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
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
viribus credidisse nec habuisse opinioneÌ„ meaÌ„ sed ea etiaÌ„ de quibus scire me arbitrabar inter rogare me solituÌ„ Quantomagis de ijs de quibus anceps eram This care had I that with the best learned of the Hebrues I wolde go rownde aboute the Prouince whiche all the churches of Chryste do speake of For I acknowledge my dearest beloued Domnion and Rogatian that I neuer trusted moche to my owne iudgement in the studie of gods bookes neither haue I had my owne opinion but I haue vsed to aske of other yea euen those thinges whiche I thought I did vnderstande howe moche more those thinges of the whiche I was doubtfull Thus moche saincte Hierom. By the which saienge howe maie they bashe and be ashamed who hauing Rasshe readers and arrogant teachers maie be abasshed skant anie taste of learninge take vpoÌ„ theÌ„ not onelie to reade the scriptures but also to determin to expownde to aunswer to dissolue yea withoute all stoppe to wade through all matters of the scriptures wher saincte Hierom a man of great learninge and famouse in knowledge did not so sarre presume in matters that he did thinke hïmself to vnderstaÌ„de but he wolde coÌ„sult and learn the ïudgement of his Elders beinge learned and moche more wolde he so do in doubtefull matters Although in the time of Saincte Hierom manie did studie the scriptures whiche if the people coulde nowe reuerentlie and mekelie vse taking nomore vpon theÌ„ then becometh them and as to their calling apperteineth Many presume to teache before they learn Hieron ad Prulinum might be tollerated but the arrogant abuse then beginning emoÌ„ge the people whiche nowe hath inuaded and troubled a great parte of the Churche that ys that euerie man wolde be a teacher before he haith learned saincte Hierom coulde not conteine but complain and exclame vpon yt sainge Ad minores artes veniam quae non tam lingua quà m manu administrantur Agricolae cemeÌ„tarij fabri metallorum lignorumúe caesores lanarij quoque fullones ceteri qui variam supellectilem vilia opuscula fabricant absque doctore non possunt esse quod cupiunt Quod medicorum est promittunt medici tractant fabrilia fabri Sola scripturarum ars est quam sibi passim omnes veÌ„dicant Scribimus indocti doctique poëmata passim Hanc garrula anus hanc delirus senex hancsophista verbosus hanc vniuersi praesumunt laceraÌ„t docent antequam discant Alij adducto supercilio grandia verba trutinantes inter mulierculas de sacris literis philosophantur I wil come to the lower scieÌ„ces and soche as are excercised not so moche with tounge as with hande PlowmeÌ„ Masons metall Smiths Carpenters Wollmen fullers and other whiche do make diuerse thinges of housholde and vile workes without a teacher they cannot be that they wolde be Phisitions promisse what to Phisitions apperteineth Craftes men handle thinges to crastes men apperteininge Yt ys onlie Presumptuouse teachers the science of the scripture whiche all men euerie wher chalenge and take vpon them Learned and vnlearned we write Poëtes workes euerie 〈◊〉 This science of the scripture the chatering olde wief this science the oldâ—â—otinge man this science the bablinge Sophistre this science all men presume on they teare yt they teache yt before rhey can learn yt Some with high looke and great pride weighing graue woordes vtter ther wisdoÌ„ oute of the scriptures emongest womeÌ„ Thus moche sainct Hierome Whose woordes if a man will applie to this our time he shall perceaue them in euerie parte to be trewe And by theise woordes the Reader maie well perceaue howe moche yt misliked sainct Hierome that all maner of people woulde be prattelers bablers manglers and mincers of the scriptures medling reasoninge and disputinge of thinges they caÌ„ no skill of and presuming to teache before they haue learned Whiche great abuse I wolde to God it were yet no more in this our time then yt was in sainct Hieroms time Note further whiche ys the thinge that ys intended here to be spokeÌ„ of No man maie be his owne teacher in the scriptures that willinge no man shoulde be his owne master and teacher in the vnderstanding of the scriptures he bringeth furth for an example mechanicall artes or handy crastes whiche he saieth be not perfectlie learned withoute a teacher as though he shoulde therbie conclude that the scriptures can moche lesse be learned except the reader haue a teacher He proueth the same also by the sciences liberall for the obteininge of whiche manie philosophers haue trauailed diuerse and manie farre contries to heare famouse men teache the same Jbidm Likewise in the same epistle when he had by diuerse scriptures proued the difficultie of the same he assigneth the cause of his so doinge as ys before shewed in the first chapiter by these woordes Haec à me breuiter per stricta sunt vt intelligeres te in scripturis sanctis sine praeuio monstrante semitam non posse ingredi Theise thinges saieth he are of me breifli touched that thowe shouldest vnderstande that without a foreleader and a shewer thowe canst not entre the path into the holie scriptures Nowe wher this Proclamer wolde that yt shoulde be proued by some auncient writers that the laie people were forbidden to reade the woorde of God in their owne toung as though the Churche had nowe forbidden them and wolde therbie bring the Churche in hatred with the people I let him vnderstande that I neuer knewe anye soche prohibicion geuen to the laie people vniuersallie For yf ther had ben any soche ther shoulde not haue ben so manie learned laie men bothe in this Realme and in other Proclamer chargeth the Churche with an vntrueth as ther haue ben and be whiche haue bothe red and written of the scriptures in their natiue tounges and set their doinges abroad to the common reading of all people as well before theise daies as nowe and were not reprehended for their so doinge yf yt were well doen I meen accordinge to the catholique faith Wherfore I saie that he chargeth the Churche in this point with an vntreuth But this I saie that the Churche hath feared the abuse of the scriptures by soche of the laitie as be vnlearned and therwith rashe and therfore hath rebuked yt from time to time as ye maie perceaue saincte Hierom did in his time And I wolde learn of the Aduersarie whether yt be not better for the laie people to heare and learn then to read and read with misunderstanding forasmoche as misunderstanding maketh heresie and Mysunderstading maketh heresie Hilarius heresie condemnacon De intelligentia enim haeresis non de scriptura est saieth Hillarye Heresie riseth vpon the vnderstanding of the scripture not vpon the scripture yt self Seing then as yt ys proued and yet more shall that the scriptures be full of obscurities ful of difficulties and heardnes seing also the
authoritie or credite ys he of that teacheth in the pulpet by speaking then he that teacheth by open writing Yf ye will not beleue me writing ye will not beleue me preaching Yf ye wil beleue me preaching for that I speake the trueth by the scriptures and auncient fathers Beleue me also writing the trueth by the scriptures aÌ„d auncieÌ„t fathers And yf these alowed writers of these later daies teach the trueth by the scripturs aÌ„d auncieÌ„t fathers theÌ„ must they neds be receaued And ther for trulie yt ys necessarie that they be alleaged to th eÌ„tent the trueth maie be perceaued to be one throughout all and that they being ioined with the auncieÌ„tes yt maie be seeÌ„ that the same trueth is taught now that was taught a thousand yeares agoÌ„ before And therfor haue I determined not to geue place to this refusall of Heretiques but to alleage the Authours of these later yeares that the coÌ„sonancie and vnitie of the trueth maie be perceaued in all ages and that ther ys no other trueth taught now theÌ„ was taught in the Primitiue Church and the time of the Apostles yea no other trueth then was taught by oure Sauiour Chryst himself and by his holie Spirit the Authour of all trueth Wherby the foule railinges and slaunders which bemost comoÌ„ lie in the mouthes of the enemies maie be taken awaie and they of their vntrueth and malice woorthilie confownded Thus moche I thought good to saie for that in this book I minde to vse the testimonies of these late writers for