est ad eum c. Tu es sacerdos Hebr. 5. in aeternum secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Euen so Chryste also glorified not him self to be made the high pteist but he that said vnto him c. Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech And declaring the great benefitte that came by him being the high preist to all beleuers he saieth again Et consummatus factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis aeternae appellatus à Deo Pontifex iuxta ordinem Melchisedech And Ibid. he being perfight was the cause of eternall saluacion vnto all them that obeied him and ys called of God an high preist after the ordre of Melchisedech Likewise he calleth him in the VI. chapiter And the wholl VII chap. he occupieth in applieng Melchisedech to Chryst prouing by this prophecie the abrogacion of the preisthead of the lawe and so consequētlie of the lawe yt self Wherfore he saied Yf nowe therfore perfection came by the preistheade Hebr. 7. of the Leuites for vnder that preisthead the people receaued the lawe what neadeth further that an other preist shoulde rise to be called after the ordre of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron For yf the preisthead be translated then of necessitie must the lawe be translated also c. For after this maner dothe he testifie Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Then the commaundement that went before ys disanulled bycause of weakenesse and vnprofitablenesse And further declaring the excellencie of Chrystes preisthead aboue the preisthead of Aaron he saieth For these preistes were made withoute an othe but this preist with an othe by him that saied to him The Lorde sware and will not repent him Thowe art a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Thus as the lawe of nature hath in Melchisedech figured Chryste And the lawe of Moyses by prophecie forespoken yt So hath the lawe of the Gospell as ye haue nowe learned by sainct Paule fullfilled the same and most plainlie and euidentlie proued yt so to be Yf then Chryste be a preist after the order of Melchisedech we must seke what the order of the preistheade of Melchisedech ys and wherin yt consisteth And therbie shall we knowe the preistheade of Chryste wherin yt consisteth Sainct Paule generallie declareth the order of a preist when he saieth Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs Hebr. 5. quae sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis Euery high preist that ys taken from amonge men ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God to offer giftes and Sacrifices for sinne By whiche description of saincte Paule yt dothe appeare that the order of preisthead standeth in two partes The first he teacheth when he saieth Ordre of preisthead standeth in two partes Pro hominibus constituitur in ijs quae sunt ad Deum He ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God Wherby ys ment the preaching to the people and teaching them the lawes of God and ministring the Sacramentes to them as yt was saied vnto Moyses Esto tu populo in ijs quae ad Exod. 18. Deum pertinent vt referas quae dicuntur ad eum ostendasue populo ceremonias ritum colendi viam per quam ingredi debeant opus facere Be thowe vnto the people to Godward that thowe maist bringe the causes vnto God And thowe shalt teache them ordinaunces and lawes and shewe them the waie wherin they must walke and the worke that they must doo The seconde parte of the order of preistheade standeth in offring giftes and sacrifices for the sinnes of the people Then they that be called of God as was Aaron and doo preach and teache one faith of God vnto the people and offer vnto God one maner of sacrifice they be one order of preistheade So that these two must concurre or ells yt ys not a perfight order For Elias the prophet of God and the 3. Reg. 18. preistes of Baall did offer one maner of thinge in sacrifice for they both offred oxen yet they differed in preisthead For Helias was the preist of God the other the preistes of Baall And why was this difference bycause they taught not one faithe in one God Melchisedech and Aaron taught one God and were bothe preistes of Gen. 14. Leuit. 