inspiration More-over wee know that the giving of the Communion to the people vnder one kynde onelie is a doctrine and practise of Popeperie having no warrand for it but the tradition and authoritie of the Romane Church but if it bee asked whether this bee agreeable to Scripture or no the Councell of Constance all in one voyce will tell vs the contrarie and confesse that neyther was it so in CHRIST'S institution set downe in holie Scripture nor was it the practise of the Apostles or of the primitiue Church but is brought in later for such reasons as the Church of Rome thought good For so sayeth the Councell Albeit CHRIST after Supper did institute this venerable Sacrament and gaue it to His Disciples vnder both kynds of bread wine As also tho in lyke-manner this Sacrament was receaved by the faythfull vnder both kyndes Notwithstanding there-of this custome for eschewing of certayne dangers and scandalls that might ensue vpon good reason is now brought in that the same shall bee receaved by Laickes vnder one kynde onelie Where wee see that the Church of Rome thinketh her selfe wyser and more provident in fore-seeing of dangers than CHRIST His Apostles and the primitiue Church was and that lyke the Pharisees and Scrybes of olde by her traditions shee hath made the word of GOD to bee of no effect CHAPTER V. That these Doctrines of Fayth for which the Romanistes pretende onlie vnwritten Tradition by their owne confession are neyther necessarie nor profitable to salvation and consequentlie not onelie superfluous but vnjustlie vrged to bee believed vpon danger of salvation CArdinall Bellarmine in his fourth Booke of the Word of GOD confesseth that the Apostles did preach vnto GOD'S people all these thinges which were necessarie and profitable vnto them sayeth hee vnto their salvation But what they preached so to all that also they wrote and left registrate in Scripture for so sayeth Bellarmsne in lyke-manner I affirme that all these thinges were written by the Apostles sayeth hee which are necessarie for all men and which they publicklie preached to all Therefore it followeth that in the Apostles writs are contayned all thinges which are necessarie and profitable to salvation But to subsume These doctrinall Traditions whereon is grounded the mayne bodie of Poperie were not written by the Apostles as is confessed Therefore it followeth that the same are neyther necessarie nor profitable to salvation and so wee see what doome their owne mouthes by the force of trueth are made to pronounce vpon these vnwritten Doctrines and Traditions and consequentlie how vnjuâ—â—lie they are obtâ—uded vpon Gods people Next I aâ—gue What the Apostles did preach vnto all as necessarie and profitable vnto salvation and which S. PAVLL calleth else where the whole councell of GOD that onelie should their successoures teach vnto all as necessarie and profitable vnto salvation But the Apostles as is confessed did preach nothing vnto all as necessarie and profitable vnto salvation but that which is written in holie Scripture vnder the payne of that curse denounced by S. Paull GAL. 1. 8. Therefore nothing should bee taught by true Pastors as their successoures vnto all as necessarie and profitable vnto salvation but that which is written in holie Scripture Where-fore sayeth Augustine if wee or an Angell from Heaven preach vnto you any thing beside that which yee haue receaved in the Legall and Evangelicall Scriptures let him bee accursed As also sayeth their Aquinas It is to bee affirmed that no other thing ought to bee preached but that onelie which is contayned in the Gospells and Epistles and in the holie Scripture playnlie or more obscurelie Whosoever then teacheth for doctrines of fayth anie vnwritten traditions neyther contayned in holie Scripture playnlie nor obscurelie as Canus affirmeth most poynts of their doctrine to bee it followeth that hee is no true teacher nor successour to the Apostles but controlling Scripture and deserting their practise hee declareth himselfe to bee an impostor guiltie of prophane Noveltie a sower of Tares in the LORD'S Field and will-fullie to incurre that Apostolicall Anathema CHAPTER VI Of the Noveltie of withholding the people from reading of the Scripture FIrst then omitting Testimonies of Scripture formerlie set downe which make for this poynt I come to the Testimonie of one of their late and famous Bishops Espenceus by name whereby hee witnesseth That this with-holding of Scripture from the people was neyther in the Apostles tyme or agreeable to their doctrine nor yet was it in the tyme of the primitiue Church whose practise was contrarie to their now-a-dayes his wordes then are these It is manifest sayeth hee by the doctrine of the Apostle COLOSS. 