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
esse demonstrat Paulo quoque Apostolo concordante qui ait Quotiescunque panem hunc manducabitis calicem Domini bibetis mortem Domini annunciabitis donec veniat Saincte Augustine saieth that owre Lorde seemeth to bidde an eueldede or a great offence not that he bidding his flesh to be eaten did bidde Obiectiō of the Sacramentaries anie euell dede to be doen or great offence but that he semed to bidde that ys to saie to them whiche thought that he bidding this did necessarelie bidde his flesh to be slain and to be cutte one membre from an other and so at the last his fllesh either rawe or sodden to be eaten Therfore saieth he ther ys a figure in this saing Here nowe peraduenture the shadowe Aunswer man meening the heretike doth reioice here nowe he maketh his noise Reioice thow not shadow teacher oute of ordre reioice not to hastilie Of what thing yt ys saied to be a figure patientlie and diligentlie take hede Yt ys a figure saieth saincte Augustine commaundinge what commaunding or what figuring For yt doth figure that that yt doth commaund that we saieth he shoulde partake the passion of oure Lorde and swetelie and profitablie kepe in memorie that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vs. God bethanked What soeuer yt be then that saincte Augustine here calleth the Sacrament a figure not of Chrystes bodie but of his death figure for what he doth call the figure in these his woordes yt ys not so harde to be knowen yt ys not the figure of the bodie of our Lorde but of his crucifieng and wounding that ys of his death and of owre communicating with the same that ys to saie that we shoulde folowe Chryst and communicate his passion suffring withe him that doth he most manifestlie shewe to be a figure Paule also the Apostle agreinge with him who saieth As often as ye shall eate this breade and drinke ths cuppe ye shall shewe furthe the death of our Lorde vntil he come Thus farre Guitmundus In this aunswer which although yt be long yet I thought yt necessarie to bring yt not truncatelie but whollie to satisfie the Reader ye maie perceane that this Authour manifestlie proueth that saincte Augustine saieth not that the flesh and blood of Chryste be figuratiuely in the Sacrament whiche the Aduersarie cheiflie pretendeth and seketh But sainct Augustine saieth that this sainge of Ghryste Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man c. ys a figuratiue speache For the eating and drinking of Chrystes flesh and blood in the Sacrament ys a figure of Chrystes passion and blood sheding for vs and a signe for the continuance of the thinge in our memorie and also for the mouing of vs to take our crosses and to suffer with Chryste Whiche thinge yet this Authour both more plainlie and breiflie dothe sett furth in that that foloweth sainge Quòd si quaeramus quid hic figuram Augustinus dixerit nihil hic vtique tam congruè videtur occurrere quà m id quod paulò superius Guitmūd Jbidem Doctor idem iam dixerat id est celebratio corporis sanguinis Domini Quas obres stultè insipientissimè Berengariani librum de Doctrina Christiana nobis obijciūt cùm cibus altaris Domini nusquam ibi figura nusquam ibi signum dicatur Et quicquid illud sit quod signum ibi vel figura dicitur non vtique figura corporis sanguinis Domini sed passionis Domini nostrae communicationis cum ea certissimè demonstratur Yf we aske what saincte Augustine here calleth the figure ther ys nothinge here that ys perceaued so agreable to occurre as that whiche a litle before the Berengariās foolishlie obiected S. Aug. So do the Sacramentaries now same doctour had nowe saied that ys the celebracion of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde For which cause the Berengarians foolislie and most vnwiselie do obiecte the booke of the chrystian doctrine to vs seing that the meate of the Altar of our Lorde in no place ther ys called a figure in no place ther ys called a signe And what soeuer ther ys called a figure or a signe yt ys most certenlie shewed not to be a figure of the bodie and blood of our Lorde but of the passion of our Lorde and of our communicating with the same Thus moche Guitmundus I nede not to note here to yowe anie thinge wher euerie thinge ys so plain neither after my rude maner to trauaill to saie any more for aunswering this argument where the aunswere of this learned man ys so full that yt hath fullie and perfectelie aunswered the Aduersaries and that by the same saincte Augustine whom they obiected and oute of the same booke oute of the whiche the obiection was taken Yet raither to confirme the sainge of this learned man then to open and declare that the hath saied and that the Aduersarie maie perceaue that yt was not the minde of saincte Augustine to make the Sacrament a bare figure voide of the reall presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode I will asscribe a sainge of the same saincte Augustine whiche semeth to allude to this his sainge here This yt ys Quamuis horribilius videatur humanam carnem manducare quà m perimere humae Aug. cont aduers legis Prop. ca. 9 num sanguinem potare quà m sundere nos tamen mediatorem Dei hominū hominem Iesum Christum carnem suam nobis manducandam bibendumue sanguinem dantem fideli corde ore suscipimus Although yt maie seeme to be more horrible to eate the flesh of man then to kill a man and to drinke the bloode of man then to shedde yt yet we for all that do receaue the mediator of God and men Iesus Chryste geuing vs his flesh to be eaten with a faithfull heart and mouth and his bloode to be dronken Thus saincte Augustine Remembre nowe gentle Reader the rule of saincte Augustine before geuen for the vnderstanding of the scriptures and conferre this his sainge with that other and ye shall perceaue that the figuratiue speache that he speaketh of ther ys not soche as shoulde take awaie the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament and leaue but a bare figure a signe or a token of that bodie and blood as the Aduersarie wolde haue yt For wher he saieth ther that Chryst willing vs to eate his flesh and drinke his bloode semeth to commaunde an euell dede to be doen and therfore to be a figuratiue speache here he saieth that though yt seme to be an horrible facte to eate the flesh of man and drinke his bloode yet do we with faithfull heart and mouth eate the flesh and drinke the bloode of the mediatour of God and man whiche ys the man Iesus Chryste Ye see that though yt seme to be an horrible facte so to do yet saincte Augustine here maketh not the figuratiue speache soche as to take awaie the