8. Heb 5. God For Melchisedech was the preist of the most high God as the booke of Genesis wittnesseth and Aaron was called of God as the booke of Leuiticus and saincte Paule to the Hebrues testifie And yet they were not of one order of preisthead bycause their sacrifices were not of one maner By this then yt maie be taken for a trueth that Chryst not being a preist after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchidech whiche two orders differed not in faith but in maner of sacrifice ys so called a preist after the order of Melchisedech for the maner of the sacrifice For he must agree with Melchisedech in that thing that maketh the difference betwixt the order of Aaron and the order of Melchisedech and that was and ys in the maner of sacrifice For Aaron offred in blood the other in bread and wine But here the Aduersarie will saie that Chryst ys not likened to Melchisedech for anie sacrifice by all the processe of saincte Paule But for Obiection that Melchisedech was Rex Salem kinge of Salem and withall the preist of God and for that he was with oute Father withoute Mother hauing neither beginning of daies nor ending in these pointes he ys the figure of Chryste who ys both king and preist hauing no Father in earth nor mother in heauen neither as concerning his Godhead anie beginning and as touching his Godhead and Manhead no endinge And so ys he a preist for euer To this I saie that the thing that saincte Paule principallie intended ys to be considered And then yt shall easilie be perceaued why he did not Principall entent of S. Paule in his epist to the Hebrues make rehersall of the maner of the sacrifice of Melchisedech nor mencion of the doing of the same in Chryste The principall entent of saincte Paule in this place was to proue and make manifest the excellencie of Chryst and his preisthead aboue Aaron and his preisthead Whiche excellencie in nothing more appeared then in that that Chryst was an euerlasting preist and his preisthead euerlasting and not in the maner of sacrifice For yf he had alleaged that Melchisedech did sacrifice in bread and wine The Hebrues wolde quickly haue saied that their sacrifices in that respecte moche excelled and had a moche more gloriouse shewe and cowntenance then the sacrifice of Melchisedech being but bread and wine And therfor saincte Paule omitted to make mencion VVhie S. Paule spake nothing of she sacrifice of Melchisedech in his epist
Chryst by faith and syncere charitie But that we haue no maner of cōiunctiō with him after the flesh that we verilie denie and that we saie ys altogether against the scriptures Doth he thinke the power of the mystical benediction to be vnknowen vnto vs which whē Chryst dwelleth in vs corporallie not onlie spirituallie The receaued doctrine in all the Church ys that Chryst ys verily and substātiallie present in the Sacramēt yt ys doen in vs doth yt not also by the communication of Chrystes flesh make Chryst corporallie to dwell in vs And a litle after he saieth Wherfor yt ys to be consydered that not by inward disposition onelie wihiche ys vnderstand by charitie Chryst dwelleth in vs but also by naturall participaciō c. These thinges haue we recited that what soeuer they be that shall read thys they shoulde the more clearly perceaue that we defende the doctrine receaued in all the Churche whiche ys that in the supper of our Lorde are verilie and substanciallie present the bodie and bloode of Chryst Thus moche the Germans in their Apologie I suppose this proclamer will nowe take a better minde with him and somwhat contracte and drawe in the large sales of his great bragge so vehementlie puffed vppe with a mightie vain gloriouse winde when he seeth the learned of Germanie so franklie and plainly publishing their faith whiche though yt be not in euery point sownde yet auouche they the contrarie to the doctrine of this proclamer and encoūter with him in this chalenge For first they cōfesse the very substāciall presence of the bodie and blood of Chryst in the Sacrament Secondarely they confirme the same by the authoritie of all the Christian churche as well the latin as the greke church for that in them both not nowe onely but of olde time also yt hath ben so taught receaued and beleued Thirdly they alleadge a clere and most plain place oute of Cyrill whiche by their iudgement as yt dothe appeare doth manifestly and inuinciblie proue the corporall presence of Chryst in the Sacrament And as yt so doth by their iudgement so doth yt by the iudgement of all catholike men not onelie withstand this prowde Goliath But yt plainly ouerthroweth hym Of the force of whiche sentence more shall be saied hereafter Fourthlie earnestly acknowledging this