3. 16. and by the practise of the primitiue Church that of olde the publicke reading of the Scripture was permitted to people Whence it was that Chrysostome in his tyme did vehementlie vrge the same vpon his auditors saying I beseech you all that are Laickes that yee get Bibles to your selues the medicine of the soule and if yee will not get more get to your selues the New Testament at least And agayne hee sayeth What is it then that wee so earnestlie requyre of you but that one of the dayes of the weeke or at least vpon the Sabbath day yee would haue a care to reade the Gospells which before yee come to these Sermons ye haue amongst your handes at home and that yee would frequentlie repeate the same and diligentlie search out the meaning and note what is cleare and what is â—bscure therein By doing whereof he showeth what good will redound both to him who was their teacher and to them who were his heareâ—s to wit that hee should neede the lesse labour and paynes to make them vnderstand the meaning of the Gospell when at home they haue made the Text samiliare to themselues and they also should thereby bee made the more shaâ—pe and quicke in vnderstanding not onlie onelie to heare and perceaue what is sayde vnto them but also to teach others And if anie should pleade the want of scarcitie of Bookes hee showeth concerning this that it were ridiculous to answere these who were rich and as for the poore sort hee showeth also that it is a shame to them to want the Scripture which can afford so great profit to them as their soules instruction and yet carefullie to acquire such tooles or instruments as their severall Trades requyred for winning their bodilie Foode but if anie bee so poore sayeth hee that by no meanes hee can acquire Bookes â—o himselfe then by the continuall reading of the Scriptures which is in this place hee needeth not to bee ignorant of anie thing that is therein Which thing made the Iâ—suit Azortus to say Wee confesse that in the tymes of Ierome and Chrysostome which was 400 yeares and aboue after CHRIST that the Laickes were exercysed in reading of the Scripture because they were written in these Languages
sayeth hee which they did vnderstand Wherefore also did Theoderet affirme in the 500 yeare of God that the Hebrew Text of the Olde Testament was not onelie translated into the Greeke tongue for the Grecians to reade and vnderstand but also into the Latine Aegyptian Persian Armenian Scythian and Sauromatican and that I may speake it in one word sayeth hee the Scriptures are translated into all Languages which at this day anie Countrey what-so-ever vseth to speake whereby it commeth to passe that â—verie where you may see that these doctrines of sayth which we holde sayeth hee are not onlie familiarlie knowne by these who are Church-men teachers of the people but lyke-wyse by verie Shooe-makers Smithes Weavers and all such lyke Crafts-men yea by all our Women and not these onelie who bee learned if anie such bee but also by pooâ—e Trades-women menders of Cloâ—thes serving women and wayâ—ing maâ—des Neytâ—â—â— doe they onelie who dwell in Townes sayeth hee vnderstand well these thinges but lykewyse the Husband-men so that you shall finde diggers of Ground Heards-men and setters of Plants discoursing of the holie Trinitie and the Creation of all thinges and having more knowledge of the nature of man than ever Plato or Aristotle had And that this also was the auncient BRITANE practise within this I le in the 700 yeare of GOD Venerable Bedâ— who lived in the succeeding Ceâ—turie or there-by in his Ecclesiasticall Storie of the English Nation mostcleaâ—lie doâ—th showâ— where speaking of the lyfe of that Religious Bishop Aâ—â—anuâ— hee telleth vs that not onlie the Clergie men that were with him in companie but also these who were Laickes were