his eyes Whervpon belcuing the mysteries of the Chrystians to be merueillouse and wonderfull the next daie he came to S. Basill and desired to be baptised and made a chrystian Thus we maie perceaue that the workes of God be great and merueillouse who vnto this Iewe but suspecting the chrystians to eate flesh and drinke bloode in their mysteries made yt soch to him as he suspected yt to be and to appeare soche to his seight as yt was couertlie to other in verie dede But he sawe yt with his bodilie eye for his instruction that the true Chrystian seeth with his faithfull eye to his saluacion But to return to our first matter so great was the fame that the Chrystians did eate mānes flesh in their mysteries that to deliuer thē frō the enuie that was cōceaued against thē for the same Iustinus the holie martyr was enforced in his Apollogie made vnto Antonius Pius to reueil and declare vnto him all the wholl order of the mysteries of the chrystians and what was their faith therin whiche thing was not vsed in those daies to be declared to anie prophane man and infidel but allwaies kept secrette so moche as yt might be And yet vpon this enforcemēt this Iustinus declared the matter so plainlie as no man of his auncientie to soche men more plainlie as shortlie here after ye shall perceaue As these thinges then hitherto saied do proue by the same that Chryst ys present in the Sacrament and so consequentlie that the woordes of Chryst haue ben and so ought to be vnderstanded in their propre sense withoute trope or figure So wolde I wish them of all chrystians in these daies to be receaued And as by these thinges we maie be moued So by other reasons we maie from the contrarie vnderstanding be disswaded Among manie of whiche I wil bring but one or two that Rupertus doth make and the first ys this Nonne Ioannes Euangelista dicit in Apocalipsi Si quis apposuerit ad haec apponet super illū Rupert li. 6. in Joan. Apoca. 22. Deus plagas scriptas in libro isto Et si quis diminuerit de verbis prophetiae libri huius auferet Deus partem eius de ligno vitae de ciuitate sancta de ijs quae scripta sunt in libro isto Nunquid minùs timenda est hic illa maledictio vt non detrahamus vel apponamus quidquam verbis dicentis Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur Hic est sanguis meus noui testamenti qui pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum Cùm enim illo dicente Hoc est corpus meum nos subauditionem apposuerimus dicentes figuratiuum vel per similitudinem dictum Cùm inquam illo dicente Hoc est corpus meum nos dixerimus hoc signisicat corpus meum nonne multum est quod apponimus vel praua demutatione detrahimus sensum generamus quem tantus Author Deus homo nusquā est locutus nec ascendit vnquam in cor eius Dothe not the Euangelist Iohn saie in the Apocalipse Yf anie man shall adde vnto these thinges God shal adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke And yf anie man shall minishe of the woordes of the booke of this prophecie God shall take awaie his parte oute of the booke of life and oute of the holie To the woordes of God maie nothing be added nor diminished citte and the thinges whiche are written in this booke Ys this maledictiō or curse lesse to be feared here that we diminish not or putte any thing to the woordes of him that saied This ys my bodie whiche shall be deliuered for yow This ys my bloode of the newe testament whiche shall be shedde for manie in the remissiō of sinnes For when he saieth This ys my bodie we shall putto an vnderstanding saing a figuratiue bodie or that yt ys spoken by a similitude when I saie he saieth This ys my bodie we shall saie this signifieth my bodie ys yt not moche that we putto his woordes or by an euell chaunge take from them and make a sense whiche so great an Authour God and man in no place hath spoken neither at anie time did yt ascende in to his heart Thus Rupertus This ys the first reason of this Authour whiche yf yt be well weighed and the thing well considered howe moche we by figures tropes and significacions do alter and chaunge howe moche we putto in woordes and diminish in substance howe the exposition denieth that the text affirmeth we haue good cause to feare the malediction of God spoken by S. Iohn who beareth not soche expositions denieng what he hath saied nor soche gloses confownding his text Wherfore we maie well be dissuaded from soche expositions or rather deprauacions and the rather that their ys no warrant to beare vs so to expownde these woordes of Chryst as of the circumstance of the place maie be perceaued whiche this Authour vseth as an other reason to moue vs not so to vnderstande Chrystes woordes of his supper as the Aduersarie dothe expownde them And thus he saieth Cùm obijcit quis suisue scriptitat in sedulis quod itidem dixerit eadem veritas Ego sum vitis tam audacter quā imperitè in argumentum mendosum illud attrahit cum statim subsequentia verba dicentist Sicut palmes non potest ferre fructum à semetipso nisi manserit in vite sic nec vos nisi in me manseritis manifestè per similitudinem compellant intelligi praesertim cùm non signanter dixerit Ego sum haec vitis sicut signanter dixit Hoc est corpus meum hic est sanguis meus apposita protinus descriptione verae proprietatis de corpore inquiens quod pro vobis tradetur de san guine autem qui pro multis effundetur Igitur ne veniant super nos plagae nouissimae neque apponimus neque diminuimus quicquam diuinae definitioni vel descriptioni quam incarnatum Verbum ore proprio deproinpsit Imo quia perfecta charitas foras mittit timorem non tam plagarum timore qunm veritatis amore confitemur quia panis iste corporeus postquam signauerit eum Pater vinum hoc expressum acinis praesentibus mox vt eodem signo signatum est per manus ecclesiae dicentis vt nobis corpus sanguis fiat dilectissimi filij tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi etc. vsque in memoriā mei facietis corpus sanguis eius qui huius traditionis author est hoc sacrisicium ipse Christus est cuius passione vt sacrificium fieret à Deo Patre in veritate signatum est Whē one obiecteth and writeth yt also in his bookes euen as boldlie as vnlearned These woordes J am a vine Ioan. 15. are proued by the circūstance to be a similitudi lie that the same trueth mening Chryst saieth also I am a vine he draweth yt
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
as I also wolde be ashamed to wryte theÌ„ yf they were not scripture He speaking of an harlotte writeth thus Like as one that goeth by the waie and ys Ecclesiast 62. thristie so shall she open her mouth and drynke of euerie next water that she maie gette By euerie hedge shall she sitte her downe and open her quoiuer to euerie arrowe What trifeling what iestyng what pastime I haue heard and seen vpon the reading and reherfall of this texte and what vnseemlie and vnchaist woordes haue fallen oute by occasioÌ„ of the same yt ys vnmeete in this place to be rehersed But this I will reporte for that as trulie as God liueth I knowe yt to be true This texte was spoken in the presence of a good vertueouse gentlewoman and one that feared God and she misliking the same yt was auouched to her to be scripture The booke was turned the place was red she exclamed and saied that yf the scripture had soche bawdie woordes she wolde no more beleue the scripture for yt was naught with mo soche like woordes which nowe memorie reteyneth not Maye not this grieue a christian heart that the scriptures Gods holie woorde shoulde be thus blasphemed And what ys the cause of yt verilie bicause they be made common to their handes that vnderstande them not That this place was not vnderstanded of them that handeled the same as ys afore saied yt ys more manifest then I nede reporte For the effecte well proueth yt Nowe to put a conclusion to this that ys here saied litle dothe yt awaill them to reade the scriptures that vnderstand not what they reade But raither as Origen saieth they maye as well take occasion of euell as of good by reading the scriptures and not in their true sense and meeming vnderstand them whose sentence for the better declaracion therof I haue here noted Opera carnis diuinorum voluminuÌ„ historia continet non valde eos iuuans qui sic eam intelligunt vt scripta est Quis enim non docebitur scruire luxuriae fornicationem habere Origen 10. li. Strom. pro nihilo cum Iudam ad meretricem legerit ingredientem Patriarchas multas pariter habuisse vxores Quomodo non ad idololatrian prouocabitur qui sanguinem taurorum caeteras Leuitici victimas non plus quà m in litera sonat putauerit indicare Gene. 38. Quod autem inimicitias in aperto positus scripturae sermo doceat ex hoc loco probatur Filia Babylonis misera beatus qui retribuet tibi retributionem quam retribuisti nobis Psal 136. Psal 100. Beatus qui tenebit allidet paruulos suos ad petram Et exillo In matutino interficiebam omnes peccatores terrae et ex ijs similibus de contentionibus videlicet aemulatione ira rixis dissentionibus Ad quae si non altius aliquid sentiamus prouocant nos magis historiae exempla quà m prohibent Haereses quoque magis de carnali scripturae intellectu quam de opera carnis nostrae vt plurimi aestimant substiterunt Nec non ebrietates et inuidiam per legis literam discimus Inebriatur Noë post Diluuium et Patriarchae apud fratrem Ioseph in AEgypto The histories of Gods books saieth Origen contein the workes of the flessh whiche historie dothe not moche helpe them whiche dooso vnderstande yt as yt ys written For who shall not be taught to serue voluptuouse pleasure and to accompte fornycation for nothinge when he shall reade Iudas to haue taken an harlotte and the Patriarkes to haue had manie wifes at once Howe shall he not be prouoked to Idolatrie who shall thinke the blood of Bulls and other Leuiticall sacrifices no more to shewe vnto him then the letter sowndeth That the plain sainge of the scripture teacheth enemities yt ys proued both by this place Daughter of Babilon thowe shalt come to myserie thy self yea happie shall he be that rewardeth thee as thowe hauest serued vs. Blessed shall he be that taketh thy children and throweth them against the stones And also by that place I shall soon destroie all the vngodlie that are in the lande And by soche other like vnto theise as of contencion enuie wrathe brawlinges dissentions vnto the whiche yf ye vnderstand not some higher thing the examples of the histories do more prouoke vs then forbidde vs. Heresies also Diuerse histories of Scripture literallie taken doe more prouoke sinne than forbidde yt haue ben more by the carnall vnderstanding of the scriptures then by the worke of our flesh as manie do thinke We learn also by the letter of the lawe dronkennes and enuie Noë after the flood was dronken And the Patriarkes also were droncken being with their Brother Ioseph in AEgypte Thus Origen Nowe then as in this chapiter ye haue heard a nombre of bookes and places of scripture recited whiche well proue the obscuritie and hardnesse of the same So yn the ende ye haue heard Origen declaring his minde that to vnderstand but the carnall sense of yt ys raither hurtfull to edificacion then profitable Peraduenture some will graunte that the olde Testament ys darke and hard but the newe Testament they will saie ys easie and plain But that this likwise ys not easie for euerie man to vnderstande the chapiter folowing shall declare THE THIRDE CHAPITER TO DECLARE the newe Testament not to be easie to be vnderstanded bringeth diuerse obscure places of the same THAT the newe Testament ys hard to be vnderstanded yt ys sufficientlie proued in the frist chapiter Neuerthelesse that the Reader maie haue some experieÌ„ce of that that by Authoritie ys saied I shall laie before hym certain places whiche shall enforce hym to confesse that by his owne iudgement to be true whiche by the scriptures he hath allreadie heard taught and affirmed And first let him beginne with the Genealogie of Chryste described vnto vs by two Euangelistes Matthew and Luke And let them be compared together and triall made whether yt be esaie to concile them or no. Matthewe beginneth at the elders as at Abraham and so descendeth to Chryste Luke beginneth at Chryste and ascendeth vppe to the elders euen vnto AdaÌ„ and so to God In the whiche Genealogie Luke saieth that Chryst The Euangeâ—istes Mathew and Luke seem to varte in the genealogie of Chryst was the supposed sonne of Ioseph and that Ioseph was the sonne of Heli Matthewe saieth that Iacob begatte Ioseph the husband of Mary of whoÌ„ was born Iesus whiche ys called Chryste So that Luke saieth that Iosep was the sonne of Heli and Matthew saieth he was the sonne of Iacob Which dysagrement Iulianus Augustus the Apostata as saincte HieroÌ„ saieth obiected vnto vs. Which obiection al though it be solued by saincte HieroÌ„ yet ther remaineth a great difficultie howe these Genealogies shoulde be true and both pertain to Chryste seing that from Ioseph to Dauid ther ys none agrement betwixt theÌ„ as by comparing of the EuaÌ„gelistes
not able to take holinesse Conclude then with this Authour that the Shew bread was a figure of the blessed Sacrament which for that yt ys holiest of all other yt proueth yt well to be the verie bodie of Chryst This Authour by plain woordes conuinceth the wicked opinion of Oecolampadius Oecolāpad conuinced by thautoritie of Isychius who in his booke of the Supper of our lorde saieth that the Sacramēt ys no holier nor otherwise sanctifieth then praiers doo These be his woordes Haec verò creatura panis ita sanctissimo vsui seruiens vt corpus Christi quod repraesentat appelletur vtentesue sanctificat non suae quidem natura sed vtentium sanctimonia hoc est fide affectu sancto Non minùs enim verè hoc quis de Eucharistia affirmat quà m de precibus quae vsu suo hominem sanctificant This creature of bread ys so sanctified seruing to a most holie vse that yt maie also be called the bodie of Chryst whiche yt dothe represent And yt doth sanctifie them that vse yt not of the owne nature But by the sanctimonie of the vsers that ys by faith and holie affection Thus he In whose woordes ys plain contradiction For sirst he saieth that the bread ys sanctified And yet he saieth again yt hath no holinesse in yt Again he saieth Oecolamp his contradiction yt sanctifieth the receauers And after he saieth yt doth not but their own sanctimonie sanctifieth them Thirdlie he saieth yt sanctifieth as praiers do and praiers if theye be deuoute pourchase sanctificacion but sanctifie not of them selues but the bodie of Chryst sanctifieth of yt self Nowe yf he meen this of the bread as yt ys handled nowe a daies of men of this secte I thinke he saieth trueth For nether ys that holie of yt self nether Comunion bread of the Sacramentaries sanctifieth not dothe yt sanctifie the receauers For they by their corrupted faith are rather defiled But if he speake of the Sacrament as yt ys vsed emōg the catholique people then he fowlie erreth For that bread sanctifieth and maketh vs clean as this Authour before hath saied And yt ys of yt self most holie as this same Authour in his last sentence taught And so against this wicked Oecolampadius yt ys holier then praier or anie other thing in the churche of God Nowe when we see this man and Cantorburie and soch other so plainly repugnante to the olde auncient Fathers what shoulde we ells do but reiect them and vtterlie detest them as men framing them selfes a faith vpon their hereticall election and not vpon the faithe of Chryst declared by the Auncient Fathers of the catholique Churche Although Isychius be right plain in this place alleaged yet shall yow heare him hereafter speake more plainlie THE FOVRE AND TWENTETH CHAPITER APplieng the continuall reseruing of the Shewe bread to the reseruacion of the Sacrament proueth the same reseruacion by the olde Fathers and by the perpetuall practise of the Church YT ys oute of all doubte by the testimonie of the Fathers before alleaged that the Shewe bread was a figure of the holie Sacrament Plain yt ys that the same Shewe bread was sett furth bicause yt shoulde be continuallie reserued in the temple and to no vse more was yt appointed then to be reserued Wherfore God commaunded that euerie Sabboth daie hott bread shoulde be sett furth vpō the table and that Aaron and his Sonnes the preistes shoulde eate the stale bread Shewe bread appoincted for three thinges Now the figure must be aunswered by the thing figured speciallie in that parte that ys the cheif and principall parte of the figure The principall parte of the Shew bread and the chief cause of the appoinctement of yt was for three things The first as the text alleaged declareth that yt should be alwais remaining in the temple vpon the table The second vt sit panis in monimentū oblationis Domini that yt should be abread of remēbrance of the offring of the Lord The third that yt should be eaten onelie of Aaron and his Sonnes Seing then the Sacrament ys the thing figured yt must answer the figure in these poinctes whiche be the principall parte of the figure So then as the Shewe bread was reserued So likewise maie the Sacrament be reserued As the Shewe bread was a bread of remenbrance of Shewe bread applied to the Sacramēt the oblaciō or offring of the Lorde So ys the Sacramēt the breade of remēbrāce of the offring of Chryst our lorde As the Shwe bread was to be eatē onely of Aron and his Sonnes So ys the Sacrament of none to be receaued but of our spirituall Aron and his Sonnes whiche folowe their father in holie faith and like conuersation This goodlie agreement and iust answering of the thing figured to the figure therof doth very well proue the thing so to be The Aduersarie can not denie but that the Shewe breade was a figure of the Sacrament For that ys testified by the holie Fahers And the reseruaciō of the Shew breade being a figure of some thing in the newe Testamēt For all the Leuiticall sacrifices and Ceremonies were figures of thinges of the newe Testament wherof can yt be a figure but of the reseruacion of the Sacrament as the bread yt self was a figure of the Sacrament yt self Let the aduersarie bring furth the thinge figured by the reseruaciō of the Shew bread yf he cā yf he can not as certē yt ys that he cā not for somoche God appointed no vain figure Math. 5. as God appointed no vain figure voide of all significaciō and he hath ordeined also that iota vnū aut vnus apex non praeteribit a lege donec omnia fiāt one iotte or one title shall not scape till all be fullfilled maugre of the Aduersaries hearte this parte of the figure ys aunswered by the reseruacion of this blessed Sacrament for the memoriall of the offring of Christ vpon the crosse and to be eaten of his good faithfull children Now wher one of the membres of the proclamaciō of this Aduersarie ys against the reseruacion of the blessed Sacramēt ye maie see that was made One mēbre of master Juells proclamacion against Reseruaciō in◠proued more by self will then by lawe for the lawe ys against him as by that that ys saied yt dothe well appeare But to this further confusion I shall declare and proue that this matter hathe ben putte in execucion in sundrie and diuerse ages frō the beginning of Chrystes Churche And for that this Aduersarie alleadgeth the epistle of sainct Clement written to saincte Iames called the brother of Chryst therfor shall I also alleadg the same epistle and beginning with yt descende to our daies Sainct Clemēt the disciple of saincte Peter the Apostle and an holie martir Phill. 4. Clemens Epist. 2. of Chryste of whome saincte Paule maketh mencion declaring the ordre aboute the blessed Sacrament vsed in
sacrifice For in these two all that be faithfullie and deuoutlie present lifting vppe their heartes to God and ioining with the preist in godlie affection be communicantes And so yt commeth to passe that both the praier and the sacrifice made and offred by the preist as by the common mynister of the Church ys common to all the people of gods church I will not stand vppon this being so plain but leaue yt to the farder consideracon of the Reader and come to his conclusion of the Masse booke wher he saieth shus And to conclude the preist by his owne Masse booke ys bidden to saie these woordes immediatelie after the Agnus Dei. Haec sacrosancta commixtio consecratio The Procl corporis sanguinis Domini nostri Iesu Christi fiat mihi omnibus sumentibus salus mentis corporis That ys to saie This commixtion and consecracion of the bodie and blood of our Lorde Iesus Chryst be vnto me and to all that receaue yt health of bodie and soule I perceaue this man kepeth his profession For yt ys apperteining to mēof his calling either to diminish and take awaie or to adde and put to somwhat The Answer from or to most of the sentences that they allcage For where before he cuttof from the places which he alleaged here he putteth to For wher the Masse booke hath but these woordes Haec sacrosancta commixtio corporis sanguinis c. He putteth in this woorde consecratio which the booke hath not But ouerpassing yt let vs see the force of the argument that he maketh oute of our owne Masse booke as he tearmeth yt and verie well For in dede yt ys our booke that abide and remain in the catholique Church not his that hath cutte himself of from yt and ys become a cast awaie But our Lord chaunge his minde that the lost shepe maie be fownde and brought home to the folde again The praier ys that the cōmixtion of the bodie and blood of Chryst maie be to the preist and to all that receaue health of bodie and soule Vnderstād that the preist ys the cōmon mynister of the Church wherfor doing the comon The cōmon praier of the Church ys not for one angle but for the wholl vniuersall Church mynistracion he cōmonlie praieth for all that doe receaue generally he stricteth not his praier for a fewe neither doeth he limitte yt or bownde yt withtime and place but he leaueth yt cōmon and vttereth yt with an vniuer sall He praieth not that the bodie and bloode of Chryst maie be health of soule and bodie to thē onely that receaue with him at that time and in that place which ys the thing the Proclamer laboureth to proue but in vain but he praieth for all that receaue indifferenlie either in that place and time or anie other Whether yt be now or at anie other time in that place or in anie other place in Fraunce or in Italie in Spain or in Germanie in Englōdor in Hierusalem whersoeuer the catholique Church ys and the Sacrament catholiquelie receaued But be yt that the preist had praied with limitaciō of time ād place ād desiered that yt might be halth of soule and bodie to all that receaue with him in that place and time what offence should the preist cōmitte yf when none wolde receaue with him he receaued alone or howe can the Proclamer proue a necessitie by yt that neades ther must be mo then the preist or that at that time and place the preist can not receaue alone Yf the Church charitablie wishing that some people shoulde receaue the holie Sacrament with the preist had made soch a praier coulde the Proclamer turne this charitie to a necessitie Will he turne the charitie of the Church wishing vertue godlinesse and deuocion in the people to a necessitie that bicause the people wil not vse this of necessitie the preist shall not Ys this good learning Ys this hys good doctrine ys this his holie religion Yt ys as moch to saiethat yf the people waxe colde in deuociō so shall the preist to Yf the people slacke their deuocion so shall the preist to yf the people neclect the seruice of God so shall the preist to Yf the people omitte to rendre most humble thankes to God and our Sauiour Iesus Chryst for our redemption so shall the preist to Finallie if the people will but twice or thrice in the yeare celebrate that solē ne memorie of Chrysts passiō and death as the more pitie yt ys the most of them doe yt not so often no more shal the preist also Thus shall yt come to passe that the deuociō ād duetie of the preist shall hang vpon the will of the people Thus the preistes that should be the salte of the earth the light of the woorlde whose light should so shine before men that they seing their good workes might glorifie their Father which ys in heauen shall neither be salt light nor geuers of good exāple to prouoke them to doe the memoriall of Chrystes death but when the people will Yt ys a straunge doctrine that yf Math. 5. the people will not serue God the preist shall not But who ys he that wise ys that seeth not the vanitie of yt and whether yt tendeth Hitherto I trust ye perceaue that how great so euer the countenaunce was made by these allegacions As odiouse as Popes be to protestāts they can alleage their decres wher they thinke good before alleadged that yet the force ys verie small But nowe come the great argumentes nowe come they which can not be auoided as the Proclamer supposeth so great ys the force of them Where to his places before alleadged I saied and doe saie they are raither examples of vertue for the people and not lawes of necessitie for the preist nowe he produceth lawes as the Canons of the Apostles and the decrees of Bishoppes of Rome which how odible socuer they be and haue ben to this Proclamer and his complices yet nowe in this matter they are fain to praie aide of thē First he alleageth a Canon of the Apostles in this sorte Fideles qui ecclesiam ingrediuntur scripturas audiunt Communionem sanctam non recipiunt tanquà m eccle Canon 19. See this Canō cut of in the middest siastica pacis perturbatores à Communione arceantur Soch Chrystian men as come to the church and heare the scriptures ād doe not receaue the holie communion let them be excommunicated as men that disquiet the Church In the alleaging of this Canon he kepeth his profession as he did in other by him before alleaged that ys to cutte them of and to mangle soch places as he alleageth and not to bring thē wholl as they lie wherof reader I make thee iudge This ys the Canon Omnes fideles qut conueniunt in solemnibus sacris ad ecclesiam scripturas Apostolorum Euangelium audiant Qui autem non perseuerarint in