th entent aboue specified And nowe therfore to Theophilacte the Grecian I shall ioin the learned doctour Nicolaus de Lyra a latin Authour who writing vpon the sixt of S. Iohn cometh to this text Et panis quem ego dabo caro mea est And the bread whiche I will geue ys my flesh and expowndeth yt thus Postquam egit de pane spirituali qui est Verbum hic consequenter agit de pane spirituali qui est Sacramentum After he hath don saieth this Authour of Chryst with the spirituall bread which ys Nico. Lira in 6. Ioan. the woorde here consequentlie he treacted of the spirituall breade whiche ys the Sacrament What dothe this authour dissent from the Fathers dothe he not signifie that Chryste before the sentence so often alleaged did speake of the spirituall bread hys Godhead which he calleth the woord And doth he not now saie that in yt that foloweth Chryst speaketh of the Sacrament These be sufficient to declare the true vnderstaÌ„ding of our Sauiour Chrystes processe and ordre in the sixte of S. Iohn And for that ye perceaue the same aswell after the minde of Chryste the verie texte so leading vs to vnderstand yt as also after the minde of diuerse learned authours I will nowe procead to see the vnderstaÌ„ding of diuerse textes of the rest of this chapiter that treacte of the blessed Sacrament THE FOVRTH CHAPITER BEGINNETH A further proof of the former matter by S. Cyprian and Euthymius THis distinction of these two breades last before mencioned perceaued and being withall remeÌ„bred that at this text The bread which I shall geue ys my â—…esh whiche I will geue for the life of the world Chryst began to speake of the Sacrament and continueth the disputation therof to the ende of the chapiter to proue the same more manifestlie to the Reader and withall to make yt clere that that processe ys not of a figuratiue flesh but of Chrystes verie propre flesh and bodie I will beginne at the same text and so descending to the last by a nombre of the most auncient Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house open both the one and the other I trust to the full contentacion of the godlie Reader The firste that shall shewe hys minde of this matter shall be the holie Martyr Cyprian who saieth thus Panis vitae Christus est panis hic omnium non est sed noster est Et quomodò dicimus Pater noster quia intelligentium credentium pater est sic paneÌ„ nostruÌ„ vocamus quia Christus noster qui eius corpus coÌ„tingimus panis est Hunc autem paneÌ„ dari nobis quotidiè postulamus ne qui in Christo sumus Eucharistiam quotidie ad cibuÌ„ salutis accipimus intercedente grauiore aliquo delicto dum abstenti noÌ„ coÌ„municantes à caelesti pane prohibemur à Christi corpore separemur ipso praedicante monente Ego sum panis vitae qui de caelo descendi Si quis ederit de hoc pane viuet in aeternum Panis quteÌ„ quem ego dedero caro mea est pro seculi vita The bread of life ys Chryst and this breade ys not the breade of all men but yt ys ours And as we do saie Oure Father because he ys the father of all that do beleue and vnderstande Euen so also oure bread call we whiche touche his bodie bicause owre Chryste ys bread This breade we dailie desire to be geuen vs least we which be in Chryst and take the Sacrament dailie to oure meate of health some greuouse offence coming betwene while we being excoÌ„municated and not receauing be forbidden from the heauenlie bread maie be separated from the bodie of Chryste he himself openly saing and teaching I am the bread of life whiche descended from heauen Whosoeuer shal eate of this bread shall liue for euer The bread which I will geue ys my flesh for the life of the worlde Thus moch S. CypriaÌ„ In this sentence I doubte not but ye perceaue that this holy Martyr applieth the sentences of the sixt of S. Iohn to the SacrameÌ„t of Chrystes bodie and blood According to whiche vnderstanding he calleth Chryst our bread S. Cyprian aplieth the sixt of S. Iohn to the Sacrament whom he so calleth not onelie bicause of his Godhead but also bicause he feadeth vs in the Sacrament with his bodie For saieth he we being in Chryste do receaue the Sacrament dailie to the meate of health But yf by sinne we forbeare to receaue the heauenlie bread we be separated from the bodie of Chryste Wherby we maie perceaue that not onelie the sixt of S. Iohn ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament But also when S. Cyprian calleth the Sacrament the meat of health the heauenly bread and the bodie we are taught that in the SacrameÌ„t ys the verie presence of that bodie to the which proprelie these goodlie titles maie be wourthilie applied Whiche bodie can be none other but the bodie of Chryst God an man But forasmoch as the faith of this famouse Father and holie Martyr Cyprian in this poinct hath ben notablie and manifestlie declared in sentences before alleaged in the first booke and more herafter shall be spoken I will not nowe trooble the reader with any longer declaracion of the same but will ioin with Cyprian one of the other side of Chrystes Parliament house euen Euthymius a grecian whose sentence Reader yt shall
heauē which Chryst our Sauiour by his blod hath bought vs to we shall be cōdēpned to that pain that we were once redemed frō ād so eternallie become miserable with him vnto whoos 's wordes we wolde geue credditte before the woordes of our Lorde God As nowe ye perceaue howe like the tēptacions be so maie ye perceaue howe like the rewarde of the assēting or agreing to the tēptaciō of the enemie ys Yf therfor ye will auoide the rewarde which ys pain eternal withstād the temptacion whiche beginneth the thrall A mong manie other two thinges methinketh shoulde with the assistēce of Two thinges which aught to moue vs to resist the temptatiōs of the Sacramentaries gods grace moche moue yowe to withstād his wicked tēptacions in this be half the one ys that as in the first tēptaciō to our first parentes he spake the plain cōtrarie of that God had spokē so in this his tēptacon he speaketh the verie contrarie to that that Chryst our Lorde God hath spoken For Chryst saied This ys my bodie But Sathā saieth yt ys not his bodie Now whē anie thing ys taught that ys manifestlie repugnant to the woorde of our Lorde God who cā speak nothing but trueth except we be woorse bewitched them the Galathians were we must nedes deme and iudge that doctrine to be false coming from Sathan the father of lies vntrueth and falshod And being false what ells ys to be doen but to withstande and reiecte yt The other thing that aught to moue vs to withstād this tēptaciō ys that Sectes of Sacramentaries Bereng Wicleff Io. Hus. the woordes of his doctrine be not consonant nor agreable For besides his diuerse and cōtrarie spirit which he breathed into Berengarius the first publique and open impugner of this blessed misterie as yt ys saied in the preface of this book into Wiceff and Hus he hath in this our time poured oute manie contrarie spitites and meruelouslie shewed himself the authour of dissētion and repugnant doctrine in the same misterie But for that I might be iudged partiall in the report of this diuerse doctrine I will not vse mie owne woordes but the woordes of Luther Satans cheif and first Commissionar in this maner of proceading and of Melancthon his right ofspring and defendour of his doctrine Luther in his breif confession noting the diuerse and repugnant spirittes that reigned amongest the Sacramentaries saieth in this maner At the first Eight disaegreing spirittes amōg the Sacramentaries nombred by Luther Carolstad Zwinglius Oecolamp Swenckfel these men were well warned of the holie Gost when that vpon that one text they diuided them selues into seuen spirits eche one differing allwaies from the other First Carolstadius wold haue the text so that this ys my bodie should signifie here sitteth my bodie Then Zwinglius saieth that that coulde not be well saied no though the Father of heauen had reueiled yt Therfor being moued with an other holie spirit of his own thus he turned the text Take eate this signifieth my bodie The thirde Oecolampadius brought furth his third holie spirit which turned that text into an other hew as thus Take eate this ys the token of my bodie The fourth Swenckfeldius thinking to make his stench to smell as muske brought vs furth of his holie spirit this rule These woordes this ys