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
Lorde Wherfore yt ys manifest that as the woorthie or vnwoorthie receauing ys referred to the Sacrament so ys the honour or dishonour doen by the same referred also to the Sacrament Wherfor then S. Paule teaching the chrystian people to examen them selues and to prepare them selues that they maie be woorthie receauers of so woorthie a Sacrament taught them in that to honoure the Sacrament Vnto all this this maie be added that forasmoch as S. Paule taught the Corynthians and by them all Chrystian people the presende of Chryst in the Sacrament that he might well teache them to honour him in the Sacrament For wher Chryst ys verilie present ther ys no daunger but the chrystian maie their honoure him That S. Paule teacheth the presence yt shall be made manifest to yow in the thirde booke wher the scriptures of S. Paule shall be more at large handled Wherfor to auoide prolixitie I leaue to speake anie more of them here But this maie be saied here that forasmoche as the woordes of Chryste whiche we haue nowe in hande do teache vs the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament that we maie also honour Chryst in the Sacrament And to conclude against this Proclamer ye maie perceaue by that that ys saied that S. Paule taught vs to honoure the Sacrament THE FIVE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. PROVETH BY the same doctours that the Proclamer nameth that the Sacrament ys to be honoured AFter this man had abused the scriptures to makesome shewe of his wicked pourpose he vsed his like synceritie in naming certain doctours whiche doctours as he saieth neuer make mencion in anie of their bookes of adoring or woourshipping of the Sacrament To declare the trueth of this man we will first produce them whome he hath named as making for him and afterwarde some other Among those whome he nameth Chrysostom ys one A merueillouse thing to see the impudencie or ignorance of this man He nameth Chrysostome as one who in his bookes maketh no mencion of the honouring of Chryst in the Sacrament and yet among all the learned Fathers that writte ther ys none that maketh more often and more plain mencion of that matter then he doth To bring manie of his testimonies the condicion of this rude booke will not suffer for yt wolde therby growe to great ▪ Wherfore one or two places shal be brought whiche shal so clerelie opē this matter that I beleue Reader thowe wi lt merueill that this Proclamer durst for shame name Chrysostome as one that maketh no mencion of the honouring of Chryst in the Sacrament In one place thus he saieth Cùm autem ille Spiritum sanctum inuocauerit Chrys de sacerd li. 6. sacrisiciumue illud horrore ac reuerentia plenissimum perfecerit communi omnium Domino manibus assiduè pertractato quaero ex te quorum illum in ordine collocabimus Quantam verò ab co integritatem exigemus quantam religionem Consideraenim quales manus illas administrantes esse oporteat qualem linguam quae verba illa effandat Denique quae anima non puriorem sanctioremue conueniat esse animam quae tantum illum tamue dignum spiritum reoeperit Per id tempus Angeli sacerdoti assident caelestium potestatum vniuersus ordo elamores excitat locus Altari vicinus in illius honorem qui immolatur Angelorum choris plenus est Id quod credere abundè licet vel ex tanto illo sacrificio quod tum peragitur Ego verò commemorantem olim quendam audiui qui diceret senem quendam virum admirabilem ac cui reuelationum mysteria multa diuinitus fuissent detecta sibi narrasse se tali olim visione dignum a Deo habitum esse ac per illud quidem tempus derepentè Angelorum multitudinem conspexisse quatenus aspectus humanus ferre poterat fulgentibus vestibus indutorum Altare ipsum circundantium Denique sic capitc inclinatorum vt si quis milites praesente Rege stantes videat id quod mihi ipse facilè persuadeo When he mening the preist hath called vpon the holie Gost and hath perfected that sacrifice most full of horrour and reuerēce when the vniuersall Lorde of all thinges ys in his handes handeled I aske of thee in what order of men shall we place him howe great integritie shall we require of him howe great religion or godlinesse Consider also what hands those aught to be that doe ministre What maner of tounge that speaketh those woordes mening the woordes of consecraciō last of al that it ys meet that that soule be purer and holier then anie other soule that receaueth him so great Angells attende vpon the preist in the time of oblacion and a visiō therof shewed to an olde man and so woorthie a spirit At that time the Angells also geue attendance to the preist and all the wholl order of the heauenlie powers singpraises and the place nighe to the Aultar in the honour of him that ys then offred in sacrifice ys full of Angells which thing a man maie fullie beleue for that great sacrifice that then ys doen. Trulie I also did once heare a certain man reporting that an olde woorshippefull man vnto whome manie secretes were by Gods pleasure reueiled declared vnto him that God did vouchefaif to shewe him soche a vision and that at that time as farre as the sieght of man might beare yt he sawe sodenlie a multitude of Angells cloathed in bright garmentes compassing the Aultar aboute and afterwarde so bowing downe their heads as yf a man shoulde see soldiours stand when the king ys present Whiche thing I easely beleue Thus Chrysostome In this saing easie yt ys to perceaue howe honorably he thinketh of the Sacrament and what honoure he thinketh yt of For that the Sacrament ys so honourable he knoweth not wher to place the preist that dothe consecrate yt He questioned what hands they aught to be that handle the vniuersall The vniuersall Lorde of all handled by the preist Lorde of all thinges What toung that aught to be that speaketh the mightie woordes of consecracion howe pure that soule aught to be that receaueth so woorthie a thing yea he acknowlegeth the Sacrament to be so honourable that he saieth that the Angells in the time of the ministracion of yt doe assist the preist and attend and for confirmacion of this he bringeth in a vision of an holie man who sawe Angells in bright garmentes Angells honoure the Sacram. stand aboute the Aultar and bowing downe their heades to honour the Sacrament Whiche thing Chrysostom saieth he did beleue Yf man for the ministracion of the Sacrament be so honourable yf yt be soche as Angells do honour yt howe moche aught man to honoure yt That man aught to honour yt the same Chrysostome in the ordre of the Masse by him sethfurth by his owne practise declareth wher we finde his praier and after his praier his rule for the honouring of this Sacrament Thus
