towardes the East in your coÌ„mon prayer As it doth appeare by S. Iustin the martyr .118 quest Bicause saieth he we should reserue the most honorable thinges for God and by all mens iudgement where the sonne riseth that is the worthiest part of the wordle The same also is proued by S. Athanasius quest .37 Which alleageth for that purpose the testimonies of the Psalmes and Prophetes in answering to a Iew for the answering to a Gentil he saieth that bicause God is true light therfor we loke towarde the sight created and doe not worship the light it selfe but the maker therof Thirdly to a Christian this he answereth saing For this cause the most blessed Apostles did make the churche of the ChristiaÌ„s to looke towardes the East that we looking vnto Paradise from whence we haue fallen I meane our old coÌ„try and land shold and might desire our God and Lord to bring vs back thither froÌ„ whence being cast out we are in this banishement And of this iudgement also S. Basil the great is And saieth It is a tradition of the Apostles And with these agreeth S. Austen sayng when we stand to pray we torne vnto the East And why therfore is not this ordre kept in the communion boke but expressely rather it appointeth the Priest to stand at the north side of the table Is this your continewing in old fathers and doctors orders that yow be assured no example can be shewed to the contrary of that which you doe if you say the standing maketh no matter suppose it to be so wherfore then did you not let thinges stand wheÌ„ they were wel or why do ye crake before ignorant people that you hauâ— the same ordre withowt example to the coÌ„trary which was in the primitiue church and fiue or six hundred yeres after vsed Thus first then you stand not rightly no more doe ye in the rest accordingly For where is the water which you should mingle together with the wine in consecrating the chalice why keape you not this auncient approued and receaued ordre S. Alexander Bishope of Rome the fifthe after S. Peter saieth Neither wine alone neither water alone but both mengled together ought to be offred vp in the chalice of our Lord. as we haue receaued of our forefathers and reason it selfe dothe teache bicause both they are readen to haue gusshed out of his side when he suffred his passion Item the third Councell holden at Carthage forbideth that any thing els be offered then our Lord him selfe hath deliuered and appointed that is to say bread and wine mengled with water Again S. Cyprian in one whole epistle greatly rebuketh them which offer vp water alone or wine alone Bicause he saieth that our Lorde appointed it so that water and wine should be mengled both together to signifie the ioyning of Christ and his Church in one For many waters do signifie in the Apocalipse many people so that water mengled with wine doth well represent the people tempered together and vnited with Christ. How say you be not these witnesses sufficient inough they are within the fiue huÌ„dred yeres which M. Iuell geueth vs leaue to considre if perchaunce we may find any exception to the contrarye that the ordre in the Englishe communion is not according to the perfect example of that which it should be I aske yet once again why the minister of the holy coÌ„munion is not commaunded to make the signe of the crosse when he should consecrate This also was an old custome For in S. Iames and S. Basiles masse there ysâ— a proper place and tyme before sacring as we haue called it in which the preist doth make the signe of the crosse vpon the bread and wyne And Tertullian sayeth that in his tyme it was a generall custome to make the signe of the crosse in the forhead at euerie comyng in to the house at euerie going furth in puttyng on theire apparell in sittyng downe at the table at candelltyde at beddtyde How much soner then dyd they vse that signe in holie misteries S. Chrisostome also an awncient father the head sayeth he ys not so much decked and set â—urth with a royall crowne as with the crosse All men signe them selues with it â—mprinting it in the most noble part that we haue For in the forehead as it were vpon a piller the figure thereof ys daylie made so lykewise in the holie table so in the makinge of preistes so againe with the bodie of Christ in the misticall suppers that signe doth florishe Vnto these .11 fornamed witnesses lett vs take a therde verdict of the blessed S. Austyne which iudgeth of the crosse in this wyse that except it be putt vnto either the forheades of the faithful either the water with which thei are regenerated and borne againe wither the oyle with which they are anointed either the sacrifice with which thei are norished none of them all ys well done What then shall we saye yf M. Iuell hath not thorowghlie readen these awncient doctors how hardie and hastie was he in reporting that his communion and his felowes ys restored to the forme of the primitiue church deliuered by Christ practised by the Apostles coÌ„tinued by the holie fathers and if that he hath readen the holie fathers and yet coÌ„tempneth their sayinges what credit is to be geuen vnto his preaching which plaieth the hipocrite so notoriouslie But lett vs make other exceptions In the primitiue church altars were alowed emong Christians vpon which they offered the vnbloudie sacrifice of Christ his bodie Saynct Paule manifestlie saying we haue an altar of which they may not eate which communicate with Idolls The councell also called Agathense hath decreed it that Altars should be halowed not onlie with the anoynting of holie oyle but also the blessing of the preist Yet yowr coÌ„panie M. Iuell to declare what folowers thei are of antiquytie doe accompt it emong one of the kyndes of Idolatrie if one keepe an altar staÌ„ding And in deed yow folow a certayne antiquitie not yet of the Catholykes but of desperate here tikes As Optatus writeth against the Donatistes saying what ys so wicked theewish as to break to rase to remoue the altars of God vpoÌ„ which once you did offer Now if you be of no affinitie with the Donatistes answer for the pulling downe of altars what sprite it was which moued you there vnto Againe in the primityue church incensing at masse was of most holie men alowed witnesses hereof are S. Iames in his masse saying O Lord â—hesu Christ c. purge vs from all spot and make vs to stand pure at thy holie altar that we may offer vnto the a sacrifice of prayse and receiue of vs thy unprofitable seruaÌ„tes this present perfume for a sweet sauor c. S. Denise also ys a witnes which emong other thinges write coÌ„cernyng the order of church seruice in his
replieth saying The holy oblation whether Peter or Paule doe offer it or any other priest of what so euer goodnes he be is the same which Christ did geue vnto his disciples and which priestes euen now to these daies doe consecrate And S. Ambrose He is saieth he our Bishop which offered the sacrifice which purged vs the same we also now offer vp which then being offered can not be consumed Wherfore seing that priestes how so euer they be in their liues are honorable for the sacrifice which they offer And wheras Christ did offer vp him selfe according to the order of Melchisedech in his last supper and thirdly wheras priestes do the same very thing which our master did before it is ignoraÌ„ce not to know these thinges or dissimulatioÌ„ to passe by them it is impiety to speak against the church and it is blasphemy in deed to reuile or taunt at Christ his bodi But yet M. Iuel wil proue his saing For contrariwise Christ presenteth vs and maketh vs a swete oblation in the sight of God his father Ergo sayeth he the priest offereth not Christ. which is open blasphemye or els he should say that he vnderstandeth not the matter For what contrariety is betwen Christ and his church or betwen the head and the body All this which I shal say is true Christ offereth vp vs Christ is the oblation it selfe the churche offereth Christ and Christ doth offer his church and in all this ther is no contrarietie witnes hereof is S. Austen saing Bicause of the forme of a seruant which he â—oke Christ is also a priest him self being the offerer and him self the oblation Of which thing he would the daily sacrifice of the church to be a Sacrament wheras he is the head of her the body and she the body of him the head she aswel being accustomed to be offered by him as he accustomed to be offered by her So that euery man may see whith what lerning and truth the Canon hitherto hath ben reproued But let vs coÌ„sider the rest More ouer the priest desireth God to accept the body of his soâ—ne Ihesus Christ â–ª as he once accepted the sacrifice of Abell or the oblatioÌ„ of Melchisedech And think we that Christ the soune of God standeth so far in his fathers displeasure that he nedeth a mortal and miserable man to be his spokes man to procure him fauor Haue you seen a man somtimes for wantones or dronkenes or plaine 〈◊〉 to fight against his owne shadow 〈◊〉 M. Iuel here streketh that kind of men which I haue not read of and none I think which beleueth in Christ did euer dreame that his father was angry with him and that he needeth to haue not onely a mortal miserable man but any most glorious creature to speake for him Yet this preacher so sowndeth as though all the whole number of Catholikes which these nine huÌ„dred yeres by his owne coÌ„fession vsed the Canon haue praied to God for Christ his soule Now God haue mercy on his sowle which so loudly belieth so many blessed and lerned men This obiection hath in part been answered before yet I say now again that the church desireth God to loke downe vpon his sonnes body and to accept it either for vehemency of loue and deuotion which causeth men to repete again and again that which they are sure of or els bicause all flesh is weake and vnclean and vnworthy to come so nigh vnto the most high mysteries therfore the church desireth that God will accept at her handes and looke fauorably vpon the body of his soâ—ne fearing lest perchaunce the wickednes of her be such that God turneth away his face from her euen at that time when his most dearest soune is present After which manner albeit the Ghospell and the actes of Christ be alwaies liked of God yet of som it is saied by the Prophet VVy doest thou declare my righteousnes and takest my testament in thy mouth Which men wel might praye after this sort which M. Iuel so gretly wondreth at and say Lord behold with a merciful couÌ„tenance the wordes of thy owne Ghospell and turne not away they face from thy owne testameÌ„t And so likewise that which foloweth in the Canon that God wold accept the sacrifice of his sonnes bodye as he accepted Abell Abraham or Melchisedechs oblations it is not spoken as M. Iuel faineth as thowgh the bodye of Christ were to be receaued no otherwise then shepe or lambe and bread or wine but the church declareth therin her wish that as concerning her seruice not as concerning the price of the thinges offered in the old time and these daies of grace it wold please God to receaue at her handes the sacrifice of Christ his body so thankfully as he receaued the oblations of those good fathers And that her seruice in this part may be no worse vnto her then those of old time were to Abell Abraham and Melchisedech But let vs now coÌ„sider by this obiection what one may do which is disposed and what euil example is geuen vnto Ethnikes by the lokes of Christians to speake against the Christian faith Arise o Lord sayeth the Prophet why doest then slepe Remembre Dauid o Lord sayeth the same Prophet and all his gentlenes and that Dauid is Christ. And in an other place of the Psalmes it is writen that God did arise like one which had ben a slepe and like a valiant which had well dronk of wine Yea it ys expresslie sayed for Christ I pray God to heare the in the tyme of thy tribulation and so furth thorowgh the whole Psalme Shall Christians in these places play the Ethnikes partes and aske whether God be a slepe or forgetfull or well tipled what doe they meane which pray to obteine any thing for Christ his sake do they not say in effect all this behold o Lord how thy blessed soun take flesh vpon hym for our sakes remembre his obedieÌ„ce remembre the scourges the prickes of thorne the nailes the crosse the death which he suffered remembre and doe not forget how deepe is S. Bernard and S. Bonauentura and thousandes of blessed men in the coÌ„sideratioÌ„s of our Sauior his passion what lamentations what questions what wisshes what thoughtes haue they O blessed fault sayeth S. Gregory which deserued such a redemer what saye we to the auncient hymnes of the church which are song in the lent the sense I remembrâ— although I keepe not all the wordes Bowe downe thy bowes o tall high tree and slake thy hard stiff graine That with soft stretching his bodye thou ease the high kinges paine what place is left for the fong of the three children All the workes of our Lord blesse our Lord And the Psal. Praise ye our Lord which is in the heauens in which Psalmes sonne and moon thunder lightning haile snow hills fildes riuers seas all beastes of the earth
discontinewing of the same ordre And ordres which men appoint may be chaunged again by men What then meaneth M. Iuell by these wordes VVhen any ordre geuen by God is broken and let him plainly also shew wherin the ordre consisted and who did break it The ordre was this as it appeareth by the learned coÌ„mentaries of the blessed fathers vpon that .xj. chapter of the first to the Corinthians On their holy daies and appointed feastes according to an old custome of the Churche the Corinthians did vse riche and poore altogether in coÌ„mon to eate drink and that of common meates and drinkes Which meetinges and suppers were called in the Grek tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as other do write bicause of their charitable sitting and eating together Now as S. Austen writeth after the supper ended they did receaue the SacrameÌ„t But as S. Chrisostom thinketh they did first receaue the Sacrament and then sett them selues to supper But were the SacrameÌ„t receaued after or before and to come to Theophilactus again afterward saieth he Dissentions arising among them that meruelous or excellent manner which had much charitie and not a litle Christian philosophy in it was taken away kept no longer of the Corinthians How was it taken away Bicause they did now sitt a sondre as â—che by them selues or kindredes with kindredes or by families or other waies deuided wherby the poore folkes which before did put their handes freely in the riche mens disshes whiles they sat Christianlike at one table together they now poore sowles in deede hungrie were caused to â—itt by them selues had no benefit of their euen Christians plentie With which singularitie of the riche men S. Paule was iustly offended and saied VVhen you com together in one this is not it to eate our Lord his supper For euery one of you doth take his owne supper before and eate In which wordes our Lord his supper is vnderstood as Theophilactus writeth that meeting and eating together of theirs which was instituted and receaued as in folowing of that reuerend and worshipfull supper of our Lord in deed Here vpon now S. Paule studying for the redresse of this ordre among other argumentes by which he would persuade them quietly and without disdaine or murmur to sitt together as they were wont to doe he bringeth in for one principall argument the doinges of our Sauior in his last supper saying I haue receaued of our Lord that which I haue deliuered vnto you and so forth As if he should haue saied more plainly my frindes you doe vse in your meetinges together to kepe separate tables and to put away the poore from you throwgh a certaine coÌ„tempt perchaunce or disdaine of them Which you are much to blame to doe For seing our Sauior in his last supper geuing his owne body to be eaten did not make partes thereof and vnequall diuision that som should haue al and other should goe without and wheras you also do receaue at these present suppers of your owne that very body of his it is to absurd that towardes your neighbours and brothers you should vse this straingenes as though they were not worthy to eate of your bocherly fleshly meate with you or com nigh vnto your tables which aâ— made partakers with you of the body of our Sauior and of the heauenly table Thus then you may see how the wordes of S. Paule depend orderly one vpon an other and what the ordre was with the breakinge