my bodie must be remoued from oure seight For they do let vs of the spirituall vnderstanding The fifth holie spirit being but excrementes of that other doth thus read that text Take and eate that which ys deliuered for yowe in this my bodie The sixt holie spirit saieth Take and eate this ys my bodie in remembrance as though Chryst had saied Take and eate this ys the monument of my bodie The seuenth holie spirit Ioannes Campanus bringeth this exposition Take and eate this ys my breadie bodie or bodie of bread Beside all these an other spirit flieth Ioan. Cam aboute For the Deuell ys an holie and great spirit whiche persuadeth men that herein ys no article of oure faith and therfor we aught not to contend of this matter but leaue yt free to euery man to beleue herein what he list Thus farre Luther See ye not by Luthers one woordes seuen and in th end of his collection one mo to make eight dissonant and disagreable doctrines vpon these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie See ye not Sathan diuided against Sathan See ye not his ministres plaing at crosse wasters for the victorie Be persuaded then that wher soche contencion soche strife soche Battaill ys amongest men springing all oute of one Gospell that in that Gospell ys no treuth But we haue not yet seen the ende Melanchton the right of spring and heire of the Lutheran doctrine was not onelie intoxicated with a diuerse spirit from his Father and Fiue sectes of Sacramētaries amōg the Lutherans nombred by Melanct. master Martin Luther in the ende of his life but also reporteth that among the Lutherans them selues ther were fiue Sacramentaries sectes or heresies For some saieth he be of Helhusius minde some of Sarcerius minde some other folowe the ministers of Breme and some Ioachimus Morlinus other also he alleageth whose opinion ys that Chrystes bodie maie be in euery place Whiche sectes being fiue in nombre yf ye put them to the eight enombred by Luther they make thirtene Thus by their own report yt ys to be perceaued that the woordes of Sathans doctrine be not of one sownde of one agreeement but his spirit Chrystes woordes wrested to sixtene diuerse senses by the Protestants hath breathed into his disciples vpon these fewe woordes of Chryst diuerse and and plain repugnant expositions and doctrines To these thirtene diuerse doctrines yf we adde and putto the expositions of Luther himself Melanchton and Caluine whiche esteemed them selues as the lightes of the worlde we shall make vppe sixtene diuerse expositions and doctrines of this matter fettfurth by Sathans disciples As for Luther yt ys euindent that he expounded Chrystes woordes farre vnlike to Zuinglius Oecolāpadius or anie of that line yea vnto Berengarius himself For he saieth they must be thus vnderstāded This ys my bodie that ys this bread ys my bodie Melanchton in his later daies as yt ys common to heretiques to growe worse and worse forsooke Luthers spirit and tasted of Zwinglius spirit Melancth His mutabilitie but so as he wolde in soch wise correct him that he wolde make him a newe spirit And therfor he wolde haue this sense vpon Chrystes woordes This ys my bodie that ys This ys a participacion of my bodie whiche newe interpretacion saieth Staphilus ys plainlie a newe Sacramentaries heresie Last of all the doctrine of Caluine swarueth from all these teaching that Chryst ys geuen to vs reallie but not corporallie as though the sense of Io. Caluine Chrystes woordes might be This ys my bodie that ys This ys the verie substance of my bodie but it ys
before declared hath both S. Ambrose and S. Augustin when they saied Non eraet corpus Christi ante consecrationem sed post consecrationem dico tibi quòd iam corpus est Christi Yt was not the bodie of Chryst before the cosecracion but after the consecracion I sai to thee that nowe yt ys the bodie of Chryst Thus nowe ye see the consonant testimonie of this Father of the latin Church with Euthymius of the greke Church and of these twoo with all the rest and of all among them selues which all as yt were with one mouth as yt becometh soche auncient fathers and noble men of Chrystes high Parliament house and right scholers also of his blessed schoole though they were in diuerse places half of the greke Churche and half of the latine Churche and diuerse times some in the verie beginning of the Churche some two hundreth some three hundreth some foure hundreth years after other and yet in faith and in agreement in the same in the vnderstanding also of the woordes of Chrystes supper they speake as they were but one mouthe and in one time and place all confessing vpon these woordes of Chryst the verie presence of his reall bodie and not one confessing yt to be a figure Tertullian onely excepted who yet so doeth not after the maner of the Aduersaries doctrine but after the maner of the catholique doctrine which as ther at large ys declared teacheth that the Sacrament ys bothe the figure and the thing yt self Nowe therfore Reader seing thowe seest so great consent and agreement of so manie auncient learned Fathers euen of the eldest of the Church of the whiche diuerse haue testified their faith by their bloodes and be holie Martirs of Chryst diuerse holie confessours and sainctes in heauen and all vertuouse and good vpon whose authoritie next vnto the scripturs the Canons of the holie Apostles and the holie generall Councells the Church doeth fownde and buill their faith and religion in all poinctes of the same honouring and reuerencing them and submitting themselues to them and their iudgementes as children to fathers and scholers to masters submitte also thy self to them consent to them agree with them and beleue with thē that thowe maist be saued with them Remembre whether thowe be English Let all the Protestātes bring furth if they can when anie contrie did whollie opēlie and quiethe professe soche religon as they nowe preache man or Frenche man Germain Flemming or Saxon. that when thie contrie first receaued Chryst yt receaued this faith in this yt hath continued in this thy fathers were baptised in this they liued in this the most parte of them died and in this hope ys that they be saued Bringe furth yf thow can yf euer till nowe of late daies thy contrie professed soche faith yf yt maie be called faith yf euer yt vsed soche maner of religion yf euer they did so often chaunge their profession Yf no soche president can be shewed yf this waie be a waie that thowe neuer sawest before why wilt thowe vpon the phantasie of nouelties be caried awaie Call to thy minde the good aduertisement of sainct Paule who saieth Be not caried awaie with diuerse and straunge doctrines Forgett not that when Luther first began hys pestilent heresie he acknowleged the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament so did his disciples Heb. 13 Diuersities of religiō in these daies howe they began also till within fewe daies hys Disciples Carolstadius Zuinglius and Oecolampadius fell from him and began a newe waie and taught that Chrystes bodie was not in the Sacrament Besides these oute of Luther came the Anabaptistes and a nombre moo of other sectes so that in diuerse contries so manie free cities so manie Dukedomes so manie lordships almost so manie faithes or raither opinions and so manie diuerse countenances of religions In Englonde in the time of King Henrie the eight ther began a newe countenance of religion In the first yeare of the reign of Mutacions of religion in Englōd his Sonne King Edwarde an other countenance within twoo yeares after ter euen in the time of the same king hys reign an other countenaunce And that ys nowe in thys same Realme varieth from them all Perceaue then that the doctrines that be nowe settfurth by the Proclamer as they be straung so be they diuerse so be they variable so be they chaungeable The doctrine that was before this kinde of people troubled the Church was not diuerse but one not straunge but of auncient continuance not causing warre debate tumultes and insurrections in Realmes diuisions dissentions and contencions betwixt neighbours But as touching religion great quietnesse ioifull peace and amiable concorde not onely in Citties and townes but also in all free cities Lordshipps Dukedomes and realmes of Europe Remembre again that as S. Paule saieth God ys not the God 1. Cor. 14. of