same meat nowe in the Sacrament after consecraciō which before the consecracion was corporal meate Owre faith the vertue grace or meritte of Chrystes passiō were neuer corporall meate wherfore this authour speaketh not of thē And therfore we maie conclude that yt ys the bodie of Chryst into whose substance the substāce of breade that before Christes woordes was able onelie to sustein the bodie nowe after the wordes ys turned into the substāce of Chryst whiche ys able to comforte both bodie and soule and ys become the substanciall breade geuing and mainteining our substāciall life whiche ys the euerlasting life Of this place of S. Ciprian forasmoche as I haue more at large spoken in the opening of the figure of Melchisedech I shall desire the reader if he wolde In the first booke c. 29. see what maie be more saied vpon yt to resort thither wher I turst he shall finde matter to the better opening of this place But yet that yt maie be fullie perceaued that S. Cyprian in this place meneth as ys saied that the verie bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament and that soche was his faith and that Chryst so taught and his schoole so learned we will heare an other testimonie of the same S. Cyprian in the same treactice Cypr. de cae na Dom. A plain place for M. Iuell that this sentēce before alleaged ys in which ys this Nouae est buius Sacramēti doctrina scholae cuangelicae hoc primū magisteriū portulerunt doctore Christo primū haec mūdo innotuit disciplina vt biberēt sanguinē christiani cuius esum legis antiquae authoritas districtissimē interdicit Lex quippe esū sanguinis probibet Euangeliū praecipit vt bibatur In quibus mādatis hoc maximè discernere debet christiana Religio quòd sanguis animaliū à sanguine Chricti per omnia differens tēporalis tantū habet viuificationis effectū vita corum finem habet sine reuocacione constitutū The doctrine of this Sacrament The lawe dyd forbidde the eating of blood the Gospell cōmaundeth yt ys newe and the euangelicall schooles first brought furth this maner of teaching and Chryst being the teacher this learning first was knowen to the worlde that chrystian men shoulde drinke bloode the eating wherof the authoritie of the olde lawe did most strictlie forbidde The Lawe forbiddeth the eating of bloode The Gospell commaundeth that yt be dronke In whiche commaundementes this most cheiflie aught the chrystian religion to discerne that the bloode of beastes by all means differinge from the blode of Chryst hath onely the effect of temporall releif and the life of them hath an ende appoincted withoute reuocacion Thus he I wishe the gentle reader against the blasphemies of the Aduersaries to weigh well euery parte of this saing of S. Cyprian The Aduersarie saieth that the doctrine of the Sacrament ys the Papistes diuise and their inuencion But S. Cyprian teacheth vs first that yt ys a newe doctrine he teacheth vs in what schoole yt was first taught In the schoole saieth he of the Gospell he teacheth vs who was the schoole master who was the first teacher of yt Chryst faieth he was the first teacher of yt he first did notifie yt to the worlde But if ye aske what ys this newe doctrine He saieth that yt ys a newe doctrine of the Sacrament that chrystian men shoulde drinke bloode Yf ye proceade Doctrine of the real presence howe yt ys called newe and aske whether they must drinke verie blood He saieth verie blood For yt ys soche bloode as the lawe did forbidde to be eaten And that assuredlie was verie bloode Wherfore this ys verie bloode Yf ye question farder if the chrystians must drinke verie bloode whose bloode must they drinke He answereth Chrystes bloode as in the comparison of the commaundementes of the two lawes the olde lawe forbidding bloode the newe lawe commaunding bloode yt ys euident to be seen that he saieth newe lawe commaundeth the bloode of Chryst to be dronke In this then ye maie perceaue that the doctrine of the presence of Chrystes bodie and blood in the Sacrament ād the real receipt of the same ys not the inuencion or deuise of the Papistes but yt ys as this holie Father and martir of Chryste and therfore a good scholer of Chryst saieth who knewe Doctrin of the real presence ys no new īnuention of the Papistes the learning of his master wel yt ys saieth he the doctrine of Chryste yt ys his ordeinance yt ys his inuencion diuise and institucion Wherfore they maie bashe and be a shamed yea they maie tremble for feare to see themselues fallen into that impietie that the Iewes were who seinge Chryste casting oute the dumbe spiritte oute of a man maliciouselie and wickedlie ascribed the miraculouse worke to Belzebub whiche was doen by the power of God in Chryst So they wickedly ascribe this institucion of the Sacramēt this doctrine of the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the same Luc. 11. whiche ys the miraculouse worke of God to the Papistes at yt pleaseth them to terme them But here maie ye learn that Chryst ys the first teacher of this doctrine And this shall we make more euidentlie to appeare to yowe by the woordes of this authour And first where he saieth that the doctrine of the Sacrament ys newe This doth plainly and stronglie reiecte the figure and Tropes of the Aduersaties from the Sacrament For if the Sacrament be but the figure and not the thing howe ys yt or howe can yt be a newe doctrine To offre bread and wine as figures of Chryste we finde Melchisedech in the lawe of nature Gen. 14. Exod. 16. 1. Cor. 10. to haue so doen. That the people of the Iewes did eate Manna and breade from heauen and dranke the water of the rocke as figures of Chrystes bodie and blood yt ys more manifest then can be denied The two tenth deales of fine flower made in cakes and the wine also that was offred for a drinke offring stinted in Leuiticus by the measure of a fourt deale of an hyn were offred as figures of Chrysts bodie and bloode as Isichius witnesseth so Li. 6. ca. 23 that to haue bread and wine or to eate and drinke soche thinges as figures of Chrystes bodie and bloode yt ys no newe doctrine Yt was in the lawe of nature yt was in the lawe of Moises Wherfore yt can not be a newe doctrine The newe doctrine then ys to receaue the verie thing of these figures verilie reallie and presentlie whiche in dede ys a newe doctrine neuer taught to be vsed and parctised before Chryst taught yt yea and commaunded yt When and wher did he teache yt Before his passion at his last supper and as Cyprian termeth yt in the schoole of the Gospell Wher in the Gospell then finde we this new doctrine or commaundement The doctrine we finde as before ys declared in the sixt
