est ad eum c. Tu es sacerdos Hebr. 5. in aeternum secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Euen so Chryste also glorified not him self to be made the high pteist but he that said vnto him c. Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech And declaring the great benefitte that came by him being the high preist to all beleuers he saieth again Et consummatus factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis aeternae appellatus à Deo Pontifex iuxta ordinem Melchisedech And Ibid. he being perfight was the cause of eternall saluacion vnto all them that obeied him and ys called of God an high preist after the ordre of Melchisedech Likewise he calleth him in the VI. chapiter And the wholl VII chap. he occupieth in applieng Melchisedech to Chryst prouing by this prophecie the abrogacion of the preisthead of the lawe and so consequētlie of the lawe yt self Wherfore he saied Yf nowe therfore perfection came by the preistheade Hebr. 7. of the Leuites for vnder that preisthead the people receaued the lawe what neadeth further that an other preist shoulde rise to be called after the ordre of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron For yf the preisthead be translated then of necessitie must the lawe be translated also c. For after this maner dothe he testifie Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Then the commaundement that went before ys disanulled bycause of weakenesse and vnprofitablenesse And further declaring the excellencie of Chrystes preisthead aboue the preisthead of Aaron he saieth For these preistes were made withoute an othe but this preist with an othe by him that saied to him The Lorde sware and will not repent him Thowe art a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Thus as the lawe of nature hath in Melchisedech figured Chryste And the lawe of Moyses by prophecie forespoken yt So hath the lawe of the Gospell as ye haue nowe learned by sainct Paule fullfilled the same and most plainlie and euidentlie proued yt so to be Yf then Chryste be a preist after the order of Melchisedech we must seke what the order of the preistheade of Melchisedech ys and wherin yt consisteth And therbie shall we knowe the preistheade of Chryste wherin yt consisteth Sainct Paule generallie declareth the order of a preist when he saieth Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs Hebr. 5. quae sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis Euery high preist that ys taken from amonge men ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God to offer giftes and Sacrifices for sinne By whiche description of saincte Paule yt dothe appeare that the order of preisthead standeth in two partes The first he teacheth when he saieth Ordre of preisthead standeth in two partes Pro hominibus constituitur in ijs quae sunt ad Deum He ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God Wherby ys ment the preaching to the people and teaching them the lawes of God and ministring the Sacramentes to them as yt was saied vnto Moyses Esto tu populo in ijs quae ad Exod. 18. Deum pertinent vt referas quae dicuntur ad eum ostendasue populo ceremonias ritum colendi viam per quam ingredi debeant opus facere Be thowe vnto the people to Godward that thowe maist bringe the causes vnto God And thowe shalt teache them ordinaunces and lawes and shewe them the waie wherin they must walke and the worke that they must doo The seconde parte of the order of preistheade standeth in offring giftes and sacrifices for the sinnes of the people Then they that be called of God as was Aaron and doo preach and teache one faith of God vnto the people and offer vnto God one maner of sacrifice they be one order of preistheade So that these two must concurre or ells yt ys not a perfight order For Elias the prophet of God and the 3. Reg. 18. preistes of Baall did offer one maner of thinge in sacrifice for they both offred oxen yet they differed in preisthead For Helias was the preist of God the other the preistes of Baall And why was this difference bycause they taught not one faithe in one God Melchisedech and Aaron taught one God and were bothe preistes of Gen. 14. Leuit. 