diligentlie exercysed in reading of the Scriptures or learning PSALMES by heart For which ende also Cornelius Agrâ—ppa reporteth That there was a Decree in the first Councell of Nice that none who were able to reade should want the Booke of the Scripture and wherevnto ye haue heard how seriouslie Chrysostome did exhort his auditoures Not-with-standing wherof how peremptorily people are nowe forbidden to haue or reade the same let this ensuing prohibition printed of late and published in Spaine testifiâ— The Spanish Prohibition of having the Bible in anie vulgar tongue or anie wayes to reade the same set foorth by Don Bernardo de Sandonal i rozas Cardinall of S. Anasia Archbishop of Toledo Primate of Spayne and Inquisitor generall COmo la experiencia aya ensenado que de permiter se la sagrada biblia en lengua vulgar se signe por la temeridad de los hombres mas damno que pronecho se prohibe la biblia con todas sus partes impressa o de mano en qualquier lengua vulgar i assi mismo los sumarios i compendios aunque sean historiales de la misma Biblia o libros de la sagrada escritura escritos en qualquier idioma o lengua vulgar The same in English SEeing it is manifest by experience if the holie Bible bee permitted in the vulgar tongue that thorow the temeritie of men more hurt than profit will aryse therefore the Bible is prohibit with all the partes thereof whether printed or written in what-so-ever vulgar tongue it bee as also all summaries or compends altho they bee Historicall onelie of the sayde Bible or bookes of holie Scripture in what-so-ever vulgar tongue or language the same bee anie wyse written CHAPT. VII The Novelty of the Popes Supremacie and first The Noveltie of the stile of Vniversall Bishop where-by hee claymeth the same THis poynt of Papâ—â—l Supremacie the loftiest Towre of â—abels prowde building Boneface the eyght declared to bee of such consequence as all Christians are bound to bee subject there-to and bâ—lieue the same vnder payne of damnation saying More-over for all humane creatures to bee subject to the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome wee declare affiâ—me decree and proclayme that the same is altogether of the necessitie of salvation Now sayth Bellarmine one title amongst all others out of which is collected the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome is this the title of Vniversall Bishop of the antiquitie whereof if wee inquyre wee shall finde The first who ever vsurped this title as all Histories record to bee IOHN Patriarch of Constantinople who obtayned of the Emperour Mauricâ—â—us so to bee called 600 yeares after CHRIST and which style was stronglie opposed by Pope Gregorie the first in this sense as Cardinall Cusanus testifieth to wit as it imported one to bee so principall as all others should bee subject to him as Boniface decreed or as Gregoriâ— himselfe sayeth one to mount aboue others to such an hight of singularitie as that hee would bee vnder none but hee alone would bee aboâ—e all and which style hee challengeth expreslie of NOVELTIE calling it novum nomen nova presumptio And lest this should haue beene thought a Noveltie onelie in the Patriarch of Constantinople vsurping agaynst Rome and that Pope Gregorie had quarrelled it onelie as an injurie done to himselfe and to his Sea therefore hee first cleareth himselfe thereof saying to the Emperour Doe I in this matter most Religious Lord defende anie cause of myne or doe I challenge herein anie speciall wrong done to mee And to cleare this theâ—more hee sayeth None of my predecessours would ever consent to vse such a prophanetitle no not Peter himselfe the first alleadged founder of that Sea who altho hee was the chiefe of the Apostles and according to his Apostolicall place had the care of the whole Churches committed to him as Paull also professeth yet notwithstanding sayeth hee hee is not called the Vniversall Apostle And as hee witnesseth this of his predecessoures so hee showeth that this title was offered to himselfe and yet hee would nowayes accept of the same therefore hee sayeth to Eulâ—gius Bishop of Alexandria and Anastaciuâ— Bishop of Antioch Seeing wee would not in anie case accept anie such honour sayeth hee beeing offered vnto vs consider how shamefull a thing it is for