the differēce for anie thing that he in these comparisons hath saied that as before he was borne they were in substance all one so be they still and so will remain when he shall be rotten But where I haue made comparisons betwen S. Iames Masse and the Communion of the Churche of this Proclamer and his complices yowe maie see manifest and great differences not by my woordes not by toies of rethoricall inuencion not by vntrueths but in the things them selues in their substanciall poincts in matters of weight and trueth For soche ys the Substācial dyfferēces of the Masse and the newe Cōmnuniō difference betwen S. Iames Masse whiche ys the Masse of all the holie Apoles and fathers and of the catholique Churche that hath ben or nowe ys for in substance all ys one and the newe Cōmunion of the newe Churche that first wher the Masse setting furth the matter of the Sacrament doth vse bread wine and water the newe Communion vseth no water wherin yt doth neither folowe the Apostles nor so well and liuelie set furth the death of Chryste as the Masse For as oute of the side of Chryste yssued oute bothe blood and water so the Masse in the latine Churche at the putting in of the water into the chalice saith thus of him be this water blessed oute of whose sideo ran oute both blood and water And the greke Church saieth these woordes of the scripture Et vnus militum lancea latus eius aperuit continuò exiuit sanguis aqua And one of the Soldiers perced his side with a speer and furth with ther went oute blood and water both well minding that blessed welspring of Chrysts side oute of the whiche ran that clensing water and blood that washed awaie the filth of our sinnes Here yowe see one difference in substance The Masse of the Apostles Fathers and catholique Churche as ys saied had intencion and beleued that they folowing Chrysts institucion shoulde consecrate the bodie and blood of Chryste The newe Communion of the newe Churche hath no soche intencion nor beleueth no nor mindeth nor pourposeth to consecrate the bodie and blood of Chryste according to his institucion The Masse as before ys saied foloweth the institucion and cōmaundement of Chryste who commaunded saing This do ye in the remem and consecrateth as he did his verie bodie and blood The newe Communion neither consecrateth the bodie and blood of Chryste neither abideth the name of consecracion so farre ys yt from that Church either to obeie Chryste or to folowe the church of his Apostles and Fathers The Masse according to Chrysts institucion and commaundement as ys proued offreth his bodie and blood in sacrifice to the Father in the remembrance of his passion and death The newe Communion not onelie abhorreth this to do but also detesteth both the name of sacrifice and the name of him that hath authoritie to do yt that ys A preist The Masse aswell of the Apostles as other offreth the same sacrifice as yt ys also proued for the liuing and the dead The newe Communion of the newe Churche deriding both offreth neither for the one nor for the other The Masse of the catholique Churche desiereth the aide and intercession of blessed Saincts to commende their seruice and praiers to God The newe Churche skorneth yt and vseth yt not in their Communion The Apostles and fathers with great reuerence and lowlie humblenesse came to an aultar semelie as meit yt was adorned to do this blessed oblacion and memoriall of Chrysts death The minister of the newe Communion commeth Tapster like to a pelting table onelie to eate and drinke and to deliuer to a fewe mo a bare peice of bread and a cuppe of wine so that the Apostles and catholique Churche in their Masse fedde them selues and the people with the blessed bodie and blood of Chryste the fatt and the sine flower of the heauenlie wheat and these feed them selues and the people with chaf and bran in respect euen a bare peice of bread and a cuppe of wine Soche differēce ys ther and soche maie yowe see betwixt the Apostles Masse and the newe communion And these defferences be in weightie matters and substanciall poincts soche as the doing or refusing of them bringeth life or death heauen or hel saluacion or damnacion Wherfor Reader looke well to thie doings ther ys no dallieng in Gods matters For the Masse ther haue ben brought furth without all haulting or colouring withoute all dissembling and lieng the auncient presidents of the Apostles of their Disciples and of the Fathers of the Apostolique and primitiue Churche as plainlie as truelie and as simplie as they be commended to vs by the books of our elders As for the comparisons of the Proclamer besides that they be but voluntarie deskant they are toies colours of Rethorik cloaked vntrueths setfurth withoute all authoritie Nowe therfor which ys to be embraced whether the Masse commended to vs by so good authoritie great antiquitie long and reuerend continuance or the newe Communion set furth without good authoritie and of no antiquitie and neuer yet reuerentlie continued yt ys of him that hath either grace or wisdom easie to be perceaued Wherefor trusting that I haue sufficientlie instructed and warned the reader aboute the Masse I ende and go forwarde in my matter THE FOVRE AND FOVRTETH CHAPT RETVRning to the exposition of S. Paule expowndeth this text As often as ye shall eate of this bread c. by S Hyerom and Theophilact IDoo here omitte the institucion of the Sacrament declared by S. Paule to the Corinthians as he had receaued the same of our Lorde for that in the seconde booke those woordes of Chryste and that his institucion ys largelie spoken of and expownded by a great nombre of holie learned Fathers Wherfor I thought yt wolde be to tediouse to the reader and superfluouse for me to expownde the same woordes here a gain I come therfor to the woordes immediatelie folowing in S. Paule As often as ye shall eate of this bread and drinke of the cuppe ye shall shewe furth the death of oure Lorde vntill he come For that this text hath ben woonderfullie abused and by soche abuse manie of the simplie haue ben deceaued and caused otherwise to thinke and beleue of the blessed Sacrament than the trueh ys I haue thought yt good to open the true vnderstanding of the same scripture to the reader that he being instructed maie withdrawe his foote from the snares of Sathan and well espie his falshoode and so eschewe soch erroure as he wolde entrappe him into Vpon this text the ministres of Sathan haue grownded two argumentes against Chrystes reall presence in the blessed Sacrament The one ys as Two arguments of the Sacramentaries grownded vpon S. Paule theie saie that by this scripture yt ys manifest that the Sacrament ys instituted for a memoryall of Chryst A memoriall ys of a thing that ys absent Wherfor the Sacrament
therfor not vnknowen to hym what shall yt awaill me to buckle with so impudent a man For soche saiers haue ben condēned by eight Coūcells all readie as heretykes and theyr heresie so detested hated and abhorred of all christians Sacramentaries condemned hyeight Councels that the catholique learned men yf they had but a suspicion of anye that dyd in anie one title swarue from the verytie of Chrystes bodie in the Sacramēt they furth with addressed them selues to their pennes and with the swoorde of Gods trueth vanquyshed and ouerthrewe yt Thys as yt ys thought moued Paschasius towryte in the matter of the Sacrament for that Bertramus had in the tyme of kyng Charles wrytten therof Paschasi ' Bertramus wrote obscurclie and suspiciously of the Sacrament suspycyouslie and yet in suche sorte as no mā coulde be certē what he assuredlie ment Nowe that the treuth of the matter of the Sacramēt shoulde not be obscured with soche doubtfull wryting Paschasius wrotte a booke of the presence of the verie bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament in soche expresse and playn woordes as the symple man maye preceaue what was the faith of the Chruche in that tymeof that matter And for that he was so playn Gastius one of thys proclamers faction hauyng gotten an olde exemplar of that worke as yt ys appertynent to the syncerytie of soche men he raced yt he blotted yt yea he cutte oute wholl chapiters of yt and that doen that yt might to the woorlde appeare that Paschasius who wrotte so long agone wrotte yet nothing against the Sacramentaries he sett yt furthe so mutylated so torn and so defaced to be prynted But to return to speake of thys proclamer consydering as I saied the Artycle wherin he saieth neuer man was condemned for an heretike that affirmed the Sacramēte to be a figure sign c. I was so abasshed at hys impudecye that I was partelye mynded not to haue ioyned with hym But remembryng that yt was more impudencye to denye Chrystes presence in the Sacrament whiche ys taught by Chrystes owne woordes delyuered by saincte Paule beleued in the primytiue Churche so receaued of holie men wrytten by an infynyte nombre of learned wryters confyrmed by Councells and embraced and staied vpon by all chrystyan nacions I corrected my self sayng that yf I wolde not spare to ioyn with hym in thys wicked assertyon moche lesse shoulde I spare to ioyn with hym in that other Wherfore resumynge my former pourpose I wyll in thys also ioyn with hym and shewyng from the begynnyng of the fyrst Aucthour of thys heresie euē vnto thys Proclamer that they were all iudged for heretikes whiche affyrmed and taught that the Sacrament ys a figure as thys Aduersarie and hys complyces do I shall with all open the vanytie of hys bragge wherin he saieth that the catholique Churche ▪ haith not one scrypture not one doctour c. for the mayntenance of their faith For the playn openyng of whiche mattter yt ys certen by testymonye of manie learned mē that though some dyd so cōfusedlie wryte in thys matter that they might be suspected or dyd secretlie as men fearyng the goodnesseof their cause whisper in corners whiche were very fewe yet amonge all that rightlie beleued in Chryst as God and man Berengarius was the fyrst that dyd openly wryte and teache denyeng as thys proclamer doth the Berēgarius first openlie impugned the sacrament reall presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament Whiche Berengarius was about the yeare of our lorde a thousande ād three score and So by computacion fyue hondreth yeares agon more a man as sundrye wryters testyfie neither excellent in learnyng nor commendable Berēgarius neither excellent in learning nor cōmēdable in life Leo nonus Platina in life who publyshing thys doctryne by poure scholers to whome he gaue stypende for that pourpose he spredde yt abroad in corners Whiche when yt came to the knowledge of Leo then Pope a man as Platina saieth of syngular sanctymonye and holynesse of life he condemned Berengarius in a Councell The woordes of Platina for the certen declaracion of the matter I shall not refuse to reporte Thus he wryteth Ad Leonem redeo virū certè pietate innocentia benignitate gratia hospitalitate adeô insignem vt eius Domus peregrinis pauperibus semper patuerit Nam cum semel ante fores suas leprosum pauperem inuenisset cunque prae miscricordia collocari in lecto suo mādasset apertis mane foribus à ianitore nusquā pauper inuentus est Christum pauperis nomine eo loci recubuisse creditum In rebus praeterea ad religionem pertinentibus tanta diligentia solertia vsus est vt in Concilio Vercellensi Berengarium hereseos autorem damnauerit I come agayn to Leo a man trulie in godlynesse in innocēcye benygnytie grace and hospytalytie so notable excellent that to straūgers and poure people hys house was allways open For when vpon a tyme he fownde a poure man a leapre lyeng before hys gate and through mercye had godlie commaunded hym to be layed in hys bedde in the mornyng when the gates were opened of the porter the poor man was in no place fownde And so yt was thought that Chryste in the maner of a poor man was layed ther. Besydes thys in matters apperteynyng to religyon he vsed so moche dyligence and wyse cyrcumspection that in the Councell at Vercells he condemned Berēgarius condemned in the Coūcell of Vercells at Rome ād two other Coūcells Berengarius the Author of an heresye Thus farr Platina This condēnacion notwithstandyng the wicked man persysted in hys impyetie wherfore an other Councell was holden at Towres wher by dyuerse learned Fathers he was conuynced and so abiured hys heresie And in à Councell holden at Rome wher were cxiij Byshops as Lanfrācus who then lyued testyfieth he recanted also hys heresyes Berēgarius recanteth and abiureth And yet all thys notwistāding though thys cākre of heresie semed in the outwarde parte to be cured yet yt fretted inwardlie and grewe to an newe sore that wher before he had taught that the Sacrament was but onelye a figure of the bodie of Chryst as thys proclamer also tracheth nowe he begā a newe doctryne affyrmyng that in the Sacrament was the verye bodie of Christ but that ther was also the Substāce of bread with the Substāce of the bodie of Chryst Wherupon ther was an other councell called vnder Gregorye the vij in the whiche the said Berengarius beyng conuinced dyd Gregorius 7. acknowledge hys errour and by expresse woordes recanted the same Not onelie these foure Councells condemned the heresye of Berengarius against the Sacrament but also the learned men that were in that tyme peyned them selues to wryte wholl bookes to the confutacion of the said Berengarius and hys heresies For against hym wrote Lanfrancus somtyme Archbyshope of Cantorburye of whom Tritemius saied that he was vir in
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
nec aperire possunt nisi ille reserauerit qui habet clauem Dauid qui aperit et nemo claudite claudit et nemo aperit In Actis Apostolorum sanctus Eunuchus imo vir sic enim eum scriptura cognominat cum legeret Esaiam interrogatus à Philippo Putà sne intelligis quae legis Respondit Quomodò possum nisi aliquis me docuerit Ego vt de me loquar interim nec sanctior sum hoc Eunucho nec studiosior qui de Aethiopia id est de extremis mundi finibus venit ad templuÌ„ reliquit aulam et tantus amator legis diuinaeque scientiae fuit vt etiam in vehiculo sacras literas legeret et tamen cum librum teneret et verbum Domini cogitatione conciperet lingua volueret labijs personaret ignorabat eum quem in libro nesciens venerabatur Venit Philippus ostendit ei Iesum qui clausus latebat in litera O mira doctoris virtus eâdem hora credit Eunuchus baptisatur et sanctus factus est The heauens were open to Ezechiel whiche to the sinfull people were shette Dauid saith Open thowe mine eies and I shall see the wonderfull thinges of thy lawe The lawe ys spirituall and yt hathe nede of reuelacion that yt maye be vnderstanded and that with open face we maie beholde the glorie of God The booke in the Apocalips ys shewed signed or fastened with seueÌ„ seales whiche if thow geue to a man hauing knowledge of letters that he maye read it he will aunswer I can not For it ys sealed Howe manie nowe a daies thinke Manie nowe a daies holde the booke of scripture scaled them selues learned and do holde the booke sealed neither yet can open it except he onlocke it which shetteth and noman openeth openeth and no man shetteth In the Actes of the Apostles the holie Eunuche yea raither a man for so the scripture doth call him when he did reade Esaie the Prophet being asked of Philippe Thinkest thow thow vnderstandest what thow readest he answered howe can I except some bodie shall teache me As for me that I maie speake somthing of my self I am neither more holie then this Eunuch nor more studiouse whiche came from Aethiope that ys from the furthest coastes of the worlde vnto the TeÌ„ple He left the Courte and was so great a louer of the lawe and godlie Science that he wolde euen in his Chariett read the holie scriptures And yet when he helde the booke and conceaued in his minde the woord of God when he spake it with his tounge and sownded it with his lipps he knew not him whom vnwitting he woorshipped in the booke Philippe came he shewed him Iesus who laie hidde in the letter O great vertue of a teacher The same howre the Eunuch beleued he was baptised and made faithfull and holie Thus farre saincte Hierom. In whose sentence marke well howe many scriptures this holie doctour hath brought forth to declare and proue that the scriptures be obscure and therfore of necessitie require to haue some exercised and learned in them to open and declare them as sainct Hierom declaring the cause whie alleageth these scriptures whiche ye haue heard and immediately addeth and saieth Haec à me breuiter perstricta sunt vt intelligeres te in scripturis sanctis sine praeuio et monstrante semitam non posse ingredi Theise thinges are breiflie touched of me to the entent thow shouldest vnderstande that withoute a leader and one shewing the path thow canst not entre in to the scriptures Not moche vnlike to this declaring the obscuritie and hardnesse of the olde Testament he writeth in his epistle to Algasia Quaestiunculaetuae de Euangelio Hieron ad AlgasiaÌ„ tantum de Apostolo propositae indicant te veterem scripturam aut non satis legere aut non satis intelligere quae tantis obscuritatibus suturorum typis obuâ—luta est vt omnis interpretatione egeat Thy questions propownded onelie out of the gospell and the Apostle doo declare that either thowe hauest not sufficientlie red the olde scripture or ells doest not sufficientlie vnderstand yt whiche ys enwrapped with so manie obscurities and figures of thinges to come that euery parte of yt had nede of interpretacon Thus moche saincte Hierom. Saincte Basill teacheth that all the scriptures are not to be published and made coÌ„mon for that some parte of them semeth to require a scilence or closenesse for their obscuritie Wherfor he diuideth the scriptures into two sortes or partis saieng Aliud est Dogma aliud Praedicatio Dogmata silentur Basil li. de Sp. S. ca. 27 Praedicationes verò publicantur Silentij autem species est obscuritas qua vtitur scriptura ita dogmatum sententiam construens vt aegrè assequi possis The pointes of learning be one thing and morall instruction ys an other Pointes of learning be kept close or secret Morall instructions are published and openlie taught A kinde of scilence also ys the obscuritie whiche the scripture vseth so framing the meening of the secret pointes of learning that a man maye hardlie atteign therto Saint Ambrose also in a fewe woordes saieth moche to this matter calling Lib 7. epist 44. the scripture of God the great sea hauing in yt a depenesse withoute Botome of depe senses and vnderstaÌ„dinges into the whiche manie flouddes doo entre Chrysostom also vpon this text Vae vobis qui clauditis regnum caelorum Wo be Math. 23. Chrysost oinel 44. in Matth. to yow whiche shett vppe the kingdom of heauen saieth thus Regnum est beatitudo caelestis Ianua autem eius est scriptura per quam intratur ad eam Clauicularij autem sunt sacerdotes quibus creditum est verbum docendi et interpretandi scripturas Clauis autem est verbum scientiae scripturarum per quam aperitur homimbus ianua veritatis Adapertio autem est interpretatio vera Videte quia non dixit Vae vobis qui non aperitis regnum caelorum sed qui clauditis Ergo non sunt scripturae clausae sed obscurae quidem vt cum labore inueniantur non autem clausae vt nullo modo mueniantur Propterea dicit Petrus in epistola sua de scripturarum obscuritate quia non sicut voluit homo locutus est spiritus sed sicut voluit spiritus ita locutus est homo Ratio autem obscuritatis multiplex est tamen satisfactionis causa dicimus duas Obscurata est notitia veritatis ne non tam vtilis inueniatur quà m contemptibilis Contemptibilis enim est si ab illis intelligatur à quibus nec amatur nec custoditur The kingdom ys the heauenlie blesse The gates of yt ys the scripture by the whiche we entre into yt The keibearers Preistes are the keiebearers of the scriptures are the preistes vnto whom the woorde ys committed to teache and interprete the scriptures The keie ys the woorde of the knowledge of the scriptures by the whiche
