that then was vsed amonge the people of God alowed and confirmed by godly and holy fathers In so much that if any other maner had ben then vsed they coulde not haue omitted the same especially séeyng they professed to declare that maner of christians therin Iustine the martir in his Apologie descriueth it thus After prayer wee safute eache other with a kiffe then breade and the cuppe mixed with water is brought to the chief brother which after he hath taken geuing praise and thankes vnto the father of all in the name of the sunne and holy ghost for a space he continueth in thankes geuynge After praiers and thankes geuyng the whole company saieth Amen When the ministers geuynge of thankes and the peoples well wisshynge is finisshed those whiche wee call deacons gene parie of the breade and cuppe ouer whiche thankes is geuen vnto euery one that is present yea and suffer the same to be caried to them that be absent This nourishment we call Eucharistiam the sacrament of thankes geuing A litle after he declareth the same thyng agayne On sunday saith he companies of the towne and countrey come together Where lessons of the prophetes and Apostles be redde When the clarke ceaseth the minister exhorteth and allureth them to the imitation of so holy thinges Afier we all arise and pray Then as I said bread and wyne mixed with water is brought foorth and the chiefe minister so muche ae he can praieth and geueth thankes the people syngyng Amen Then the thynges consecrated are distributed to al present and be sent by the Deacons to those that be absent The same forme and maner of celebracion of the sacrament with very little difference is witnessed by Dionisius who in Ecclesiastica Hierarchia after he hath descriued a few other circumstances and noted that only they taried in the churche whiche weare méete for the sighte and communion of the deuine and holy sacrament addeth this After hee hathe she wen the gifts of those diuine workes he hoth commeth to the communion of the same hym selfe and also allureth other When the dynine communion is bothe taken and geuen it endeth in holy thankes geuinge Woulde a man desire any plainer testimony of the vse of the Lordes supper in the primatiue Churche Doth not all thynges agre with the institution of christe and example of the Apostle Is here any coniecture either of the laitée receiuing vnder one kinde or of sole receiuynge by the priest or of sacrifienge the body and bloud of Christe for quicke dead Is here any worde or ceremony that signifieth suche vse to haue bene at that time Yet as I sayd these men write not of this mattier by the way but of purpose vndertake to shew the maner of the churche in their daies And wyll you yet continew to affirnie that wee haue no colour or title in the scripture and fathers for the reproffe of your priuate masse But ye wil vrge after your maner to haue an expresse sentence that forbiddeth the priest to receiue without company I answere Christes institucion the example of the apostels the common vse of the fathers was other wayes therfore the prieste should not communicate without other Ye haue no expresse commaundmente that forbiddeth you to baptisme in the name of the father only but that christes institution was otherwise Wyl ye therfore say that ye may withoute offence baptise in the name of the father only If christes institution in baptisme be a sufficient forbidding of the contrary to be vsed why should not his wordes and mauer vsed in the supper forbidde you to doe the contrary Ciprian as I haue sayde taketh it for a full prohibition of the contrary and if you wil not ye must of necessitie weaken his reasoninge against those that he writeth which dyd bringe euen as good reasons and as holy considerations for their parte as ye be able to deuise any for yours Now that I haue in this manner-layed the foundacion of our proofes I wil procede to examine the residew of your argumentes againste vs. In recityng the aucthoritie of Chrisostome you brynge in a similitude or comparison 4. Cap. which of how small force they be in
that they offered for the Patriarkes Prophetes Apostles ye and for the blessed virgin Mary the mother of God For whose sinnes it can not be that they offered whiche by the testimony and faith of the whole church be with God in heauen This thynge is well descriued by Chrisostom vpon the. 8. cap. of Math. Therfore saith he the priest standing at the auster when the sacrifice is proposed commaundeth vs to offer thankes to God for the whole world for them that be abset for those that were before vs and for those that shall come after vs. The same Chrisostome also calleth this their offerynge Rationalem cultum whiche yee can not interprete a propitiatorie sacrifice but a reasonable worshippyng of God by praier and thankes geuyng for his holy sainctes by the whiche he hath builded his churche and whiche nowe remaine as membres and partes of his misticall body whervnto we also by the celebration of the sacrament be ioygned and so as it were kniffe in vnitée with them This was their offeryng for the dead and not a practise to pull soules out of Purgatorie for marchandise and