anie man violentlie to vsurpe the same wherefore let not your holinesse in your writings ever style anie man who-so-ever hee bee Vniâ—ersall Bishop And even when it was given to himselfe in a letter written by Eulogius Bishop of Alexandria hee rejected the same as a title of damnable piyde saying Beholde in the preface of a letter which yee seat vnto mee who forebade anie such titles you haue caused set downe the word of a prowd style calling mee Vniversall Bishop which I beseech your sweetest Holinesse that you doe so no more Yea hee showeth that this wicked style imported no lesse pryde than that of Lucifer himselfe saying to Iohn of Constantinople Who else I pray thee by such a wicked title is set before thee to imitate but hee who despysing the Legions of Angels who were in one societie joyned with him attempted to mount aboue them to such a hight of singularitie that hee
temporall as spirituall thinges but aboue the verie holie Scriptures c. I can not see sayâ—th hee why these men may not bee called false or Pseudocotholickes CHAPTER X. The Noveltie of publicke Prayer and other divyne Service in a tongue vnknowne to the people FIrst in this poynt that the Apostles doctrine and Churches practise in their tyme was coâ—trarie to the Romaniâ—tes now Cardinall Cajetane doeth evidentlie testifie saving Out of the doctrine of S. PAVLL wee haue it clearlie set downe that it is better for the edification of the Church that publicke prayers which are vttered in the audience of the people bee spoken sayeth hee in a Language common both to Clergie and people than otherwyse And that this was also the Churches conforme practise in the dayes of Iustine Martyr is evident who in the ende of his second Apologie for Christians in expresse tearmes telleth vs sayeth Bellarmine That the whole people in the Church vsed to answere AMEN when the Presbyter ended the Prayer or Thankesgiving wherefore it will follow that the Prayer or Thankesgiving was in the vulgar tongue else sayeth the Apostle how shall hee that occupieth the rowme of the vnlearned say AMEN at thy Thankes-giving if hee vnderstand not what thou sayest Next what was the practise of the Church after Iustines dayes both in the East and West is lyke-wyse cleare out of Bellarmine who testifieth saying That this custome was also a long tyme observed both in the East and West is evident out of Chrysostomes Liturgie where most clearlie sayeth hee are distinguished what the Prieâ—â— and Deacon and what the people in divyne Service did sing As lyke-wyse out of Cyprian in his sermon on the LORDS prayer where hee showeth how the people did answere saying Wee haâ—e our heartes vnto the LORD and out of Ierome in the preface of his second booke on the Epistle to the GALATIANS who wryteth That in the Churches of the Citie of Rome the people was heard lyke a heavenlie thunder aunswering with a lowde voyce and saying AMEN Therefore their Nicolaus de Lyra and with him Aquinas Gretzer others freelie acknowledgeth saying In the primitiue Church the Thankes-givings and all other common Servâ—ce was performed sayeth hee in the vulgar Toâ—gue and the Canonicall Prayers â—ayth their Cassaâ—der and speciallie the words of consecration of the bodie and blood of our LORD the Auncientes did so reade that all the people might vnderstand and say AMEN thereto Which custome of the Church as yet vsed in Aegypt and Ethiopiâ— it is a wonder sayâ—th Erasmus how it became to bee changed And if wee consider M. Hardinges reason in his aunswere to Bishop Iewell why Prayers and all other divyne Service was vsed in the primitiue Church in the vulgar tongue wee shall finde that the same reason holdeth still and so miliâ—ateth constantlie agaynst this practise of Romish Noveltie for thus sayeth M. Harding In the primitiue Church this was necessarie when fayth was alearning and therefore the Prayers were made then in a knowne tongue vnderstood by the people sayeth hee because of their farder instruction And can anie man say nowe but people in lyke-manner are learning the fayth daylie and haue neede of farder instruction than they haue alreadie Or will anie affirme that this â—ule of the Apostle Let all bee done vnto edification helde onelie for a tyme Therefore seeing the edifying of GOD'S people which is