the priest offereth on the aulter Nexte the truth and reall presence of the body and bloud of our lorde in the sacrifice offered Then aulters which this councell calleth diuine or holy for the diuine and holy thinges on them offered the body and bloud of Christ Furthermore the multitude of Masses in one daye for they speake of many sacrifices that is many Masses plurima sacrificia Lastly priuate Masses For the wordes nec ipse sacrificans rightly cōstrewed and weighed importe no lesse For where as no worde in this decree is vttered whereby it maye appeare the people to be of necessitie requyred to receiue if the priestes had receiued them selues at euery Masse no faulte had ben fownde And if the people had receiued without the priestes in this case it had ben reason this decree shuld other wise haue ben expressed And so it is cleare that at that tyme priuate Masses were sayde and done Now if M. Iuell refuse and reiecte the auctoritie of the churche represented in that councell then he geueth vs a manifest notice what marke we ought to take him to be of Then may we saye vnto him the wordes of S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. Nos talem confuetudinem non habemus nec ecclesia Dei We haue no such custome neither the churche of God hath not to condemne the churche And in this case he must pardon vs if according to the precepte of Christ Matth. 18. for that he will not heare the churche we take him for no better then a hethen and a publican Or that Images were then set vp in the Churches Iuell to the intent the people might worship them Of Images ARTICLE XIIII THat Images were set vp in churches within syx hundred yeres after Christ it is certaine but not specially either then or sithens to the intent the people might worship them The intēt and purpose hath ben farre other but right godly as shall be declared Wherefore the imputing of this entēt to the catholike church is both false and also sclaunderouse And because for the vse of images these newe maisters charge the church with reproche of a newe deuise breache of Gods cōmaundemēt and idolatrie I will here shewe first the Antiquitie of Images and by whom they haue ben allowed Secondly to what entent and purpose they serue Thirdly how they maye be worshiped without offence Concerning the Antiquitie and originall of images they were not first inuented by man Antiquitie of Images but commaunded by God brought into vse by tradition of the Apostles allowed by auctoritie of the holy fathers and all councelles and by custome of all ages sith Christes being in the earth When God would the Tabernacle with all fourniture thereto belonging to be made to serue for his honour and glorie he commaunded Moses among other thinges to make two Cherubins of beaten golde Exod. 25. so as they might couer bothe sydes of the propitiatorie spreading abroade their whinges and beholding them selues one an other their faces tourned toward the propitiatorie that the Arke was to be couered with all Of those Cherubins S. Paul speaketh in his epistle to the Hebrewes Cap. 9. Exod. 37. Which images Beseleel that excellent workeman made at the commaundement of Moses according to the instructions by God geuen Againe Moses by the commaundement of God made the brasen Serpent Num. 21. and set it vp on high for the people that were hurt of serpentes in wildernes to behold and so to be healed In the temple also that Salomon buylded ◠Reg. 6. ◠Paral. 3. were images of Cherubins as the scripture sheweth Of Cherubins mention is made in sundry places of the scriptures specially in Ezechiel the prophet cap. 41. Iosephus writeth of the same in his third and eight booke antiquitatum Iudaicarum The image of Cherubins representeth angels and the word is a word of angelical dignitie as it appeareth by the third chapter of Genesis where we read that God placed Cherubins before paradise after that Adam was cast forth for his disobedience It were not much besyde our purpose here to rehearse the place of Ezechiel the prophet Ezechi 9. where God commaunded one that was clothed in lynnen and had an ynkhorne by his syde to go through the myddes of Hierusalem and to prynt the signe of Tau In cōmētar in Ezechielem The signe of the Crosse cōmēded to men by gods prouidence that is the signe of the Crosse for that letter had the similitude of the Crosse among the old Hebrewe letters as Saint Hierom witnesseth in the foreheddes of the men that moorned and made moue ouer all the abominations of that citie Touching the signe Image or figure of the Crosse in the tyme of the new testament God femeth by his prouidence and by speciall warninges in sundry reuelatiōs and secrete declaratiōs of his will to haue commended the same to men Euseb eccles hist lib. 9. ca. 9 that they shuld haue it in good regard and remembraunce When Constātine the Emperour had prepared him selfe to warre against Maxentius the tyraunt casting in his mynde the great daungers that might thereof ensue and calling to God for helpe as he lookte vp beheld as it were in a visiō the signe of the crosse appearing vnto him in heauen as bright as fyer and as he was astonied with that straunge sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozomen tripart hist lib. 5. cap. 50. he heard a voice speaking thus vnto him Constantine in this ouercomme After that Iulian the Emperour had forsaken the profession of Christen Religion and had done sacrifice at the temples of painyms mouing his subiectes to doo the like as he marched forward with his armie on a daye the droppes of rayne that fell downe out of the ayer in a shewer fourmed and made tokens and signes of the crosse both in his and also in the souldiers garmentes Eccles histor lib. 10 in fine Rufinus hauing declared the straunge and horrible plages of God whereby the Iewes were frayed and letted from their vaine attempte of buylding vp againe the temple at Hierusalem leaue thereto of the Emperour Iulian in despite of the christians obteyned in the ende sayeth that least those earthquakes and terrible fyers which he speaketh of raysed by God whereby as well the work houses and preparations toward the buylding as also great multitudes of the Iewes were throwē downe cast abroade and destroyed shuld be thought to happen by chaunce the night folowing these plages the signe of the crosse appeared in euery one of their garmētes so euidētly as none to cloke their infidelitie was able by any kynde of thing to scowre it out and put it awaye Histo tripart li. 9. Cap. 29. When the temples of the painims were destroyed by the christians in Alexandria about the yere of our lord 390. in the chiefe temple of all which was of the Idol Serapis the holy and mysticall letters called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