of whiche he was offended And wher vpon then doe these wordes of M. Iuell folow I haue receaued of the Lord c. But let vs now yet debate this matter more plentifully The ordre once receaued was that they should make ther common supper all togethâ—r of such meates as they would bring and either before as S. Chrisostom his opinion is or after as S. Austen vnderstandeth it they should receaue the Sacrament Well this ordre is broken But why did you break it o ye Corinthians why did ye lett either enuie disdaine pride glotome or any other vncleane thought so to entre into your hartes and so to take place there that wheras before to the maintenaunce of charitie your tables in the church were common now to the discomforting of the simple and poore ye make to your selues priuate and singular banketes If you seeke onely for good chere you haue howses of your owne meeter for that purpose then the church But if nedes you wil supp in the church after the old fasshion let your meates be common vnto the rest which shalbe there gathered as the old fasshion was We see a manifest disordre and most lameÌ„table som be dronken bicause of to much other be fainte bicause of to litle Do ye coÌ„temne the church of god Do ye coÌ„found make to blushe others which haue nothing But what remedie Mary saith M. Iuell let vs bring the matter to the first ordre geuen correct the abuse by reducinge of the case vnto the first vse thereof Doe so then as you say amend this disordre of the Corinthians tell them what they haue to folow shew forth the trew fasshion and ordre which must be vsed I haue receaued of the Lorde saieth M. Iuell that thing which I also haue deliuered vnto you that is that the Lorde Ihesus in the night that he was betraied toke bread c. But to what purpose is this we haue shewed before that the disordre among the Corinthians consisted cheifly in this that they did one coÌ„temne another and would not sitt together as the old fashion was but make straunge one of another for a redresse herof sayeth M. Iuell in the third leafe S. Paule calleth them back to the first originall and to the institution of Christ from whence they were fallen If this be so tell me I pray you what one worde is ther sownd â–ª in the institutioÌ„ of Christ which maketh for sitting together or sitting a sondre for eating at church or eating at home for particular banket or common supper Christ his institution doth here in consist that He tooke breade he brake breade he gaue it vnto his disciples and saied take ye eate ye this is my body which shalbe deliuered for you doe ye this in remembraunce of me But our talke is about the reforming of a custome which is broken and I aske you how you will amend this separate manner of eating and drinking which the Corinthians doe vse in the churche I know that Christ did take bread did breake it did geue it But answer me how the good Christians were wont to meet together and how they did vse to sitt and eate wheras the Apostle doth â—ind fault with the Corinthians for their disordre of eating in the churche not eating onely of our Lord his body which if they did mistake then the wordes which you alleage of the institution of Christ would serue well for that
dayes telleth How the Byshop after he hath ended his folie praier vpon the diuine altar beginneth at it to burne incense so goeth rounde about the whole church An other witnes to lett goe the liturgies or masses of S. Basile and S. Chrisostome shal be S. Ambrose which in his coÌ„templation of the comyng of the Angel vnto the highe preist Zacharie sayeth And I wold to god that whiles we inceÌ„se the altars and bring sacrifice thither the Angel shold stand by vs and geue hymself to be seen of vs. Now these testimonies M. Iuell being gathered out of the fiue huÌ„dred yeres after Christ you were not so wyse vndoubtedlye as you were bold in saying your coÌ„munion to be of that forme and fashion which the Apostles delyuered and their next folowers receiued Furthermore in the primityue church goodlye tapers and lightes were vsed how read you in the old doctors were they not If they were how be you not a shamed of the darknes which is generallie in you and your coÌ„munion If you can find no mentioÌ„ of lightes in any good auncient doctor read then S. Augustyne in his sermons vnto the people declaring what is the best kynd of vowe and vttering by that occasioÌ„ the manner of good folke in his time of whoÌ„ some did vowe oyle some wax to keep light in the night some a pall or robe c. Which although he aloweth yet these are not the best vowes sayeth he Read also Paulinus which vpon S. Felix holidaye sayeth Clara coronantur densis altaria lychnis The altars bright Are rownde I dight With lampes thick sett and light Read to be short S. Hierome and not onlie read but regard hym Read what he iudgeth of Vigilantius and read what the heretike VigilaÌ„tius iudged of churchlightes and tapers Did not he lyke a singular and blind Protestant all be it such then were not called Protestantes but knowen well inowghe by the bare name of heretikes but did not he iest tawnt at the maÌ„ner of Catholikes askyng them whi they lighted tapers at myd noon the sonne faire shinyng and askyng further whether the martyrs which dwell in heauen neede any of our tapers which tarye on earth Whose madd brayne for theis and other lyke sayinges S. Hierome noted to require some cure and remedie and emong other thinges he answereth Vigilantius with these wordes Neither Christ needed the oyntment which Marye Magdalene powred vpon hym Nor martyrs the light of tapers and yet that woman did that thing in the honor of Christ and the deuotion of her mynd ys taken and who so euer do light tapers they haue theire reward according to their faith Agayn Thorowgh all the churches of the East when the Ghospell ys a reading the tapers are lighted euen when the sonne now shyneth Not trulie to putt darknes awaie but to shew furth and declare a token of ioye and gladnes For this matter therefore M. Iuell I will leaue you vnto holie S. Hierome to see whether you and he in this â—â—ynt can agree any thing togeather and whether he can patientlie suffer you after so euident customes to the contrarie to crake that you haue browght the communion vnto that forme which it had at the begynnyng Shal I make any more exceptions against you or haue I sayd to much allreadie for your profite and credite emong the ignorant Many surelie wil think and saie vnto them selues that if my Lord Iuell preached these thinges in open pulpite he was well aduysed before what he would saye and vndoubtedlie he hath how to answer how so euer these papistes alleage the Doctors Which felowes verilie haue to greate an opinion of the man and they may seeme to offend of purpose which wil not see most manifest thinges and such which are coÌ„prehended by the owtward and carnal senses Many heresies of old were verie subtile and of much shew of vertue in so much that right lerned and good men might haue ben deceaued in them but the heresies of this tyme are for the most part all so grosse so vnreasonable so vnnatural so folish so much crakyng so litle performyng that it ys a wouÌ„der how any man of coÌ„mon sense doth preferr the new before the old religion For to note .ij. pointes more which the church obserueth as delyuered by the Apostles and which the coÌ„munioÌ„ boke hath not in it for all the bost that is made of it what honest hart can abide to here those bolde wordes that the coÌ„munioÌ„ is restored to the vse and forme of the primityue churche when he shall perceaue that praying to the Sainctes and praying for the dead which the new Ghospellers do vtterlie neglect was generallie of old obserued Is it not sayed manie tymes and oft in S. Basils masse lett vs commend our selues one an other and all owr life vnto Christ owr God hauing in memorie owr most holie and vndefiled ladie the mother of God and allwaies virgin Marie with all the Sainctes Doth he not make an expresse mention of owr ladie of S. Ihon the Baptist and of the sainct whose memorie is kept that daye in the churche sayinge QuoruÌ„ postulationibus visita nos at whose praiers and requestes visite vs Doth not Chrisostome in this article agree with Basile the catholike faith O Michael saieth he which art the cheife captaine of the heauenlie armie vnworthy we beseech the to defend vs by thy intercessions vnder the shadow of thy wynges Agayn O ye Apostles do your message vnto owr mercifull God that he may geue vnto owr sowles remission of sinnes The lyke praier he maketh in effect vnto S. Nycolas and to all the sainctes And whereas holye Sainctes and Martirs are mentioned in the rest of the masse especiallie yet thei are at the tyme of oblation for it is great honor to them to be named when their Lord ys present wheÌ„ that death ys celebrated and that dreadfull sacrifice and vnspeakable sacramentes Which was so ordinarie and common a matter that S. Augustine in few wordes sayeth It is well knowen vnto the faithfull at whatâ— place the martyrs and religiouse women or Nunnes departed are rehersed at the Sacramentes of the altar And agayne that we vse not to offer sacrifice to Martirs but that in that sacrifice which we offer vp vnto God the martirs in their place order are named Yf yow aske to what purpose the catholike and true coÌ„munion should vse the inuocation or namyng of martyrs althowgh it be argument sufficient against your coÌ„munion that it foloweth not the lyke maner which we find to haue ben receiued in the awncient churche yet to yelde much herein vnto you I say either with Chrisostome in the place forenamed in the that it is the Martirs honor to be remeÌ„bred in the presens of their lorde his pretiouse bodie Or I saie with S. Augustine applying that to our purpose speciallie which he spake generallie of all
in reasoning as your yea For although the coÌ„meÌ„dation of some person hath made you a Bishopp And by order of the church I am a simple priest yet as good the legges of a larke as the body of a kyte If we goe to craking in dede it is not good but this yet they would constraine many to do I wil yeld nomore vnto his auctoritie then reason will require Yet I may iustly crake not in my selfe but vnder the churches auctoritie and in the name of S. Cyprian and Tertullian Was that say you an abuse to carye the SacrameÌ„t home at those dayes and receaue it before other meates I vnderstand what greueth you in this example of the primitiue churche For it proueth plainly against you that euen in so nigh daies vnto Christ ther was no necessitie to receaue the Sacrament vnder both kindes And wheras the persequutioÌ„ and hatred of Christians was then so great that they could not frely meete together in any common and open place and so quietly serue God and receaue his benefices as they desired can ye blame them yf the clergie were coÌ„tent to let the Christians cary home with them that present comfort of their soule which is the body of Ihesus Christ to haue it alwaies in redinesse and to strengthen their weaknes therwithall if sodenly they were called vnto martyrdom Be you wiser then S. Cyprian and he writing not his priuate fashion and maÌ„ner which might be well inough corrected by greate counsell but writing of a certain fact of a woman which reserued the Sacrament in her chest wherby the custome of that tyme and most vndoutedlye the faith of that tyme may be gathered doe you reproue the odre of the primityue church and haue you forgotten so sone that old customes must preuaile where haue you readen in any old father or doctor or in any generall councell or how can you shew it by any treu example of the primitiue church that the carying home reseruing of the Sacrament was an abuse but let vs heare what S. Cyprian writeth in his sermoÌ„ de Lapsis He proueth Wherin I confesse he did vilye and damnablye misvse the people and coÌ„trary the church But it is to be noted that this Marcus went about to winne vnto him selfe an estimation aboue all other priestes which could not but folow when that at his coÌ„secrating the people should see the wyne turned as it were in to bloud and that the like did not appeare when other Priestes did consecrat And note that except the faith of the church in those dayes had ben that the very bloud of Christ was in the mysteries of the Christians he could neuer haue made any to reuerence hym the more for that practise but rather to haue brought him before the officers of the church and examined him saying We doe beleue that we receaue Christ onely by faith which faith goeth vp to heauen and eateth him as he sitteth at the right hand of his father but this man sheweth vs very plaine bloud in the chalice which is against our belefe And wheras this Necromanser did turne his craft to the pleasing of the people and so made bloud to appeare in the chalice it foloweth that the whole people of the church did reioyce in the bloud of Christ which thei beleued to be in the mysteries and so he craftely serued their faith an deuotion that he might winne their praise and fauor and that he might be pointed vnto with loe there goeth a good priest and a blessed man But will yow heare more abuses Som take the Sacrament for a purgation against slaunder som hang it before their brestes for a protection S. Benet sayeth he ministred the communion vnto a woman that was dead Ergo what doth folow Ergo the sacrament may be abused I graunt it may be as when wicked and false coniures doe make it a meane to binde the diuell or when heretikes or infidells tread it vnder foote or cast it in the fire or pricke it with kniues to proue whether God his worde be trew that this is his body which was deliuered for vs. But none of your premisses almost doth inferre rightly that conclusion For wherby shew you that S. Benet did abuse the Sacrament in ministring it vnto a woman that was dead All your argument is this Christ did not appoint that the Sacrament shold be hanged about ones necke or put in chest or geauen to dead women ergo these be great abuses Is this in deed good reason that what soeuer Christ hath not expressely willed that may not be vsed Sir Christ did not bid vs that if ther were not present three at the least which would receaue ther should be therfore no communion that daye Christ did not bid vs knele downe and say Lorde we doe not presume to com to this thy table trusting in our owne merites Christ did not bid vs when one chalice is supped vp to fill it again out of the whole potle or quart potte Christ did not bid vs cary home with vs the pieces of bread or cantells therof and doe what we would with it Ergo these be great abuses in the coÌ„munion boke no Sir no the truth must be tryed by other argumentes then these rhetoricall repetitions and negatiues of Christ did not appoint this ergo it is an abuse especially whereas to many doe thinke that Christ will be content with no other thinges but such onely as are writen as though the holy ghost the spirite of truth were idle in the church all this while how dare you to iudge of S. Benet his fact the like vnto which S. Gregory doth alleage for a miracle and for a notable matter S. Austen so wise and blessed a man wheras he disputeth in his boke De Ciuitate Dei of deathes which som haue vsed towardes them selues and wheras he well remembred that the precept of God was Thou shalt not kill also remembred that the church doth honor for martyrs certain which did runne into the waters and to kepe their virginitie lost their liues in this so doubtfull a case wherin the church seamed to stand against God and the precept of God to be contraried by the holye daye of the church he dared not rashely to conclud but stoode herein that the precept of God must haue his force and with what conscience and prayse those virgins drowned them selues that must be left vnto the working of God the holy ghost and not curiously serched of men for what if they did so sayeth he not deceaued as women may be but commaunded by God neither â—rring therin but obeying As of Sampson it is not lawfull for vs to thinke any other thing And we therfore sayeth he afterwardes come to the conscience by hearing but of secret thinges we take not vpon vs the Iudgement Thus Sir it did becom you to doe for asmuch as you confesse Sainct Benet for a Sainct and wheras
