amongeste diuerse other his notable sayinges ye shal fynde these wordes folowinge Illud etiam quod circa baptizandos in unluerso mundo sancta ecclesia siue sunt paruulisiue iuuenes uniformiter agit non ocioso contemplemur intuitu quod cū ad regenerationis ueniunt sacramēium non prius fontem uite ingrediuntur quā exorcismis et exufflacionibus clericorum spiritus ab eis immundus abigatur That is to saye This thyng also whiche the holye Churche through the hole worlde uniformelye dothe practyse in persones that are to be baptyled whether they be litle children or yong folke let vs not with idell consideration beholde howe that when they do come to the Sacra ment of regeneration or baptisme they doo not enter into the funt of lyfe before that the unclene spirite be dryuen awaye by the exorcisines and exsufflations of the clerkes or mi nisters Agreable wherevnto S. Austyne in his second boke De gratia Christi And in hys xl chapiter doth say thus Ipsa sancte ecclesie sacramenta que tam prisce traditionis authoritate concelebrat satis indicant paruulos a partu etiam recētistimos per gratiam CHRISTI de diaboliseruitio liberari excepto enim quod in peccatorum remissionem non fallaci sed fidcli misterio baptizantur etiā prius exorcizatur in eis et exufflatur potestas contraria cui etiam uerbis eorum a quibus portantur se se renunciare respondent that is to say The very Sacramentes of the holy Church which she by so olde or auncient tradition to gether with other doth celebrate sufficiently do declare yonge chyldren euen most newly or freshely cummen from byrthe to be by the grace of Chryst deliuered from the seruyce of the deuyll For besides that they be baptised not with the deceatefull but with the true misterye there is also fyrst in them exercised and exufflate the contrary power meanynge there by the Deuyll which contrary power the childre by the wordes of them that did bere thē make aunswere that they do renounce it The same S. Augustine also in the. iiii boke xxiiii Chapyter of his worke intituled De baptismo contra Dona tistas wryteth in this maner Et sicut in illo latrone quod exbap tismi sacramento defuerat compleuit omnipotentis benignitas quia non 〈◊〉 perbia uel contemptu sed necessitate defuerat Sic in infantibusqui baptiza timoriuntur eadem gratia omnipotētis implere credenda est quod nō exa impiauoluntale sed ex etatis indigentia nec corde credere ad institiā possunt nec ore confiteri adsalutem ideo aliipro eisrespondent ut impleatur erga eos celebratio sacramenti ualet utique ad eorum consecrationem quid ipse respondere non possunt That is to saye And as the be nignitie of the almyghtye dyd fulfyll in the these specyally mentioned in the xxiii of S Luke that thyng which wanted as touchyng the sacramente of Baptisine because it wanted not of pryde nor of contempte but of necessitie So the same grace of the almighty must be beleued to fulfyll that thyng in infantes who do dye beyng baptised which they not of wycked or noughtye wyll but of lacke of age neyther with hert were able to beleue to iustice nor with mouth confesse to saluation by reason wherof other do aunswer for them that the celebration of the sacrament meaninge Baptysme maye be fulfylled towardes them whiche in dede is auaylable to theyr sanctification because they cannot aunswere Nowe thys sacrament of Baptisme being instituted and ordeyned by oure Sauiour CHRISTE in the newe testament and the effecte and vertue of the same being the forgeuenes of synnes and it hauinge with it the grace of the holy ghoste and fynally it not onely apparteynyng to all such as haue the vse of reason who thereby haue all kynde of synnes both originall and actuall committed and done before they re baptysine clearelye taken awaye from them but also ap pertaynynge and beinge offered vnto infantes who being borne in originall synne haue nede to be chrystened and beinge offered in the faythe of the churche do both receue the forgeuenes of theyr synne and also such grace of the holy ghost that yf they dye in the state of theyr infancy they shall by the sayd baptisme be vndoutedlie saued Ye shall note touchynge thys oryginall synne in infantes that as the said infantes do take of theyr parentes theyr original and natural qualities euen so they receyue from them oryginall synne by whyche they are made the chyldren of the yre of God and by the same haue a natural inclinati on to synne by lustes and desyres whyche in fnrther age and tyme sensibly doo moue and styrre them to wyckednes For althoughe the parentes be neuer so clene purged and pardoned of theyr oryginall synne by baptisme and grace geuen in the same yet neuerthelesse the chyldren of them begotten be conceyued and borne in original synne Example we maye take of corne whiche thoughe it be neuer so cleane wynowed and purged from the chaffe yet if it be caste into the grounde and sowen the newe whiche spryngeth of it is ful of chaffe againe vntyl it be also winowed and cleansed So likewise the children of christen mē be ful of the chaffe and corruptyon of originall synne vntyll that by baptysme they be washed clensed and purged from the same as their parentes were AND althoughe certayne heresies haue rysen vp and spronge in our dayes agaynst the Chrystenynge of infantes yet as the auncient fathers and holy 〈◊〉 of the church do testify the vniuersal consent of the churches in all places and of all tymes vsynge and frequentynge the Chrystenynge of infantes is a sufficient witnesse and profe that thys custome of the Churche in baptyzing of infantes was vsed by Chrystes Apostles them selues and by them geuen vnto the churche and in the same hath been alwayes continued euen vnto these daies And this custome and perpetual vsage of the churche euen from the begynning is agreable with the saying of S. Paule Ephe v. Chryst loued his Churche and hath geuen hym selfe to the deathe for his Churches sake to sanctifye her and make her holye in cleansynge her by the fountayne of water in hys worde c. So that no man is nor canne be of thys Churche but he whych is clensed by the Sacrament of Baptysme Lyke as the texte before alledged sheweth where Chryste sayethe Whosoeuer is not borne againe of water and the holy Gost shall not enter into the Kyngedome of Heauen Wherefore seing that out of the churche nether infantes nor no man els cā be saued they must nedes be christened and clensed by baptysme and soo incorporated into the Churche And as the infancy of the chyldren of the Hebrues in the olde testamente dyd not let but that they were made participant of the grace and benefytte geuen in Circumcision Euen so in the newe Testament the infancye of Chyldren doth not let but that
where it appeareth that whan Cayn hadde murdered hys brother Abell almyghtye GOD sayd vnto hym in thys maner 〈◊〉 voyce of thy brothers bloude doeth crye vnto me frome the earth wherefore thou shalte be accursed vpon the earth who hath opened her mouth and receyued thy brothers bloude of thy hande when thou shalte laboure or tyll the earthe it shall not geue to the her fruytes Thou shalte be a wanderer and vagabunde vppon the earth And in the. ix also of Genesis it is thus writtē Whosoeuer shal shed the bloude of man vpon the earth his bloude shal be shedde for man is made to the symilitude of God and in the xxi of Exodus almyghtye God doth saye He that shall strike a man willinge to 〈◊〉 him shall dye the death Moreouer in the thyrde booke of the kynges and the. xxi Chapyter it is wrytten howe that when kynge Achab by the deuelyshe counsayle of his wyfe Iefabel had procured the death of Naboth for couetousnes of hys vyneyarde god sent the prophet Elias vnto hym and bad hym saye these wordes Thys doth the Lorde say Thou hast killed yea and moreouer thou haste taken possessyon And shortly after foloweth howe God bad hym saye In this place in the whiche the dogges haue lycked the bloude of Naboth they shall lycke thy bloude and shortly after there foloweth Thus sayth the Lorde I wyll brynge vpon the euyll or miserye and will cutte downe they posteritie aud wyll destroy of Achabes euery one that pysseth against the wall c. And touchynge wycked Iesabell hys wyfe it there foloweth Dogges shall eate Iesabell vnder the walles of Iesraell And of Achab likewise is there sayde If Achab die in the citie the dogges shall eate him and yf he die in the fielde the fowles of the aire shall deuoure him Moreouer in the seconde booke of the kynges and the. xii chapyter almyghtye God sayde vnto kynge Dauyd by the Prophete Nathan in thys maner Thou hast stricken with the sworde or killed Urias the Ethyte and hast taken his wyfe to be thy wyfe and hast slayne him with the sworde of the chyldren of Ammon wherefore the sworde shall not departe from thy house for euer These terrible threatnynges and punyshmentes ought to moue all men to be delygente and warye in obseruation of thys cōmaundement and in no wyse eyther in thought worde or dede to commytte anye kyude of murder beyng assured that althoughe they may chaunce to escape the due ciuyll punyshement of magystrates yet in no wyse shall they escape the greuous punishement at Goddes handes for suche theyr murder yea they shal be most well assured that vnlesse they by due meanes doo repente and be reconcyled to God they shall haue after thys lyfe for theyr trangression euerlastyng dampnation ¶ Therposition or declaration of the seuenth Commaundement whyche is Thou shalt not committe adulterye AS the greatest iniurye whyche a man can do to hys neyghboure is murder whereby he takethe awaye hys lyfe from him so the next iniury or wronge is to vyolate or to defyle hys neygheboures wyfe whyche is become one fleshe wyth hym throughe the sacramente of Matrimonye And therefore in good order doeth here nowe folowe thys commaundemente Thou shalte not commytte adultery And thys commaundemēte our sauyoure Chryst hym selfe doth in dede expounde in the Gospell as he dydde the syxte teachynge vs in the fyfte of Mathew that this commaundement not onely forbyddeth all outwarde adultery commytted in dede but also all inwarde occasyons of adulterye as lecherous thoughtes desyres lustes of concupyscence consentyuge in heart and al other meanes enducynge therevnto And here ye shal note that although thys worde adultery doth sygnifie properly the vn lawfull comixion of a maryed man with anye other woman than wyth his owne wife or els of a maried woman wyth anye other mā then her owne 〈◊〉 yet in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not taken onely for that but also for all maner vnlawefull copulation betwene man and woman maried and vnmaried and all maner of vnlawefull 〈◊〉 of those partes whiche be ordeyned for generation whether it be by adulterye fornication in crest or any other meanes And a man maye euen in lawefull matrymony with hys owne wyfe breake thys commaundemente and lyue vnchaste yf ye doo vnmeasurably or inordinatelye serue hys or her fleshly appetite or luste And vpon such persones the deuyll hath power as the aungell Raphael sayd vnto Thoby Thoby ix They that marye in such wise that they exclude GOD out of their hartes and doo geue themselues vnto their owne carnall lustes as it were an horse or a mule whyche haue no reason vpon suche personnes the deuyl hath power Also all chrysten people ought hyghlye to regarde the obseruation of thys commaundement consyderynge howe much God is displeased and what vengeance he hath alwayes taken and euer wyll take for the transgression of the same For confyrmatyon whereof you shall vnderstande that God in the tyme of Moyses lawe commaunded that whosoeuer 〈◊〉 adultery should be stoned to death And that almygh ty God after the chyldren of Israell had commytted adultery wyth the women of Moab and Madyan commaunded fyrste that the heades and rulers of the people shoulde be hanged for that they suffered the people so to offende God And afterwarde commaunded also euery man to sle hys neighboure that had so offended In so much that there was slayne of that people the number of xxiiii M. and 〈◊〉 moo shoulde haue bene slayne had not Phinees the sonne of Eleazar the hygh preist turned the indignation of God from the chyldren of Israell For thys Phinees whan he sawe Zamry cheife of the tribe of Simeon in the presence of Moyses and all the people goe vnto Cosby a notable mans doughter of the Madyanities to committe fornication wyth her he arose from emongest all the multytude and takynge a sworde in hys hande went into the house wher they were and thruste them bothe thoroughe the bellyes whose feruente mynde and zeale God dyd so muche allowe that he dyd therfore bothe cease from the farther punishment of the Israelites and also graunted to Phinees and hys successours for euer the dignitie of the highest preisthod Also the trybe and stocke of Beniamin was soo punyshed for the mayntenaunce of certayne persones of the Citie of Gaba which had contrarye to thys commaundement shamfullye abused a certayne mannes wyfe that of xxv M. and. vii C. men of armes there remayned on lyue but. vi C. Moreouer almyghtye God for the transgression of thys commaundement caused brimstone and fyre to rayne downe from heauen vpon all the 〈◊〉 of Sodome and Gomor and so distroyed the hole region both menne women and beastes and all that grewe vpon the earth reseruyng onelye Loth hys two doughters These terrible examples many other lyke almighty GOD dyd shewe in tymes paste to the intente we should haue thē in oure contynual remēbraunce and shulde euer stande in awe feare so
