diuinis scripturis erudjtiss et non minus Lanfrancus Tritemius sanctitate quam scientia clarus a man in the dyuyne scryptures most excellentlie learned and no lesse in holynesse then in knoweledge notable Against the same also wrote Algerus and Guitmundns men not by my commēdacion onelie to be accepted but by the Iudgement of Erasmus also a man Algerus Guitmundus not onely knowen to the worlde but also specyallie famouse in thys Realme of Englonde who openyng to vs what these two men were sheweth therwtih the benefitt of God that cometh to hys churche by hys sufferāce of errours and heresyes to growe And enombryng dyuerse heresies cōceaued against the blessed Sacrament he saieth thus Et tamen horum omnium error in hoc profecit vt in tanti mysterij cognitionem magis ac magis tum erudita tum confirmata Sras in epistola ad Balthasarum Episc Hildesùm sit ecclesia Nulli tamē plus debet quà m Berēgario imo nō Berēgario sed Chrstisapiē tiae qui malitiā hominū vertit in bonūsponsaesuae Quos qualiū virorū calamos excitauit impudens error Berengarij Nuper exijt opus Guitmundi ex monacho Benedictino episcopi Auersensis Nunc prodit Algerus ex scholastico monachus eiusdem instituti Guitmundus acrior est ardētior plus habet spiritus Rethorici hic sedatior est ac religiosior vterque tum Dialectices tum reliquae philosophiae bellè peritus licet citra ostētationem vterque in canonicis scripturis ac priscis illis doctoribus Cypriano Hilario Ambrosio Hieronimo Augustino Basilio Chrisostomo quorum scripta plurimùm adhuc reserunt spiritus Apostolici studiosè versatus vterque tantum habet eloquentiae quantum requirere à theologo par est Certè dictionis argutiam collectionis acumen nusquam in eis desideres Agunt solidis rationibus nec vt nunc quidam faciunt bonam voluminis partem rixis Christ turneth the malice of Heretiques to the profett of his Church contentionibus occupant aut sophisticis ratiunculis rem tractant And yet the erroure of all these saieth Erasmus dyd prosytt in this that in the hnowledge of so great a mysterye the Churche shoulde be both more and more instructed and also confyrmed Yet ys she to none more bownde then to Berengarius yet not to Berēgarius but to the wysdō of Chryste who turneth the malice of men to the profett of his spouse ▪ what writing iea and of what men hath this impudent erroure of Berengarius stirred vppe Of late went oute Erasmus calleth the errour of Berēgarius impudent the woorke of Quitmundus somtyme a benedyctyne Monke and Bishoppe of Auergne nowe commeth furth the worke of Algerus of a scholer made a monke of the same ordre Guitmundus ys sharpe and vehement and hath more of the rethoricall spiritte the other milde and religiouse bothe of them well learned both in logike and philosophie although withoute ostētation both of them well studied both in the canonicall scriptures and in the olde doctors Cyprian Hillarie Ambrose Hierom Augustin Basill and Chrisostome whose writinges do yet declare moche of the Apostolicall spiritte Bothe of thē haue as moch eloquence as ys meet to be required of a diuine As for wittie speache and sharpenesse of collection ther ys no lacke in them in anie place They go to yt with substanciall reasons neither do they as some whiche occupie a good parte of ther bookes with braulinges and contenciōs and handle the matter with sophisticall disputacions reasons Thus moche Erasmus I haue the more willinglie transcribed thus moche of Erasmus bicause the Aduersaries haue had him in good price and regarded his sainges Yf this champion do the like let him diligentlie obserue that Erasmus calleth the erroure of Berengarius an impudenterroure Whiche so being forsomoch as this man ys drowned in the same and mainteineth the same maie we not Errour of the Proclamer impudent iustlie saie that he impudentlie mainteineth an impudent erroure Let him also note howe he commendeth these men and what Iudgement he hath of their learning bothe in liberall sciences in Scriptures and doctours whō he doth also no lesse extoll but that by their writinges God hath doen a great benefet to his Churche whiche so standing yt can not be but that the Scriptures and doctours be plain and euident for the proof of the veritie Yf their writing be a benefett then this chalengers doimgeys a detriment Petrus Waldo skoureth the estie heresie of Berēgarius of the reall presence of Christes bodie in the Sacrament whiche scriptures and doctours adduced by these learned men be mo then one or one score and yet this Proclamer crieth bring one doc c. After Berengarius rose one Petrus Waldo a citizen of Lions a man vnlearned yet as vulearned as he was when he had newlie skoured the rustie condemned heresie of Berēgarius in soch rude maner as yt was manie were so folish and so readie to fall from faith to heresie from life to death and damnacion from teaching of the learned to the teaching of the ignorarūt that thei chose raither to folowe the phantasie of this one rude man void of knowledge than to remain in the Substancial tried doctrine of a nombre of holie and most excellent learned men of Christes Churche Thus more pietie yt was a mombre folowed hym and became his disciples and were called Waldenses Waldenses Heretiques condēned Vnto whom becomminge an Aucthor and blinde guide according to Christes saing he led them so as both fell into the ditche This secte and heresie of this Waldo was not suffred to stand but as Guido saieth was condemned in a Councell holden at Rome And yet this Proclamer saieth ther was neuer man indged for an heretike that saied the Sacrament was a figure a token c. In the tyme of saincte Bernarde Satan wolde moue yet some more trooble to the Churche and therfor raised one Peter de Bruis whom he taught to Petrus Brusian his heresie sell theise lies to the people for trueths that though Christ in his last supper did in the Sacramēt geue hys bodie to his Apostles yet no preist doth so nowe by the power of his woorde as yt ys saied that they doe For neuer anione quoth he but Christ alone did geue his bodie in the Sacrament Although thys heresie geuing soche preeminence to Christ that by cause he saied thys ys my bodye teacheth that he in dede gaue to hys Apostles hys verye bodie ys woorthy of more fauour thē the heresie whiche thys Proclamer teacheth for not withstanding that our Sauiour Chryst saied Thys ys my bodie yet thys Aduersarie teacheth yt ys not yet passed not this heresie awaie in scylence but was wrytten against by dyuerse Among whyche Petrus Gluniacensis whose commendation ys so moche settfurth in dyuerse Epistles of saynct Bernarde that he nedeth not myne to commend hym wrote Petrus