one to interpret and expound them wheras daily seruice is and may be well done of more then two or three skore Again by their interpretation of speaking in tongues all seruice must be in the mother tongue and women thereat may sing But S. Paule doth so take speaking with tongues that he sayeth let women hold their tongues in the church One thing they might say with good reason that the Epistle and Ghospell which are appointed for the instruction of the people might be readen in the mother tongue if they were first well translated And yet also euen by Sainct Paule if the priest were able to expound it afterwardes he might read it in the masse time in an vnknowen tongue to the common people For S. Paule doth not forbid to speake with tongues so that one be present which can expound them Ergo say they when none doth expounde it ther is a great fault committed Goe to let me graunt that all is not so exact but that heretikes may peeke a quarell Who shall amend that which is not well or who hath made you controllers in the howse of God why doe ye not first make a priuy exposition of your conceit vnto the officers why doe ye not then cast your heades together and make a most humble supplication why goe not you to Rome and confer with Peters successor as Paule aâ—â—ended to Ierusalem to Peter and the rest Why doe ye not pray to God that he will helpe when no peaceable request can obteine And if God for som cause knowen to him self should differ his help must you take the sword into your handes or vsurp the auctoritye of Christ his church and make your selues leutenants vnder God And yet it is no greater fault to read the Ghospell in Latin vnto English men then to read the same in English vnto Welshmen But you will prouide hereafter that Welshmen may haue iâ— in the mother tongue or cause them to learne English How say you then to Irishe men Northen men and Cornishmen Ther is no remedie but euery spech must haue a boke of seruice in ther proper mother tongue But yet in the meane time doe those quarters which obey the Kinges of England and vnderstand not the Englishe tongue lacke the frute of their deuotion whiles they be at seruice And shall we make folish coÌ„plaintes and exclamations that the poore welshmen doe lacke the liuely worde of God that S. Paules will is broken that the order of the primitiue church is neglected and so furth as far as our rhetorike will serue vs bycause they vnderstand not what the priest sayeth Let it be an abuse that the people three yeres sence did not vnderstand the Ghospell but onely stode vp at it and bowed their knee at the name of Ihesus and did conceaue wonderfull high thinges to be vnderneth the Latin spech and honored God in their hartes How much better is it now I pray you when the simple folke and those which are of the old making vnderstand the sentences but by halfes and either for lacke of attention or dulnes of hearing or smalnes of voice in the reader doe beare very litle away and when those of the new making doe herken to mainteine talke there vpon or to appose the priest or to iudge the priest or condemne the church of God or to glorye in their knowledge deceauing them selues and wening that they be able to expounde the Scriptures which are not able for lack of humilitye to heare them onely as yet Charitie without science is more to be alowed then science by which charitie is greatly confounded Yet for all this let the epistle and the Ghospell be in the mother tongue what hath M. Iuell to doe with the Canon In which the priest doth as Sainct Chrisostom sayeth stand before God as a suter for all the whole worlde For whom the people should pray that his seruice for them might be acceptable and that he may haue good successe What if they vnderstand not his spech all that while The quire according to the Latine and Greke church is occupied in singing the angelicall hymne of Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Whiles the priest prayeth softly and closely at the altar the laitye were to be taught to loke for the consecrating of that body which was borne circumcided presented with fast debated scorged torne cruciâ—ied raised vp and which at lenghth ascended into heauen for their sakes And that presence of Christ once beleued they shold nede no English tongue or sermon for that tyme to bring hym vnto theyr remembraunce whom presentlye they know by the infallyble fayth of the church to be vpon the altar What nedeth then any English at this point yf one might speak with tongues of men and Angells yet at the presence of those mysteries al tongues are to like And therfore good men forsake theyr tongues and goe to their hart and there speake they after a more excellent sort then Latinistes Grecians or Hebricians can doe Which spech of hart which soundeth in the eares of God almighty good people had most of all when they were lest busied with the spech of bodely tongues with which they vttered mysteries and thankes and vowes and loues and complaintes and requestes and all heauenly desiâ—es and deuotions Out of the pulpet they lerned theyr faythâ— out of the church they talked of God in the chauncell they appointed priestes and clerkes to prayse God and to pray for them at the altar there stode the priest alone and there was theyr Sauior and ours ready for them And after this sort seruice being appointed there remained for them consideration of the thinges which were by externall signes declared The true religion consisteth not in tongues which tongues are necessarye for learning of the faith but faith ones receaued and taken in the hart the most perfect way afterwards of seruing God is to consider in our mindes the greatnes of his benefites which we comprehend by faith And by this reason one plaine picture of the passion of Christ shall gene more deuotioÌ„ vnto him which alredy is faythfull then a most eloquent learned sermon of M. Iuell him selfe Bicause the end of the sermon is to leaue in my hart and mind a picture of Christ and the beginning of a picture is the Image of that which I haue printed in my conceuing so that I may say where a preacher endeth there beginneth a painter and hearing of sermons is for those which are to be instructed and beholdinges of externall signes and pictures is for them which loue in silence and closenes to practise their beleife Wherfor ther is no cause to haue the Canon of the masse in Englishe but cause ther is why the lay people should be instructed what to think in time of the Canon And again I say it is no greate matter to heare what is therin saied but the only matter is to beleue that which therin is done And as at the
beginning it was necessarye to open my eares that the worde of God might entre by that way into my hart so the worde ones by faith conceiued and the hart being now throwgh the goodnes of the holy ghost made as it were great with childe there with all I shall more euidently behold the veritie of God in those mysteries of which it is sayed This is my body if eares and eyes and all sense were stopped then if I should entend the proper actions of those senses But S. Austen saieth in the praiers which we make vnto God we must not chirpe like birdes but sing like men ergo we must not vse an vnknowen tongue Yea with a further ergo we must lerne to vnderstand the English which we read in the congregation which bicause thousandes doe not receaue therfor they be chirpers and not speakers Yet the Englishe seruice doth remaine although euery one doth not vnderstand it Iustinian also a Christian Emperor made a strait constitution that the wordes of the ministration should be pronounced with open voice that the people might say Amen ergo the seruice must be in English yet for al that we say Amen vpon those wordes which we vnderstand not when ther is no mistrust in the faith and honesty of the person which pronounceth them And also if the people saied Amen to the wordes of the ministration which I think to speake more plainly are the wordes of consecration then doth it appeare that they confessed the wordes which the priest did speake to be most true in them selues so that when the priest pronounced these wordes This is my bodye the answering of Amen by the people did confirm it to be so in deed and excludeth quite all siguration and signification of his bodye Touching the second abuse of the coÌ„munion he findeth fault that the Sacrament is not receaued in both kindes of which afterward we shall speke seperatly And in the meane tyme this I say that this obiection maketh no more against the masse then if I should disproue a good dish of meate not for any vnsaâ—orines therin but bicause the good wife of the house for diuers causes doth kepe it away from the seruantes For what is this against the masse that both kindes be not ministred in the which masse both kindes are consecrated and both kindes may be receaued if the masters of the house doe thinke it good Were the law of Mâ—â—â—â—s or the. Ghospell of Christ worthely to be reproued bicause a few onely were suffred to read the law and Ghospell doth the Sonne lese any of his light bicause the cloudes com betwixt our sight and him and kepe his beames away from vs Suppose then that it were most true which is most false that the Bishopes and heades of the church did robbe the people of one part of the sacrameÌ„t shall this robbery be obiected against the masse it self in which both kindes are consecrated I graunt vnto yow M. Iuell that the sacrament hath been receaued and may be receaued hereafter in both kindes what doe you conclude thervpon ergo there is an abuse in the masse Why Sir doth the order of the masse forbed the receauing oâ—der both kindes are not both kindes consecrated in the masse doe not the priestes receaue both Yea but the Bishopes and priestes deliuer vnto the lay people one kind onely They doe it in deede and for iust cawses But a Bishopp or priest is not a masse and the fault of men is not the fault of the seruice Reproue then the Bishopes and speake not against the masse and confesse that the masse is autentike and godly but that the ministers do not folow their boke which I say not as thowgh the Bishoppes and priestes were in deed giltie theyr doinges being grownded vppon most iust causes but to shew that if there were any fault it is yet more rhetorike then reason to obiect that agaynst the masse which apperteyneth onlye vnto the men The third point that I promised to speake of is the Canon a thing for many causes very vain in it selfe and so vncertain that no man can redely tell on whom to father it Loe what a fault here is no man can tell who made the Canon of the masse ergo it is not to be credited As who might doubt whethere the third and fowerth bokes of the kinges were to be credited the proper author of them being vnknowen or as thowgh they were fautles which haue denied S. Ihons reuelations and S. Paule to the Hebrewes bycause it hath been a question whether they were the true authors of those thinges After like maÌ„ner of folly it is saied no man can redely tell what yere of Nero his raigne S. Peter did come to Rome ergo he was neuer at Rome which liberty of babling ones graunted there may be found which shall make this quareling argument and say the histories doe not agree what yeare of his age Christ suffered ergo his passion is not to be beleued wel yet among all them which are named authors of the Canon take him which was farthest of from Christ and see what a foule blank M. Iuells cause must haue Innocentius tertius saieth that it cam from the Apostles that is to high thinketh M. Iuell Goe to then take him which cometh lower that is S. Gregory the first who lyuing within six hundred yeares after Christ it foloweth well that the Canon of the masse is of great antiquitie And now bicause you glory that for six hundred yeares after Christ there can be found nothing against your communion and religion it is easy to nombre that the very Canon of the Masse which you speake most against was in those dayes vsed in the church of Christ. Wherfor if the Apostles made not the Canon them selues yet are you coÌ„founded bicause they made it which liued within six hundred yere after Christ by which yeres you are contented to be iudged But you wil say that some write how Gregorius the third made the Canon and that you beleue that to be most true In deed it is the property of your side to take all thinges at the worst â–ª for otherwise why should you not beleue rather that one Scholasticus made it before S. Gregoâ—â—e his tyme as you vnderstand hym and other also before you no euill men or protestantes Althowgh in deede it is worth the coÌ„sidering whether he meaned some one certaine lerned man whose name should be Scholasticus or els some of the Apostles and scholars of Christ. for his wordes be these in his epistle and answer made in the defence of the order of the masse of his church where coÌ„cerning owr Lordes prayer why it is readen after the Canon It seemeth vnto me an vnseemelie thing sayth he that we shold saie ouer the oblation the praier which Scholasticus or â—ls as I wold translate it which the scholar made and should not saye ouer the bodye and bloud of
owr Sauior the verie tradition meaninge the Pater noster which he hym selfe dyd make But how so eueâ— it be he which reporteth that Gregorius tertius made the Canon might well inowgh write so according to his knowledge and when it is writen by S. Gregory that one Scholasticus or a disciple of Christs was the auctor therof this is nothiÌ„g falsified by him which wrot afterwardes And likewise it may stand that it cam from the Apostles as InnoceÌ„tius tertius writeth for all that an other saieth that it cam from Gregorius except perchaunce yow will say that one may not read more then an other an one see further then an other bothe speaking according to their knowledge euideÌ„ces But whosoeuer were the first deuiser of it it forceth not sayeth M. Iuell Yes mary Sir for this being proued by more auctorites of writers that the Canon did come from the Apostles or that it was extaÌ„t within vjC yeares after Christ theÌ„ it can be disproued to be of so great antiquity great sham it is for vs not to mainteine so auncient an order of the masse and great forgetfulnes in you M. Iuell to iest at that which is found to haue ben receaued within the compasse of six hundred yeres after Christ of which yeres you make your selfe so sure that for so long space you say all went with you without exceptioÌ„ But now if it forceth not who made the Canon wheras before you made the matter so great that it was against the scriptures bicause of S. Paule which saieth Sciocui credidi I know whoÌ„ I haue beleiued as though Catolikes had not a church to beloue but should hang vpon the report of historiographers well seing then now it forceth not who made the Canon what fault haue you found in the substaÌ„ce and meaning of the Canon First the preist in the Canon desireth God to blesse Christs bodie as though it were not sufficient lie blessed all readie First you make a shamefull he that the priest desireth God to blesse Christ his bodye Beare it well awaye I pray you and remember it that I charge you with makyng of an open lie euen at your first begynning which you make agaynst the Canon It is not I saye in owr Latin and common Canon that the priest desireth God the Father to blesse Christ his bodye And I dare sweare for it althowgh you may do much in Sarum that no missall after the vse of Sarum hath the lyke as you doe speake in the begynning of the Canon Also if it should be saied so as you report in any part of the whole Canon can you proue that the Catholikes haue prayed so for this cause as thowgh Christ his bodye were not sufficientlie blessed alreadiâ— What a Ioannes diuisar be you to make so wicked and vyle disâ—urses vpon that which either is not sayed at all or hath ben spoken with much reuerence and great humilitie of the parties In deed such lyke wordes haue ben vsed of the Grecians euen after the consecration perfected as appeareth by their wrytinges But what cause alleage they for it Marie thosâ— say they which are in great desire of any thing vse to speake of that which is most sure as thowgh they were not sure of it nothing thereby mistrusting the effect but declaring the vehemencie of theyr desire As the Prophete Dauyd when he had sayd God my ryghtuousnes hearde me when I called vnto hym yet in the same verye Psalme and verse folowing he addeth Haue mercye vppon me O Lord and heare my prayer Loe sayeth Theodoritus The iust man is not satisfied in prayer but making his petitions and obteyning them yet continueth â—e styll in prayer by which yow see how farr a Christian and good commentator would be from such