8. Heb 5. God For Melchisedech was the preist of the most high God as the booke of Genesis wittnesseth and Aaron was called of God as the booke of Leuiticus and saincte Paule to the Hebrues testifie And yet they were not of one order of preisthead bycause their sacrifices were not of one maner By this then yt maie be taken for a trueth that Chryst not being a preist after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchidech whiche two orders differed not in faith but in maner of sacrifice ys so called a preist after the order of Melchisedech for the maner of the sacrifice For he must agree with Melchisedech in that thing that maketh the difference betwixt the order of Aaron and the order of Melchisedech and that was and ys in the maner of sacrifice For Aaron offred in blood the other in bread and wine But here the Aduersarie will saie that Chryst ys not likened to Melchisedech for anie sacrifice by all the processe of saincte Paule But for Obiection that Melchisedech was Rex Salem kinge of Salem and withall the preist of God and for that he was with oute Father withoute Mother hauing neither beginning of daies nor ending in these pointes he ys the figure of Chryste who ys both king and preist hauing no Father in earth nor mother in heauen neither as concerning his Godhead anie beginning and as touching his Godhead and Manhead no endinge And so ys he a preist for euer To this I saie that the thing that saincte Paule principallie intended ys to be considered And then yt shall easilie be perceaued why he did not Principall entent of S. Paule in his epist to the Hebrues make rehersall of the maner of the sacrifice of Melchisedech nor mencion of the doing of the same in Chryste The principall entent of saincte Paule in this place was to proue and make manifest the excellencie of Chryst and his preisthead aboue Aaron and his preisthead Whiche excellencie in nothing more appeared then in that that Chryst was an euerlasting preist and his preisthead euerlasting and not in the maner of sacrifice For yf he had alleaged that Melchisedech did sacrifice in bread and wine The Hebrues wolde quickly haue saied that their sacrifices in that respecte moche excelled and had a moche more gloriouse shewe and cowntenance then the sacrifice of Melchisedech being but bread and wine And therfor saincte Paule omitted to make mencion VVhie S. Paule spake nothing of she sacrifice of Melchisedech in his epist
example of godlie liuing that God bothe in his pastours and people maie be glorified As cōcerning the second that the scriptures haue doubtes and difficulties Scriptures ful of doubres Yt appeareth by the expresse woorde of God when he saieth Yf ther rise a matter to hard for thee in iudgemēt c. Thow shalt get thee vppe to the preistes the Leuites But forsomoch as this matter ys allready sufficiētlie treacted of and proued yt ys enough here nowe to haue touched yt and so to passe to the third Which ys that the people must be taught and learn the lawes of god of the preistes Which thīg ys so manifestlie declared ād in so plain woordes Doubtes in the lawe of God must be dissolued by the preistes opened in the scriptures alleaged that I shal not nede to make any further declaraciō therof forasmuche as yt ys plainlie ther saied that the doubtes of the people in the lawe of God must be dissolued bi the preistes to whose sentēce and iudgemēt they must in any wise stande and not decline frō yt neither on the right hand nor on the left and that on the pain of deathe In the which saing of God yt ys euidēt howe moche God wolde that the determinaciō of his church in the doubtes of his lawe should be estemed ād reuerēced and his preistes in that respecte obeid Which howe moche yt ys nowe disdained and contēned and gods ordre and cōmaūdemēt neclected his holie faith and religion infringed and violated yt ys more with Sithes and teares to be lamented then beinge so manifest as yt ys nedefull to be opened and declared Of whose mouthe the people should learn the lawe AlmightieGod by his prophete Malachie telleth Likewise that of the preistes the people should aske People must learn of the preistes the lawe God by the Prophete Aggaeus cōmaundeth Who shoulde teach the people the newe Testamēt he also prescribeth Appointing some Apostles some Prophetes some Doctours or teachers who to theise offices are appointed to rule and instruct the people In ijs quae ad Deū pertinēt in those thinges that appertein to God But nowe al this ordre ys inuerted in manie places The people teache the preistes and not the preistes the people The people dissolue the doubts of the lawe the preistes not being asked for The people God his ordre inuerted speake the preistes holde their peace The people make lawes in religion the preistes are cōpelled to obeie The people take in hande the thinges that appertain to God the preistes are put to scilence A moch like state we finde in the time of Moyses emōge the children of Israel in the time when Moyses was in the moūt with God For they perceiuing him to be lōg absent and thinking that he wolde no more come they began to take the rule vpō thēselues And wheras Aarō before cōmaūded and taught thē the religiō of the true God nowe they taking the rule and inuerting the ordre cōmaunded Aaron and taught him soche Religion as lyked