our aduersaries Iuell or if all the learned men that be alyue be hable to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any olde catholike doctour or father or out of any olde generall councell or out of the holy scriptures of God or any one example of the primitiue Churche whereby it may clearely and playnely be proued that there was any priuate Masse in the whole world at that tyme for the space of syx hundred yeres after Christ etc. The conclusion is this as I sayde before so saye I now agayne I am content to yelde and to subscribe Of Masse vvith out a number of others receiuing the Communion vvith the priest at the same tyme and place vvhich the gospellers call priuate Masse ARTICLE I. EVERY Masse is publike No Masse priuate in it self but in respecte of circūstāces concerning bothe the Oblation and also the communion and none priuate For no man offereth that dredfull Sacrifice priuately for him selfe alone but for the whole Churche of Christ in common The Communion likewise of the Sacrament is a publike feast by Christ through the ministerie of the priest in the same prepared for euery faithfull person from partaking whereof none is excluded that with due examinatiō hauing before made him selfe ready demaundeth the same And so being common by order of the first Institution and by will of the ministers it ought to be reputed for common not priuate That others doo so commonly forebeare to communicate with the priest it is through their owne defaulte and negligence not regarding their owne saluation Whereof the godly and carefull rulers of faithfull people haue sithens the tyme of the primitiue Churche alwayes much complayned Therefore in this respecte we doo not acknowledge any priuate Masse but leaue that terme to Luthers schoole where it was first deuysed and so termed by Sathan him selfe seeking how to withdraw his nouice Luther from the loue and estimation of that most blessed Sacrifice by reasoning with him against the same in a night vision as him selfe recordeth in a litle booke which he made De Missa angulari vnctione sacerdotali Yet we denye not but that the a Concil Vasen c. 4 Cōcil Triburiē Decretal li. 3. tit 41. c. 2. De consecrat dist 1 ex Augusti quod quidā Gregorio tribuunt Gregor ex Regist li. 2. ad Casteriū c. 9. fathers of some auncient Councelles and sithens likewise b 3. parte summae q. 83. respōsione ad 12. argumentu articuli 5. What the Lutheranes call priuate Masse S. Thomas and certaine other schoole doctours haue called it sometymes a priuate Masse but not after the sense of Luther and his scolers but onely as it is cōtrary to publike and solemne in consideration of place tyme audience purpose rites and other circumstances The varietie and chaunge of which being thinges accidentarie can not varie or chaunge the substance or essentiall nature of the Masse Maister Iuell an earnest professour of the new doctrine of Luther and of the Sacramentaries calleth as they doo that a priuate Masse whereat the priest hauing no cōpanie to communicate with him receiueth the Sacrament alone Against this priuate Masse as he termeth it he inueigheth sore in his prīted Sermō which he preached at Poules Crosse the second Sundaye before Easter in the yere of our lord 1560. as he entituleth it shunning the accustomed name of Passion Sundaye least as it semeth by vsing the terme of the catholike churche he shuld seme to fauer any thing that is catholike In which Sermon he hath gathered together as it were in to one heape all that euer he could fynde written in derogation of it in their bookes by whom it hath ben impugned And though he pretende enemitie against priuate Masse in word yet in dede who so euer readeth his Sermon and discerneth his sprite shall easely perceiue that he extēdeth his whole witte and cunning vtterly to abolishe the vnbloudy and daily Sacrifice of the Churche commonly called the Masse Which as the Apostles them selues affirme in * Pro sacrificio cruēto rationale incruētū ac mysticum sacrificiū instituit quod in mortē domini per symbola corporis sanguinis ipsius celebratur Clemens cōstitutionū Apostolicarū lib. 6 cap. 23. Proufes for the Masse briefly touched Clemēt their scoler and felow being vnbloudy hath succeded in place of the bloudy sacrifices of the olde lawe and is by Christes commaundemēt frequented and offered in remembraunce of his passiō and death and to be vsed all tymes vntill his coming But what so euer he or all other the forerunners of Antichrist speake or worke against it all that ought not to ouerthrowe the faith of good and true Christen men hauing for proufe thereof besyde many other places of holy scripture the figure of Melchisedech that was before the law the prophecie of Malachie in the law and lastly and most plainely the Institution of Christ in the new testamēt Which he lefte to the Apostles the Apostles to the Churche and the Churche hath cōtinually kepte and vsed through the whole world vntill this daye Touching doctours they haue with one consent in all ages in all partes of the world from the Apostles tyme foreward bothe with their example and also testimonie of writing confirmed the same faith They that haue ben brought vp in learning and yet through corruption of the tyme stand doubtefull in this point let them take paines to trauaile in studie and they shall fynde by good auncient witnes of the priestes and deacons of Achaia that Saint Androw the Apostle touching the substance of the Masse worshipped God euery daye with the same seruice as priestes now doo in celebrating the externall Sacrifice of the Churche They shall fynd by witnes of Abdias first bishop of Babylō Abdiae li. 7. historiae Apostol who was the Apostles scoler and saw our Sauiour in fleshe and was present at the passion and martyrdom of S. Androw that S. Matthew the Apostle celebrated Masse in Aethiopia a litle before his Martyrdom They shall fynde by reporte of an aunciēt Councell generall Conciliū Constantinopol in Trullo cap. 32. Epistol ad Burdega Lib cōstitut apostolicarū 8. cap. vlt. that S. Iames wrote a liturgie or a forme of the Masse They shall fynde that Martialis one of the lxxij disciples of Christ and Bishop of Bourdeaulx in Fraunce sent thyther by S. Peter serued God in like sorte They shall fynde in Clement the whole order and forme of the Masse set forth by the Apostles them selues and the same celebrated by them after our lord was assumpted before they went to the ordering of bisshops priestes and the vij deacons according to his Institution and the same right so declared by Cyrillus bishop of Ierusalem In mystagogicis orationibus They shall fynde the same most plainely treated of and a forme of the Masse much agreable to that is vsed in these dayes in wryting set forth by S. Dionyse In