the fiâ—all cause why Prayer and publicke Thankes-giving should bee performed in the vulgar doeth not varie by diversitie of tymes but continueth still even so then should speaking in the Church vnto their vnderstanding CHAPTER XI The Noveltie of the invocation of Saynctes departed FOr discoverie of the Noveltie of which doctrine obtruded to bee believed and practised by all Catholickes vnder payne of damnation wee haue before CHRIST the first foure thousand yeares prescription agaynst anie such doctrine or practise in the Church of GOD by the confession of Bellarmine and all other Romanistes who graunt That during all that tyme both before and vnder the Law there was no invocation of Saynctes departed Next if wee come to our SAVIOVR'S tyme and his Apostles their owne Eckius Luthers great Antagonist declareth That in the New Testament the Apostles and Evangelistes neyther taught by word nor delyvered or left anie such thing by writ that the Saynctes departed should bee invocated neyther would the holie Ghost sayeth hee suffer them so to doe by whose inspiration they spake The same also doeth their Dominicus Bannes and the Iesuit Salmeron testifie rendring this reason Because it would seeme hard to the Iewes sayeth hee who were never taught so to doe by Moses nor the Prophets and the Gentiles should haue thought that there were manie gods exhibite to them in place of the multitude of gods which they had forsaken Beholde thâ—n heere a doctrine of the Romane fayth confessed to haue for the warrand there of neyther Gods written word nor yet Apostolicall vnwritten tradition now if it was neyther written nor preached by them let anie man consider if the Noveltie thereof bee not cleare and that they can not eschew the Apoâ—tles Anathemâ— who sayeth If an Angell from Heaven should preach vnto you beside thâ—t which I haue preached let him bee accursed Next to the Apostles tymes if wee come to after ages and inquyre howe loâ—g was it after the Apostles before anie mention was ever heard of anie such thing their owne Bishop Poresiâ—s Will playnlie tell vs saying That beâ—ore the â—yme of the Martyr Corneliâ—s which was abouâ— 252 yeares after there was no mention sayeth hee so farre as wee can see of anie invocation or intercession of Saynctes What was the practise lykewyse of the Church in S. Augustin's tyme who lived after the 400 yeare of CHRIST and speciallie of the westerne or Romane Church himselfe doeth declare saying of the Martyres and Sayncts departed As for such men of God sayeth hee who haue overcome the world in confessing of Him they are named in their owne place and order but they are not prayed vnto Yea in the 1200 yeare of God Bernard did put it in doubt whether the Saynctes departed anie wayes heard the living which if they doe not then speaking to them by prayer were altogether foolish for speaking of devoute Humbert hee sayeth Neyther see I him now nor perhaps doeth hee heare mee More-over it is to bee observed that the Fathers of the primitiue Church vsed this as a specâ—all Argument to proue Christ to bee GOD because Hee was everie-where prayed vnto Which Argument had beene of no force if in those tymes they had prayed eyther to Saynctes or Aâ—gâ—ls Therefore Oâ—igen showeth That PAVLL 1 COR. 1. 2. proveth heereby CHRIST to bee GOD because His Name is everie where incalled vpon for the Apostle sayeth hee doeth thereby pronounce IESVS CHRIST to bee GOD because His Name is incalled
preserue men from hurtes and snares out of the confidence of the fore-named beeing moved to worship them that they may obtaine some of the former thinges Whence it is also sayeth hee that they vowe obliedge themselues to vnder-goe Pilgrimages some to this and some to that Church according as they respect the Images beliâ—ving that this Image in such a place to bee of greater vertue than in another and to bee more famous for miracles and of greater power And if at anie time miracles bee wrought vpon men who haue recourse vnto them this is not by the vertue of the Images sâ—yeth hee but some-tymes by the operation of the Devill to deceaue such Idolatrous worshippers GOD so permitting and their infidelitie so deserving the same CHAPT. XIV The Noveltie of the doctrine of Merite HEEREIN the Romanistes are so grosse that