he ther ys no soche thing of beleife ther. for aboute other thinges to be beleued either Chryst him self or the Euangelistes doe stand in the declaracion as in the matter of the incarnacion and birth of Chryste of his baptisme of his passion and death of his resurrection of his ascension and soche other Wherfor saieth he their ys no soche great worke of faith wrought in the Sacrament But see howe the spirit of erroure blinded this man and whether he Crammers spirit and Chryso stomes compared led him Yf he had ben led by the same spirit that Chrysostom was led by he shoulde haue seen that that Chrysostom did sec Chrysome as ye haue hearde saied that Chryst had spoken manie and great thinges of this Sacrament before to the Apostles and therfor nowe when Chryst went to the perfourmance of his promisse made before and in fewe woordes saied Take cate This ys my bodie Theie were mindefull of his promisse made before and of his great instruction geuen vnto them for their beleif in that behalf so that being sufficientlie instructed and therfor redilie prepared when Chryst spake the woorde and commaunded them to eate his bodie they were not troubled for their saith was staied So that Chrysostom coulde see manie and great thinges that Chryst had spoken of this matter But this other man blinded with the great mist of heresie coulde se nothing wher Chrysostom sawe manie thinges and great thinges Therfor yowe that be yet or haue ben seduced here by this great piller of that sect be aduertised that if he being a learned man and yet the wicked spirit so blinded him that wher Chrysostome saied that Chryst did speake manie and great thinges of this Sacrament whiche yet this learned man coulde not see one of them yowe that be learned see one of yowr best learned meÌ„ blinded and beware in time But yowe that be vnlearned of this moche more doe yowe be ware Foryf the learned be deceaued by the Deuell and blinded and led oute of the waie of trueth moche more the vnlearned maie be deceaued and blinded as was yowr first fownder in this our time Luther by name who saied that the sixt chapiter of S. Iohn was whollie to be set a part as in whiche ther was no sillable that spake of the Sacrament Yet Chrysost saieth Chryst spake manie and great thinges of the SacrameÌ„t And in all the Gospell ther ys noplace that speaketh of yt before the supper but the sixt chapter of S. Iohn Wherfor Luther gropeth also in the darke and can not see one sillable of S. Iohns sixt chapter speaking of the Sacrament which speaketh moche of yt whiche thing also ys by expresse woordes testified of S. Augustine who saieth thus speaking of the supper of Chryst Ioannes de corpore sanguine Domini Aug. li. 3 â–ª de Conseuse Euang. Chryst spake of his bodie and blood plentisullie in the sixt of S. Iohn hoc loco nibil dixit sed planè alibi multo vberiùs de iis Dominum locutum esse testatur Iohn spake nothing in this place of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde But in an other place he plainly testifieth that our lorde verie plentifullie spake of these thinges Wher note breiflie by the waie that S. augustine saieth not that S. Iohn spake of the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode but of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde by expresse and plain woordes and ther with fignifieth the same bodie and blood to be spoken of both in the sixt of S. Iohn and in the other Euangelistes wher they treacte of the last supper of Chryst And thus ye haue perceaued the authour of that booke not onely blinded but also directlie saing contrarie to Chrysostome in these two places iointly alleaged and also to S. Augustine And therfor once again I wish yow to be warned that seing the sainges of your cheif masters be clean contrarie to the sainges of the cheif masters of Chrystes Church beware of them suspect them flie farre from them Ye haue good cause so to doe yf yowe consider the matter well And now to yowr farder instruction in this poinct and to the more confutacion of the aduersaie and declaracion of the trueth I will craue yowr pacience to heare one other place of the same Chrysostom wherin ye shall both more plainly perccaue both that the vi of Iohn and also the woordes of the supper doe manifestlie speake of the bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament Thus he writeth Hac de causa desiderio desideraui hoc Pascha vobiscum Chris homil 83. in 26. Math. comedere qno vos spirituales faciam Ipsequoque bibit exâ—… ne auditis verbis illis dicerent Quid igitur sanguinem bibimus carnem comedimus ac ideo perturbarentur Nam quando prius de iis verba fecit multi solummodò propter verba scandalum passi sunt Ne igitur tunc quoque id accideret primus ipse hoc fecit vt tranquillo animo ad commumcationem mysterioram induceret For this cause with desire haue I desiered to eate this passeouer with yowe by the whiche I maie make yowe spiritual He also dranke of yt lest when they had heard these woordes they shoulde saie what therfor doe we drinke bloode and cate flesh And ther for they shoulde be troobled for when he did first speake of these thinges also manie alonlie for his woordes were offended Lest therfor that also shoulde then happen he himself first did this thing that with quiett minde he might induce them to the partaking or communicacion of the mysteries Thus moche Chrysostome In whiche saing I will first note to yowe for the sixt of S. Iohn that after I maie the more at large open his minde to yowe for the presence That Chryst spake of his bodie and blood in the SacrameÌ„t IoaÌ„ 6. Chryst spake of his bodie and bloode in the sixt of S. Iohn these woordes of this authour doe teach vs wher he saieth Quando de iis prius verba fecit multi solummodò propter verba scandalum pasi sunt When he first spake of these thinges manie euen alonely for the woordes were offended Wherby yowe maie perceaue that Chrysostome sheweth here that Chryst spake before of this mysterie of his bodie and bloode in that place wher manie onelie were offended for the woordes Wher that was yt ys clere to all men that can read the Gospell that yt was ther wher they saied Durus est est hic sermo quis potest eum audire This ys an harde saing who can abide yt wher yt ys manifest Joan. 6. that they were according to Chrysostoms saing offended onely for the woordes of Chryst whiche made them to saie that yt was an hard saing So that wher Chrysostom in the other sentence saied that Chryst had spoken great thinges of this mysterie but opened not in what place here by circumstance he sheweth the certen place This I