deuyses as yow M. Iuell doe make vpon holye sayinges But the Latin Canon hath no such wordes at all neyther before nor it after consecration that I meane God shoulde blesse Christ his bodye In the beginnyng of the Canon the priest desireth God to accept and blesse those giftes and presentes and sacrifices or oblations of bread and wyne which may receiue encrease of sanctification and are in deede made most holyâ— when they are turned in to the bodye and bloud of Christ. Also after consecration the priest desireth God to loke meâ—cifullie downe vpon those pretiouse thinges which are there present But how not as they are in them selues mosâ— acceptable but as they are offered for who can saye that his hart is chast and pure and who knoweth whether God wil not punishe vs when we are not prepared rightlie to do that office Considering therfor the holines of God and vilenes of man the church desireth God to accept owr offering of Christâ— bodie owr Lord â–ª or in other wordes to saye it to accept that bodye and those giftes offered But of that place M. Iuell speaketh afterward I conclud therefore vpon his present wordes that he maketh an open lie and maniâ—est And if hymselfe was not the maker of it lett hym tell of what author he borowed it Further the priest saieth that he offereth and presenteth vp Christ vnto his father True it is and that you may wonder the more not the priest onely but all the whole church doth offer Christ daily to his father For as concerning the priest either tâ—ere is no priest among vs at all or we be no sinners or we must haue a daily sacrifice to make our God fauorable vnto vs. A sacâ—ifice not of thankes geuing onelye which the law of nature teacheth vs to offer to our cheif Lord and Creator neither of calfes and shepe as the old law did appoint it but a sacrifice proportionable to a new law and a sacrifice worthy and meete for a new testameÌ„t of Ihesus Christ. What say you then good Sir if the priest of the new law and testament offereth Christ vnto his father it is say you open blasphemy So say they which worship false Godes which they haue made to them selues by licentious vnderstanding of the Scriptures and by cutting hewing and pecing together of the veritie For wherin consisteth this blasphemye doe you which are of the church by outward shew of your degree and maÌ„ner of behauiour think priesthod to be a pelting base office as the worldly people doe But Chrisostom saieth That priesthod so far passeth kingdom as the soule passeth the body and we ought to reuerence priestes not only more then kinges and princes but to set them forth with more honor then our owne fathers Or think you that Christ in his last supper did not ofâ—er vp him selfe to his father But the Prophet saieth yea rather God not onely saieth it but bindeth it with an othe and it shall not repent him therof that Christ is a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Can you saye for all this that priestes haue no authority to offer him But Chrisostom
all foules of the aire and to be short all creatures are called vpon to praise God may you wisely now obiect and say the moone can not heare me the wild beastes be neuer the soner obedient for me the birdes will sing no louder for all me with princes of the earth what is ther to doe for me yong mâ—n and virgins old men with younglinges let them praise the name of our Lord and who made me an officer to commaund so many I will goe no further but breifly will I conclude there was neuer kind of argument more pernicious then this one to examine the deuotions and praiers of good men by the rules of worldly ciuilitye and to iest at the homlines and hartines of Catholikes when they speake to God as one frind would vnto an other familiarly or wheÌ„ they speake according to the world childishely or according to the nature of thinges absurdly Off all which poyntes yow may fynd examples in the boke of Cantica Canticorum if euer yow haue either reade them or can with al your wit vnderstand them and then to bring those sayinges before the people to be iudges therof which haue no tast almost of heauenly thinges it is most vaine and vnreasonable Besides this he dosireth God that an Angell may come and cary Christ his bodye away into heauen VVhat a fable is this that Christ should be born vpon an Angel and so caried vp away into heauen It is besides the person of him which hath ben brought vp among lerned men and for opinion of learning and grauity is called a Bishop so to dissemble and so to counterfaict the vice in making of sporte with a fable of his owne And first the Canon is not truely Englished in this parte which he iesteth at For the wordes of the Latin CanoÌ„ be these Iube haec perferri per manus Sancti Angeli tui in sublime altare tuum which is to say coÌ„maund o Lord these thinges to be brought by the handes of thy holy Angell in to thy high altar Yet M. Iuell to make more sport englisheth perferri to be caried away not to be brought or caried vp as the truth is And bicause the Canon maketh mention of the Angells handes he fableth as though Christ should be caried vpoÌ„ an Angells back or shoulders or as though the Catholike did meane that Christ should be borne vpon an Angels backe and caried vp away into heuen But what a fable is this sayeth he for soth a very folish grosse fable in deed inuented by the diuell and vttered by Melhoserus and translated in to english by M. Iuell A folish grosse fable I say bicause the church of God hath no such carnall base vnderstanding of the place But desireth God that by the ministery of Angells which wait vpon vs and his misteries he would commaund the body of his soune our Lord to be caried vp not according to the changeing of place but according to his gracious acceptation of our seruice in to his high altar which is heauen For thinketh M. Iuell that when the Angells doe cary vp good mens almes deades or their praiers or fastinges or teares or any such like in to the sight of God that they make those thinges vp in fardels and cast them vpon their backes and make hast to heaueÌ„ warde and there vndoe their packes for the worde of carying vp soundeth in the eares of a carnall man as though there were changeing of place ther about or heuines of a burden or vse of armes sholders or back or some stay vpon which the cariage might rest which members are not in Angels and yet the scripture speaketh after the fashion of men testifying our almes dedes fastinges and prayers to be caried vp before the face of God in heauen and presented before his maiesty by the ministery of Angells now if one did not vnderstand the sense of those wordes rightly it were wisedom for him to hold his peace rather then to vtter his grossenes in vnderstanding them so basely and folishelye Especiallye wheras Sainct Ambrose so blessed and lerned a doctor hath like wordes vnto these which M. Iuell contemneth saing in his boke which he made of the sacramentes VVe besech the and pray the that thou wilt receaue this oblation vp to they high altar by the handes of thy Angells as thou hast vouchsafed to receaue the giftes of thy iust seruant Abell and the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham and that which the high priest Melchisedech offered vp vnto the. Loe Sir if it please you to shew the finenes of your witt you may find fault with Sainct Ambrose and aske of your audience more folish then your selfe what a tale is this that the oblation of the church should be borne vpon an Angell on pick packe perchaunce and so caried vp away into heauen but see the good nature of the man he confesseth his folies and saieth he would not stand so long vpon them if force draue him not ther vnto But what force trow ye I think bicause a wanton audience is most delited with iesting against other and bicause a grosse audience conceiueth thinges spoken after a carnall sort and thinketh that preacher which so doth to be a very 〈◊〉 that to serue his audience he could not leaue of so plausible a matter Therfore saieth he after he had done his worst I leaue to speake farther of the Canon geuing you occasion by these few thinges the better to iudge of the rest Which wordes I note bicause in deed as the whole CanoÌ„ might haue ben mistrusted if any certain faultes had been noted in it so when with all his power and cunning he hath spoken the worst and yet hath reproued nothing but his owne misunderstanding an imagination which he fained to be in the Canon therfor we may iudge all well of the rest when no euill is found in those pointes which he toke to be farthest from the best The â—owerth matter that remayneth to be towâ—hed is the adoration It is agreable withe the rest of their doctrine and it foloweth coÌ„sequentlye that no bodye of Christ being in the Sacrament there should be no adoration vsed at all So that the very sure way to disproue adoration were to disproue the reall presence Which bycause they can not doe against so manifest wordes of our Sauior therefor how so euer the matter of the presence doth stand yet will they assaye to take away the worshipping or adoring of Christ in the Sacrament But that is done with so light and vnfytt argumeÌ„tes that they may serue by changeing of a few wordes against all kynd of orders in the church and consequentlye of owr fayth For what is it that you say good master myne against adoratioÌ„ Christ sayeth he which knew best what owght to be done when he ordeyned and deliuered the SacrameÌ„t of hys body and bloud gaue no coÌ„maundement that any man should fall downe to
euen according vnto them which thowght good that the sacrament be worshipped vnder this coÌ„dition if consecration were performed But according to the truth there is no daunger at all As I wil proue which yet neadeth not because dauÌ„ger or daunger not adoration ys due vnto the host trulye coÌ„secrated yet for the more plaines I will shew the people to be safe without all question for the vulgar and true Catholykes allthowgh vnskilfull in knowledg yet stedfast in faith when thei beleue once that our Sauyor left his bodie vnto his welbeloued church in forme of bread and gaue the power vnto priestes of consecrating the same his bodie or if the people be not able to make such distinction yet if they beleue what so euer the church teacheth and if they agree to the ordinances of her then loe they in hearing of masse and adoring the Sacrament are not bound to make serch of the intention of the priest but vnder this faith that all is well done in the Catholyke church and that Christ is to be worshipped vnder forme of bread their deuotion is harmeles vnto them and acceptable vnto God If thy eye be simple sayeth owr Sauior all thy whole bodye is lightsome and therfor the intentioÌ„ of the people being good directed vnto that first veritie that Christ our Sauior hath left his bodie vnto vs in forme of bread what so euer knauerie or dyuelishnes be wrought of man in some particular host it hurteth not the pietie of the good and denote people And god which is the sercher of the hartes doth receaue vnto him selfe that honor which they haue apointed for him in the SacrameÌ„t For they see the priest to reuest hym selfe to goe to the altar to make crosses and signes to kneele downe to shew vnto them the Sacrament they see the forme of bread and what shold they do then but worship the SacrameÌ„t Except perchauÌ„ce any man wil require more then a man his knowledge in a man For I wold aske the question of that scrupulouse conscience which feareth where no cause of feare is and say to hym Good felow why doest thow not kneele doune at sacring and worship the body of Christ It appeareth by thy plain countenance and apparel that thow fearest not hurting of thy knee or breaking of thy hose as some strayt pointed gentilmen do leane vnto a pillar of the church for such lyke causes but some ernest matter there is which moueth the â–ª Yea for sothe Sir for and if it please you a litle to come a side I heard a preacher once say that some priestes do mock the people and do not coÌ„secrate the bread And theÌ„ if there be no coÌ„secration I heard the same preacher say there is no adoration due vnto it which thing he also proued owt of I can not tell what old doctors lerned mens bokes If I were therfor sure that the priest doth coÌ„secrate I wold then trulie worship my maker How then wilt thow be sure hath he not vestmeÌ„tes vpoÌ„ hym is he not at the altar doth he not al thinges as good priestes shold do Yes but I wold know his inteÌ„t and meaning by his owne word Why wold his worde quiet the or might not he thinke one think and speak an other Mary therefor as the preacher noted it were good neuer to worship Christ in the Sacrament for feare least thorough the priest his dissimulatioÌ„ I shold haue nothing els there but bread and so commit idolatrie Nay good felow that was not the wysest preacher that euer thow hast heard because sure I am thow honorest they father and mother with all obedience and seruice if they be a lyue and with thy dailye praier if they be departed but art thow sure that they are thy father and mother which are sayd to be what discretion hadest thow before thow were begotten how sayest thow then if that preacher shall rule the not onlie not thow thy selfe but no man at all shall worshipp any man or woman for father or mother Bycause we are not otherwyse sure of them but that we beleue the whole parishe which doth testifie it And then if authoritie shall preuaile the whole world testifyeth that in the masse tyme Christ is present in forme of bread so that thow needest not to make any more question hereof then whether thy father be thy father or no. And this I speak to declare that as long as we be in the world we should seeke for no further profe of thinges than may be gathered of heering seeing and other senses And therefor perceauing by all externall signes that any priest at masse doth as the church hath appoynted I should not desyre to creepe in to his bosome and to withstaÌ„d or withhold the worshipping of the Sacrament which the church teacheth me vntill I know the priest his thowght and intention Well Sir yet â–ª would the felow saye albeit I must beleue that in the Sacrament Christ his bodie is present and sould require no further profe thereof then the authoritye of Christ and his church yet me thinketh the case with vs poore people is harde when we worship Christ in the SacrameÌ„t if he be not in the SacrameÌ„t because of the leudenâ—â— of the priest which made no consecration â–ª No no good felowe 〈◊〉 harme is done at all vnto the. For suppose this which is possible inowght that there werâ— one so lyke thy owne father that 〈◊〉 could not be discerned which of the two were thy true father in dâ—â—d Yf thow shouldest honor the counterfayte thinkyng hym to be thy true father might thy naturall father trowest thow iustlye be offended there withall or bicause thou couldest not haue any certayn marke in this doubtefull case wouldest thow honor no father at all They which stand behind a pillar in the church or behind their neighbours backes or which at the tyme of eleuatioÌ„ looke downe vpon the grownd doe not they worshipp if theyr mynd be good Christ in the SacrameÌ„t And yet they behold not that host which is present ne bind themselues vnto those singular formes whiche they myght behold for the looking vp but simplie and plainely they worship the true bodye of Christ which is vnder the forme of visible bread when it is rightly consecrated as they take the host vppon theyr parish church to be And if it be otherwise it is a pryuate and deadlye synn of the priest and a particular error of theires nothing hurting or letting the proper obiect and staie of their fayth vnto which their deuotion ys caryed And to lett hym goe now with whom I seemed to talke all this whyle and to returne vnto M. Iuell the lerned men dyd in deed make obiection as thowgh there might be dawnger in worshypping of an host vnconsecrated And therefor sayeth Master Iuell they gaue warning of it whichâ— wordes import so much as if the scholemen should saye take heede good people what yow
