haue decreed him to be included in the number of Authors prohibited So then you haue two principall Iudges a Pope a late Councell condemning him and yet this may be thought a strange thing that without a legall proceeding without triall of the partie without hearing him or his Advocate speake for him to adiudge him Is it worse with the Church of Rome at this day then it was with Heathen Rome in the time of Caesar Behold what Festus the Governour answereth Pauls accusers in the like case Acts 25. vers 16. It is not the manner of the Romans to deliuer any man to dye before that he which is accused haue the accusers face to face and to haue licence to answere for himselfe concerning the crime layd against him If Bertram had beene arraigned and condemned when he was liuing if his accusers had beene brought face to face before the Emperour there might haue bin some pretence some Plea some Record against him but after seven hundred yeares continuance to giue sentence and to sit in condemnation against him as Plaintife Witnesse and Iudge that is neither allowable in Church nor State Well what will Bertram doe in this case Surely he will appeale as Paul did to Caesar but to whom Not to one man alone but to a multitude not to an ignorant multitude but to a learned to a Vniversitie not on our side for they would be partiall but on theirs the famous Vniversitie of Doway in France there he was a free denison bred and borne and his request is to be tryed by his Countrie Since therefore he hath appealed to the learned men of Doway to Doway let him goe Now I pray what will these Iudges doe They heare the Popes sentence the Councels decree the Inquisitors severe Iudgement they weigh soberly his accusers reasons they examine diligently the Author himselfe and finding the former doome too heavie for so slight errors committed by him they repeale the sentence and vpon more mature deliberation had of the Author and his Doctrine with the consent of Philip the second and the Duke of Alba to all the Romish Catholiques in his behalfe sendeth this Greeting Ind. Expurg Belgic p. 5. edit Antw. An. 1571. Although we care not greatly for this Booke of Bertrams whether it be extant or no yet because it is often printed and read of many and the Heretiques know by a Catalogue of forbidden bookes that he was a Catholique Priest and deare vnto Charles the Great and because we Comment vpon other Writers of the same age and extenuate their errors oftentimes by a favourable construction of them by the same reason wee may allow Bertram and acknowledg him for there is nothing worthy of reprehension in him setting aside a little obscuritie in his stile and his ignorance in vsing some darke words and sentences which with marginall notes affixed may manifest the true sence and meaning of the Author Here then is his last definitiue sentence pronounced they allow the Author and they allow the worke so that a right construction be ioyned to his right meaning and that no misprision may happen to the parties on both sides the Iudges in the particulars haue delivered their Observations Viz. di where he sayes Lege in Iudia Expurgat Belgic edit An. 1571. Visibiliter 1. Invisibiliter Substantia 1 Accidens folio 1137. visiblie that is to be read and vnderstood say they Inuisiblie and where he sayes infrà versu 36 the Substance of the creature which was before consecration remayneth after consecration by the substance is meant say they the Accidents do remaine Thus our Adversaries haue a free dispensation to reade him with these and the like conditions expressed It is freely granted let it be freely accepted Now if I should question how it were possible that the substance of bread should be annihilated and the accidents remaine without a Substance it were no disparagement for me not to vnderstand it for I doubt not Ind. Expurg Belg Antw. An. 1571. saith the Index Expurgatorius but Bertram in those times was ignorant how the accidents could exactly subsist without any substance which this later age hath most subtilly and truely found out De Transub lib. 2. cap. 7. Breve et simplex siue vllo incommodo responsum Neither is it to be maruailed saith Gregory de Valentia that some ancients haue both thought and writ lesse consideratly concerning Transubstantiation and this is an answere saith he briefe and simple and no way inconuenient The reason as I conceiue is given by another of their side The Doctors of these latter times haue attained more vnderstanding in some things then the ancient Fathers Dominic Bannes 22. pag. 58. c. for they are like children say they standing on the shoulders