money as ye haue vsed in your priuate Masses a great numbre of yeres to the great defasing of the death and passion of Christe Wherfore your Masse can not iustly be called the Lordê supper but a peruertyng of the institution and ordinaÌ„ce cleane to an other purpose and ende then he willed to be kepte amonge his people For the Lordes supper as I sayde before is a gifte of God to vs whiche wée muste receiue with thankes geuyng Your sacrifice is a price to be paied to God and of him to be taken as a satisfactioÌ„ The Lordes supper is a remembrance of one perfit sacrifice wherby we were once sufficiently purged from sinne and continually are reuiued by the same Your sacrifice is a dayly offeryng vp of Christe for our sinnes as thoughe it had not ben perfitely doone at the first The Lordes supper is to be distributed in the common assembly of his people to teache vs the communion whereby wes all be knitte together in Christe Iesu The vse of your sacrifice in priuate Masse séemeth by the priestes seâ—le receiuyng to be a testimony of seperacion and a meane to bryng the communitée out of christian mens mindes For after they once beléeued that priestes must sacrifice for them they began to leaue the communion and frequentation of the sacrameÌ„t as a thing either not apperteinyng or very little apperteining to them but especially to priestes And by that meanes the way was made to your common vse of priuate Masse So muche difference therefore as is betwéene to géeue and to receiue to remember one perfit sacrifice and dayly to reiterate a sacrifice to celebrate in common as a testimony of vnitie to créepe in corners or by chappels as a signe of seperation so muche difference is there betwéene the sacrament by Christe apoincted and the sacrifice of the Masse by you deuised This haue I spoken more largely of this mattier then either I purposed or you gaue me occasion by any proofe brought for the confirmation of your sacrifice First because this is an other great abuse in your priuate Masse that yes take vpon you to defende Secondly that I might declare the grounde of your reason to be very weake where ye affirme the priest to bee bounde of duitie to sacrifice for him selfe and for the people Thirdly that I might answere more aptly to Chrisostomes aucthoritie which nexte is to be examined The place of Chrisostome 5. Cap. that you alledge is otherwise in him then you recite it A. For he saieth Frustra habetur quotidiana oblatio Frustra stamus ad altare nemo est qui simul participet In vayne we haue our dayly offeryng in vayne we stande at thanlter there is no man to communicate with vs. As touching those wordes that ye moste beate vpon An aunswere to ChrisostoÌ„ There is no man to communicate by them to proue that they receiued only at Easter and at other times there were none at all to communicate with the ministers I wyll shew you out of Chrisostome him selfe that they must of necessitie haue an other sence and that in those wordes he vseth that figure of aggrauatinge that he commonly vseth in all places For euen in the same place D. not many lines before the wordes that ye recite he declareth that a number vsed to receiue at certaine other times C. I se many saith hee rashly not passyng how and more of a custome then lawfully and of good consideration to be partakers of christes body Yf the holy time of lent were at hand say they if the day of Epiphanie were come hauinge no regarde what he is that is partaker of the misteries But the time of cumming to it the Epiphanie the holy season of Lente doth not make them worthy that come but the sinceritie and putitie of minde Doo ye not here perceiue that many vsed ordinarely to come to the Communion at the Epiphanie and in lent as well as he mencioned before at Easter howe can ye then gather by Chrisostome that there was no company to receiue but only at Easter but what if I declare oute of Chrisostome that some vsed to receiue oftener times wyll not your collection vppon this place that ye séeme to triumphe vpon appere to be of very smal force Hom. 17. ad Hebreos Many saieth he take of this sacrifice once in the whole yere some twise some oftener times Hereby it is moste euident that Chrisostom had other to communicate with him at diuers other times beside Easter The maner was I graunte that some of custome addicted theim selues to certayne dayes And in some places the bishops or sinodes apointed men to receiue once twise thrise or fower times in the yere as Augustine witnesseth Concilium Eliberinum apoynteth to communicate thrise in the yere But these prescripte times were ordeined onely for them that vsed seldome to come to the sacrament that at the leaste they should receiue at those times if they would knowlage them selues to bée of the church Notwithstandinge they did not only leane frée to other to frequent the sacrament but earnestly calleth them to it at euery assembly of the people As Ambrose greuously blameth the custome of many in the Easte partes that vsed to come but once in the yere and saith that hée whiche is not méete to receiue euery day wyll not be méete to receiue once a yeare Therfore as in the primatiue church very many in dyuers places vsed to be partakers of the sacrament but ones twise or thrise in the yere so it is euident that dyuers other better disposed dyd receiue with the byshop and ministers at sundry other times That forte because they were not so many as they should haue hene and as Chrisostome wished for to haue in his church to exaggerate their slacknes hee saieth There is none to bée partaker with be