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
Chryst by faith and syncere charitie But that we haue no maner of cōiunctiō with him after the flesh that we verilie denie and that we saie ys altogether against the scriptures Doth he thinke the power of the mystical benediction to be vnknowen vnto vs which whē Chryst dwelleth in vs corporallie not onlie spirituallie The receaued doctrine in all the Church ys that Chryst ys verily and substātiallie present in the Sacramēt yt ys doen in vs doth yt not also by the communication of Chrystes flesh make Chryst corporallie to dwell in vs And a litle after he saieth Wherfor yt ys to be consydered that not by inward disposition onelie wihiche ys vnderstand by charitie Chryst dwelleth in vs but also by naturall participaciō c. These thinges haue we recited that what soeuer they be that shall read thys they shoulde the more clearly perceaue that we defende the doctrine receaued in all the Churche whiche ys that in the supper of our Lorde are verilie and substanciallie present the bodie and bloode of Chryst Thus moche the Germans in their Apologie I suppose this proclamer will nowe take a better minde with him and somwhat contracte and drawe in the large sales of his great bragge so vehementlie puffed vppe with a mightie vain gloriouse winde when he seeth the learned of Germanie so franklie and plainly publishing their faith whiche though yt be not in euery point sownde yet auouche they the contrarie to the doctrine of this proclamer and encoūter with him in this chalenge For first they cōfesse the very substāciall presence of the bodie and blood of Chryst in the Sacrament Secondarely they confirme the same by the authoritie of all the Christian churche as well the latin as the greke church for that in them both not nowe onely but of olde time also yt hath ben so taught receaued and beleued Thirdly they alleadge a clere and most plain place oute of Cyrill whiche by their iudgement as yt dothe appeare doth manifestly and inuinciblie proue the corporall presence of Chryst in the Sacrament And as yt so doth by their iudgement so doth yt by the iudgement of all catholike men not onelie withstand this prowde Goliath But yt plainly ouerthroweth hym Of the force of whiche sentence more shall be saied hereafter Fourthlie earnestly acknowledging this trueth and willing yt to be knowen to all the worlde they declare that the cause of their thus writing ys that all men might knowe that they do defende the trueth receaued of all the Churche which ys saie they that the bodie and blood of Chryst be verilie and substanciallie in the Sacrament This then being a treuth that ys and hath ben receaued of all the wholl Church of Chryste as besides these mens confession all catholique people through oute all christendome do acknowlege yt so to be I praie thee good Reader what parte doth this mā take to defende who with might and main dothe maintein the cōtrarie And impugneth that that the wholl Churche receaueth reuileth that that the whol Church reuerenceth blasphemeth that that the wholl Churche honoureth and that so arrogantlie and impudētlie Yt ys pittie that ther ys so moche impudencie and so moche arrogancie The Proclamer ys to be pitied mixed with vntrueth in him I saie pittie for that he ys Gods creature and in Baptisme once professed Christes name in this respecte charitie moueth me to pittie him and the more for that he receauing the plentifull giftes of God doth so wickedlie to the more encrease of his damnacion abuse them and forsaking God and his trueth becometh enemie to them bothe which he well declareth in that with soche violence he impugneth and blasphemeth them both In this parte and respecte as I cā not ioin with him so for my masters cause and the defence of my Mother the catholique Churche in whose house I desire to cōtinewe I cōtende with him and contēne him yea and hate him not the substance that God hath created in him but the wicked heresie that the Deuell hath breathed into him by which as he ys become enemie to God so must all the people of God become enemies to him as of the Prophet Heresiemaketh mā enemie to God Psalm 148 Dauid we haue good example Do not I o lord saeth he hate them that hate thee And am not I greiued with those that ryse vppe against thee Yea I hate them right sore euen as though they were my enemies And yet as I moue my penne against him So shall I moue my tounge to praye for him Possible yt ys that he being in the highest of his mischief maye be stryken downe as Paule was in the hyghest of his rage of persecucion Saincte Augustine when he walked in heresie and did most stowtly contempne the catholique professiō of Christes name yt pleased God sodenlie as yt were to geue him a newe minde and caused him to reuerence that that before he despiced The like happie chaunce I wishe this mā against whom yf I haue ben or in this boke shall seme to be sharpe let yt be referred to the euel