They are spoken in a sermon that he made of the supper of our lorde whiche sermon being made to setfurth that thing that yt was made for must and doth seth yt furthe as yt ys And so by the figure of the Paschall lambe and by the figure of Melchisedech he declareth the veritie A short solucion of the Sacramentaries of Chryst in the Sacrament of the whiche moche ys saied before both in the first booke and in the seconde whereinuinciblie by S. Cyprian ys proued the presence of Chryste in the Sacrament In the whiche matter S. Cyprian ys so plain in this sermon that the Aduersarie hath no better euasion then of his owne authoritie to saie that yt ys not S. Cyprians sermon as he doth for the like cause make a like solucion to the bookes of S. Ambrose of the sacramentes saing they be none of his And therfor weigh well the rest of the sermon and what ys saied of him in the other bookes here before and ye shall see what faith he professeth as concerning the Sacrament and howe he wolde be vnderstanded here But that the vnlearned reader maie not be referred to a place vnknowen Effectes of the blessed Sacr. and the means to atteing them to him or enforced to suspend his iudgement in this matter yt shall vpon this present sentence of S. Cyprian be manifested and declared vnto him This ys in this saing of S. Cyprian to be considered that he teacheth the effecte and comoditie of the Sacrament and by what mean we atteing to yt The effecte ys that we be made the bodie misticall of Chryste we be knitte and vnited to him as to our head we be made membres one of an other in this misticall bodie These effectes whiche happen vnto vs by the receipt of the Sacrament yf they be well considered and weighed they be verie excellent and great The mean to atteign to them S. Cyprian also here declareth when he saieth by the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacrament what the Sacrament ys and what the thing of the Sacrament ys and what ys the difference betwixt them both S. Augustin teacheth vs saing Hoc est quod dicimus quod modis omnibus approbare contendimus sacrificium Ecclesiae duobus modis confici duobus constare visibili elementorum specie Li. senten Prosper vide sup cap. 19. inuisibili Domini nostri Iesu Christi carne sanguine sacramēto re sacramēti id est corpore Christi c. This ys yt saieth S. Augustine that we saie that by all means we labour to proue the sacrifice of the Churche to be made two waies to be of two thinges of the visible forme of the elementes and the inuisible Aplain place for the Proclamer flesh and blood of our Lorde Iesus Chryst both the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacrament that ys to saie the bodie of Chryste Euen as the person of Chryst ys of God and man for as moch as he ys very God ād verie man For euery thing conteineth the nature and veritie of those thinges of whiche yt ys made The sacrifice of the Churche ys made of two thinges of the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacrament that ys to saie of the bodie of Chryst Yt ys therfor the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacrament the bodie of Chryst Thus moche S. Augustin Of whome ye haue heard except my iudgement faill me a verie plain declaracion of the sacrifice of the Churche and of the Sacrament and of the thinge of the Sacrament But leauing here to speake of the Sacrifice and referuing Sacrifice of the Church auouched yt to some other more mete place we will onelie speake of that that this place requireth that ys for so muche as S. Cyprian saieth that we be connected knitt and vnited to Chryste our head by the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacrament to marke and learn by S. Augustin what ys ment therby The sentence of S. Augustin ys plain therin that the Sacrament ys the visible forme of the elementes As for example Euen as the visible forme of the element of water when the woorde cometh to yt ys the sacrament of Baptisme So be the visible formes of bread and wine when the worde ys Sacrament and thing of the Sacr. what they be comed to them the Sacramentes of the bodie and blood of Chryste Beside this there ys also the thing of the Sacrament Whiche S. Augustine saieth ys the bodie and blood of Chryste Nowe when S. Cyprian saieth that we be knitte and vnited to Chryst our head by the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacramēt What ys yt ells but we are vnited as S. Cyrill saieth by the Sacrament and the bodie and bloode of Chryste and that as ye heard S. Cyrill saie before not onelie spirituallie but also corporallie receauing his very flesh Yf of S. Cyprian we aske howe we are knitte to Chryst our head by his bodie and bloode whiche ys the thing of the Sacrament He also aunswereth like vnto S. Cyrill sainge Edentes bibentes eundem cibum potum qui cibus potus est Dominus noster Iesus Christus Eating and drinking the same meat and drinke whiche meat and drinke ys our lorde Iesus Cryste Nowe then ye perceaue that S. Cyprian taketh the meat and drinke that S. Paule speaketh of not for the figures of the bodie and blood of Chryst of the whiche we haue the very presence in the Sacrament whiche as yt ys declared by him very plainly So I doubt not but Chrysostom will as plainlie declare yt so that there shall be no place for the enemie to lurke in Chrysostom Homil. in dictum Apost Nolo vos ignor making a speciall homelie vpon the woordes of S. Paule whiche be nowe in hande declareth both the figures and the thinges figured by expresse woordes saing thus Dixi enim quod oportet veritatem habere excellentiam quandā supra figuram Vidisti de baptismate quae figura quae veritas Age ostendam tibi mensas sacramentorum communionem ibi delineari si non iterum petis à me totum sed sic requiris quae facta sunt sicut par est in adumbratione figuris videre Igitur quia dixit de mari de nube de Moyse adiecit preterea Et omnes eundum spiritualem cibum comederunt Sicut tu inquit à lauachro aquarum ascendens ad mensam curris sic illi à mari ascendentes ad mensam venere nouam admirabilem de Manna loquor Et iterum The trueth must haue an excellencie aboue the figure sicut tu admirabilem habes potum salutarem sanguinem sic illi admirabilem habuerunt poculi naturam I haue saied saieth Chrisostom that the trueth must haue a certain excellencie aboue the figure Thowe hauest seē of Baptisme whiche ys the figure and whiche ys the veritie Go on I shall shewe thee