doe yow may be poysoned the host may chaunse not to be consecrated and then there is dawnger of idolatrie And so the people should be dimissed with scruple of conscience as M. Iuell vnderstandeth the scholemen which is nothing so â–ª for the conclusion of scholes and answer vnto that obiection which Master Iuell alleageth ys that the people are withowt all daunger in so much that the opinion of worshypping the Sacrament vnder a condition ys refused of the best lerned Now as concerning Duns and Durand Master Iuell reporteth of them by these wordes That they thowght it best to remoue away the bread and to bring in transubstantiation for it were remayned the substance of 〈…〉 and how 〈◊〉 vnto 〈◊〉 What is he which â—â—â—ring 〈◊〉 wordes and knowing neither the places where Dunâ— and Durand say 〈◊〉 or any good lernyng besides wolâ— not 〈…〉 Duns and Durand dyd so cast their heades to geather as thowgh they were able to bring thâ—â—â— opinions in to the articles of owr Crede and as thowgh transubstantiation were inuented and authorised by them and not rather coÌ„firmed by the whole church of Christ. It ys a shamefull kynd of lyeing when the true orderers of Christ his church shall be suppressed with silens and when the veâ—â—tyes of the Catholyke faith shall be attributed vnto the disputatioâ— of â—â—holemen Sainct Thomas indeed hath this argument that it ys agaynst the worshipping of the Sacrament if any creaâ—ed substance which may not be worshipped with godlie honor should be there ergo sayeth he no substance of bread remaineth Agaynst which reason of his Duns and Durand both doe argue verie busilie and they doe think that the substance of bread might be graunted to remain and yet the bodye of Christ might be worshipped in the Sacrament withowt all daunger of Idolatrie Therefor M. Iuell as cunnyng as he maketh hym selfe in Duns and DuraÌ„d doth so far and fowlâ—e goe â—â—de of theyr meanyng and opinion that they argued the plaine contrarie vnto that which he reporteth of them For whereas he interpreteth then sayinges after thiâ— manner that for auâ—yding of idolatrie in the Sacrament the substance of bread must be remoued they reason a playne contrarie way â–ª and argue their obedience vnto the church allwayes reserued that for all the remayning of â—read yet the bodie of Christ might be in the Sacrament and withowt daunger honored But they speak therein lyke scholemen and also lyke aduersaries of Sainct Thomas whose argumentes â–ª whiles they discussed to the vttermost â–ª they haue fallen some tymes in to the suspition either of enuie or curiositie And see agayne how litle it hangeth togeather that which M. Iuell would father vpon them Yf there be any substance of bread in the Sacrament sayeth master Iuell in his coÌ„mentarie vpon Duns and Durand there must be daunger of idolatrie ergo by transubstantiation lett vs take the substance of bread awaye and then will all thinges be safe and suâ—e and the people shall be cleane voyde of ieopardie But how can this sense and conclusion seeme agreable to a schole man For if as M. Iuell hath tolde vs owt of theire writinges there be daunger of Idolatrie when consecration ys omitted how much hath Duns holpen the people by bringing in of transubstantiation where as the substance of breade neuer so much taken away yet there may lacke consecration and that failing as master Iuell weeneth idolatrie may be committed and Duns and Durand should misse of their purpose for which they deuysed transsubstantiation Wherefore I wonder at the libertie which master Iuell taketh vpon hym in makyng as pleaseth hym free reportes vpon the lerned as thowgh they were easie to be vnderstanded or he had euer great mynd to read them or as thowgh his report were of such authoritie that as he sayeth so it must be in them Now as concerning Sainct Thomas which proueth that no bread doth remaine in the Sacrament bycause godlye honor ys geuen vnto it the authoritie and present practise of the church dyd moue hym thereunto As though he should saye on this wise The church doth geue godlie honor vnto that which ys vnder the formes of bread and wyne but no godlye honor ys due vnto anye pure creature ergo except the churche should committ Idolatrie which ys impossible no other substance besides the body of Christ can be conteined in the Sacrament In which his conclusion the honor which the church gaue to the Sacrament was sufficient vnto hym to inferr that no bread remayned and not his desire to haue the Sacrament worshipped was the motyue and occation to inuent that no bread remayned For to speake the trueth the scholemen as they were for the greater part men of excellent witt and holynes so thorowghe the ghift of vnderstanding and cumpassing weightie matters they went verie farr in serching owt the treasures of all diuinitie and yet thorowgh the grace of holynes which qualified their deepe inuentions they allwayes submitted their conclusions vnto the authoritie of the Catholyke church In so much that if a thowsand Dunces and Durandes shold so decide this question and matter as master Iuell reporteth of them yet needeth not the Catholyke for that cause to be trobled or the heretyke crake of anye victorie agaynst the practyse and faith of the churche But lett vs behold how master Iuell plaieth the schole man and vttereth such an insight in the Sacrament as the greatest doctors for subtilitye haue neuer marked throwgh their dulnes For vpon this which he supposeth Duns and Durand to saye the Sacrament ys to be worshipped ergo no bread must be remayning he inferreth a contrarie conclusion as that there ys bread remayning ergo it must not be worshipped Wherein both the argument concludeth not if he will folow Duns and Durand and the formar proposition ys hereticall if he would submitt his vnderstanding vnto the Catholyke church The argument I saye and the consequence ys nawght bycause for soth by his doctors Duns and Durand the schole men for all the substance of bread remainyng yet might the SacrameÌ„t be adored and worshipped But that is one doctors opinion Then also his antedent ys false because the church hath so receiued and tawght vs that the substance of bread ys clean conuerted And as concernyng master Iuell his profes of his antecedent where as he alleageth Sainct Augustyne in a sermon of his ad insantes saying that which you see vpon the table ys bread it doth conclud that the other thing which we beleue to be vnder those formes of bread is not Christ his naturall bodye And I trow Sainct Augustyne dyd not meane such bread to be there as childerne spread their butter vpon For it is wryten by the same blessed doctor VVe honor thinges which we see not that ys to saye flessh and bloud in the forme of bread and wyne which we see The church also herselfe feareth not to
hym by one of the cheifest then in the world yet he to teach the Emperor a true lesson and to proue that his maiestie ys not the highest began aboue all other vnto his chapelaine declaryng that he knew none there to be better Of lyke corage and fortitude was Eulogius an holye and constant priest which being required of the Emperor Valens cheife officer to communicate with hym which helde the empyre and kyngdome which in owr English tongue at these dayâ—s ys to saye Folowe the Kynges procedinges answered peaceablie and gentlelie saying And I also haue my part of a kyngdome and priesthode Such men were holye Basile Ambrose Chrysostome noble and reuerend Bisshoppes in deede which litle regarding the glorie of the court and the worlde spared not to tell the Emperors their owne and also to shewe them that a Bisshopp his office ys not geuen with goldon crowne or purple And not only in theire doinges but in writinges also they declared this veritie that the Emperor rulâ—th in the court the Bisshopp in the church the Emperor ouer mens goodes and bodyes the Bisshopp ouer sowles and consciencies the Emperor in thinges transitorie the Bisshopp in thinges euerlasting These conclusions being therefore true if Innocentius would sweetlye and misticallye allude vnto the beginnyng of Genesis and saye that the two great lightes which God made to rule the daye and nyght doe signifie the two powers of the spiritualtye and of the temporaltye of whiche the one ys so brighter then the other that the least of them both yet doth direct and guide men in the whole worlde is this so vnproperlie spoken or childiâ—â—â—lie that anye father of this generation may honestlie contempne it As on the other syde if there be no strength and force in this argumeÌ„t is the highest misterie and secrete lerning of the catholikes therby vttered and coÌ„futed When frindes confer together familiarly many thinges come and goe to fro betwixt them which if they were examined by the seuere iudgemeÌ„t of some coÌ„trollar would seeme to be spoken triflinglie yet consider the tyme place and persons they may stand wel inough with charitie my meaning is this when Christians write vnto ChristiaÌ„s in great peace of conscience and silence of heresie they are more bold with the Scriptures alleagiâ—g the textes of them â–ª towardes their purpose although it be not according to the first sense and meanyng of the place Alluding as sweet S. Bernard doth man thousand places vnto some historie verse sentence or other lyke thing in them playeing as I might saye and refreshing them selues with the Scriptures as â—saac dyd play with the fayre Rebecca his wiffe in the garden of Abimelech the kyng secretlye as he thowght hym self and honestlie is a good and vertuous man louinglie yet and familiaâ—lye as with a most true and bewtifull wiâ—e All which thinges 〈◊〉 colerated â—mong frendes and they agree wel inowgh with chaâ—â—â— as long as they disagree not with honestie and veriâ—ie But when peekers of quarell◠〈…〉 doe appere and heretikes begin to loure then in deed other kynd of writing and arguyng ys to be vsed not to the vtter disalowing of the familiar manner and fashion which hath his tyme and place but to prouyde against the cummyng in of strangers and enimyes which seek onlye how to fynd faultes with the Catholikes S. Paul wryting to the CorinthiaÌ„s emong other thinges he willed that women should be couered in the churche and emong other reasons this was one which he wrote verie sadlie Doth not nature sayeth he teache yow this for yow see that long heare ys geauen vnto a womaÌ„ to couer herselfe withall This now in a Christian man his eares doth sownd right well and probablie But lett a quareller stand agaynst hym and saye my masters Paul here hath wryten vnto yow that your women should not be bare headed in the church And why so Loth I am to ripp vp the secretes of his lernyng and the force of his reasons But his importunitye dryueth me therevnto marke ye therefore well and waighe this argumeÌ„t A woman by nature hath long heare ergo they must were byggins in the church Should not such a skorner then speak as right as master Iuell doth alleaging that for a principall or singular argument which in deed is not so and afterward by disgracing of that argument to bring the whole matter in to question or els contempt for the blessed Apostle vsed that reason as in waye of persuasion and as a probable and conuenient argument which if one would denie saying it dyd not proue his purpose his conclusion ys sure for all that where he sayeth in the end of that question Yf any man seem to be contentiouse we haue no such custome nor the church of God After which sort it may be well answered that if Innocentius did not therebye well proue the superioritie of the pope aboue the Emperor bicause the Sonn ys bigger then the moone and if there were no other reasons of force and strength emong the Catholykes for that purpose as contrary wyse there be whole bokes of auncient doctors which preferr priestes before all other what so euer creatures for their order sake and authoritie yet it might be well answered to heretykes that if yow be good and cunning at iesting and lyinge vnderstand ye that we haue no such custome neither the church of God And so I answer not onlie for Innocentius but for Isidorus also and Gerson Bonifacius the Glose and for all others which master Iuell rekoneth vp That if they lyke good men abundyng in their sense haue alleaged scripture for prouing of those thinges which were vsed before thei were borne and if vnto contentiouse persons those good mens reasons are not sufficient yet none should be so hardie as to take awaye orders or articles generallie of the whole church receiued Bycause it ys inowgh for a Christian man to alleage that we haue no such custome neither the church of God Wherefor as concernyng shauen crounes and purple sandales holye water or praying in one tong they were neuer taken for secrete mysteries in the church and if the sentences of scripture which holy men haue applied vnto them doe not abundantlie proue them good there is no great harme taken As for holye water althowgh that the wordes of the Prophet Ezechiel may verie well be applied vnto it where he sayeth I will sprinkle vpon you cleane water which wordes being a prophecie of the baptisme of ChristiaÌ„s I can not deuyse in what parte of the seauen deadlie synnes it may be numbered to speake them also by holye water which in one signification doth bring vs in remembrance of owr baptisme yet graunting that they make no more to the purpose then master Iuells talke here of the supremacie and purgatorie and priestes crownes and purple sandales doe make against the Canon of the masse holie water for all that is not
which hauing no religion yet of their owne haue idlenes and liceÌ„tiousnes inowgh to find fault with others pietie they may be well compared to the wanton dame Michol which lookyng owt at a window vpon the kyng Dauid her husband and mislyking much his daunsing before the arke of God allmightie O quod she tauntinglie how worshippfull was my Lord this daye discovering hym selfe before his handmaydens And sayeth the scripture she dispised hym in her hart by likelihode bycause he had a white lynen cloth as rochett or surplesse vpon his backe like a priest And so these now from the windowe of their high contemplation or despection rather of other when they behold good and blessed men to daunce before the arke of God and to make in their turninges and returnynges the scriptures pleasantlie to allude vnto the ornamentes of the sacrifice and the true manna which is the bodie of Christ and perchaunse thorough libertie of spirite excesse of ioye shew a litle their bare O saye these daughters of Saul what goodlie doctors are these and how cleane is their religion See what golden cuppes and altars of stone and fyne lynen clothes and rowndnes of hostes and wasshinges of haÌ„des and sighthinges of hart and what reasons thei haue Behold the Sonn and the Moone doe rule daie and night and againe two swordes be here ergo the Pope ys better then an Emperor and may sitt iudge ouer spirituall and temporall matters How gloriouse loe say thei be these young fathers and lordes of the church But what sayeth the trueth for Catholikes Marye bycawse God hath chosen vs to be rulers of his church and hath preferred vs before the stowtnes of the Protestantes and bycause in owr arke and church the law and the Ghospell ys conteyned with the authoritie to correct miscreantes which is the rodd of Aaron and the pott of heauenlie Manna which ys the bodie of owr Sauyor therefor if owr discouering of owr selues doth greene yow we will not onlie not be ashamed of the applications of scriptures which we haue vsed but we will hereafter be more studiouse in reading in vsing in expownding of the scriptures that no historie prophecie battell name of person place or countrye no hill floud field nothing at all shall escape vs but we will bring it vnto some good sense allegoricall morall or analogicall we all knowe that Theologia mystiâ—a non est argumentis apta and that the sense misticall ys not of sure strength in reasonyng but owr arke being sure and the growndes of owr religion being well setteled and owt of dawnger for the rest we maye sing and plaie and be ioyfull and harpe vpon the scripture In vsing of which if a curiouse 〈◊〉 shal see vs discouered or in part naked it is not owr thowght whether all thinges sitt abowt vs so well and fynelie that heretikes and quarellers doe not or can not carp at vs but that the arke of God be safelie conducted in to Syon and placed within Hierusalem And if this text of the old law Thow shallt not bynd vpp the mowth of thi oxe which treadeth owr thi corne doth not proue that thei which labor in seruyng the altar must lyue by the altar yet as long as church altar priesthode sacrifice and such other thinges of weight remaine we will not stryue vpon the misticall sense of euerie chapiter in the law whether it proueth owr conclusion that which we think worth the alowing These wordes as I trust are reasonable