cause wich the man defendeth and not the person himself The doctrine ys so wicked so directly against Gods holie woord so discrepant from the holie Councells so dissonant from the auncient Fathers so dissenting frō the common consent of Christian people so iniuriouse and contumeliouse to the wholl Churche that hath ben from Christ vntill this daie that yt ys by no means tollerable Nowe Reader I trust thowe seist that as moche as this iolie Chalenger required ys nowe perfourmed to him let him therfor perfourme his promesse and subscribe to the catholique faith and confesse Christes reall presence in the Sacrament Yf he will yet maliciouslie persist and saie ther ys no scripture nor doctour nor Councell brought furth that plainly proueth yt thē we must prouoke to iudges Yf he will not beleue the Germanes being Protestantes not Erasmus who ys accompted of them an vppright man not the Catholiques of our owne contrie and of other contries not the Councells which be alleaged not Cyrills plain and manifest sentēce not the cōmon receaued faith of the wholl Churche as well of that of the olde time as that that ys nowe bothe of the latines and of the grekes not the plain woordes of Christ who plainlie saith This ys my bodie Whiche woordes Erasmus saieth be owre sure and vmmoueable fundacion I praie thee Reader whome will he beleue besides himself Who shal bringe furth that one scripture doctour or Councell that he will accept as plainlie prouing the matter None but he himself or his likes moche like to the Felon that pleadeth not giltie and stoutlie crieth to be tried by God and the contrie And when by verdict of the iurie and sentence of the iudge he ys cōdēned he defieth thē all callinge bothe iudge and q̄st false harlotts ad saieth that true mē wolde neuer haue cōdēned him But the true mē that he meeneth be
transfusa fortius sonat Vnde AEschines cum Rhodi Hieron ad Paulinum exularet legeretur illa Demosthenis oratio quam aduersus eum habuerat mirantibus cunctis atque laudantibus suspirans ait Quid si ipsam audissetis Bestiam sua verba resonantem The liuelie voice saieth saincte Hierom hath I wote not what an hidden vertue or clerenesse of demonstration and beyng vttered from The liuelie voice hath a more force in the eare then the dead letter in the eye the mouthe of the Authour into the eares of the disciple yt haith a more force in sownde wherfore Aeschynes when he was a banisshed man at the Rhodes and the oration which Demosthenes made against him was red when all men did wonder at yt and praise yt sithing he saied what yf ye had heard the beast him self vttering his owne woordes Thus moche saincte Hierom. In the whiche saieng he declareth that ther ys more clerenesse in a sentence liuelie spoken from the mouth of the Authour and the hearers shall more easelie preceaue yt and sooner vnderstande yt then they shall onelie reading the same in the dead letter Yt maie therfore be concluded that the gospell as yt ys written ys more hard to be vnderstanded then as yt was of the mouthe of Christe spoken But as yt was spoken yt was hard to be vnderstanded wherfore being written yt ys more harde to be vnderstanded Saincte Paule enombring the giftes of the Spirit saieth To one ys geuen 6. 1. Cor. 12. the vtterance of wisdome to an other the vtterance of knowledge to an other ys geuen faith to an other the giftes of healing to an other power to do miracles to an other prophecie to an other iudgment to discern spirites to an other diuerse tounges to an other interpretacioÌ„ of touÌ„ges All theise saieth he woorketh one and the self same Spirit diuiding to euerie man a seuerall gifte euen as he will In the whiche distinction of giftes ye perceaue that the vtterance of wisdome the vtterance of knowledge the gifte of tounges be seuerall giftes And that they be not geuen to all men indifferentlie but some to one some to other as yt pleaseth the holie will of that blessed Spirit that ys the Authour and distributour of the same gistes For saincte Paule in the ende of the same chapiter wher the former alleaged woordes be writteÌ„ saieth Are all Apostles are all prophetes are all teachers are all doers of miracles haue all the giftes of healing doo all speake with touÌ„ges doo all interprete c. whiche his maner of questioninge includeth a negatiue that euerie man hath not all thâ—se Then forasmuche as euerie man hath not the giste of vtterance of knowledge nor the gifte of prophecie nor the gifte of interpretacion c. Euerie Interpretation of Scripture not geuen to euerie man man hath not the vnderstanding of the scriptures Neither then be the scriptures easie to be vnderstanded of euerie man For vnto him that hath the gifte of knowledge prophecie and interpretacion of scriptures the same be easie But euerie man hath not these giftes wherfore the scriptures to all meÌ„ be not easie This also saincte Paule proueth verie well by the ordre and disposition of the naturall bodie from whiche he diduceth and taketh an argument to 7. 