of Gyants who being lifted vp by the talnesse of the Gyants no marvaile if they see further then they themselues It is true indeede that this doctrine in Bertrams time had not that full streame and generall currant as it had in the ancient Fathers time before it as it appeares in his Preface to Charles the Great Neither was this Doctrine broached by a Novelist for then the Emperour would haue condemned it or at least-wise haue confuted him neither did he alone in this time hold this doctrine for Scotus about that time wrote a Booke of the same subiect Alcui lib. de divinis offic Beda lib. 2. de Tabernac cap. 2. Carol. Magnas in Epist ad Alcuinū lib. 2. de offic pa. 100 Edit Coloniensi Alcuinus Tutor vnto the Emperour Venerable Bede Charles the Emperor himselfe did all savour one thing and speake one thing at the same time with the same Author Neither did he in this opinion leane to his owne witt but did pursue and tread in the foot-steps of the holy and ancient Fathers Such was his answer to the Emperour and such will his Doctrine manifest it selfe vnto the Reader Neither could this Doctrine be hereticall Petigian in 4. Sentent d. 10. 9. 1. art 1. pag. 353. for sayth Petigian for a thousand yeares after Christ and more there was no Heresie in the Church concerning the Reall presence as it appeares saith he both by sacred Councels and doctrine of the Fathers Besides if this Author had bin single in his opinion as he was singular how comes it to passe that in these times he is so much opposed and in former ages hee was not confuted To question the Writers to obscure the Authors to mutilate their Bookes argues a distrust of the truth and goodnesse of the cause and as Arnobius sometimes answered the Gentiles To intercept our Writings Arnib adversus Gentil lib. 3. and to drowne our Authors it makes no defence for your Gods but rather it argues your feare least the Truth should appeare Besides how comes it to passe that there is such difference of opinions concerning this man how is it that their kingdome is
so much divided against it selfe that they cannot by any glue of Concord as Cyprian speaketh nor bond of vnitie be conioyned Cyp lib. 3. Epist 13. Some hold of Paul some of Apollos some allow the Booke others deny the Author Is the Worke man and the Worke divided Is the Author of the Booke commended the Booke it selfe condemned Is this the wisedome and pollicie of the Church to cry some one thing some another like the common Craftsmen for their great Diana of the Ephesians These things were much to be wondred at especially by one that wants perhaps the leisure perhaps the knowledge to search into these doubtfull disputes but that the ingenuous confession of Erasmus will satisfie a further jnquisition It is plainely found saith he that many things in Luthers Bookes are condemned for hereticall which in the Bookes of Bernard and Austen are read for holy and Orthodox Agreeable to that saying of Maldonats Maldon Comment in Ioh. 6. expounding a place of Scripture Although I haue no other Author saith he for my exposition yet I allow it rather then that of Austens and others though it be most probable because this of mine crosseth more the sense of the Calvinists Thus then to end with the Church of Rome with whom I began Isid Pleusit lib. 3. epist 408. Shee is like a Woman fallen from her ancient happinesse and retaining onely some signes thereof she hath the Sheaths and Caskets where the Ornaments lay but the goods themselues she is spoyled off Hence it is that wee are departed from their Church as Moses sometimes departed out of Egypt or as S. Austen from the Maniches Chrysost in Math. Homil 49. We haue departed from them in body they first departed from vs in minde we from them by place they from vs by faith we haue left with them the foundations of the walls they haue left with vs the foundations of the Scriptures We are departed from them in the sight of man they are departed from vs in the iudgement of GOD. And as concerning this Author which I here present vnto you Ierom Epist 126. ad Euagr I will say as S. Ierom answered Euagrius who desiring his opinion concerning Melchisedec whether he were the holy Ghost S. Ierom when he had shewed him the iudgement of the ancient Fathers of whom some thought Melchisedec a Man some an Angell You haue saith he what I haue heard what I haue read touching Melchisedec to bring forth the witnesses it was my part let it be yours to iudge of the credit of the witnesses Behold Gentle Reader the Worke-man and the Worke I haue cited the opinions of the Moderne Writers and of the best concerning this