to S. Paul the Apostle as he vnderstoode his face by viewe of his picture Gregorie Nyssene S. Basiles brother writing the lyfe of Theodorus the martyr bestoweth much eloquence in the praise of the church where his holy relikes were kepte commending the shape of lyuing thinges wrought by the keruer the smoothenes of marble poolished like syluer by the mason the liuely resemblaunce of the martyr him selfe and of all his worthy actes expressed and excellently set forth to the eye in imagerie with the image of Christ by the paynter In which images he acknowlegeth the fightes of the martyr to be declared no lesse then if they were described and written in a booke Paulinus the bishop of Nola in his booke that he made in verses of the lyfe of Felix the martyr prayseth the church which the martyrs bodye was layed in In decimo Natali for the garnishing of it with painted images in bothe sydes of bothe kindes men and women the one kinde on the one syde and the other kinde on the other syde Where he speaketh expressely by name of the Images of scabbed Iob and blynde Tobye of fayer Iudith and great quene Hesther for so he nameth them Athanasius hath one notable place for hauing the Image of our Sauiour Christ which is not cōmon where he maketh Christ and the church to talke together as it were in a dialoge in sermone de sanctis patribus prophetis The greke may thus be translated Age inquit dic mihi cur oppugnaris Oppugnor inquit Ecclesia propter doctrinam Euangelij quam diligēter accuratè teneo propter verum firmum Pascha quod agito propter religiosam puram imaginem tuam quam mihi Apostoli reliquerunt vt haberem depictam arram humanitatis tuae in qua mysterium redemptionis operatus es Hic Christus Si propter hoc inquit te oppugnant ne grauiter feras nève animum despōdeds cum scias si quis Pascha neget aut imaginem me eum negaturum coram patre meo electis angelis Rursus verò qui compatitur mecum propter Pascha conglorificaturum an non audisti quid Moysi praeceperim Facies inquam mihi duos Cherubinos in tabernaculo testimonij scilicet ad praefigurandam meam imaginem etc. The English of this Latine or rather of the Greke is this Come on quoth Christ to the church tell me wherefore art thou thus inuaded and vexed declare me the matter Forsooth lord quoth the church I am inuaded and vexed for th'exacte obseruing of the gospell and for the keping of the feast of the true and firme Easter and for thy reuerent and pure Image which thy holy Apostles haue lefte to me by tradition to haue and kepe for a representation of thine incarnation Then quoth our lord if this be the matter for which thou art inuaded and set against be not dismayed be of good confort in hart and mynde being assured hereof that who so denyeth Easter or my * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleane image I shall denye him before my heauenly father and his chosen Angels And he that suffereth persecution with me for keping of Easter the same shall also be glorified with me Hast not thou heard what I commaunded Moyses the lawegeuer to doo Make me sayd I two Cherubins in the tabernacle of the testimony to be a prefiguration or foretokening of my image etc. Of all the fathers none hath a playner testimonie bothe for the vse and also for the worshipping of Images then S. Basile whose auctoritie for learning wisedom and holynes of lyfe besyde antiquitie is so weighty in the iudgement of all men that all our newe maisters layed in balance against him shall be fownde lighter then any fether Citatur ab Adriano Papa in epistola Synodica ad Constātinū Irenen Touching this matter making a confession of his faith in an epistle inueghing against Iulian the renegate he sayeth thus Euen as we haue receyued our Christian and pure faith of God as it were by right of heretage right so I make my confession thereof to hym and therein I abyde I beleeue in one God father almighty God the father God the sonne God the holy ghoste One God in substance and these three in persones I adore and glorifie I confesse also the sonnes incarnation Then afterward sainct Mary who according to the fleshe brought hym foorth callyng her Deiparam I reuerence also the holy Apostles Prophetes and Martyrs which make supplication to god for me that by their mediation our most benigne god be mercifull vnto me and graunt me freely remission of my synnes Then this foloweth Quam ob causam historias imaginū illorum honoro palà m adoro hoc enim nobis traditum à sanctis Apostolis non est prohibendum sed in omnibus ecclesijs nostris eorum historias erigimus For the which cause I doo both honour the stories of their images and openly adore them For this being delyuered vnto vs of the holy Apostles by tradition is not to be forbidden And therefore we set vp in all our churches their stories Lo M. Iuell here you see a sufficient testimonie that Images were set vp in the churches long before the ende of your syx hundred yeres and that they were honoured and worshipped not onely of the simple christē people but of bishop Basile who for his excellent learning and wisedom was renoumed with the name of Great Now that there hath ben ynough alleaged for the Antiquitie orginall and approbation of Images Three causes vvhy images hauen ben vsed in the church it remayeth it be declared for what causes they haue ben vsed in the church We fynde that the vse of images hath ben brought into the church for three causes The first is the benefite of knowledge For the simple and vnlearned people which be vtterly ignorant of letters in pictures doo as it were reade and see nolesse then others doo in bookes the mysteries of christen Religion the actes and worthy dedes of Christ and of his sainctes What writing performeth to them that reade the same doth a picture to the simple beholding it Ad Serenū episcopū Massilien li. 9. epistol 9. sayeth S. Gregory For in the same the ignorant see what they ought to folowe in the same they reade which can no letters therefor Imagerie serueth specially the rude nations in stede of writing sayeth he To this S. Basile agreeth in his homilie vpon the forty martyrs Bothe the writers of stories sayeth he and also paineters do shewe and set forth noble dedes of armes and victories the one garnishing the matter with eloquence the other drawing it lyuely in tables and bothe haue styrred many to valiant courage For what thynges the vtterāce of the storie expresseth through hearing the same doth the stille picture set forth through imitatiō In the like respecte in olde tyme the worke of excellēt poetes was called a speaking picture
godly thinges neither behoofull the same be done in all tymes and places nor that all thinges touching God be medled withall Which aduertisement taketh no place where all be admitted to the curiouse reading of the scriptures in their owne vulgare tonge And the scripture it selfe saye they sheweth plainely that of couenience the scriptures ought not be made common to all persons For Christ affirmeth the same with his owne wordes where he sayeth to his Apostles Lucae 8. Vnto you it is geuen to knowe the secretes of the kingdom of God but to other in parables that when they see they shuld not see and when they heare they shuld not vnderstande They to whom it is geuen to knowe these secretes be none other then the Apostles and their successours or disciples They to whom this is not geuen but must learne parables be they for whom it were better to be ignorant of the mysteries then to knowe them least they abuse them and be the more grieuously condemned if they sette litle by them which we see commonly done among the common people Vide Hilarium in Psal 2. It is reported by sundry auncient writers of great auctoritie that among the people of Israel the seuenty Elders onely could reade and vnderstande the mysteries of the holy bookes that we call the Bible For whereas the letters of the Hebrewe tonge haue no vocalles they onely had the skill to reade the scripture by the consonantes and therby