1. Cor. 12. proue an order in the misticall bodie the Churche Ye are saieth he the bodie of Christe and membres one of an other And God hath also ordeined in the Congregacion First Apostles secondarelie prophetes thirdlie Teachers then them that doo miracles after that the gifte of healinge c. In the whiche description of the order in Christes Churche ye see that the three cheifest and highest states be Apostles Prophetes and teachers Nowe if the Scriptures be easie for euerie mans vnderstanding then either these states be superfluouse bicause euerie man vnderstanding the Scriptures ther nedeth no teacher nor Prophete Or ells forasmoche as euery man vnderstandeth the scriptures he ys in this state to be a teacher All be not Prophets nor teachers and a prophete whiche ys directlie against saincte Paules doctrine For he saieth all be not Prophetes neither be all teachers Forasmoche then as Christe hath appointed as one of the cheifest states of his Churche the state of teachers there must be of necessitie a great nombre of inferiour membres that must be hearers and learners And whie shoulde they so be but that the scriptures being harde and obscure by the teachers they must be opened and declared that other maie learn So that as by this scripture yt maye be perceaued and learned that euery man hath not the gifte of knowledge and therfore no easie vnderstanding of the scriptures So by all the other before alleaged yt ys moste manifest that the scriptures be harde and full of difficulties whiche shall also by other means well appeare to the Reader in the processe ensewinge THE SECVNDE CHAPITER TO PROVE THAT THE SCRIPTVRES BE NOT EASIE RECITETH CERtain hard and obscure places of the olde testament ALBEIT that this that ys all readie saied ys sufficieÌ„t to proue the scriptures to be hard and not playn ne easie to be vnderstanded yet that ye maye see yt more manysestlie before yowe face certain places shall be laied before yowe whiche for their obscuritie and difficultie shall compell and enforce yowe to confesse that they be not easie for euerie mans vndestanding And first shall be brought some places of the olde Testament oute of the whiche I might bring not places but wholl bookes and of them not a fewe as all the Prophetes as well the greater as the lesse the Booke of Iob the booke of psalmes the booke of the Preacher and Cantica canticorum englished the Ballett of ballettes of Salomon All whiche bookes certen I am be of soche difficultie hardnesse and obsturitie that as queen Candaces ChaÌ„amberlain saied they can not be vnderstanded with oute a guide or ells Acto â— speciall inspiracion of god As for Genesis although it be counted so easie and so plain a booke yet Hieron presa in Ezech. Genesis might not be red of the Iewes before thirtie yeares of age the Iewes as saincte Hierome witnesseth might not read yt before they were thirtie yeares of age as in whiche were many thinges verie harde to be vnderstanded whiche required a staied heade of mature rype and graue Iudgement soberlie to seke the true sense and vnderstanding of them whiche rash youthe wolde sooen ouerpasse and frame an vnderstanding at their pleasure soche as they phantasied as manye do nowe a daies Oute of this booke although saincte Augustin and other that haue trauailed in the exposition of the same do mooue manie and sundrie doubtes yet I shall ouerpasse them wisshinge the Reader to consider the 49. chapiter in the whiche are coÌ„teined the blessinges of Iacob to his twelue Sonnes and let him trie howe he can waid through the vnderstanding of them as for
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
Veritas odium parit trueth causeth hatred he gotte himself so moche hatred for this his plain treuth that had not the catholique Churche stande his good Mother he had ben cast oute of the doores by Oecolampadius as S. Iames epistle had ben by Luther for his plain speaking for god workes But God be praised as by her bothe these were approued so God aiding by her they are conserued A mong soche plentie therfor as I haue saied and as yt ys well knowen to them that be learned we will gather a flower or twoo for the mainteināce of the cōfortable sinell of the trueth of the which this shall be the first Ambr. li. 4 de Sacr. cap. 5. Antequam consecretur panis est vbi autem verba Christi accesserint corpus est Christi Denique audi dicentem Accipite edite ex eo omnes Hoc est corpus meum Et ante verba Christi calix est vini aquae plenus vbi verba Christi operata fuerint ibi sanguis efficicitur qui plebem redemit Before yt ys consecrate yt ys bread but when the woordes of Chryste haue comed to yt yt ys the bodie of Chryst Heare him sainge Plain saīgs of S. Amb. for the Procla Take and eate this ys my bodie And before the woordes of Chryst yt ys a cuppe full of wine and water but when the woordes of Chryste haue wrought ther ys made the bloode that redemed the people What can the Aduersaries saie to this place of S. Ambrose What can the Proclamer saie yf he folowe not his Father Oecolampadius and reiect S. Ambrose Can they for shame saie that the woordes of Chryst are spoken by a figure wher they be so plainlie expownded by this notable Father of the verie thing Doe ye not heare that after the woordes of Chryste be spoken vpon the bread yt ys the bodie of Chryst and again that after the woorking of the woordes of Chryste ther ys made in the cuppe the bloode that redemed the people Here ys no figure spoken of He saieth not that yt ys a figure of the bodie and a figure of the bloode but he saied they be the bodie and the bloode yea and that so verilie that he saieth yt ys the bloode that redemed the people As yt ys woonderfull so ys yt pittifull that men will still remain in blinde heresie when the trueth ys so simplie and plainlie vttered and that of so excellent a Father that they can not denie yt but maliciouslie to contein them selues in that miserable state will refuse the worke and saie yt ys not S. Ambrose worke and yet they knowe that S. Augustin himself wittnesseth that S. Ambrose wrote soche bookes of the Sacramentes and ther be none but these But yt ys but a bare shifte when they be ouercomed of the trueth to denie the authour and be not hable to prooue that they doe But lett vs returne to S. Ambrose and gather an other of his flowers Thus he saieth in an other place Tu fortè dicis meus panis est visitatus Sed panis Ambros ibid. li. 4. cap. 4. iste panis est ante verba sacramentorum vbi accesserit consecratio de pane fit caro Christi Thowe peraduenture saiest my bread ys vsuall or common bread But