trueth and willing yt to be knowen to all the worlde they declare that the cause of their thus writing ys that all men might knowe that they do defende the trueth receaued of all the Churche which ys saie they that the bodie and blood of Chryst be verilie and substanciallie in the Sacrament This then being a treuth that ys and hath ben receaued of all the wholl Church of Chryste as besides these mens confession all catholique people through oute all christendome do acknowlege yt so to be I praie thee good Reader what parte doth this mā take to defende who with might and main dothe maintein the cōtrarie And impugneth that that the wholl Churche receaueth reuileth that that the whol Church reuerenceth blasphemeth that that the wholl Churche honoureth and that so arrogantlie and impudētlie Yt ys pittie that ther ys so moche impudencie and so moche arrogancie The Proclamer ys to be pitied mixed with vntrueth in him I saie pittie for that he ys Gods creature and in Baptisme once professed Christes name in this respecte charitie moueth me to pittie him and the more for that he receauing the plentifull giftes of God doth so wickedlie to the more encrease of his damnacion abuse them and forsaking God and his trueth becometh enemie to them bothe which he well declareth in that with soche violence he impugneth and blasphemeth them both In this parte and respecte as I cā not ioin with him so for my masters cause and the defence of my Mother the catholique Churche in whose house I desire to cōtinewe I cōtende with him and contēne him yea and hate him not the substance that God hath created in him but the wicked heresie that the Deuell hath breathed into him by which as he ys become enemie to God so must all the people of God become enemies to him as of the Prophet Heresiemaketh mā enemie to God Psalm 148 Dauid we haue good example Do not I o lord saeth he hate them that hate thee And am not I greiued with those that ryse vppe against thee Yea I hate them right sore euen as though they were my enemies And yet as I moue my penne against him So shall I moue my tounge to praye for him Possible yt ys that he being in the highest of his mischief maye be stryken downe as Paule was in the hyghest of his rage of persecucion Saincte Augustine when he walked in heresie and did most stowtly contempne the catholique professiō of Christes name yt pleased God sodenlie as yt were to geue him a newe minde and caused him to reuerence that that before he despiced The like happie chaunce I wishe this mā against whom yf I haue ben or in this boke shall seme to be sharpe let yt be referred to the euel cause wich the man defendeth and not the person himself The doctrine ys so wicked so directly against Gods holie woord so discrepant from the holie Councells so dissonant from the auncient Fathers so dissenting frō the common consent of Christian people so iniuriouse and contumeliouse to the wholl Churche that hath ben from Christ vntill this daie that yt ys by no means tollerable Nowe Reader I trust thowe seist that as moche as this iolie Chalenger required ys nowe perfourmed to him let him therfor perfourme his promesse and subscribe to the catholique faith and confesse Christes reall presence in the Sacrament Yf he will yet maliciouslie persist and saie ther ys no scripture nor doctour nor Councell brought furth that plainly proueth yt thē we must prouoke to iudges Yf he will not beleue the Germanes being Protestantes not Erasmus who ys accompted of them an vppright man not the Catholiques of our owne contrie and of other contries not the Councells which be alleaged not Cyrills plain and manifest sentēce not the cōmon receaued faith of the wholl Churche as well of that of the olde time as that that ys nowe bothe of the latines and of the grekes not the plain woordes of Christ who plainlie saith This ys my bodie Whiche woordes Erasmus saieth be owre sure and vmmoueable fundacion I praie thee Reader whome will he beleue besides himself Who shal bringe furth that one scripture doctour or Councell that he will accept as plainlie prouing the matter None but he himself or his likes moche like to the Felon that pleadeth not giltie and stoutlie crieth to be tried by God and the contrie And when by verdict of the iurie and sentence of the iudge he ys cōdēned he defieth thē all callinge bothe iudge and q̄st false harlotts ad saieth that true mē wolde neuer haue cōdēned him But the true mē that he meeneth be