the vulgare people were kepte from reading of it by speciall prouidence of God as it is thought that pretiouse stones shuld not be caste before swyne that is to saye such as be not called thereto as being for their vnreuerent curiositie and impure life vnworthy Here I nede not to spende tyme in rehersing the manifolde difficulties of these holy letters through which the reading of them to the simple and vnlearned people hauing their wittes exercised in no kynde of learning their myndes occupied in worldly cares their hartes caryed awaye with the loue of thinges they luste after Bernard Super cātica is not very profitable As the light shyneth in vaine vpon blinde eyes sayeth a holy father so to no purpose or profite is the labour of a worldly and naturall man taken for the atteining of thinges that be of the spirite Verely emōges other this incōmoditie is sene by dayly experience hereof to procede that of the people such as ought of right to take lest vpon them be now becomme censours and iudges of all despysers of the more parte and which is common to all heretikes mockers of the whole simplicitie of the churche and of all those thinges which the churche vseth as pappe or mylke to nourrishe her tender babes withall that it were better for them not to reade then by reading so to be pufte vp and made insolent Which euill cometh not of the scripture but of their owne malice and euill disposition The dangers and hurtes which the common peoples reading of the scriptures in their owne lāguage bryngeth after the opinion of those that reproue the same be great sundry and many I will here as it were but touche a fewe of them leauing the whole matter it selfe to the iudgemēt of the churche First seing the poyson of heretikes doth most infecte the common people and all heretikes drawe their venyme out of the Bible vnder pretence of gods worde it is not thought good by these men to lette euery curiouse and busie body of the vulgar sorte to reade and examine the Bible in their common language Yet they would not the learned discrete and sober laye men to be imbarred of that libertie Againe if heresie spring of wrong vnderstanding De trinitate li. 2. not of the scriptures as Hilarius sayeth heresie is of vnderstanding not of scripture and the sense not the worde is a crime who shall sooner fall into heresie then the common people who can not vnderstande that they reade verely it semeth a thing hard to beleue that the vnlearned people shuld vnderstande that which the best learned men with long studie and great trauaill can scarcely at length atteine Whereas Luther would the scriptures to be translated into euery vulgare tonge for that they be lyght and easie to vnderstande he is confuted by the scripture it selfe For both S. Peter and also S. Paul acknowlegeth in them to be great difficulties by occasion whereof some misconstrue thē to their owne damnation 2. Pet. 3. 1. Tim 1. 2. Cor. 4. some vnderstande not what thinges they speake nor of what thinges they affirme and to some the gospell that S. Paul preached is hydden euen to them which perishe If the scriptures were playne how erred Arius how Macedonius how Eunomius how Nestorius how many mo men of great learning specially seing they all tooke occasion of their errours of the scripture not rightly vnderstanded Luther sayeth that S. Hierome was ouerseen in the vnderstanding of the scripture that S. Augustine erred in the same that S. Ambrose Cyprian Hilary Basile and Chrysostome the best learned doctours of Christes churche were oftentymes deceiued And yet in the preface of his booke de captiuitate Babilonica he speaketh of them very honorably and graunteth that they haue laboured in the lordes vineyarde worthely and that they haue employed great diligence in opening the scriptures If these being of so excellent learning after long exercise in the holy letters after long studie and watche after long and feruent prayer after mortification of them selues and purgation of carnall affections were deceiued as he witnesseth how can he saye they are cleare plaine and easye to be vnderstanded And if these worthy fathers were deceiued in one pointe or two is it not likely the common people may be deceiued in many specially their diligēce and study not being comparable to theirs and their lyues not being such as the cleannesse of their inward affectes might lighten their vnderstāding and the annointing of god might teach them And least all the vnlearned laye people shulde seme hereby vtterly reiected from hope of vnderstanding gods worde without teaching of others it may be graunted that it is not impossible a man be he neuer so vnlearned exercised in long prayer accustomed to feruent contemplation being brought by God into his inward cellares may from thence obteine the true vnderstanding and interpretation of the holy scriptures no lesse then any other alwaies brought vp in learning Of what sorte S. Antony that holy and perfecte man the Eremite of Egypte was Who as saint Augustine writeth Prologo in libros de doctrina Christiana without any knowledge of letters both canned the scriptures by hart with hearing and vnderstode them wisely with thynking And that holy man whom S. Gregorie speaketh of who lying bedred many yeres for siknes of body through earnest prayer and deuout meditation obteined helth of mynde and vnderstanding of the scriptures neuer hauing learned letters so as he was able to
expounde them to those that came to visite him who comming vnto him with pretence to bring conforte through his heauenly knowledge receiued conforte But among the people how great number is there of lewed loselles gluttoÌ„s and dronckerds whose bealy is theire God who folowe their vnruly lustes is it to be thought this sorte of persones may without meditation and exercise of prayer pearse the vnderstanding of the scriptures and of those holy mysteries which god hath hidden as Christ confesseth from the learned and wise men Matth. 11. The gospellers diuided in to coÌ„trarie sectes And whereas learned men of our tyme be diuided into coÌ„trarie sectes and write bitterly one against an other eche one imputing to other mistaking of the scriptures if amongest them who would seme to be the leaders of the people be controuersies and debates about the vnderstanding of the scriptures how may the common people be thought to be in safe case out of all danger of errours if by reading the Bible in their owne tonge they take the matter in hande If any man thinke I sclaunder them for that I saye they be diuided into coÌ„trary sectes let him vnderstaÌ„d their owne countrie men I meane them of Germanie and speciall setters forth of this newe doctrine report it in their bookes and complaine lamentably of it Namely Nicolaus Amsdorffius in his booke intituled Publica confessio purae doctrinae euangelij etc. Also Nicolaus Gallus in his booke of Theses and Hypotyposes who acknowlegeth the strifes and debates that be amongest them to be not of light matters but of the high articles of christian doctrine For euen so be his wordes in Latine Non sunt leues inter nos concertationes de rebus leuibus sed de sublimibus doctrinae Christianae