this bread before the woordes of consecracion ys bread but when the consecracion hath comed vnto yt of the bread ys made the flesh of Chryst And Amb. ibid again he saieth in the same chapiter Sed audi dicentem Ipse dixit facta sunt ipse mandauit creata sunt Ergo tibi vt respondeam Non erat corpus Christi ante consecrationem Sed post consecrationem dico tibï quòd iam est corpus Christi Ipse dixit factum est ipse mandauit creatum est But heare one saing He hath saied and they were made he hath cōmaunded and they were created Therfor that What plainer woords cā the Proclamer require I maie aunswer thee Yt was not the bodie of Chryst before the consecracion but after the consecracion I saie vnto thee that nowe yt ys the bodie of Chryst He hath saied and yt ys made he hath commaunded and yt ys created I nede not explane S. Ambrose in this place neither For as the parentes of the blinde born sonne saied of him Aetatem habet ipse pro se loquatur He hath age let him speake for himself so S. Ambrose hath soche grace soche learning and withall soche plain speache that he speaketh sufficently for him self and for Gods cause whiche he openeth and that ther ys nothing here to be desired but an humble reader And if ye will not beleue him yet beleue him to whom he referreth yowe that ys Chryst For he saieth Ipse Ambr. ibid. ca. 5. Dominus Iesus testificatur nobis quòd corpus suum accipiamus sanguinem Nunquid debemus de eius fide testificatione dubitare Owre Lorde Iesus him self testifieth vnto vs that we receaue his bodie and bloode shall we doubte of his trueth and testificacion Nowe let vs compare the doctrine of S. Ambrose with the doctrine of the Aduersaries S. Ambrose saieth that Chryst himself doeth testifie that we S. Ambr. doctrine and the Sacramentaries cōpared together receaue his bodie and bloode The Aduersaries saieth that we doe not receaue the bodie and bloode of Chryst But breade and wine the figures of the bodie and blood of Chryst whom shall we here beleue Chryst and S. Ambrose or the Aduersaries The choise aught soen to be made And therfor yt ys lamentable to see howe Sathan hath preuailed and caused the Aduersaries to call that in question and doubt which Chryst himself testifieth to be the verie trueth Yf yt were not the trueth S. Ambrose be ye well assured wolde not so haue reported yt But yf Chryst had testified to vs that we in the Sacrament receaue but a figure S. Ambrose wolde not haue reported that we receaue Chrystes bodie For as ther ys great difference betwen these two thinges so be the doctrines greatlie different And S. Ambrose who in these his bookes laboured to teache the thrueth and to deliuer men from doubte was not of soche grosse iudgement nor so rude in vtterance but he coulde well iudge betwene the thing and the figure and so vtter his iudgement that his speache shoulde not sownde one thing and hismening shoulde be an other for that were not the waie to deliuer from doubte but raither to bring into doubte not a waie of instruction but raither a waie of destruction But here to conclude this parte for as moch as S. Ambrose saieth that Figure of the Sacrmētaries excluded frō Chrystes woordes Chryst hath testified by these woordes This ys my bodie that we in the Sacramēt after the woords spokē receaue his verie bodie thei are not to be vnderstāded withe anie figure or trope but simplie ād plainlie in that sense that theie are spoken Wherfore yt
The finall marke that SathaÌ„ shooteth at maie be coniectured that where they beginue to diminish the memorie of Chryst they will afterwarde clean extingnish yt And so at the last alltogether wipe Chryst from all memorie But to returne to our cheif pourpose Although this sufficeth to prooue the name of Masse the vse of Masse and the vse of moo Masses then one in one daie and one place to be right auncient yet we shall ascende somwhat higher and come nearer to the Apostles time Before Telesphorus was Sixtus who commaunded that when the preist began the solemne action of the Masse wherby ys ment the praiers going before the consecracion the people shoulde singe Sanctus Sanctus c. Whiche we see to this daie obserued in the Masse where yt ys vsed Before Sixtus was Alexander the Martyr a Roman borne and aboute the yeare of our Lorde cxix Byshoppe of Sixtus in Decret Alexan. in epist. ad orthodox Rome Who made soche a decree as I finde yt in the summe of decrees In sacrificio missarum panis tantùm vinum aqua mixtum offeratur In the sacrifice of Masses let onely bread and wine mixed with water be offied This man being a Roman borne an auncient of the Churche and an holie Martyr withe his plain speach of Masse presseth the Aduersarie so sore that he ys fain to slie to his common solucion Whiche ys to denie the Authour In whiche his doing he doth not degenerate from his fore graunde Fathers Marcion for the maintenance of his heresie reiected the olde Testament and the Prophetes all the Euangelistes sauing Sainct Luke The Manicheis also reiected the olde Testament Martin Luther reiected the Epistle of Sainct Iames. The Sacramentaries reiecte Sainct Ambrose bookes of the Sacramentes And why haue all these denied these bookes Bycause they be directlie against their heresies and do confute them So I saie the Aduersary denied Alexander bicause he maketh so expresse and plain mencion of Masse whiche he wolde ouerthrowe But let vs see what proofe he hath to prooue that Alexander did not make this aboue mencioned constitucioÌ„ Bicause saieth he The charche in the time of Alexander did not knowe this woorde Masse And therfore yt ys like not to be his sainge This saing shall be diuided in to two partes and to aunswer the first parte of yt I saie yt ys a merueilouse thing that he will saie of him self withoute all authoritie yea eueÌ„ against