them of a false God When the people sawe saieth the booke of Exodus that yt was long er Moyses came downe oute of the Mountain they gathered themselfes togeather Exod 32. vnto Aaron and saied vnto him Vppe make vs Gods to go before vs. For of this Moises the felowe that brought vs oute of the lande of Aegypte we wote not what ys become Hereby maie yt be perceiued what religion shall be when the ordre that God appointed being broken they will teache and commaunde which in matters to godwarde shoulde be taught and commaunded But with all yt ys to be remembred that for this wickednes the wrathe of God waxed hote against the people and notwithstanding that ther was immediatelie Plaguesfor breaking Gods appoincted ordre in religiō and mynisterie a greate slaughter of the people aboute the nōbre of three thousand and that Moyses made intercession to God for the people Yet allmightie God in the ende saied Neuer the latter in the daie when I viset I will viset their sinne vpon them and the Lorde plagued the people bicause of the calfe whiche Aaron made Wherfore seinge that the moche like trangression ys committed emonge the Chrystian people yt ys to be feared that the wrathe of God will waxe hote against vs. But God graūte vs a Moyses that by earnest intercessiō maie yet mittigate the plague of God that shall come for this wickednesse The plague I feare me will be sore vpon Corah Dathan and Abiron and vpon the capitanes of the multitude whiche be the great and famouse mē in the Num. 16. congregacion which haue gathered thē selues together against Moyses and Aaron and cā not contēt thē selues with soche ordre as God hath put in his Church and which by hys pleasure hath so long continued But yet they come to Moyses and Aaron and saie ye make muche to doo seing all the multitude are holie euery one of them and the Lorde ys emonge them Whieheaue ye your selues vppe aboue the Congregacion of the Lorde I must staie my hand I shall ells be to tediouse to the reader in this matter in the whiche I thought not to haue writtē the fourth parte of that that ys written and for expedicion leaue vnto him to reade the strory in the booke of Nombres and so further to consider yt And wher ther be manie stories declaring the displeasures of God to haue commed vppon the people bicause they wolde not submitte them selues to the ordeinaunce of him and his ministres but wolde vsurpe vpon them both Yet I will speake but of one in the first booke of the kinges which ys that where God appointed Samuel his beloued and holie Prophet to be the ruler of the people they being a stiffnecked and disobedient people to gods 1. Reg. 8. ordre so long before vsed al the elders gathered themselues together and came to Samuel and saied vnto him Beholde thowe arte olde and thy Sonnes walke not in thy waies Nowe therfore make vs a king to iudge vs as al other nacions haue See their phantasticall prouidence and therwith their disobediēce They take in hande to prouide for their common wealth as though God coulde not prouide them as good a ruler after Samuel as he did in prouiding of Samuel And therfore the ruler whiche God appointed reiected make vs saie they a kinge But what saied Almightie God to Samuel Heare the voice of the people for they haue not cast thee awaye but me that I shoulde not reign ouer them 1. Reg. 12. And after that they had a kinge Samuel to cause them to vnderstand that their offence was great saied I will call vnto the Lorde and he shall send thunder and rain that ye maie perceaue and see howe that yower wickednesse ys great which ye haue doen in thee seight of the Lorde in asking yowe a king And they saied Praye for vs thy seruauntes vnto the Lorde thy God that
authoritie or credite ys he of that teacheth in the pulpet by speaking then he that teacheth by open writing Yf ye will not beleue me writing ye will not beleue me preaching Yf ye wil beleue me preaching for that I speake the trueth by the scriptures and auncient fathers Beleue me also writing the trueth by the scriptures aÌ„d auncieÌ„t fathers And yf these alowed writers of these later daies teach the trueth by the scripturs aÌ„d auncieÌ„t fathers theÌ„ must they neds be receaued And ther for trulie yt ys necessarie that they be alleaged to th eÌ„tent the trueth maie be perceaued to be one throughout all and that they being ioined with the auncieÌ„tes yt maie be seeÌ„ that the same trueth is taught now that was taught a thousand yeares agoÌ„ before And therfor haue I determined not to geue place to this refusall of Heretiques but to alleage the Authours of these later yeares that the coÌ„sonancie and vnitie of the trueth maie be perceaued in all ages and that ther ys no other trueth taught now theÌ„ was taught in the Primitiue