declareth to be in two poinctes The one ys that yt ys doen by consecracion which ys doen by the woord of Chryst Wherfor he saieth We perceaue grace to be of greater power then nature For In the consecracion of the B. Sac. the woordes of our Sauiour do woorke yf the benediction of a man was of so great power that yt might turne nature what shall we saie of the diuine consecracion yt self wher the verie woordes of our Lord and Sauiour do woorke As who might saie Yf Moyses did cast downe the rodde and yt was turned into a serpent and tooke yt vppe again and yt was turned into a rodde and soch like Yf Helyseus did make the axe against his nature to swimme aboue the water Yf Helyas by his woorde caused fire to descend from heauen Yf the woorde of these men but seruantes did woork soch wonders how moch more maie the woorde of the Lord and master of these men woorke The second poinct ys that he sheweth by what means the woord of Chryst woorketh the presence of his bodie in the Sacrament that ys saieth he by the chaunging of the natures of the creatures into the nature of his bodie ād blood which he signifieth when he saieth Yf the woorde of Helyas was of soch power that yt might bring down fire frō heauen shall not the woorde of Chryst be of soch power that yt maie chaunge the natures of the elementes And again the woorde of Chryst that coulde of nothing make that that was not can yt not chaunge those thinges that be in to that thing that they were not The meā then by the which the woorde of Chryst maketh the bodie of Chryst present in the Sacrament ys by chaunging the natures of bread and wine into the nature of his bodie ād blood which bicause the chaunging of natures ys the chaunge of substances Transubstanciation what yt ys therfor the Church doth call yt Transubstanciacion forsomoch as the nature or substance of one thing ys chaunged by Gods power into the nature or substance of an other thing The thirde thing that we are taught of S. Ambrose which also ys diduced of these two ys the verie presence of Chryst in the Sacrament Which so being as most certenly yt ys we maie conclude that this ys in comparablie a more excellent Sacrament then either Manna or the Paschall lambe notwithstanding the saing of the Aduersarie And although S. Augustin saieth that Sacramenta in signis diuersa in re tamen quae significatur paria sunt Sacramentes in signes being diuerse in the thing yet that ys signified they are like Yet that taketh not awaie the excellencie of Difference betwē Māna and the blessed Sac. this Sacrament For although Manna and the Paschall lambe did signifie the same Chryst that our Sacrament doth and so in that respect of significacion be like yet for that the other sacramentes did but signifie and this Sacramēt doth both contein and geue that yt doth signifie therfor yt doth farre excell them To this that ys saied although yt be sufficient to proue that that ys here entended yet yf the reader will adde the saing of S. Ambrose in the eight chapter of the booke last alleaged whiche to auoide tediousnesse I ouerpasse and wil remembre what the saied S. Ambrose saieth in the fourth chapter of this booke and Chrysostom in the sixth chapter and Theophilact and Haymo in the ninth chap and other treacting of Manna and the bodie of Chryst of which he shall find diuerso from the fourth chapter to the eleuēth chapiter of this booke I doubte not but he shall see so moche that he will merueill that euer anie heretike could so shamelesly teach soch wicked doctrine so repugnant to the catholique faith and so direct contratie to the sainges of so manie holy Fathers being wittnesses of this trueth but aboue all that they shoulde so blasphemously dishonour the sacramentes of God and his Chryst Who for the setting furth of his honour and sor owre helpe and comfort in the perigrinacion of this life that we maie haue strength against owre enemies whiche cruelly lie in wait for vs and our assured hope of the mercie of God in the ende of our iourney hath instituted these sacramētes and by them woorthilie vsed and receaued hath geuen vs manie benefittes of all which as also of Gods honour they wolde robbe both him and vs. But Reader beware of them and be not led awaie with soch doctrines as were born but yesterdaie But cleaue to that ys tried receaued approued and testified manie hondreth years of the whiche thowe shalt learn that the Sacramentes of Chryst and of the newe lawe are moch more excellent then the sacramentes of the olde lawe THE FYFTENTH CHAPITER PROVING all our Sacramentes generallie to be more excellent then the sacramentes of Moyses AS ye haue heard by sufficient testimonie that the blessed Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode ys more excellent then Manna and the Paschall lambe the figures of the same of the which I haue speciallie treacted bicause this wholl rude woork ys cheifly settfurth for the commendacion of the trueth of the same Sacrament Nowe that the other sacramentes be not left in the handes of the enemies and by them spoiled ād ouer moche wronged somwhat also shall be breiflie saied wherby they maie be knowen as they be and be deliuered from the handes of their enemies who falselie report of them and deuellislie trauaill to dishonour them Among all the sacramentes next vnto this blessed and most honorable Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and blood yt ys to be merueiled that they could Baptisme instituted by Chryste and commēded by the wholl Trinitie so vnreuerentlie speake of the sacrament of Baptisme which was so instituted and commended to the Chrystian worlde as no sacrament more solemnelie At the setting furth of this Sacrament Chryst himself being present and baptised the voice of the Father was heard saing This ys my wel beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heauen was opened and the holy Gost was seen in the forme of a doue descending from heauen and abyding vpon Chryst So that in the ministracion of this sacrament was present the Father the Sonne and the holie Gost Which noble presence semeth to bring with yt some more noble gift than a bare sign or token as the wicked saie that yt ys But what shall I nede to stand to declare the woorthinesse of this sacrament against these enemies of God seing that heauen and the wholl Trintie testifieth against them Wherfore leauing to speake any more of this sacrament speciallie or of the other particularlie for feare of prolixitie and for that yt ys spoken of here but by occasion we shall heare sainct Augustin speaking of Aug. cōt Faustū li. 19 cap. 13. them generallie Prima sacramenta quae obseruabantur celebrabantur ex lege praenunciatiua erant Christi venturi quae cùm suo aduentu Christus impleuisset