26. their haÌ„des yf yt had not ben his will to haue suffred In further argument wherof also when Peter drewe his sworde and cutte of the eare of Malchus Iesus saied vnto him Putte vppe thy sworde into the sheath Shall I not drinke of the cuppe which my Father hath geuen me And as S. Matthew testifieth saied further to Peter Thinkest thowe that I can not now praie to my Father and he shall geue me by and by more then twelue legioÌ„s of Angels But howe then shall the scriptures be fulfilled for thus must yt be By all whiche processe yt dothe most euidentlie appeare that willinglie he suffred his passion So did God by his Prophet foresaie that he shoulde doo Oblatus est quia voluit He was offred vppe bicause he wolde Iudas betraied him with a kisse Iuda osculo filium hominis tradis Iudas be Esay 53. traiest thowe the Sonne of man with a kisse The prophecie saied loÌ„g before that yt shoulde so be Homo pacis mea in quo sperani qui edebat panes meos magnificauit super me supplantationem My owne familiar frende whom I trusted which did also eate of my bread hath laied great wait for me Psal 40. That this prophecie was spoken of Iudas Chryste him self ys wittnesse who speakinge of Iudas in the Gospell alleageth this same scripture Qui manducat mecum panem leuabit coÌ„tra me caleaneum suum He that eateth bread with Joan. 13. me shall lifte vppe his hele against me To procead in the story of the passion when the Iewes laied handes vpon him and apprehended him Discipuli omnes relicto co fugerunt All his disciples Matth. 26 fledde and forsooke him Whiche thing allmightie God had spoken by hys Prophet Zacharie that so yt shoulde come to passe Percutiam pastorem disper gentur oues gregis I will smite the sheaperd and the shepe of the flocke shall be scatered That this prophecie ys thus to be vnderstanded Christe ys witnesse Zach. 14. who in the Gospell of saincte Marke applieth yt to the same pourpose In the house of Caiphas they entreacted our Sauiour very euell For emongest other thinges Expuerunt in faciem eius They did spitte in his face Of the whiche the Prophete Esaie spake as though yt had ben doen to hys own Mat. h. 26 Esay 50. person Faciem non auerti ab increpantibus conspuentibus in me I turned not my face from shame and spitting on me That in the morninge the cheif preistes and the elders of the people had a councell against Iesus to putte him to deathe yt was not ouerpassed withoute prophecie For the Prophete Dauid speaketh thus of yt in the person Mat. 21. of Chryste Circumdederunt me canâ—s multi concilium malignantium obsedit me Manie dogges compased me rownde aboute the councell of the wicked laied siege Psal 21. against me When Iudas as yt foloweth in the storie seing Chryste condemned brought the moncie again sainge I haue offended betrayeng an innocent Mat. 27 bloode and that the cheif preistes wolde not putte these siluer plates into the treasurie bicause yt was the price of blood but tooke couÌ„sell and bought with them a potters fielde to burie straungers the Euangelist himself affirmeth the prophecie therby to be fulfilled saing Then was that fulfilled whiche was spoken of by the Prophet Hieremie sainge And they tooke thirtie siluer peices the price of him that was valued whom they bought of the children of Israell and gaue them for the potters feilde Theise woordes be not fownde in Hieremie after the translation of the Bibles that nowe be comonly vsed yet this prophecie maie well be alleaged oute of Hieremie For saincte Hierom saieth that he hath red a booke of Hieremie in the Hebrue tounge in the whiche this sentence ys conteined woord for woorde But emoÌ„ge the prophetes that we haue in vse nowe Zacharie hath yt most plainlie wher we read yt thus Yf ye thinke yt good bring hether my price Zachar. 11 Yf no then leaue So they weighed down thirtie siluer peices the value that I was priced at And the Lorde said vnto me Castyt vnto the potter a goodlie price for me to be valued at of them And I tooke the thirtie siluer peices Matt. 27 and cast them vnto the potter Thus moche Zacharie In whose woordes ye perceaue the price of him that was solde which was thirtie siluer plates for the whiche summe our sauiour was solde Ye perceaue further more what was doen with those thirtie plates In the prophecie they were cast to the potter And the cheif preistes cast theÌ„ likewise to the potter for they bought a porters feilde with theÌ„ to burie strangers in Thus maie ye se how agreable thinges doen in the Gospell be with the prophecie and how liuelie and well the one aunswereth the other Pilate hearing that Iesus was a man of Galilie which belonged to the iurisdiction of Herode he sent him to Herode before whom the high preistes and Scribes accused him straitlie But Herode with his men of warre when they had despised him they sent him again cloathed in a white garment vnto Pilate Wherby the prophecie was fulfilled which saied Quare fremuerunt geÌ„tes populi meditati sunt inania Astiterunt reges terrae principes conuenerunt in Psal 2. vnum aduersus Dominum et aduersus Christum eius Whie do the heatheÌ„ so furiouslie rage together and why dothe the people ymagen vain thinges The kinges of the earthe stand vppe and the rulers take counsell together against the Lorde and against hys enointed That this prophecie of Dauid was herefullfilled the holie Goste by the holie multitude testifieth in the actes of the Apostles which in their praier to God praied thus Domine tu es qui fecisti caelum et terram etc. Lorde thow arte God which hast made heaueÌ„ and earthe the Sea aÌ„d all that in theÌ„ ys Which Act. 4. in the holie Gost by the mouth of thy seruauÌ„t Dauid our father hauest saied why did the heatheÌ„ rage and the people ymagen vain thinges The Kinges of the earth stoode vppe and the rulers came together against the Lorde aÌ„d against his enointed And of trueth against thy holie childe Iesus whom thow hauest enointed both Herode and also Ponce Pilate with the gentiles aÌ„d the people of Israell gathered theÌ„ selfs together in this Citie to doo what soeuer thy haÌ„des and thy counseil determined before to be doen. Thus ye se not onelie the Gospel aunswereth the prophecie but also by meÌ„ full of the holie Goste yt ys so taken vnderstaÌ„ded and applied To procead in the storie When Chryst was before Herode who questioned withe him manie woordes he aunswered nothing as S. Luke testifieth Luc. 23. Matth. 27. So being before Pilate when he was accused of the cheif preistes and elders as S. Mathew wittnesseth he aunswered nothinge And wheÌ„ Pilate also saied to him doest thowe not
my God looke vpon me why hauest thow forsaken me When he Psal 21. Mar. 15. had thus cried one ranne and filled a sponge with vineagre and put yt vppō a Reed and gaue him to drincke Saincte Matthew saieth that they gaue him vineagre mingled with gall which fullie aunswereth the prophecie Math. 27. which saieth Dederunt in escam meam fel in siti mea potauerunt me aceto They gaue me gall to eate and when I was thirstie they gaue me vineagre to Psal 68. drinke Saincte Iohū concludinge here the wholl storie of the passion saieth thus Postea sciens Iesus quia omnia consummata etc. After these thinges Iesus knowing Ioan. 19. that all thinges were nowe perfourmed that the scripture might be fullfilled he saied I thirst Ther stoode a vessell by full of vineagre Therfore they filled a sponge with vineagre and wounde yt aboute with Isope and put yt to his mouth As sooen as Iesus receaued the vineagre he saied Yt ys finished and bowed downe his head and gaue vppe the Goste In this woord Consummatum est yt ys finished Christe who saied that all Ioan. 19. Luc. 24. must nedes be fullfilled which was written of him in the Lawe of Moises and in the prophetes and in the Psalmes perceauing that all those that spake of his incarnacion conuersation and passion the ende of whiche passion was instante were fullfilled in him and by him signified to vs the ende of the same whiche ende was that all thinges be doen in dede as these bookes forespake by woorde in figures and prophecies Nowe the end of these bookes being commed and therfore well finished as one that had doen his worke appoincted at his own pleasure he gaue himself to rest and yelded vppe his most blessed Spirit THE TVVELVETH CHAPITER BRIEFLIE TOVcheth a prophecie or two of Christs Resurrection and Ascension NOwe gentle Reader thowe hauest heard the goodlie storie of the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christe not according to the woorthinesse of soche a matter treacted of and handled but for the avoiding of tediousnes breiflie and as yt were in a transcourse ouerrunne Wherin yet yf you well note the conference and applicacion of the storie of the Gospell to the prophecies and weigh well howe the one aunswereth the other yt will occasion yowe as I suppose to honour God in his prouident wisedom and foreknowledge and to reuerence his holie mysteries in the scriptures also teaching vs the same Nowe to perfourme my promisse I will bringe furth a prophecie or two of his Resurrection and ascension and so end this matter As the storie of the Gospell hath sufficientlie wittnessed that Christe our Sauiour gaue vppe the gost vppon the crosse and ther to declare himself a Prophecie of Chrystes resurrect and ascēsiō mortall man died So doth yt testifie vnto vs that he was buried and that the third daie he rose again and that as sainct Paule saieth accordinge to the Scriptures And for asmoche as the Gospell was not perchaunce then written or receaued as of autoritie to proue that article to vnbeleuing men 1. Cor. 15. yt ys to be supposed that saincte Paule ment the Scriptures of the Prophetes whiche did prophecie the resurrection of Christe of the whiche matter we read thus in the psalme I haue sett God allwais before me for he ys Psal 15. on my right hand therfor I shall not fall wherfore my hearte was gladde and my tounge reioced my flesh also shall rest in hope for whie Thowe shallt not leaue my sowle in Hell nether shalt thowe suffer thy holie one to see corruption That this prophecie speaketh of the resurrection of Christe saincte Peter in the first sermon that he made after he hadde receaued the holie Goste whiche was euen the same daie of Pentecost dothe alleage the same scripture by the teaching of the same holie Spirit to proue the resurrectiō of Christe wher he saieth thus Ye men of Israell heare these woordes Iesus of Nazareth Acto 2. a man approued of God emong yowe with miracles wonders and signes which God did by him in the middest of yowe as ye your selues knowe him haue ye taken by the handes of vnrighteouse persons after he was deliuered by the determinate counseill and foreknowledge of God and haue crucified and slain him whom God hath raysed vppe and loosed the sorowes of death bycause yt was vnpossible that he shoulde be holden of yt For Dauid speaketh of him before hand I sawe God allwais before me c. as ys before alleadged And proceading in this matter noteth the speciall poinctes of this Prophecie that doo proue the resurrection of Christe and saieth Therfore seing he was a Prophete speking of Dauid and knewe that God had sworne with an othe to him that Christe as concerninge the flesh shoulde come of the fruicte of his loines and shoulde sitte on his seat he knowing this before spake of the resurrection of Christe that his sowle showlde not be lefte in hell neither his flesh shoulde see corruption This Iesus hath God raised vppe wherof all we are wittnesses In the whiche wholl sentence and saieng of saincte Peter two thinges are to this pourpose to be noted First that before the allegacion of the prophete Dauid he saieth thus speaking of Christe whom God hath raised vppe and loosed the sorowes of death Yf ye aske the holie Apostle the cause whie God hath raised him from deathe he aunswereth Bicause yt was vnpossible that he shoulde be holden of yt Yf ye procead to aske him why yt was vnpossible he aunswereth For Dauid speaketh of him Wherin he noteth the immutabilitie of God and the certentie of his woorde As who should saie forsomoch as God hath spoken by his Prophete Dauid that he wolde raise vppe Christe again yt ys vnpossible but he must be raised and therfore he was raised The second thing to be noted in the Apostle ys that he noteth as yt were with his fingar the verie speciall woordes of the prophecie of Dauid that forespake the resurrection of Christe where the Apostle speking of Dauid saied He knowing of this before spake of the resurrection of Christe that his sowle shoulde not be left in Hell nether his flesh shoulde see corruption This sentence ys yt that plainlie proueth the resurrection Wherfore the Apostle to conferre the fullfilling of the prophecie to the prophecie yt self concludeth the sentence thus This Iesus hath God raised vppe wherof we all are wittnesses Albeit the learned Fathers alleage other places also yet for so moche as I haste to the matter principallie entended I will staie my hande in this matter Mindinge with like expedicion to finish the rest that remaineth to be doen by my promesse that ys onelie to declare the ascension of Christ by prophecie as I haue doen by figure Of the Ascension of our Sauiour Christe the Prophete Dauid also in the Psal 67. Prophecie of the Ascēsion psalme dothe Prophecie thus
do against the Moone hearing and seing so manifest so plain and so cleare a sentence spoken and vttered withoute anie confuse or obscure tearmes breiflie knitte and compacte withoute anie long am bages hearing will not heare and seing will not see but wilfullie will be blinde and not vnderstande and yet malicioustie barke against the clear light whiche they can not extinguish As the dogges doo against the Moone whiche they can not vanquish But lett thē brak as long as they list Veritas Domini manet in aeternum The trueth of our Lorde abideth for euer To the whiche God geue them grace to turne But let the true Christian heare and marke what enacted and receaued Psalm 116 truth was in the parliament house of Christes Churche nowe opened and testified by the Auncient elder of the same whiche ys that Christe made the bread which he did take and distribute to his disciples his bodie Heretiques build tehir faith vpon reason and senses whiche was and ys the true Pascall Lambe figured by the olde Paschall lambe And by this let him cōforte him self in the true faith that the hath receaued ād cōfirme him self to be mightie against all the assauts of heresie how moche so euer their sainges shall delight or please reason or the knowe ledge of our senses wherpon they do so builde their faith that they wolde haue no poincte ne parte therof directlie repugnant to reason or Iudgment of sense as Cranmer or the Authour of that booke which ys sett furth in his name with moche boldenesse affirmeth Whose verie woordes for the triall I will asscribe Thus shall ye ther Cranmers sensuall sentence Li. 2. read But to conclude in fewe woordes the Papistes shal neuer be able to shewe one article of our faith so directlie contrarie to our senses that all our senses by daile experience shall affirme a thinge to be And yet our faith shall teache vs the contrarie therunto Thus he In whiche saing gentle Reader yowe maie perceaue that these sensuall men were so moche captiue to sensuall knowledge that not cōtent to haue faith a knowledge aboue or at leste equall with reason whiche in dede surmounteth Faith surmounteth reason or senses and passeth all reason wolde abase her to be an hand maiden to the knowledge of our senses as one that shoulde teach no article contrarie to them which yet teacheth all aboue the knowledge of senses and moche directlie contrarie As for example Owre senses by dailie experiēce teach vs that men do die And that some of their bodies being burned ther ys nothing lefte but Asshes blowē abroad Faith teacheth many thinges contrarie to the senses with the winde And some consumed of the foules of the aire Some of the fishes of the sea Some vtterly doo putrifie in the earth as thinges that shoulde neuer be the same flesh the same substance the same man again And yet faith teacheth vs directlie contrarie that ys that the thing which the senses Iudge to be dead whiche ys so diuided and separated from life that yt shall neuer liue the same thing in nombre again that in dede yt ys not dead but sleapeth and shall be the same in person again that yt was before The senses taught none other but that the woundes whiche Christe had in his bodie after the resurrection and specially the wounde of his side into the which he willed Thomas to pute his hande were verie fore and painfull and yet faith saieth directlie contrarie For a glorified bodie yt not passible Thus these men building ther faith vpon their senses when their senses perished their sensuall faith preished with all Wherfor cleaue not to soche a faith whiche neadeth to be mainteined with vntruthe and false sensuall knowledge But embrace that faith whiche ys grownded vpon Christ and lined oute and tried by the sure and streight piller of truthe the Catholique Churche But perchaunce the Aduersarie will saie that although the sentence of Obiection out of Tertull Tertullian for so moche as I haue brought in sowndeth plainlie to my pourpose yet yf I had brought in the wholle sentēce yt wolde haue ouerthrowē the same Wherfore I deale not sincerelie but vse crafte To this I saie that this that ys alleadged oute of Tertulliā ys his verie saing ād neadeth no dependence to make yt perfecte but ys of yt self a perfecte proposition and therfore hath yn yt self a trueth or falshood and maie then well be alleaged to confirme my pourpose And yet I haue not so omitted yt as though I wolde not see yt but I haue reserued yt to be handled wher we shall seke the exposition of his texte Hoc est corpus meum But that we maie perceaue in the meā while that Tertullian in his place minded no other wise then these his woordes alleaged pourporte I meen that Christs bodie ys made present in the Sacrament and in the same geuen and dipensed I shall bring himself to wittnesse in an other place wher he testifieth that the slesh that ys to saie the natural man eateth the bodie of Christ Caro inquit abluitur vt anima emaculetur Caro vngitur vt anima consecretur Caro signatur Note that the flesh eateth the bodie and blood of Chryst. vt anima muniatur Caro corpore sanguine vescitur vt anima de Deo saginetur The flesh saith Tertullian ys washed that the Soule maie be pourged The flesh ys enoynted that the soule maie be consecrated The flesh ys signed that the soule maie be defended The flesh eateth the bodie and bloode of Christe that the soule maie be made fatte or lustie in God Thus Tertullian In the whiche woordes he teacheth that as verilic as we be washed with verie water and enointed with verie oile and signed with the verie signe of the crosse and not with the figures of these So be we fedde with the verie bodie and blood of our Sauiour Christe and not with the figures of them Teflesh saieth he eateth the bodie and blood of Christ and not the spirit onlie Nowe then that yowe haue heard one of the one side of the parliamēt house yowe shall heare one of the other side Iyschius an aunciente author Disciple to the great learned father Gregorie Naziancen saieth thus Non oportet eos qui Pascha euangelicum celebrant quod nobis tradidit Ecclesia legale Pascha peragere quod bouem ouem legislator dicens significauit Jsychius in Le. lib. 6. cap. 22. quia haec praecepit Moises in die Paschae quod traditum est Iudaeis immolare They that doe celebrate the euangelicall Passouer whiche the Churche hath deliuered vs maie not celebrate the legall Passour whiche the lawegeuer commaunding hath declared to be an oxe and a shepe For Moises hath commaunded to offer these thinges in the daie of the passeouer that ys appointed to the Iewes And a litle after foloweth Non ergo oportere nos habentes in manibus
most plain sentence haue gon aboute to elude yt with a glose vpon this woorde Sacramētaries glose vpon S. Cyprian ouerthrowen nature saieng that nature ys here taken for the propertie of nature and not for the substance of nature that glose ys ouerthrowen by these woordes ther immediatelie folowing Factus est caro was made flesh Nowe ye haue heard holie Cyprians faith in this matter so plainlie vttered that his testimonie alone were sufficient to make the aduersarie to rubbe his forehead for shame yf anie shame be in him ād to cal in his proclamaciō for asmoche as he heareth the matter so clerelie and so manifestlie spokē ād vttered as neither he ne anie of his likes can well fasten any darke or blinde glose to take awaie the clearnesse of this sentence But trusting that the thing yt self confowndeth sufficiently the arrogancie of the Aduersaries I will procead and bring furth one of the other side of Chrystes Parliamēt house who shall be Euthymius a man so auncient and so famed emong learned men that I nede not here to stand moche in his commendacion As touching this matter he saieth thus speaking of our Sauiour Chrystes doing in his last Supper Egit gratias nunc ante panē postmodū ante poculum Euthym in Matth. 26 docens quòd gratias agere oportet ante huiusmodi mysterium quod perfectum est ad praestandum naturae nostrae beneficium Si enim agni figuratiui immolatio ab interfectione liberationem à seruitute libertatem Iudaeis praestitit quanto maiora praestabit Christianis veri agni immolatio Simul etiam ostendens quòd vltroneus ad passionem veniret praeterea docens nos gratias agere in omnibus quae patimur Sicut autem pictores in vna tabula lineas supponunt picturas adumbrant et colores superinducunt ac formant ita quoque Christus in eadem mensa et figuratiuum ac vmbratile Pascha subscripsit et verum ac perfectum apposuit He gaue thankes bothe nowe before the bread and afterward before the cuppe teachinge that we must geue thankes before soche a mistery as was doen to geue a benefet to owre nature For yf the sacrificinge of the figuratiue lambe gaue vnto the Iewes deliuerance from being slain and libertie from seruitude Howe moche greater benefettes shall the sacrificing of the trew lambe geue vnto the Christians Shewing also withall that he came willinglie to his passion and besides that teaching that we shoulde geue thankes in all thinges that we suffer As painters in one table first drawe their lines and shadowe their paintinges and then laie on their colours and sett yt oute in forme or fashion Euen so also Chryst in that one table sette oute the figuratiue and shadolike passouer an then putte vnto them the true and perfect passeouer Hitherto Euthymius In whose sentence ye maie first perceaue that he teacheth that the lambe eaten of the Iewes was the figure and shadowe of the true paschall lambe that Chryst gaue to hys Apostles Secondarelie that yt ys to be cōsidered that he calleth Chrystes Passouer in respect of the Iewes passouer a perfight and true Passouer Nowe the Aduersaries teache that the good Iewes eating their Paschall Sacramentaries opinions Lambe receaued Chryste Spirituallie And they saie likewise that the good Chrystians eating the sacramentall bread as they terme yt receaue Chryst also but Spirituallie They saie also that the Iewes receaued Chryste in a signe or figure They saie that the Christians likewise receaue Chryste but in signe or figure Howe then riseth thys difference that their Paschall feast ys called but a shadow or figure and owre ys called the true and perfecte paschall feast And yet according to the Aduersaries doctrine ther ys no more in the one then in other but bothe be figures bothe be signs and Chryst but spirituallie receaued in bothe Wher ys then the trueth that maketh our paschall feast a true feast And wher ys the perfection that maketh yt perfecte as thys authour tearmenth yt Yt can not be but that in Christes Supper ther must be the trneth and verie thing of that that was figured in the iudaicall Supper And that perfect Christ in the iudaicall feast imperfectlie in our feast perfectie thinge in perfecte maner whiche in the Iewes Supper was vnperfectlie as ye haue hearde that that lambe and Supper was a figure of Chryste oure lambe and our Supper Wherfore then yt must nedes folowe that as Chryst was in that Supper but in a figure and therfore vnperfectlie So must he be present in our Supper more then in a figure euen by verie true and reall presence and so perfectlie And that this Authour as I haue declared meant of soche a perfectereall presence of Chryst in the sacramēt not onelie his own woords allreadie rehersed do wel proue but this his saieng also in the same chapiter Sicut vetus Testamentum hostias et sanguinem habebat Ita sanè et nouū corpus videlicet et sanguinem Domini Euen as the olde Testament had sacrifices and bloode So trulie hath the newe also that ys to witte the bodie and bloode of our lorde Thus Euthymius Ys not this saieng plain ynough can the Proclamer finde anie tropes or A plain place for master Juel darke figures to saie that this ys not a plain sentence declaring the verie real presence of Christes blessed bodie and bloode in the Sacrament forasmoche as he saieth not onelie that the newe Testament hathe the bodie and bloode of Chryste But yt hathe them as the propre sacrifice of the same Neither maie the Proclamer drawe this saing pinche yt to meen the sacrifice of the crosse For this authour proceadeth immediatelie in the proif of Christes reall presence in the Sacrament by Christes owne woordes This ys my bodie And teacheth that not onelie signes of Christes bodie and bloode be ther But his verie bodie and blood as in the second booke where we shall haue a more apte and couenient place to speake of these woordes more at large oute of this Authour Yt shall be declared And for this place supposing enoughe to be saied as cōcerning the minde of these two Authours for the applicacion of the figure of the Paschall Lābe to Christe our Paschall Lambe and howe the one ys but the figure the other the veritie And that therfore the thing in dede that was figured whiche ys Christes verie bodie ys otherwise present then in a figure I will leaue these and call other two of Christes Parliament house to heare ther testimonie also what the enacted trueth of this matter ys THE EIGHTENE CHAPITER TREACTETH OF the same matters by saincte Hierom and Chrysostome Amonge the elders of the latin churche whiche remain I will first heare saincte Hierom a man in fame so excellent in learning so deape and profownde in liuing so holie in time so auncient as being born the yeare of our Lorde 331. of diuerse