bolde At whose commynge bothe he and the rest of the apostles were so confyrmed and boldned that they shranke not before all the Iewes and all creatures vnder the skye ye before the kynges prynces to preache the name of Iesus And professyng theyr chrysten fayth wyth all boldnes and constancye did reioyce to suffer displeasures and rebukes inflicted and done vnto them therefore And because we here doo speake of confirmation some peraduenture do loke that we should geue some diffynytyon of confirmatyon wherin to satisfie theyr appetites thys may be sayde That Confirmation is a certayne consignation or markyng made with chrisme in the foreheade of the persone that is baptyzed wyth a certayne forme of wordes to the intente that the person confyrmed shoulde boldely geue the name of Christe or els thus maye be sayde to them CONFIRMATION is an enoyntynge in the foreheade of the partye that is baptysed made in the fygure or forme of the crosse by a Byshoppe with holye chrysme for the strengthe or encrease of the faythe to be boldelye by the sayde partye confessed And thys chrysme is made of oyle and balme The sayde oyle whyche is a cleare or cleane thynge of it selfe to betoken the clearenes or cleannes of the hearte or conscience in oure selfe The balme whiche is a thynge verye fragraunt and of a swete smellyng to signifie the swete and good sauoure of good name and fame towardes oure neyghbour and the sayd oyle and balme beynge mingeled together to signifye that the partye confirmed should haue truely in hym selfe both clerenes of conscience and also wyth hys good workes to haue a good name and to styrre there by hys neyghbours to the lyke And we ought not to thynke that thys enoyntinge is a new inuention in asmuche as Dionyse and Clement beynge in the apostles tyme and besydes them Fabian and 〈◊〉 beyng very nyghe the sayde Apostles tyme and Cypryan Hierome and Saynte Augustyne not being much from the Apostles tyme with other 〈◊〉 wryters do vnyformely agree that thys sorte of enoyntyng came from the Apostles For as concernyng Dionyse he besydes manye other places doeth affyrme it in hys boke De ecclesiastica hierarchia and in the. iii. chapter And amongest many other notable thynges doth saye thus Deinde chrisma summus sacerdos accipiens 〈◊〉 ponit diuino altari c. That is to saye The cheife preiste afterwardes takynge the chrisme doth put it vpon the diuine aulter c And Clemēt doth speake hereof in the. iii. boke of his recognitions in the seconde epistle thereof Fabiane also in hys seconde epistle wrytten to all the byshops of the Easte doeth moste playnelye affyrme the lyke Tertullian lykewyse in hys fyrst boke agaynst Martian doth the same And to speake of S. Cypriane he also in hys sermon De vnctione Chrismatis in diuerse places doeth testifie it most largelye Lykewyse S. Hierom most playnly in hys commentaryes vpon the xvi chapiter of Ezechiel and vpon the. xxxiii of Iob. And as for S. Augustine he most largely playnly and effectually approueth it specially in hys secōd booke and. iiii chapiter Contra literas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in hys xv booke and. xxvi Chapiter De Trinitate And so doeth Euse bius in hys vi boke and. xliii chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where speakynge of Nouatus who was baptised onely in hys bedde not hauynge other thynges vsually obserued after the order rule of the churche he sayth thus 〈◊〉 exorcistis curatus in 〈◊〉 morbum incidit et quoniam iam moriturus putabatur inipso lecto quo decumbebat baptismi infusionem accepit sitamenhancillum accepisse dicendum est Imo nec 〈◊〉 consequutus est post verbum quae iuxta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consequidebebat obsignationem uidelicet ab episcopo 〈◊〉 cum autem illa potitus non sit quomodo spiritum sanctum est consequutus That is to saye Nouarus beinge cured of the exorcistes dyd fal into a greuous disease and because it was thought that he woulde dye out of hande he dyd in the same bedde vpon whyche he laye sycke receaue the infusion of Baptysme yf a man may saye that he receaued that but as concernyng thynges whyche as yet remayned vndone and whych he ought according to the order and rule of the Churche to haue had that is to say the consignatiō or 〈◊〉 to be geuen or conferred by the by 〈◊〉 those thinges after his discease he receaued thē not and forasmuch as he had not that how than hath he receaued the holy goost CONCERNINGE the latter wryters in asmuch as they be innumerable and vniformely do agre here vpon I wyll not rehearse them at all but by them a greynge with the auncient and holye fathers of the churche ye maye vndoutedlye see and perceaue that thys sacrament of confirmation or imposition of the Byshopes handes is receaued approued and specyallye commended of all Catholique menne and at al tymes Seyng then that thys Sacrament of Confyrmation for many considerations is so gretly to be estemed and regarded not onelye for the aucthoritie of Chryste that dyd institute it and the aucthoritie of the churche and of the Apostles that dydde re ceaue and vse it but also for the commoditie and profyt which the sayde Sacrament dothe brynge wyth it Therefore they doo verye wyckedlye that in anye wyse doo contempne it And those maye be sene and iudged to contempne it whiche eyther do rayle at it or ells hauyng oportunitie to haue it ministred do re fuse it or wyllyngly neglecte it And the formall wordes vsed in Confyrmatyon whiche in olde tyme was called Impositio manuum are these Signo te signo crucis confirmo te 〈◊〉 salutis in nomine patris filij spiritus sancti That is to saye I sygne or marke the with the sygne of the Crosse and confirme the with the chrysme or oyntement of helth In the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost And of this imposition of handes we haue besydes manye other places expressed in scrypture a notable example in the. x. of saynte Marke practised and vsed by Chryst hymselfe And this Sacrament of Confirmation or layinge of the byshops handes was instituted ordeined and vsed in the catholyke Churche to remedye the weakenes that ryseth of the fome or rage of concupyscence which weakenes remayneth in vs for oure exercyse and is of two sortes that is to say inwarde and outwarde The inwarde is a certayne shamefastnes or timerousnes whereby we do not boldely confesse the name of Chryst as Chryst requyreth of vs sayinge in the tenth Chapter of Saynt Mathewe Omnis qui 〈◊〉 me coram hominibus 〈◊〉 ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 patre meo 〈◊〉 in coelis est qui autem negauerit me coram hominibus negabo ego 〈◊〉 coram 〈◊〉 meo qui in coelis est That is to saye Euery one that wyll confesse me before men I wyll also acknowledge him before my father which is in heauen And who wyll denye me before
a fygure of the newe and hath not the verye lyght it selfe And seing that in the olde testamente all those that should be healed were commaunded to offer theyr gyftes shewe them selues to the preistes Leuit. 14. so also in the newe testament Chryste 〈◊〉 that to be done Mathei 8. to signify that thynge whyche in the olde lawe was figured by the shewing of the persons vnto the leuitycall preistes to be nowe in the newe testament by auryculer confession accomplyshed and fulfylled or ells shoulde there haue bene a shadowe 〈◊〉 out a body and a fygure wythout a verytie 〈◊〉 vnto thys sence S. Augustyne Chrysostome Bede and other entreating vpon the same place or Mathewe do fully agre Secondely Salomon the wysest of all men Prouerb 27 doth saye 〈◊〉 agnosce uultum pecoristui That is to saye Dilygently knowe and be holde the countenaunce or behauiour of thy 〈◊〉 Not 〈◊〉 thereby a brute or 〈◊〉 beaste but as S. Paule in the. ix to the Corinthians by oxen doth vnderstand reasonable creatures so he in the sayd place by the beast doth vnderstande such reasonable creatures as are vnder the charge of other the pastors and gouernours whereof be boūde diligently to loke vpon them perfectly to knowe thē and discreatelye to vse them discerninge skab from skab and lepre from lepre Whiche thinge man not knowyng the hart or conscience of man cannot doo vnles it be by the partie that is infected soo confessed and reueled vnto hym Whiche thing openly to do 〈◊〉 is not commaunded nor the matter so requyreth and yet not to doo it secreatly and in confession it is synfull and daungerouse Wherefore S. James not requiryng that men shoulde openly diffame thē selues by vtteryng to other theyr synfull lyfe and yet neuerthelesse willing that we should vnburden oure constience 〈◊〉 mynde penitentlye by confessyon after that he hath spoken of the bryngynge in of prestes to annoynt the sycke he by and by lest parchaunce anye man shoulde thynke that mentall confessyon to God onely were sufficient dothe saye Confitemini ergo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uestra c. Whych is to saye Confesse you ther for one to another your sinnes Not meanyng that euery man to other indifferently shoulde confesse hymselfe but referryng the matter to the preiste of whome immediatly before he dyd speake 〈◊〉 of the visiting of the sicke and the anointinge of them and thus doth Saint Augustyne Saynt Bede and Eusebius vnderstand those Scryptures And 〈◊〉 you maye be assured yf ye accordyngelye doo confesse youre synnes that from and by Godes owne mouthe 〈◊〉 are absolued that all preistes in the Apostles receyued full aucthoritie bothe to bynde and louse the synnes of the people ye shall for a profe here in consider emongest other thinges the facte of CHRIST in the reuiuinge of deade Lazarus which is notable recorded in the. xi chapiter of Saynte John where Christ thinking it not sufficient to reuyue Lazareth and to call hym out of his graue sayde Lazare ueni foras Lazarus come forth And there vpon lazarus by and by reuyuing and in hys wyndinge shete rysynge beinge bounde hand and fote dyd come fourthe And yet to 〈◊〉 by a visible sygne the Aucthoritie to remayne with Christes 〈◊〉 and their successoures to louse men bounde with synne Chryste dyd say to them Solui 〈◊〉 uos eum et sinite abire That is to saye Lose you him and suffer him to goo his waie And as for that place of the. xvi of Saynte Mathewe where the power of the keyes is promysed to be geuen vnto preistes and mynisters to absolue and forgyue synnes and also for the place in the. xx of Jhon where Chryst after his resurrection breathinge vpon his dyscyples and perfourmyng hys promyse dyd saye 〈◊〉 spiritum sanctum quorum remiserites peccata remittuntur eis et quorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt That in Lake ye the holie Ghoste whose sinnes ye forgiue or release those are forgeuen or released and whose sinnes you withholde they are with holden These places I saye are so euydente that no man can with any learnyng or christen conscience withstand or depraue them but they must be most vay leable for this present purpose And for the establyshyng of al menes faythes herein here foloweth farther the consent and determination of three of the moste godly and auncient fathers of the primatiue church in this case to whose determi nation all other catholike almost 〈◊〉 writers do agree And fyrste Clemente the successoure of S. Peter in his first epistle to S. James the brother of Chryst sayth these wordes Quod st forte alicuius cor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uel insidelitas uel 〈◊〉 malum latenter irripserit non 〈◊〉 qui 〈◊〉 suae curam gerit confit eri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui 〈◊〉 est ab ipso per 〈◊〉 Dei consilium salubre curetur quo 〈◊〉 integra 〈◊〉 et operibus bonis poenas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effugere ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proeuinere That is to say If peraduenture anye rancor or infidelitie or any other euil hath priuely crept into any mans hart let not him whiche estemeth his owne soule be ashamed to confesse those faultes vnto hym which hathe charge ouer hym that he maye of hym be cured by the worde of GOD and holesome 〈◊〉 that he may thorough perfect faythe good workes auoyde the paynes of eternall fyre and come to the perpetuall reward of eternal lyfe In lyke sorte Orygen vpon the. xxxvii Psalme and in his seconde Home ly doth compare sinne not confessed to a preist vnto rawe and vndigested meat distemperatynge verye sore the stomacke and the hole bodye whiche yf it be vomited vp easeth the stomack and restorith health so sayth he sinne 〈◊〉 pryuelye kepte doth inwardelye trouble the conscience ther fore he wylleth vs to confesse the same and also dylygently to loke about and take good hede in chusinge our spirituall yhisition whiche maye minyster vnto vs a conueniente medecyne for the purgynge of oure consciences And to knytte vp this place of pryuate or auriculer confession we wyll nowe brynge onelye one place more whiche is written in the seconde boke of Saint Augustyne De 〈◊〉 infirmorum in the. iiii chapter wrytten to his Nephewe lyinge on his death bedde where he sayth thus Sunt quidam 〈◊〉 sibi adsalutem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si solideo cui nihil 〈◊〉 est quem nullius later conscientia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crimina Nolunt enim aut crubescunt siue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dere se sasardotibus quos tamen inter lepram et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per 〈◊〉 constituit dominus Sed nolo ut ipsa decipiaris opinione quatenus confundaris confiteri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uicario 〈◊〉 praerubore uel cerui cosus indignatione nam ipsius 〈◊〉 subeundum est iudicium quë domi nus sibi non dedignatur uicarium Ergo ad te 〈◊〉 roges 〈◊〉 sacipsum conscientarum tuarum penitus 〈◊〉 Non seducat te somni atium illa superstiti quae uisitando confirmat quia saluat sacerdote 〈◊〉