by spiritual gouernours But to apointe a geometricall measure of place a prescripte proportion of tyme or one certaine number that may serue for all churches times and ages is far aboue our reache And therfore I leaue it to be deuised of suche profound and curious braines as you and yours haue Which beside the worde of god and contrary to his workynge in his creatures can compryse accidences without subiectes and bodies withoute fashion quaÌ„tity or measure with other suche highe misteries whiche neither scripture nor any necessitie of reason doth teache For in déede our wittes are so simple as in gods misteries we can sée no more then his holy word leadeth vs vnto Nexte is that you burden vs with Erasmus aucthoritie 8. Cap. and chalenge vs that wée wyll not beléeue his reporte Sir it séemeth very straunge to mée that you whiche haue so muche hated Erasmus A. as ye haue often chased him out of grammer schooles and dryuen him into the fire should now in your néede take helpe and succour at hys hand Answere to Erasmus Tertullian Cyprian and Ciril Truly wée doo now esteme Erasmus as wee haue alwayes for a man of excellent learning and a singular instrument prouided of god to begin the reformacion of his church in this latter time and yet thinke wee not all his opinions to be true For you I thinke doo esteme Tertullian and Origen and that right worthely And yet if ye wyl graunt all that they write to be true I wyl proue you an heritke Notwithstandinge we deny not that whyche Erasmus saieth in this mattier and knew whens he had his assertion before you tolde vs. How little it serueth your purpose I wyll shew hereafter You confirme Erasmus opinion with that Tertullian wryteth in his 2. boke Ad vxorem of the Paynimes wife that was Christened and euery day priuely receiued the sacrament at home in her house And also with the history that Ciprian rehearseth of the woman that vnreuerently opened the cheste where in shee kepte the Lordes body To this also ye adde Cirilles aucthority for reseruation Out of these places you sucke not onely soole receauinge but also mynistringe vnder one kinde reseruation yea and reall presence also Of soole receiuing Firste for soole receiuinge it behoueth to consider that in the time of Tertullian B. Ciprian and all that age the church was in much trouble vexacion and persecution so that they could not haue their ecclesiasticall assembles and congregations for common praier and ministracion of the sacramentê so conueniently as afterwarde in time of peace For euery Paynime especially if his wyfe childe or seruaunt were tourned to Christianitie was ready and sought occasion to bewray them and bringe them in trouble as it may appere by the same booke of Tertullian that you alledge Therfore they were oftentimes compelled of necessitie to send the sacrament to such as were absent and either durst not or might not conueniently come as ye may perceiue by Iustine the Martir that the fashion was in his time Hereof it came that dyuers receiued alone in their houses But nor these places nor any other that you be able to alledge can proue that there were ministers or priestes priuately celebratinge with other standinge bie that receiued not That whiche these persons receiued at home was parte of that was distributed in the common celebration where company were and vppon case of necessitée sent by the ministers to them beinge absent But you should bringe such places as might proue that the common minister in place of the lordes supper dyd celebrate and receiue alone other beinge present and not partaking For suche a sole receiuinge is your pryuate Masse that you pretende to striue for Now therefore let vs sée how aptely your argument gathered vppon these places doeth conclude your purpose Women and lay men somtime in case of necessitie priuately receiued at home parte of that which was sent from the common celebration therfore common ministers as often as they liste oute of necessitie may consecrate and receiue alone in the common place of prayer when the people is present and doth not communicate I thinke your selfe may easely se of what force this collection is That may be graunted to a lay person receiuinge that may not to a pryest ministringe that sometime in necessitie whiche may not alwayes at pleasure that at home where none is that may not in the church where many be Wherfore these testimonies are but weake groundes to builde pryuate Masse vppon You wyll perchance obiecte that such receiuing in houses was vsed when the churche was in quiet and without persecutioÌ„ I graunt you as the maner is that facions brought in by necessitie or some greate consideration be oftentimes kept and folowed with abuse when neither necessitie