dissention but of peace Wher then thow seist peace thither diuerte ther setle thy self ther abyde among these holie Fathers thow seist peace in this matter of the Sacrament among the other ther ys discord as thow hauest perceaued in the xli chapiter of this booke leaue the one and cleaue to the other and the God of peace be withe thee THE NINE AND FIFTETH CHAPITER beginneth the exposition of the same text by the fathers of the later daies and first by Damascen and Haymo I Haue hitherto vsed the testimonies of the auncientes and Fathers of Chrystes Churche naming them noble men of the higher house of Chrystes Parliament for that they be all within or verie neare sixt hundreth years of Chryst whiche the Proclamer can not refuse except he will saie as the great heresiark Luther Luthers prowde contempt of holie fathers saied Non curo mille Cyprianos nec mille Augustmos I care not for a thousand Cyprians nor a thousand Augustines By the testimonie of all whiche the woordes of Chryst are deliuered from the mystie and clowdie figures of the aduersaries and are placed and adourned with the auouching of the bright and clere presence of Chrystes blessed bodie and blood And so ys the Proclamer plentifullie confuted by soche holie fathers as he himself can not refuse And the faith of the catholique Church by the same ys as fullie mainteined and declared And although the Proclamer by Luciferance pride semeth as yt ys in the english prouerbe to correct magnificat I meen to correct the Church and the faith of the same and to be a iudge vpon all the learned men that haue ben these nine hundreth years and by his iudgement withoute anie sufficient Commission to condemne them to deface them and not to esteem their sainges learning or authoritie wherin he foloweth the Manichees and other which for the mainteinaunce of their heresieswolde accept soche scriptures as they liked and soche as they liked not they wolde refuse Yet forasmoche as the Church hath allowed them and their doctrine ys agreable to
in S. Augustin and the other in Cyrill S. Augustyn saieth thus Aliud est sacramentum aliud virtus sacramenti quam multi de altari accipiunt moriuntur accipiendo moriuntur The Sacrament ys one thing the vertue of the Sacrament ys an other which vertue manie doe receaue from the aultar and doe die and in receauing doe die By the death that S. Augustine here speaketh of he meneth dānacion euerlasting For immediatelie he saieth vnde dicit Apostolus Iudicium sibi manducat bibit Wherfore the Apostle saieth he eateth and drinketh his owne damnacion In which his woordes this partickle the Vertue of the Sacrament ys not taken for the vertue of Chrystes flesh as distincted and diuided from the flesh of Chryst but yt ys taken for the verie flesh of Chryst yt felf which we knowe and beleue allwaies to be full of vertue whersoeuer yt be Yf the Aduersarie will take here the woorde Vertue in S. Augustine as not signifieng the flesh of Chryst but onelie the merittes and benefittes of Chrystes flesh which be grace remission of sinnes iustificacion and saluacion then yt shall folowe that a man maie at one time receaue grace and displeasure iustificacion and condemnacion saluacion and damnacion For S. Augustine saieth that manie in receauing the vertue of the Sacrament doe die that ys be damned Nowe if in receauing the vertue of Chrystes flesh which ys saluacion they also receaue death which ys damnacion then they receaue at one time both saluacion and damnacion which ys vnpossible Wherfor Vertue in this place neither ys nor can be taken as the aduersarie wolde haue yt but for the flesh of Chryst whiche being vnwoorthilie taken and receaued causeth in dede damnacion as the text of S. Paule by S. Augustin alleaged doth teache of the which we shall treact more at large in his owne place in the thirde booke The other also vsed by S. Cyrill signifieth not the power of life as separated from the flesh of Chryst whiche ys as S. Cyril saieth Caro vitae the flesh of life and Corpus vitae the bodie of life but yt signifieth that liuelie flesh yt self For when sainct Cyrill as a litle before ye haue heard had saied that God powreth into the offred thinges mening the bread and wine the power of life howe that ys doen or what he meneth by that he immediatelie declareth saing turning those thinges into his owne verie slesh and bloode As who might haue saied He powreth into the offred thinges the power of life whē he turneth them into his owne flesh and bloode Thus trusting that Theophilact ys fullie deliuered from the wresting of the the Aduersarie and that the falhead of the same Aduersarie ys here detected Plain places of Paschasius against the Sacramentaries and the catholique trueth opened and defended I will ende with him and call in Paschasius who ys of the other side of Chrystes Parliament house who will verie aptelie come in this place to aunswer the Aduersarie who wolde in steade of Chrystes bodie place the vertue of his bodie For he vpon Chrystes woordes saieth thus Coenantibus autem illis accepit Iesus panem benedixit ac fregit deditue Discipulis suis ait Accipite comedite Hoc est corpus meum Audiant qui volunt extenuare hoc verbum corpus quòd non sit vera caro Christi quae nunc in sacramento celebratur in Ecclesia Christi neque verus eius sanguis When they were at Paschasiut li. de corp et sang Dom. supper Iesus tooke bread he blessed yt and brake yt and gaue yt to his Disciples and saied Take and eate this ys my bodie Let them heare that will extenuate or abase this worde bodie that yt ys not the verie flesh of Chryst that ys nowe celebrated in the Sacrament in the Church of Chryst neither that yt ys verie bloode And a litle before he saieth vpon the same text Nec ita dixit cùm fregit dedit eis panem Haec est vel in hoc mysterio est quaedam virtus vel figura corporis mei sed ait non fitè Hoc est corpus meum Et ideo hoc est quod dixit non quod quisque fingit Neither did he saie when he brake the bread and gaue yt them This ys or in this mysterie ys a certain vertue or figure of my bodie but he saieth plainlie This ys my bodie And therfore yt ys yt that he saied and not that that euery man feigneth And yet again after a fewe lines he saieth Vnde miror quid velint nunc quidam dicere non in re esse veritatem carnis Christi sanguinis sed in sacramento virtutem quandam carnis non carnem virtutem sanguinis non sanguinem figuram non veritatem vmbram non corpus Wherfore I woonder what some men doe meen to saie that ther ys not in dede the veritie of the flesh and bloode of Chryste but in the Sacrament to be a certain vertue of the flesh and not the flesh the vertue of the bloode and not the bloode a figure and not the veritie a shadowe and not the bodie What shall I trooble the reader with doing of that that ys allreadie doen As Euthymius Damascen Haymo and Theophilact doe auouche the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament and as yowe haue hearde them denie the Sacrament to be onelie a figure so doth this authour agree with them and denieng with them the Sacrament to be a figure shadowe or vertue or Chrystes bodie teacheth as they doe the verie presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament and that by vertue of Chrystes woordes Paschas ibid. who saied This ys my bodie Wherupon again he saieth Hoc est corpus meum non aliud quà m quod pro vobis tradetur Et cùm calicem porrigeret Hic est inquit calix noui Testamenti qui pro vobis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum Nec dum itaque erat fusus tamen ipse porrigitur in calice sanguis qui fundendus erat Erat quidem iam in calice qui adhuc tamen fundendus erat in precium Et ideo ipse idemue sanguis iam erat in calice qui in corpore sicut caro vel corpus in pane This ys my bodie and none other but euen the same that shall be deliuered for yowe And when he gaue them the cuppe he saied This ys the cuppe of the newe Testament whiche shall be shed for yowe in the remission of sinnes Yt was not yet shed and yet the same bloode was geuen in the cuppe that was to be The same blood in the cuppe that was to be shedd shed Yt was trulie nowe in the cuppe that was to be shed in redemption And therfore euen the verie same blood was nowe in the cuppe that was in the bodie euen as yt was the same flesh or bodie that was vnder the bread Thus farre