example In the blessing of Iuda Iacob saied Iuda ys a lions whelpe from the spoill my sonne thowe arte comed on high He laied him dowen Gen. 49. and couched him self as a lion and as a lionesse who wil stire him vppe And after a litle He shall binde his fole to the vine and his Asses colte to the braunch He wasshed his garment in wine and his mantle in the bloode of grapes His eies are reader then wine and his teeth whiter then milke Soche like be the other Howe easie theise be for the vnlearned to vnderstande I referre yt to thy iudgement Reader Exodus and Leuiticus withe the rest of Pentateuchon although they require an higher sense for a Christian to vnderstand then the letter sowndeth as Origen declareth whiche not all the learned atteign vnto besides the applicacion of the figures to the things figured in the newe testament by Allegories as sainct Paule dothe in the Epistle to the Galatians and in his Epistle to the Hebrues yet they conteyn diuerse obscure senses seming almost to haue no reason in them as this in Leuitious Ye shall kepe my ordenances Thowe shalt not let cattle gendre with a contrarie kinde neither Leuit. 19. so we thy felde with mingled seede Neither shalt thow put on anie garment of linnen and wollen And in Deutronomio God thus commaunded Yf thowe chaunce vpon a birdes nest by the waie in whatsoeuer tree yt be or on the grownde whether Deut. 22. they be younge or egges and the dame sitting vpon the younge or vpon the egges Thowe shalt not take the dame with the younge but shalt in any wise let the dame go and take the young to thee that thowe maist prosper and prolong thy daies Thowe shalt not sowe thy vineyeard with diuerse seedes lest the fruicte of thy vineyeard be defiled Thowe shalt not Ibid. 23. plowe with an oxe and an asse together And again in an other place Thowe shalt not mosell the oxe that treadeth oute the corne in the Bearn Shall we take theise places in their grammaticall sense dothe the high prouidence of God occupie yt self in making ordeinances for birdes nestes And by gods ordeinance shall a man prosper and prolong his daies that taketh not the dame with the younge dothe the wisdom of God ioin soche rewardes to soche trifles And making the ordeinance for the thressing oxe dothe God as sainct Paule alleaging the same asketh take thought for oxen No. yt hath an other vnderstanding as ther sainct Paule alleaging this 1. Cor. 9. ordeinance of God applieth yt vnto Yt were enough to make a iust volume yf all the obscure places shoulde be recited that be in the olde Testament But as by theise yt maie be perceaued that the scriptures be not so easie as men phansie them to be So truly yt ys perilous that they as the aduersaries wolde shoulde be handeled commonlie of them whose vnderstanding atteigning to none other sense then the grammaticall sense and oftentymes not to that neither doo wounderfullie abuse them to the great dishonour of God and plain cōtempt of the scriptures his holiewoorde As yf the rude and simple shoulde read theise sentences aboue alleaged oute of Genesis Leuiticus and Deutronomium wolde he not saie they were fond and trifeling thinges And wher as wisedom and knowledge be the goodlie gifes of God yf the Eccls. 1. vnlearned shoulde reade the booke of the Preacher wher yt ys saied I commoned with my owne heart saieng lo I am comed to a great state and haue gotten more wisdom then all that haue ben before me in Hierusalem yea my hearte hath great experience of wisdome and knowledge for therunto I applied my minde that I might knowe what were wisdom and vnderstandinge what were errour and foolishnesse and I perceaued that this also was but a vexaciō of minde For wher moche wisdome ys ther ys also great trauaill and disquitnes c. Yf the vnlearned I saie shoulde reade this might he not take occasion to contēpne bothe wisdome and knowledge and so dishonour God in his giftes wherunto appeareth more occasion to be geuen in the next chapiter folowing wher yt ys writen thus Then I tourned me to consider wisdome errour and foolishnes for who ys he emonge men that might be compared to me the kinge in soche workes Jbid. 2. and I sawe that wisdome excelleth foolishnes as farre as light dothe darknesse For a wise man hathe his eies in his head but the foole goeth in darknes I perceaued also that they bothe had one ende Then thought I in my minde Yf yt happen to the foole as yt doth vnto me what neadeth me