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
heare how manie wittnesses they laye against thee And he aunswered him neuer one woorde insomoche as the deputie merueiled greatlie Wherbie was fulfilled the prophecie which saieth Tanquam ouis Esay 53. ad occisionē ducetur et tanquam agnus corā tondente se obmutescet et non aperiet os suū He shall be led as a shepe to be slain yet shall he be as still as a lambe before the sherer and not open his mouth This ys the prophecie which the Chāberlain of queen Candace did read Act. 4. sitting in his chariet retourning frō Hierusalē To whose chariett the Spirit of God cōmaunded Philippe to ioin himself who hearing him reading this place asked him vnderstandest thow what thowe readest c. And Philippe went yppe into the chariette and began at the same scripture and preached vnto him Iesus By the which yt ys manifest that this scripture or prophecie ys to be vnderstanded of our Sauioure Chryst Iesus When Pilate as yt foloweth in the storie sate in iudgemēt and asked the people what he shoulde doo with Iesus which was called Chryste They all Math. 27. saied Let him be crucified Whē Pilate saied what hath he doen They cried the more let him be crucified Whē Pilate called for water and wasshed his handes saieng I am innocent of the blood of this iust person their feircenesse and crueltie was so great that they cried His bloode be vpon vs and on owre children Which their lionlike crueltie and fiercenesse was foreseen by God and spokē by the Prophete in the psalm Aperuerūt super me os suū sicut leorapiēs et rugiēs They haue opened their mouth vpō me as yt were a rāping ād roringe Lion Whē Pilate sawe their importunitie he willing to cōtēt the people let Barrabas loose vnto thē ād whē he had scourged Iesus deliuered him to be crucified Accordinlie saieth the Prophete Corpus meū dedi percutientibus et genas meas Esay 50. vellentibus I offred my backe to the smiters and my chekes to the nippers Which prophecie dothe not onelie declare the scourginges that Chryste shoulde sustein in his bodie but also the buffettes and blowes that he suffred on the face in the house of the high preist and of other ministres as the Euangelist doth declare Then Iudas seing that Chryst was condemned he hanged him self fullfilling Matth. 26. Mar. 15. Luc. 22. the prophecie whiche saieth Fiant dies eius pauci et episcopatum eius accipiat alter Let his daies be fewe and let an other take hys office That this was prophecied of Iudas saincte Peter dothe testifie saing Ye men and bretheren this scripture must nedes haue ben fullfilled whiche the holie Gost through the mouthe of Dauid spake before of Iudas whiche was Acto 1. guide of them that tooke Iesus c. And when he was hanged he brust in sundre and his bowels gusshed oute For yt ys writtē in the booke of psalms Fiat Commoratio c. After all theise persecutions when Chryst was deliuered to the soldiers to be crucified they led him into the common haul wher they entreacted him like a most vile man putting on him a purple Robe and plectinge a Crowne of thornes vpon his head and a rede in his hand and they on their knees saing Haill king of Iewes Wherin was verified the prophecie of Esaie spoken in the person of the Iewes We haue recknid him so vile that we haue turned our faces frō him yea Esay 53. he was despised ād therfor we regarded him not So that our Sauiour might verie well saie at that same time with his owne mouthe that the Prophet Dauid spake before by the spirit of prophecie in the person of Chryste Ego sum vermis et non homo opprobriū hominū et abiectio plebis I am a woorme and no Psal 21. man a verie scorne of men and the outcast of the people Those cruell handlinges of him doen yet most cruellie to his vnspeakeable pain percinge hys most blessed and swete handes and feete they crucified him in this also fulfilling the scripture prophecieng that yt should so be and speaking yt in the person of Christe who suffred yt Foderunt manus meas Ibid. pedes meos dinumerauerunt omnia ossa mea They perced my handes and my feet I maie tell al my bones What prophecies coulde more liuelie expresse this parte of Chrystes passion then this dothe But I shall haste me to other speaking as plainlie as this And to folow the ordre after the narration of saincte Luke they crucified with him two euell