est pronobis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ore uerba proseruntur et dei 〈◊〉 consecrantur et 〈◊〉 hoc est ait corpus meum Hoc uerbo proposita 〈◊〉 Et sicut illa uox quae dicit Crescite et multiplicam ni replete terram semel quidem dicta est sed omni tempore sen tit effectum ad generationem 〈◊〉 natura 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 illa semel quidem dicta est sed per omnes mensas ecclesiae usque ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad eius aduentum praestat socrificio firmitatem That is to saye And nowe he the same Chryst is present who did beautifie or garnyshe that 〈◊〉 he also it is that doeth consecrate it for it is not 〈◊〉 that maketh the thynges set forthe or proposed in the consecration of the table to be the bodye and bloude of Chryste but it is Chryst him selfe whiche was crucifyed for vs by the preistes mouth the wordes are pronoūced or spoken but the thynges are consecrated by the power of GOD and hys grace for he meanyng Chryste sayeth this is my body and by that worde the thynges set forthe or proposed are consecrated And lyke 〈◊〉 that voyce which sayeth do you encrease and be 〈◊〉 do you fyl or replenishe the earthe was but once spoken and yet in or at all tymes taketh his effecte to generation nature therewith workinge So that 〈◊〉 of Chryste once in dede was spoken and yet it throughe out all the tables of the 〈◊〉 euen vntyll this daye and vntyll hys commyng meaning of Chrystes last comming doth geue strength vn to the sacrifice And thus much haue we spoken to declare vnto you bothe by the scriptures and also by moste aunciente and playne aucthorities that oure Sauioure Chryst in the institution of thys Sacrament dyd tourne the substaunce of breade and wyne into the substaunce of hys owne bodye and bloude howe also he doeth the same daylye by the mynysterye of the preistes in consecratiō And now to come to the seconde part whiche is concernyng the vse of this sacramēt ye shall note that this vse doth cōsist speciallye in two poyntes It is to witte in the oblation or offeringe of the said sacrament by the preistes vnto al myghtye God and in the 〈◊〉 of the same And here before we do entre any further it semeth mooste conuenient to note vnto you one synguler priuiledge emonge many other where in thys 〈◊〉 passeth all other and that is thys where all other sacramentes do consist onely in the vse of them that is to saye in the very acte of ministration and receauynge of them thys sacramente hath his perfection oute of hand euen as sone as the wordes of Chryst in the con secration be pronounced 〈◊〉 the sacramente be offered nor receued according as it is here before proued And as touchyng the offering therof commonly called the sacrifice of the masse ye shall vnderstand that no one poynt of Christes relygion was more notably prophesied of set forthe in the olde testamente and before the commyng of Christ then was the continuall oblation that is to saye this fore sayde sacryfice of the Masse for the prophette Malachye in hys fyrste chapyter speakynge in the name of almyghtye GOD and declaryng that in tyme to come the sacryfices of the olde lawe should cease and no more to be receaued or allowed at Goddes handes but that there shoulde another kynde of sacrifyce be througheout the hole worlde offered vp vnto hym doth wryte in this maner Non est mihi uoluntas in uobis dicit'dominus 〈◊〉 et munus non suscipi 〈◊〉 de manu uestra abortu enim solis usque ad occasum magnum est nomen meum ingentibus et in omni loco sacrificatur et offertur nomine 〈◊〉 ablatio munda guia magnum est nomen meum 〈◊〉 gentibus That is to say Pleasure is not to me in you sayeth the lorde of hostes And offetynge wyll I not take or accepte at youre handes for from the rysynge vp of the sonne 〈◊〉 the goynge downe of the same my name is greate among the gentyls yea in euery place sacrifice is done and a cleane meate offerynge is offered vp vnto my name for my name is greate amonge the heathen The which place of the sayd Prophet Malachye to be ment or vnderstande of no other kynde of sacryfice in the newe testament but onelye by the sacrifice of the body and bloude of our Sauiour Iesus Christ offered vp thorowe the hole Catholyke churche in the Masse the moste famous and auncient aucthor Ireneus being immediatly after the apostles tyme doth most manifestlye wytnes in the xxxii Chapter of hys iiii boke wrytten 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and other lyke 〈◊〉 where he sayeth in thys maner Sed et suis discipulis dans consilium primitias deo offerre ex suis creaturis non quasi indigemi sed ut ipse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nec ingrati 〈◊〉 cum qui ex 〈◊〉 panis est accepit et gratias egit dicens 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 corpus et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui est ex 〈◊〉 creatura 〈◊〉 est secundum nos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confessus est et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oblationem 〈◊〉 Ecclesia aò Apostolis 〈◊〉 in uniuerso mundo offert deo qui alimenta nobis prestat primitias suorum munerum in nouo Testamento de quo in 〈◊〉 prophetis Malachias sic praesignificauit Non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inuobis c. That is to saye 〈◊〉 and also he geuinge counsayle to his disciples to offer vnto GOD the firste fruites of his creatures not as that god had anye nede thereof but that they themselues shoulde neither be vnfruitful or vnthankful he did take that bread which was of the creature of GOD and did geue thankes sayinge This is my bodye And takyng like wyse the cuppe or chalyce whiche also is made of that creature whiche emōgest vs is commonlye That is to saye wyne he dyd confesse it to be hys bloude And of the 〈◊〉 testamente he did teache a newe oblation or sacrifice which oblation the churche takyng or receauyng of the Apostles doeth throughout the hole worlde offer vp to GOD who geueth vs our fode as the fyrste fruites of hys gyftes in the newe testament of whiche offerynge Malachias one of the xii prophetes did prophesie in this maner I haue noo pleasure in you c. And thys foresayd sacrifice of the body and bloud of our sauiour Chryst in the sacrament of the Aultare was not onelye longe before Chrystes commynge in most playne sorte prophesied of by the prophete Malachy as you haue hearde but also it was in maner euen in the beginning of the worlde 〈◊〉 by the oblation of Melchise dech the Prieste of Almyghtye GOD in that he offered breade and wyne and dyd blesse Abraham the patriarche as itis wrytten in the xiiii chapter of Genesis And that thys oblation of Melchisedech beinge one of the most notable figures of the olde testament was fulfylled and perfourmed of Chryste
himselfe when he instituted thys sacramēt and daylye is in the Masse by the commaundement of Chryst at the tyme of the institution thereof perfourmed and fulfylled ye shall here by the vndouted 〈◊〉 of the fathers which were in the primatiue churche and fyrste ye shall note what the blessed Martyr 〈◊〉 Cypryan dothe write hereof in hys treatyse De 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he speakyng of the institution of thys sacrament hath these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et filijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 facientibus operaeius summus sacerdos panem profert et 〈◊〉 Hoc est inquit corpus meum Manducauerant et biberant de eodem pane et 〈◊〉 lice secundum formam uisibilem sed 〈◊〉 cibus ille communis 〈◊〉 nutriendo corpori commodus erat et 〈◊〉 corporali subsidium 〈◊〉 sed ex guo a domino dictum est hoc facite in meam commemorationem Haec est caromea hic est sanguis meus Quotiescunque hijs uerbis et 〈◊〉 fide actum est Panis illi substantialis calix benedictione solenni sacratus ad totius hominis uitam salutamque proficit simul medicamentum 〈◊〉 ad sanandas infirmitates et purgandas iniquitates existens That is to saye The sacramentes in times past from the tyme of Melchisedech prefigured do come forth And the most high priest vnto the chyldren of Abraham doyng his workes doeth brynge forthe breade and wyne Thys is sayth chryste my bodye they dyd eate and they did drinke of the same breade and of the saine cuppe after the visible forme but before these wordes that common foode or meate was apt or fitte onely to 〈◊〉 the bodye did geue sustenaunce to the corporall life but after that it was sayd of our Lorde doo you thys in my remembraunce this is my 〈◊〉 and this is my bloude as often as with these wordes and with thys faythe the thinge is done that substanciall fode and that cuppe consecrated or sanctifyed wyth the folempne benediction or blessynge doethe profytte vnto the life and helth of the whole man beinge bothe a medecine and also a pryncypall offerynge to 〈◊〉 our 〈◊〉 and also to purge our iniquities The same Sayncte Cypryan also in hys seconde booke of Epystles and hys thyrde Epystle speakyng of thys sacrifyce sayeth thus Si lesus Christus domiuus et deus noster ipse est summus sacerdos dei patris et sacrificium deo patri ipse primus obtuli et hoc fieri in 〈◊〉 commemorationem precipet Vtique ille sacerdos uice Christi uere sungitur qui id quod Christus fecit simitatur Et sacrificium uerum et plenum tunc offert in eeclc siadco patrisi 〈◊〉 offerre secundum quod ipsum Christum uideat obtulisss That is to saye 〈◊〉 Iesus Chryst our Lorde and GOD be himselfe the highe presste of God the father and he him selfe did firste offer the sacrifice to god his father did cōmaūde also that to be done in his remēbraūce truely that preist doth verely occupy the place or stede of Chryste who doth folow that whych Christ did And then doth the priest in the churche offer 〈◊〉 to GOD the father a true aud a full sacrifice yf he so begynne to offer as that he hathe sene Chryste to haue offered Thus much sayeth Cypryan And here to omitte manye or rather 〈◊〉 aucthorities and sufficient proses as concernyng thys 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 of tho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 of S. Ambrose who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eleuen hundred yeares agoo and by hym also ye shall well 〈◊〉 that the name of Masse is not soo straunge a thyng or so a new an inuention as men wolde make it For S. Ambrose in hys fyfte boke of epystles and the. xxiii epystle writing vnto hys syster Marcel lina of a certayne trouble and tumulte 〈◊〉 in the citie of Mylayne where he was byshoppe did chaūce vpon a sondaye in the moruinge while he was at diuine seruice doth saye thus Ego tamen 〈◊〉 munere Missā facere capi 〈◊〉 raptum 〈◊〉 populo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quem praesbyterum dicerent Arriam hunc autem in 〈◊〉 offenderant 〈◊〉 tes 〈◊〉 fiere et orare in ipsa oblatione deum coepi ut subucuiret That is to saye 〈◊〉 for all that I dyd abide in mine office or diuine seruice I dyd begynne to saye Masse And when I was at the oblation I did understande one called Castulus whome the Arrians wolde take for a priest to be violentlye taken of the people Hym in dede they 〈◊〉 in the strete hadde founde moste 〈◊〉 I beganne to wepe and to praye to god euē in the very oblation that he woulde succoure or helpe Accordynge where vnto the blessed martyr Ignatius in his 〈◊〉 Epystle wrytten to the Smyrnians doth say thus 〈◊〉 sine episcopo neque offerre neque 〈◊〉 immolare neque 〈◊〉 celebrare That is to saye It is not lawefull without the 〈◊〉 neither to offer neither to immolate the sacrifice neyther to celebrate or saye Masses And the thynge beynge so it maye greatly be marueyled that this word Masse beyng so auncient in the Catholyke churche and so termed amongest the auncient fathers thereof shuld be taken for so great an eye soore or soo odyouse a thing as amongest our late scymaticall preachers it hath bene impudentlye taughte who to blynde the peoples eyes and do deceaue there eares haue erroneouslye and maliciouslye sayde that neyther the worde Masse nor the thynge therin conteyned haue bene of olde tyme allowed or vsed in Chrystes church Shortly to make an ende of testimonies or profe of the fyrste vse of thys sacramente whiche we doo saye to consyste in the sacrifyce therof ye shall haue onely one testimonye more in this parte in whiche testimonye besydes the profe of the sacrifice it is further also declared that the wordes of Chryst beynge dulye by a lawefull preist pronounced whatsoeuer his lyfe or conuersation be better or worse the wordes always yf there be no other let do take theyr full effect and operation 〈◊〉 and moreouer that the sayd sacrifice of the Masse doth stande in his full force not withstādynge And the sayde 〈◊〉 is the sayinge off Chrysoltome in his seconde homyly vpon the seconde cpystle of S. Paule to Tymothy where he wrytethe thus Volo quidem adijcere mirabile nolite mirari neque turbemini Quid ueroistud est Sacraipsa oblatio siue illam Petrus siue Paulus siue cuiusuis meritisacerdos offerat eadem est quam dedit Christus ipse discipulis quamque sacerdotes modo quoque conficiunt Nihil habet esta quam illa minus 〈◊〉 id quia non hanc sanctificant homines sed Christus qui illam anted sacrauerat Quemadmoà um enim uerba guae loquutos est Christus 〈◊〉 sunt quae sacerdotes nunc quoque pronunciant ita oblatio 〈◊〉 est That is to saye And in dede I wyll adde plain lye a meruelous thinge and yet do you not wonder nor be you troubled But what is that wyl you