he ys a sacrifice Chrysostome answereth ther to be a sacrifice where he permitteth to be broken He ys broken in the Masse vpoÌ„ the aultar wherfore he ys their in sacrifice But here vnderstande that although Chrysostom saieth that Chryst suffreth and that the Sacrament ys broken yet he meneth not that anie violence ys doen to that blessed bodie or that yt ys affected with greif pain or passion for yt being passed all these miseries yt ys nowe an impassible bodie and what violence soeuer anie cruell heart wolde inferre to yt yet yt being impassible no pain can be inflicted to yt Neither think this to be a straunge speache seing that Chryst himself when he was in hys passible bodie and gaue his passible bodie to his Apostles impassiblie saied Take eate This ys my bodie whiche ys broken for yowe For although he so saied yet in geuing oute of his bodie he suffred no violence nor pain And as that breaking wrought no greif to his blessed bodie then no more doth yt nowe For the same woundes that he bare in his passible bodie passiblie he beareth the same after his resurrection and now still impassiblie And nowe that ye haue hearde Chrysostome declaring vnto yowe the vnderstanding of this scripture in the whiche he hath in no darke speache but in plain maner with expresse woordes taught the presence of Chrystes bodie and blood in the Sacrament and yt also to be a sacrifice and that by this scripture we shall nowe leaue him for this place and heare S. Hierom. Who for this time shall be ioined with Chrysostome that one veritie maie Hieron in deci 1 Cor. be testified on both sides of Chrystes Parliament house S. Hierom ys but short and this ys his exposition Calix benedictionis ideo primum calicem nominauit vt possit de pane latius disputare nonne communicatio sanguinis Christi est sicut ipse saluator dicit Qui manducat carnem meam bibit sanguinem meum in me mâ—aet ego in eo The cuppe of blessing which we blesse therfore hath he first named the cuppe that he maie more at large dispute of the bread ys yt not a communicacion of the bloode of Chryst As our Sauiour himself saieth He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode dwelleth in me and I in him Thus S. Hierom. This ys his breif exposition vpon this first parte of S. Paules text whiche ys not so bare and hungrie but that yt bringeth good foode with yt to nourish and comforte the faith of a Chrystian man in this matter of the Sacrament For when he cometh to the pith of the sentence whiche ys this ys yt not a communicacion of the blood of Chryst he addeth this for an exposition to yt as our Sauiour himself saieth He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him as who might saie yt ys soche a communicacion of the blood of Chryst that who so doth communicate of yt shall haue that benefitt that Chryst himself spake of saing He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode dwelleth in me and I in him That he alleaging this scripture of Chryst to expownde the saing of S. Paule doth signifie vnto vs that S. Paule ys to be vnderstanded to haue spoken of the verie bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament he that hath redde sainct Hierom howe he vnderstandeth the sixth chapter of sainct Iohn whose authoritie hath ben vsed in the seconde booke for the same pourpose shall not nede to doubte But that the reader shall not be driuen to seke farre for the triall herof sainct Hierom shall be produced alleaging this same verie saing of Christ in the sixth of sainct Iohn Wherin he shall clerely see and perceaue the true vnderstanding of yt after Jn psalm 109. the minde of sainct Hierom. Thus he saieth vpon the psalme Quomodò enim Melchisedech Rex Salem obtulit panem vinum sic tu offeres corpus tuum sanguinem tuum verum panem verum vinum Iste Melchisedec ista mysteria quae habemus dedit nobis Ipse est qui dixit Qui manducauerit carnem meam biberiâ— sanguinem meum secundùm ordinem Melchisedec tradidit nobis sacramentum suum Sacrisice of Chryste in his supper and Melchisedecs compared For as Melchisedec King of Salem hath offred bread and wine so shalt thowe offre thy bodie and bloode the true bread and true wine This Melchisedec hath geuen vs these mysteries which we haue Yt ys he that hath said He that shall eate my flesh and drinke my bloode according to the ordre of Melchise dech be hath deliuered vnto vs his sacrament Hitherto S. Hierom. Do ye not see that our Melchisedech dothe offre the true breade and true wine his bodie and bloode noâ— after the ordre of Aron vpon the crosse but after the ordre of Melchisedec And hath not he geuen vs these misteries And doth not he of these misteries after the minde of S. Hierom saie he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode dwelleth in me and I in him By this then yt ys euident that the saing of S. Paule referred and expownded by this ys vnderstanded of the true wine the bloode of Chryst as this ys The other text also ys but breiflie touched and folowed thus Et Panis queÌ„ Hieron Ibid. frangimus nonne coÌ„municatio corporis Domini est Ita panis Idololatriae Doemonum participacio esse monstratur And ys not the bread which we breake a communicacioÌ„ of the bodie of our lorde Euen so also the bread of Idolotrie ys a partaking of Deuells Albeit this expositioÌ„ in the first seight and face semeth not moche to saie to the maintenaunce of the catholique faith as touching the matter of the SacrameÌ„t yet if yt be well weighed yt shall be fownde to make moch And for the better weighing of yt yt shall be necessarie that yt be called to memorie that before ys saied in the last chapiter that the cause why meÌ„ be made partakers of Deuells ys that they do eate of soche meates as be offred in sacrifice to Deuells for ther ys no meat accompted to make men in that felowshippe what meat soeuer yt be in that onely respect that yt ys eaten but onely that that ys offred to Deuells Nowe then when in the exposition the probacion ys that as the eating of the breade which ys broken ys a communicacion of the bodie of Chryst So the bread of Idolatrie ys a participacion of Deuells must not both these be vnderstanded of the thinges offred in sacrifice yf not what auaileth the applicacion of the one to the other Howe can S. Paule proue the Corinthians to be partakers of Idolls but by the partaking of Idolathites Wherfor this expositour folowing S. Paule bringeth his argument from the sacrifice of Chryste as a thing cleare and manifest to the Corinthians As who might saie As the partaking of the bread of Chryst in sacrifice
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
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