doers one on hys right hand the other on hys left fulfilling the prophecie which saieth Et cum iniquis reputatus est And he was reputed with the wicked Esay 53. Marc. 15. Whiche prophecie S. Marke applieth to this pourpose sainge yt here to be fullfilled When he was thus crucified they parted his garment and cast lottes for yt The prophecie agreablie saieth Diuiserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestem Psal 21. Math. 27. meam miserunt sortem They parted my garments amōg them and vpon my ve sture they cast lottes That this prophecie ys fulfilled by this facte S. Matthew ys wittnesse who saieth They parted hys garmentes and cast lottes that yt might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet c. When this was doen they passed by reuiling him and wagging their heades Accordinglie was yt prophecied and spoken in the person of Chryste Omnes videntes me deriserunt me locuti sunt labijs et mouerunt caput All that Psal 21. did see me laught me to skorne they spake with their lipps and wagged their heades Likewise the high priestes with the Scribes and the elders mocked him and saied He saued other himself he can not saue He trusted in God let Math. 27. him deliuer him nowe yf he wil haue him Nowe beholde if the prophecie haue not almoste euen the same woordes Sperauit in Domino eripiat eum saluū Psal 21. faciat eum quoniam vult eum He trusted in God that he wolde deliuer him let him deliuer him if he will haue him All these their wicked mockes and cruell tormentes not with standinge hanging vpon the crosse he praied for them to his Father sainge Pater dimitte Luc. 23. illis non enim sciunt quid faciunt Father forgeue them for they knowe not what they doo Herin also he fullfilled the prophecie whiche saied of him Pro transgressoribus Esay 53. orauit He made intercession for misdoers And when the sixt howre was commed darknesse arose ouer all the earth vntill the ningth howre as saincte Marke writeth Iesus cried with a loude voice saing Eloy Eloy Lamasabathani whiche ys if one interprete My God my God why Mar. 15. hauest thow forsaken me In the whiche crie Christ spake the verie woordes of the prophecie Deus Deus meus respice in me quare me dereliquisti My God
simplicitie he iugleth with craft and subtletie For the better perceiuing of this sleight yf ye do not remembre what ys alleaged oute of Tertullian and saincte Ciprian in the xxiiij chapiter of this booke haue recourse thither and reade them This Proclamer being pressed with those places for they make mightilie and directlie against him in this matter enombring diuerse and sondrie abuses of the Sacramentes of Baptisme of the bodie and bloode of Chryst yt liked him to putte that that Tertullian and Ciprian spake of the Sacrament reserued and receaued of good women among his abuses wherin in dede he moche abuseth himself His woordes be these A sleight of the Proclamer to abuse Tertul. and S. Cyprian In the time of Tertullian and saincte Cyprian whiche was a thousande and foure hundreth yeares agon women commonly tooke the Sacrament home with them in their napkins and laied yt in their chestes and receaued a porcion of yt in the morning before other meates See ye not howe by this sleight he wolde dasell the eyes and iudgement of the reader that when he shoulde happe to read these places he shoulde repute and esteem thē not as good examples but as abuses and so shaddowe the matter of reseruacion whiche they proue But dothe he finde this spoken of Tertullian as an abuse Dothe Tertullian so terme yt Naie I am sure he doth not Yf Tertulliā doo not so accōpt yt whie dothe this newe maker of abuses so terme yt Tertulian speaketh of yt as a thing well doen what commission then aboue Tertullian had this man to saie yt ys euell doen. As for saincte Ciprian the Aduersarie perhappe wolde glose yt a litle and proue yt an abuse bycause the woman whē she opened her coafer wher the holie Sacrament laie ther sprang oute a fire that feared her that she durst not touch yt But let the Proclamer veiue that place of saincte Cyprian well and he shall finde none other abuse mencioned ther of him but that the woman wolde haue presumed to touche the holie thinge of our Lorde as he termeth yt with vnwoorthie hādes This ys the abuse that S. Cyprian reherseth ther. But that she reserued yt he accompteth yt no