and this ys the plaine trueth of the matter Not to make more ieopardie then the church requyreth neither to faine vpon the Catholikes as that if a Cardinall tredd a wrie vpon his purple sandales or the priest at the altar remember not the theife which hanged on the crosse by Christ and sigth at the remembrance thereof that all owr religion ys quyte ouerturned And this much hitherto for the answering of that common place of M. Iuells where he thowght by gathering of certaine absurd argumeÌ„tes if the people be iudge and by lowd and bold crying owt that these were the secrete misteries of owr religion and that loth he was to rip them vp he thought to bring owr whole religion in to contempt and obloquie And now lett vs consider his last matter which he promysed to touche It can not be denyed sayeth he but Christ in his last supper ordeyned a communion and shewed no manner taken of priuate masse But what calleth M. Iuell a priuate masse He craketh much of the primitiue church as who should saye all antiquity were with them And oftentymes he asketh the question where we can fynd a priuate masse and will not heare vs answer that we vpholde no priuate masse and that this terme of priuate hath ben inuented but of the heretikes them selues For the masse in deede is a common function and office to be done of a priest which is the legate of the people vnto God and God his messenger vnto them In which offices he speaketh for their necessities bringyng vnto God the most noble ryche present of Christ his owne body the soner to obteyne mercy and grace at the which not onlye the visible parties present but all Angels and blessed sowles either in heauen or in the way thytherward be assistants and doe accompany the priest If .20 men be standyng by is it common and if thousandes of heauenly hostes replenysh the place .19 of the men lackyng is it priuate yf it be sayd in the open church is it common and yf it be browght vnto a litle chappell is it priuate what meaneth he by this word priuate I would fayne vnderstand And they answer that when one alone receiueth then it is priuate But is that all their reason why then yf the matter hangeth vpon the nomber of the communicantes we shall haue as many diuisions of common masse as they haue prety definitions of a priuate masse Three sayeth the order of the communion boke myndyng to receaue do make a coÌ„munion as three make a colledge as I haue heard with the lawiers but one alone maynteyneth it a colledge by the selfesame lawiers ergo that masse is not priuate but common and yet common of the least because yf one lacked there could be no coÌ„munion well then yf three skore will coÌ„municate the nombre encreasyng the state of the masse is altered and therfore let this be called a masse of the common of the more Now yf yow make vp three hundred that must nedes be a coÌ„mon of the greater yf three thousand a coÌ„mon of the more greater so that we shall haue no end of coÌ„mon of the more and common of the lesse How much more better is it proued euery masse to be equally coÌ„mon because the priest is a coÌ„mon officer the prayers be common the answerer in the peoples behalfe common the thing offered coÌ„mon the table common the thankes geuyng is common and as it was
sayeth he afterwardes he was not called vniuersall Bishopp Wherfor vnto M. Iuells question yf the name of vniuersall Bishopp was not in the primitiue church yet the thing it self was as 〈…〉 shewed so that the name it selfe 〈…〉 haue been vsed in that sense as it 〈…〉 Bishopp which hath charge 〈…〉 and of all the Catholike 〈…〉 But as it signifyeth hym which 〈…〉 other Bishop but hym selfe 〈…〉 there neither was 〈…〉 Bishopp vniuersall 〈…〉 people were then tawghte to 〈…〉 Christes 〈◊〉 ys reallye 〈…〉 carnailâ—e or 〈…〉 The 〈◊〉 â—ome of God is not in wordes but in power and strength and allbeyt owt of hand it could not be fownd to bryng a writer so auncient as yow require for euery one of those termes yet is the cause nothing the worse so that it may appere by any meanes that in the Sacrament is his verye body For I think it would be very hard to find in any writing of old and holy doctor with in vjC yeares of Christ all these wordes that he take râ—all substantiall corporall carnall naturall flâ—shâ— of the virgin Marie and yet they were instructed perfectlie to beleue that Christ toke owr verye flesh and not a figure onlye therof as the Maniches did euill report And so yf I could noâ— bring example of all the termes which yow would haue proued yet yf I can coÌ„clude that the verye body and not a fantasticall supposed bodye is in the sacrament for the wordes of carnall reall corporall substanciall and naturall I need not be woefull In the sacrament sayeth S. Ierome vnto Hebidia the verye bodyâ— of Christ ys of which bodye sayeth Isichius in Leu. lib 6. Cap 22. S. Gabriel did say vnto the virgin the holie ghost shall com vpon the. It is called of S. Cyrill lib. 3. in 10. Cap. 37. lib. 10. Cap. 13. the body of lyfe it selfe or of naturall lyfe Of Origene the bodye of the worde Of S. Chrisostome the body which is partaker of the diuine nature 1. Cor. Cap. 10. Of S. Augustine Psal. 33. the verye crucifyed bodye in the which he suffered so greate thinges Of Chrisâ—stome againe 1. Cor. Cap. 10. the body which was nayled vpon the crosse beaten wounded with spere which was not ouercoÌ„med with death What will a Christian man aske more and what neede to bring owt the wordes of carnall reall corporall naturall wheras the bodye of Christ being present and that body which was borne of the virgin Marye it foloweth that it is reall and naturall or els we are fallen from owr fayth in which we beleue that he toke reall flesh of the blessed virgin And here also where fynd you not onelye within vjC yeares of Christ but within .vj. and .vj. hundred and take three more vnto them that the people were taught to beleue that the body of Christ is onlye figuratiuelye sacrameÌ„tallie significatiuelye tropicallie imaginatiuelie in the Sacrament to the denyall of all presence and realitie S. Damascene a notable father writing purposelye of the sacrament of the altar sayeth that it is not simple bread or fode but vnited vnto the diuinitie Also hread and wyne sayth he is not a figure of the bodye and bloud of Christ God forbed but it is the very deisyed body of owr Lorde where as he hath sayed him selfe this is my body not a figure of my body and not a figure of my bloud but my bloud But M. Iuell appealeth vnto the vjC yeres next after Christ Vnto those vjC doth he appeale Vnto those vjC he that be browght And I require hym to shew furth where it was euer tawght with in vj. C. yeares after Christ that Christes bodie was in the sacrament figuratiuelye onely Lett one sentence example aucthoritye worde or sillable be browght furth of a bodye onelye figuratiue and significatiue and he shal haue the victorye Yea but sayth he the reall corporall carnall naturall presence was not preached or tawght at those dayes ergo a figuratiue bodye onelye was beleued And thus whiles we stryue vpon termes onely we spend the tyme in a questioÌ„ not necessarie and he will not consider the truth in it self as it is Christ sayd this is my bodye which shalbe delyuered for yow Saye the truth Is not this playne inowgh what yf he had sayd this is my naturall body should all mysbeleife on yowr part haue ceased I thinke not for these wordes which shalbe deliuered for yow do as playnely expresse what bodye he meaneth as yf he had vsed the worde naturall or corporall what difference is in these poyntes M. Iuell and the named Bishopp of Sarum and he which in the yeare of owr Lorde 1561. preached at Paules crosse the second sonday before Easter and after this sort yf I would proced further what difference were there or how many persons myght I be thowght to haue named in the iudgement of them which know the state of this world what oddes is there betwene fowre pens and a grote what difference betwixt the very body of Christ and the reall bodye the body borne of the blessed virgin and the naturall bodye the corporall bodye and his very flesh the carnall bodye and the bodye which was delyuered vnto death and hanged on the crosse for vs This is not childisshnes onely but very wantonnes to aske for the terme of a corporall and reall body and not to be coÌ„tent with such a bodye which dyed for vs to beleue owr eyes yf we should see hym and to discredite his voyce when we doe here hym not to be able to deny but this is the bodye which was delyuered for vs and yet to require whether it be his naturall bodye or no And yet bycause the church owr mother which in her selfe is strong doth condescend vnto the infirmitie of those which once the browght furth I will shew in one testimony that euen in playne worde corporallie Christ his body is geuen vnto the faythfull And yf copye of wordes delite M. Iuell I will proue also that he is naturally in his faithfull S. Cyrill a blessed and auncyent father in reprouyng and confutyng a certen Arrian which vpon those wordes of Christ I am the vyne and my father is the husbandman wold inferr that Christ and God the father were not of one substance no more then a vyne and a husbandman are which Arrian also sayde that those wordes I am a vyne c. apperteyned vnto the diuinitie and not the humanitie of Christ. S. Cyrill I saye in confuting this reason hath these wordes VVe doe not denye but we are ioyned spirituallie vnto Christ by right fayth aâ—d syncere charitie but yet that there is no waye of the ioyning of vs togeather with hym accordyng to the flesh that trulie we doe veterly denye And we say that to be altogeather besides the Scriptures For who hath doâ—ted Christ euen after this fashion vnderstand according to the flesh to be the vyne and vs to be
the branches which receiue and get lyfe from thence Here S. Paule saying that all are one bodie in Christ. For althowgh we be many yet in him we be one for all take parte of one bread Doth he think perchaunce meaning the Arrian that we doe not know the strength and power of the misâ—icall benediction which when it is done in vs 〈…〉 not make Christ also corporallie to dwell in vs throwgh the communicating of the flesh of Christ For why are members of the faithefull the members of Christ know yow not saith S. Paule that your members are the members of Christ And shal I then make the members of Christ the members of an harloâ—â— God for send Also owr Sauior sayeth he that â—ateth my flâ—sh and drinketh my bloud remayneth 〈◊〉 me and â—in hym whervpon it is to be considered that Christ is in vs nos onely by habitude and fashion that which is vnderstode to be throwgh charitie but also euen by naturall participation For like as yf a man melting waxly the fyer would so mengle it with an other wax likewise melted that of them bothe one certayne thing may seeme to be made so by the communicatyng of the body and bloud of Christ he is in vs and we are in hym For otherwise this corruptible nature of owr bodye could not be browght vnto incorruption and lyfe except the bodie of natural lyfe were ioyned togeather with it Doest thow not beleue me speakyng these thynges geue crediâ—e then I beseche the vnto Christ. Verely verely I saye vnto yow except yow eate sayth he the flessh of the soun of man and drink his bloud yow shall not haue lyfe in yow c. In this testimonye of S. Cyril althowgh it be playne to vnderstand yet shal I put you in remembrance of noting two poyntes the one that he sayeth Christ to be in vs by charitie but not onelye throwgh charitie which is when we beleue in hym and long for hym and thank hym for his benefites the other that euen by naturall participation and corporallie and by the naturall body of lyfe he is in vs. Ergo it is false â–ª to say that the receiuing of Christ is onely by faith and that the body which we receiue is onlye a figuratiue spiritual bodye which heretikes haue inuented And on the other syde it is trew that besydes the spirituall receiuyng of Christ throughâ—h 〈◊〉 there is an other kynde by which his naturall body is corporallie ioyned to owr corporall bodye in which the Catholikes doe beleue So that to vse the wordes of â— Cyâ—â—l which folow in the place forenamed both spirituallie and corporallie we are bâ—â—nches and Christ is the vyne And yf yow aske the waye how this hath been and is browghte to passe the same Doctor in an other place â–ª declareth it most plainelye Corporallie sayeth he the soun of God throwgh the mysticall blessing is vnited to vs as man but spirituallie as God he is vnited vnto vs by renewyng owr spirite by the grace of his spirite vnto a newlyfe and vnto the partakyng of the diuine nature Christ therfore is the knytting vp of owr vnion with God which is naturallie vnited vnto vs as man vnto God the father as God More authorities of this blessed father and of others myghâ— be recited to the proufe hereof that women are ioyned naturallye and corporallye vnto Christ not onely by that he toke owr nature on hym in the vitginâ— wombe but also rather bycause we eate hys flessh and drink hys bloud throwgh the strength of the misticall benediction But one instaÌ„ce is sufficient against him which vniuersallie belyeth the Catholikes that they haue no proufe at all to dâ—clare that the naturall reall corporall bodie of Christ should be in the SacrameÌ„t which is so vntruly reported that the doctors conclude S. Cyrill in the place alleaged S. Hilarye in the .viij. boke De trivitate S. Gregory Nissenus in oratione catechetica and others in diuers places that except this bodye of owrs had a lyuche bodye by participatioÌ„ of which it should be repayred it were impossible that it should ryse agayne when it were once by death cast downe not bycause God of his absolute power were not able to haue done it which withowt the incarnation of his blessed soun myght haue saued the world but the order most wyse and agreable once beyng lett owt by almightye God that owr sowle by his spirite owr body by his flesh should be properlye preserued now in this order and wisedome he which taketh away from Christians a bodely reall presence he taketh awaye the proper and chiefest hope of the resurrection of bodyes Or that hu bodye is or may be in a thousand places or moâ— at one tyme. This question neadeth not as many others which folow in the sâ—rmon First bicause the principall matter establesshed that the bodye of Christ is present when so euer a lawfull priest doth coÌ„secrate the bread reason doth declare her fowle solye to goe aboute to reproue that thing which by fayth we must stand vnto bycause of an absurditie which should seme to folow Then wheras owt of one principle a hundred conclusions may be deductâ—â— it is not necessary that euery conclusion be expresselie writen in the auncyent fathers workes or ells that we make doubâ—e of the principle which afterwardes I will make more playne and probable Thirdlye wheras the Catholikes do teach that Christ is not locally in the Sacrament as in a place to aske of them wherby they proue that Christes body is or may be in a thowsand places which do know but of one place which his body circuÌ„scriptiue occupyeth and yet beleue that he is verilye and bodylie present in euery consecrated host it is quyte owt of the purpose Yet for all this I wil shew what S. Chrisostome answereth vnto the like question as M. Iuell moueth which in expounding of those wordes of Sainct Paule to the Hebrewes that Christ doth not offer vp hym selfe oftentymes as the priest in the olde law did enter in to the most holye places euery yeare with the bloud of beastes How then doe we sayth Chrisostome doe we not offer vpp euery daye we doe offer in deed but as men which make a remeâ—brance of his death And this sacrifice is one not manie How is it one and not many bycause that once beyng offered it was offered in to the most holye places and this sacrifice is an example taken owt of that VVe offer vp the self same allwayes and not trulye this tyme one lambe to morow an other but allwayes the self same Therfor this sacrifice is one other ells by this reason bycause it is offered in many places there be many Christes No not so but Christ is one euery where both here full and whole and there full and whole one bodye For as he which is euery where offered vp is one bodye and not many bodyes so also the