booke But nowe that the Aduersarie ys pressed so sore he ys driuen to his common refuge of the woorde Spirituallie and will peraduenture saie that the bread in the Sacrament ys not the verie thinge that aunswereth the figure of the Paschall lambe but the flesh and bloode of Chryst as Cyrill here alleageth Spirituallie receaued But howe farre this their common glose dissenteth from the truthe yt shall by Gods helpe streight waie euidentlie appeare First this ys most certen that the faithfull people of the olde Testament 1. Cor. 10. whiche through faithe in Chryste to come were the children of faithfull Abraham did eate the flesh and drincke the bloode of Chryst spirituallie as saincte Paule wittnesseth Omnes candem escam spiritualē manducauerunt omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt bibebant autem de spirituali consequente eos petra Petra autem erat Christus All our Fathers did eate of one spirituall meat and and did all drinke of one maner of spirituall drinke For they drancke of that spirituall Rocke that folowed them whiche Rocke was Chryst Yf Chryst was then spirituallie eaten and dronken of the fathers the Spirituall receauing of Christ was not sigured by the Pasechall lābe spirituall eatinge and drinknige of Chryste or Chryste spirituallie eaten and dronken was not figured by the Paschall lābe neither can the Pascall Lābe be applied to Chryste spirituallie eatē as the propre figure to the thing figured And this shall be proued For all the Sacramentes and Ceremonies of the olde Lawe were figures of thinges to come and to be doen and fullfilled in the newe lawe And if Chryst were receaued spirituallie of the Fathers in the olde lawe then was the Paschall lambe no figure of Chryst to be spirituallie receaued in the newe lawe That the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the law were figures of thinges to come S. Paule testifieth Vmbram habens lex futurorum bonorum c. The lawe hauing the shaddowe of good thinges to come and not the verie fashion Hebr. 10. of the thinges them selues c. And saincte Augustine also as before ys alleaged saieth that the sacrifices of the Hebrues were prophecies of the sacrifices to come whiche Christ did offer Wherunto Chryst him self who came to fullfill the lawe hauing regarde saied Iota vnum aut vnus apex non praeteribit à lege donec omnia fiant One iotte Math. 5. or one title of the lawe shall not scape till all be fullfilled Whiche maner of speache shoulde not nede yf the thinges that were figured were doen allreadie Wherfor seing the spirituall receauing of Chryst was not a thing to comme but was in vse euen with the figuts in the time of the lawe And also forsomoche as the Sacramentall bread as they do terme yt whiche ys but a sign or a figure of Chryst ys not the thing that ys figured For the thinge that ys figured must nedes be Chryst and as yt ys nowe proued yt can not be Chryst spirituallie therfor of necessitie yt must be verie Chryst reallie And therfore to conclude when Cirill saied in the ende of his sentence Thowe hauest knowen the figure learn therfor the verie thinge And alleageth this Scripture My flesh ys verilie meate and my blood ys verilie drinke Bothe he and the Scripture meen the verie thinge whiche ys the reall and substanciall slesh of Christ and his verie bloode and not the spiritual flesh and blood onely Ioan. 6. THE TWENTETH CHAPITER IOINETH sainct Gregorie and Damascen to confirme the same matter YE haue all readie heard certain cooples of the two sides of the higher house of Parliament whiche howe they agree within them selues and howe Iustlie and trulie they reporte the enacted veritie of the same and therwith howe mightilie they ouerthrowe the pestilent sectes of the wicked I trust the gentle Reader dothe well perceaue Nowe though this great master of heresie will not accept the Authours that haue written within the compasse of theise nime hondreth yeares whiche therfore I diuide from the other that did write within sixe hondreth years after Chryst calling them of the lower house and theise of the higher house yet for asmoche as I write as well for the comforth of the true beleuing Chrystian as for the confutacon of the false Chrystian I will consult with an other coople of the whiche the one ys last of the higher house and the other one of the firste or cheifest of the lower house and after with other of the lower house that the trueth reported of manie maye the more ioifullie be embraced and they that refuse them and their authoritie wourthilie defaced For yf these of the lower house do agree with them of the higher house and haue all one tune and sownde with them in the trueth then both their prowde arrogancie whiche haue so contemptuouslie reiected so manie verteuouse and learned mens authorities ys condignelie to be rebuked and also their falce imposture teaching that the Churche hath swerued from the trueth and lien in erronr so manie yeares to thentente that they getting estimacon as the Inuentours of trueth might sell their lies vnder the colour of truth maie the better be perceaued This Authour whom I called the last of the higher house ys sainct Gregorie Sainct Gregorie hys cōmēdaciō who somtime was cheif head vnder Chryst of the howse a man both learned and vertuouse as appeareth not onclie by him that setteth oute his life in storie but also by his own woorkes sauouring as well of vertue and holinesse as of learning and faithfull trueth This holie learned Father in a Paschall homelie comparing the olde Paschall Lambe to the newe saieth thus Quae videlices cuncta magnam nobis aedisicationem Omil. 22. Pascha pariunt si fuerint mystica interpretatione discussa Quid namue sit sanguis agni non iam audiendo sed bibendo didicistis Qui sanguis super vtrunque postem ponitur quādo non solùm ore corporis sed etiam ore cordis hauritur Nam qui sic redemptoris sui sangumē sumit vt imitari passionem eius necdum velit in vno poste sanguinem posuit All whiche thinges do bring furth to vs great edificacion yf they shall be with a misticall interpretacion discussed What the bloode of the lābe ys ye haue not onelie by hearing but by drinking learned Whiche blood ys put vpon bothe the postes when not onelie with the mouthe of the bodie but also with the mouthe of the heart yt ys receaued For he that doth so receaue the bloode of his redemer that he wolde not yet folowe his passion he hath put the bloode but vpon one poste Thus moche saincte Gregorie As in this saing he hath made mencion of the bloode of Chryst So proceadinge vpon the same matter in the same homelie he speaketh of the Chrystes bodie and blood receiued with mouth of bodie and soule both eating of the olde Paschall Lambe and of the eating of Chrystes
eating the olde Paschall Lambe and the beginning of the newe testament with the newe Paschall Lambe Which Paschall Lambe how yt was and what yt was and how yt ys wrought ād made he leaueth yt not vndeclared He tooke bread saieth he mening Chryst and brake yt and gaue yt to his disciples saing Take eate This ys my bodie And that he might leaue no place to the enemies to misconstrue him and to wrest him to their pourpose he addeth the probacion of yt by the powre of God in other of hys workes which ys also a most plain declaracion of hys faith That as God by his woorde made heauen and earth and all thinges in Chryst turned the bread into his bodie and the wyne and water into his blood them conteined So by his woorde saing Thys ys my bodie yt ys euen so made in dede as yt ys saied For can not he saieth Damascen make the bread his bodie and the wine and water his bloode Which woordes being so plain nede no in terpretaciō For he affirmeth that God by hys woord and allmightie powre dothe make the bread his bodie and the wine and water his bloode And wher the Aduersarie hath against this saied that he doubteth not of the power of God but that he ys able to do yt yf he will or yf yt be his pleasure but we finde not saieth he in the scripture that his pleasure ys that the preist pronouncing the woordes shoulde by gods power consecrate the bodie of Chryste This ys their ignoraunt scruple But if they had leuing all arrogancie mekelie consulted with thys Damascē they shoulde haue fownd yt in the scripture that Gods pleasure ys that the bodie of Chryste shoulde be consecrated by the poower of God and by the preist as his mynister For God saieth Damascen Chryst commaunded his bodie to be cōsecrated saied at the beginning Let the earth bring furth grene herbe and vntill this time the earth being holpen with Godes commaundement doth bringe furth fruict God saied This ys my bodie this ys my bloode this doe ye in remembrance of me And by his allmightie commaundement yt ys so made Note then that when Chryst by his powre had of bread made his bodie for he saied yt was his bodie and his saing ys making Then he gaue commaundement to his mynistres saing Hoc facite This doo ye by the whiche allmightie commaundement saieth Damascen yt ys doen. But nowe when the scripture ys produced and laied before their face hauing no good will to accept the trueth they procead to questioning and aske howe How the question of the faithlesse aūswered proue ye that Chryst by these woordes commaunded the consecracion THE ONE AND TWENTETH CHAPITER CONcludeth this matter of the figure of the paschall lambe by Haymo and Cabasila THe nombre ys great that might be called oute of this lower house whiche for that yt wolde make thys rude worke to growe into to great a volume I will content my self and staie after I haue brought furth one coople mo and so leaue this figure The first of theise shall be Haymo for that he ys the elder being aboute the yeare of Chryst 734. and so aboue eight hundreth yeares agon before the time of Berengarius who was the first open and notable Aduersaire of this Sacrament that laboured to take awaie the reall presence of Chryste Therfor this learned Father maie wel be cōsulted with all who being before this controuersie was moued ys to be thought to speake vpprightlie ād not parciallie In his exposition therfore vpon S. Matthew he saieth thus Coenantibus Haymo in 26. Matt. autem eis accepit Iesus panem c. Expletis solemnijs veteris Paschae transit Dominus ad sacramenta noui Paschae demonstranda Postquam coenauit dedit eis panem et vinum in mysterio videlicet corporis et sanguinis sui Quia enim panis cor hominis confirmat vinum auget sanguinem in homine meritò idem panis in carnem Domini mutatur et idem vinum in sanguinem Domini transfertur non per figuram neque per vmbram sed per veritatem Credimus enim quia in veritate caro est Christi similiter et sanguis As they were eating at Supper Iesus tooke bread c. When the Solemnities of the olde Passouer Bread and wine chaūged into the bodie and blood of Chryst not in figure but in trueth were fullfilled our Lorde goeth to shewe furthe the Sacrament of the newe Passouer After he hadde Supped he gaue them bread and wine in mysterie of his bodie and bloode For bicause bread doth strenghten the hearte of man and wine encreaseth the bloode in man the same bread ys woorthilie chaunged into the flesh of our Lorde and that same wine transferred into the bloode of our Lorde not by figure nor by shaddowe but by the verie trueth For we beleue that in trueth yt ys the flesh of Cbryst and likewise his bloode Thus farre Haymo The two principall pointes here enquired this holie Father hath agreablie bothe to the elders of the higher house and also to them of the lower house declared First hys comparing of the olde Passeouer to the newe ys easie to be perceaued And then what the newe Passeouer ys he doth most plainlie manifest Yf he had left the matter of the newe Passeouer when he had said He deliuered bread and wine in mysterie of hys bodye and bloode then the Aduersaries wolde haue vsed their accustomed violence to haue drawen him by force to be a wittnesse of their syde I saie by force bicause this Authour not mening as they do as after yt shall appeare yet they wolde with great boast haue saied that he had mened as they doo Heretiques how they alleage the Fathers Which maner of doinge Reader ys their cōmō practise For wher they in their workes alleage the holie Fathers they alleadge thē in doubtful places wher they vse the common termes of Sacrament mysterie and soch other whiche when controuersie and contencion ys raised by wicked men maie Sacramētaries can not bring one Father teaching the Sacrament to be only a figure be drawen to either parte Albeit the Authours intended and ment but the onelie one true waie of Chrystes trueth and faith as this Authour nowe alleaged did But gentle reader yf thow perusest their bokes and findest that they bring anie allowed Authour saing by expresse woordes and plain sentence that the Sacrament ys but a figure or a sign or by plain deniall shall saie that Chrystes bodie ys not in the Sacrament reallie or in verie dede we shall yelde and geue them the victorie for certen I am that they can not But on our syde that ys on the parte of the catholique faithe of Chrystes Churche ye shall heare a nombre that by expresse woordes shall affirme the verie presence of Chrystes bodie of whiche nōbre ye haue allreadie heardsome And by like expresse woordes shall denie that yt
maner of presences of Chryst. two maner of beinges of Chryst the one ys in the Sacrament wher he saieth Chryste ys as in a sign token or figure but not in veritie The other maner of being ys not in the Sacramēt but in the receauer of yt in whom he saieth Chryst ys spirituallie As for this seconde maner of being euerie good Chrystian will graunte that euerie wourthie receauer of the Sacrament receaueth Chryste spirituallie but not onelie spirituallie as the Aduersarie teacheth but he also receaueth Chrystes verie real ād substācial bodie So that in this secōd maner he dissenteth in part from the catholike faith But in the first maner of beinge he dissenteth whollie for ther he denieth Chrystes bodie to be verilie in the Sacrament which the catholique faith doth affirme and teache Nowe gentle reader thowe hauest hearde this figure of the Paschall Lambe both by great auncient Authours that were aboue a thousand yeyears agon or within the compasse of sixe hundreth years after Chryst and also by Authours that were within the compasse of these nine hundreth years applied to the thing figured Whiche thing figured by one consent and by one mouth as yt were and by consonante and vniforme testimonie they haue testified and taught not onelie to be Chrystes bodie vpon the crosse for that in that parte yt aunswereth the death and bloode sheding of the lambe but also the bodie of Chryst being in the Sacrament not as in a shaddowe signe or token but verilie substanciallie and reallie and so not spirituallie onelie eaten and receaued But of all good christians both spirituallie with the mouth of the soule and also reallie with the mouthe of the bodie taken eaten and reccaued herin also aunsweringe the figure that as the lambe was eaten in the remembrance of the sauing of the first born and of their deliuerance from the tirannie of Pharao and of their passing oute of Aegipte by the mightie hand of God So the true faithfull of Chryst shoulde eate the verie Paschall lambe of the newe Testament whiche ys the verie bodie of that immaculate Lambe our Sauiour Iesus Chryst reallie and substanciallie in the Sacrament and so receaue yt in the remembrance of our deliueraunce from our cruell Pharao the Deuell and from the miserable seruitude of Aegipt whiche ys sinne Whiche benefittes as they haue happened to vs by the death of that blessed Lambe aught by the eating of him in the Sacramēt to be remēbred And thus moche for the figure of the Paschall Lambe THE TWO AND TWENTETH CHAPITER BEginneth the applicacion of the shewe bread to the Sacrament as of the figure to the veritie by sainct Hierom and Damascen NOwe ther remaineth three other figures to be treacted of which be Manna the water flowing oute of the Rocke and the shewe bread But for somoche as sainct Paule maketh mencion of two of them that ys of Manna and of the water and I wolde not gladlie grieue the reader with reading of one matter twice I shall disfer theise two vntill we come to treacte of the sainges of sainct Paule whiche shall be in the third booke Wherfore nowe I will passe them ouer and treacte here of the figure of the shewe bread Of this shewe bread we first read thus Thowe shalt sett vpon the table shewe breade before me allwaie These woordes Allmightie God spake vnto Moyses after he had tolde him the maner and Exod. 25. fashion of the table howe yt shoulde be made and granished vpon the which table this shewe breades shoulde allway be sett But of the making of the breads and the ordre of them we reade in Leuit. 24. Leuiticus thus And thowe shalt take fine flowre and bake twelue wassells therof two tenth deals shall be in one wassell And thowe shalt sett them in two rowes that they maie be bread of remembrance and an offring vnto thy Lord God euery Sabboth He shall put them in rowes before thy Load God euermore Of the children of Israël shall they be offred for an euerlasting couenante And they shall be Aarons and his Sonnes whiche shall eate them in the holie place For they are most holie vnto him of the offringes of the Lorde by a perpetuall statute In the whiche saing of God ye first perceaue the place of theise breades whiche ys vpon the table in the tabernacle Ye vnderstande also the continuance of them whiche ys that they must be before the Lorde allwaie Further this bread was made of fine flowre and yt was the bread of remembrance and an offring vnto the Lord. Yt was no common bread but an holie bread wherof the preistes onelie might eate and no defiled person Wherfore when Dauid and his men were verie hungrie and came to Abimelech the preist and desired him to geue them some bread he 2. Reg. 21. aunswered him that he hadd no common bread vnder his hand but hallowed bread neuerthelesse he considering their necessitie asked Dauid if the men had kept them selues from vnclaen thinges especiallie from womē And when Dauid had aunswered that they werie clean from womē aboute three daies the preist gaue them of the bread Nowe all the Ceremonialls of the lawe of Moyses were figures of Chryst and his Churche as by sainct Augustine before ys declared And for so moche as the Shewe bread was a sollemne offring in the olde lawe Yt must nedes be a figure of some thing in the newe lawe For no iotte nor title of the olde lawe shall escape saieth Chryst vntill yt be fullfilled in the newe lawe Ther ys therfor something in the newe lawe that aunswereth and fulfilleth this figure of the olde lawe And that ys vndoubtedlie that most blessed Shew bread a figure of the Sacrament and heauenlie bread of life the verie bodie of our Sauiour Christ in the Sacrament vnder the forme of bread Whiche blessed bread aunswereth the figure the Shewe bread verie aptelie and iustilie as by comparison in discourse and applicacion of them we shall perceaue The Shewe bread was placed vpon the table in the tabernacle This bread ys placed on the Altar in the Churche That bread neuer failed Shew bread applied to the Sacrament but was allwaies reserued This bread allwaies remaineth and ys reserued That bread was a bread of remembrance This bread ys a bread of remembrance bothe of Chrystes death and of the great benefett pourchased by the same death That bread was an offringe to God This bread ys a most holie oblacion and sacrifice to God That bread might no defiled person eate This bread maie no defiled sinner eate For Quicunque manducauerit panem Domini biberit calicem indignè reus erit corporis sanguinis Domini c. he that eateth the breade of our Lorde and drinketh of his cuppe vnwourthilie shal be giltie of the bodie of our Lorde 1. Cor. 11. Therfor let a man examin himself and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe
in that he offred bread and wine and in that he blessed Abrahā Do ye not also see that this Authour applieth these to Chryst in that there was none more the high preist of God then our Lorde Iesus Chryst who offred sacrifice vnto God the Father And perceaue ye not that Chryst offred the verie same that Melchisedech whiche was bread and wine Wher gentle reader let me note by the waie for the satisfieng of my promesse that wher the obiection of the Aduersarie ys that S. Ciprian by expresse woordes saith Melchisedech offred Melchisedech did not offer in sacrifice bread and wine and for his proof he saied that the text in Genesis had not obtulit he offred but Protulit he brought furth Nowe note yf this Father vseth not this woorde obtulit he offred saing that Chryst offred the very same that Melchisedech did offer And what he did offer he also declareth saing that yt was bread and wine What impudencie then ys ther in the Aduersaries to improue that that so auncient and so famouse a learned holie Martir so plainlie teacheth and not he alone but all the holie companie of the writers of the which the testimonie of some mo shall be heard herafter As yow see that Melchisedech did offer bread and wine whiche was the Christ offred bread and wine in veritie that ys his bodie and bloode figure So did our Sauiour Chryst saieth Cyprian offer bread and wine in veritie that ys hys bodie and bloode And that the Aduersaries shall not cauille and saie Wher Cyprian saieth Chryst offred his bodie and blood yt ys not to be vnderstanded of any sacrifice offred in the last Supper but of the sacrifice of his bodie and bloode offred vpon the crosse The same sainct Cyprian stoppeth the mouth of the wicked in the other sentence before alleaged wher he saieth The ymage of the Sacrifice went before appointed in bread and wine whiche thinges our Lorde perfecting and fulfilling offred bread and the cuppe mixed with wine And that we shoulde not take occasion to stomble with the Aduersaries taking yt but for bread and wine he addeth And he that ys the fulnesse hath fulfilled the veritie of the prefigurated image Do ye not heare that Chryst offred the sacrifice in his last supper of the whiche the ymage went before in bread and wine And doo ye not heare that he offring bread and wine did offer in that sorte that he fulfilled the veritie of the prefigurated ymage Whiche veritie was as sainct Cyprian saied be fore that he offred bread and wine that ys hys bodie and bloode Learn then thow Reader of this substanciall piller the substāciall faith of Chrysts catholique Churche And suffer not thy self to be caried awaie with the Aduersaries painted reasons and gloses hauinge a shewe of trueth and godlinesse aboue but vnder ther lurketh falshead and Hypocrisie But abhorre them as saincte Paule dothe aduertise For as the fishe ys deceaued by the faire bait whiche outwardlie sheweth to be a thing of commoditie but inwardlie ys destruction and death when she taketh yt Euen so the reasons of the Pseudochristians maie appeare to thee most godlie and true and to haue the commoditie of eternall life But inwardlie they contein destruction and death of the sowle to the whiche they will drawe thee except thowe shifte thy self of from that bait whilest thowe arte yet in the wauing water of this worlde Therfore be warned and while thowe hauest time looke to thy self Nowe that we haue heard this noble learned Father of the one side of Chrystes Parliament house we will heare an other of the other side whiche shall be Isychius who vpon Leuiticus toucheth this matter and saieth Et quod hoc est sacrificium Duae decimae similae conspersae oleo Oportet enim scire persectam humanitatem perfectam diuinitatem contemperare id est in vnum conuenire in oleo id est In Leuitie li. 6. ca. 23. per eam quam circa nos habet compassionem Sic enim sacrificium odor suauitatis Domino inuenitur sapientibus nobis de eo quae digna sunt In quibus autem sacrificium per quos agitur quomodò celebratur intelligiblis agni oblatio quod sequitur ostendit Neque enim in sanguine neque per irrationabilia animalia sacrificium à nobis Deus suscipit secundùm quod sequentia demonstrant Ait enim Liba quoque vini quarta pars hyn panem polentam Quia dubium futurum erat forsan à quibus mysterium sacrificij quod per Christum est quod superiùs diximus celebratur habes ecce intelligibilis Melchisedech oblationem quae in pane vino perficitur in qua quarta pars hyn in libis vini offertur vt per quartam Euangelij traditionem quae in libris quatuor est per libationem verò Dominicum sermonem significaret quum ait Hic est meus sanguis qui pro vobis fundetur sine imminutione enim significare legislatori visum est Christi mysterium And what ys this sacrifice Two tenth deales of fine flower sprinkled with oile For we must knowe to contemper the perfect manhead and perfect godhead that ys to come together into one in oile that ys by that compassion whiche he hath toward vs. For so the sacrifice ys fownde a swete sauoure to our Lorde when we vnderstand of him thinges that be woorthie In what thinges thys sacrifice whiche ys the oblacion of the intelligible lambe ys and by whome yt ys doen howe yt ys celebrated that that foloweth declareth For neither by vnreasonable beastes doth God receaue sacrifice of vs acording as the woordes that folowe de plainlie shewe For he saieth And the drinke offringe therof shal be of wine euen the fourte parte of an hyn bread and perched corne Bicause perchaunce yt might haue comed in doubte hereafter Christ sacrificing in bread and wine was ◠the intelligible sacrifice of whome the mysterie of the sacrifice whiche ys by Chryste which we haue spoken of aboue ys celebrated beholde thowe hauest the sacrifice of the intelligible Melchisedech whiche ys full doen in bread and wine in whiche sacrifice ys offred the fourth deale of the drinke offring of wine that by the fourth deale the tradicion of the Gospell whiche ys in foure bookes and by the drinke offring he wolde signifie the woorde of our Lord when he saieth This ys my bloode whiche shall be shedde yowe for And so yt pleased the Lawe geuer that yt shoulde fully signifie the mysterie of Chryst Thus farre Isycbius In the whiche sainge ye haue the wholl matter testisied that we seke for For wher in Leuiticus God commaunded an he lambe to be offred and that the meat offring therof shoulde be two tenth deales of fine flower mengled with oyle to make bread and the drinke offring shoulde be the fourth deale of an hyn of wyne whiche thing thys Authour seking to Applie to the newe Testament Thowe hauest