abuse For ther ys no soche woorde in saincte Cyprian Wherfore Reader be ware of soche sleightes and by this perceaue that all ys not trewth that this man so gloriouslie setteth furth And yf he accompt yt an abuse bycause they caried yt home what will he saie to the vse of the Churche in the time of Iustinus Martyr was not then the Sacrament caried home to soche as were absent This holie man so testifieth saing thus Cùm autem is qui praeest gratias egerit totus populus Just. in Apologia approbauerit hi qui vocantur apud nos Diaconi distribuunt vnicuique praesentium vt participent de pane in quo gratiae actae sunt et de vino et aqua et ijs qui non sunt praessentes deferūt domū Whē he that ys cheif hath geuē thankes and all the people hath cōsented to yt these that with vs be called Deacons do distribute of the cōsecrated The Sacramēt caried home to thē that were absent bread and of the wine and water to euery one that ys present to receaue and to those that be absent they carie yt home Thus Iustinus Sainct Basill also wittnesseth that holie men liuing in wildernesse did reserue the Sacrament in their Cells and as deuocion moued them receaued yt Thus he saieth Epist. ad Caesariam Patriciam Omnes in eremis solitariam vitam agentes vbi non est sacerdos Cōmunionem domi seruantes à seipsis communicant All that lead solitarie liues in the wildernesse wher ther ys no preist keping the Sacrament in their houses receaue yt by them selues Thus sainct Basill The Sacr. reserued in Rome in S. Hieroms time Saincte Hierom also in his Apologie against Iouinian testifieth that the people of Rome in his time vsed to kepe the Sacrament in their houses and receaued yt by them selues Nowe yf the Sacrament were caried to the houses of soche as were absent as appareth by Iustinus and of diuerse kept to be receaued as deuocion serued as ys wittnessed by saincte Basill and saincte Hierom And so to doo was thē the vse of the Churche yt doth well appeare that for soche godlie pourposes to carie yt home and to reserue yt ys no abuse Wherfor in this that the Proclamer accompted yt an abuse bycause yt was caried from the Churche and receaued at home as before ys saied in making that accompte he moche abuseth him self And here Reader beside that good vse to carie the Sacrament to soche as neaded yt ys ther not in Iustine a good argument for reseruacion was not the Sacrament when all the Communion was doen in the Churche reserued to be caried to them that were absent Nowe yf yt maie be reserued but so long time why maie yt not be kept a longer time Yf not a longer time let the Proclamer bring furthe the iust prescript time oute of the Scriptures the Doctours or Councells and we shall regarde the prescription yf he can not as I am sure that he can not let him ceasse with these his vain inuēted trifles to vexe disturbe diuide molest and slaunder the catholike Churche and let him acknowledge that the Churche in these our daies cariēg the Sacrament to soche as be sicke and to soche as cā not come to the Church offendeth not neither abuseth the Sacrament in so doing but foloweth the godlie example of the auncient catholique Churche as nowe ye haue heard to the full testified And wher the Churchc kepeth and reserued the Sacrament on the altar or ells wher let him knowe by saincte Basill and saincte Hierom that so yt The church nowe reseruing the Sacr and sending yt to the sick offendeth not was in their time and from the beginning likewise reserued and kept so that the Churche neither in sending the Sacrament to sicke folkes or other absent in their necessitie neither in keping yt in the churche dothe other wise then was doen in the primitiue Churche Wherfor I wishe thee gentle Reader to staie thy self and not to suffer thy self to be caried awaie with soche vain diuerse and straunge Doctrines but consider well the practise of the Churche declared vnto thee in this matter Consider the vse of reseruacion through oute all the Churche vntill this time of Scisme and heresie to be doen not onelie in Englonde but in all Realms Chrystened whiche being so vniuersallie receaued maie not be thought to be euell doen or anie abuse to be therin committed but yt aught with all humblenesse to be obeied receaued and folowed For two thinges by the doctrine of saincte Augustine must we obserue the one ys what so euer ys taught vs of the Scripture the other what we finde obserued throughoute all the Churche Soche rule gaue he to Ianuarius Si