say The sacred or holye oblation whether Peter doth offer it or Paule or of what soeuer meryte the preist be it is the verye same thinge whiche Chryste hymselfe dydde gyue vnto his disciples and the same whiche the preistes nowe doo make Thys hathe no lesse then it And whye soo 〈◊〉 men doo not sanctifye this but Chryste who sanctified or consecrated that before For like as the wordes whiche Chryst dyd speake be the selfe same whyche the preistes nowe also do pronounce euen so the oblation or sacrifice is the same AND nowe to come vnto the other vse it is to wytte of the receauynge of the Sacramente ye shall note that althoughe oure Samoure Iesus Christe at the first institution of this sacramente dydde minister it vnto his disciples whiche were than presente vnder both the kyndes of bread and wyne Yet that fashyon and maner of ministrynge is not soo necessarye to the receauer excepte it be to the preist whan he doth consecrate that without the due obseruation of that waye man myght not receaue that blessed sacramēt to his saluation For the benefyte or hurte that commeth to a chrysten man by receauynge of this sacramente standeth not in the fashyon or maner of receauynge of it vnder one or both kyndes but in the wor thyor vnworthy receauyng of the thynge conteyned in the same For he that receaueth this Sacramente worthelye vnder the one kynde as vnder the forme of breade onely receaueth the hole bodye and bloude of Chryst and as many and great benefittes of Christ as he that receaueth it in both kyndes And therefore if any man should teache that the laye people which by the ordinaunce and auncient custome of the catholyke churche haue vsed to receaue this holy sacramēt in fourme of breade onelye be seduced and soo cause them to thynke that the holle bodye and bludde of Chryst where not comprehended in that onely forme of breade as well as in both the kyndes this doctrine ought vtterlye to be refused and abiected as a verye pestiferouse and deuely she doctryne For surely scripture teacheth the contrary and also naturall reason althoughe it cannot comprehende the hole mistery of this sacrament yet herein it teacheth vs agreablye with scrypture that that liuely body cannot be without bloud and therefore men ought to be ledde from that fonde opinion yf any such be both by that faith and credit which they do owe vnto scripture and in this poynt also by naturall reason And chrysten men knowinge this ought not to grudge at thys fourme and maner of receauyng of this sacrament vnder one kynd vsed and allowed by the catholyke church both to auoide that erroure afore rehersed and also for manye other weyghtie considerations concernynge bothe the honor of the sacramēte and the libertye and commoditie of the hole churche seyng that not onely lay men but also prestes sauinge whan they do consecrate do vse to receaue thys Sacrament none otherwyse Let chrysten men therfore humbly apply them self to put all erronious fantasies cleane out of ther hartes and satisfye them selues with this that when they receiue the sacrament worthely though it be but in one kind they loose no parte of the profyt and benefyte promysed by vertue of the sayde Sacramente And yet to stably she this poynte touchyng the receauing of this sacramente vnder one kynde both with testimonies of scripture and also otherwyse ye shall vnderstand that whan our sauyour Christ did delyuer this sacramente vnder bothe kyndes in the institution thereof he of purpose had onely his twelue Apostles with hym to declare vnto vs that he there dyd rather prescribe vnto them being preistes how they and theyr successours should consecrate and offer and also they themselues in theyr ministery receaue the same than howe it shoulde be receaued of other not beynge of the same vocation as the Apostles were of And therfore it was neuer yet lawfull but very straytely to be punyshed yf a prest whan he dyd consecrate and offer the same dyd not withall receaue it vnder bothe kyndes Wherein appearethe the cyrcumstaunces of the institution beynge well marked and consydered that the cammaundement and charge geuen at that tyme by oure sauioure Iesus Christ doth not of necessitie bynde the laye men noo nor yet the preiste but when he sayeth masse to receaue vnder both kin des Therefore many tyme in Scrypture mentyon is made but of one kynde onely as apperteynyng generally vnto all men it is to wytte of the sacramente to be receaued vnder the fourme of breade wythoute any mention made of the other kynde or forme As in the. vi of Iohn where our sauiour in a greate multytude of people besides hys apostles makynge promes of thys sacramente to be geuen by hym in tyme then yet to come sayeth Panis quem ego labo caro mea est 〈◊〉 dabo pro mundi uita That is to say The breade whiche I wil geue is my fleshe whiche 〈◊〉 I wyll geue for the lyfe of the worlde-Saynte Luke al so in hys xxiii chapter of hys gospel telleth how that our sauiour Christ after his resurrection dyd appeare in a straunge forme or shape to two of hys dyscyples goinge towarde Emaus and when he hade a good whyle walked and talked wyth them and yet they knew him not at length they came to Emaus wher Christ syttyng with them toke bread blessed it and brake it and gaue it vnto them and by and by theyr eyes were opened and they knewe hym and he vani shed out of theyr sight Thys bread so geuē in Emaus to the two disciples S. Augustine in his thyrd boke Deconsensu euangelistarum And saynte Chrisostome in hys xvii homilye vpon Mathewe and Theophilus also auncienter then any of them both do expounde to be the Sacramente of Christes bodye and yet ther the scripture as in sundrye other places els doeth make no mentiō of the other kinde or forme it is to wyt of the Sacramente vnder the fourme of wyne to haue bene geuen vnto them To this consideration appertayneth also the wonderfull fedinge of the chyldren of Israell in wyldernes the space of xl yeares wyth a straunge breade called Manna being a figure of this sacrament as it belongethe to all chrysten people who throughe the huge wildernes of this worlde do passe towarde the true land of promyse And yet farther to confyrme thys thyng by an auncient and weightye testimonie ye shall here what is recorded by the excellente Author Nicephorus Calistus who beynge aboute a thousande yere ago in his worke called Ecclesiastica histo ria in the. xiii boke and in the seuenth chapiter thereof wrytynge of a certayne woman who obstynate lye longe tyme refused to receaue the catholyke rytes of Chrystes Churche and so obstinately that although hyr husband moste ernestlye labored with her in that matter and dyuerse tymes sore dyd fall out wyth her yea and threatned her ferther displesure yf she would not vniformely receaue the
in uobis iudic at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orent super eum nugentes eum oleo in nomine domine et 〈◊〉 fidei saluabit infirmum 〈◊〉 eum dominus si in peccatis sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ei That is to saye Is there any sicke emonges you lette hym brynge in 〈◊〉 priestes of the churche and let them praye ouerhym anoin ting him with oyle in the name of our Lord and the prayer of faythe shall saue the sycke and our Lorde wyll lighten or ease hym and yfhe be in sinnes they shal be remytted vnto him Which wordes of S. James doo manyfestlye declare this vnction or anoylynge to be a sacrament as hauinge a visible sygne and a promyse of grace annexed therevnto And yf ye besydes the thynges before rehearsed and expressed in scrypture be desyrous to haue the testimonyes also of the auncient fathers of the churche concernyng this sacramente of 〈◊〉 vnction as ye alreadye haue hadd in all the other ye shall heare certayne of them bothe of the greke and also of the latyn churche And fyrste I wyll begynne with S. Chrisostome who in hys iii. 〈◊〉 De sacerdotio and in the syxt chapyter therof entreating of the greate gyftes and graces gyuen by almyghtye God vnto his faythefull people by the ministerye of the preistes aswell in regeneration as also afterward in the 〈◊〉 of synnes doth incontinentlye for the profe thereof bryng in the saying of Saint James in the last chapiter of his sayde canonicall epystle saying Infirmatur inquit apostolus quis ex uobis c. Theophylacte also in his exposition made vpon the. vi chapiter of sainte Marke sayeth thus Quod 〈◊〉 oleo Apostoli solus Marcus narrae quod frater domini lacobus in Catholica 〈◊〉 dicit 〈◊〉 tur inquit quis in 〈◊〉 inducat c. That is to say That the Apostles did anoint with oile onelye Marke of all the euangelistes doth shew which thinge meanynge this holye anoylynge James the bro ther of our Lorde in his canonicall Epystle doth speake of sayinge Is any sycke amon gest you c. Whereby also appeareth this place of S. James and that 〈◊〉 S. Marke to be bothe vnder stande of thys sacrament of anoylynge And further in the same place he consequentlye declarynge the misterye of the visible and materyall oyle vsed in the ministration of this sacrament saith Estigitur oleum ad labores utile lucis fomentum hilaritatis 〈◊〉 fectiuum significatque misericordiam dei gratiam spiritus per quam a las bore liberamur lucem gaudium hilaritatemque 〈◊〉 aceipimus That is to saye For oyle beinge good agaynste laboure or wearynes being also the nourysshemente of lyghte and the cause or prouocation of gladdenes dothe signifye the mer cye of GOD and the grace of the holye ghooste by the whyche we are delyuered from laboure or wearynes and doo receaue lighte ioye and spiritual gladnes With which two places of Theophilacte Oecumenius also a greke aucthor fully doth agree To these foresayd auncient fathers of the greke churche shall nowe be adioyned also other of the Latyne Churche and fyrste saynt Hierome vpon the sayde vi of S. Marke doeth saye thus Cum ungebant oleo aegrotos infirmitatem fidei 〈◊〉 corroborant That is to saye When they meanyng the dyscyples sent fourth by Chryste dyd anoynte the sicke folke wyth the oyle they by the vertue of faythe dyd make them stronge Accordynge wherevnto Saynte Augustyne also in the. iiii chapiter of his second boke Deuisitatione infirmorum wryting to his Nephewe lyenge on his death bedde giueth him this counsayle saying 〈◊〉 praetermittendum est illud apostoli Iacobipraeceptum infirmatur quis in uobis inducat praesbiteros ecclesiae ut 〈◊〉 super eum ungentes eum oleo 〈◊〉 in nomine domini I E S V oratio fidei saluabit infirmum Ergo sic roges dete protefieri sicut dixit apostolus Imo per Apostolum suum dominus Ipsa uidelicit olei sacrati delibutio intelligitur spiritus sancti typicalis unctio That is to saye That commaundemente of Saynt James the Apostle is not to be omytted or ouerpassed of the. Is any man sicke emongest you let him bringe in the preistes of the churche that they maye praye ouet hym anointing him with the holy oyle in the name of our Lorde Jesus And the prayer of faythe shall saue the sycke There fore desyre thou that of the and for the soo it may be done as Saynte James the Apostle yea rather our Lorde by his Apostle dyd saye for surely the anointing with the consecrate oyle is vnderstand to be a typy call anointing of the holy Ghoste Hauinge nowe brought forth sondrye authorytyes both of scrypture and also of the fathers we shall to satisfye you so far forth as we can and for the plainer openyng of this sacrament of extreme vnction gyue vnto you heare the difinition of the same sacramente whiche is this The Sacramente of Extreme Unction is the dew annoylinge of the penitent sicke person doon by the preiste with consecrated oyle for the remedye or easyng of the sayd penitent in soule and for the recouery of corporall health if it be so thoughte expediēt to God In which diffinition when we saye the penytent sycke person we do meane thereby that thys sacrament is mynistred frutefully onely to those that be members of Chrystes churche and to such as beinge once fallen oute of the state of grace by deadelye synne haue been by penaunce restored agayne to the sayde grace and there vpon by thys sacramente are strenghethened and conforted in theyr agonye and fight agaynste the deuyll who in the tyme of syckenes and vexation of mannes bodye is moste busye to assaulte him And albeit that thys sacramente be of thys notable effecte yet no man oughte to conceyue thys vayne false hope of the effecte of the same that he hauing lyued in 〈◊〉 aud abhominable synne and not caryng to be from it delyuered by true penaunce shall by the onely mynystration of thys sacramente of extreme vnction haue all hys synnes forgyuen hym And where further in the sayde dyfinition is conteyned for the remedye or easynge of the sayde penitent ye shall note that concernynge the soule no man may doute but that at all tymes the infirmytye thereof in the sicke person duely repentinge maye the soner by the vertue of thys sacrament be eased according to the promyse of the holy Ghooste in the aboue rehersed wordes of Saynte James And as concerning the infirmitie of the body it also maye be hoped and loked for the soner by the worthye receyuynge of thys sacrament yf God who knoweth oure necessities and can and also will dispose all thynges swetely and also pleasauntly to the attaining of euerlasting comforte whiche all good men cheifelye desyre and praye for so thynke it expediente for the sycke person And here to knytte vp the matter where an ende is made of all the. vii