thē to labour any more for wisdome So I confessed within my heart that this also was but vanitie What maie appeare more vehement to dissuade a man from wisdom Howe moche ys wisdom the goodlie gifte of God abased to appearance in this saing Howe ys the gift of God magnified to the aduancement of gods honour when in appearance Salomon accompteth the labour for yt to be but vanitie I saie to yowe before God whom I call to wittnes that I speake trueth I heard a man of woorshippe of grauitie of wisdom of godlie life and of competent learning able to vnderstand and likewise excercysed in in the scriptures vpon the reading of this booke and conference had betwixt hym and me for the same earnestlie saye that yt was a naughtie booke Yf he dyd thus what will the rude the rashe vnlearned and the vngodlie reader doe Howe litle incitament of vertue appeareth to be in the Ballettes of Salomon Yea raitheir howe vngodlie and wanton seme they to be raither in the outwarde face teaching and prouoking wantonnesse then godlynesse of life In the first chapiter ye reade thus O howe faire arte thowe my loue howe fair arte thowe Thowe hauest doues eies O howe fair arte thowe my Cant. 1. beloued howe well fawoured arte thowe Owre bed ys deckt with flowres the syllinges of oure house are Cedre tree And again O stand vppe my loue my beautifull and come For lo the wynter ys nowe past the rain ys awaie and gone The flowres are comed vppe in the feldes the tyme of the birdes syngynge ys comed and the voice of the Turtle doue ys heard in oure lande The figge tree bringeth furthe her figges and the Vines beare blossomes and haue a good smell O stande vppe my loue my beautyfull and come my doue oute of the caues of the Rockke oute of the holls of the walls O let me see thy coūtenāce and heare thy voice For swete ys thie voice and fair ys thie face c. Like vnto this ys all that booke What can the vnlearned finde or vnderstande here any thinge to edificacion of godlie life or rather as ys saied a prouocation to wanton life Yet Iesus Sonne of Syrac semeth to haue more vnsemelie woordes then theise yea so vnsemelie as an honest mē wolde be ashamed to speake them
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
and sufficient matter to approue the doing of the holie catholique Churche in this matter And will I trust iudge this Proclamer sufficientlie aunswered by the best learned Fathers as well of the greke church as of the latin and will therfore thinke yt right that wher this Proclamer required but one plain sentence hauing nowe a nombre that he doo perfourme hys promesse and submitte him self to the trueth and subscribe to the catholique Churche and become her childe again whiche God of hys mercie bring to passe in him For trulie the giftes that God hath placed in him considered I cannot but loue him and prayse God in him and wish that I might ioin with him But whē I remembre hys great fall into this wickednesse I pietie him and vtterly deuide my self from him as my bownden duetie before fowre mēbres for the Proclamocion aunswereth God ys In this booke then as occasion hath serued I haue aunswered foure peices or membres of hys proclamacion The first for the hauing of the scriptures in the vulgar toung The second for Reseruacion of the Sacrament The thirde for the authoritie of the offring of Chryst to hys Father The fourth for the presence of Chrystes bodie and blood in the blessed Sacrament In the other bookes by the helpe of God shall be likewise aunswered some other partes of the same proclamacion as like occasion shall be ministred whiche God graunt maye be to hys euerlasting prayse and honour Amen THE SECOND BOOKE THE FIRST CHAPITER DECLARETH THE OFFICES OF THE OLDE LAVVE AND THE BENEFITTES OF the newe Lawe with an exhortation to submitte our vnderstanding to the knowledge of faithe and therwith to the beleif of the Sacrament LEX per Moysen data est gratia veritas per Iesum Christum facta est The Lawe saieth saincte Iohn was geuen by Moises but grace and trueth came by Iesus Chryst The Lawe as saincte Paule declareth had two offices for the Ioan. 1. The lawe hath two of fices Rom. 3. Ibid. 7. which yt was geuen of God by Moises to the people The one was to geue them knowledge of finne and to restreign them from yt The first parte of this office S. Paule speaketh of to the Romans saieng Per legem cognitio peccati By the lawe cometh the knowledge of sinne For saieth he in an other place Peccatum non cognoui nisi per legem Nam concupiscentiam nesciebā nisi lex diceret Non concupisces I knewe not sinne but by the lawe For I had not knowen what lust had ment except the lawe had saied Thowe shalt not lust The seconde parte he speaketh of to the Galathians wher when he had proued that the promisse of the blessing came not by the lawe but by faith as being made foure hundreth and thirtie years before the lawe was geuen he moueth this question Quid igitur lex wherfor then serueth the Lawe As who Galat. 