his eyes Whervpon belcuing the mysteries of the Chrystians to be merueillouse and wonderfull the next daie he came to S. Basill and desired to be baptised and made a chrystian Thus we maie perceaue that the workes of God be great and merueillouse who vnto this Iewe but suspecting the chrystians to eate flesh and drinke bloode in their mysteries made yt soch to him as he suspected yt to be and to appeare soche to his seight as yt was couertlie to other in verie dede But he sawe yt with his bodilie eye for his instruction that the true Chrystian seeth with his faithfull eye to his saluacion But to return to our first matter so great was the fame that the Chrystians did eate mānes flesh in their mysteries that to deliuer thē frō the enuie that was cōceaued against thē for the same Iustinus the holie martyr was enforced in his Apollogie made vnto Antonius Pius to reueil and declare vnto him all the wholl order of the mysteries of the chrystians and what was their faith therin whiche thing was not vsed in those daies to be declared to anie prophane man and infidel but allwaies kept secrette so moche as yt might be And yet vpon this enforcemēt this Iustinus declared the matter so plainlie as no man of his auncientie to soche men more plainlie as shortlie here after ye shall perceaue As these thinges then hitherto saied do proue by the same that Chryst ys present in the Sacrament and so consequentlie that the woordes of Chryst haue ben and so ought to be vnderstanded in their propre sense withoute trope or figure So wolde I wish them of all chrystians in these daies to be receaued And as by these thinges we maie be moued So by other reasons we maie from the contrarie vnderstanding be disswaded Among manie of whiche I wil bring but one or two that Rupertus doth make and the first ys this Nonne Ioannes Euangelista dicit in Apocalipsi Si quis apposuerit ad haec apponet super illū Rupert li. 6. in Joan. Apoca. 22. Deus plagas scriptas in libro isto Et si quis diminuerit de verbis prophetiae libri huius auferet Deus partem eius de ligno vitae de ciuitate sancta de ijs quae scripta sunt in libro isto Nunquid minùs timenda est hic illa maledictio vt non detrahamus vel apponamus quidquam verbis dicentis Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur Hic est sanguis meus noui testamenti qui pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum Cùm enim illo dicente Hoc est corpus meum nos subauditionem apposuerimus dicentes figuratiuum vel per similitudinem dictum Cùm inquam illo dicente Hoc est corpus meum nos dixerimus hoc signisicat corpus meum nonne multum est quod apponimus vel praua demutatione detrahimus sensum generamus quem tantus Author Deus homo nusquā est locutus nec ascendit vnquam in cor eius Dothe not the Euangelist Iohn saie in the Apocalipse Yf anie man shall adde vnto these thinges God shal adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke And yf anie man shall minishe of the woordes of the booke of this prophecie God shall take awaie his parte oute of the booke of life and oute of the holie To the woordes of God maie nothing be added nor diminished citte and the thinges whiche are written in this booke Ys this maledictiō or curse lesse to be feared here that we diminish not or putte any thing to the woordes of him that saied This ys my bodie whiche shall be deliuered for yow This ys my bloode of the newe testament whiche shall be shedde for manie in the remissiō of sinnes For when he saieth This ys my bodie we shall putto an vnderstanding saing a figuratiue bodie or that yt ys spoken by a similitude when I saie he saieth This ys my bodie we shall saie this signifieth my bodie ys yt not moche that we putto his woordes or by an euell chaunge take from them and make a sense whiche so great an Authour God and man in no place hath spoken neither at anie time did yt ascende in to his heart Thus Rupertus This ys the first reason of this Authour whiche yf yt be well weighed and the thing well considered howe moche we by figures tropes and significacions do alter and chaunge howe moche we putto in woordes and diminish in substance howe the exposition denieth that the text affirmeth we haue good cause to feare