replebuntur That is to say If ye walke in my preceptes and kepe my commaundementes and do them I wil geue vnto you raynes in their due seasons and the earth shall bringe furth her sede and the trees shal be replenished with fruite In the. vi chapiter also of Ecclesiasticus it is wrytten Cogitatum tuum habe in praeceptis dci in māc datis illius maxime assiduus esto ipse dabit ubi cor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dabitur tibi That is to say Haue thy thought in the preceptes of God and be thou contynuallye occupied in his commaundementes and he will geue the a harte and desyre of wysedome shal be geuen to thee Whych thinge is well proued by the testimonye of kynge Dauyd who sayth of hym selfe in his cxviii psalme Super senes intellexi quia mandata tua qu. esiui That is to saye I haue had vnderstanding more then the olde men because I haue soughte thy commaundementes And here omittynge infinite testimonyes of scripture whiche declare that not onely in this worlde all helth welth and prosperitie is promised to the kepers and obseruers of Goddeslaw and commaundementes but also after this lyfe acrowne of immortalitie and eternall ioye and blysse we wyl here conclude repeatynge agayne one shorte sentence of oure sauioure Chryste in the. xix of Mathewe wher he saieth thus Si uis ad uitam ingredi serua mandata That is to saye Of thou wylt entre into lyfe kepe the com maundementes ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the fyrste of the ten commanndementes which is Thou shalt not haue straunge goodes before me HAVINGE in this matter fyrst set forth vnto you the number of Goddes com maundements that perfectly knowinge them ye maye bothe kepe them your selues and also of chrysten charytye teache them to other especyally of your family and household And hauyng in the pre face of these commaundementes declared vnto you what is the lawe and commaundemente of GOD howe also the commaundementes of God muste be obserued what punyshmentes God dothe manace inflicte to the breakers or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of hys commaundementes And fynally what rewarde the kepers of Goddes commaundementes shall at Goddes handes receyue Mete and conueniente now it shall be to expounde and declare the sayde commaundementes accordynge as heretofore in the preface of hys boke hathe bene promysed vnto you and for the better knowledge of this matter ye shal vnderstand that thys doctryne of commaundementes conteyned in Dicalogo that is to saye in tenne sentenses was fyrste wrytten in two tables of stone by the hande and power of almyghtye God and delyuered vnto Moyses in a mountayne Called Sauai to be declared vnto the Israelites or Iues whiche were forbydden to come vppe to the Mountayne and were beneth standynge at the foote of the hyl the cyrcumstaunce of whyche matter is wonderfull large and notablye sette fourthe in 〈◊〉 16. and in Deteronomye 4. where emongeste other thynges dotne clearelye appeare that in the gyuynge of thys doctryne conteyned in these two tables there was a terrible or a fear full fyre a greate smoke and notable thunder and lyghtenynge partly to sygnify the stony hartes of the Iues partelye to declare the greate burden and he uynesse of the lawe not hable of her selfe and by her owne power to iustifye and therefore neding farther helpe of grace therein and partelye also to putte in feare the hartes and conscyences of the people and to styrre them vp to seke and laboure for helpe at goddys handes to fulfyll the saide Lawe whych fashion and maner of gyuynge the sayde Lawe in the olde testament doth muche dyffer from the fashyon maner of gyuyng the euangelical lawe in the newe testa ment and yet in this there is a greate agremente in bothe that aswell in the geuynge of these tenne commaundementes in the olde testament as also in the gyuinge of the euangelicall lawe in the newe Testament that was a hygh place in whych the lawe was gyuen and also there was fyre In the olde testamēt the lawe was gyuen vpon a grosse and earthly moun tayne whyche was called Syna or Synai takyng the name of a preceptes or commaundemente in asmuche as the preceptes or commaundementes were geuen in it to brydle and kepe vnder the headye rebellions and styffenecked people not suffered to come vp to it but commaunded to be vnder it In the newe testamente the lawe is gyuen in dede in a mountaine but yet not called Sina or Syani but called Siō whych by interpretation doth sounde or sygnifye a beholdynge place from whense al 〈◊〉 lye thynges maye be considered or loked vpon and from whense beinge highe and nighe vnto heauen heauenlye and celestiall thynges maye be holden And therefore the blessed Apostles beynge in theyr conclaue in the sayde mounte Syon were of one mynde and quyet prayinge together and lokynge for the heauenly gyft promysed before vnto them by Chryst. In the geuing of the lawe in Mount Syna there was fyre lyghte nynge and thunder and dyuerse other thynges very terrible to signifye the cheife strength of the lawe to consist in terror and fearefulnes accordynge wherevnto Saynte Paule in the forthe chapyter to the Romaynes doth saye Lexiram oper 〈◊〉 That is to saye The lawe doth worke or brynge fourthe wrathe In the gyuynge of the lawe in Mounte Syon ther was a vehemente spyryte or blaste but yet bryngynge wyth it alacritie and Ioye and a fyre there was but yet not brennyng the bodye but lyght ninge the blynde harte or mynde of man and kynde linge his slothful and dull will vnto goodnes so that not by terror or feare compelled as in the olde lawe but incited moued by harty loue he runneth in the waye of the commaundementes forgettyng the thinges behinde and stretchynge hym towarde the thinges beyng before hym that pleasing God by kepyng his commaundemētes he may accordyng to christes promyse Mathei Deeimo nono entre into life and reygne wyth Chryste In the fyrste of these two tables there are conteyned in effecte all those thynges whiche we oughte to doo vnto god and wherein we ought to be occupyed with god that is to saye the very true seruyce of God aswell internall as externall And in the seconde table are conteyned all those thynges whych wee owe vnto our neyghboure and howe wee on oure parte oughte to behaue oure selues to hym And yet heare muste ye marke that thys seconde table dothe issue or comme from the fyrst table so that the works of the seconde table cannot truelye be done wythoute the workes and dedes of the fyrst table For then in dede we maye be sene ryghtly and well to loue our neyghboure when wythout consyderation of anye priuate poffytte commynge vnto vs and wythoute anye worldelye or carnall respectes we do onely loue hym for Goddes sake and doo embrace and cheryshe hym as oure owne selues bycause that God in whome is all oure hope and truste and to whome in harte and mynd we haue ioyned
therefore in these precepts it is not alonelye to be considered what is forbydden and denyed vnto vs but also what God thoughe therein he 〈◊〉 not vse for mail or expresse wordes doth requyre in the contrary of vs. And therefore where in thys precepte in the negatyue speach it is sayde Thou shalt not haue straunge Goddes before me There must by this negatyue be vnderstande the affyrmatyue that is to saye Thou shalt onelye haue me for thy true God And in dede yf this precepte hade bene 〈◊〉 and made in an affyrmatyue speache onelye then the Samaritanes woulde haue gathered here of some excuse who thoughe they worshypped one God yet withall they worshypped manye Goddes to as appeareth 4. Begum 17. Lyke wyse mighte the Iewes the gentylles the heretykes yea and the noughetye persons of the world who thoughe they dyd and doo knowe one to be God as Saynte Paule in the fyrste chapiter of his epystle to the Romaynes doth testifye yet they did not honor and worshyppe him duelye as they ought to doo as Saynt Paule in the sayde epystle and chapiter doth euydently declare And fynallye ye shall vnderstand and note that where thys fyrst 〈◊〉 is of late diuerslye out of the hebrwe tongue translated bothe into Laten and also into Engiyshe euerye one of suche translaters folowinge hys owne iudgement and fantasy therein we haue as becommeth vs to do folowed the latin translation commonly receyued throughout the hole catholike Churche ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the 〈◊〉 Commaundement which is Thou shalt not make to the any grauen thinge nor any likenesse of anye thinge that is in heauen aboue and that is in earthe beneth nor of them that be in the waters vnder the earth thou shalte not adore them nor honor them with gods honoure BEcause heretofore by dyuerse 〈◊〉 and vngodlye translations this commaundemente hath bene broughte in and alleged not onelye agaynste images set vp in churches and vsed wyth due reuerence of the people but also agaynst the most blessed Sacrament of the Aultare callyuge it an Image or Idoll and other moste 〈◊〉 termes to bryng the people into contempte and hatred of it y e shall syre heare howe almost eyght score yeare agone our owne contrey men euen in tyme of heresye dyd oute of 〈◊〉 translate thys place into Englyshe and ye maye the better beleue me herein for that I haue thys booke in parchemente fayre and truely wrytten to be shewed at all tymes to any well disposed person that shall desyre it and thereby shall indifferent men perceyue that the procedynge preachers or rather praters takynge 〈◊〉 and dolum for an Image confoundyng the one wyth the 〈◊〉 haue greatly abused deceyued the people first in the xx chap. of Exodus where the. x. cōmaundemētes are 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 thus is it wrytten And the lord speek alle yts wordes I am the lord yi god that hayt lad the out of the londe of Egypte from the house of yraldome thou schalt not haue alyen goddys before me ye schalt not make to the grauen ying ne eny like nesse the is in heuen a bown that is in ery t beney t ne of hem yat bene in waters vnder ery t thou schalt not anoure hem he herye hem And so fourth Moreouer in the xxvi Chapyter of Leuiticus where the commaundementes be also tou ched there is it also wrytten thus Ze schuln not make to zou a mawmette and grauen ying netytles ze schuln rere ne huge stone zeschuln putten in zor ery that ze honourit And so 〈◊〉 Besydes this in the v chapter of Deuteronomy it is wrytten thus 〈◊〉 shalt not haue haue alyen Goddys in my syzt thou schalte not make to yee grauen yinge ne lyckenesse of alle yinges that in heuen bene aboue And in ery byneye and that dwellen in waters vnder ery thou schalte not honour hem ne herye By these places so translated euen in the noughtye tyme it is euydeute that men were not then so impudent and false as they in oure time haue bene for they neyther coulde nor durste as some in our tyme falsely haue done translate an Idole or a grauen thynge in 〈◊〉 anye Image for you must vnderstand that betwene an Image whyche is a name of reuerence and an Idol whych alwayes wyth the good is abhomynable there is a very notable and greate difference and the difference is thys The Drygynales fyrste formes and parentes of Idoles to represent by are very vntrue and clerelye false for hauynge the inscriptyon of goddes as for example of god Iupiter of god Mars and of suche lyke they are in dede the pyctures of deuyles and not of Goddes god being but one and as the Prophete sayth Psalme cx Ommes dii 〈◊〉 demonia That is to say All the goddes of the Gentyles are dyueles and yet with foly she erronyous people one taken for God Iupyter one for God Mars and so forthe all beynge false But the origynales first formes or paternes of the ymages to represente the very thynge signified by them are faythfull and true thys of Chryst that of Chrystes Mother an other of Sayncte Ihon Baptiste and of euerye Sayncte a peculier Image and soo to be called because in dede there is a Chryst to haue an Image of and lykewyse there is a mother of Chryst to haue of her an Image and so of the rest which to be so we can not deny excepte we wyll falselye saye that there is no Chryste at all nor no mother of Chryste nor yet no Sayncte And that the catholyke churche hathe alwayes euen from the begynnynge put greate dyfference betwene an Idol and an Image vtterlye abhorryng and 〈◊〉 testyng the one and deuoutly and godly receyuynge and allowynge the other it is most euidēt to thē that wyll consyder what the churche dyd in thys matter aboute eyght hundred yeares agoo at whyche tyme there was greate controuersye in thys matter wher vpon the cheife aud most learned men of al christendome dyd assemble 〈◊〉 of all partes of the worlde to the cytye of Nyce in the countrye of Bethinia beyng in Asye the 〈◊〉 where they after longe deliberatyon 〈◊〉 searchynge and moste aduised persuinge of the bokes 〈◊〉 by the auncient fathers whyche were before those dayes dyd conclude that the vse of ymages in the catholyke Church is in no wise repugnaunt wich the seconde commaundemente it is to wytte Thou shalt not make to the any gra uen thynge c. Yea and further to open and confyrme thys poynte they also dyd then playnelye declare that in the olde testament were manye ymages and lykenesses or similitudes not onely wythout the tabernacle and the temple but also wythin the same made had and vsed by Goddes expresse commaunde mente at whyche assembly also was clearely proued that there is a greate difference betwene the Images whych Chrysten men do vse in theyr churches the Idols vnto whych the Gentyles and some times also the Iewes them selues