sacrifice is one Now he is one Bishop which offered vp the sacrifice which did make vs cleane the same we also now doe offer which at that tyme beyng offered could not be consumed Yet this which we doe is done in remembrance of that which was done For sayth Christ doe this in remembrance of me we make not an other sacrifice as the Bishopp did but allwayes the same or rather we make the remembrance of that sacrifice Therfor I conclude that not onelye it is readen emong auncyent fathers that Christ his body may be and ys in diuers places offered but that the cause therof is for that Christ is but one in all dayes and places And note here the diuersitie of reasonyng betwixt heretikes and catholikes They say there be many churches ergo by all reason ther must be many bodyes yf Christes verye bodye be on the altar in euery church The catholikes saye with Chrisostome there is but one Christ ergo no absurditie there is yf he be offered vp this daye and to morrow and euery day in euery place in the whole world They by the grosse numbring vp of diuers places would conclude agaynst vs that there must be many bodyes The Catholikes by the beleuing and confessing of one bodye doe grawnt that he is in many places withowt diuision bycause the bodye is but one They begyn at their senses and according to the reason of them they conclude matters of fayth The Catholikes begyn with fayth and afterwardes coÌ„maunde silence and quyetnes to their senses 1 Or that the priest did then hold vp the Sacrament ouer his heade 2 Or that the people did then fall downe and worshipp is with godlye honor 3 Or that the Sacrament was then or now owght to be hanged vp vnder a canopie 4 Or that in the Sacrament after the wordes of coÌ„secration there remayneth onlye the accidentes and shewes withowt the substance of bread and wyne 5 Or that the priest then diuided the Sacrament in three partes and afterward receiued hym selfe alone 6 Or that who so euer had sayed the Sacrament is a figure a pledge a token or a remembrance of Christ his bodie had therfor been iudged for an heretike 7 Or that it was lawful then to haue 30. 20. 15. 10. or 5. masses sayed in one church in one daye 8 Or that images were set vp in the churches to thentent that the people might worship them 9 Or that the laye people were then forbedden to read the word of God in their owne tong Here be .9 questions as it were .9 worthyes not all worth one good poynt For it is vnskilfullie required that of particular thinges any accompt should be geuen which are deducted and may be more deducted herafter owt of the principall conclusion As to shew in other examples how vnlearned peltyng a kind of reasoning this is which he vseth I aske hym where he did euer read in scripture that Christ did crye for his mothers breast or that euer he lawghed or euer dyd were peticote hosen or showes or euer did goe in his mothers errant or by his handy labor helpe forward towardes her finding Which all are credible inowgh bicause he toke vpon hym owr very nature and all yet are not necessary to be wryten Then to come to the Apostles where did he euer read that in their externall behauior they did weare frockes or gownes or fower corned cappes or rochetes or that they did euer cate sodd roste or bake meates or that a company of laye men seruaÌ„tes did folow them all in one lyuerye or that at their prayers they satt in sydes or laye in the grownd or fall prostrate or sang Te Deum or loked towardes the sowth or did weare copes of tissue or veluett with a thowsand more such questions which be verie many and not necessarye bycause they liued and fared vndoubtedlie as occasion and cause serued and they dyd honor God with the best that they had And yf they were not so ryche to bye tissue I think not therfor that they were naked in their seruice and yf the church now hath golden copes they must not be taken away from her bicause of the Apostles pouertie In whose dayes as I neede not to tell what deckyng of the place they vsed where God should be honored so reason geueth that they thoâ—ght nothing to good for him Lett all thinges be done emong you sayeth S. Paule honestlie and according vnto order This is a generall principle with which principle in the Apostles tyme it did agree that all should come in to one place of prayer as in to som vpper chamber lofte or parlar and the same conclusion agreed with Sainct Syluester Sainct Ambrose S. Chrisostomes and other tymes folowing wheÌ„ the quyer was appoynted for the clergye and the bodye of the churche for the layetie In the primitiue church when persequutioÌ„s of Christians dyd so much encrease all blacke apparell did becom the clergie well inowgh but afterwardes when all nations of the world were conuerted vnto Christ and Emperours browght their glory into the church what deadly fault is there yf a Cardinall weare a skarlet robe and a Bisshopp a whyte rochett Not yf perchaunse S Paule did trauell in his iorneys for the most part on fote therfor yow must sett all bisshoppes besydes their saddelles And yf he did pray by the waters syde and in priuate chambers yow must not therefor ouerthrow all churches For the principle is allwayes one that we must doe thinges according vnto order And so the verytye is that Christ hath left vnto vs hys verye bodye in the Sacrament and this is playne by scriptures councells and fathers Which veritye standyng what harme is done in the shewyng of that hygh mysterye vnto the people what difference and matter is it whether it be holden in one hand or two lyfted vp ouer the head or by the turnyng of the priestes face froÌ„ the altar shewed vnto the people which the Grecians doe vse Againe the veritye of his bodye beyng present what beast is he which beleiueth it and doth not worship 〈◊〉 And why myght it not be reserued for sick persons and why not then closed in a golden or syluer box and either be sett vnder a canopye or placed otherwise withall reuerence Or how can he be but an heretike which sayeth not that it is a figure or pledge but onelye a figure or onelye a pledge of hys bodye Then put the case that for lack of lerning or for lack of proufe one could not shew yow examples for those particular questioÌ„s in which yow require to be answered the coÌ„clusion and veritie most playnly beyng proued those other thinges may well folow afterwardes As otherwise yf the matter of a canopye or lyfting it ouer the head or namyng of the heretike which sayde it was a figure onelie if these thinges and such like either were not then or should not be alowed now yet it remayneth
still that in the sacrament is Christ his bodye and to make playne what body is meaned it foloweth which shalbe delyuered for yow Agayne it is a verâ—tie most certain that Christ hath not left his church without guides and gouernours in which be first Apostles then Propheâ—s then EuaÌ„gelistes after these Pastors and Doctors to the perfiting of her Which if yow graunt to what purpose is any talk or brable moued if more masses be sayd in one church at one tyme if laye men be restrained from commenting vpon the Scriptures or if the host be diuided in to three partes or if the laie man receiue in one kynd alone wher as all these thinges be such that being once appointed they must nedes be obserued And if they neuer had ben appointed the veritie of the SacrameÌ„t were nothing thereby diminished To what purpose then do I speak all this Truly to come at length to some end with out aduersaries and to geue waâ—â—ing vnto our frendes that in all thinges they require that which is materiall and necâ—ssary and lerne to distinct that from thinges indifferent in them selues â–ª also to appeale vnto the principall coÌ„clusion and not to meddle with lower matters before the principall be decided Can you proue saieth M. Iuell that it was lawfull by the old Doctours and Councels for the priest to pronounce the wordes of coÌ„secration closely What then Sir I can proue that there was and must be a principall head in the church by whom we must be ruled whether he appoint the wordes closely or openly to be pronounced how now then should any wise man and desirous of the truth haue talk with an heretike aboute the open and close speaking of the priest which dependeth of that other question whether the Bisshoppes and heades of the church may not rule the churche of Christ as they shall see expedient what a doe is made about the coÌ„munion vnder one kynde of prayers in the vulgar tong and of order in the seruice in which questions the heretike hath this aduantage that whiles these thinges are indifferent he maye bring for him selfe a probable argumeÌ„t and the Catholike whatso euer he shall bring except he goe to a higher questioÌ„ he shall speak but probablye and so the hearer of bothe partes can not dissalow greately any one But if we wold come to that which is the chefe in all such indiffereÌ„t matters and reason whether we shold not obey the lawfull Bishoppes and heads this question concluded would sone put to silence all heresy and settle well the consciences of true Catholikes I would faine be at an end and I can not For behold more then a dosen interrogations do folow which if I doe not answer I think that will be the best answer rather then to trouble both you and my self in opening all the matters which goe before and folow after vpon the foresaied interrogations But what nedeth that I go thorough all his interrogations and articles whereas if we be able to auouche against him any one of them all he is content to yeld and subscribe I will shew therefor which he demeth that the priest hath authoritie to offer vp Christ vnto his father Euery Bisshop saieth the blessed Apostle vnto the Hebrewes selected and chosen outâ— of men is appointed for men in those thinges which appertaine vnto God that he offer vp giftes and sacrifices for sinnes which being a generall proposition ergo either there be no priests and Bishopes in the new lawe or els they must haue a sacrifice which they may offer Which sacrifice must be of that valew that none may offer it but he which is called therevnto as Aaron was called â–ª and which sacrifice must be according to the order of Melchisedech as it is writen Thou arte a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Of which order Christ our Lorde was in his last supper as being the priest of the gentils and not annoynted with visible oyle as the olde Bishoppes of the lawe were and thirdly bycause he offred vp sacrifice there his owne body and bloud not in forme of bloud and flesh but in forme of bread and wine as Melchisedeth did before Of which order Christ is truly saied to be a priest for euer as Oecuâ—enius saieth in respect of the priests which be now a dayes by meanes of whom Christ doth offer and also is offred Therefore if allmighty God hath taken an oth and if it doth not repent him thereof that Christ is priest for euer according to the order of Melchiâ—edech and if these wordes for euer be verified in Christ thorough priestes which be now in the world and whereas Christ offred in his last supper his very body and bloud in formes of bread and wine as it dyd appertayne vnto the order of Melchisedech how can it be saied that the priests haue no authoritie to offer his bodye which except it were offred God should seme to repent him of his oth and to break it also And further except priestes made out of men should offer it no offering wold be at all our Sauiour now according to his visible forme being ascended in to heauen and there abiding vntill the last iudgement of the world And not onely by this argument it is proued that priestes may and should offer vp Christ but also by the very expresse commaundement of Christ in his last supper when he sayed Do this in remembrance of me which commaundement except it had ben geuen what man in all the world wold haue entreprised to haue coÌ„secrated the body of oure Lorde For as S. Denyâ— testifieth of the priests of his time They did excuse them selues reuerently and Bishoplike that they offred vp the â—olsome sacrifice which is farr aboue them trying first vnto God decently and saying Thou hast sayed Do this in my remembrance and then beseching him that they maye be made worthy of so great a ministery and seruice that they maye holylye consecrat the Sacrament By which wordes it appereth that the priestes of the primitiue church much abashed at the excellency of their function did yet take harâ—e of grace to consecrat the holsom sacrifice because they were commaunded so to do by God him selfe In which sense also Sainct Basil praieth in his lyturgye and masse Make me saieth he meete through the power of the holy Ghost that I being endued with the grace of priesthood maye stand at this holy table and maye consecrat thy holy and vndefiled body and precious bloud And like wise again For thy vnspeakable and exceding kindnes sake withoute all mutation and conuersion thou hast ben made man and hast ben named oure Bishop and hast deliuered vnto vs the consecratioÌ„ of this seruiceable and vnbloudy sacrifice And after this very sorte all blessed men haue euer done in the church of Christ not denying but that all priestes do in very dede coÌ„secrat and offer vp the body of Christ but leâ—t
Therefor it is not with vs M. Iuell as it is with you that if I will not be of the congregation of Geneua I maye go to Wittenberge and if I like not one citie and fraternitie I maye go to an other But euen as he which is in the church of England and a faithfull Catholike is made partaker of the Sacraments and praiers which be saied in Calicute so he which is cutt of and separated from any one parte and membre of the church he shall not leap to Calicute for his coÌ„munion but shall remaine quyte diuided from the body So that as it semeth absurd vnto you master myne that an excoÌ„municate in England should communicate with the priest of Calicute whether the priest of Calicute will or nill so make the like argument against your selfe that it must seme as absurd that he which communicateth in England should not eke communicate with him which is in Calicute and then shall it remaine that if none receiue with the priest at the aultar in England yet he coÌ„municateth with the priest of Calicut Of the like vaine of knowleadge cometh this other argument also That the name of masse was not vntill foure hundred yeres after Christ nor yet were the pieces and partes of the masse as we in oure time haue sene theÌ„ sett togeather Ergo wat masse could that be that as yet had neither her owne name nor her partes As who should saie the masse which was vsed of the Apostles and their next successours was made the worse by Kyrie eleeson Gloria in excelsis Alleluia Credo in Deum and Agnus Dei with certain most godly collects and praiers which haue ben added vnto the substance of the sacrifice which was in the Apostles time not as necessary but as coÌ„uenient and comly Do you not know that it is an old and true distinction of the masse one which was called Catechumenorum which ended after the Ghospell and an other masse called Christianorum which began with the preface what masse could that be saie you which as yet had nother her name nor her partes I answer to this that she had the essentiall and necessary partes froÌ„ the beginning but the garnishing and decking of the misteries did folow afterwardes Neither doth it hurt and hinder the nature of man if he haue a new or diuers cote according to the dispositioÌ„ of the yere But what do I which saied I was wery as I am in dede and yet do runne forward with opening his faint and vntrue reasoning well nowe I will remembre my selfe better and conclude with one pointe which ended I shall take my leaue of him and you bothe In coÌ„paring S. Iames masse and oures together it is a world to see howe frely he foloweth his rhetorike and foâ—saketh the verite A figure of which rhetorike whiles he did maintaine with sondry reportes of S. Iames masse hath this and their masse hath this with this and this vntill I think he was wery of speaking to conclude he sayeth Sainte Iames masse â—ad Christes institution they in their masse haue well nere nothyng ells but mans inuention Do yow speak as yow think is not your communion allmost wholy peced togeather of the partes of the Popish masse by you dismembred The epistle the Ghospel the collects of the sondaye the hymne of the Angels the confession of oure faith the himne of Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus the saying of Agnus be not these so many thinges in the masse and transferred in to the coÌ„munion how then hath the masse well nere nothing but mans inuention if your communion haue Christes only institution