plain authoritie that the Church did not knowe Alexan. his authortie approued and delinered froÌ„ the cauile of the Aduers this woorde Masse when by authoritie the contrarie ys prooued Yf he will refuse yt let him counteruaill yt withe like authoritie and then we shall geue him place But naked woordes without proofe in matters of controuersie are not of weight able to prooue any thinge For the second parte wher he saieth yt ys therfore like not to be his sainge I must saie that oute of a fainct antecedent commeth but a weake consequent Euerie likelihoode hath not the verie veritie no more hath his And therfore in case yt were like as he saieth yet yt proueth not But to prooue that this ys the saing of Alexander we will vse neither bare woordes neither fainct likelihoods But authoritie and probable matter For authoritie we haue a councell holdeÌ„ more then sex hoÌ„derth yearesagon Conc. Constantine 6. whiche testifieth this to be the saing of Alexander and neuer yet against saied by anie councell that since hath ben celebrated or by anie famouse learned catholique man Probable matter we haue that for asmoche as the name of Masse was in vse in the time of S. Gregorie as ys allreadie testified In the time also of Felix the fourth who was before S. Gregorie in whose time the vse of the thing yt self with the name was so moch in vse that he made a decree that no preist withoute a great necessitie shoulde saie masse but in places halowed and dedicated to God wher by yt ys clere that yt Felixquartus epistola ad Episc was vsed also before his time Nowe yf the name of Masse or the thing were so straung in that time as the Aduersarie wolde beare vs in hande ther shoulde no soch commaundement haue ben made to will the preistes to celebrate onely in churches For by this restraint yt maie be coniectured that yt was commonlic vsed in prophane places I meen in their houses no necessitie enforcing them therto but their owne priuate deuocion Nowe yf I were in the Aduersaries case and shoulde perceaue the vse and continuaunce of the Masse and the name of yt to haue continued but for so long time as from Felix hitherto which ys almost a thousand yeare I shoulde be ashamed to take vpon me to reprehende the doing of the wholl christian worlde so long vsed and the iudgement of so manie holie and learned men as in so moche time haue liued And contemning all them to setfurthe mine owne phantafie But pitie yt ys to beholde he doth not onely so but arcogancic so leading him he reproueth the wholl christian worlde and all the Church and learned men that haue ben these eleuen hondreth and three skore years and more For euen by his owne confession yt ys euident that the name of Masse hath ben in vse since foure hondreth years after Christ For these be his woordes towardes the ende of The Proclamer him self graunteth the name of Masse to haue ben vsed from four hundreth years after Christe his sermon I assure â—owe Bretheren in the time of Peter and Iames neither was ther anie man that euer heard the name of Masse For Missa was neuer named vntill foure hundreth yeares after Christ And yet then was yt no Priuate Masse neither By whiche woords yt ys euident that he acknowlegeth the name of Masse to haue ben vsed from foure hundreth years after Christ and yf yt hath continued but so long what arrogancie maie be thought in him Not onelie arrogancie but manifest vntrueth maic be perceaued in him For yt ys allready vse within one hundreth and a fewe yeares after Chryst For better declaracion wherof we haue shewed the vse of yt in the time of S. Gregorie and Felix But yet here ys not the beginning of the matter For as ye haue hearde Leo who was before this Eelix and S. Ambrose who was before do make expresse mencion of yt Thelesporus also and Sixtus that were verie nere the time of Alexander as yt ys before shewed made decrees for the Masse Seing then yt ys prooued that the name of Masse was in vse from owre time to Sixtus who was next Bishoppe of Rome to Alexander ys yt not a probable matter or raither dothe yt not prooue in dede that yt was in vse in the time of the same Alexander For when Sixtus made the addicion of Sauctus to the Masse yt presupposeth that the Masse was before his time Yf before his time then neades in the
neclect that in all thinges bothe in faith and doinges we maie among our selues consent and agree These be the verie woordes of Leo. Thys ys the place which the Proclamer taketh in hande to reporte Iudge now I saie gentle Reader whether he hath truelie reported him or no. And first wher he alleadged Leo to prooue his communion vieue well I praie thee the authour and obserue diligentlie yf ther be in him anie one woorde of communion or communicantes and See here the impudencie of the Proclamer thowe shalt perceaue that ther ys no mencion made therof What trueth then ys to be thought either in the man or in the cause that he defendeth when to maintein yt he ys fain to falsifie the authours that he alleageth Ys yt not lamentable to see his shamelesse boldenesse that he wolde wittinglievtter in an honorable audieÌ„ce and also publish the same in printe to an wholl realme that he knewe to be false and clean otherwise then was the intent or minde of the authour which he alleaged That yt was not the minde of the authour thowe shalt easilie perceaue For first wher the Proclamer vseth these woordes communicate and communion The authour hath these See here his false sleight woordes the oblacion of the sacrifice and the sacrifice Nowe bicause the Proclamer hateth this woorde sacrifice as a scorpion as being applied to the holie SacrameÌ„t of Chrystes bodie and blood therfore to ease his maliciouse affection and to delude his hearers and readers yt liked his Chrystian sinceritie properlie tearmed hereticall