the malediction of God spoken by S. Iohn who beareth not soche expositions denieng what he hath saied nor soche gloses confownding his text Wherfore we maie well be dissuaded from soche expositions or rather deprauacions and the rather that their ys no warrant to beare vs so to expownde these woordes of Chryst as of the circumstance of the place maie be perceaued whiche this Authour vseth as an other reason to moue vs not so to vnderstande Chrystes woordes of his supper as the Aduersarie dothe expownde them And thus he saieth Cùm obijcit quis suisue scriptitat in sedulis quod itidem dixerit eadem veritas Ego sum vitis tam audacter quā imperitè in argumentum mendosum illud attrahit cum statim subsequentia verba dicentist Sicut palmes non potest ferre fructum à semetipso nisi manserit in vite sic nec vos nisi in me manseritis manifestè per similitudinem compellant intelligi praesertim cùm non signanter dixerit Ego sum haec vitis sicut signanter dixit Hoc est corpus meum hic est sanguis meus apposita protinus descriptione verae proprietatis de corpore inquiens quod pro vobis tradetur de san guine autem qui pro multis effundetur Igitur ne veniant super nos plagae nouissimae neque apponimus neque diminuimus quicquam diuinae definitioni vel descriptioni quam incarnatum Verbum ore proprio deproinpsit Imo quia perfecta charitas foras mittit timorem non tam plagarum timore qunm veritatis amore confitemur quia panis iste corporeus postquam signauerit eum Pater vinum hoc expressum acinis praesentibus mox vt eodem signo signatum est per manus ecclesiae dicentis vt nobis corpus sanguis fiat dilectissimi filij tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi etc. vsque in memoriā mei facietis corpus sanguis eius qui huius traditionis author est hoc sacrisicium ipse Christus est cuius passione vt sacrificium fieret à Deo Patre in veritate signatum est Whē one obiecteth and writeth yt also in his bookes euen as boldlie as vnlearned These woordes J am a vine Ioan. 15. are proued by the circūstance to be a similitudi lie that the same trueth mening Chryst saieth also I am a vine he draweth yt
he accuseth them that they so were and in facte they did so but to Gods pleasure and the wealth of their soules they coulde not do so For yt ys proprely saied that we maie doe that that we maie doe well And that we can not doe whiche we can not doe well To this sense also Chrysostome by his interrogatiue including soch a negatiue saied The blaspbemers of Gods name coulde not with the same mouth and toung that they blasphemed with receaue the bodie of our Lorde receaue the sacrifice of our Lorde Whiche his sainge yet rebuketh them bicause they did so Wherfore yt ys not a negatiue absolute A like sainge ys ther ascribed to Origen for yt ys vncerten whether yt Origenes be his worke or no oute of the which yt ys taken and yt ys this Multa porrò de ipso Verbo dici possunt quod factum est caro cibusue verus quem qut comederit viuet in aeternum quem nullus malus potest comedere Manie thinges also maie be saied of the Sonne of God himself that yt was made flesh and verie meat whiche whosoeuer shall eate shall liue foreuer whiche no euell man can eate Thus moche Origen As S. Paule and S. Cypriane saied that they that were parteners of Idolathites A place of Origen opened coulde not be partakers of our Lordes table And as Chrysostom saied that vain swearers by Gods holie name coulde not with the same mouthe and tounge receaue the holy sacrifice whiche ys the bodie of our Lorde whiche ys the table that S. Paule and S. Cyprian spake of in whiche their sainges they haue made mencion but of two vices that shoulde let them from the partaking of the holie and blessed meate of our Lordes table So Origen declareth that all vices that be mortall and whiche make a man an euell man do diuide him from the same table And saieth that soche a man can not eate of the meat of our Lorde not that soche a one doth not eate yt but that soche a one dothe not eate yt to his profitte but raither to his condemnacion bycause with the offence of God he doth abuse the bodie of Chryst with moche irreuerence ioining yt as yt were in the house of his bodie with Sathan betwixt whom and Chryst as betwixt God and Beliall ys none agreement A liuely argument wherof ys declared in the first booke of kinges where 1. Reg. 