articulis de lege euangelio etc. The same man in the last leafe of his forsayde booke with great vehemendie reporteth haereses permultas esse prae manibus plerasque etiamnùm hâ—rere in calamo that very many herelies be allready in hande and many as yet sticke in the penne as though he meant they were ready to be set forth Of late there haue ben put out in printe two great bookes one by the Princes of Saxonie the other by the Erles of Mansfeld chiefe maineteiners of the Lutheranes in which be recited eleuen sectes and the same as detestable heresies condemned they are conteined in this cataloge or rolle Anabaptistae Seruetiani Antinomi Iesuitae OsiaÌ„drini MelaÌ„chthonici Maioristae Adiaphoristae Suencfeldiani Sacramentarij Albeit the Iesuites haue wrong to be numbred among them This much is confessed of the sectes and controuersies of our newe gospellers by their owne princes that stande in defence of the confession of Auspurg and by two of the Lutherane superintendentes No man hath so exactly declared to the world the number and diuersitie of the sectes of our tyme Fridericê° Staphylê° which hath sprong of Martin Luther as Fridericus Staphylus a man of excellent learning one of the Emperours counsaile that now is who might well haue knowledge herein for as much as he was a diligent student ten yeres at Wittenberg among the chiefe doctors of them and for that tyme was of their opinion and afterward by consyderation of their manifold disagreeinges and conteÌ„tions within theÌ„ selues induced to discredite theÌ„ and through the grace of God reduced to a whole mynde and to the catholike faith and now remayneth a perfecte member of the churche This learned man in his Apologie sheweth that out of Luther haue sprong three diuerse heresies or sectes the Anabaptistes the Sacramentaries and the Confessionistes Protestantes who made confession of their faith in open diete before the Emperour Charles the princes and states of Germanie at Auspurg anno domini 1530. and for protestation of the same there are called Protestantes Now he proueth further by testimonie of their owne writinges that the Anabaptistes be diuided into syx sectes the Sacramentaries into eight sectes the Confessionistes and they which properly are called protestaÌ„tes Protestantes diuided into tvventy Sectes into twenty sectes euery one hauing his proper and particular name to be called and knowen by This lamentable diuision of learned men into so many sectes in the countries where the gospell as they call it hath these forty yeres and is yet most busely handled may be a warning to the gouernours of Christendome that they take good aduisement how they suffer the rude and rashe people to haue the scriptures common in their owne tonge The perill of it is knowen by sundry examples bothe of tymes past and also of this present age For out of this roote hath sprong the secte of the Valdenses Valdenses otherwise called Pauperes de Lugduno For Valdo a merchant of Lyons their first author of whom they were named Valdenses being an vnlearned laye man procured certaine bookes of the scripture to be traÌ„slated into his owne language which when he vsed to reade and vnderstoode not he fell into many errours Of the same wellspring yssued the fylthie puddels of the sectes called Adamitae or Picardi Begardi and Turelupini and of late yeres besyde the same secte of Adamites newly reuiued also the Anabaptistes and Suenkfeldians Wherfor that edicte or proclamation of the worthy Princes Ferdinando and Elizabeth kyng and Quene of Spayne is of many much commended by which they gaue streight commaundement that vnder great penalties no man shuld traÌ„slate the Bible into the vulgare Spanish toÌ„ge and that no man shuld be fownde to haue the same translated in any wise These and the like be the reasons and consyderations which haue moued many men to thinke the setting forth of the whole Bible and of euery parte of the scripture in the vulgare tonge for all sortes of persons to reade without exception or limitation to be a thing not necessary to saluation nor otherwise conuenient nor profitable but contrarywise dangerous and hurtefull Yet it is not meant by them that the people be kepte wholly from the scripture so as they reade no parte of it at all As the whole in their opinion is too strong a meate for their weake stomakes so much of it they may right holesomely receiue and brooke as that which perteineth to pietie and necessary knowledge of a christen man What partes of the scriptures apperteine to the people to knovve Wherein they would the examples of the olde holy fathers to be folowed S. Augustine hath gathered together into to one booke all that maketh for good lyfe out of the scriptures which booke he intituled SpeculuÌ„ that is to saye a myrrour or a looking glasse as Possidonius witnesseth in his lyfe S. Basile hath set forth the like argument almost in his fouerscore moral rules perteining all together to good manners S. Cyprian also hath done the like in his three bookes ad Quirinum Such godly bookes they thinke to be very profitable for the simple people to reade But how much and what partes
desyre eueÌ„ so to be tried But vvhy throvv you avvaye these balance and being so earnestly requyred vvhy be ye so loth to shevv forth but one olde doctour of your syde ye make me beleue ye vvould not haue the matter comme to tryall etc. 26 VVhat thinke ye is there novv iudged of you that being so long tyme requyred yet can not be vvonne to bring one sentence in your ovvn defence Fol. 26. I protest before God bring me but one sufficient authoritie in the matters I haue requyred and aftervvard I vvil gentilly and quietly conferre vvith you farther at your pleasure VVherefore for as much as it is goddes cause if ye meane simply deale simply betraie not your right if ye maye saue it by the speaking of one vvorde The people must nedes muse some vvhat at your silence and mistrust your doctrine if it shall appeare to haue no grovvnde neither of the olde councelles nor of the doctours nor of the scripture nor any alovved example of the primitiue churche to stand vpon and so fiften hundred yeres and the consent of antiquitie and generalitie that ye haue so loÌ„g and so much talkte of shall comme to nothing For thinke not that any vvise man vvill be so much your frend that in so vveighty matters vvill be satisfied vvith your silence Here I leaue putting you In the ende of the 2. ansvver to D. C. fol. 27. eftsones gently in remembraunce that being so osteÌ„ and so openly desyred to shevv forth one doctour or Councell etc. in the matters a fore mencioned yet hitherto ye haue brought nothing and that if ye stand so still it must needes be thought ye doo it conscientia imbecillitatis for that there vvas nothing to be brought You saye vve lacke stuffe to proue our purpose In the reply to D. Coles last letter fol. 43. O vvould to God your stuffe and oures might be layed together then shuld it sone appeare hovv true it is that ye saye and hovv faithfully ye haue vsed the people of God Me thinketh bothe reason and humanitie vvould Fol. 44. ye shuld haue ansvvered me sumvvhat specially being so ofteÌ„ and so openly