infunditur irrorat mentes piorum obdulcat fauces corum Thowe askest me why the Lord God did rain Manna to the people of the Fathers and nowe he doth not rain Yf thow knowest he raineth now and dailie he raineth Manna froÌ„ heauen vnto them that serue him And in diuerse places the same corporall Manna ys nowe fownde but yt ys not nowe a thing of so great miracle for that ys comed that ys perfecte But that perfecte ys the bread from heaueÌ„ Howe moche more excellent are these then the other aboue rehersed whiche ys the bodie born of the virgen of the whiche the gospell sufficient lie teacheth Howe moche more excellent are these then the other aboue rehersed Who soeuer did eate that Manna that ys that bread they are dead But this bread whosoeuer eateth shal liue for euer But this ys a spiritual Manna that ys the spirituall rain of wisdom whiche ys powred into them from heauen that be wittie and do seke yt and yt dothe dewe the mindes of the Godlie and maketh swete their Iawes hitherto S. Ambrose Of whom we maie learn as ys before saied that not onelie the woord and Oecolap his shaÌ„ful abusing of the auncieÌ„t Fathers namelie of S. Ambr. wisdom of God ys called Manna but also the bodie of Chryste whiche was born of the virgen whiche he calleth perfecte Manna And here yt ys not to be ouerpassed that Oecolampadius the enemie of this Sacrament who of indurate malice wrote a booke against the same in the whiche to the entent he might more easilie deceaue the vnlearned and simple as to make them beleue that the holie fathers were of his side he vseth to alleage diuerse of theÌ„ but so that somtime he doth wrest them shamefullie some time he falfifieth them somtime he corrupteth them somtime he truncateth them somtime alleaging them and taking vpon him trulie to reporte them he doth mutylate them in the middest of their sainge as impudenilie and wickedlie he doth vse S. Ambrose here in this place last alleaged of the whiche for that he perceaued yt made against him he left oute a sentence whiche I haue noted in the margen both the latin and the english to the entent ye shoulde perceaue the sentence alone and with all see howe that wicked man ioined the rest of the sentence to gether mutilating and cutting this awaie This ys the sinceritie of heretikes in handling of matters of faith and religion And thus maie ye see what credite they be wourthie of By this ye maie perceaue also whether they offende of ignorance of simplicitie or ells of deuelish malice Ys not this deuelish malice that seing a sentence in the middest that impugneth his heresie he cutteth yt of and peiceth yt together again as though ther were nothing lacking Did not his conscience trowe ye reprehend him wheÌ„ he did yt Ys not he the childe of his father Sathan that seeth and perceiueth that this waie ys naught and wicked and yet by gile and crafte will trauaill to induce men into yt and bringing manie to damnacioÌ„ aggrauate his owne euen as his father doth I haue thought good reader here to aduertise thee of their impostures that though they sett oute their doctrine with neuer so good a countenance of holinesse learning and consent or testimonie of holie Fathers yet be well assured that vnder the faire countenaunce of the enemie of mankinde tempting our mother Eue ther was a mortiferouse serpent vnder his swete woordes which to well liked the hearer was most bitter falshood and vntrueth Vnder the sweet woordes of Heretiques lieth bitter poisoÌ„ of falshead In that goodlie pleasaunt and delctable aple was cruell and horrible death and damnacion so in their faire countennance ye shall finde serpentine infection in their woordes falshead errour and heresie and in the taking of their doctrine or consenting to yt plain damnacion But nowe that ye maie perceaue howe moche this sentence whiche denelishlie he cutt of dothe impugne his doctrine and make for the trueth I will somwhat open the same and so shall ye perceaue that of sett pourpose and of very malice he left yt oute S. Ambrose answering Irenaeus saieth that Manna nowe a daies though yt be fownde in many places at this present time yt ys not a thing of so great miracle He addeth the cause bicause saieth be that ys nowe comed that ys perfect as who might saie The figures of the lawe though manie of theÌ„ when they were in vse were great thinges and semed to be merueilouse yet when the thinges came of the whiche they were figures they were not so merueilouse like as the light of a torche in the night time semeth to be a great light a very perfect light yet in the daie the brigth beames of the Sunne shining and glistering yt ys but an vnperfecte and almost no light so the figures of the olde lawe compared to the thinges figured in the newe lawe Wherfor Manna being but a figure of that perfect thing the bodie of Chryst when that once came in place Manna appeared to be but an vnperfect thinge When S. Ambrose had made this comparison of the figure to the thing figured and sawe the perfectioÌ„ of the one and the impefection of the other the excellencie of the one and the weaknesse or basenesse of the other he brought in this senteÌ„ce which OecolaÌ„padius left oute Quanto sunt praestaÌ„tiora haec superioribus Howe moche more excellent are these then the other aboue rehersed howe moche more excellent ys the bodie born of the virgen our verie true Manna and the right bread of heauen whiche we feade vpon in the Sacrament then Manna whiche the Iewes did eate And here note SacrameÌ„taries to maintein their heresie denie the excellencie of the Sacramentes of the newe lawe again gentle reader that this wicked man and other his complices who denie as ye perceaue the presence of Chryst in the blessed Sacrament do also as wickedly teache that the Sacramentes of the newe lawe geue no grace And to maintain these two euell and wicked opinions they take the third against the trueth that all Chrystes Churche receaued whiche ys that the Sacramentes of the newe lawe are of no more excellencie then the Sacramentes of the olde lawe For yf they shoulde graunt that they were more excellent then must they nedes also admitte the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode to be more theÌ„ a bare sign figure or token of his bodie And so must be enforced to graunt the presence Nowe by cause Oecolampadius impugneth that presence and fowde in S. Ambrose that he taught that the Oecolamp his best soliâ—cion to S. Amb. argumet thinges of the newe testament are more excellent then thinges of the olde and sawe that he was pressed with the weight of S. Ambrose his argument he had no better solucion then clean to leaue yt oute and so to shippe yt ouer I trust ye perceaue that this litle
remembrance of me for asmoche as holie Ciprian saieth that Chryst hath commaunded vs to offre his bodie in sacrifice and before him so saied Irenaeus and after him so saied Sainct Ambrose and diuerse other holie learned Fathers I wolde learn of them what place ells in the scripture ther ys wherupon these auncient Fathers dooe grownde these their sainges But let them mocke and skorn at Chrystes trueth as the Phariseis and Scribes did at him self yet as Chryst remained and remaineth and shall for euer remain and shall condemne the wiked generacion So dothe and shall this trueth remain to their condemnacion And howesouer they will laboure to obscure yt yet the holie doctours who verie well knewe by the doctrine of the primitiue Churche howe the scripture ys to be vnderstanded shall allwaies open the same and make yt clere As nowe Sainct Cyprian in declaring the commaundement of Chryst doth almost speake the verie woordes of the commaundement Chryste saied Hoc facite in meam commâ—morationem This doe ye in the remembrance of me Ciprian saieth he commaunded this sacrifice to be doen in the remembrance of him Sainct Ambrose likewise growndeth himself vpon these saine woordes of Chryst when he saied I lorde being mindfull of thy honorable passion come vnto thing aultar although vnwoorthie and a sinner that I maie offre vnto thee the sacrifice that thowe didest institute and commaundest to be offred in the remembrance of thee The Ambr. oratione praepar ad Missem same allusion haue other Fathers also So that yt ys as clear as the daie light amonge the auncient doctours that Chryst by these woordes commaunded his Churche