BELLARMINE sayeth not onlie That good workes merite a rewarde for their owne worthinesse and condignitie but the Rhemistes adde also that they are so fullie worthy of eternall lyfe which GOD of His jâ—stice oweth to the workers of the same that GOD should bee vâ—just if Hee rendred not Heaven for them Yea the Iesuit Vasquez goeth so farre in prowde and open blasphemie that hee sayeth Seeing the workes of the righteous by their owne worthinesse merite eternall lyfe as an equall recompence and reward there is no neede of the interveaning of anie other merite of condignitie such as the merite of CHRIST that eternall lyfe should bee rendered vnto them To come to the confessed Noveltie of which prowde errour beside Scripture cleare in this poynt their owne Cassander telleth vs what was the constant and vniforme doctrine of the primitiue Church and ancient fathers therein saying Wherefore this doctrine is not to bee passed by which with a full consent all the ancient Fathers delyvere to wit that our whole confidence of the remission of our sinnes and the hope both of pardon and of lyfe eternall is to bee placed in the onelie mercie of GOD and merite of CHRIST Whence it is that their Waldensis sayeth I esteeme him a sounder divynâ— and more faythfull Catholicke sayeth hee and more agreeable to the Scriptures who simplie denyâ—th anie such merite and who granteth according to the Apoâ—tles and Scriptures manner of speach that simplie a man meriteth not the kingdome of Heaven but onelie that it is given him of the meere favour of GOD and will of the giver aâ— all the annâ—ient holie Fathers vnto the latter Schoole-men haue held and as the whole Church did professe accounting it an Heresie to profeâ—se the contrarie The trueth of which speach of these two fore-named may bee seene at length in the cleare testimonies of the Fathers themselues who showe how the godlie get eternall lyfe from GOD ratione pacti non facti or by reason not of our woâ—kes mâ—riting but his mercie promising Therefore sayde Augustine what-so-ever GOD hath promised Hee promised the same to these who were vnworthie that the reward might bee seene to bee promised not for the merite oâ— the worke but of freeâ—grace as the word it selfe importeth Which doctrine of trueth overthrowing merite was also professed of olde in the Churches of BRITANE as may bee seene in the order appoynted in the â—uncient Liturgie of Eâ—GLAND for visitat on of the sicke chiefelie in Anselâ—es time Arch-bishop of Canterburie Anno 1080 wherein the Priest sayeth to the sickâ— person Doest thou belieue to come to Glorie not by thy owne merites but by the vertue and merite of the Passion of the LORD IESVS CHRIST and that none can bee saved by his owne merits or by anie other meanes but by the merite of His Passion To which the sicke partie was taught to answere All this I belieue The contrarie of which doctrine mayntayned now by Româ—nistâ—s was also long agoe condemned by the whole Facultie of Divinitie at PARIS Anno 1354 as most Hereticall and Blasphemous in their sentence agaynst one Guidâ— an Augustine Friar by way of recantation prescrybed vnto him saying I saide against a Batchelour of the preaching Friars in my conference with him that a man meriteth eternall lyfe for the worthinesse of the worke that is so as if the same were not given vnto him there were wrong done vnto him which opinion I recant as False Hereticall and Blasphemous Therefore their owne Cardinâ—ll Bellarmine was forced to conclude saying Because of the vncertayntie of our owne vnrighteousnesse and the danger of vaine glorie it is most safe sayth hee to put our whole confidence in the onelie mercie of GOD and His onlie goodnesse An advertisement to the Reader THE Noveltie of this prowde errour beeing dâ—scovered yet lest with the vaile of the Word MERITE oft vsed in Antiquitie they should crafâ—ilie palliate the Noveltie of their doctrine of merite their owne Vega in his booke written in defence and for the vnderstanding of the Councell of Trenâ— and wherein hee was a chiefe Disputer plainlie confesseth saying I am not ignorant that the word merâ—te is vsed ost-tymes sayeth hee where there is no meaning of deserving eyther by condignitie or congruitie And therefore wee finde that sometimes improperlie