required at the least you shuld haue alleaged Augustine Ambrose Chrysostome Hierome etc. VVhereas a man hath nothing to saye it is good reason he kepe silence as you doo You knovv that the matters that lie in question betvveÌ„ vs haue ben taught as vve novv teache them Fol. 53. bothe by Christ him self and by his Apostles and by the olde doctours and by the auncient generall Councelles and that you hauing none of these or like authorities haue set vp a religion of your ovvne and built it only vpon your selfe Therefor I may iustly and truly â—â—â—nclude that you novv teache and of long tyme haue taught the people touching the Masse the Supremacie the commen prayers etc. is naught For neither Christ nor his Apostles nor the olde Doctours Tertulliane Cypriane S. Hierome S. Augustine S. Ambrose S. Chrisostom etc. euer taught the people so as you haue taught them Not vvithstanding your great vavvntes that ye haue made ye see novv ye are discomfyted Fol. 62. ye see the field is almost lost vvhere ar novv your crakes of doctours and councelles VVhy stampe ye not your bookes vvhy comme ye not forth vvith your euidence Novv ye stand in nede of it novv it vvill serue and take place if ye haue any Fol. 65. As I haue offred you oftentymes bring ye but tvvo lines of your syde and the field is yours Fol. 110. Hilarius sayeth vnto the Arians cedo aliud Euangelium shevv me some other gospell for this that ye bring helpeth you not Euen so vvill I saye to you Cedo alios doctores shevv me some other doctours for these that ye bring are not vvorthy the hearing I hoped ye vvould haue comme in vvith some fressher bande It must nedes be some miserable cause that can fynde no better patrones to cleaue vnto I knovv it vvas not for lacke of good vvill of your part ye vvould haue brought other doctours if ye could haue fovvnd them Fol. 112. O Master Doctour deale simply in Gods causes and saye ye haue doctours vvhen ye haue them in dede and vvhen ye haue them not neuer laye the fault of not alleaging them to the defence of your doctrine in your recognisaunce Fol. 114. But alas small rhetorike vvould suffise to shevv hovv litle ye haue of your syde to alleage for your selfe In the conclusion of the replyes to D. Cole fol. 129. Here once againe I conclude as before putting you in remembrance that this long I haue desyred you to bring forth some suâ—â—â—â—ent authoritie for prouf of your partie and yet hitherto can obteine nothing VVhich thing I must nedes novv pronounce simply and plainely because it is true vvith out if or and ye doo conscientia imbecillitatis because as ye knovv there is nothing to be brought THE PREFACE TO Maister Iuell THIS heape of Articles which you haue layde to gether Maister Iuell the greater it ryseth the lesse is your aduantage For whereas you require but one sentence for the auouching of any one of them all the more groweth your number the more enlarged is the libertie of the answerer It semeth you haue conceiued a great confidence in the cause and that your aduersaries so it liketh you to terme vs whom God hath so stayde with his grace as we can not beare you coÌ„panie in departing from his catholike churche haue litle or nothing to saye in their defence Els what shuld moue you both in your printed Sermon and also in your answeres and Replyes to Doctour Cole to shew such courage to vse such amplification of wordes so often and with such vehemencie to prouoke vs to encounter and as it were at the blast of a trumpet to make your chalenge What feared you reproche of dastardnes if you had called forth no more but one learned maÌ„ of all your aduersaries and therefore to shew your hardynesse added more weight of wordes to your proclamatioÌ„ and chalenged all the learned men that be a lyue In the sermoÌ„ fol. 46 Among cowardes perhappes it serueth the tourne some tymes to looke fiercely to speake terribly to shake the weapon furiously to threaten bloudily no lesse then cutting hewing and killing but amoÌ„g such we see many tymes sore frayes foughten and neuer a blowe geuen With such bragges of him self and reproche of all others Homer the wisest of all poetes setteth forth Thersites for the fondest man of all the Grecians that came to Troye Goliath the giaunt so stoute as he was made offer to fight but with one Israelite 1. Reg. 17. Eligite ex vobis vituÌ„ descendat ad singulare certamen Choose out a man amongst you quoth he and let him come and fight with me man for man But you Maister Iuell in this quarell aske not the combate of one catholike man
which king Alexander the great vsed to further the course of his conquestes In vita AlexaÌ„dri Magni Who as Plutarche writeth where as he thought verely that he was begoten of a God shewed him self toward the Barbarians very haute and proude Yet among the Grekes he vsed a more modestie and spake litle of his godhead For they being rude and of small vnderstanding he doubted not but by wayes and meanes to bring them to such beleue But the Grekes whom he knew to be men of excellent knowledge and learning of them he iudged as it proued in dede the matter shuld be more subtyly skanned then symply beleued Right so you M. Iuell persuading your self to haue singular skille in diuinitie among the simple people you vtter the weighty and high pointes of Christen Religion that be now in question in such wise as the protestantes haue written of them and with vehement affirmations with misconstrewed and falsefied allegations and with pitifull exclamations you leade the seely soules in to dangerouse errours But in your writinges which you knew shuld passe the iudgement of learned men the pointes of greater importaunce you coouer with silence and vtter a number of Articles of lesse weight for the more part in respect of the chiefe though for good cause receiued and vsed in the churche I speake of them as they be rightly taken denying them all and requyring the catholikes your aduersaries to prooue them Where in you shew your self not to feare controlment of the ignorant but to mistrust the triall of the learned Likewise in the holy Canon of the Masse you fynde faultes where none are as it may easely be proued thinking for defence thereof we had litle to saye But of the prayer there made to the virgine Mary the Apostles and martyrs of the suffrages for the departed in the faith of Christ in your whole booke you vtter neuer a worde though you mislike it and otherwheres speake against it as all your secte doth And why Forsooth because you know right well we haue store of good authorities for proufe thereof And by your will you will not yet stryue with vs in matters wherein by the iudgement of the people to whom you lene much you shuld seme ouermatched And therefore you serch out small matters in comparison of the greatest such as the old doctours haue passed ouer with silence and for that can not of our part by aunciet authorities be so amply affirmed at least waye as you thinke your self assured And in this respecte you laye on lode of blame contumelies and sclaunders vpon the churche for mainteining of them Where in the marke you shoote at euery man perceiueth what it is euen that when you haue brought the