Church and the time of the Apostles yea no other trueth then was taught by oure Sauiour Chryst himself and by his holie Spirit the Authour of all trueth Wherby the foule railinges and slaunders which bemost comoÌ„ lie in the mouthes of the enemies maie be taken awaie and they of their vntrueth and malice woorthilie confownded Thus moche I thought good to saie for that in this book I minde to vse the testimonies of these late writers for th entent aboue specified And nowe therfore to Theophilacte the Grecian I shall ioin the learned doctour Nicolaus de Lyra a latin Authour who writing vpon the sixt of S. Iohn cometh to this text Et panis quem ego dabo caro mea est And the bread whiche I will geue ys my flesh and expowndeth yt thus Postquam egit de pane spirituali qui est Verbum hic consequenter agit de pane spirituali qui est Sacramentum After he hath don saieth this Authour of Chryst with the spirituall bread which ys Nico. Lira in 6. Ioan. the woorde here consequentlie he treacted of the spirituall breade whiche ys the Sacrament What dothe this authour dissent from the Fathers dothe he not signifie that Chryste before the sentence so often alleaged did speake of the spirituall bread hys Godhead which he calleth the woord And doth he not now saie that in yt that foloweth Chryst speaketh of the Sacrament These be sufficient to declare the true vnderstaÌ„ding of our Sauiour Chrystes processe and ordre in the sixte of S. Iohn And for that ye perceaue the same aswell after the minde of Chryste the verie texte so leading vs to vnderstand yt as also after the minde of diuerse learned authours I will nowe procead to see the vnderstaÌ„ding of diuerse textes of the rest of this chapiter that treacte of the blessed Sacrament THE FOVRTH CHAPITER BEGINNETH A further proof of the former matter by S. Cyprian and Euthymius THis distinction of these two breades last before mencioned perceaued and being withall remeÌ„bred that at this text The bread which I shall geue ys my â—…esh whiche I will geue for the life of the world Chryst began to speake of the Sacrament and continueth the disputation therof to the ende of the chapiter to proue the same more manifestlie to the Reader and withall to make yt clere that that processe ys not of a figuratiue flesh but of Chrystes verie propre flesh and bodie I will beginne at the same text and so descending to the last by a nombre of the most auncient Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house open both the one and the other I trust to the full contentacion of the godlie Reader The firste that shall shewe hys minde of this matter shall be the holie Martyr Cyprian who saieth thus Panis vitae Christus est panis hic omnium non est sed noster est Et quomodò dicimus Pater noster quia intelligentium credentium pater est sic paneÌ„ nostruÌ„ vocamus quia Christus noster qui eius corpus coÌ„tingimus panis est Hunc autem paneÌ„ dari nobis quotidiè postulamus ne qui in Christo sumus Eucharistiam quotidie ad cibuÌ„ salutis accipimus intercedente grauiore aliquo delicto dum abstenti noÌ„ coÌ„municantes à caelesti pane prohibemur à Christi corpore separemur ipso praedicante monente Ego sum panis vitae qui de caelo descendi Si quis ederit de hoc pane viuet in aeternum Panis quteÌ„ quem ego dedero caro mea est pro seculi vita The bread of life ys Chryst and this breade ys not the breade of all men but yt ys ours And as we do saie Oure Father because he ys the father of all that do beleue and vnderstande Euen so also oure bread call we whiche touche his bodie bicause owre Chryste ys bread This breade we dailie desire to be geuen vs least we which be in Chryst and take the Sacrament dailie to oure meate of health some greuouse offence coming betwene while we being excoÌ„municated and not receauing be forbidden from the heauenlie bread maie be separated from the bodie of Chryste he himself openly saing and teaching I am the bread of life whiche descended from heauen Whosoeuer shal eate of this bread shall liue for euer The bread which I will geue ys my flesh for the life of the worlde Thus moch S. CypriaÌ„ In this sentence I doubte not but ye perceaue that this holy Martyr applieth the sentences of the sixt of S. Iohn to the SacrameÌ„t of Chrystes bodie and blood According to whiche vnderstanding he calleth Chryst our bread S. Cyprian aplieth the sixt of S. Iohn to the Sacrament whom he so calleth not onelie bicause of his Godhead but also bicause he feadeth vs in the Sacrament with his bodie For saieth he we being in Chryste do receaue the Sacrament dailie to the meate of health But yf by sinne we forbeare to receaue the heauenlie bread we be separated from the bodie of Chryste Wherby we maie perceaue that not onelie the sixt of S. Iohn ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament But also when S. Cyprian calleth the Sacrament the meat of health the heauenly bread and the bodie we are taught that in the SacrameÌ„t ys the verie presence of that bodie to the which proprelie these goodlie titles maie be wourthilie applied Whiche bodie can be none other but the bodie of Chryst God an man But forasmoch as the faith of this famouse Father and holie Martyr Cyprian in this poinct hath ben notablie and manifestlie declared in sentences before alleaged in the first booke and more herafter shall be spoken I will not nowe trooble the reader with any longer declaracion of the same but will ioin with Cyprian one of the other side of Chrystes Parliament house euen Euthymius a grecian whose sentence Reader yt shall
exposition of the Aduersaries so ys yt consonaunte and agreable to the doctrine and exposition of the elders In the next chapter before this yowe sawe the exposition of Euthymius vpō these woordes of Chryst not vnlike vnto this but altogether like Euth in 26. Matt. Doctrine of the Sacramentarie contrarie to the sathers bothe in woordes and sentence yt ys not saieth he a figure of Chrystes bodie but his bodie not a figure of hys bloode but his bloode Wherfore Reader when thowe seeist the authours agree and agreyng saie the contrarie of that that the Aduersarie teacheth thowe maist be well adsured that the doctrine of the Aduersarie ys false Wherfore seing yt plain before thine eyes flee the falhead and cleaue to the trueth The third note also maketh for the declaracion of this matter that he alleaging the sixt of sainct Iohn referreth yt to the Sacrament in the same sense that he vnderstoode Chrystes other woordes which ys as Theophilact also vpon the same sixt of sainct Iohn saieth Non figura carnis sed caro med est Not a figure of my flesh but yt ys my flesh So that by these authours the sixt of S. Iohn perteineth to the Sacrament notwithstanding the contrarie saing of Luther and Oecolampadius and other of that rable In which chapter ys promised the geuing not of a figure of his flesh but his verie flesh And as yt was ther promised verilie to be geuen so was the same to the accomplishment of the same promesse in verie dede deliuered and receaued euen the verie flesh and verie blood of Iesus Chryst and not the onelie figure of them The fourte note also whiche ys for the due receauing of the Sacrament geueth also light to the vnderstanding of the presence of Chrystes verie bodie in the Sacrament But for that the conuenient place to speake of this matter ys in the thirde booke we shall not here trooble the reader with all We haue nowe seen a goodlie and an euident testimonie testifieng howe Chrystes woordes were vnderstanded in the greke Church we will likewise heare one that shall declare the vnderstanding of them in the latin Church Who shall be Haymo who vpon these woordes of Chryst writeth thus Expletis solemnijs veteris Paschae transit Dominus ad sacramenta noui Paschae demonstranda Haymo in 26. Matth Postquam coenauit dedit eis panem vinum in mysterio videlicet corporis sanguinis sui Quia enim panis cor hominis confirmat vinum anget sanguinem in homine meritò idem panis in carnem Domini mutatur idem vinum in sanguinem Domini transfertur non per figuram neque per vmbram sed per veritatem Credimus enim quia in veritate caro est Christi similiter sanguis The Solemnities of the olde passeouer being fullfilled our Lord goeth to shewe the sacramentes of the newe Passouer After he had supped he gaue them breade and wine in mysterie Breadchaūged into the bodie and wine into the blood of Chryst not in figur but in trueth that ys of his bodie and bloode Bicause bread doeth make strong the heart of man and wine encreaseth blood in man therfor the same bread ys verie well chaunged into the flesh of Chryst and the same wine ys transferred into the blood of our Lorde not by figure nor by shadowe but by trueth For we beleue that in verie dede yt ys the flesh of Christe and likewise that yt ys hys bloode Thus moch Haymo Yowe see nowe here in the latin Church also a goodlie testimonie and a clere exposition of Chrystes woordes so clere and plain that I shall not nede to trauaill to open the same but onely I haue thought good to note to thee Reader the goodlie order that this authour obserueth in his exposition First he ioneth our newe Passouer to the olde as the verie trueth to the figure whiche being in place the figure vanisheth awaie Wherbie yt ys consequent that yf the Passouer whiche Chryst did institute were the trueth whiche the olde passouer did prefigurate that the newe Passeouer was a true thing in dede and not a bare figure For otherwise shoulde the figure be the figure of a