I take it that M. Iuell did speak so much onely to saue his honesty lest he should haue semed not to proue that oure masse was cleane contrary vnto S. Iames except he would haue borowed this litle lye of the ignorance and rudenes of the most part of his audience But letting the cause of oure masse to cease hath S. Iames masse Christ his institution and hath it no mans inuention or very litle at all I think you do not meane that he hath nothing els but Christes institution but as oure masse hath well nere nothing els but mans inuentioÌ„ so by the contrary you must meane S. Iames masse hath well nere nothing els but Christes institution whiche I speake for your aduauntage bycause it serueth better for the Catholikes that S. Iames masse shold haue nothing els but Christes institutioÌ„ But now Sir if S. Iames masse be so perfect a thing in your iudgement why did not you translate it in to English It had ben a greate glory for you to saye that you did bring againe the very order of the Apostles and so to proue your saying true by the masse which S. Iames hym selfe vsed which thing the Catholikes graunting vnto you that it is Sainct Iames masse in dede with more glory and surety you might haue turned the Popish masse owt of the church and haue brought in the masse Apostolike But yow do not I think allow that masse of Sainct Iames. Certainely then you be a great dissembler to speak so many faire wordes openly of it and in your hart to disdaine it priuely No mary will you saie Sainct Iames in his masse had Christ his institution Lett vs then be tried by S. Iames masse whether you iustely reproue the Catholikes masse and extoll your communion In the first beginning of Sainct Iames masse franckincense is burned with a prayer thereunto appertaining how doth this sauour in yowr noses tell the truth Further in that masse the priest goeth vp solemnely with deuoute praying the Deacon in the meane tyme singing Againe in an other place the Deacon biddeth that none of them come in presence of the misteries which be yet to lerne the faith or which can not praie with the faithfull such he meaneth as haue not fullfilled their penaunce and he commaundeth the dores to be kept But how agreeth this with that law of yours which receyueth in all sortes without examination and constrayneth other which wold not to come in and be present Then yet againe in that masse the priest saieth O Lorde allmighty king of glory c receiue of our handes which be sinners this perâ—ume as thou hast receiued those thinges which Abel Noe Aaron and Samuell and all thy holy ones haue offred vnto the. Further yet in that masse the priest maketh the signes of the crosse ouer the giftes saying vnto him selfe Glory be to God on highe and in earth peace vnto men good will three times and after two other sentences with bowing him selfe on this side and that side he sayeth Magnifie you oure Lorde with me and lett vs exalt his name together Also there is in Sainct Iames masse a secret praier for the priest when he entreth with in the curteynes further after the consecration and secret praiers he saieth Hayle Marie full of grace our Lord is with the. c. At the last he
proued that there was any drie communion in the whole world at that tyme for the space of six hundred yeares after Christ Or that there should be no celebration of the Lord his supper except there be a good number to coÌ„municate with the priest that is foure or three persons at the least though the whole parisshe haue but twentie of discretion in it Or that any Bisshop then did sweare by his honor when in his visitation abrode in the countrie he should warrant his promise to some poore prisoner priest vnder hym Or that any bagpipers horsecorsers gailers or alebastars were admitted then in to the clergie without good and long triall of their conuersion Or that any Bisshop then refused to weare a whyte rochet or to be distincted from the laitie by some honest priestlie apparell Or that any Bishopp then not satisfyed with the prisonyng of his aduersaries dyd crie out and call vpon the princes not disposed that waie to put them yet to most cruell death Or that the communion table yf any then were was remoueable vpp and downe hyther and thyther and brought at any tyme in to the lower partes of the church there to exequute the Lorde hys supper Or that any communion was saied vpon good fridaie Or that Gloria in excelsis should be song after the communion Or that the Sacrament was ministred then some tyme in loeuebread some tyme in wafers and in those rather without the name of Iesus or the signe of the crosse then with it Or that Quicunâ— vult and Crede of Athanasius was apointed to be song onlie vpon hygh daies and principall feastes Or that at the communion tyme the minister should weare a cope and at all other seruice a surples onlie or as in some places it is vsed nothing at all besides hys common apparell Or that the wordes of Sainct Paule 1. Cor. 1 â–ª 1. shold be ordinarilie readen at the tyme of consecration Or that they vsed a coÌ„mon and prophane cup at the coÌ„munion and not a consecrated and halowed Or that a solemne curse should be vsed vpon Asshewensdaye Or that a procession about the fieldes was vsed in the rogation weeke to know therebie rather the boundes and borders of euerie lordeshipp then to moue God to mercie and styr mens hartes to deuotion Or that any Bishopp then gathered beneuoleÌ„ce of his clergie to marye his daughter to a gentle man or merchaÌ„t or to helpe hym in the setting vp of his howsehold Or that the man should put the wedding ring vpon the fourth finger of the left hand of the woman and not of the right hand of her as it hath ben many hundred yeares contynued Or that any man then dyd read it in open scholes or preach it out of pulpites or set it furth in print that Sainct Peter was neuer at Rome Or that in the tyme of contagious plagues when for feare of the infection none will communicate with the sick person the minister might alonelie communicate with him with out breache of Christ his institution and that the decree of no coÌ„munion to be made withowt three at the least should in such cases be forgoten Or that the people then were called togeather to morning prayer by ringing of a bell Yf any man alyue be able to proue any of these articles by any one cleare or plaine clause or sentence either of the Scriptures or of the old Doctours or any old generall Councell or by any example of the primitiue church I promise that I will geaue ouer and subscribe vnto hym in that poynt And of this I for my part will not onlie not call in any poynt being well assured of the trueth therein but allso will laye more matter to it Wherefor beside all that I haue said allready I will say further and yet nothing so much as might be said If any one of our aduersaries be able clearlie and plainelie to proue by such authoritie of the scriptures the old Doctors and Councels as I said before That the Bishopp of Rome was called Antichrist within the first vjC yeares after Christ Or that the people was then tawght to beleue that the force and strength of their faith made Christ his bodye present to them in the SacrameÌ„t and not any vertue of wordes and consecration Or that the residue of the SacrameÌ„t vnreceaued was taken of the priest or the parish clark to spread ther young childerns butter therevppon or to serue their owne to the with it at their homely table Or that who so had said in the Sacrament is the true and reall bodie of Christ and not a figuratiue body onlie or mistical shold ben therefor iudged a papist and brought vp before high commissioners Or that it was lawfull then to haue but one communion in one church in one daye Or that images were then cutt hewed mangled and reuiled though it were answered that they are not â—olden for Godes or Sainctes but kept only for memorial sake of Christ him selfe or any of his faithfull Or that Bishopes then threw downe Christ and his sainctes images and set vp their owne their wyues and their childerns pictures in their open chambers and parlors Or that our Sauior in his last supper deliuered hys bodye to many more then his twelue Apostels Or that â—udas Machabeus in causing sacrifice to be offered for the dead added in that point vnto the law and offended God any ys no more to be folowed in that doing then Loth and Dauid are in their iâ—cest and adultery Or that a Bishopp being a virgin at takyng hys office did afterwardes yet commendablie take a wife so to call an harlot vnto hym Or that after the first wyfes death which he had before holy orders receiued any priest toke a second or third vnto hym with a totâ—es quoties the later wyfe departing left hym in hott fiery pasiions that he needed an other to coole hym Or that any preacher of those daies moued young men and women in open sermons not to blushe or be ashamed of desyering the one the other no more then they would be ashamed of spetting or any such naturall actioÌ„ Or that it was at those dayes the right way to knowledge euery man to read by hym self the Scriptures and neglect all kynd of tradition Or that the lent or friday was to be fasted for ciuile policie and not for any deuotion Or that Palmesonday was solemnised without bearing of bowes conmonly called palmebowes Or that Christmassdaye was without a masse or asshewensday without asshes orâ— Candelmaâ—daye without bearing of Candels Or that the Natiuity of S. Ihon Baptist was kept holy and the Eue 〈◊〉 and neither the natiuity neither the assumption of owr blessed lady kept holy with a special fast vpon the â—ues Or that they did pray vnto God vpoÌ„ the feast of S. Michael saying graâ—nt that owr lisse maye be deâ—ended on earth by them by whom thow art allwayes wayted vpon in heauen and neuerthelesse
call the Sacrament bread which yet condemneth all Lutherans and Zuin glâ—ans And she calleth the Sacrament bread bycause the Sacrament hath the forme of bread and bycause bread in the Scripture signifyeth any foode and bycause Christ his bodye ys in deede true bread and bread of life and heauenlie bread Therefore bycause it ys called bread vpon that onlye to conclud that it contynueth bakers bread it ys the argument of thinkers tailers and coblers and not of lerned scholars Then as concerning Gelasius which sayeth that the substance of bread or nature of wyne doe not cease to be in the Sacrament he expowndeth hym felfe by that which foloweth strayt after in thâ— same sentence adding these plaine wordes But they remaine in the proprieties of theyr nature Which proprieties are these folowing whitnes thicknes breadeth weight tast and power to norissh and feede the bodye with such like which he calleth the substance of bread and wyne and more playnelie the properties of their nature The lyke is to be answered vnto Theodoretus whiche sayeth that Christ honored the bread and wyne which we see with the names of his bodye aud bloud not chainging the nature of them that is to saye the naturall proprieties because in all poyntes it appeereth vnto owr eye to be euen as it was before consecration but ioyning grace vnto that nature Ouer and aboue all this a most true and readie answer ys that the faithfull doe consider allwayes not what one or two doe saye but what the whole cumpanye of lerned men or the greater part doe testifye Agayn before the church had expressed it and opened by her sentence the manner of Christ his being in the Sacrament it was no heresie if proude obstinacie dyd not make it to saye that bread remained or that it vanished in to nothing Bicause both opinions dyd hold with reall presence and the authors of them were contented to yeld vnto their betters iudgement And so if we should graunt vnto the heretâ—kes that which thei do require about Gelasius or Theodoretus they both defending the reall presence it ys no small matter against the heretykes other opinions and it ys nothing at all against the Catholykes But in these dares now when it hath been decreed according vnto scriptures and auncient fathers in a generall councell that the substance of bread is conuerted in to the bodie of Christ now to denie transsubstantiatioÌ„ and to reuyle the decree of the Catholike church this is greatlie against the faith and this is it which maketh heretikes S. Cyprian which defended the rebaptizing of them whom heretykes had baptized before was no heretyke in so doing bycause the question was not then determined by the church vnto whose iudgement he submitted his lerning and authoritie But now if it should come in to an idle head to bring that blessed martyrs reasons and to withstand the Catholike church he should do nothing els in wyse mens iudgementes but declare his owne vaine gloriouse folie And yet I do not ne will not vse this defence but plainelie answer that Gelasius and Theodoretus doe meane well and speak as papistes may doe that the substance or naturall propertie of bread remaineth that is to saie the same quantitie vertue and qualitie which it had before the coÌ„secration Wherefor to conclud the cleane contrarie vnto Master Iuells assertion I saie that neither the auncient doctors do affirme that the substance of bread remaineth vnderstanding by substance the essentiall and internall forme or nature of bread neither Duns and Durand doe saie that if bread remain there is daunger of Idolatrie Farther yet the scholemen say quod M. Iuell that yf a man happen to worship the accidentes of bread Idolatrie may be done to the sacrament No good Syr not to the sacrament but to the accidâ—ntes wherein if fault shold be committed it is not the fault of the institution of Christ but of the silence of priestes or simplicitie of the people Neither is adoration therefor to be forbydden but the manner of adoration is discretelie to be opened whiles owr Sauior him selfe walked visiblie vpon the earthe if one should haue worshipped his verie face or garment not able to distinct betweene the two natures of God and man neither in what diuersitie and degree the face and the garment appertein vnto one selfe same person whereas in truth it were idolatrie to worship that face with godlie honor in that respect and consideration as it is onlie an holie and graciouse visaige of a right excellent and perfect man bycause herein may be daunger should we not worship Ihesus Christ at all or not worshipp hym before we vnderstand the distinction betwene Latria and Dulia that is honor due and proper vnto God and honor which may be geauen vnto any holyâ— creature O miserable people sayeth master Iuell that thus are lead to worshipp they know not what For alas how manie of them vnderstand these distinctions or care for them How manie of them vnderstand after what sort accidentia be sine subiecto c. But o miserable world saye I allso then and alas alas that any wyse man should be so taken to thinke that what so euer ys concluded in scholes should be opened in the pulpites Alas alas the churche doth teache openlye that the Father ys vnbegotten the Soune onlye begotten the Holye ghost proceding and this who so euer doth not beleue shall not be saued O miseserable people that this are lead to beleue they know not what For what know they or what care haue they of proceding or begetting or how can they vnderstand those misteries of the schole men as for example Christ toke the nature of man he toke not the person of man as coÌ„cerning Christ his person God died for man as concerning the diuine nature God can not die and he which beleueth not those thinges shall neuer be saued O miserable people that this are lâ—â—d to beleue thei know not what for which of them vnderstandeth the distinction betwene substance and person But what shall we saie must the lerned men of the church O master Iuell beleue no more then the people are able to conceiue or bycause the people vnderstand not what is accideÌ„ce or what is substance or what is quantitie or qualitie relation or action is it therefor no matter whether it be fysh or flesh square or round white or black worldlie or euerlasting for the 〈◊〉 this is sufficient to beleue that Christ is in the sacrament vnder forme of bread and wyne the bread bâ—â—ng chainged by his almightines in to his boâ—â—e and the wyne in to his bloud or if some can not beare awaye all this let hym cleane to the Catholyke faith and hold vp his hands at sacring as others doe and beleue more excellent thinges to be present then hym selue can see or feele and be content to be reformed if perchaunse he should be in any error and God will 〈◊〉