catholike churche in to contempte and borne the people in hand we are not hable to proue a number of thinges by you denyed for lacke of such proufes as your self shall allow in certaine particular pointes of small force which falsely you report to be the greatest keys and highest mysteries of our Religion then triumphing against vs and despysing the auncient and catholike ReligioÌ„ in general you may set vp a new Religion of your own forging a new church of your own framing a new gospell of your own deuise Well may I further saye cathedram contra cathedram but not I trowe as S. Augustine termeth such state of Religion altare contrâ alture For what so euer ye set vp if ye set vp any thing at all and pull not downe onlye all maner of aulters must nedes be throwen downe Now being sorye to see the catholike churche by your stoute and bolde bragges thus attempted to be defaced the truth in maner outfaced and the seely people so dangerously seduced Imbarred of libertie to preache by Recognisance and yet not so discharged in conscience of dutie apperteyning to my calling I haue now thought good to set forth this treatise in writing whereby to my power to saue the honour of the churche which is our common mother to defend the truth in whose quarell none aduenture is to be refused and to reduce the people from deceite and errour which by order of charitie we are bownde vnto For the doing here of if you be offended the coÌ„science of good and right meaning shal sone ease me of that griefe Verely myne intent was not to hurt you but to profite you by declaring vnto you that truth which you seme hytherto not to haue knowen For if you had I wene you would not haue preached and written as you haue Your yeres your maner of studie and the partie you haue ioyned your self vnto consydered it may well be thought you haue not thoroughly sene how much may be sayde in defence of the catholike doctrine touching these Articles which you haue denyed For the maner of doing I am verely persuaded that neither you nor any of your felowes which of all these new sectes by your syde professed so euer he lyketh best shall haue iust cause to complaine The whole treatise is written with out choler with out gaull with out spite What I mislike in you and in them of your syde I could not allow in my self Where truthes cause is treated humaine affections where by the cleare light is dymmed ought to be layd a parte Glykes nyppes and scoffes bittes cuttes and gyrdes become not that stage Yet if I shall perhappes sometymes seme to scarre or lawnce a festered bunche that deserueth to be cut of you will remember I doubte not how the meekest and the holyest of the auncient fathers in reprouing heretikes oftery mâ—â— haue shewed them selues zelouse earnest eager seueâ—â— sharpe and bitter Whose taste so euer loÌ„geth most after such sawce in this treatise he shall fynde small lyking For it is occupyed more about the fortifying of the Articles denyed then about disprouing of the person who hath denyed them Wherein I haue some deale folowed the latter parte of Chilo the wise man his counsaile which I allow better then the first Ama tanquam osurus oderis tanquam amaturus loue as to hate hate as to loue If any man that shall reade this be of that humour as shall mislike it as being colde lowe flatte and dull and requyre rather such verder of writing as is hote lofty sharp and quycke which pleaseth best the tast of our tyme vnderstand he that before I intended to put this forth in printe I thus tempered my stile for these consyderations First where as a certaine exercise of a learned man of fiue or six sheetes of paper spredde abroade in the Realme in defence of some of these Articles by M. Iuell denyed was fathered vpon me which in dede I neuer made sentence of and therefore a storme imminent was mystrusted that by chaunging the hew which many know me by that know me familiarly in case it shuld come to the handes of many as it was likely I myght escape the danger of being charged with it and neuer the lesse satisfye
suddeine pange cōming vpon him or with some cogitation and conscience of his owne vnworthines suddeinly comming to his mynde If either this or any other let had chaunced in what case had the patriarke ben then He had ben like by M. Iuelles doctrine to haue broken Christes Institution and so Gods cōmaundement through an others defecte which were straunge But I iudge that M. Iuell who harpeth so many iarring argumētes against priuate Masse vpon the very word Communion will not allowe that for a good and lawfull communion where there is but one onely to receiue with the priest Verely it appeareth by his sermon that all the people ought to receiue or to be dryuen out of the churche Now therefore to an other example of the priuate Masse Amphilochius byshop of Iconium the head citie of Lycaonia to whom S. Basile dedicated his booke De Spiritu sancto and an other booke intituled Ascetica writing the lyfe of saint Basile or rather the miracles through Gods power by him wrought which he calleth Memorabilia vera ac magna miracula in praefatione worthy of record true and great miracles specially such as were not by the three most worthy men Gregorie Nazianzene Gregorie Nyssene and holy Ephrem in their Epitaphicall or funerall treatises before mentioned among other thinges reporteth a notable story wherein we haue a cleare testimonie of a priuate Masse And for the thing that the storie sheweth as much as for any other of the same Amphilochius he is called Coelestium virtutum collocutor angelicorum ordinum comminister a talker together with the heauenly powers and a felowe seruant with orders of Angelles The story is this This holy bishop Basile besoughte God in his prayers he would geue him grace wisedom and vnderstanding so as he might offer the sacrifice of Christes bloude sheding proprijs sermonibus with prayers and seruice of his owne making and that the better to atcheue that purpose the holy ghost might come vpon him After syx dayes he was in a traunce for cause of the holy ghostes comming When the seuenth daye was come he beganne to minister vnto God that is to witte he sayde Masse euery daye After a certaine tyme thus spent through faith and prayer he begāne to write with his owne hande mysteria ministrationis the Masse or the seruice of the Masse On a night our lord came vnto him in a vision with the Apostles and layde breade to be consecrated on the holy aulter and stirring vp Basile sayd vnto him Secundum postulationem tuam repleatur os tuum laude etc. According to thy request let thy mowth be fylled with praise that with thyne owne wordes thou mayst offer vp to me sacrifice He not able to abide the vision with his eyes rose vp with trembling and goyng to the holy aulter beganne to saye that he had written in paper thus Repleatur os meum laude hymnum dicat gloriae tuae domine Deus qui creasti nos adduxisti in vitam hanc caeteras orationes sancti ministerij Let my mowth be fylled with prayse to vtter an hymne to thy glory Lord God which hast created vs and brought vs in to this lyfe and so foorth the other prayers of the Masse It foloweth in the story Et post finem orationum