xiii to the Hebrewes Be ye obedient to them who haue the ouersighte of you and submitte youre selues to them for they doe diligentlye watche euen as they that muste gene accounte for your soules And in the. x. Chapyter of Luke oure our Chryste sayeth touchyng his apostles and 〈◊〉 successours Qui uos audit me audit qui uos spernit me spernit que 〈◊〉 me spernit 〈◊〉 quimisit me That is to say He that heareth you hearethe me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me and he that dyspiseth me dispiseth him who sente me And moreouer Saynt Paule in his fyrste Epystle to the 〈◊〉 and the fyrste chapyter sayeth thus Rogamus nos fratres ut noueritis cos quilaborant inter uos et praesunt nobis in domino monent uos ut habeatis illos abundantius in haritate propter opus illorum et pacem habete cum cis That is to saye We do beseche you brethren that you woll knowe them that labour emongest you and are youre ouerseers in oure Lord and do monyshe you that you will haue them more habundantly in Charitie for their workes sake and haue you peace with them There are of spirituall diso bedience Terryble examples in the xvi 〈◊〉 of the boke called Numbers where it is wrytten howe the earth dyd sodenlye open and swallowe vppe Chore Dathan and 〈◊〉 with their 〈◊〉 and theyr substaunce for theyr disobedience and rebellyon agaynst Moises Aaron the highe preist And howe also fyre camme from God and dyd dystroye 350. men whyche were of that rebellion Further we doe rede in the 〈◊〉 booke of the kynges and the Seconde Chapyter thereof howe that two and fortye chyldren at one tyme were deuoured of beares sodenlye sent of God for that they did mocke Helyzeus the Prophette and mynyster of God And howe then can they thinke to escape the greate wrath indignation of god whiche of late mooste spitefullye not onelye in 〈◊〉 wordes but in dedes also most vnchristian lyke haue despised vnreuerentlye vsed and dishonored the mynysters of Chrystes Churche And as concernynge the Cyuyll magistrates the sayde Saint Paule in the. xiii of his epystle to the Romains sayeth thus Let euery soule be obediente to the higher or super or powers for ther is no power but of God And the powers whych be are ordeined of God therefore he that withstandethe the power doth tseist yeordinaunce of god And they who do resist or wtstande that do gette or purchase vnto them selues dānation for prin ces or rulers are not to be feared for good wor kes but for euill workes wilte thou in dede not feare the power do thou that whiche is good thou shalt haue prayse of the same power for he is the minister of God for good to that But if thou doo euyll doo thou then feare for he doth not without cause carye or beare the sworde for he is the minister of God auenger 〈◊〉 of them that doo euyll Therefore you muste of necessitie be obediente not onelye for wrathe sake but also for conscyence sake ther fore verelye doo you paye trybutes c. A not able example of the obedyence and duety that euery subiect oweth to his soueraygne we haue in the behauour of Dauyd towardes kynge Saul wryttē in the 2. 9. 2 chap. of the fyrste boke of kynges And S. Peter in his fyrst epistle ii cha spekyng of the obedience due to kynges magistrates wryteth thus Submyt your selues to euery creatur or ordinaunce of mā for our lordes sake whether it be to king as one that precelleth vnto or gouernouresor rulers as being sent of hym to the punishmēt of euil doers and the commēdation or praise of the good And in the foresayde xiii chapter to the Romaynes it is wrytten Geue you vnto al men that which is due vnto them to whō tribute belongeth tribute to whom custome custōe to whom feare feare to whō honor honour And as concernyng the duetie of the seruaunte to the mayster therof S. Paule speaketh Ephe. vi saing in thys maner Ye seruauutes be ye obediēt vnto your carnall maysters with feare tremblynge in singlenes or simplicitie of your hart as vnto Christ not seruing in the eye syghte or presence onely as men plesers but as the seruauntes of Chryste doyng the wyll of God from the harte wyth good wyl doing your seruice as vnto God our Lord and not vnto men The like herof he hath also in the thyrde cha to the Collossenses and in his seconde chapiter to Tite he doth say thus Teache seruauntes to be obedyent vnto theyr maysters pleasynge them in all thynges not contraryeng them not deceyuyng or defraudyng but in all thynges shewynge good faythe that they maye sette furthe the doctrine of God our sauioure in al thinges Agaynste thys commauudemente fyrste doo all they offende whyche thynke scorne of theyr naturall parentes for their pouertye syckenes aduersitie or any mysfortunes sake or doo denye vnto they re sayde parentes necessarye releyfe sustentation or succoure with foode clothe or harber in tyme of theyr necessitye yf that they be hable to helpe theyr sayd 〈◊〉 in thys case But most of all they do breake this commaundement whych doo curse theyr parentes strike thē backbyte them vse contumelyouse or opprobryouse wordes vnto them and hate them Secondly al they do breake thys commaundement who doo not loue reuerence obeye and duly honour theyr spirituall parentes and gouernours as prelates pastoures and all that haue cure and charge of soules nor payt vnto them theyr tythes and duetyes accordyngelye as they are bound Thyrdelye they doo offende and that greuously agaynst thys commaundement who make sedition agaynst theyr prince ruler or country And they also that doo rebell or cause other to rebell agaynste any of them they also that are false or negligent in doyng theyr commaundementes And whosoeuer wyll not loue reuerence obeye or serue them with his true and vnsayned seruyce but wyl thynke Imagyne or speake any vntruth lye or euyl agaynst them 〈◊〉 or consent vnto the same or beare ther with as the more it is to be lamented of late hathe 〈◊〉 vsed emongest vs to the great offence and displesure of almyghtye GOD and the dyshonour of thys hole realme they all do breake and transgresse thys commaundement Fourthlye all suche seruauntes are 〈◊〉 of thys commaundemente who doo not faythefullye obeye theyr maisters commaundemenees and fulfil them nor vse theyr maisters with due reuerence side litie diligence both to please them also in al theyr affayres wherein they are charged to be trustye and faythfull to the vttermost of theyr power And here is not to be omitted that reuerence and honor is due also vnto suche as are aunciente aged or as we commonlye doo call them fatherlye men Althoughe they haue none of the foresayde aucthorytyes ouer vs whyche cummelye and cyuyle reuerence and honer GOD by Moyses commaunded vs to obserue and kepe as appeareth in the nintene
weyghtes or measures or deceytefull wares or sell theyr owne wares at an vnreasonable pryce farre aboue the iust value And they also that do ingrosse and by anye kynde of wares whollye into theyr owne handes to the 〈◊〉 that they maye make a scarcenes thereof in other mennes handes And sell it agayne as they lyste And generally also all couetous men who by anye meanes vnlawfully doo gette or vnmercyfullye doo kepe theyr goodes frō them that haue nede be transgressours of thys commaundement And here not to omit oure accustomed maner in alledginge scripture for the confyrmatyon of assertyons made in thys booke ye shall haue fyrste some testymonyes of holy scrypture speakynge of thefte in generall and afterwarde some other speakynge of certayne partyculer and speciall kyndes of theftes and as concernynge thefte in generall ye shall fynde thus wrytten in the fyrst chapiter of Ecclesyastycus Super 〈◊〉 est confusio That is to saye Confusyon or 〈◊〉 doeth fall vpon the thefe and in the fyfte of Zacharye there is thus wrytten God sayde to me what dost thou see and I sayde beholde I see a booke flienge the lēgth of it xx cubits and the breadeth of it x. cubytes and he sayde vnto me this is the malediction or curse whiche goeth furthe vpon the face of the whole earth for euerye thefe as it is there wrytten shal be iudged And in the second chapter of Thoby we do reade howe that Thoby being blynde and hea rynge the voyce of a kydde cryinge within hys house whyche kydde hys wyfe had erned wyth her labour and he knowynge that he had no kydde of hys owne before dyd saye Lake hede leaste perchaunce this be a stolne kide restore hym to the 〈◊〉 owners for it is not laweful for vs to eate or touche any thing of theft Moreouer S. Paule in hys fyrst epystle to the Corynthyans the vi chapter doth amōgest other thynges saye thus Nother theues nor pollers nor couetouse men shall possesse the kyngedome of God And as concernynge certayne specyall kyndes of theft we do reade in the. x of Esaye Woo be to thē who do make 〈◊〉 or vnryghteous lawes and wrytyng do wryte vniustice to oppresse in iudgemente the poore and doo violence vnto the cause of the humble amongeste my people that the wydowes myght be theyr praye what wyll ye doo in the tyme of visitation and destruction which shall come from farre To whom wylyou runne for helpe or where wyll you leaue your honour that ye be not made stope vnder the bonde and fall with them that are slayne And in the viii chapter of Amos we do find this terrible sayinge The ende is come vppon my people of Israel I wyl no more geue my mind to come amongest thē and the hingles of the temple doores shall make a krykynge sayth the lorde God many shall die and in euery place shal be cast furth secretly Heare this Oye who do opresse the poore do destroye the nedye on the lande sayinge whan wyll this month 〈◊〉 past that we maye sel our wares the Sabbote that we maye hyde oure corne that we maye make the busshell lesse and maye make the sicle greater and that we may set vp false weyghts or balances to get the pore vnder vs wyth money and the nedy also for 〈◊〉 and maye 〈◊〉 the chaf of the corne And accordyng here vnto Salomō in the. xi chap. of hys prouerbes doth say He that doth hide vp his corne shal be accursed amongest the people but blessynge shal be vpon the heade of them that doo sell. And of another specyall kynde of thefte we doo reade in the viii of Iosue a terrible example howe one Achan whyche had contrarye to the commaundement of almyghtye God conueyed certayne thynges awaye at the destruction of 〈◊〉 was stoned to deathe and wyth al that euer he had burnt God commaundyng it so to be Further in the. xxiii of Exodus we reade of such as receyue brybes therby commyt theft in thys maner And thou shalte take nore wardes for they doo blynde euen the wise and subuerte the wordes or iudgementes of the iust And in the xvi chapter of Deuteronomye the lyke is wrytten There is an other greuous kynde of thefte and that the more is the pitie cōmonly vsed whych is called Symonye takyng name of Symon Magus who fyrst attempted with mony to purchase spirituall offyce or function which eyther to sel or bye is dampnable and was moste bitterlye reproued and accursed of the holye apostle S. Peter who sayde vnto hym Pecunia tua tecum fit in perditionem quoniam donum dei existimasti pecunia possidere non est tibi pars neque sors in sermone isto That is to say Thy monye be with the vnto perdition because thou didest thynke that the gyfte of God maye be obteyned wyth money Thou hast no parte or fellow 〈◊〉 in this worde Nowe emongest other 〈◊〉 kyndes of thefe none was euer more drede fullye punished in scripture than sacriledge which is thefte spoile and robberye committed in suche thynges as are dedicated or geuen to the honor of GOD specyallye as are all churches and all the ornaments plate treasure landes and goodes to the same belongynge as appeareth in the. v. of Danyell by the example of kynge Balthasar and in the seconde booke of the Machabees and the thyrde chapiter of Helyodorus whoe goynge aboute the spoyle of the temple of Hierusalem for the threasores sake of the same soodenlye was throwne downe to the grouude and beynge sore stricken wyth blyndenes was caryed spech les also oute of the temple halfe deade Whych kynde of punyshment yf it hadde bene vsed in Englande so ofte as sacrylege hath bene commytted what a number shoulde there haue bene of them that should haue bene punyshed But the thyng beyng of that sorte that it hath bene and we not able to amend it we wil yet here admonishe al men from henceforth to make kepe theyr handes pure from al sacrilege And thus we make an ende of the declaration of thys commaundemente 〈◊〉 Thexposition or declaration of the nynthe commaundement which is Thou shalt not vtter or beare false wytnesse against thy neighboure BEsydes the foresayde iniuryes whiche often tymes be done to 〈◊〉 neigh boures thys commaundement being the. vi of the seconde table doth admo nyshe vs to auoyd and eschewe tbe do ynge of an other greate and greuous iniurye towardes our neyghboure whiche is in bearynge false wytnes agaynst our sayd neighbour And in this matter there is here in kept a very good ordre for not onelye we are bounden to forbeare the huttyng or endamage of our neighbours bodye the mysusynge of hys wyfe and wrongefull takynge awaye of hys goodes but also by the wyll pleasure and com maundemente of almyghtye GOD we are boundē not once to open our mouth to dyffame or misreporte our neyghboure or to beare vntrue wytnes or falsely to depose in anye matter agaynst oure