iâ—simplie signifieth to oâ—tayne favour without doing eyther good or evill as where Ambrose sayeth That Iohn the Baptist in his birth obtayned so great a favour as to bee the fore-runner of CHRIST the wordes beeing tantam gratiam nascendo meruit Sometimes also it is put for obtayning favour quyte contraâ—ie to deserving as where Pope Gregorie speaking of PAVL'S conversion sayeth When hee was labouring to extinguish the Name of our Redeemer on earth hee obtayned that favour to heare His wordes from Heaven where the wordes are Verba de coelo meruit audire And sometimes it signifieth generallie workes whether good or evill as Aug. Epist 46 and sometimes speciallie good workes yet excluding all worthinesse in them to merite eternall lyfe as where Bernard sayeth Neyther are mens good workes of such worth that for their merite eternall lyfe should bee due vnto them or that GOD should doe wrong except Hee gaue the same for them where the wordes are Neque eniâ— sunt talia hominum merita c. and which speach of Bernand's is diametralie opposit in ipsis terminâ—â— to that prowde assertion of the Rhemistes who say that GOD should bee vnjust and doe wrong if Hee rendred not Heaven for them CHAPTER XV The Noveltie of Pvâ— GATORIE FIrst then if wee aske their owne Bishop of Rochester and great Champion against Luther whether this new Article which avarice hath hatched ignorance doeth foster and fire and â—aggoâ— maintaineth was knowne of olde or believed by the primitiue Church hee will tell vs saying It was not so necessarie to belieue Purgatorie in the primitiue Church And if wee aske him farder to wit how long it was before eyther Purgatorie or indulgences which depende vpon it was knowne or receaved by
Cardinall Cusanus Whereâ—ore Theodores telleth vs clearlie That the mysticall signes after consecration departe not fâ—om their owne nature but remayne in their former substance figure and forme and may bee seene and touched as before Yea their owne Pope Gelaesius wryting agaynst Eutyches sayeth expreslie That tho in the Sacrament wee receaue a divyne thing to wit the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST yet the substance and nature of the bread and wine ceasseth not to remaine sayeth hee And if anie speaches of Fathers would seeme to sound other ways their owne Cassander telleth vs That the late Schoole men doe acknowledge these speaches to bee figuratiue whereby the signe is called by the name of the thing which is signified and is present also in the Sacrament So that justlie sayde the elder Schoolemen as Suarez reporteth of them that the doctrine of Transsubstantiation is not verie ancient This errour then was first broached in the East by Damascene in the time of Gregoriâ— the third Anno 740 and opposed then chiefelie by the Councell of Constantinople consisting of 338 Bishops Anno 754 who declared That the bread in the Eucharist was the true resemblance of Christs naturall bodie and consequentlie not the bodie it selfe About an hundreth yeares there-after in the tyme of Gregorie the fourth the same also began to bee propounded in the West by one Amularius Bishop of Lions who was censured and opposed by the Councell of Carifiacum wherein it was declared by the Bishops of France That it was to bee vnderstood that the bread and wine were the bodie and blood of CHRIST after a spirituall manner onelie Heere-after howsoever sundrie helde this grosse opinion of Transsubstantiation Paschasius Radbertus a Deacon Anno 850 who to that purpose wrote a Booke to Placidus of the bodie and blood of CHRIST yet others stoutlie mayntayned the trueth in the contrarie as Rabinâ—s Mâ—â—rus who at the same tyme opposed Paschasiâ—s and wâ—oâ—e thereof to Abbâ—t Egilo whereby arose great disputes by sundrie vpon both sides wherevpon Carolâ—s Calvus then King of FRANCE willing to haue these differences composed amongst his people and the trueth of the matter cleared singled out one Bertram a Priest and Mâ—nke of Corbey as * a man mâ—st famous in those tymes both for learning and pietie and reqâ—yred him to wryte to him his judgement in that matter which hee accordinglie did in his booke yet extant written Anno 876 wherein hee declareth and proveth That the bread and wine are Christs bodie and blood figuratiuelie onelie or by