Augustin yt ys aboue declared wher he saieth that Chryst did institute the sacrifice of his bodie and blood after the ordre of Melchisedech Eusebius saieth that the Mosaicall sacrifices being reiected Eusebius Caesarien the Prophet Malachie by the reuelacion of God sheweth what ys our ordeinaunce that was to come And therfore we sacrifice nowe to the most high God the sacrifice of lawde We sacrifice to God a full and a most holie sacrifice bringing horrour We sacrifice a pure sacrifice in a newe maner after the newe Testament What this most holie sacrifice ys bringing horrour with yt yt ys declred by Chrysostom saing Thowe commest to the holy and terrible sacrifice Bashe at the Chrysost secret thinge of the sacrifice For Chryst that was slain ys ther setfurthe The cause then why this sacrifice ys called the most holie sacrifice Why yt ys called terrible Why yt ys saied to be full of horrour ys bicause Chryst that was slain ys in the sacrifice sett furth before vs. Chryst then being settfurth in our sacrifice Yt ys to be saied after the minde of these holie Fathers that Chryst ys offred in our Sacrifice Last of all to make the conclusion Damascen saieth that the bodie and blood Damascē of Chryst ys that pure and vnbloodie sacrifice that our Lord speaketh of by the Prophet to be offred from the east to the west Yf our Lorde spake yt mete yt ys that yt be doen. And the doers haue good authoritie to do yt seinge their Lorde hath so ordeined and commaunded Now Reader doest thow not see the great bragge of this yonge Goliath ouerthrowen See yow not plain scriptures and doctours and those the grauest and eldest withe their plain and weightie sentences presse and crushe this hys puffed bladder and thrust oute in hys seight the vanitie therin conteined Perceaue yow not by these holy Fathers that the preist hathe authoritie to offre vppe the bodie of Chryst to God the Father whiche thing thys Proclamer in his stowt maner flattering him self semed percase to manie of his auditorie by his Proclamacion to haue ouerthrowen But what so euer he or anie other withe him phantasied both he and they maie perceaue that this blast was not against a reed wauing and bowing with the winde but yt was against the sure and substancial piller and grownded faith of Chrystes Churche and against that sure builded house the catholique Churche builded vpon the Rocke and therfore shaketh yt not neither with the waues of the trooblesome sea nor yet with soche blastes as this man bloweth Thus ye perceaue here ys good matter shewed for that that the catholique The Proclamer hath none authoritie to disproue the Sacrifice but hys bare Proclamacion Churche teacheth What bringeth he for that whiche he so stowtlie blowstereth Yt ys with good authoritie nowe proued that Chryst ys offred in the holie sacrifice What proofe hath he that Chryst ys not so offred now but hys bare Proclamaciō A meruailouse matter He requireth scriptures Doctours and Councells for that that the catholique Church teacheth and for that he teacheth and wolde haue receaued he bringeth not one title And therin he doth but as he maie doo For certē I am that he cā bring none And here will I again ioin with him that yf he can bring anie one sufficient authoritie that shall directlie saie that the Churche maie not Issue ioined with the Proclamer for the Sacrifice offer the bodie of Chryst in soche sorte as yt doth I will geue hym the victorie He requireth plain proof that the preist offreth Chryst his request ys satified the plain proof by expresse woordes ys made Let him doo the like for hys doctrin yf he can But let him not trust to proue yt by the wresting of sainct Paule to the Hebrues folowing Caluine and other of his Fathers For that will not serue hys turne As for Doctours ther ys not one that will fauour hym and hys Cranmer in his siste booke hath not one doctour nor Councell to make any shew for him doctrine in thys poinct For yf ther had ben anye hys predecessour Cranmer or he that was the authour of that booke wolde in the fifte booke wher he treacteth of the sacrifice haue alleaged some one But I saie he had not one Doctour or Father nor Councell by whom he impugneth the doctrine of the catholique Churche that Chryst ys offred in hys Churche He wolde fayn Father hys doctrine vpon sainct Paules epistle to the Hebrues but that scripture accepteth yt not as a laufull childe but as a Bastarde begotten by some wicked parentes and therfore refuseth yt He ys moche encombred laboring to deliuer himself from Chrysostome and other but all in vain Wherfore as this man who sparing not stirreth ād moueth as the prouer be saieth euery stone to gett some helpe or finde some shifte for the mainteinaūce of his doctrine could not gette one whollie to go with him although he semeth to alowe Lōbardus ād Nycen Coūcell yet he durst not so alleage thē as that he wolde stand throughlie with them So I beleue verilie that this Proclamer can no more doo but leuing the holy Fathers sing a litle voluntarie false deskant vpon a scripture or two as Cranmer did By this then thus moch maie be saied that to saie that Chryst ys not offred in and of the Church and the ministres therof ys no catholique doctrine for that yt ys not taught of anie catholique Father But that the contrary ys a catholique doctrine yt doth well appeare by a nombre of catholique Fathers before alleadged and shall more appeare to yow by those that shall be yet alleaged For God be praised this trueth ys not so slender that yt lacketh good wittnesses nor yet so barren that nothing can be said of yt but what I can inuent But yt ys so full that to saie all yt wolde fill an wholl volume Wherfor in this place I shall of manie produce but foure or fiue to be added in this recapitulacion and so end this booke Iustinus Martyr of the Sacrifice of the Chrystians saieth thus Deus ipse Dialog a duersus iudaeo ait In omni loco in gentibus hostias acceptas gratasue immolari Neque verò à quoquā hostias Deus accipit nisi à suis sacerdotibus Itaque omnia sacrificia quae suo nomine faciēda Iesus Christus tradidit it est in Eucharistia panis poculi quae in omni loco à Christianis fiunt praeoccupatione vsus Deus sibi grata esse testatur God him self saieth that of the gentills acceptable and pleasaunt Sacrifices in euery place shall be offred Chryst instituted the Sacrifice of the Churche Neither trulie doth God accept Sacrifices but of hys owne preistes Wherfor all the sacrifices whiche Iesus Chryst hath deliuered to be doen in hys name that ys to saie in the Sacrament of breade and the cuppe whiche sacrifices are doen of the Christians in
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
Lorde Wherfore yt ys manifest that as the woorthie or vnwoorthie receauing ys referred to the Sacrament so ys the honour or dishonour doen by the same referred also to the Sacrament Wherfor then S. Paule teaching the chrystian people to examen them selues and to prepare them selues that they maie be woorthie receauers of so woorthie a Sacrament taught them in that to honoure the Sacrament Vnto all this this maie be added that forasmoch as S. Paule taught the Corynthians and by them all Chrystian people the presende of Chryst in the Sacrament that he might well teache them to honour him in the Sacrament For wher Chryst ys verilie present ther ys no daunger but the chrystian maie their honoure him That S. Paule teacheth the presence yt shall be made manifest to yow in the thirde booke wher the scriptures of S. Paule shall be more at large handled Wherfor to auoide prolixitie I leaue to speake anie more of them here But this maie be saied here that forasmoche as the woordes of Chryste whiche we haue nowe in hande do teache vs the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament that we maie also honour Chryst in the Sacrament And to conclude against this Proclamer ye maie perceaue by that that ys saied that S. Paule taught vs to honoure the Sacrament THE FIVE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. PROVETH BY the same doctours that the Proclamer nameth that the Sacrament ys to be honoured AFter this man had abused the scriptures to makesome shewe of his wicked pourpose he vsed his like synceritie in naming certain doctours whiche doctours as he saieth neuer make mencion in anie of their bookes of adoring or woourshipping of the Sacrament To declare the trueth of this man we will first produce them whome he hath named as making for him and afterwarde some other Among those whome he nameth Chrysostom ys one A merueillouse thing to see the impudencie or ignorance of this man He nameth Chrysostome as one who in his bookes maketh no mencion of the honouring of Chryst in the Sacrament and yet among all the learned Fathers that writte ther ys none that maketh more often and more plain mencion of that matter then he doth To bring manie of his testimonies the condicion of this rude booke will not suffer for yt wolde therby growe to great ▪ Wherfore one or two places shal be brought whiche shal so clerelie opē this matter that I beleue Reader thowe wi lt merueill that this Proclamer durst for shame name Chrysostome as one that maketh no mencion of the honouring of Chryst in the Sacrament In one place thus he saieth Cùm autem ille Spiritum sanctum inuocauerit Chrys de sacerd li. 6. sacrisiciumue illud horrore ac reuerentia plenissimum perfecerit communi omnium Domino manibus assiduè pertractato quaero ex te quorum illum in ordine collocabimus Quantam verò ab co integritatem exigemus quantam religionem Consideraenim quales manus illas administrantes esse oporteat qualem linguam quae verba illa effandat Denique quae anima non puriorem sanctioremue conueniat esse animam quae tantum illum tamue dignum spiritum reoeperit Per id tempus Angeli sacerdoti assident caelestium potestatum vniuersus ordo elamores excitat locus Altari vicinus in illius honorem qui immolatur Angelorum choris plenus est Id quod credere abundè licet vel ex tanto illo sacrificio quod tum peragitur Ego verò commemorantem olim quendam audiui qui diceret senem quendam virum admirabilem ac cui reuelationum mysteria multa diuinitus fuissent detecta sibi narrasse se tali olim visione dignum a Deo habitum esse ac per illud quidem tempus derepentè Angelorum multitudinem conspexisse quatenus aspectus humanus ferre poterat fulgentibus vestibus indutorum Altare ipsum circundantium Denique sic capitc inclinatorum vt si quis milites praesente Rege stantes videat id quod mihi ipse facilè persuadeo When he mening the preist hath called vpon the holie Gost and hath perfected that sacrifice most full of horrour and reuerēce when the vniuersall Lorde of all thinges ys in his handes handeled I aske of thee in what order of men shall we place him howe great integritie shall we require of him howe great religion or godlinesse Consider also what hands those aught to be that doe ministre What maner of tounge that speaketh those woordes mening the woordes of consecraciō last of al that it ys meet that that soule be purer and holier then anie other soule that receaueth him so great Angells attende vpon the preist in the time of oblacion and a visiō therof shewed to an olde man and so woorthie a spirit At that time the Angells also geue attendance to the preist and all the wholl order of the heauenlie powers singpraises and the place nighe to the Aultar in the honour of him that ys then offred in sacrifice ys full of Angells which thing a man maie fullie beleue for that great sacrifice that then ys doen. Trulie I also did once heare a certain man reporting that an olde woorshippefull man vnto whome manie secretes were by Gods pleasure reueiled declared vnto him that God did vouchefaif to shewe him soche a vision and that at that time as farre as the sieght of man might beare yt he sawe sodenlie a multitude of Angells cloathed in bright garmentes compassing the Aultar aboute and afterwarde so bowing downe their heads as yf a man shoulde see soldiours stand when the king ys present Whiche thing I easely beleue Thus Chrysostome In this saing easie yt ys to perceaue howe honorably he thinketh of the Sacrament and what honoure he thinketh yt of For that the Sacrament ys so honourable he knoweth not wher to place the preist that dothe consecrate yt He questioned what hands they aught to be that handle the vniuersall The vniuersall Lorde of all handled by the preist Lorde of all thinges What toung that aught to be that speaketh the mightie woordes of consecracion howe pure that soule aught to be that receaueth so woorthie a thing yea he acknowlegeth the Sacrament to be so honourable that he saieth that the Angells in the time of the ministracion of yt doe assist the preist and attend and for confirmacion of this he bringeth in a vision of an holie man who sawe Angells in bright garmentes Angells honoure the Sacram. stand aboute the Aultar and bowing downe their heades to honour the Sacrament Whiche thing Chrysostom saieth he did beleue Yf man for the ministracion of the Sacrament be so honourable yf yt be soche as Angells do honour yt howe moche aught man to honoure yt That man aught to honour yt the same Chrysostome in the ordre of the Masse by him sethfurth by his owne practise declareth wher we finde his praier and after his praier his rule for the honouring of this Sacrament Thus
none Nowe then shall we not condemne them by their owne iudgement Lutherans doctrine hauing no apparāt scripture ys ouer throwen by ther owne argument wherwith they haue trauailed in manie thinges to condemne the catholique Church What ys defined decreed or determined by the Churche if ther be not manifest scripture for the same yt ys condemned of them as a tradicion of man and a doctrine of Sathan But this their doctrine hath no manifest scriptures Wherfore yt ys a tradicion of man and a doctrine of Sathan Thus as Aman was hanged vpon the same Galowes that he had made for innocent Mardochaeus So ys their wicked doctrine ouerthrowen with their owne iudgement and vanquissed with their owne swoorde But what shall I occupie the time and trooble the reader in refelling this fonde heresie seing as a litle before ys declared by Eusebius that the inuisible preist Chryst by his power with his woorde doeth turne the visible creatures into the substance of his bodie and bloode Chrysostome also saieth that the preistes be in the place of the mynisters of God but yt ys Chryst that doeth sanctifie and chaunge the substances of bread and wine And breiflie to saie sainct Ambrose in the last chapiter Euthymius Damascen and Theophilact in the chapter before doe testisie that the worke of consecracion ys doen by the power of God by the accession of the holie Gost and by the woorde of Chryst spoken by the preist in the person of Chryste As yt ys also testified in the Florentine Concilium Florent Councell wher yt ys thus declared Forma huius sacramenti sunt verba Saluatoris quibus hoc conficit Sacramentum Sacerdos enim in persona Christi loquens hoc conficit Sacramentum Nam ipsorum verborum virtute substantia panis in corpus Christi substantia vini in sanguinem conuertuntur The forme of this Sacrament be the woordes of our Sauiour by the whiche he consecrateth this Sacrament For the preist speaking in the person of Chryst doeth consecrate this Sacrament For by the vertue of those woordes the substance of bread ys turned into the bodie of Christ and the substance of wine Trāsubstātiacion into hys bloode Thus the Councell By whiche woordes as by the woordes of them also before alleaged yt ys manifestly declared that the power of the consecracion of the bodie of Chryst ys not depending of the will of the receauer but of the power of God of the worke of the holie Gost and of the vertue of the woordes of Chryst spoken by the preist in the person of Chryste And as this fonde heresie semeth to be mother of that heresie that impugneth reseruacion so that that ys before saied for the defence of reseruacion will also impugne this heresie here nowe spoken of Wherfore I referre the reader to that place wher he findinge plentie of proofe that the Sacrament maie be reserued and being reserued that yt still remaineth the bodie of Chryst this wicked doctrine that teacheth that yt ys but the bodie of Chryst when yt ys in vse shal be ouerthrowen and prooued as it is a false and a deuellish doctrine The other heresie which ys settfurth both by the Lutherans and the Oecolampadians ys that the substance of bread and wine be still remaining in the Sacrament and not chaunged into the bodie and bloode of Chryst And yet here by the waie vnderstand this that though they agree in this poinct yet here Sathan ys deuided against Sathan and his kingdom also Diuision among the Protestantes as kingdom against kingdom For Luther graunteth the presence of Chrystes bodie Oecolampadius denieth the presence of Chrystes bodie and in this they are more then enemies But in the other as ys saied they doe agree And as in this they agree amonge themselues So in the same they disagree from the true faith from the catholike Church and from Gregorie Nissen whom we haue nowe in hand For by expresse woordes he affirmeth that the substance of the bread ys chaunged into the bodie of Chryst These be his woordes speaking of the bread before the consecracion Hic panis statim per verbum in corpus mutatur This bread ys by the woorde furthwith Greg. Niss in vita Moiseos chaūged into the bodie Who so listeth maie read the like saing of the same authour in his booke of the life of Moyses Neither doeth he here meen of soche a chaunge as the Aduersarie dreameth of that yt ys chaunged to be called the bodie of Chryste whiche proprely ys no chaunge but raither an addicion But this authour meeneth of a substanciall chaunge as hys woords doe most plainlie declare which he vseth to proue this chaunge For thus he saieth Qua ex causa panis in eo corpore mutatus in diuinam virtutem transiit eadem de causa idem nunc fit By what cause bread in that bodie chaunged passed into the diuine vertue euen so by the same cause the verie same thing ys now doen. For the better weighing of this saing of the authour consider first that Chryste was and ys bothe God and man consider that the bodie of man was so ioined to the Godhead in vnitie of person that Chryst God and man was one person one Chryste Consider then that this bodie by this merueilouse coniunction ys the bodie of God Nowe this bodie liuing here vpon the earth although as yt liued fortie daies and fortie nightes wihout foode so yt might haue liued fortie wekes and fortie moneths yet as yt was a naturall bodie So yt liued in natural order and did eate foode This foode which by a generall terme ys called bread allthough yt were but comon meate euen soche as the Apostles and other did eate yet this comon bread eatē of Chryst was chaunged in the bodie of Chryst into the substance of the bodie of Chryst and became now the substance of his bodie and being so yt came to be the substance of the bodie of God Nowe saieth Gregbrie Nissen by what cause the bread was chaunged into the bodie of Chryste and became the substance of the bodie of God As bread while Chryst liued was turned into his diuine flesh so nowe in the Sacr. which as I take yt he meneth by these woordes diuine vertue euen by the same cause the same thing ys nowe doen. Yf the same thing be doen nowe then the bread ys chaunged into the substance of the bodie of God for that ys the thing that was doen then Wherfor good reader note this wel that he saieth the same thing ys doen nowe wherbie the dreame of the Aduersarie ys dissolued that the bread ys chaunged but in name For that was but a cauill and in dede but a bare shifte to auoide the force of the trueth And what the thing ys that nowe ys doen thys authour tolde when he saied Panis mutatur in corpus per verbum The bread by the worde ys chaunged into the bodie Seing then this auncient