sayde neygheboure And lyke as by thys commaundemente al euill vse of the tungue to the hurte of our neyghboures is forbydden so o in and by the same commaundemente by the ofte mentioned rule of contraryes there is commaunded the good and charytable vse of the tungue all maner of wayes to the benefytte of oure neighbonrs as to be true and playne in oure wordes wyth hym and towardes hym to be faythful to hym in all couenauntes bargaynes and promysses To testifye the truthe in all courtes iudgementes and other places to reporte well of them that be absente to geue true and faythefull counsayle and exhortatyon to all goodnes yea and to dysswade frome all euyll And here concernynge thys commaundement we haue mooste iuste cause to lamente and to be sory for the malyce and euyll disposition that in these oure dayes raygnethe bothe in men and women whose tounges are so venemous and wyeked in 〈◊〉 lyinge backbytynge and mysreportynge as the lyke thereof hathe not bene harde sence the begynnynge of the world in whome truelye that sayiug of S. James in the thyrd chapyter of hys epystle maye and doth take place Omnes natura bestiarum volucrum Serpentium et cetorum domantur et 〈◊〉 sunt 〈◊〉 humana linguam autem nullus hominum 〈◊〉 mare potest inquietum malum plenum 〈◊〉 mortifero That is to saye All kynde of beastes byrdes serpentes and fysh of the sea are tamed and haue binne made tame by man but the tonge noo man canne tame it is an inquyet or vnrulye euyll full of deadlye poyson And to thintente that suche personnes maye hereafter yf theye wyll not for Loue of Uertue and Charytyes sake yet at the leaste for the feare of punyshemente at GODDES hande refrayne and forbeare suche theyr dampnable and wycked spe kynge we wyll recyte here both in generall and also in speciall sundrye the offenders of thys commaundemente and also the punyshmente hangynge therefore ouer theyr heades And fyrste in generaltye we wyll brynge in the. xiii of the prouerbes where it is thus wrytten Qui custodit os suum cuctodit animam suam qui autem inconsideratus est adloquendum sentiet mala That is to saye He that kepeth his mouth kepeth hys soule and he that is vnaduised or rashe to speake shall feele hurtes or euylles And in the thyrde chapter of the fyrste epystle of S. Peter it is wrytten thus He that dothe loue lyfe and to see good dayes let him refrayne his tongue from euil and his lyppes that they doo not speake de ceyte Also in the. xii chapyter of the Prouerbes the wyse Salomon wryteth in this maner For the faultes of the lyppes destruction or ruyne draweth nere vnto the euyll man Moreouer in the. xviii chapiter of the same boke is this saying Lyfe and death lyeth in the tongue and they that loue it shall eate the fruytes of it And in the. xxvi chapyter of the sayde prouerbes Salomon sayeth thus A slipper toungue worketh ruines or destructyons And to speake somewhat more in particuler of trans gressoures of thys commaundemente you shall fyrste note that somme of them doo beare fal se wytnes in open iudgemente and of them the wise Salomon in the. xix chapyter of the prouerbes doth speake thus Testis falsus non erit inpunitus That is to saye A false wytnesse shall not be vnpunyshed And yet more terribly he sayeth in the. xxi chapter folowinge Testis mendax peribit That is to saye A lyinge wytnesse shall peryshe And further in the. xxv chapyter of the same booke it is wrytten in thys wyse 〈◊〉 et gladius sagitta acuta homo quiloquitur contra proximum suum falsum testimonium That is to saye A darte and swoorde and a sharpe arowe is that man that speaketh agaynst his neygheboure false wytnesse Howe heynous an offence thys is appearethe in the. xiii Chapyter of Danyell where the two false witnesses who wickedlye deposed agaynste the Godlye Susanna were bothe myraculouslye detected and also of the people presentlye stoned to death And no meruayle though bothe they and all other bearers of false wytnes be by aucthoritie of scripture punyshed in such greuous sorte seyng that euery one soo offendynge in bearynge false wytnesse dothe trespasse agaynste three sundry persones Fyrste agaynste almyghtye God whose presence the false wytnesse bearer dothe contemne Secondelye agaynste the iudge whome by lyinge he dothe deceaue Thyrdelye agaynste the innocente party whō by his false wytnes bearynge he dothe hynder and hurte Another sorte and special kynde of transgressoures against this 〈◊〉 commaundememēt is whē a man doth maliciouslye backbyte or sclaunder hys his neigheboure though it be not in iudge mente of whych sorte and kinde of transgressours the prophet in hys 100 Psalme dothe saye thus Who that doth secretely backebite his neigheboure him doo I persecute And in the. 24. of the Prouerbes it is sayde thus Abhominatio hominum detractor That is to saye A detractor or backebiter is abhomination ainongeste men And in the fyrst Chapter of the boke of wysedome it is written A detractione parcite linguae That is to say Kepe youre tounge from backebytynge And Sayncte Paule in the fyfte chapyter of hys epystle to the Galathyans dothe saye thus If ye bite and deuoure one an other take hede leaste ye be consumed one of an other Besydes the foresayd specyall sortes of transgressours agaynste thys commaundement there are other also and emongest them secrete tale bearers and sowers of dissention betwene man and man by theyr pryuye malitious whyspearinges of whom the wyse Salomon dothe notablye speake in the. xxvi chapyter of the Prouerbes sayinge Cumdefeccrint lingua extinguetur ignit Subtracto susurrone 〈◊〉 conquiescunt That is to saye Whan woode wantethe the fyre wyll goo oute and the talebearer or whysperer beynge taken awaye stryfes or dissentions shal cease and by and by after the say e Salomon dothe saye The wordes of the talebearer or whysperer seme simple but they pearce euen to the harte 〈◊〉 And in the. xxi chapyter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrytten thus The talebearer shal defyle hys soule and shall be odiouse in all hys doynges Moreouer in the. xxviii chapy of the same boke there is this saying Susurro bilinguis maledictus multos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pacem habentes That is to saye A talebearer or whisperer and a double tunged personne is accursed for he hath troubled or sette at stryfe manye that before were in peace or frendeshippe And to conclude touchynge this commaundemente you shall note three or foure places more of scrypture for your further edifyenge in thys behalfe First in the xxi of the prouerbes Salomon dothe saye He that keapeth hys mouthe and hys tounge kepeth hys soule from trouble Secondly our Sauiour Chryste in the twelueth of Mathewe doth say I say vnto you that men shall geue accounte in the day of Judgment for euery idle word which they doospeake Thyrdely in the said xii chap. it
to the example of Saynte Paule declarynge in the ninth chapyter of hys fyrste pystle to the Corinthyans where he sayth of hym selfe thus Subigo corpus meum in seruitute redicd ne cum alijs predicem ipse reprobus efficiar That is to saye I chastyce or tame my bodye and bryng it in subiection or bondage leaste whyle I preache to other I my selfe become a cast awaye The fourth is to auoyde Idlenesse for Idle personnes are ful of lustes and cōcupiscence And as it is wrytten in the. xxiii chapyter of Ecclesyasticus Multam malitiam docuit 〈◊〉 That is to saye Idlenes hath taughte much euyll As maye well be exemplyfyed in Sodoma of whyche it is wrytten in the xvi chapter of Ezechyell Beholde thys was the iniquitie of Sodom thy syster pryde saturitie or eatynge to the full excessyue wealthe and the ydlenes of her and her doughters And here you shall note that when we aduyse you to flye euyll companye and Idlenes we imploye therin that you shoulde alwayes haunte the companye of honest and godlye personnes and also euer to be ententiuelye occupyed in some vertuous ex excyse or meditation And by the waye we thynke thys good to note agayne vnto you as cōcernynge concupyscence that al be it not to haue it at al in thys lyfe is a thinge to vs impossible yet to consent vnto it or by the grace of God to dissent from it is a thing wel possyble vnto vs. And in dede to dissent frō or resyste concupiscence we owghte to the vttermooste of oure power and vsyng the specyall meanes before rehearsed or some of them we by the grace of GOD shal be hable so to doo And to procede further concernynge the declaration of this tenthe commaundemente ye shall knowe that all they be transgressoures of thys commaundemement who by delyberatiō and ful con sent doo cast or set theyr myndes and bartes to accomplyshe the concupyscence and desyre whych they haue to obteyne and gette vnlawefullye an other mans wyfe chylde seruaunt house lande cattayle or any thyng that is theyr neyghboures Secōdlye also they doo transgresse thys commaundement who through enuy be sory for theyr neyghboures wealth prosperitie or be glade of theyr sorowe hynderaunce or aduersitie Thirdelye and fynally all they do transgresse and breake thys tenth commaundemente who doonot sette theyr myndes and studyes to preserue maynetaine and defende vnto theyr neygheboures as muche as in them lyeth theyr wyues chyldren seruauntes houses landes goodes and all that is theyr neyghboures And thus endeth the tenne commaundementes wyth theyr expositions whyche almyghtye God graunte that we maye obserue and kepe for then we shal be sure to haue the kyngedome of heauen and to lyue eternally in ioye and felicitie ¶ Here nowe doth folowe the praier of oure Lorde called the Pater noster deuided into seuen petytions beyng wrytten in the vi chapter of Saynte Mathewe Oure father whiche arte in heauen halowed be thy name Thy kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Geue vs this daie our daily breade And forgeue vs our trespasses as we doo forgeue them that trespasse against vs. And let vs not be ledde into temptation But delyuer vs from euyll Amen ¶ The preface to the prayer of oure lorde called the Pater noster BEfore we shall enter vnto the speciall declaratiō of the petitions conteined in the prayer of oure lorde called the Pater noster we callynge to oure remembraunce the godlye coūsaile moste nedefull to be folowed in thys behalfe written in the. xviii chapter of Ecclesiastycus in these wordes Before prayer prepare thy mynde wyl for your good instruction declare fyrst of all vnto you in what sorte you oughte to prepare your mindes before you begynne to praye Knowe ye therefore that concernyng our dewe preparation vnto prayer three thynges are amongest other specyallye requisite on oure behalfe the fyrst is Fayth the second is Hope and the thirde is Charitie and as concernyng Faith Ye shall vnderstande that forasmuche as Praier is an eleuation or liftinge vppe of the hearte to God to aske of hym all suche thinges as be necessarye And to lyfte vppe ones hearte or mynde is vnfruitefull and vnpossible wythout faythe accordynge to the sayinge of Sayncte Paule who in the tenth chapyter to the Romaynes wryteth thus Howe shall they inuocate or call vpon him in whome they haue not beleued Therefore aboue all thynges faythe yea and stronge fayth must be in vs whensoeuer we doo goo aboute to praye for fayth teachethe vs two thynges the one to knowe our owne infyrmytie and miserable estate both in bodye and soule the other to knowe the maiestye of God hys almyghtye power and good wyll towardes vs. And of faythe wyth the greate vertue thereof in prayer our sauiour Chryste speakyng in the xxi of Saynt Mathewe sayinge Omnia quecunque petieritis in or 〈◊〉 credentis accipietis That is to saye All thinges whatsoeuer you aske in praier beleuinge or hauing faith you shall receyue them And as concernyng Hope Sayncte James in the fyrst chapyter of hys epystle wryteth thereof sayinge thus Si quis autem uestrum indiget sapientia postulet a deo quidat omnibus affluenter non improperat dabitur ei postulet autem in side nihil hesitans qui enim hesitat similis est fluctui maris qui auento mouetur circumfertur non ergo existimet homo ille quod aliquid accipiet a domino That is to saye Yf anie of you haue nede of wisedome lette him aske of God who giueth to al haboundantlie and dothe caste no man in the teth it shal be giuē vnto him But let him aske in faith nothing douting for he the douteth is like vnto the waue of that sea which is moued tossed of the wynde There fore lette not that man thynke that he shall re ceaue any thing at Goddes handes The propertye of hope in prayer is to cause a man pa cientlye wyth longe sufferaunce to abyde the wyll pleasure of God in the obteynaunce perfourmaunce of hys request and prayer For we may not prescrybe to God anye determynate or specyall tyme to accomplyshe oure prayer but we muste commytte vnto hys holy wyll bothe the manner howe and the tyme whē to helpe vs. Accordynge as 〈◊〉 prophete Dauyd doth counsayle vs in his xxvi Psalme sayenge Expecta dominum uiriliter ageconfortetur cor tuum sustine dominum That is to saye Looke for oure Lorde or abyde the pleasure of hym do thou manfully let thy hart be conforted and pacyentlye doo thou susteyne oure Lorde And of thys patyence in hope and of hope in prayer we haue a notable example in the seuenth and viii chapyters of the boke called Judyth where it is wrytten howe that a certayne towne of Jewrye called Bethulia was soore assaulted of the Assyryans in so much that the people of the sayd towne despayrynge of all ayde and succor