doth constraine it nor good consideracion can mainteine it and so was it in this matter Hierome against Iouinian mencioneth that in his time some vsed to receiue in their houses but he earnestly inueigheth against that maner Why saith he doe they not come into the church he Christ sometime abrode in the common place somtime at home in the house c. In Socrates the. 2. boke we reade that Sinodus Gangrensis condemned Eustathium for that contrary to the ecclesiastical rules he graunted licence to coÌ„municate at home So that hereby it may apeare that a custome that in necessitie to some persons is eyther tollerable or pius error is at another time and to other persons vntollerable and Impia prophanatio If you dilygently examine that maner of receauinge in theyr houses at that tyme which ye thinke to make with you you shal wel perceiue it not a lytle to make against you When they did celebrate as Iustine before rehearsed doth witnesse they dyd not only distribute to them that were presente but by the deatons sent it to such as could not be present Did they not in this point declare a necessitée of partakinge if it were possible at euery ministratioÌ„ In so muche that when their place would not receiue all or other necessary cause did let them to come to the common place of prayer yet that they might be partakers of the Lordes supper they sent it to them where they were How well doth this fashion agree with your priuate masse Wherin ye neither cal nor proffer nor send to the people but so doo it all alone in sight of the hole congregacion as though it weare a thinge that nothing appertained vnto them Now then you may euidently se that none of these aucthorities hetherto alleged doth prove directly your Masse that is a sole receiuinge in the celebration of the sacrament But how necessary that time of the churche dyd thinke it to bee that the people should bee partakers with the prieste that Epistle signitieth that you attribute to Anacletus where it is this wrytten Peracta consecratione omnes communicent qui noluerit ecclesiasticis carere liminibus Sic
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
in his wordes He sayde not absolutely no negatiue proposition coulde be proued neither doeth D. Cole finde so muche faute with him for deniyng that a negatiue might be proued for him selfe had so saide before but with this that to gréeue his aduersarie he woulde stay vpon the negatiue and put you of the contrarie parte to proue the affirmatiue Whiche was vpon good reason donne at that time to the ende as I thinke that he might presse vpon you somwhat narre then other before had vsed to doo The cause why hee might iustly rest vppon the negatiue For whereas you haue vntruly borne the worlde in hande and make your auaunte continually that the church hath taught as you doo these xv hundred yeres that the holy scriptures aunciente fathers counsels doo make altogether for your doctrine against ours he both wisely and learnedly did sée that there was no way so fitte either to driue you from this auaunte or to declare it euidently to be false as to rest vpon this true negatiue that you haue no sufficiente proufe out of the aucthoritées before rehearsed For therby he should either force you to shew what you haue whiche in effecte is nothynge or els to confesse that the chiefe poinctes of your doctrine by him recited be as they are in déede cleane beside the worde of god and example of the primatiue churche or if you would not for shame confesse it yet that all men in the ende might perceiue it is so when that you neither woulde nor coulde bring any sufficient confirmation of the same by the scriptures olde fathers auncient counsels or alowed example of the church by the space of vi hundred yeres I will declare the mattier by example of those thinges that your self taketh in hande to proue All the preachers of this time teache that the right vse of the lordes supper is to be celebrated in maner of a communion or feast with companie and that as well the laytée as clergy shoulde receiue vnder bothe kindes This doctrine they say is accordyng to Gods worde and vse of the primatiue churche and not the contrarie For proufe thereof they alledge out of the scripture the Euangelistes and saincte Paule in whiche appereth euidently that company was and bothe kindes were indifferently vsed and no significacion at all of the contrarie For the primatiue churche they bringe Justine Dyonisius Cyprian Chrisostome and other ther hée did of purpose seeke a shifte to cauille or els in déede had nothinge to saye Or if you doo thinke it reasonable I will learne at your hande howe you coulde proue that negatiue by all your lawe or logike I doo scante thinke you wyl say that a man may be orderly required to proue suche mere negatiues When a negatiue or what kinde of negatiues may bée proved I leaue to bée discussed in some other place as a question more mete for Sophisters in the paruise schoole at Oxforde then for dyuines in matters of weight and importance After your reasoninge againste the causes 2. Cap. that as you saye were alleged not to proue the negatiue An aunswere to the distinction