malignitie to corrupt and falsifie the authour and reporte soche matter to be in him as ther ys in dede no woorde toward yt in him I mene to that sense and vnderstanding Again thowe seist that in all that sermon yf yt be woorthie of that name his cheifest pourpose ys to inueigh against that holie mynistracion whiche ys called the Masse in so moch that he saieth that this name Masse was not in vse manie years after Chryst which ys before improoued yet in this authour Leo euen in this place whiche he alleaged ther ys expresse and liuelie mencion made of the Masse and he calleth yt Masse that thys man calleth Communion And these twoo woordes sacrifice and Masse Sacrifice and Masse cause the Proclamer to falsisie Leo. vsed of this authour caused as I haue saied thys man to falsifie the authour so that he durst not alleadge him as he wrote but as yt might serue to helpe hys wicked cause To ende this note of the falsifieng of this authour by this Proclamer this also ys to be obserued and marked howe God suffreth Sathan and his Disciples to be blinded that they shall bring furth and alleadge places whiche being well weighed and taken as they lie according to the minde of the authour shall not onely ouerthrowe their matter as this authour in testifieng both sacrifice and Masse but shall also geue and mynistre occasion that theyr falshead their corruption of authours their blinding of the people shall be perceaued as nowe allreadie yt hath ben perceaued in sainct Hierom and this authour and shall more hereafter in thys matter But the Proclamer proceadeth and prooueth by the Masse booke that ther shoulde be a Communion bicause the preist saieth oremâ—is Let vs praie I see this man wolde plaie smal game raither then he will set out he wolde content himself with some ssender shewe or countenaunce of proofe raither then mainteining an euell matter to seem to be destitute of all proofe I praier thee good reader weigh with me what proof ys yt of the communion of the Sacrament that the preist saieth oremus Let vs praie what dependance ys ther of that woorde to proue the communion of the Sacrament Yf he can by that woorde prooue the communion of the Sacrament Let vs praie ys saied in the morning and euenning praier wheÌ„ther ys no CommunioÌ„ he maie doe the like in the Sacrament of Baptisme and in other sacramentes also for ther the preist saieth Oremus Let vs praie Yf by yt he had trauailed to proue a communion in praier he had doen right but to abuse yt to prooue the necessitie of the Communion of the Sacrament in soch sorte as he meneth yt ys raither a declaracion of his malice against the churche then anie proofe of his pourpose That ther ys a Communion in praier the other woordes of the preist whiche he also alleageth for hys pourpose doe manifestlie declare The preist saieth he saieth The Lorde be with yowe and the people aunswer And with thie spirit Doe ye not see here howe the preist and CommunioÌ„ in praier at Masse the people ioin themselues together one praing for the other Whiche maner of Communion ys also liuelie settfurth by that that he afterwarde produceth oute of the order of the Masse The preist saieth he turneth him to the people and saieth Orate pro me fratres sorores Praie for me brothers and sisters Here as before ye haue perceaued and shall hereafter perceaue he vseth a sleight he durst not for shame tell yowe why the preist desiereth the people to praie for him but as traitours clippe the kinges coin and deceaue the people so he clippeth manie of the places whiche he alleageth to deceaue gods people But that his falshead maie be perceaued and the cause knowen why the preist desiereth the people An other sleight of the Prolamer to praie for him I shall laie before yowr eies the wholl praier Thus he praieth Orate fratres sorores pro me vt meum pariter vestrum acceptum sit omnipotenti Deo sacrificium Whiche ys thus moche to saie in english Praie for me brothers and sisters that my sacrifice and yowr maie be accepted of our Lord God Two Communions in the Masse besides the rauing of the Sacra Se ye now his sleight Ys here anie praier for the communion whiche he intendeth Doe these woordes proue that the preist can not receaue alone Ys ther anie mencion made here of that his communion Doe ye not perceaue that with two or three woordes he wolde blere yowe eyes and as the inglish prouerbe ys make yowe beleue that the Moone ys made of a green cheese The desire of the preist ys not that all they that be present wolde receaue the Communion but that they wil praie that their common sacrifice maie be acceptable to God This with the bringing in of two or three woordes wolde this man craftelie haue concealed and suppressed being as I suppose ashamed and grudged in conscience to let yowe know the verie thing required to be praied for which ys the acceptacion of the sacrifice which sacrifice he and his complices doe wickedlie denie Thus ye see that he wolde claime helpe of the Masse booke which in dede doeth him no other helpe but open his shame Yt doeth vs thus moch helpe that hereby we learn two Communions The first ys of praier the second of