into a false argument seing that the woordes immediately folowing of him saing thus As the braunche can beare no fruit of him self except he abide in the vine So neither can yowe except ye abide in me Do manifestlie enforce that saing to be vnde by a similitude speciallie for that he did not with a singular demonstracioÌ„ sate I am this vine as with a singular demonstracion he saied This ys my bodie this ys my bloode Wherunto furthwith he put the description of the true propertie of eche of them of the bodie saing whiche shall be deliuered for yowe of the blood also whiche shall be shedde for manie Therfor that these later plagues come not vpon vs we neither diminish nor put to any thing to the diuine definition or discription whiche the Sonne of God incarnate hath spoken or vttered with his owne mouthe But raither bycause perfecte charitie casteth oure feare not so moche for the feare as for loue of trueth we do confesse that this bodilie breade after the Father hath blessed it and this wine pressed oute of these present grapes as sooen as yt ys blessed by the handes of the churche saing that yt maie be made to vs the bodie and bloode of thy most beloued some Iesus Chryst and so furth vntill ye come to these woordes ye shall do yt in the remembrance of me that yt ys the bodie and bloode of him who ys the Author of this tradicion and that this sacrifice ys Chryst him self by whose passion yt was blessed of God the Father in verie dede that yt might be made a sacrifice Thus farre he Two thinges I thinke good geÌ„tle Reader in this reason of this Authour to note to thee The one ys that where the Aduersarie bringeth furth certain places of the scripture whiche be vnderstand by tropes as wher Chryste saieth I am a vine I am the dore and soche like therby to prooue that these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie shoulde so be vnderstande also whiche in dede proueth nothing this Authour declareth that the circumstance of these places doth compell vs so to vnderstand them as in the opening of this text I am a vine he hath declared So this scripture also I am the doore the woordes of Chryste immediately folowing teache vs that they are to be vnderstande by Joan. 10. a similitude for streight waie he saieth By me who soeuer entreth he shall be saued and shall go in and go oute and finde foode So that we haue Chrystes owne warrant Willfull or naturall reason ys no sufficient warrant allwaies in the court of faith so to vnderstand them But to vnderstande the woordes of Chrystes supper in like maner vieue the place ye shall finde no title in the texte to cause yt to beare the Aduersaries sense So that they haue no other warraÌ„t but wilfull and naturall reason whiche warrant ys not allwaies sufficient and aloweable in the courte of faith Wherfore as these scriptures be to be vnderstanded by a trope bicause the circumstance ther so teacheth So are the other woordes in their propre sense to be vnderstanded bicause the circumstance so teacheth For declaracion of whiche matter I maie deuide the seconde note into two partes The one ys to note the enunciacion of bothe scriptures For though Chryst saied I am a vine yet he did not particularly take a braunche of a vine and saie I am this vine or this vine ys my bodie but vsed the generall woorde and saied I am a vine But speaking of the mysterie of his bodie he did not vse that maner of speache saing I am bread whiche maner of phrase maie seeme well to beare a trope yf anie circumstaÌ„ce had ben adioined to declare and open the same But leauing the generall woorde of bread and particularlie taking a peice of bread in his handes and blessing and geuing thankes saied with a particular and speciall demonstracion This ys my bodie As these two propositions spoken of an olde man I am a childe and by speciall demonstracion to this childe saing This ys my childe haue a great difference The first I am a vine and this ys my bodie be no like speaches being spoken by a similitude for that reason witte vnderstanding and senseis being decaied in him he maie saie I am a childe that ys like a childe The other being spoken of his owne childe and importing not a similitude but a naturall substance of him in the childe So these propositions I am a vine and this ys my bodie haue great difference The one being spoken by a similitude bicause Chryst ys like a vine The other by certen demonstracion of substance for that that Chryst made demonstracion vnto was his verie substance The second parte of the note ys that the circumstance of the scripture reiecting figures and tropes dothe mightilie prooue the sense of that place to be propre and not figuratiue or tropicall For the propretie saieth he apper teinâ—ng to the bodie whiche can not be applied to the figure ys furthwith added whiche ys that the thing ys there whiche shaÌ„ll be deliuered for manie And that ys in the cuppe whiche shall shed in the remission of sinnes whiche can be nothing ells but the bodie and bloode of Chryste Who onelie gaue his bodie to be crucified and his bloode to be shed for owre redemption Thus then ye perceaue that these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie were spoken of him withoute the putting to of anie trope figure or signe They This ys my bodie no figuratiue speache are left to vs written by the three holie Euangelistes whithoute any mencioÌ„ of trope or figure They were so taught by S. Paule to the Corinthians and afterwarde so writteÌ„ The promisse of Chryst wherin he saied The bread which I will geue ys my flesh which I will geue for the life of the worlde was plainlie whithoute any trope spoken Yt ys so reported of the Euangelist S. Iohn Yt ys so expownded of all the auncient doctours and so shewed what the woordes be teaching the perfourmance of that promisse Ye perceaue also the fame of the communion of the Chrystians emong the infidels to be not by a figure of flesh but by verie flesh in dede Ye perceaue emong Chrystians the beleif of the Sacrament to be the flesh of Chryst to be so commonlie receaued and beleued that younge babes in those daies coulde speake yt Ye perceaue that yt ys not laufull for vs to putte to or to take awaie from the woorde of Chryst For yf we do we fall into the daunger of Gods malediction and other plagues All these consideracions and manie mo shewe vnto vs that we shoulde take the woordes of Chryste as they be of him spoken yf ye put to anie of these woordes Signum or figura Token or figure ys not that put to that Chryst spake not and do ye not so fall into the daunger of Gods plagues Ouer and besides this ye perceaue that the circumstance