to offre his bodie and bloode in sacrifice Nowe once to ende the notes that maie be made vpon Sainct Ciprian and to stoppe the mouthes of them that speake wicked thinges as saieth the spalmist Note well the last parte of Sainct Ciprians sainges and ye shall see that both Chryst did offre sacrifice in his last Supper and that we also do òffre sacrifice yf we doe obserue and kepe the institucion of Christ For Sainct Ciprian saieth Sacerdos vice Christi verè sungitur si id quod Christus secerit imitatur sacrificium verum pleanum tunc offert in Ecclesia Deo Patri si sic incipiat offerre secundùm quod ipsum Christum viderit obtulisse The preist doeth truelie exercise the ministracion of Chryste yf he folowe that that Chryst hath doen and then doeth he offre in the Chruche vnto God the Father a true and sull sacrifice yf he so beginne to offre as he hath seen Chryst to haue offred In which sentence this maie be noted first that Chryst did offre sacrifice in the last Supper which the Aduersarie denieth Secondarely that the Church folowing the institucion of Chryste offreth to God a full and a true sacrifice whiche also the Aduersarie denieth By this then ye perceaue these two partes of the Masse that ys holie consecracion and oblacion to be doen by Chryst in his holie ministracion As for the thirde whiche ys holy receauing ther ys no controuersie betwixt vs and the Aduersarie Yt ys more then neadeth to be spoken of that both Chryst him self and all the Apostles present at the borde of Chryst did eat of that holie oblacion or sacrifice These three being the substanciall partes of the Masse and the verie true Masse in dede and being by Christ instituted ordeined and appoincted as yowe haue perceaued what can we ells saie but that Chryste ys the Authour of the Masse that he instituted the Masse and that he saied Masse Yf anie desire to be better satisfied in these two partes namely consecracion and oblacion for the first let him repaire to the second booke and ther from the xli chapiter to the ende of the booke he shall finde enoughe to satisfie him For the other in the first booke from the xxxiij chapiter to the ende of that booke he shall likewise finde that maie content him THE FOVR AND THIRTETH CHApiter sheweth the vse of the Masse vsed and practised by the Apostles THe Masse as ys saied and proued being instituted by Chryste and by him also coÌ„maunded to be practised and vsed of his Church yt shall be expedient and necessarie that we see how and in what maner that his commaundement was executed and his institucioÌ„ practised first by the Apostles and after by the holie Fathers of the primitiue and auncient Chruche For they well knowing Chrystes verie minde their doinges are to vs a perfect expositioÌ„ and declaracioÌ„of the same Wherfore minding to see them they shall yet so be seen as both the practise of the Masse of the catholique Church nowe in vse and the practise also of the Schismaticall Churche maie be plainlie laied furth and compared to the former practises that therbie triall maie be made whether of these two agree or disagree with the Apostolique and primitiue Churche Yf we of the catholique Churche dissent either from Chrystes institution or from the Apostles and Fathers as touching the substanciall parts of the Masse or anie other weightie matter of the faith let vs suffre the reproche Yf the Proclamer and and his complices haue swerued from them let them repent and seke gods mercie This I promisse before God that I will laie furth the matter as simplie for the declararatioÌ„ of the trueth as I can deuise that the fault maie be fownd wher yt ys And before I enter to declare this practise I wish the reader to be aduertised and to haue this for a generall rule that wher in this Processe we shall treact of the Masse and call yt the Masse of S. Peter of S. Andrewe of S. Iames of S. Clement or S. Dionise Masse S. Basills Masse Chrisostomes Masse S. Ambrose Masse and soche other that we doe not neither ys yt so to be betaken that these distinctions be vpon the propre significacioÌ„ of the Masse that ys that these Masses be distincted in the substanciall parts of Masse as that the Masse of S. Peter shoulde be substanciallie distincted from the Masse of S. Iames and the Masse of S. Iames substanciallie different from the Masse of S. Basill and so furth But the difference ys taken of the generall acception or significacioÌ„ of Masse that ys that they be different in extern thinges as in some ceremonies in praiers and in other gestures or maners but not in intern or inwarde substanciall thinges For in them all ye shall finde one thing onely consecrated one thing onelie offred in sacrifice one thing onelie receaued And therfore in Consecracion oblacion and receauing they being not different Masse of the Apostles and Fathers and that ys vsed nowe in the Church all one in substance But all one are not called S. Peters Masse nor S. Iames Masse and so furth But Chrystes Masse For these thinges be of his institucion and not of theirs The diuersitie of Ceremonies praiers and other maners ys of theÌ„ by the magisterie of the
he did sanctifie and blesse yt The catholique Churche folowing them saieth likewise that he gaue not onelie thankes but also that he blessed yt The Proclamers Church saieth no more but that he gaue thanks and liketh not to saie that Chryst blessed yt or sanctified yt And wote yow whie Bicause they feared that the trueth might be sooner perceaued that by the blessing and sanctificacion of Chryste his verie bodie and blood were consecrated as they were in dede which by all shiftes and meanes they labour to hide But I wishe the wholl woordes of S. Iames Masse not onely to be well noted but also continuallie to be remembred that he saieth that Chryste gaue thankes he sanctified he blessed and fylled the cuppe with the holie Gost For these woordes not onelie impugne the wicked assertion of the Sacramentarie but also commende to vs the excellencie of the B. Sacrament and Woordes of S. James Masse proue the presence of that blessed bloode whiche the catholique Churche teacheth there to be present For who can saie that after these great doings of Chryste of sanctifieng blessing and filling with the holie Gost that ther ys nothing ells made but a bare hungrie figure This godlie acte of Chryste the Apostles and Fathers foloweing as S. Iames in his Masse S. Basill and Chrysostom in their Mases did not onelie make mencion of his blessiing and sanctifieng but did them selues sign and blesse the Sacrament as in their Masses yt ys plain to see Which acte of Chryst of the Apostles ād fathers the catholike church embrancing signeth with the sign of the crosse and blesseth the Sacrament signifieng the sanctificacion their doen to be doen by the power of him that by his crosse sanctified all the faithfull But these wicked bretheren of the late fownd Church geue as fewe termes of excellencie to yt and vse as fewe gestures and actes signifieng blessing and sanctificacion as they maie that the estimacion of that gloriouse Sacrament maie be impaired Thus nowe ye haue seē the conference made ye see the catholique Churche Conference of the catholeque authoritie of preists withe the lacke of authoritie of newe ministers in euerie poinct agreing with Chryste withe Apostles and with the pritiue Churche Contrarie wise ye see the newe fownd Churche allmost in all pointes disagreing Finallie I thinke yt expedient that as I haue here spoken of consecracion and conferred the doing of the catholique Churche and of the newe Churche with the Apostolique and primitiue Churche So to saie a fewe woordes of the preist of the one and of the minister of the other And here not moche to tarie the reader yt ys to be remēbred that Chryste when he had instituted this diuine and noble Sacrament willing yt to be continued gaue his Apostles and in them to all their successours power authoritie and commaundement to doo that that he had doen. By which commaundement euery catholique preist duelie executing this ministracion doth consecrate the verie bodie and blood of Chryste by vertue of Chrystes ordeinance and woordes duelie pronouced The ministres of the newe churche not being of the catholique succession as they haue no soche power authoritie or cōmaundement from Chryste Newe ministres haue no authoritie to