Author it is your part to iudge of the credit of them it was my part to summon their apparance for the tryall of the partie it is your part to iudge of the sufficiencie of their proofe their good agreement amongst themselues You haue the Author aboue 800. yeares continuance you haue his doctrine aboue 1500. yeares if his proofe make it not good we will disclayme both the Author and his Doctrine If such a light did so shine when the Church was so much darkned and obscured with the mists of IgnoraÌ„ce pittie it were but this Lampe should receiue a new Light by reprinting of him which the Iniquitie of the times hath almost extinguished Briefely all that I can say of the Author is this That which Vincentius Lyrinensis spake of Tertullian may very fitly be attributed to him His words are senses his senses victories and as concerning the Worke and the exquisite performance thereof I will say in two words Exegit Monumentum It may stand and long may it stand a Monument to after Ages that he may be justified in his sayings and cleare when he is judged H. L. ¶ Bertram the Priest his Preface concerning the body and blood of the LORD written to Charles the great being Emperour I Am commanded by you famous Prince to declare vnto your Highnesse What iudgement I am of concerning the mysterie of the Bodie and Blood of Christ Certaine it is that as this commandement doth well beseeme your magnificall and Princely estate so is it a most hard thing to be performed by my poore and small power For what is more meete for your Kingly Providence and government than in respect of your selfe to be vniversally wise concerning his holy mysteries who hath vouchsafed you worthy of the Kingly seate and in respect of your Subiects not to suffer them to thinke divers things concerning the bodie and blood of Christ in which doubtlesse consisteth the whole summe of Christian Redemption For while some of the faithfull affirme that the mysterie or Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ which is daily celebrated and administred in the Church is done vnder no figure and vnder no cover at all but perfâ—â—med vnder the naked manifestation shew of the truth it selfe and againe while other some testifie that these things are conteined vnder the figure of the mystery and that it is one thing which appeareth to our bodily senses and another thing that our faith looketh vpon it plainly appeareth that there is no small diversitie and difference amongst them And whereas the Apostle writeth vnto the faithfull people That all of them should savour one thing 1 Cor. 1.10 and speake one thing and that no schisme should appeare amongst them we must needs say that they are by no small schisme divided and rent asunder who not thinking the selfe same things doe speake diversly of the mysterie of the bodie and blood of Christ Wherefore your Kingly Maiestie and Highnesse being provoked no doubt with the zeale of Religion though perhaps not quietly and indifferently considering of these things and desiring also that all men should according to the Apostles Commandement thinke and speake one thing doth diligently search for the mysterie and secret of truth that so you may call backe such therevnto as haue wandred and strayed Wherevpon also it commeth to passe that you disdaine not to demand and aske the truth of this matter even of very poore and base men perswading your selfe that the mysterie of so great a secret cannot be knowne but by inspiration and revelation from God who having no respect of persons sheweth forth the light of his truth by whomsoever he himselfe hath chosen to so great a matter Now as it is very pleasant for me poore man to obey your Commandement so I confesse it is a very hard matter for me to dispute and reason of a matter so farre estranged from mans vnderstanding and senses and into which a man cannot pearse or enter but by the instruction and teaching of the holy Spirit Wherefore I being at this present subiect to your Highnesse commandement and yet trusting and cleaving to the ayde and assistance of him of whom we will speake will assay by what words I can to open my iudgement concerning