exposition of the Aduersaries so ys yt consonaunte and agreable to the doctrine and exposition of the elders In the next chapter before this yowe sawe the exposition of Euthymius vpō these woordes of Chryst not vnlike vnto this but altogether like Euth in 26. Matt. Doctrine of the Sacramentarie contrarie to the sathers bothe in woordes and sentence yt ys not saieth he a figure of Chrystes bodie but his bodie not a figure of hys bloode but his bloode Wherfore Reader when thowe seeist the authours agree and agreyng saie the contrarie of that that the Aduersarie teacheth thowe maist be well adsured that the doctrine of the Aduersarie ys false Wherfore seing yt plain before thine eyes flee the falhead and cleaue to the trueth The third note also maketh for the declaracion of this matter that he alleaging the sixt of sainct Iohn referreth yt to the Sacrament in the same sense that he vnderstoode Chrystes other woordes which ys as Theophilact also vpon the same sixt of sainct Iohn saieth Non figura carnis sed caro med est Not a figure of my flesh but yt ys my flesh So that by these authours the sixt of S. Iohn perteineth to the Sacrament notwithstanding the contrarie saing of Luther and Oecolampadius and other of that rable In which chapter ys promised the geuing not of a figure of his flesh but his verie flesh And as yt was ther promised verilie to be geuen so was the same to the accomplishment of the same promesse in verie dede deliuered and receaued euen the verie flesh and verie blood of Iesus Chryst and not the onelie figure of them The fourte note also whiche ys for the due receauing of the Sacrament geueth also light to the vnderstanding of the presence of Chrystes verie bodie in the Sacrament But for that the conuenient place to speake of this matter ys in the thirde booke we shall not here trooble the reader with all We haue nowe seen a goodlie and an euident testimonie testifieng howe Chrystes woordes were vnderstanded in the greke Church we will likewise heare one that shall declare the vnderstanding of them in the latin Church Who shall be Haymo who vpon these woordes of Chryst writeth thus Expletis solemnijs veteris Paschae transit Dominus ad sacramenta noui Paschae demonstranda Haymo in 26. Matth Postquam coenauit dedit eis panem vinum in mysterio videlicet corporis sanguinis sui Quia enim panis cor hominis confirmat vinum anget sanguinem in homine meritò idem panis in carnem Domini mutatur idem vinum in sanguinem Domini transfertur non per figuram neque per vmbram sed per veritatem Credimus enim quia in veritate caro est Christi similiter sanguis The Solemnities of the olde passeouer being fullfilled our Lord goeth to shewe the sacramentes of the newe Passouer After he had supped he gaue them breade and wine in mysterie Breadchaūged into the bodie and wine into the blood of Chryst not in figur but in trueth that ys of his bodie and bloode Bicause bread doeth make strong the heart of man and wine encreaseth blood in man therfor the same bread ys verie well chaunged into the flesh of Chryst and the same wine ys transferred into the blood of our Lorde not by figure nor by shadowe but by trueth For we beleue that in verie dede yt ys the flesh of Christe and likewise that yt ys hys bloode Thus moch Haymo Yowe see nowe here in the latin Church also a goodlie testimonie and a clere exposition of Chrystes woordes so clere and plain that I shall not nede to trauaill to open the same but onely I haue thought good to note to thee Reader the goodlie order that this authour obserueth in his exposition First he ioneth our newe Passouer to the olde as the verie trueth to the figure whiche being in place the figure vanisheth awaie Wherbie yt ys consequent that yf the Passouer whiche Chryst did institute were the trueth whiche the olde passouer did prefigurate that the newe Passeouer was a true thing in dede and not a bare figure For otherwise shoulde the figure be the figure of a figure and not of a trueth which ys against the nature of a figure And when he had thus ioined the trueth to the figure he declareth whē yt was doen saing that after he had supped he gaue them bread and wine in the mysterie of his bodie and bloode Then proceading he geueth a cause whie Chryst vsed bread and wine in this mysterie of his bodie and blood bicause saieth he the materiall bread comforteth the heart and the materiall wine encreaseth the blood therfor to signifie that as these twoo things doe A chaunge in the Sacr. in trueth not in figure woorke ther effectes in our material bodies so thy being transmuted and chaunged into heauenlie bread and wine of Chrystes bodie and blood the bread of the life they woorke the like effect spirituallie in our soules And forasmoche as he had saied that the bread and wine be turned and chaunged into the bodie and bloode of Chryst he immediatelie teacheth howe yt ys chaunged They are chaunged saieth he not by figure nor by shadowe sed per veritatem but in verie dede whiche ys asmoche to saie as yt ys chaunged or turned into the verie flesh and blood of Chryst in verie dede and not into a bare Sacramentall bread as the Aduersarie tearmeth ys Now as I haue doen with Damascē so will I with this authour first cōferr this dictrine with the doctrine of the elders to see howe they agree and after the doctrine of the aduersarie both that yt maie appeare which of thē best agree with the auncient Churhe and whether ther be anie iust cause why the Aduersarie shoulde reiect this authour or his likes This authour Greg. Nissen serm cathec de diuinis Sacramen saieth that the bread ys chaunged into the bodie of our Lorde and the wine into his bloode doeth not among the elders the great elder Gregorie Nissen vse the like woordes Quamobrem saieth he rectè nunc etiam Dei verbo sanctificatum panem in Dei Verbi corpus credimus immutari Wherfor we doe nowe also verie well beleue the bread that ys sanctified by the woorde of God to be chaunged into the bodie of the sonne of God See ye not then that the doctrine which Haymo here teacheth of the transmutacion chaunging or turning of the bread into the bodie of Chryst Trāsubstāciacōn that ys chaunge of bread ād wine into the bodie and bloode of Chryst a matter of faith which nowe the Church tearmeth Transubstantiacion ys an auncient doctrine and if yowe will conferre them diligentlie ye shall haue occasion to thinke that this authour Haymo did in this matter folowe Gregorie Nissen their sainges be so like For as Gregorie maketh this matter of the chaunging of the bread into the bodie of Chryst no matter
exclude all other bodies sensible or insensible after he had saied Take this yt a bodie he adioined this worde mine he gaue then his owne bodie to his Disciples and not the bodie of anie other Again least anie priuie thought shoulde come to anie man that he might haue created in his handes a bodie that shoulde be his in deed but not that shoulde be yt that he was himself he added Whiche shall be deliuered for yowe As who shoulde saie doubte yowe not feign yowe not this or that to yowr self thinke not an other thing and an other thinge For thisys the bodie not an other or of an other but mine not permuted or newlie created but that which shall be deliuered for yowe shall be crucified for yowe shall die for yowe So like wise also of the cuppe This ys saieth he bloode not of an oxe nor of a Ramme nor of a lambe or of anie man but mine not an other or produced by a newe creation but which shall be shedde for yowe prouoked by skoorges extorted with nailes thrust oute with a speer Thus moch this authour To this exposition to adde anie thing as therbie to make yt plain to the reader I thinke yt superfluouse Yt ys allreadie so plain as no man in my iudgement can make a more plain exposition Onelie I will open the cause why he wrote this Ther was afect of heretiquesbegonne by one Peter de Bruys ād one Hēricus whose disciples were called Petrobrusions and Hēricians These had inuented a newe phantasticall heresie as yt ys propre to all soche men to make Phansies of Heretiques called the woorde of the Lorde their phantasies matters of faith and cuerie of their phantasies ys the pure and sincere woorde of the lord These had I saie inuented this phantasie that Christ alone at his last supper did cōsecrate his bodie and blood ād gaue yt to ys disciples ād they al receaued his bodie ād blood But since that time was yt neuer nor yet ys receaued of anie man Against these men did thys holie father write against whome taking the sword of the Spiritte which ys the woorde of God he fought with them with yt and ouerthrew rhē by the the woorde of Chryst that saied that the blood which he gaue in the cuppe to his disciples was the bloode of the euerlasting Testament wherupon taking an argument he saieth in the beginninge Saie o Lord the restatour of the newe testament whether this testament be of one daie as these men saie thow woldest yt to be or whether thow hauest decreed yt to be an euerlasting testament An other argument he maketh also of the commaundement of Chryste who saied This doe ye in the remembrance of me Wherby Chryst geuing them commaundement to doe that that he had doen and he by their owne confession consecrated his bodie wherin theye are more gentle to Chryste thē the Aduersaries and the Proclamer The argument ys good that soche to whom the authoritie ys deriued doe that that Chryst did that ys doo consecrate his blessed bodie and bloode I write thus moche that ye maie perceaue into what varietie and diuersitie of phantasies men doe fall in that beginne to withstande Gods holie faith of which varietie I haue allreadie spoken in the xli chapiter of this booke wherunto yf ye add this phantasie then shal yowe perceauc howe manie contrarie phantasies Sathan can deuise vpon these foure woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie And can as ys saied vtter thē all to the people for the pure woorde of God But to return to this authour as by these argumentes he hath ouerthrowen the heresie of the Petrobrusians so with these and the plain exposition of Chrystes woordes he conuinceth all the other wicked phantasies and leaueth Chrystes woordes in their propre and natiue sense figures and tropes not remembred I shall not nede to conferre him with the auncient and elder Fathers the conference of other saing as he doeth maketh good that he hath saied as yt did theirs which were cōferred with him Wherfor omitting that cōference with his seniours I shall bring in his iuniour to be conferred with him who ys Bessarion Patriarch of Constantinople and Cardinall who liued the yeare of our Lorde 1471. Wherfore not fullie one hondreth yeares agon And yet as his disputacion in the Florentine Councell against the grekes and his booke against Marcus Ephesinus doe proue he was an excellent learned man in this matter thus he writeth Nemo est quem lateat quemadmodum panis vini in corpus sangumem Christin instanti facta transubstautialitas humanam Bessarion li. de Sacr. Euchar. omnem excedit facultatem ingensue opus est certè diuinum it a etiam huius Sacramenti efficientia verba instar ipsius Sacramenti eximiae cuiusdam virtutis esse debere Christs verò dtuints verbis nihil esse potentius nihil ess◠acius esse posse manfestum est Quamobrem fateri necesse est Dominicis illis verbis nullis aliis dtuinum hoc sacramentum confict posse Nec enim diuinissima per diuinam potentiam confict negauerit quispiam nec verbis Christi nihil effiacius esse cùm non modò homo verumetiam Deus sit creatorue omnium qui solo nutu cuncta produxit qui verbo aegros curauit mortuos suscitauit caeteraue miracula fecit quae in Euangelio recitantur Ther ys no man but knoweth how that the trāsubstanciacion of the bread and wine doen in an instant into the bodie and bloode of Chryst doeth excede all power of man and ys a great and verie worke of God Euen The Sacrament maie be consecrated by noother woords then with these Hoc est cor etc. so also the efficient woordes of this Sacrament shoulde be of some great power like as the Sacrament ys Nowe yt ys manifest that nothinge can be more mightie more effectuouse then the diuine woordes of Chryst Wherfor we must nedes cōfesse that this diuine Sacram. maie with no other woords be cōsecrated thē with those woords of our Lord Neither will anie man denie these most holie thinges to be cōsecrated by the diuine power neither that anie thing ys more mightie in woorke then the woordes of Chryste sithen he ys not onely man but also God the creatour of al things who at his onelie pleasure produced all thinges of nothing who with his woorde healed the sicke raised the dead and did other miracles whiche be written in the Gospell Not the merites of man but the power of God consecrateth the Sacr. And within a fewe woordes he saieth thus Panis vini in corpus sanguinem transmutatio non petentium meritis sed eius potentia qui ex nihilo cuncta produxit per sacerdotem tanquam per instrumentum quoddam efficitur The transmutacion of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloode ys doen not through the merittes of the peticioners but by the preist as by a certain instrument through
the beleuers the true bread from heauen whiche Manna did signifie which ys the meat of Angells in dede whiche Sonne of God feedeth the corruptible incorruptiblie who that man might eate was made flesh and dwelled among vs. As Sainct Hierom and Sainct Augustin be well agreing in the exposition of the sainges of the Prophet Dauid So also Cassiodorus a man well towarde their time in nothing dissenteth from them expownding the same psalme of Dauid Et pluit illis Manna ad manducandum Pluit dixit vt Cassiod in Psal 77. ostenderet escae mmiam largitatem quae tanquam pluuia de caelo descendit Et ne dubitares quae fuerit illa pluuia sequitur Manna manducare Manna interpretatur quid est hoc quod sanctae communioni decenter aptamus quia dum admirando cibus iste perquiritur corporis dominici munera declarantur Addidit Panem coeli dedit eis Quis est alter panis coeli nisiChristus Dominus vnde coelestia spiritualem escam capiunt deleclatione inestimabili perfruuntur Denique sic sequitur Panem Angelorum manducauit homo Panis ergo Angelorum bene dicitur Christus quia aeterna ipsius laude pascuntur Neque enim corporalen panem Angeli manducare credendi sunt Sed illa contemplatione Domini quia sublimis creatura reficitur verim hic panis in coeloreplet Angelos nos pascit in terris And he rained down Manna vnto them to eate He saied rained that he might shewe the great plentie of the meat which like vnto rain came down from heauen And that thowe shouldest not doubte what that rain was yt foloweth To eate Manna Manna ys interpreted what ys this Whiche we verie well Manna what yt ys by interpretacion applie to the holie communion For while this meat ys gotten with woondering the giftes of our Lordes bodie be declared He added He gaue them bread from heauen Who ys the other bread from heauen but Chryst our Lorde of whome heauenly thinges do receaue spirituall meat and ioifullie vse inestimable delectacion Then yt foloweth thus Man hath eaten the bread of Angells Chryst than ys well called the bread of Angells bycause they are fedde with his euerlasting lawde and praise Neither are Angells to be thought to eate corporall meat but with that contemplacion of our Lorde with the whiche the high creature ys fedde they are fedde But this bread filleth Angells in heauen yt feadeth vs in the earth Thus farre Cassiod The testimonies of these Authours whiche here be produced vpon the Prophet Dauid are so consonant and agreable that I dissere to make anie note of them vntill we heare one mo who shall be Titelman a writer vpon the Psalmes not to be contemned though he be of the later daies Whom I ioin with the better will to these auncientes that yt maie well appeare to the Reader that these later writers being agreable and nothing dissenting from them the false slaunders of the Aduersaries be but vain and without cause moued This Authour in his annotacions for the Hebrue and Caldeie toung saieth that the bread whiche in our communion text ys called Panis Angelorum the bread of Angells in the Hebrue as Sainct Titell in annot super Psal 77. Hierom and other do translate yt ys called Panis fortium robustorum the bread of strong and mightie men And giuing two causes why yt ys so called he putteth this for one Aut fortè propter significationem panis viui illius tempore gratiae mundo descensuri desuper cuius non dubium est Manna corporeum fuisse figuram panis fortium aut robustorum dictus intelligatur quia is cuius typum gerebat panis viuus de coelo mittendus confortaturus erat corda sumentium in vitam aeternam inxta quod apud Ioannem Saluator testatur dicens Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum qui manducat me ipse viuet propter me Or ells this bread maie be vnderstanded to be called the bread of the strong and mightie for the significacion of that liuely bread that shoulde descend from aboue to the worlde of the whiche bread without doubte that corporall Manna was a figure for that liuing bread to be sent from heauen of the whiche the other was the figure shoulde make strong the heartes of the receauers to euerlasting life according to that our Sauiour testifieth in Sainct Iohn saing He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer And he that eateth me shall liue through me Thus moche this Authour Nowe ye haue hearde these Authours with great concorde expownding the Prophet Dauid And forsomoche as their sainges here be euen like to them that before are saied vpon Sainct Augustine to auoide prolixitie I shall raither geue a breif note vpon their sainges then long to stand vpon them This ys to be obserued in them all that they applie this Prophecie to Chryst as the foode of heauen the very liuing bread that geueth soche strengh to them that duely eate therof that they liue for euer which foode ys receaued in the Sacrament of his bodie and bloode For Sainct Hierom applieng yt to Chryst as the foode of mans soule alleageth the sixt Chapiter of Sainct Iohn which Chapiter as yt ys inuinciblie proued in the second booke treacteth of the Sacrament Wherof also Sainct Hierom ys ther a witnesse as a great nombre mo be And for the more plain proofe of this in the exposition of the hundreth and fourth Psalme he saieth by expresse woordes that we be fedd with the bodie of the lambe as they were with Manna whiche plain maner of speache leaueth vs in no doubte what faith Sainct Hierom was of and howe he vnderstandeth the Prophet Dauid And thus considering howe long I haue ben vpon this one text of Sainct Paule and remembring howe manie mo ther remain likwise to be expownded I shall leaue the rest of the Authours here alleaged to be weighed by the Reader and in the next chapiter make an ende of that that vpon this scripture ys to be saied THE TWELTH CHAPITER PROVETH BY occasion of that that ys saied with farder Authoritie that the Sacramentes of the newe lawe are more excellent then the Sacraments of the olde lawe FOrasmoche as all the Anthours alleaged for the exposition of the text of Sainct Pāule nowe last handled and treacted of doo all together conspire and agree in this trueth that Manna was the figure and the bodie of Chryst whiche we receaue in the Sacramēt the veritie and the veritie allwais ys more excellent in good thinges then ys the figure euē as moche more excellent as the bodie of a man ys aboue the shadowe Yt must nedes then of necessitie folowe that the Sacraments of the newe lawe whiche be the thinges figured by the figures of the olde lawe must as farre excel them as the veritie doth the figure and as the bodie doth the shadowe For further proof of this consider as yt ys declared at
also he affirmeth them to be more excellent and blessed then the prophetes and the righteouse men And why so for that they do not onely see those thinges whiche thother sawe not but also those thinges which they desiered to see these men sawe with their eies For they also by faith did beholde these thinges but these moche more clerely did see all thinges Thus Chrysost Yf then they that sawe Chryst in the flesh were moch more blessed and excellent then the prophetes which sawe him onely by faith howe then shoulde not the Sacramentes instituted by Chryst in the flesh and vsed of him in the flesh and signifieng him and his merites being presēt in the flesh be more excellent then the sacramentes of the olde lawe which in a darke maner and a farre of signified him onely to come And again if they that sawe Chryst in the flesh were more blessed by the sentence of Chryst then the prophetes and righteouse men whiche desiering to see him did not see him howe than standeth the saing of Oecalampadius who wickedly trauailed In expas verborum Caenae almost in all pointes to make the olde lawe and the Sacramentes therof nothing inferiour to the newe lawe and the sacramentes therof saing Absit vt spirituales qui sub lege erāt Messiamue expectabant fide pauperiores nobis fuerint quibus manifestatus est God for bidde that they which were spirituall vnder the lawe and did looke for Messias in faith shoulde be poorer then we vnto whom he ys manifested And howe again standeth this saieng of Oecolampadius whiche within a fewe lines foloweth with the saing of Chryst before mencioned Neque Patriarchis fideles nostri beatiores sunt quos aequauit fides non reddunt inferiores sacramenta Neither be our faithfull more blessed then the Patriarches for those whom faith maketh equall sacramentes can not make inferiour Chryste saieth they are more blessed Oecolampadius by expresse contrarie Oecolāp denieth that Chryst affirmeth woordes saieth naie What hereticall impudencie ys this to denie that that Chryst affirmeth That the holie Patriarches were excellent in faith and as constantly beleued that Messias shoulde come as they that sawe him in the flesh beleued that he was comed no man of sownd minde will denie And yet although in that part they might be equall yet yt ys no good argument that in other thinges and respectes the faithfull Chrystian shoulde not excell For as Chryst hath taught that they that beleued in him and bodilie sawe him were more blessed then they that onely beleued him to come so they that receaue the sacramētes in faith presentlie which Chryst hath instituted are in that respect more blessed then they which in faith onelie beleued that soche shoulde be instituted and neuer sawe them nor receaued But see howe this matter carieth me awaie by this yet yt maie be perceaued that though the sacramentes of the newe lawe did not conferre grace as the Aduersaries wolde haue yt but were bare signes and that the fathers of the olde lawe were equall in faith with the Chrystians in the newe lawe yet if Sathan the master of vntrueth and heresie had not with malice blinded the fight of this his scholer and other his likes he and they might well haue seen that both the sacramentes of the newe lawe excell the sacramentes of the olde lawe and that the faithfull of the newe lawe excell the faithfull of the olde lawe though not in all yet in diuerse respectes as yt ys saied THE FOVRTENTH CHAP. PROCEADETH IN the proof of the same by the scriptures and doctours ANd nowe that the sacramentes of the newe lawe do excell the sacramentes of the olde lawe yt shall by most manifest testimonie be proued And first for that our speciall disputacion ys of the blessed sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode we shall first deliuer that from the maliciouse blasphemie of the Aduersaries and proue the excellencie of yt aboue other of the olde lawe And so generalie proue the excellencie of all our sacramentes For the fundacion of the proof of the excellencie of the sacrament of Christes bodie and blood I will take the woord of him who ys the fundaciō of all Chrystians vpō whō they must all builde which ys Chryst who most plainly declareth the excellencie of this Sacrament in the sixt of S. Iohn And to the fortifieng of this matter for that the Aduersarie most arrogantly saieth but he proueth yt not that the sixt chap. of S. Iohn ys not to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament before I produce the authoritie of Chryst in that place vnderstand gentle Reader that I do not onely saie yt but in the seconde booke yt ys auouched and inuinciblie proued by the testimonie of a nombre namely by Origen Cyprian Eusebius Emiss Hierom Chrysostom Hilarie Ambrose Damascen Augustin Cyrille Euthimius Gregory Theophilact Petrus Cluniacen Guitmundus Dionisius Carthusian Lira and in fewe woordes to comprehende a greater nombre then all these by the Ephesine Councell in the whiche were two hondreth learned Fathers By the testimonie of these yt ys ther proued that in the sixt of S. Iohn Chryst speaketh of the Sacrament of his bodie and bloode To this also maie be added the cōmon and vniforme consent of the chrystian Church before this scissure was made in the time of Luther and Oecolampadius and the other like Angells of Sathan whiche with one mouthe as yt were taught that chapiter to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament This also maketh good proof of the same that when the heresie of the Comunion vnder both kindes was first raised in Bohemia they grownded the necessitie Joan. 6. of that matter vpon this text of that chapiter Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloode ye shall haue no life in yowe For the repression of whiche heresie as the heritiques vnderstoode that chap. of the Sacrament so did no Catholique impugn the same but graunted and accepted yt as a true vnderstanding Whiche then they wolde not haue doen if yt had ben otherwise to be taken yf yt had as that heresie was condempned De consensu Eunngelist li. 3. c. 1 The vi of S. Iohn speaketh of the bodie and blood of Chryste by a generall Councell so shoulde that vnderstanding haue ben condemned likewise To ende this proof that the reader maie see some authoritie in this place presentlie and not to seke farre for yt we shall heare S. Augustin who speaking of the maundie of Chryst saieth Ioannes de corpore sanguine Domini hoc loco nihil dixit Sed planè alibi multo vberius de iis Dominū locutum fuisse testatur Iohn saied nothing in this place of the bodie and blood of our lorde But plainly in an other place he testifieth that our lorde hath spoken of yt very plentifullie Ye heare S. Augustin plainlie saing that though S. Iohn speaketh nothing in that place of the Sacrament yet in an other place saieth he he