consecrate to consecrate his bodie and blood and as their monstrouse heades neither can geue them soche neither mindeth that they shoulde doe anie soche thing but raither as they finde yt bread and wine so to let yt remain and so to receaue yt they do not so rehersing Chrystes woordes consecrate his blessed bodie no more then they doo that read those woordes vpō the booke in their cōmon studies For if the historie of Chrystes supper rehersed of a minister not endewed with laufull authoritie descending to him by catholique ordre did consecrate then shoulde consecracion haue ben doen in manie a querulouse and contenciouse dinner and supper aswell in Tauerns as ells wher wher the like woords haue ben spokē and rehersed of men of as good authoritie for that pourpose as the ministre Be not deceaued therfor gentle readers to thinke that of sochemens hands yowe receaue the bodie of Chryste Yt ys to moche that yowe receaue ther schisinaticall bread yt were lamentable therwith also to committee Idolatrie And now although this might suffice to prooue the Masse to haue benvsed of the Apostles yet for thy better confirmaciō gentle reader I shall adde Addias hist Apost li. 7. the testimonie of Abdias Bishoppe of Babilon and a Disciple of the Apostles who writeth thus of the Masse and death of S. Matthewe Cumue respondissent amen misteria Domini celebrata Missāsuscepisset omnis Ecclesia retinuit se vt iuxta altare vbi corpus ab eo fuerat Christiconfectum illic martyriū Apostolicū exultaret S. Matt hew saied Masse And when all had saied Amen and all the Churche had receaued the Masse and the ministeries that were celebrated he staied him sem self that by the aultar wher the bodie of Chryste was by him cōsecrated ther should his martidom be solemnised Thus ther. In this place ye heare plain menciō made of the Masse doen and celebrated by S. Mathewe whiche if the Aduersarie wil seke to auoid as put in by the translatour yet he can not denie these two thinges whiche be in effect equiualent that ys the aultar and the consecracion of the bodie of Chryste Nowe if he did clerebrate at the aultar and on the aultar did consecrate the bodie of Chryste yt foloweth that he did celebrate the Masse And here I wish these two thinges to be well noted forsomoch as they were written of one that was disciple to the Apostles and did write diuerse bookes of their liues The one ys that S. Matthew did celebrate at the aultar the other that he did consecrate the bodie of Chryste Yf these two were to be writtē as in vse thē yt maie easelie be iudged who doth offēd he that doth vse both in these daies or he that refuseth both And wher the Proclamer as ys of late saied prouoketh so moche to the primitiue Churche iudge nowe again Reader how well yt liketh him to folowe the order of the primitiue Churche whē he abādoneth and flieth frō these two thinges as frō a serpēt and yet both vsed as ye perceaue of the Apostles and the Primitiue Church Hauing nowe saied sufficiētlie for the vse of the Masse in the Apostles time to cōclude this chapter this maie be saied that as yt pleased our Sauiour Christe to cōmend to the worlde the trueth of his holie Gospell principallie by foure Euāgelistes and S. Paule his chosē vessell So yt hath pleased him to cōmēd the trueth of the holie ministracion of his bodie and blood called the Masse by foure Apostles namelie S. Peter S. Andew S. Iames and S. Matthew and also by S. Paule He of his mercie graūt that as by the Euangelistes his Gospell was receaued and beleued so by the testimonie and doinges
faithfull and wise stewardes ād that we maie finde grace and mercie in that fearfull daie of the iust and good rewarde Thus moch S. Iames Masse Not minding to tarie vpon the beginniug of the praier wher ye maie perceaue that like maner of praier ys vsed as in the last chapter ys spokē of namelie that this sacrifice maie be receaued gratefullie acceptably c. Whiche I doe but touche wishing yt to be noted the better to perceaue the malice of the Proclamer who as ye haue heard reproueth and skorneth that in the Church that was vsed of the Apostles I minde not I saie to tarie but to hast me to note these thinges that now we haue to speake of namely that the sacrifice of the Masse ys auailable both to the quicke ād the dead which both be here testified whē the Apostle praieth that this sacrifice maie be pleasing and acceptable vnto the remissiō of sinnes ād to the rest of the soules of thē that sleape before vs. Doe not these woordes teach vs that S. Iames took this for a sacrisice propiciatorie whē he desiereth that the sacrifice maie be accepted to the propiciaciō of our sinnes And did he not thinke yt auailable to the dead whē he praieth that yt maie be to the rest of the sowles of thē that be dead The woordes be so plain that yt can not be deuied And as Caiphas though he were an euel Bishoppe spake one trueth of the S. James Masse ys full of knowlege euē by the iudgement of the Proclamer death of Chryst so the Proclamer though he be an euell mā spake one trueth of S. Iames Masse For he saieth that S. Iames Masse ys full of knowledge Yf yt be full of knowledge by the testimonie of the Aduers thē feare thowe not whether thow be catholike or other to saie that this ys good knowledg that the sacrifice of the Masse ys aualeable to the quick ād the dead For soch ys the knowledge in S. Iames his Masse And that thow maist be farder assured that the Apostles taught praier and the Masse to be profitable to the dead harken first what Dionyse the Disciple to sainct Paule saieth for the one and what Chrysostome testifieth for both S. Dionyse describing the maner Dionys eccles Hier. cap 7. parte prim of the buriall and exequies vsed in his time and before his time in the churche for parte of yt saieth thus Accedens venerandus Antistes precem sacram super mortuum peragit precaturue diuinam clementiam vt cuncta dimittat per infirmitatem humanam admissa peccata defuncto eumue in luce statuat in sinibus Praier for the dead vsed in S. Dionyse time Abrahae Isaac et Iacob in loco vbi aufugit dolor et tristicia et gemitus The reuerēde Bishoppe coming maketh holie praier vpon the dead and praieth the goodnesse of God that he wold forgiue the dead person al hys sinnes which he hath through infirmitie committed and that he will place him in the place of light in the Bosomes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the place frō whēce flieth sorowe heauinesse ād morning Thus moch S. Dynise See yowe not praiers here made for the Sinnes of the dead See yowe not peticion made for him that he maie come to the place of light to the place wher he maie feell neither sorowe nor heauinesse Yf this maner of praier was vsed in the time of the Apostles in whose time this Dionyse liued what shall we thinke but that S. Iames being one of them praied for the dead as the other Apostles did Obiection Perchaunce yt maie be saied that yf the Apostles had thought yt necessarie to praie for the dead they wolde haue left yt writtē in some of their epistles To this I saie that yt neaded not For first amōg the Iewes yt was before the coming of Chryst in vse to praie and offre sacrifice for the dead as the secōd booke of the Machabies doeth testisie Which booke although the Aduersarie doeth reiect yet S. Augustin saieth yt ys in the Canon of christē men And August de cura promortu Lib. vniuers fid Indaeorum Antonius Margarita one conuerted frō a Iewe to a Chrystian man in a booke that he made of the faith of the Iewes declareth the praier that they made for the dead which ys not moch vnlike to this praier of S. Dionyse And ouer he saieth that they haue a booke wherin be written the names of them that be dead which thrice in a yeare be redde and so praied for Which order ys yet amongest them so that then neaded not As for the Gētiles although they vsed funerall obsequies yet for that they were vngodlie after the heathē maner the Apostles gaue thē commaundement by tradicion to burie their dead and to praie for thē after the chrystiā maner Of the which cōmaundement S. Clement maketh mēciō how yt was geuē by S. Peter And so doth Chrysostome that yt was doē by the Apostles Clemens epist 1. Hom. 3. Philip. pri For he saieth thus Non frustra ab Apostolis sancitū est vt in celebratione venerandorū mysteriorū memoria fiat corū qui hinc decesserunt