How then is the bread his body and the cup or that which is contained in the cup how is it his blood These things good brethren are therefore called Sacraments because one thing is seene in them and another thing vnderstood that which is seene hath a bodily kinde forme and shew but that which is vnderstood hath spirituall fruit The reverend Authour in speaking these things instructeth vs what wee ought to thinke and hold both concerning the Lords owne bodie which was borne of the Virgin Mary and sitteth now at the right hand of GOD and in which he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead and also concerning that body which is set on the Altar and whereof the people are partakers That body is sound and whole and is not divided by any cutting neither covered with any figures but this bodie which is set vpon the Lords Table is both a figure because it is a Sacrament and also as it is outwardly seene hath a bodily kinde and forme that feedeth the body but as it is inwardly vnderstood it hath a spirituall fruit which quickeneth the soule Aug. de sacra altar Serm. 1 Cor. 12.27 And the same Doctor minding to speake somewhat more plainely and manifestly of this mysticall body in the words following saith thus If yee will therefore vnderstand what Christes body meanes heare the Apostles saying Yee are the body of Christ and members for your part If then yee be the bodie of Christ and members for your part your mysterie is set on the Lords Table and yee receiue the mystery of the Lord. You answere Amen to that thing which you your selues be and by so answering you subscribe and consent to the same Thou hearest then Christes body and thou answerest Amen be a member of the body of Christ that so thy Amen may be true and right But wherefore is this done in bread In this matter we will bring forth nothing of our owne devise let vs rather heare the Apostle himselfe vtter his minde when speaking of this Sacrament he sayth we that are many are one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 and one body c. This holy man Augustine doth sufficiently instruct vs that as Christes bodie is signified by the Bread which is set vpon the Altar so also there is thereby signified by the bodie of the people that receiveth it manifestly thereby declaring that that is Christes proper or owne body in which he was borne of the Virgin in which he sucked in which he suffered in which be died in which he was buried in which he rose againe in which he ascended into Heaven in which he sitteth at the right hand of the Father and in which he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead Whereas that which is set vpon the Lords Table conteineth the mysterie of the other even as it doth likewise containe the mysterie of the beleeving people the Apostle himselfe witnessing the same and saying Wee that are many are one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 and one body in Christ. Your wisdome most noble Prince may perceiue and vnderstand that I haue both by the testimonies of the sacred Scriptures and by the sayings of the holy Fathers faithfully alledged and layd downe most evidently declared and plainely prooved that that bread which is called Christs bodie and that cup which is called Christs blood is a figure because it is a mystery and also that there is no small difference betweene that his body which is so in a mystery and that his body which sufferâ—â— and was buried and rose againe because in that was the very proper bodie of our Saviour neither was there in it any figure or or signification but the manifestation and plainenesse of the thing it selfe was knowne as also the beleevers at this day doe desire the sight thereof for that is our head and when wee see it Ioh. 10.30 our desire shall be satisfied for he and the Father are one not in respect that our Saviour hath a body but in respect of the fulnesse of the godhead Col. 2.9 which dwelt in Christ as hee was man Whereas in this which is celebrated and administred by a mystery there is a figure not onely of Christs owne body but also of the body of the people that beleeue in Christ for it beareth the figure of both the bodies that is to say both of Christ bodie which suffered and rose again and of the people that are in Christ through Baptisme borne againe and quickened from the dead Hereunto let vs adde also that this bread and this cup which is called the body and blood of Christ doth lieuely represent or set out the remembrance of the Lords passion or death even as hee himselfe hath sayd in the Gospell Luk. 22.19 Doe ye this in remembrance of mee which the Apostle Paul expounding saith 1 Cor. 11.26 So often as yee shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup yee shall shew forth the Lords death till hee come Here we are taught by our Saviour by the holy Apostle Saint Paul that that bread and that wine which is set on the Altar is there set for a figure or remembrance of the Lords death to the end it might call back to our remembrance that which hath beene done in time past that so wee being made mindefull