3. shoulde saie yf the lawe were not geuen that by yt men shoulde atteign to iustification wherto then serueth yt what then ys the office of yt He answereth Propter trangressionem posita est yt was added for transgression that transgressours takinge with the lawe the spirit of seruitude in feare might be witholden from the trangression of the same Lawe although the outwarde obseruacion of yt conferred not that iustificaciō to the obseruers therof that auaileth before God The other office of the Lawe was by liniamentes of figures and shaddowes to leade the people to Chryst as S. Paul saieth Lex poedagogus fuit in Christo Jbid. The Lawe was oure schoolemaster to Chryste Wherfore our Sauioure Chryste willed the Iewes who were not willinge to receaue him as the Messias being yet by the Lawe taught to knowe him that they shoulde repair to Ioan. 5. the scriptures of the Lawe as to their schoolmaster saieng Scrutamini scripturas in quibus putatis vos vitam habere aeternam illae sunt quae testimonium perhibent de mè Searche the scriptures in the whiche ye thinke to haue eternall life and they are they whiche testifie of me Whiche Lawe vndoubtedlie did so teache them Christe by promisses figures and prophecies that they coulde not pretende ignorance but they must nedes be fownde offendours of malice wherof the chief ruler of the schoole Moyses wolde accuse them as Chryste saieth to them Nolite putare quòd ego accusaturus sum vos apud patrem Jbid. 5. meum est qui accusat vos Moyses in quo speratis Si enim crederetis Moysi crederetis forsitan mihi De me etenim ille scripsit Do not thinke that I will accuse yowe to my Father ther ys one that accuseth yowe euen Moises in whom ye trust For had ye beleued Moises ye wolde peraduenture haue beleued me for he wrote of me Of this office of the Lawe that ys of the schoole mastershippe of yt Howe yt promised Chryste Howe yt painted and deschribed him by figures and shaddowes Howe yt spake of him by prophecies in the old testament yt ys as to the pourpose of the matter whiche ys nowe in hand apperteineth treacted of in the first booke Nowe mindinge to seke the trueth of the same matter in the newe Testament I am moche comforted and delighted trusting with moche more facilitie and ease to atteign the same And yet as not withoute pleasure mixed with trauaill I haue doen the like in the firste booke passinge through the thikkes as yt were and obscure places of the Law not all vnlike vnto an Hūter who painfullie beating the busshes and traueling through the Thickes yet not withoute pleasure seking his game and comming to the goodlie faire Lawnde semeth to be moche eased and as yt were releiued of a great greif and then with more delight and pleasure foloweth the same Euē so nowe that I am comed to the beautifull Lawnd of the newe Testament wher for the sharpe priking busshes of the seuitute and bondage of sinne vnder the Lawe and for the obscure and darke thickes of figures and shadowes of the same finding the goodlie pleasaunt Lawnde of grace and veritie by Iesus Chryste I forgett my former trauaills and with freshe delight folowe on my gamme The Lawe had two offices not voide of incōmodities The Gospell hath The Gospel hath two commodities two benefittes enriched with great cōmodities The Lawe gaue knowledge of sinne The Gospell geueth grace for remission of sinnes the Lawe had figures the Gospell hathe the veritie He then by whome came this grace and veritie Iesus Christe who ys the Ioan. 1. light of the worlde and lightneth euery man that cometh into the same geue the bright and clere beames of his knowledge vnto vs both the writer and the reader that beinge led by his grace we maie come persightlie to his trueth and veritie and cominge to the same we maie with all humilitie and mekenesse subdue our vnderstanding to the seruice of faith And so learninge not
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