circumstaunces to be noted The fyrst is that other Apostles beynge than present and amongest them euē he of whom Chryst did euē make very much of that is to say S. Iohn yet our Sauiour Christ dyd dyrecte his speach and talke but to Peter onelye sygnifyenge the matter wherof he dyd speake to appertayne to Peter chieflye and pryncipallye and not in so speciall a sorte to anye one of the apostles els Another and seconde circumstaunce to be here considered is that oure sauioure dyd aske Peter moost earnestly whether he loued him more than did the other apostles And the thyrde cyrcumstaunce is in that Chryste dyd commytte both hys lambes and his shepe vnto hym These cyrcumstaunce I saye and other suche lyke well considered doo conuince and clearelye proue that the hyghe charge ouere all the church militant was especially committed to Peter 〈◊〉 sauiour Chryst had not intended to giue vn to Peter a speciall authoritie aboue the rest what nede was there to speake this seuerallye vnto Peter seing he had spoken it generallye to them all before 〈◊〉 what thing ment he els when in that pre sence of all the twelue he promised to giue vnto Pe ter the keyes of the kingdome of heauē sainge a spe ciall 〈◊〉 or prerogatiue to Peter Our sauiour through his heauenly wisedome perceyuynge that it is most necessarye one to be ouer a hole multitude specially being a multitude congregated of so infinite a number of people and of so sondry nations as is the catholyke churche dyd appoynte S. Peter to that offyce and Peter hauinge receyued such charge at chrystes handes did incontinently practyse and exercyse the same and al the rest of the Apostles dyd geue place vnto him And therfore in the first of the Actes it is wrytten hawe that after Chrystes ascension incontinently S. Peter rose vp in the myddest of the faithfull and 〈◊〉 them to goo to the election of one that should succede in Iu das rowme with offyce he vndoutedlye woulde not haue takē vpon him but that oursauiour Christ had Authorised him in such sorte as is before declared In the. ii of the Actes it is wrytten howe that in the presence of all the Apostles S. Peter tooke vpon him to speake in all their names to the people on whitsonday in the mourning streight after that they had receyued the holy Ghoste in the lykenes of clouē tunges In the third of the Actes it is writtē how that s. Peter healed a lame mā which was lame hys mothers wombe and that whē the people wōdred at so straunge a myrycle the sayd Peter made an oration vnto them In the fourth of the Actes and in the fyfte and syxt there is the lyke and in manye other places of the same booke All whyche places of scripture oughte to perswade euery godly harte to thynke that oure sauiour did giue vnto sainct Peter that aucthorite aboue all the rest of the Apostles vpon hys hoole church for an vnytie and good order to be kept in the same And yet for your better contentatiō here in you shall here the authorities of the auncient fathers in thys behalfe Origine a greeke wryter whyche was wythin two hundred yeares after Chryst in hys exposition made vpon the. vi Chapter of S Paules epistle to the Romaynes wryteth thus Petro cumsumma rerū de pascendis ouibu straderetur et super ipsū tan qsuper terr am fundaretur 〈◊〉 clesia nullius confessio uirtutis alterius nisi charitatis exigitur That is to say When the hyghest authoritie orfeedinge of chrystes sheepe was omitted vnto Peter and the churche was builded vpō hym as vpon a sure grounde ther was requyred or exacted of hym the profession of none other vertue saue onely of charitie The blessed martyr saynt Cyprian in many pla ces affyrmeth the same and amongest other in his epystle wrytten Ad inbalanum sayeth Manifestum est 〈◊〉 ct per quos remissio peccatorum dari possit 〈◊〉 dominusprimum petro su per quem edisicauit ecclesiam suam et vnde unit at is origenē institute 〈◊〉 ostendit potestatem istam dedit That is to say It is manyfest where and by whome remission of synnes maye be gyuen for oure Lord fyrste vnto Peter vpon whome he buylded hys churche and from whome he dyd ordeyne and shewe the begynninge of the vnitie to procede dyd giue that power or authoritie And in the same Epystle within a whyle after he sayeth Ecclesiam que una 〈◊〉 sundauit super unum That is to say He dyd founbe his chuche which is but one vpon one Sainct Basyl in his boke against Tauonius writeth thus Perhanc uocem intelligimus 〈◊〉 filiū qui fuit ex Bethsaida An dreae 〈◊〉 qui expiscatore in Apostolatus ministeriū uocatis est Qui quoniam fide prestabatecclesiae in se aedificationem suscepit That is to say by this voice we vnderstād the sonne of Jonas which was of Bethsaida the bro ther of Andrewe which son of Jonas was called from a fyther to the ministerye of the Apostleshyp and bycause he excelled in faith he had the church buy 〈◊〉 vpon hym Saint 〈◊〉 in his fourth sermon sayeth Petrus denique pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecclesiarū petradicitur sicut ait dominus 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiammeam Petraenim dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 fidei fundamenta posuerit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immobile to 〈◊〉 operis Christiani compagem 〈◊〉 cō tineat That is to say Fynallye or for a conclusion Peter for the soundenes or substācialnes of his deuotion is called ' the rocke of the churches as our Lorde sayeth Thou arte Peter or of a rocke vpon this rocke wyll I builde my churche In dede he is called a rocke bicause he was the fyrst that did laye the foundation of faith amongest the gentiles as a stone or a rocke that cannot be moued he docth conteine or kepe the frame and weight of the hole christen woorke S Augustyne hath the lyke in his syxe twenty sermon de sanctis and in his xvi sermon de tempore but moost notably in his 124. sermon de tempore wher he maketh a large processe of sainct Peter emōgest other thinges speaking of Peters denial of his mai ster he writeth thus of hym Totius corporus morbum 〈◊〉 capite cura ecclesie et in ipso 〈◊〉 componit membrorum omniū sani tatem That is to say He meanyng Chryste doeth cure in the very heade of the church mening Peter the dysease of the hole bodye in the very crowne or top of the head he frameth the healthe of all the members Here ommyttynge infynite other authorities of the auncient fathers touchyng the primacye or hyghest anthoritie ecclesiastical to haue beue geuen vnto sainct Peter of our sauioux Chryst himselfe I exhorte you in con sideratiō partely of these testimonyes some wherof are taken out of the very scrypture some out of the
chaire of the scribes and Phariscis of whome he sayeth They say but they do not c. Moreouer the holye Martyr saint Cipriane in the thyrd Epystle of hys fyrst booke speakynge against certayne whych dyd disobey 〈◊〉 Cornelius the byshoppe of Rome writeth in thys maner Neque enim aliunde heresis oborte sunt aut natasunt seismata q inde quod sacerdoti dei nō obtemperatur nec vnus in ceclesia ad tēpus sacerdo et ad tempus iudex vice Christi iudicatur Cui si secundum magisteria diuina obtemperaret fraternitas uniuersa nemo aduersus sacerdotū collegium qule 〈◊〉 moueret That is to say Of none other cause are heresyes spronge vp or scysines ry sen than of this that the preiste of GOD meanyng Cornelius the byshopp e of Rome is not obeyed and one is not taken in the churche to be the hyghe preist for the tyme and for the tyme in Christes stede a iudge or Christes vicar vnto whome yf the hole fraternitye were accordyng to Goddes commaundementes obedient no man woulde any thing moue or styrre against the colled ge or company of preistes Saynt Augustyne also wrytyng agaynst the Epystle of a Maniche whych Epystle is intituled or called 〈◊〉 giueth to the sea of Rome a mer uaylous prerogatyue and doth buylde hys faythe amongest other thinges vpon the succession of the Byshoppes of Rome who after saynct Peter did fo lowe orderly euen to hys time whych was 300. yeres after Chryste And he wryteth in this maner Multasum que 〈◊〉 eccle sic gremio iustissime teneni Tenet me consensio populoru atque 〈◊〉 tenct authoritas mlraculis 〈◊〉 a sperinutria charitate aucta vetustate firmata tenet ab ipsa sede perri A postoli cui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 post resurrectionē suam dominus comm endauit usque 〈◊〉 present 〈◊〉 episcop 〈◊〉 successio 〈◊〉 That is to saye ther are many thinges which of very good reason doo kepe me in the lawes of the catholyke church The consent of so manye people and nations or countries doth kepe me the authoritie of the church begon 〈◊〉 myracles nouryshed with hope encreased with charitie and confyrmed with antiqui tye doeth kepe me the succession also of bysshoppes from saint Peter the Apostles seat or tyme to whome our Lord dyd after hys tesurrection commite his shepe to be fedde vnto this presēt Bishopricke meaning Rome doeth kepe me in the catholyke church Sainet Hierome also in his Epystle to Damasius doth set fourth very notably the premacye and supremitre of the byshoppe of Rome as beyng sainet Peters successours and amongest other thyngs he sayth thus Si quis cathedrae Petri iungitur meus est That is to saye Yf any man be ioyned to Peters chaire or hold of Peters seate meaning that sea of Rome he is myne and I receyue and ioyne wyth hym Saynt Ambrose also in hys thyrd boke of the sacramētes and in the fyrst Chapter doth say thus Ecclesia Romana hane consuetudinem non habet cuius tipum in omnibus Sequimur That is to say The churche of Rome whose forme or trade we doo folow in all poyntes hath no suche custome Other lyke auctorities of the auncyent fathers for the primacy and suprymacy of the Sea of Rome there are and that infinite But what nede many autorities ether of scripture or of the fathers in this behalfe seing very experience hath this thousande yeres proued that such as dysobeied the sea of Rome did fal sone after into abhominable heresye and therevpon into deui sion amongest them selues and 〈◊〉 to de structiō or els in processe of time were gladde and sayne to retourne to ther dwe obediēce againe Yf you be desyrouse to haue exāple in this matter loke but one those countryes and those parsons that nowe be in captiuitie vnder the gret Turke who in time past agreeing wyth the sea of Rome did florishe in christen religyon all welthe looke also vpon Germany take example thereby how they prospered amonges theym selues synce they declyned from that obedience of the sea of Rome And it is a world to see howe those whome they toke for theyr greatest doctours haue abused seduced and mocked them euen in thys matter of the prymacye for where as Luther especiallye and aboue all other was theyr ryngleader in thys matter yet when he was emon gest lerned men and shoulde talke of thys matter wyth theym he was so dryuen to the wal that opē lye in wrytynge to be shewed at thys daye he dyd in a boke of hys intituled Resolutio Latheriana super propo sitione sua 〈◊〉 de potestate 〈◊〉 confesse and saye playnelye as hereafter doeth folowe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro pontificem esse alijs omnibus quos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 se pontifices gerere superiorum est 〈◊〉 voluntas dei quā in ip so 〈◊〉 uidemus Neque enim sino voluntate dei in haenc monarchiā inquam 〈◊〉 potuisset Ro pōtifex At uolūtas dei quo quo modo nota fuerit cū reuerentia sulcidienda est ideoque non licet temere Ro pontifici suo primaturesistere Hec autem ratio 〈◊〉 est ut si etiam nulla scriptura nul la alia causa esset haec tamensatis esset ad compescendam temeritatem resistentium et 〈◊〉 sola ratione gloriosissimus martir Ciprianus permult 〈◊〉 epistolas cōfidētissime gloriatur cōtra omnes episcoporū quorū cunque ad uersorios sicut 3. Re. legimus quod decētribus Israel discesserūt a roboā silio Salomonis et tamen quia uoluntate dei sine au toritate factū est ratum apud deum fuit Nam et apud theologos omnes uoluntas signi quam 〈◊〉 operationem dei non minus quam alia signo uoluntacis dei ut prae 〈◊〉 prohibit c. metuenda est Ideo non uideo quomodo sint 〈◊〉 ascismatis reatu qui huic uoluntati contrauenienses sest a Ro pontifieis autoritate subtrahūt 〈◊〉 est una prima mihi in superabilis ratio 〈◊〉 subijcit Ro pontifici et primatū eius cōfueri cogir. that is to saye The first thing which moueth me to think or beleue the Romayue Byshoppe to be superior to all other whom at the leaste wyse we do knowe to accompte them selues for Byshoppes is the very wyll of God which we doo see euen in the very facte or matter For in dede without the wyl of God that Romayne Byshoppe coulde not at anye tyme haue commē to this monarchy or supreme rule and the wyll of God by what meane soeuer it be knowen is to be receyued or taken with reuerence and therefore it is not lawefull folyshly or hedelye to make resystence vnto the said Romayne Bysshope in his Bysshoppryke And this reason is soogreat or of suche force that althoughe noo scrypture nor no other cause were yet thys were sufficient ynoughe to brydle or kepe vnder the temeritie or madnes of them that make