of that his passion might by it be made partakers of Gods gifts and graces by which also wee are delivered from death knowing this that when wee shall come to the sight and beholding of Christ we shall haue no need of such instruments and meanes thereby to be put in remembrance what his vnmeasurable and infinite goodnesse hath endured for vs the reason is because that When wee shall behold him face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 wee shall be put in minde not by any outward admonition of temporall things but we shall behold him in the very contemplation and sight of the truth it selfe and to be instructed how we ought to giue thanks to the author of our saluation And yet I would haue no man thinke that because wee speake thus that therefore the faithfull doe not in the mystery of the Sacrament receiue the Lords body and blood because faith receiveth that thing not which the eye seeth but that which the hart beleeveth for it is a spirituall meate and a spirituall drinke spiritually feeding the soule and giving the life of everlasting fulnesse even as our Saviour himselfe commending and setting out this mystery saith Ioh. 6.63 It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing Thus I being a man of very small gifts and desiring to yeeld obedience vnto your Excellencies commandement haue presumed and vndertaken to dispute or reason of no small matters wherein I haue not followed the presumption of mine owne thinking or iudgement but regarded rather the authority of the ancient Fathers which if your Highnes shall allow as spoken Catholikely Christianly impute it I pray you to the deserts and worthinesse of your owne zeale and religion which was not ashamed having for a while layd aside the glory of your Kingly magnificence to demand an answer concerning the truth of such a poore and base person as I am But if happily these things shall not please and delight you ascribe it vnto my folly and vnskilfulnesse which could not effectually declare that which your Highnesse wished and I my selfe greatly desired Here endeth Bertrams Booke concerning the Body and Blood of the Lord. Errata IN the Epistle Whether he spurious reade whether he be spurious In the Preface next following PAge 2. Charlemayne the Great reade Charles the Great Page 7. Trithenius reade Trithemius Page 9. Sendeth greeting reade send greeting In the Booke of Bertram FOl. 5. Outwardly locked vp reade outwardly looked vpon Fol. 9. In colour or in favour reade in colour or in savour
Ratbertus an Abbot wrote fully and freely of that subiect against him So then we see him here confessed for the Author but opposed for his Doctrine if Bellarmine haue spoken the truth beare witnes w th him of the truth Onely let me tell you I haue read that whole Tract of Paschasius Printed by them and there I finde he writes of the Reall presence he mentioneth two Sacraments and maintaines the cōmunion in both kinds but of Bertram in his whole Treatie ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem he makes not so much as mention of him and this mine eyes haue witnessed the Truth against the Foreman In his Treatise of 3. Convers part 2. cap. 10. The second is F Parsons Bertram saith he was wholy of the Romane Religion and so liued and so died aboue eight hundred yeeres agoe though after his death some of Berengarius followers did forge a little Pamplet in his name against the Reall presence of Christs bodie as favouring the Berengarian Heresie Here then we haue the man confessed but not this Doctrine I wonder these two Elders liuing so neere together in Rome were so farre asunder in opinion Surely they agree like the two Elders against Susanna both ioyned together to accuse the Innocent both out of their owne mouths must receiue the like judgement The third About the yeare 806. Lib consens omniū atat de verit Chi in Euchar centen 9. Delirarecoepit Bertramus saith Garetius This man acknowledgeth Bertram for the Author but condemnes him for an old Dotard The fourth Langdailius Langd lib. 3 Cath confut He affirmeth That though in some things he transgressed the forme of wordes yet he holdes correspondencie with the Catholique Roman Doctrine By this mans saying I see no cause why Bertram deserved a Writ to priviledge his dotage De visib Monarch Eccles lib. 7. An. 816. c. The fifth Sanders he saith That vnder the name of Bertram there is a Booke extant of the Eucharist which is sayd to haue bin lately written or devised by some of Berengarius followers for that there was no such Doctrine then read or knowne in that time of his liuing In his Treatise of the Sacram