an other place Considera nunc vtrum prestantior sit panis Angelorum an caro Christi quae vtique est corpus vitae Manna illud è coelo hoc supra coelum Ambrosius De initiand myst ca. 9. Illud coeli hoc Domini coelorum Illud corruptioni obnoxium si in diem alterum seruaretur hoc alienum ab omni corruptione Quod quicunque religiosè gustauerit corruptionem sentire non poterit Illos ad horam satiauit aqua te sanguis diluit in aeternum Iudaeus bibit sitit tu cùm biberis sitire non poteris Et illud in vmbra hoc in veritate Et post pauca Cognouisti praestātiora potior enim lux quà m vmbra veritas quà m figura corpus authoris quà m Manna de coelo Consider nowe whether the bread of Angells ys more excellent or the flesh of Chryst whiche ys also the bodie of life That Manna was from heauen this aboue heauen That of heauen this of the lorde of heauens That subiect to corruptiō yf yt were kept till the next daie this free from all corruption whiche whosoeuer shall tast deuoutely shall not be able to feele corruption Vnto them water did flowe oute of the rock Manna proued moche inferiour to the B. Sacr. by S. Amb. his cōparison vnto thee bloode oute of Chryst. Them did water satisfie for a litle time thee doth blood wash for euer The Iewe dranke and thirsteth thowe when thowe hauest dronke canst not thirst And that was in shadowe this in treuth And after a fewe wordes he saieth Hauest thowe knowen the more excellent The light ys more excellent thē the shadow The veritie then the figure The bodie of the authour then Manna from heauen Thus S. Ambrose Nede we anie plainer testimonie for the proof of this our matter in hande I thinke the holy Gost directed the penne of S. Ambrose to answere and confute the wicked assertion of Oecolampadius for this so ouerthroweth his heresie as though yt had ben nowe written in these daies to confute him But perchaunce the Aduersarie will saie that this maketh nothing against him for here S. Ambrose speaketh not of the Sacrament but of the bodie of Chryst as suffring for vs to woorke our redemption To this ther maie be manifolde answers made First that Manna ys not proprely a figure of Chryst as suffring but of Chryst as feeding vs. For Manna descended from heauen Obiection to feed the Israelites and not to suffer for them so Manna being the foode from heauen of the people of God ys a figure of owre heauenly foode Thanswer Chryst in the Sacrament Farder also yt ys well knowen that S. Ambrose in that booke treacteth of mysteries and sacramentes wherfore in this place yt ys most like that he treacteth of the Sacrament Finallie the plain woordes of S. Ambrose inuincible proue the same For immediatelie and iointlie to this sentence last alleadged he obiecteth to himself as nowe the Aduersarie doth in these daies vnto vs and saieth Fortè dicasialiud video quomodò tu mihi asseris quòd Christi corpus accipiam Et hoc nobis superest adhuc vt probemus quantis Ambr. ibid. vide sup li. 2. ca 51. igitur vtimur exemplis c. Perchaunce thowe maist saie I see an other thing howe doest thowe saie vnto me that I receaue the bodie of Chryst And this remaineth yet vnto vs to proue Howe manie examples maie we therfore vse Let vs prooue this not to be that thing whiche nature hath formed but that the blessing hath consecrated and the power of the blessing to be greater then of nature For by the blessing nature yt self ys chaunged Moyses did holde a rodde he cast yt down and yt was made a serpent Again he tooke the taill of the serpent and yt returned into the nature of the rodde Thowe seest therfore euen by the propheticall grace The B. Sa. ys not that that nature hath formed but that the blessing hath consecrated nature to be twice chaunged both of the serpent and of the rodde The riuers of Egypt did runne with a pure course and sodenly oute of the veines of the fountaines ther began blood to breake oute so that ther was no drinke in the riuers Again at the praiers of the Prophet the bloode of the floodes ceassed and the nature of the water returned The people of Israell were compased aboute on euerie side on this side with the Egyptians on the other side with the sea Moyses lift vppe the rodde the water deuided yt self and congealed in maner of walls and so betwen the waters ther appeared a foote path Iordan turned backward against hys nature he returned into his well spring Ys yt not clere then that the nature either of the waueis of the sea or of the course of the riuer hath ben chaunged The people of the fathers did thirst Moyses touched the stone and water flowed oute of yt Did not grace woorke besides nature that a stone shoulde powre oute water whiche nature had not and after other mo examples he concludeth thus we perceaue therfore grace to be of greater Consecracion of the B. Sacr. of what force yt ys power then nature And yf mans blessing was of soche force that yt might turne nature what shall we saie of the diuine consecracion wher the verie woordes of our Lord and sauiour do woorke For this Sacrament whiche thowe receauest ys made by the woorde of Chryst Yf then the woorde of Helias was of so great power that yt might putt down fire from heauen shall not the woorde of Chryst be able to chaunge the natures of the elementes Thowe hauest readde of the workes of all the worlde that he hath saied and they were made he hath commaunded and they were created The woorde of Chryst then which coulde of nothing make that that was not can yt not chaunge those thinges that be into that they were not Yt ys nolesse matter to geue vnto thinges newe natures then to chaunge natures Thus moch S. Ambrose In this answer as pithie and plain as yt ys long the Aduersary ys not one Three notes out of S. Ambr. ly fullie aunswered but we are also instructed in three thinges The first that concerneth this matter ys that in the applicacion of the veritie to the figure he vnderstandeth the veritie of the figure Manna to be the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament by the which he taketh the Sacrament to be moche more excellent then the figure which although in euery parte of his sentēce he toucheth yet in this he most plainly declareth yt whē he saith The light ys more excellent then the shadowe the veritie then the figure And expownding which ys the light and veritie which ys the shadowe and figure he addeth The bodie of the authour than Manna from heauen The seconde thing that he teacheth ys howe and by what meanes the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament which he
declareth to be in two poinctes The one ys that yt ys doen by consecracion which ys doen by the woord of Chryst Wherfor he saieth We perceaue grace to be of greater power then nature For In the consecracion of the B. Sac. the woordes of our Sauiour do woorke yf the benediction of a man was of so great power that yt might turne nature what shall we saie of the diuine consecracion yt self wher the verie woordes of our Lord and Sauiour do woorke As who might saie Yf Moyses did cast downe the rodde and yt was turned into a serpent and tooke yt vppe again and yt was turned into a rodde and soch like Yf Helyseus did make the axe against his nature to swimme aboue the water Yf Helyas by his woorde caused fire to descend from heauen Yf the woorde of these men but seruantes did woork soch wonders how moch more maie the woorde of the Lord and master of these men woorke The second poinct ys that he sheweth by what means the woord of Chryst woorketh the presence of his bodie in the Sacrament that ys saieth he by the chaunging of the natures of the creatures into the nature of his bodie ād blood which he signifieth when he saieth Yf the woorde of Helyas was of soch power that yt might bring down fire frō heauen shall not the woorde of Chryst be of soch power that yt maie chaunge the natures of the elementes And again the woorde of Chryst that coulde of nothing make that that was not can yt not chaunge those thinges that be in to that thing that they were not The meā then by the which the woorde of Chryst maketh the bodie of Chryst present in the Sacrament ys by chaunging the natures of bread and wine into the nature of his bodie ād blood which bicause the chaunging of natures ys the chaunge of substances Transubstanciation what yt ys therfor the Church doth call yt Transubstanciacion forsomoch as the nature or substance of one thing ys chaunged by Gods power into the nature or substance of an other thing The thirde thing that we are taught of S. Ambrose which also ys diduced of these two ys the verie presence of Chryst in the Sacrament Which so being as most certenly yt ys we maie conclude that this ys in comparablie a more excellent Sacrament then either Manna or the Paschall lambe notwithstanding the saing of the Aduersarie And although S. Augustin saieth that Sacramenta in signis diuersa in re tamen quae significatur paria sunt Sacramentes in signes being diuerse in the thing yet that ys signified they are like Yet that taketh not awaie the excellencie of Difference betwē Māna and the blessed Sac. this Sacrament For although Manna and the Paschall lambe did signifie the same Chryst that our Sacrament doth and so in that respect of significacion be like yet for that the other sacramentes did but signifie and this Sacramēt doth both contein and geue that yt doth signifie therfor yt doth farre excell them To this that ys saied although yt be sufficient to proue that that ys here entended yet yf the reader will adde the saing of S. Ambrose in the eight chapter of the booke last alleaged whiche to auoide tediousnesse I ouerpasse and wil remembre what the saied S. Ambrose saieth in the fourth chapter of this booke and Chrysostom in the sixth chapter and Theophilact and Haymo in the ninth chap and other treacting of Manna and the bodie of Chryst of which he shall find diuerso from the fourth chapter to the eleuēth chapiter of this booke I doubte not but he shall see so moche that he will merueill that euer anie heretike could so shamelesly teach soch wicked doctrine so repugnant to the catholique faith and so direct contratie to the sainges of so manie holy Fathers being wittnesses of this trueth but aboue all that they shoulde so blasphemously dishonour the sacramentes of God and his Chryst Who for the setting furth of his honour and sor owre helpe and comfort in the perigrinacion of this life that we maie haue strength against owre enemies whiche cruelly lie in wait for vs and our assured hope of the mercie of God in the ende of our iourney hath instituted these sacramētes and by them woorthilie vsed and receaued hath geuen vs manie benefittes of all which as also of Gods honour they wolde robbe both him and vs. But Reader beware of them and be not led awaie with soch doctrines as were born but yesterdaie But cleaue to that ys tried receaued approued and testified manie hondreth years of the whiche thowe shalt learn that the Sacramentes of Chryst and of the newe lawe are moch more excellent then the sacramentes of the olde lawe THE FYFTENTH CHAPITER PROVING all our Sacramentes generallie to be more excellent then the sacramentes of Moyses AS ye haue heard by sufficient testimonie that the blessed Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode ys more excellent then Manna and the Paschall lambe the figures of the same of the which I haue speciallie treacted bicause this wholl rude woork ys cheifly settfurth for the commendacion of the trueth of the same Sacrament Nowe that the other sacramentes be not left in the handes of the enemies and by them spoiled ād ouer moche wronged somwhat also shall be breiflie saied wherby they maie be knowen as they be and be deliuered from the handes of their enemies who falselie report of them and deuellislie trauaill to dishonour them Among all the sacramentes next vnto this blessed and most honorable Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and blood yt ys to be merueiled that they could Baptisme instituted by Chryste and commēded by the wholl Trinitie so vnreuerentlie speake of the sacrament of Baptisme which was so instituted and commended to the Chrystian worlde as no sacrament more solemnelie At the setting furth of this Sacrament Chryst himself being present and baptised the voice of the Father was heard saing This ys my wel beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heauen was opened and the holy Gost was seen in the forme of a doue descending from heauen and abyding vpon Chryst So that in the ministracion of this sacrament was present the Father the Sonne and the holie Gost Which noble presence semeth to bring with yt some more noble gift than a bare sign or token as the wicked saie that yt ys But what shall I nede to stand to declare the woorthinesse of this sacrament against these enemies of God seing that heauen and the wholl Trintie testifieth against them Wherfore leauing to speake any more of this sacrament speciallie or of the other particularlie for feare of prolixitie and for that yt ys spoken of here but by occasion we shall heare sainct Augustin speaking of Aug. cōt Faustū li. 19 cap. 13. them generallie Prima sacramenta quae obseruabantur celebrabantur ex lege praenunciatiua erant Christi venturi quae cùm suo aduentu Christus impleuisset
and of yt we are partakers Yf this be the meaning of S. Paule why then walke we in errour in this matter Why wander we in the mistes and darke clowdes of tropes and figures and significacions wher Chrysostom expownding the scripture and minding to shewe vs the verie vnderstanding and plain mening of yt teacheth that not a trope figure or sign of the blood of Chryst ys in the cuppe but the bloode of Chryste that flowed oute of his side In the whiche exposition we maie in clere maner see and beholde the verie trueth euen the right catholique faith so sett furth that ther ys no helpe for the aduersarie to cloke his heresie withall The proclamer requireth one plain sentence to proue the reall presence of Chryste in the Sacrament what more plain speache wolde anie man desire to be spoken in this matter as wherbie to geue him perfect instruction in the same than to saie that that did flowe once of the side of Chryst ys in the chalice Yf the aduersarie with forced violence wolde thrust into Chrysostō woordes his comon glose that the figure of yt that did flowe oute of Chrystes side ys in the cuppe then shoulde he make Chrysostome an vntrewe man For Chrysostome saieth that that which he saied vpon that scripture was the mening of the woordes of S. Paule Now if the Aduersarie will expownd Chrysostom with an other mening then either Chrysostome did not geue vs the true meaning of S. Paule which ys not to be thought or ells the Aduersarie reporteth vntrulie of him whiche ys his cōmon practise For so farre wide ys yt that these two meninges should be one that the one saieth yea the other saieth no th one saieth yt ys thother saieth yt ys not the one ys an heresie and thother a truthe So fare I saie be these from being one that for these two sentences this lamentable diuision and greuouse contencion in the Churche ys raised by heretiques What ys a mening but a simple and plain opening and declaracion of a woorde or sentence of a mans conceipt or speache doubtfullie or darkly conceaued or spoken before Wherfor Chrysostom saing that this was the mening of S Paules woordes did by plain woordes simplie declare the same This then being the true mening of S. Paules woordes what trueth was ther in the saing of Cranmer or the Authour of that booke who alleaging S. Paules woordes abused by Cranmer this text abused yt to a cleane contrarie vnderstanding Thus he saieth Neither that wine made of grapes ys his verie bloode or that his bloode ys wine made of grapes but signifie vnto vs as S. Paule saieth that the cuppe ys a communion of Chrystes bloode Howe wickedlie and vntrulie this ys spoken and howe this scripture ys drawen to a false vnderstanding this exposition of Chrysostom dothe wel proue as other also hereafter shall do That he wolde haue no soche mening vpon these his woordes as the Aduersarie wolde yll fauouredlie peice and patche vpon them his like maner of speache in an other place declareth where he saieth Reputate salutarem sanguinem Chrysost ser de Euch in Enceniis The bloode of Chryst. in the Sacr. how yt ys to be estemed quasi è diuino impolluto latere essluere ita approximantes labijs puris accipite Regarde or esteme the holsome bloode as to flowe oute of the diuine and vndefiled side and so coming to yt receaue yt with pure lippes Whiche woordes forsomoch as he spake them in a sermon to the common people he spake them in plain maner in that sense as they sownded to the hearing of the people which was that they shoulde accompte the cuppe of our Lord to be his blood And therfore they shoulde come and drinke yt euen as oute of his side as who should saie yt ys all one In this also that he willeth them to take yt with pure lippes he teacheth the reall presence For the spirituall maner of Chrystes blood ys not to be receaued with lippes but with heart and soule Wherby yt ys plain that Chrysostom wolde his woords no otherwise to be vnderstanded then they were spoken Wherfore not to tarie long vpon this saing of Chrysostom whiche ys so plain that euery childe maie vnderstande yt I wish yt onely to be imprinted in the memorie of the reader that ys of him saied which ys again to repeat yt that yt that ys in the cuppe ys yt that flowed oute of the side and of yt we are partakers Chrysost in 10. 1. Cor. As by this we are taught the trueth of the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament So in the rest of his sainges vpon the same text he teacheth vs that yt ys a sacrifice Thus he saieth In veteri testamento cùm imperfectiores essent quem idolis offerebant sanguinem cum ipse accipere voluit vt ab idolis eos auerteret Quod etiam inenarrabilis amoris signum erat Hic autem multo admirabilius magnificentius sacrificium Chryste cōmaunded himself to be offred praeparauit cum sacrificium ipsum commutaret pro brutorum caede scipsum offerendum praeciperet In the olde Testament when they were more vnperfecte to the entent he wolde turne them from Idolls that blood which they offred vnto Idolls he himself wold accept which also was a token of an inenatrable loue But here he hath prepared a moch more woonderfull and magnificall sacrifice both when he did chaunge the saied sacrifice and for the slaughter of brute beastes commaunded himself to be offred In this saing of Chrysostom ther be two notable notes to be obserued which as they do moche declare and confirme the catholique doctrine So do they as plainly and as mightilie ouerthrowe the wicked heresie of the Aduersarie The first ys that declaring the great loue of God towarde the vperfect people of the olde lawe that to turn them from Idolatrie he was contented to accept to be offred to him in sacrifice soche bloode of brute God prepared a moch more wonderfull and magnificall sacrifice for the newe Testament then was in the olde beastes as they offred to their Idolls when he cometh to the sacrifice of the newe lawe he saieth that here he hath prepared a moche more woonderfull and magnificall sacrifice What I praie thee Reader coulde be spoken more plainlie against the wicked assertion of the Aduersarie teaching that the sacrifices of the newe lawe are nothing more excellent then the sacrifices of the olde lawe then to saie that Chryst here in the newe lawe hath prepared a moche more woonderfull and magnificall sacrifice Which woordes Chrysostom speaketh setting the sacrifices of both lawes together and therfore they were spoken in comparison of the sacrifices of the olde lawe And to the intent that the Aduersarie being here sore pressed with the woordes of Chrysostom shall not with his common glose cloake him self and gette a subterfuge saing that Chrysostom spake of the sacrifice of Chryst