5. we read that the Azotyans hauing the Arke of God put yt into the temple of Dagon And forasmoche as they accompted yt as the Arke of the God of Israell of whose great might and power they had heard moche they set yt by their Idoll Dagon But in the morning when the Azotians came into the temple they fownde Dagod lieng grooueling vpon the grownde They set him vppe again and the next daie coming into the temple they fownde him lieng before the Arke of God like a trunke cast downe to the grownde his head and palmes of his handes cutte of By this ys signified vnto vs that although yt pleased God through his great sufferance so to be abused as to be ioined with Sathan Behall or Dagon yet to declare that he ys offended withall he throweth down Dagon and causeth him to be fownde lieng like a stocke or trunke and with all striketh the people with a great glague By this then as by that that ys before saied yt maie be perceaued howe this scripture of S. Paules epistle ys to be vnderstanded and the doctours also whiche haue ben hetherto alleaged for the exposition of the same or shall hereafter be alleaged THE ONE AND THIRTETH CHAP. ENDETH the exposition of this text by Theophilact and Anselmus I Shoulde not nede to alleadge so manie holie Fathers and doctours vpon euery scripture as I doe so to seke oute the true vnderstanding of them but that the impudencie of the Proclamer hath thervnto enforeed me He saieth the catholike Churche hath not one scripture nor doctour for them but yt ys and shall be made manifest that yt hath not one in dede alone but yt hath all the scriptures and holie doctours that treacte of the blessed Sacrament But bicause vpon this tenth chapiter of Sainct Paule a long exposition by diuerse and manie doctours ys allreadie made by whom being made plain howe these scripturs going before are to be vnderstanded yt ys the easier to perceaue the vnderstanding of this nowe in hande depending of them therfor I will cuttof some parte of my pourpose and nowe vpon this text bring in but one coople more of the which Theophilact shall be the first Who for that that S. Paule willed the Corinthians to consider the Iewes who vsed to offre sacrifices and be partakers of the aultar to the entent that they being chrystians might perceaue that of soche sacrifice as they offred they were partakers by expresse woordes openeth and declareth what S. Paule ment that the Corinthians were partakers of Thus he saieth De Iudaeis namque nil intulit Theoph. in Dec. 1. Cor. quod de eo participarent sed Altaris sunt participes dixit in quo quod immolandum suisset impositum igni consumebarur De Christi autem corpore haud quaquam res ita se habet sed Christi corporis fuit participatio Non enim altaris sumus sed Dominici corporis ipsi participes Of the Iewes he saied nothing that they shoulde partake of yt meninge the sacrifice but he saied that they are partakers of the aultar We are partakers euen of the bodie of our Lord offred on the aultar vpon the which aultar that that was to be offred in sacrifice when yt was put vpon yt yt was consumed with fire But of the bodie of Chryst the matter ys not so but ther was a participacion of the bodie of Chryst For we are not partakers of the aultar But we are partakers euen of the bodie of our Lorde Thus moche Theophilact In whome this cometh woorthilie to be noted that S. Paule speaking of VVhie S. Paule saied not that the Iewes were partakers of their sacrifices as the chrystians of theirs the sacrifices of the Iewes doth not name anie thing by speciall name wherof they shoulde be partakers but onely vseth the generall tearme of the aultar saing that they be partakers of the aultar And whie bicause in some of these Sacrifices yt was ordeined that they shoulde be burnt and consumed And therfor he saied not that they shoulde be partakers of the thing offred but of the aultar But when he spake of the bodie of Chryst saieth Theophilact he did not handle the matter so but by expresse and speciall woordes saied allwais that ther was a partaking of the bodie of Chryste Nowe yf the bodie of Chryst by his ascension were absumed frō vs as the sacrifice of the Iewes was consumed from them by fire so that we did no more by no nearer partaking by presence receaue Chryst then they did their
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