of priuate as it were to lay the ground of your controuersée for priuate masses ye beginne with a distinction that this terme priuate may be taken after dyuers sortes Eyther as contrary to common to many for the commoditie therof or els as sole receiuing by a priest aloue without any company In the firste way A. you saye ye neuer affirmed masse to be priuate but to pertaine to the behalfe of all states and sortes of men whatsoeuer they be In déede I were to blame and very iniurious vnto you if I woulde dente that ye haue ben very bountifull in bestowinge the benesite of your masse and especially when money was broughte in aboundantly For then ye applied it vnto highe to low to Princes to priuate persons to absent to present to quicke to deade to heauen to hel ye and to purgatory to Ouer and beside that ye made it a saliâ—e for all sores and a remedy for all misâ—heffes Here were a large feeld for me to deseant vpon the diuers abuses that you applied it vnto contrary to Christes institution and ordinanâ—â— but that any Christian hart may rather yerne and lamente to remember so vngodly prophanation of the holy Sacrament then to séeke occasion pleasantly to daly in the rehersall and deluding of the infinite vanyties therof The other signification of priuate in sole receiuing by the priest not imbarringe any that is willynge and ready to be partaker with him ye say the Catholike Church doth and alway hath taught And here vpon makinge your proposition ye require a profe of the affirmatiue included in the negatiue that is that euery priest or any other ought when he receiueth to haue a company to receiue with hym Why sir is this the truste that you would séeme to haue in the trueth of your cause is this the plaine and sound dealinge that ye after professe to vse is this the leauing of all shifts where by ye may séeme to cauill rather then staye vppon the chéefe profes of your matter Who séeth not that euen in the very entrance mistrustinge your quarel ye seke a shiste as it were by policy to helpe that whiche in the open féelde is not able to defende it selfe This was no parte of the challinge as you terme it This is not that ye pretende so earnestly to proue The matter is of priuate masses and you make your issue in sole receiuing Is there no difference thinke you betwene sole receiuinge and priuate masse doeth euery one that receiueth alone say a priuate masse Then may not only priestes say masse but also by your owne authorities after brought in lay men and women also And yet your reasoninge in the residew of your treatise is suche as if it were a sufficiente profe of priuate masse to shew that some men and women in certaine cases receiued alone in the primatiue Church But of your argumentes afterwarde In this place ye shall geue me leaue to finde that faute in you that Tussy in the beginning of his offices layeth to Panetius who intending to write of dutie in behauiour omitteth the definition of the same where as euery reasonable discourse ought to procede of a viefe declaracion of that whiche is in controuersée If ye had this done I doubte not but ye would rather haue plucked your pen from the paper thâ—â— haue medled with the matter that ye are now entred into What priuat masse is I will therefore thewe you oute of your owne aucthours what I take your priuate masse to bée B. It is a sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ vsed in the Churche in place of the Lordes Supper by one prieste alone offered to God the father for the sinnes of quicke and deade which without any to participate with him haâ— may apply to the benefite of what persons
and thingeâ—â— hée listeth That it is a sacrifice of Christes body that it is vsed in place of the Lordes Supper that one may offerat for quicke and deade that it is in the priestes power to apply it all your sorte doe not only without resistance easely confesse but without reason stoutly defende Therefore I shall not néede to make any further prouse of the partes of this discripcion I doo therefore take priuate masse to be not only as you and some other patrons of your cause of late yeares haue wrested it sence the ministers of gods truth in this latter time haue driuen you to the best shiftes of interpretacion but as it was commonly vsed in the worlde before and as it is set forth in your schole men to the great defacinge of Christes death and passion And yet ye shall not thinke that wée of trueth can or ought to yelde to the best of your interpretacions that euer I could heare Of this priuate masse that I haue now declared to you the challenge that ye take so greuousy was made And therein doo I also at this time ioigne issue with you and say that nether you nor any of your parte will euer be able to proue the same by the hoâ—y scriptures auncient fathers or alowed councels yea and because you vrge the negatiue that with gods healpe wée will abundantly proue the contrary This will I doo quietly and calmely without stormynge or tempestuous blustering either at you or at your doctrine as one moste glad to bringe you againe to that heauenly trueth of the gospel whiche vnder the blasphemous names of