figure and not of a trueth which ys against the nature of a figure And when he had thus ioined the trueth to the figure he declareth whē yt was doen saing that after he had supped he gaue them bread and wine in the mysterie of his bodie and bloode Then proceading he geueth a cause whie Chryst vsed bread and wine in this mysterie of his bodie and blood bicause saieth he the materiall bread comforteth the heart and the materiall wine encreaseth the blood therfor to signifie that as these twoo things doe A chaunge in the Sacr. in trueth not in figure woorke ther effectes in our material bodies so thy being transmuted and chaunged into heauenlie bread and wine of Chrystes bodie and blood the bread of the life they woorke the like effect spirituallie in our soules And forasmoche as he had saied that the bread and wine be turned and chaunged into the bodie and bloode of Chryst he immediatelie teacheth howe yt ys chaunged They are chaunged saieth he not by figure nor by shadowe sed per veritatem but in verie dede whiche ys asmoche to saie as yt ys chaunged or turned into the verie flesh and blood of Chryst in verie dede and not into a bare Sacramentall bread as the Aduersarie tearmeth ys Now as I haue doen with Damascē so will I with this authour first cōferr this dictrine with the doctrine of the elders to see howe they agree and after the doctrine of the aduersarie both that yt maie appeare which of thē best agree with the auncient Churhe and whether ther be anie iust cause why the Aduersarie shoulde reiect this authour or his likes This authour Greg. Nissen serm cathec de diuinis Sacramen saieth that the bread ys chaunged into the bodie of our Lorde and the wine into his bloode doeth not among the elders the great elder Gregorie Nissen vse the like woordes Quamobrem saieth he rectè nunc etiam Dei verbo sanctificatum panem in Dei Verbi corpus credimus immutari Wherfor we doe nowe also verie well beleue the bread that ys sanctified by the woorde of God to be chaunged into the bodie of the sonne of God See ye not then that the doctrine which Haymo here teacheth of the transmutacion chaunging or turning of the bread into the bodie of Chryst Trāsubstāciacōn that ys chaunge of bread ād wine into the bodie and bloode of Chryst a matter of faith which nowe the Church tearmeth Transubstantiacion ys an auncient doctrine and if yowe will conferre them diligentlie ye shall haue occasion to thinke that this authour Haymo did in this matter folowe Gregorie Nissen their sainges be so like For as Gregorie maketh this matter of the chaunging of the bread into the bodie of Chryst no matter
whiche God of his mercie graunt Amen THE ONE AND SIXTETH CHAPITER maketh a recapitulacion of that that ys doen in this worke NOwe gentle Reader haue I goen thorowe all those scriptures that treact of the holie Sacrament speciallie soche as be commonlie alleadged either by the catholiques to proue the same or by the Aduersaries to improoue yt In the hādling of which scriptures so litle haue I geuen to mine owne iudgement that yt beinge suppressed I haue as meit yt ys and as I wolde wish all that liue in this time of controuersies to doe geuē place to the iudgementes of the learned fathers of Chrystes Churche in all ages In the setting furth of which Fathers I haue in sundrie places and matters cōferred the doctrine of the elder and the younger together that the concorde that ys betwixte thē might fullie be perceaued This being trulie and faithfullie doen the iudgement wher of I referre to the catholique Churche and submitte both myself and this ys my worke to the correction of the same yt maie and doeth easilie appeare and maie clerelie be seen howe vain the bragge of the Proclamer ys who wolde haue but one scripture one doctour or one Councell produced for the testimonie of the trueth of the catholique faith And nowe ther be so manie scriptures doctours and Councells brought furth that ther ys not one left to bolstar vppe his heresie The scriptures which he and his complices pretend to haue in their possession are by the iudgement of the Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house prooued neuer to be theirs but are and haue ben allwaies in the possession of the catholique Churche Considre Reader howe manie fathers of the greke churche be here produced as Dionise Iustyne Irenaeus Origen Gregorie Nazianzen Basill Chrisostom Cyrill with other of the elder sort which although they were of one Churche yet they were of diuerse times some of them with in one hundreth yeare after Chryst some two hundreth some three and yet all these agree in one trueth of the presence of Chrystes bodie in the bless Sacrament In the latine Churche were Alexander Tertullian Cyprian Hilarie Optatus Hierom