sacrifices by the mening of Theophilact yt shoulde some that S. Paule wolde haue saied of the chrystians that they are partakers of the aultar as the Iewes and not by speciall woorde haue saied they are partakers of the bodie of Chryst Nowe in the disputacion of S. Paule yt ys plain to see that speaking of the sacrifice of the Chrystians he nameth wherof they are partakers As when he saieth The cuppe of blessing which we blesse ys yt not a partaking of the blood 1. Cor. 10. of Chryst And the bread whiche me breake ys yt not a partaking of the bodie of Chryst Wher by speciall woordes he nameth the thinges their receaued and partaken But speaking of the sacrifices of the Iewes throughoute all the disputacion he nameth no speciall thinge but vseth as I saied the generall terme of the aultar Wherby we maie conclude with Theophilactes woordes Non enim altaris sumus sed Domini corporis ipsi participes We are not partakers of the aultar but we are partakers of the bodie of Chryste Yf the bodie of Chryste were absent from the sacrifice we shoulde be by Theophilactes iudgement partakers of the aultar but bicause the bodie of Chryst ys present in the sacrifice and ys the sacrifice yt self that ys offred therfore are we partakers of the bodie of Chryst By which processe of Theophilact yt ys plain to be perceaued that he vnderstandeth Sainct Paule here to haue spoken of the verie bodie and bloode of Chryst of the whiche we are verie partakers The bloode of Chryste ys not onely in heauen but also in in the chalice Of this who can doubte that remembreth his exposition of the first text of this disputacion of Sainct Paule wher he saieth speaking of him That that he saied ys after this maner This bloode that ys conteined in the cuppe ys euen the same that flowed oute of Chrystes side This bloode when we receaue we do partake that ys we are ioined to Chryst. Who can doubte of the faith of this man and howe he vnderstandeth Sainct Paule that so plainlie expowndeth him He saieth that we receaue not a figure onely but the bloode of Chryste And this blood ys not onely in heauen whether onely the Aduersarie saieth we must by faith lift vppe our eyes and heart but yt ys conteined saieth Theophilact in the cuppe wher also by faithe we must beholde yt And this ys not onely a Sacrament of Chrystes bloode so called bicause Sacramentes haue the names of thinges wherof they are Sacramentes but yt ys saieth Theophilacte euen the same bloode that flowed oute of Chrystes side and not a thing bearing the name of the bloode of Chryst Nowe Chrystian Reader iudge yf the Aduersarie haue not plain authoritie against him that wher he wolde that yt shoulde be prooued that Chrystes naturall and substanciall bodie ys in the Sacrament Yf that bodie vpon the croosse oute of the whiche for mannes redemption did plentifullie flowe oute bloode were naturall forasmoche as this bloode in the holie Sacrament ys euen the same bloode yt must nedes folowe that the naturall bodie and naturall blood of Chryst ys in the Sactament Why stand I so long vpon so clere a matter seing that Anselmus who ys ioined with him to shewe the faith of the latin churche as Theophilact hath doen of the greeke churche ys euen as plain as he Thus expowndeth he Sainct Paule Non potestis calicem Domini in quo sanguis est eius bibere calicem Daemoniorum in quo vinum est sacrilegae superstitionis Nec potestis mensae id est altaris Ansel in 10. 1. Cor. Domini in quo corpus eius est participes esse mensae id est altaris Daemoniorum Ye can not drinke the cuppe of our Lorde in the whiche ys his bloode and the cuppe of Deuells in whiche ys the wine of sacrilegall supersticion Neither can yow be partakers of the table that ys of the aultar of our Lorde in the whiche ys his bodie and of the table that ys of the aultar of Deuels Thus he In this Authour who liued within xvi yeares of fiue hundreth yeares agon ye see a very plain exposition fullie agreing yea allmost vsing the same woordes that Theophilact did Who was liuing almost three hundreth yeares before him Which Theophilact vseth the woordes of Chrysostome who liued more then foure hundreth yeares before Theophilact Whose saing ye shall finde in the xvi chapiter of this booke I saie in this Authour here alleadhed ye haue a plain exposition of Sainct Paules woordes For first he expowndeth what S. Paule meneth by the cuppe of our Lorde and saieth that yt ys the cuppe of our Lorde bicause the blood of our Lorde ys in yt Then teaching what he meneth by the table of our Lorde he saieth he meneth the aultar of our Lorde Whiche ys so called bicause the bodie of our Lorde ys vpon yt So that as the cuppe ys called the cuppe of our Lorde bicause his bloode ys in yt So ys the table called the aultar of our Lorde bicause the bodie of our Lorde ys vpon yt I thinke these woordes be plain enough wher by expresse woordes ys taught the presence of the very bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament and that in no other sorte of woordes than Theophilact before him and Chrysostome before him as ye haue hearde did teache Peraduenture ye will saie he expowndeth the table to be an aultar which A proof of the vse of aultars euē frō the Apostles time Dion Are. eccles Hie. par 3. ca. 3 cometh in but of late daies and ys a terme not vsed amonge the auncient doctours That bothe the woorde and the thinge was in vse in the time of the auncient doctours yt shall be made manifest to thee gentle Reader and that euen from the Apostles Sainct Dionyse the disciple of S. Paule declaring the order of Chrystes Churche in his time among other declaracions of the blessed Sacrament maketh mencion of the same sett vpon the aultar saing thus Sed illud sacratius intuere quod impositis altari venerabilibus signis per quae Christus signatur sumitur adest protinus sanctorum descriptio But reuerentlie beholde that that when the honorable signes be put vpon the holy aultar by the whiche Chryst ys both fignified and receaued furthwith their ys a description of sainctes In these woordes ye perceaue bothe the name of the aultar and the vse of yt For the vse of yt was to put vpon yt the holie Sacrament for the whiche vse sake this auncient holie Father called yt the holie aultar Whiche wolde be noted of thē who in these our daies geue the aultar moche baser tearmes yf I shall saie no woorse of them And herwithall note that this Authour doth not onely call this Sacrament honourable but also furthwith addeth the cause for bicause saieth he Chryst ys bothe signified and receaued So that by the outwarde formes he ys not
sacrifice To this yf ye adde the sainges of Sainct Cyprian and Chrysostome in the last chapiter and the expositions of all the doctours vpon these textes of Sainct Paule The cuppe of blessinge c. and The bread which we break c. Which ye shall sinde before alleaged in this booke whiche all so shewe the minde of Sainct Paule as that he spake not onely in these places of the bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament as ther verilie present But also as yt ys a sacrifice ye shall yf ye will easilie perceaue and vnderstand the trueth of the matter that Sainct Paule in this disputacion withe the Corynthians treacted of the bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament as of a sacrifice To the vnderstanding of whiche trueth moche light ys added by that ys declared that the auncient Fathers of the primitiue Churche accepted both the name and the vse of an aultar whiche argueth a sacrifice For a sacrifice and an aultar be as yt were Correlatiues Aultar and Sacrifice be correlatiues So that whether yt be extern or interne sacrifice yt hath answetablie an aultar so that we maie saie Yf here be an aultar yt presupposeth to doe sacrifice on Yf we saie here ys a sacrifice yt presupposeth to be doen on an aultar This the Aduersarie knewe right well Wherfore to compasse his pourpose to take awaie the sacrifice he remoued and tooke awaie aultars But what soeuer the Aduersarie hath doen yt ys plainly prooued that the primitiue Churche vsed bothe and had both in honoure and reuerence THE TWO AND THIRTETH CHAP. VPON OCCAsion that yt ys prooued that the primitiue Church vsed the aultar and reputed the bodie and bloode of Chryst to be a Sacrifice beginneth to treact of the same sacrifice whiche we commonlie call the Masse AS the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode ys as Dionysius Areopagita saieth of all Sacramentes most excellent and most honorable perfecting and consummating al other Sacramentes Euen so ys ther none that Sathan more cruellie persecuteth by his minysters in these our daies than this For of all the partes or membres â—… this he leaueth none vntouched and not impugned The presence he vtterly denieth transubstanciacion he derideth Adoracion as Idolatrie he detesteth reseruacion he contemneth Communion either priuate as he tearmeth yt or vnder one kinde he flieth and despiceth The sacrifice as a pestilence he abhorreth and hateth the hatred wherof he hath so fixed and fiered in the heartes of his disciples that not onely the thing as the sacrifice yt self and the Ceremonies thervnto apparteining but the very name ys vnto them so odiouse as nothing can be more odiouse This sacrifice and the wholl ministracion of the same ys called the Masse whiche howe yt hath ben mocked and skorned what raiginges and railinges haue ben vsed against yt yt ys raither to be lamented then rehersed After the whiche sorte this Proclamer bendeth himself cheiflie to inueigh against the Masse But forasmoche as S. Paule hath taught vs that the bodie and bloode of Chryst be our sacrifice and the Fathers of the primitiue Churche did so receaue yt and beleue yt by breaking and drinking of which in the aultar of our Lorde they trusted fastlie and inseparablie to be vnited to Chryst I will somwhat more speciallie being thus as ys saied occasioned speake of the same sacrifice and the ministracion of yt And first of the name Secondly of the wholl ministracion Thirdly of certain partes of the Canon whiche the Proclamer impugneth Forthlie of the valeu of yt to the quicke and dead As for the name I can but merueill what they meen that so furiouslie rage Masse the woord how yt cometh against yt considering that yt was not yesterdaie begon or inuented but vsed in the primitiue Churche and from the primitiue Churche in the same significacion as yt ys at this present daie For this woorde Masse whiche ys vsed in the english tounge And Missa whiche to signifie the same ys vsed in the latin tounge be as the learned in the tounges saie Hebrue woordes In the whiche toung of this woorde Mas cometh Missa whiche in significacion ys all one with the greeke woorde Liturgia insomoche that yf a man wolde translate or interprete this woorde Missa into greke he can haue no meeter woorde then this woorde Liturgia liuely and fully to aunswer and expresse his significacion Likewise yf a man will interpreter or translate this woorde Liturgia into the Hebrue toung he can haue no apter terme then this woorde Missah And yf yowe will translate both these into the latin tounge yt shall be rightlie and iustly doen by the woorde officium as yt signifieth our duetie in doing sacrifice and diuine seruice to God Missa Liturgia Officium And although these woordes Missa Liturgia and officium be of more large significacion yet haue they ben by great auncient Fathers of Chrystes Churche restreigned and limited to signifie onelie our sacrifice and seruice to God Wherfore in the greke Churche the Masse of Sainct Basill war called Liturgia the Masse of Sainct Chrysostom was called Liturgia So ys this woorde officium vsed in Sainct Lukes Gospell wher he speaketh of Zacharias the preist and father of Sainct Iohn Baptist Et factum est vt impleti sunt dies officij eius abijt in domum suam And when the time of his seruice was Luc. 1. expired he went home In whiche sainge this woorde seruice ys taken for the sacrifice and diuine seruice doen in the time of his course in the temple And that this woorde Missa whiche the latines haue borowed of the Hebrues hath ben vsed of the Fathers of the latine Churche for the sacrifice and seruice of God whiche we cal Masse fewe that haue vsed to readd those Fathers be ignoraunt And here to beginne with that holie Leo the first who was as ye haue before hearde more then a thousand yeares agon he willing two Masses to be had in one daie for the commoditie of the people saieth thus Necesse est vt quaedam pars populi sua deuotione priuetur si vnius tantùm Missae more seruato Leo epi. 79 sacrificium offerre non possunt nisi qui prima diei parte conuenerint Yt must nedes be that some parte of the people shall be hindred of their deuocion yf the maner of one Masse onely being kept none can offre sacrifice but they that come together in the first parte of the daie By this saing of Leo we are taught two thinges The one ys that Masse here ys taken for the common sacrifice and seruice of the people to God Which ys easie to be perceaued by that he saieth that a great part of the people shoulde be hindered of their deuocion and shoulde not offre sacrifice yf ther should be but one Masse For the Masse being a common seruice and sacrifice to God ys or ought by ioinct affection and deuocion of the people to
two significacions of the Sonne and of the holie Gost and to the washing of the Soule from sinne by grace geuen in the ministracion of the same Sacrament yet the wholl ministracion and praiers aswell before batisme as after vsed in the same by a generall significacion ys called Baptisme So ys the consecracion and oblacion of the bodie of Chryst with all praiers and Ceremonies either going before or folowing the same by generall significacion called Masse This breif description of the Masse being made let vs examin the partes of yt whiche of them or howe manie of thē be against the woorde of God and the example or practise of the primatiue Church as yt ys pretended that yt maie be perceaued what iust cause the Proclamer hath so moche to exclame against the Masse The first parte ys consecracion This parte for that by yt ys taught the Parts of the Masse presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode whiche the Proclamer can not abide ys one cause why he reiecteth the Masse But howe iustly he doth it yt maie be perceaued through oute all this booke in which ys prooued the presence whiche the catholique Church teacheth and the figure ys improued whiche the Aduersary mainteineth An other parte ys oblacion or sacrifice wherin the Churche offreth Chryst to God the Father according to the commaundement of the same owne maister Chryst in the memoriall of his passion and deathe That this parte ys not against the scriptures and the holy Fathers yt ys allready proued in the declaracion of the prophecies of Melchisedech Daniel and Malachie in the first booke wherunto ys made an addicion whiche thowe shalt finde in the xxxvij chapiter of that same booke sufficient I trust to aunswere and satisfie anie reasonable man An other parte ys receauing of the Sacrament In the whiche twoo thinges do offend the Proclamer The one ys that the people do receaue vnder one kinde The other that the preist receaueth alone Whether the receauing vnder one kinde be against the Scriptures or the practise of the Primitiue Churche yt ys disputed and the trueth declared in the seconde booke from the lxiiij chap. to the. end of lxvijchap As for the receauing whiche the Proclamer termeth priuate yt shall be hereafter treacted of In doctrine which ys an other parte I knowe not what fault he can finde In praier the first and last parte of the Masse he findeth two faultes The one that praier ys made to sainctes The other that praier ys made for the dead for these two we shal haue recourse to the primitiue Churche and there make triall whether the Church doth well in so doing or the Aduersarie euell in denieng the same to be laufull and good Nowe for the first parte of the Masse whiche ys consecracion I will not moche otherwise here treact of yt but onelie laing furth the practise of the Apostolique and primitiue Churche therin compare the doinges of the catholique Churche nowe therwith that yt maie be perceaued howe iustlie yt foloweth the example therof As for the effect of consecracion whiche ys the presence of Chrystes bodie ther neadeth here no speciall treactice for that the woll booke treateth therof so fullie that yf the Proclamer will finde fault in the Masse forthat the presence ys taught ther to be he maie in other places of this worke finde sufficiēt matter for the proofe of the presence whiche yf yt will not satisfie him neither maie a fewe woordes here spoken moche helpe him As for the seconde parte whiche ys the oblacion or sacrifice of Chrystes bodie as before yt ys declared that yt ys offred according to the will and commaundement or Chryst himself and that by the testimonie of the Scripturs as they be vnderstāded of a nombre of the most auncient Fathers and by diuerse other graue authorities So shall yt be nowe set furth and cōmended to yowe by the practise of the Primitiue Churche Whiche we haue differred to this place And forasmoche as the Proclamer to extenuate and abase the honorable estimacion of the Masse whiche yt ought to haue in the heartes of the people doth for shame and with shame conceale the names of soche auncient Authours as do testifie that both Sainct Peter and Sainct Iames saied Masse the one at Rome the other at Hierusalem and doth also to Whē truth and learning serueth not mocking and skorning be their best argumētes bring the matter in contempt aske by waie of skorn whie raither we saie not that Chryste him self saied Masse for that were the neerer waie to bring the Masse in creditte I shall by good and sufficient authoritie shewe that not onelie Sainct Peter and Sainct Iames but also Chryste him self did saie Masse And so beginning at Chryst descende to three or foure hundreth yeares after Chryst and shewe the practise of the Churche And for this time I will ouerpasse the farder mocke and skorn that he maketh against the blessed Masse asking whie we doe not raither saie that Aaron and his chapleins saied Masse For in dede saieth he as yt hath ben vsed the Churche hath had moch more of the Robes of the Ceremonies and of the sacrifices of Aaron then of the institucion or ordeinance of Chryste For ys I shoulde touche him for that I shoulde cause Arons garment worne for a Bishopporke and the Cōmunion ministred in a cope him to be perceaued to impugne and in that behalf to skorne the ministracion of the Communion For that ys ministred in coapes and other soche garmentes as before were vsed in the Churche and he himself refuseth not to weare Aarons garment for a Bishoppericke So well agreeth his doing and his preaching together And thus scoffing at the garmentes that be nowe yet vsed he seemeth to me not to like this order of Religion that he liueth in but raither to reprooue this as he doth the other For in this poinct by his iudgement they holde both of Aaron But letting this passe I will returne to my matter and wish the Reader to remembre what this woorde Masse doth signifie as yt ys declared in the last chapiter and therwith to haue in minde as yt ys saied in this chapiter Chryste saied Masse that Masse ys the action of the consecracion oblacion and receauing of the bodie and bloode of Chryst and so vnderstanding Masse I saie that Chryst did saie Masse For he in his last Supper did institute Masse and did ther consecrate his bodie and bloode and offred them in sacrifice and gaue them to his Apostes to be receaued and commaunded that so yt shoulde be doen in the remembrance of his passion and death In this matter who listeth to be satisfied forsomoche as one auncient Authour maie satisfie a man let him reade the Epistle of Sainct Ciprian to Cecilius Epist li. 2. Epist. 3. and he shall ther sinde euery parte of the Masse here reckned to be doen by Chryst First for the consecracion he saieth thus Vt in Genesi
that this fearfull cuppe ys equallie deliuered to all Thus Theophilact Se ye not that the cuppe of our Lordes table ys receaued in the remembrance of his death But yt shall not be without profit to learn of him whie Cuppe of our Lorde a fearfull cuppe he calleth our Lordes cuppe a fearfull cuppe Yf yt be but a cuppe of wine as the Aduersarie saieth yt ys not fearfull but pleasaunt Why yt ys a fearfull cuppe yt ys declared of the same Theophilact expownding the text immediatelie going before which ys this Likewise when he had supped be tooke the cuppe saing This cuppe ys the newe testament in my bloode vpon this text he saieth thus Fuerunt in veteri Testamento calices siue pocula quibus sanguinem brutorum post victimam oblatam libarent Pro sanguine itaque brutorum qui vetus Testamentum veluti sigillo consignabat meum ego nunc sanguinem pono nouum Testamentum eo seu sigillo muniens Ne turberis igitur sanguinem audiens Nam si irrationabilium sanguinem pecorum accepisti in veteri Testamento quanto potius nunc diuinum Ther were in the olde Testament also cuppes or pottes in the which after the sacrifice they should offre the bloode of brute beastes Therfor for the blood of brute beastes whiche did signe the olde Testament as with a seale I nowe setfurth before yowe my bloode signing therwith the newe testament as with a seale For yf thowe hauest receaued the blood of vnreasonable beastes in the olde Testament howe moch raither maist thowe now receaue the blood of God In this exposition I wish yt to be noted howe the authour in the person of Chryst speaketh saing For the bloode of brute beastes I put before thee my bloode Seist thowe then whie he calleth the cuppe of our Lorde a fearfull A plain place for the Proclamer cuppe Yt ys bicause owre Lorde in that cuppe putteth before thee hys owne bloode And what blood ys yt Ys yt the blood of a pure or onelie man Naie saieth Theophilact yt ys the bloode of God For saieth he yf in the olde testament the blood of vnreasonable beastes was receaued moch more nowe receaue thowe the blood of God Perceaue thē that yt ys the blood of God that ys in the cuppe of our Lord. Wilt thowe fullie perceaue whie yt ys fearful Cōsider ād vnderstād that soch is the coniunctiō of the Godhead with the manhead in Chryst that wher the māhead ys or any part of yt if now yt maie beparted ther ys also the Godhead In the death of Chryst the soule was parted from the bodie the soule descended into hell the bodie laie in the graue the Godhead was whollie with the Soule descended into hell yt was also whollie with the bodie lieng in the graue Euen so wher the blood of Chryst ys forsomoch as Chryst ys both God ād mā that blood ys the blood of God also ād so ther ys the blood of God ād mā which now being inseparable both from the manhead and the Godhead of Chryst wher the blood of God ys ther ys also God himself Nowe then forasmoch as in the cuppe of our Loord ther ys the blood of God as Theophilact saieth and where the bloode of God ys ther of consequence ys also God doth not Theophilact well in calling yt a fearfull cuppe who maie not well feare to approche so near vnto hys Lorde God and the more that he knoweth his owne filthinesse and ther by his vnwoorthinesse As nowe yowe knowe whie the cuppe of oure Lorde ys fearfull so what so euer the Aduersarie bableth to the contrarie ye haue learned that in owre Lordes cuppe ys not bare wine but the blessed blood of God What shall I neede to alleadge anie mo of the sainges of Theophilact seing he hath allreadie opened the trueth that we seke for namelie that the Sacrament ys a memoriall of Chrystes passion and death and ys also the same bodie Theoph. Ibid. and blood of Chryst that suffred Yf any man will desyre anie other place let the same vnderstande that Theophilact expownding this place as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cuppe ye shall shewe furth the death of our Lorde What we aught to thinke inreceauing the Bl. Sacr. vntill he come saieth thus Eo affectu debetis esse imbuti perinde quasi in illa ipsa esse tis Christicaena ab ipso Christo acciperetis sacrum istuc Illa enim ipsa coena est illam ipsam mortem annunciamus Ye should be of the same minde or so be haue yowrselues as though ye were in the selfsame supper of Chryst and shoulde take of Chryst himself this holie thing Yt ys euen the same verie supper and we shewe furth the verie same death Yf ye will learn of Theophilact what Chryst gaue in his last supper expownding Chrystes woordes rehersed by S. Paule What Chryst deliuered in his last supper he saieth thus Ille verò in cōmune generatim omnibus dixit Accipite edite idue corpus suum quod pro omnibus ex equo fregit in mortem tradens But he in cōmon and generallie saied to all Take and eate yea and that his bodie which he brake equallie for all deliuering yt to suffer death Thus Theophilact Here ye perceaue by him that Chryst gaue his bodie in his last supper And if this doe not satisfie yowe know that this Theophilact as before ys shewed in the second booke and ells wher wher he expowndeth S. Matthewe Marke Luke and Iohn saieth that Chryst gaue in his last supper his verie bodie ād not an onely a figure of his bodie By all this then yt ys euident that Theophilact vnderstandeth by the woorde bread in S. Paule the bodie of Chryst and not materiall bread and that that bread and cuppe are to be eaten and dronken of not in the remembrance of that bodie in yt self but in the remembrance of the passion and death suffred in the same bodie THE FIVE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. ABIDETH in the exposition of the same text by sainct Basill and Rupert I Wolde haue staied my self ād ceassed to haue produced aniemoauthours for the exposition of this text but well knowinge that manie as is saied haue abused it and deceaued manie I thought yt expedient and necessarie for the helpe of the vnlearned somwhat more to saie vpon yt by the expositions of S. Basill and Rupertus And whether we take a peice of bread in the remembrance of Christ or whether we receaue the bodie and blood of Chryst in the remembrance that he suffred for vs in that bodie and shedde that preciouse blood we will Basilius de Baptismo first heare S. Basill who writeth thus Oportet accedentem ad corpus sanguinem Domini ad rememorationem eius qui pro nobis est mortuus ac resurrexit non solùm purum esse ab omni inquinamento carnis ac spiritus ne ad