representation according to the naâ—ure of Sacramentes and sacramentall speaches taking so the name of that which they signifiâ— but for the substance of the creatures or elementes themselues they are the same after consecration as they were before sayeth hee for which cause the Romanisâ—es in the Belgicke expurgatorie Index wish that this Booke had altogether perished the Iesuit Turrian giving the reason thereof Because the citing of it declareth that Calvine's Heresie is not new About which tyme also of Bertrams wryting a famous countrey-man of ours also Iohannes Scotus wrote a * booke of the same matter and to the same sense who for his extraordinarie great learning in those tymes was surnamed Iohn the wyse And in ENGLAND in the dayes of Aeifricke an Abbot Anno 975 there was an auncient Homilie which the sayde Aelfricke at the command of Wâ—lfstane Arch-bishop of Yorke translated out of Latine and Saxâ—n into Englâ—sh synodicallie appoynted to bee read to the people for their instruction at everie Easter before the receaving of the holie Housell as he calleth the Sacrament wherein the verie same doctrine set downe by Bertram and professed now by vs is clearlie set downe as the sayde Homilie at large may bee seene in Master Iohn Foxe his Booke of Martyres Yet at last errour in the times of ignorance and Papall vsurpation so farre prevailed that Anno 1215 it was established as an Article of fayth so that as Scotus affirmeth truelie before the Councell of Laterane it was no doctrine of fayth sayeth hee CHAPTER XIX The Noveltie of halfe Communion or with-holding the Cuppe from the people FOR the cleare detection of the Noveltie of this sacrilegious errour first their owne Canonized Aquinas and with him Lyra and others declare according to the custome of the auncient Church all the people as they did communicate of the bodie of Christ so did they also of His blood sayeth hee And if wee aske at their owne Cassander how long this custome did continue in the Church of Christ hee will tell vs saying It is sufficientlie certayne that the vniversall Church of Christ even vnto this day did celebrate the Sacrament vnder both kyndes and that the Westerne or Romane Church more than a thousand yeares after Christ chiefelie in the solemne and ordinarie celebration of this Sacrament did giue the same in both kyndes both of breade and wine to all the members of the Church of Christ which is manifest sayeth hee out of the innumerable Testimonies both of Greeke and Latine Fathers And if then wee inquyre when this custome of communicating in one kynde began in the Romane Church generallie to be receaved their owne Gregorte de Valentia in lyke-manner will tell vs That it was but a little before the Councell of Constance which was helde in â—nno 1414. There-after if wee come to the Councell of Constance it selfe where it was first decreed and inquyre of the Noveltie thereof they are forced to confesse that Christ instituted this venerable Sacrament in both kyndes of bread and wine gaue it so to His Disciples say they as also that in the primitiue Church the same was receaved by the faythfull in both kynds and that for eschewing some perills and scandalls this custome was thought fit to bee altered Next after the cleare and confessed Noveltie of this poynt both in altering and mayntayning of Christs institution if wee will examine out of their owne confessions whether it bee best to adheare to Christs institution who gaue it in both kyndes or not Bellarmine will teach vs a generall rule saying It can not bee doubted of but that is best sayth hee and most fit to bee done which Christ Himselfe did But to subsume Christ gaue the Sacrament of His bodie and blood vnder both kyndes therefore inevitablie it followeth that without doubt it is fittest and best to giue it as yet in both kyndes Wherefore in expresse wordes not onelie did Ruardus Tapperus Deane of Lovane say that it were better and more covenient to giue it so as beeing more agreeable to the institution of Christ His example and Fathers of the primitiâ— Church but also their owne Cassander setteth downe the particular and pregnant reasons why it is better to giue it so vnder both kyndes and why the primitiue Church ever so gaue it I. because of the institution and example of