falshode and phantasée you declare your selfe to haue forsaken In the residue of your discourse ye woulde séeme to take from vs the true and right rule to reforme the church of Christ 3. Cap. that is to proue that in doctrines and vse of the sacramentes al thinges should not be reduced to the patern of the Apostles time and the primatiue churche Herein you doo as they are wonte whose conscience doeth pricke them to haue done amisse For suche alway draw backe and lurke out of the light being lothe to come there where they know that truth woulde be tried Euen so you fearyng to be founde fautie woulde wryng vs from that rule wherby all trueth in doctrine ought to be examined To this purpose ye may séeme to bryng three reasons One is a rowlyng in of a rable of suche examples as no reasonable man woulde denie vnto you The seconde is a resemblyng of the primatiue church vnto an infant in the swadlynge cloutes and this latter time to a tall man of perfit yeres and ripe age The thirde is the comparison of the times and the ferueÌ„t charitée that then was with the key-colde charitée that now is As touching the first I cannot choose but greately merueile at your maner of reasonyng whiche indeuour to proue the contrary of that that no man did euer affirme Did ye euer here of any A. that woulde haue all thinges without exception reduced to that very forme of the worlde that was in the primatiue churche And yet your examples tendeth to the rupted either with false opinions depraued or with superstitious ceremonies defaced is it not full time thinke you to call for redresse accordyng to the scripture and primatiue churche So to doo wée haue good example in Christe him selfe and in his apostle S. Paule When Christe woulde purge the lawe from pharisaicall mitigations and interpretacions he had recourse to the first fountaine originall Math. 5. saiynge Dictum est veteribus c. Ego autem dico vobis So he ruduced all to the first fountaine In the mattier of deuorsemeÌ„t he alledged not the Rabins and late writers of Iewes but saied Ab initio non fuit sic Countyng what soeuer was added to the first ordinance of the law to be a corruption of it S. Paule mindyng to redresse the abuse of this sacramente of the lordes supper euen in this poincte that they tooke it in partes and not together bryngeth the institution of Christ from the beginnyng and saieth This haue st receiued of the Lorde Wyllynge to alter nothyng therin The like doeth S. Cyprian epist ad Cecisium against Aquarios Wee must not harken saieth he what other did before vs but what Christe first did that was before al. And here he speaketh of the same sacrament and against them that abused if contrarie to the first fouÌ„dacion were they neuer so holy This Tertussian also taketh to be a sure rule against all heresies and abuses who saith in this wise This reason is of force against all heresies That is true that was first ordeined that is corrupted that is after done And Cyprian in the same epistle before mencioned Hereof saith he arise diuisions in the church because wee seeke not to the head nor haue recourse to the fountain nor kepe the commaundementes of the heauenly maister Therefore seyng it is so good a rule in religion to resorte to the first institucion wée also without any iust reproche may require to haue the sacramentes reformed accordynge to the scripture and the primatiue church But you thinke perhappê although for shame ye may not say it that their successours in calder age of the churche were of more wisedome and discretion and know better what they had to doo then the Apostles and olde fathers Therto tendeth your similitude of bringyng a talle man againe to his swadlyng cloutes B therein resemblynge the primatiue churche to infancie and this latter time to ripe age and discrecion That the primatiue churche was not of the state of infancie This is not your onely similitude It is muche in the mouthes of suche as mainteine your doctrine But I assure you it was neuer inuented without the spirite of Antichriste nor cannot be maintened without blasphemy against Christe and singular reproche of his Apostles and their successours If that time were the state of infancie in the churche when Christ him selfe instructed when his Apostles taught when the holy fathers gouerned nexte their time then wee muste néedes recken Christ the Apostles the fathers to be infantes in religion to be babes in gouernement of the churche not to be able so well to se what was conueniente in the vse of the sacramente as their posteritee were Can any christian mans hearte fall into that cogitacion without feare of Gods wrath and displeasure And yet that must needes folow vpon this defence of your doctrine I pray you when hath a man best discrecion to rule him selfe Will yée not say when he is most indued with the vse of reason and wisedome When had the churche of God such aboundant wisedome and knowledge of his heauenly misteries When was it indued with so plentifull graces of the holy ghost as it was in time of the Apostles and first fathers Did it not appere in their pure life in their feruent zeale in their miraculous workyng And will