cap. 1 fol. 23 The sixth Reynolds the Priest saith toward 800 yeeres after Christ one Bertram and a little before him one Scotus wrote darkly of the truth of this Sacrament but whatsoever the private opinion of Bertram was his publique speeches and writings sounded so ill in the eares of the Catholiques of that age that Paschasius an Abbot made a very learned Booke in refutation of him These two hold together like a rope of Sand the one saith Bertram did write but obscurely the other saith It was not Bertram but some obscure Authors the one saith there was no such doctrine published in that age the other saith that Scotus at that time wrote darkly as Bertram did on the Sacrament The seventh and eight Posseu prefi ad Lect tom 1. apparat Sixt Sen. prafat in Bibl. Oecolampadius vnder the name of Bertram wrote this booke to Charles the Great sayth Possevinus and Sixtus Senensis The ninth Greg lib. 1. de praf Chi in Euch. c. 2. The Worke is spurious and tainted with the Leven of Berengarius heresie saith Gregory de Valentia These also might well agree if they could reconcile the times and their different opinions for Berengarius liued about six hundred yeares agoe and Oecolampadius about a hundred But if either Berengarius followers or Oecolampadius himselfe wrote this Tract of Bertrams it must needs be that Paschafius Ratbertus who wrote against this Treatise 800. yeares agoe as Bellarmine Reynolds doe affirme did write by the Spirit of Prophecie against Berengarius followers Oecolampadius long before they were borne In his Parliament of Christ Sacr. in the Prologue The tenth Dr Heskius saith that Bertram in the time of Charles wrote of the Sacrament suspitiously and yet in such sort as no man could be certaine what hee assuredly meant De Ador Euchar cap. 19. The eleventh Espencaeus saith That Bertram wrote a Booke to Charles the Emperour of the Sacrament yet in the iudgement of those that favour his error he doth intangle both his cause and the minde of the Reader and although he citeth many of the ancient Fathers yet one while he seemeth a Catholique another while of another opinion These two are nere to reconciliation for they both agree vpon the certaintie of the Author but condemne the vncertaintie of his doctrine The twelfth Trithenius Tritenius de Bertr a man without exception he sayth That Bertram the Priest was exceedingly skilfull in the holy Scriptures he was sharpe in wit famous in speech neither was he lesse notable in life then in learning he wrote many famous and excellent workes vnto Charles the Great the brother of Lotharius the Emperour he wrote a praise-worthy Booke to wit one Booke concerning the Body and Blood of the Lord he flourished in the dayes of Lotharius the Emperour about the yeere of Christ 840. You haue heard the great Enquest what they can say against this Author Yet all this while the Trumpet hath given an vncertaine sound Some you see denyes the man as a singular Novelist others acknowledge the Author but affirme this Worke to be suppositious others say he held the catholique opinion in the maine but squared in the forme of speaking so that hitherto you see the Iurors are not agreed among themselues and therefore they cannot giue vp their Verdict against him Onely this last witnes doth best resolue all the former doubts he sheweth that Bertram was no dotard he shewes it could not be written by Berengarius or his followers for he liued wrote this Worke to Charles 200. yeares before his time he shewes he was not spurious but the true Author and by this his testimonie doth cleerely exclude Oecolampadius for the Author whose writings were not extant when Tritemius made his Catalogue of this and other Authors Certainely if these men had beene sworne to the Truth as well as to the Church the Foreman of the Inquest and the last would haue reconciled all the rest You haue heard Gentle Reader the Popes tenants his sworne servants our sworne enemies their best witnesses Bertrams worst accusers bound by oath to maintaine the Papacy divided amongst themselues Now listen and heare their soveraigne Iudges giue sentence and according to their agreement let him stand or fall in your judgment And first let their Lord chiefe Iustice Pope Clement the eyght be heard for as he cannot erre so he may not be contradicted Ant. Posseu Appar Pag. 230. Tom. 1. Let not Bertram be read saith he but with leaue of the Apostolique Sea and with this condition that the Reader my confute the heretiques by the errors of that booke The next are the Roman Inquisitors Ind libr. prohibited Anno 1559 Trident and the Trent Fathers these also