sacrifice For in these two all that be faithfullie and deuoutlie present lifting vppe their heartes to God and ioining with the preist in godlie affection be communicantes And so yt commeth to passe that both the praier and the sacrifice made and offred by the preist as by the common mynister of the Church ys common to all the people of gods church I will not stand vppon this being so plain but leaue yt to the farder consideracon of the Reader and come to his conclusion of the Masse booke wher he saieth shus And to conclude the preist by his owne Masse booke ys bidden to saie these woordes immediatelie after the Agnus Dei. Haec sacrosancta commixtio consecratio The Procl corporis sanguinis Domini nostri Iesu Christi fiat mihi omnibus sumentibus salus mentis corporis That ys to saie This commixtion and consecracion of the bodie and blood of our Lorde Iesus Chryst be vnto me and to all that receaue yt health of bodie and soule I perceaue this man kepeth his profession For yt ys apperteining to mēof his calling either to diminish and take awaie or to adde and put to somwhat The Answer from or to most of the sentences that they allcage For where before he cuttof from the places which he alleaged here he putteth to For wher the Masse booke hath but these woordes Haec sacrosancta commixtio corporis sanguinis c. He putteth in this woorde consecratio which the booke hath not But ouerpassing yt let vs see the force of the argument that he maketh oute of our owne Masse booke as he tearmeth yt and verie well For in dede yt ys our booke that abide and remain in the catholique Church not his that hath cutte himself of from yt and ys become a cast awaie But our Lord chaunge his minde that the lost shepe maie be fownde and brought home to the folde again The praier ys that the cōmixtion of the bodie and blood of Chryst maie be to the preist and to all that receaue health of bodie and soule Vnderstād that the preist ys the cōmon mynister of the Church wherfor doing the comon The cōmon praier of the Church ys not for one angle but for the wholl vniuersall Church mynistracion he cōmonlie praieth for all that doe receaue generally he stricteth not his praier for a fewe neither doeth he limitte yt or bownde yt withtime and place but he leaueth yt cōmon and vttereth yt with an vniuer sall He praieth not that the bodie and bloode of Chryst maie be health of soule and bodie to thē onely that receaue with him at that time and in that place which ys the thing the Proclamer laboureth to proue but in vain but he praieth for all that receaue indifferenlie either in that place and time or anie other Whether yt be now or at anie other time in that place or in anie other place in Fraunce or in Italie in Spain or in Germanie in Englōdor in Hierusalem whersoeuer the catholique Church ys and the Sacrament catholiquelie receaued But be yt that the preist had praied with limitaciō of time ād place ād desiered that yt might be halth of soule and bodie to all that receaue with him in that place and time what offence should the preist cōmitte yf when none wolde receaue with him he receaued alone or howe can the Proclamer proue a necessitie by yt that neades ther must be mo then the preist or that at that time and place the preist can not receaue alone Yf the Church charitablie wishing that some people shoulde receaue the holie Sacrament with the preist had made soch a praier coulde the Proclamer turne this charitie to a necessitie Will he turne the charitie of the Church wishing vertue godlinesse and deuocion in the people to a necessitie that bicause the people wil not vse this of necessitie the preist shall not Ys this good learning Ys this hys good doctrine ys this his holie religion Yt ys as moch to saiethat yf the people waxe colde in deuociō so shall the preist to Yf the people slacke their deuocion so shall the preist to yf the people neclect the seruice of God so shall the preist to Yf the people omitte to rendre most humble thankes to God and our Sauiour Iesus Chryst for our redemption so shall the preist to Finallie if the people will but twice or thrice in the yeare celebrate that solē ne memorie of Chrysts passiō and death as the more pitie yt ys the most of them doe yt not so often no more shal the preist also Thus shall yt come to passe that the deuociō ād duetie of the preist shall hang vpon the will of the people Thus the preistes that should be the salte of the earth the light of the woorlde whose light should so shine before men that they seing their good workes might glorifie their Father which ys in heauen shall neither be salt light nor geuers of good exāple to prouoke them to doe the memoriall of Chrystes death but when the people will Yt ys a straunge doctrine that yf Math. 5. the people will not serue God the preist shall not But who ys he that wise ys that seeth not the vanitie of yt and whether yt tendeth Hitherto I trust ye perceaue that how great so euer the countenaunce was made by these allegacions As odiouse as Popes be to protestāts they can alleage their decres wher they thinke good before alleadged that yet the force ys verie small But nowe come the great argumentes nowe come they which can not be auoided as the Proclamer supposeth so great ys the force of them Where to his places before alleadged I saied and doe saie they are raither examples of vertue for the people and not lawes of necessitie for the preist nowe he produceth lawes as the Canons of the Apostles and the decrees of Bishoppes of Rome which how odible socuer they be and haue ben to this Proclamer and his complices yet nowe in this matter they are fain to praie aide of thē First he alleageth a Canon of the Apostles in this sorte Fideles qui ecclesiam ingrediuntur scripturas audiunt Communionem sanctam non recipiunt tanquà m eccle Canon 19. See this Canō cut of in the middest siastica pacis perturbatores à Communione arceantur Soch Chrystian men as come to the church and heare the scriptures ād doe not receaue the holie communion let them be excommunicated as men that disquiet the Church In the alleaging of this Canon he kepeth his profession as he did in other by him before alleaged that ys to cutte them of and to mangle soch places as he alleageth and not to bring thē wholl as they lie wherof reader I make thee iudge This ys the Canon Omnes fideles qut conueniunt in solemnibus sacris ad ecclesiam scripturas Apostolorum Euangelium audiant Qui autem non perseuerarint in