Ambrose Augustine and other whiche although they were farre distaunte manie hundreth of miles from the fathers of the greke Churche yet in consent and agreement together in this matter they ioin and go together Of the greke churche again be produced other that were manie yeares after the other Fathers before rehersed as Theodorete Euthimius Damascen Theophilact Oecumenius and Bessario with other whiche although they liued in great diuersitie of ages hauinge manie hundreth yeares passing betwixt them yet they liued in the vnitie of faith and religion Again also in the latine Churche answerablie to these were produced Gregorie Beda Haymo Anselme Paschasius Thomas de Aquino Lyra and Dionise with other whiche also liuinge with moche difference of times and diuersitie of places were yet with the eldest and the midlest and with the latest all of one minde And here note that these authours as they doe according to the rule of Vincentius Lirinen alltogether teache Chrystes presence in the Sacrament so doe they yt manifestlie commonlie and continuallie For Origen Basill Chrysostome Cyrill Theodoret Euthymius and Theophilact whiche be the greater writers of the grecians are not produced once onely neither speaking obscurelie but they are often and manie times and that with speache most plain and manifest and that commonlie in euerie weightie matter of the booke Likwise be the Fathers of the latine churche whiche in euery place beare agreable testimonie to the Fathers of the greke churche And for asmoche as these fathers haue expownded the scriptures to vs that doe treact of the Sacrament and doe therin agree yt ys meete for vs to accept that sense and vnderstanding that by the handes of so manie Fathers ys so consonantlie deriued to vs. All they vnderstande them of the presence of Chryst in the bless Sacrament wherfor yt ys meete that we also vnderstand them so and not onelie yt ys meete but we aught and are bownde to doe so Nowe therfor let the Proclamer turne his Historie of Mitridates vnto his owne heade and his likes who lainge wicked seige to the citie of Gods Church wolde beare the citizens in hand that the armie of the holie learned Fathers and doctours of Chrystes Churche were on their side But God be praised the contrarie nowe appeareth For this holie armie ys comed down and haue ioined with Gods citizens and haue vanquished Mitridates and his companie and deliuered the citie from their cruel tirannie of he resie and haue declared them selues to all the worlde that they be frendes of Gods citie and defenders of the same and aduersaries to Mitrydates the Proclamer and vanquishers of the same For we haue not by bragge onelie saied that the scriptures doctours and Councells be on our side as this Mitrydates this proclamer did But we haue euidentlie and inuinciblie prooued yt in dede Giezi the lieng and leprouse seruante of Heliseus coulde not when his master was compased aboute with the theues of Syria see anie that were on his masters side but against his Master he sawe manie yet in verie dede there were mo on the Prophets side then on the Syrians part as after yt was well declared So this Giezi this Proclamer the lieng leprouse seruant seeth not what a noble companie ys on Christs side but on the Syrians side the enemies of Chryste he seeth multitudes For hitherto beinge blinded with ambition and as Giezi did lieng for some gain or promotion he hath since fallen into the deapth of the spirituall leprey which S. Austen calleth heresie Leprosi saieth he non absurdè in telliguntur qui scientiā verae fidei non habentes varias doctrinas profitentur erroris Nulla porrofalsa doctrina est quae non aliqua vera intermiseat Vera ergo falsis inordinaté permixta in vna narratione vel disputatione hominis tanquam in vnius corporis colore significant lepram tanquam veris falsisue colorum fucis humana corpora variantem atque maculantem The lepres are verie well to be vnderstanded those whiche not hauinge the knowledge of the true faith doe professe diuerse doctrines of errour For their ys no salse doctrine whiche hathe not some true thinges medled with yt True thinges therfore inordinatelie permixed with false thinges in one narracion or disputacion of a man as yt were appearing in the coloure of one bodie doeth signifie the leprey altering and defiling the bodies of men as yt were with true and false shewe of coloures By these means then this man was so blinded that he could not see one scripture one doctour nor one Councell on Chrystes side or on his trueths side But on the enemies side on heresies side he could see an wholl armie But I compare this armie vnto the people that were with in the walls of Hierusalem at the time of the destruction of the same whiche as Iosephus