Nouerunt illis multū hinc emolumenti fieri multū vtilitatis Stante siquidē vniuerso populo manus in coelos extendente coetu itē sacer dotali verendoque posito sacrificio quomodò Deū non placaremus pro istis orantes Yt was not but to good pourpose decreed of the Apostles that in the celebracion of the honourable mysteries wherby he meneth the Masse a memorie or remē The Apostles decreed that the dead should be praied for in the Masse brance should be made of thē that haue departed hence They knew that moch commoditie shoulde come from thence to thē and moch profit For all the people standing and holding vppe their hāds into heauē the cōpanie also of preistes and the fearfull sacrifice being settfurth how shall we not appease God praing for these Thus Chrysostome As before ye haue seen the praier of the Apostle S. Iames praing for the dead so now ye see yt testified by Chrysostome that the Apostles cōmaūded the dead to be praied for in the celebraciō of the holie mysteries whiche ys the Masse wher the holie and blessed bodie and blood of Sauiour Chryst ys setfurth in the seight of the Father wherby his passiō ād death being liuelie remēbred ād hūble peticiō in the presence therof and for the meritte therof by the preistes ād people being made yt cā not be saieth Chrysost but that God will be appeased ād mercie for the soules obteined For as S. Cypriā saieth In huius praesentiae nō superuacuè mēdicāt lacrimae veniā nec vnquā patitur cōtriti cordis holocaustū repulsam In the presence of this vnderstād sacrifice teares doe adsurediebegge pardō neither doeth the sacrifice of acōtrite heart at anie time suffre repulse Ther for in this sentēce Chrysostome doeth
li. 2. ca. 12. Asseurance of mercie promised to man before full sentence pronownced against him li. 1. cap. 9. Auncient and godlie customes are not to be left for the bare saing of a protestāt ca. 25. Aultars holie li. 3. cap. 31. testified by Optatus and S. Austen and abuse of them punished ibid. Aultars in vse in time of S. Cyprian ib. ca. 39 Aultars from the Apostles time cap. 31. Aultar wherfor yt serueth ibid. Aultar and sacrifice correlatiues ibid. S. Austen to Dardan opened li. 2. cap. 12. Austens cheifintent vpon the vi of S. Iohn lib. 2. cap. 16. Austen teacheth three things in one sentence against the Secramentaries ca. 19. Austen anknowlegeth both spirituall and corporall receauing ca. 16 Austen produced by the Sacramentaries in wrong sense ca. 24. Austen against Oecolamp and Cranmer ca. 54. Austens assertions conferred with the iudge ment of the Aduersa li. 3. ca. 15 Austen calleth the bread and cuppe of our Lorde a sacrifice ca. 18. Austen trulie understanded li. 2. ca. 54 Austen vttereth S. Paules wootdes expreslie of the bodie and blood of Chryste li. 3 ca. 55. S. Austen corrupted by the Proclamer li. 3. ca. 31. Authoririe of late writers proued good by good reason li. 2. ca. 3. Authoritie ys to be obied wher corruption of life ys li. 1. ca. 6. B Baptisme receaued of all indifferentlie li. 3. cap. 2. Baptisme and the read sea compared ibid. Baptisme of chryste and Iohn moch differēt ibid. Baptisme instituted by chryste and commended by the wholl Trinitie li. 3. ca. 14 Basill and Greg. Nazian how they atteigned the knowlege of the scripturs lib. 1. ca. 7. Basill howe he taught the simple to beleue of the Sacram. li. 2. ca. 52 Basill and Chrysostom not fownders of the Masse but setters furth of soche order as they fownd receaued by tradicion lib. 3. cap. 35. Basill beleued the bread and wine to be made the bodie and blood of Chryste ca. 36. Basill offred the bodie and blood of chryste in sacrifice ca. 37. Basill in his Masse praied for the dead and to saincts ca. 39 Benediction what power yt hath li 2. ca. 51. ca. 62. Benefitts and plagues of the Iewes figurs of our benefitcs and plagues li. 3. ca. 1 Berengarius the first open impugner of the B. Sacrament condemned in foure Councells prolog Berengarius recanted and abiured ibid Berengarius neither excellēt in learning nor commendable in life ibid. Berengarius foolishlie obiected S. Austen as the Sacramentaries do nowe li. 2. cap. 14. Bertramus wrote obscurelie and suspiciouslie of the Sacr. prolog Blasphemie to saie the B. Sacr. to be onely a figure li. 2. ca. 64 Blessing of Chryste what force yt hath cap. 58. Blessing of more power then nature cap. 62. Blood of Chryste on the crosse and in the Sacr. all one li. 2. ca 5. li. 3. ca. 20. Blood in the chalice the same that was shedd on the crosse li. 2. cap. 60 Blood of Chryste in the Sacr. howe to be estomed li. 3. ca. 16 Blood of the Paschall lambe a figure of chrystes blood in the B. Sacr. ibid. Bodie of chryste ioined to vs by corporall receipt not by spirituall onelie li. 2. cap. 14. Bodie of chryst consecrated of manie preists all one bodie ca. 28. Bodie of chryste inuisible in the Sacrament a figure of the same bodie visible ca. 49. Bodie of chryste demonstrated ād deliuered not in figure but in veritie ca. 63. Bodie of chryst howe yt ys called a spirituall meat li. 3. ca. 8 Bodie of the lambe chryst fedeth vs. ca. 11 Bodie of chryst vnder forme of bread ca. 26. Bodie of chryste consecrated to two endes cap. 41. Bookes of scripture sealed to manie li. 1. ca. 5 Bread of the newe communion differeth not from common bread li. 1. ca. 17. howe the same ys nowe vsed li. 3. ca. 47. Bread broken in the Sacrament the medicin of immottalitie li. 1. ca. 17. Bread by the omnipotencie of the woord ys made flesh ibid. li. 3. ca. 9. 20 Bread and wine chaunged into the bodie and blood of chryste not in figure but in veritie li. 1. ca. 21. li. 2. ca. 59. 60. 51. 53. Bread and wine offred by Melchisedecfigurs of that which chryst offre in his supper li. 1. ca. 29 Bread turned into an holier thing cap. 31. 37. Bread taken three waies in the vi of Iohn li. 2. ca. 2. Bread howe yt ys turned into flesh and why flesh ys not seen in the Bless Sacrament li. 2. cap. 7. 8. 19. 57 li. 3. cap. 20. Bread that descended from heauen ys the bodie of our Lord. li 2. ca. 31 Bread whiche Chryste deliuered no bare figure but flesh ca 51. 53 Bread and wine so sanctified in consecracion as yt passeth mans witte cap. 54. Bread geuen to the two Disciples in Emaus was the bodie of Chryste cap. 65. 66. Bread whiche we breake ys the bodie of Chryste lib. 3. ca. 19. 27. Bread semeth to be in the Sacrament but yt ys flesh li. 3 ca. 20 Bread diuided to manie ys the bodie of our Lorde li. 3. ca. 21. Bread and cuppe in Sainct Paule the bodie and bloode of Chryste lib. 3. cap. 27. 50. Brentius impugneth the forme of Baptisme lib. 2. cap. 28. C. Canon of the Apostles corrupted by the Proclamer li. 3. ca. 40 Canon forbiddetb not the preist to receaue aloue ibi Capharnaites vnderstood Chryste carnallie lib. 2. cap. 34. had twoo vain thoughts ▪ ibid. Carnall vnderstanding ys by reason and senses onelie cap. 37 Carnall men vnderstanding nothing aboue their senses leape backe from the vnderstanding of the mysterie of the Sacrament cap-33 Cassiodorus howe he vttereth Sainct Pauleswoordes li. 3. ca. 51 Catholique preists folowing the Schisme be in miserable case lib. 3. cap. 36. Catholique faith described cap. 53. Chastitie required in preists lib. 1. cap. 22. Chryste turneth the malice of heretiques to the profitte of his Churche prolog Chryste dwelleth in vs corporallie not onelie spirituallie in Prolog item lib. 1. cap. 14. lib. 3. cap. 23. 26 Chrystes reall presence in the Sacrament a receaued doctrine in all the chrystian Churche prolog Chrystes Parliament house the catholique Church ibid. Chrystes interpreting of the scripture proueth the difficultie li. 1. cap. 7. Chryste not Salomon the seed promised to Dauid cap. 9 Chryste and Sampson compared ca. 10 Chrystes passion conferred to the prophecies therof lib. 1. cap. 11. item his resurrection and ascension ca. 12. Chrystes bodie and bloode an euerlasting sacrifice cap. 13. item 31. lib. 3. cap. 36. a dailie sacrifice ibi Chryste ys offered of his Church and his Church of him lib. 1. cap. 18. item lib. 3. cap. 36 Chryste and Melchisedech compared lib. 1. cap. 13. Chryste offred bread and wine that ys his bodie and blood ca. 29 Chrystes oblacion after the order of Melchisedech ouerthroweth the heresie of Eutyches cap. 30 Chryste offred sacrifice in his supper and commaunded yt to be contiuued li. 1. ca. 32.