exaltauit panem sine intermissione orans dicens Respice domine Iesu Christe etc. After that he had done the prayers of Consecration he lyfted vp the bread praying continually and saying Looke vpon vs lord Iesus Christ out of thy holy tabernacle and come to sanctifie vs that sittest aboue with thy father and arte here present inuisibly with vs vouchesafe with thy mighty hand to delyuer to vs and by vs to all thy people Sancta Sanctis thy holy thinges to the holy The people answered one holy one our lord Iesus Christ with the holy ghost in glorie of God the father Amen Now let vs consyder what foloweth perteining most to our purpose Et diuidens panem in tres partes vnam quidem communicauit timore multo alteram autem reseruauit consepelire secum tertiam verò imposuit columbae aureae quae pependit super altare He diuided the bread in to three partes of which be receiued one at his communion with greate feare and reuerence the other he reserued that it might be buried with him and the third parte he caused to be put in a golden pyxe that was hanged vp ouer the aulter made in forme and shape of a dooue After this a litle before the ende of this treatise it foloweth how that S. Basile at the houre that he departed out of this lyfe receiued that parte of the hoste him selfe which he had purposed to haue enterred with him in his graue and immediatly as he laye in his bedde gaue thankes to God and rendred vp the ghost That this was a priuate Masse no man can denye Basile receiued the sacrament alone for there was no earthly creature in that churche with him The people that answered him were such as Christ brought with him And that all this was no dreame but a thing by the will of god done in dede though in a vision as it pleased Christ to exhibite Amphilochius playnely witnesseth declaring how that one Eubulus and others the chiefe of that clergie standing before the gates of the churche whiles this was in dooing sawe lightes with in the churche and men clothed in white and heard a voice of people glorifying god and behelde Basile standing at the aulter and for this cause at his comming foorth fell downe prostrate at his feete Here M. Iuell and his consacramentaries doo staggar I doubte not for graunt to a priuate Masse they will not what so euer be brought for proufe of it and therefore some doubte to auoyd this autoritie must be deuysed But whereof they shuld doubte verely I see not If they doubte any thing of the brīging of the bread and other necessaries to serue for cōsecration of the hoste let thē also doubte of the bread and fleshe that Elias had in the ponde of Carith 3. Reg. 17. 3. Reg. 19. Let them doubte of the bread and potte of water he had vnder the Iuniper tree in Bersabée Let them doubte of the potte of potage brought to Daniel for his dyner Daniel 14 from Iewerie in to the caue of lyons at Babylon by Abacuk the prophete But perhappes they doubte of the auctoritie of Amphilochius that wrote this story It may well be that they would be gladde to discredite that worthy bishop For he was that vigilant pastour and good gouernour of the churche Theodorit in hist eccles lib. 4. cap. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precatores who first with Letoius bishop of Melite and with Flauianus bishop of Antioche ouerthrewe and vtterly vanquished the heretikes called Messaliani otherwise euchitae the first parentes of the Sacramentarie heresie Whose opinion was that the holy Eucharistie that is the blessed
bread which Christ there tooke blessed brake and gaue to them was not simple and common bread but the Sacrament of the bodye and bloude of Christ For so a In MatthaeuÌ„ homil 17. Chrysostome b De consensu EuaÌ„gelist li. 3. cap. 25. Augustine c In Luc. Bede and d In LucaÌ„ Act. 2. Theophylacte with one accorde doo witnesse It appeareth also that the communion vnder one kynde was vsed at Ierusalem among christes disciples by that S. Luke writeth in the Actes of the Apostles of the breaking of the bread If M. Iuell here thinke to auoyde these places by their accustomed figure synecdoche among his owne secte happely it may be accepted but among men of right and learded iudgement that shifte will seme ouer weake and vaine Now to conclude touching the sixth chapter of S. Ihon as thereof they can bring no one worde mentioning the cuppe or wyne for proufe of their bothe kyndes so it sheweth and not in very obscure wise that the forme of breade alone is sufficient where as Christ sayeth Qui manducat panem hunc viuet in aeternum He that eateth this bread shall lyue for euer Thus oure aduersaries haue nothing to bring out of the scriptures against the vse of the catholike churche in ministring the communion vnder one kynde And yet they cease not crying out vpon the breache of christes expresse commaundement and M. Iuell for his parte in his first answere to D. Cole sayeth that the councell of Constance pronounced openly against Christ him selfe But for as much as they are so hote in this pointe I will send them to Martin Luther him selfe their patriarke that either by his sobrietie in this matter they may be some what colded or by his and his scolers incoÌ„stancie herein be brought to be a shamed of them selues Though the places be well knowen as oftentymes cited of the catholike writers of oure tyme against the gospellers yet here I thinke good to rehearse them that the vnlearned may see how them selues make not so greate a matter of this Article as some seme to beare the people in hand it is Luther wryteth to them of Bohemia these very wordes Quoniam pulchrum quidem esset Luther and his ofspryng doth not necessitate Communion vnder both kyndes vtraque specie eucharistiae vti Christus hac in re nihil tanquam necessarium praecepit praestaret pacem vnitatem quam Christus vbique praecepit sectari quam de speciebus SacrameÌ„ti coÌ„tendere Whereas it were a fayre thinge sayeth he to vse bothe kyndes of the sacrament yet for that Christ herein hath commaunded nothing as necessary it were better to kepe peace and vnitie which Christ hath euery where charged vs withall then to striue for the outward kyndes of the sacrament Agayne his wordes be these in a declaration that he wrote of the sacrament Non dixi neque consului neque est intentio mea vt vnus aut aliquot Episcopi propria authoritate alicui incipiant vtramque speciem porrigere nisi ita constitueretur mandaretur in concilio generali Neither haue I sayde nor counsailed nor my minde is that any one or moe bishops begynne by their owne auctoritie to geue bothe kyndes of the sacrameÌ„t to any person onlesse it were so ordeined and coÌ„maunded in generall councell Thus he wrote before that he had conceiued perfite hatred against the church Of his coÌ„ference vvith the deuill he vvriteth libello de Missa angulari But after that he had ben better acquainted with the deuill and of him appearing vnto him sensibly had ben instructed with argumentes against the sacrifice of the Masse that the memorie of oure redemption by Christ wrought on the crosse might vtterly be abolyshed he wrote hereof farre otherwise Si quo casu concilium statueret minimè omnium nos vellemus vtraque specie potiri imò tunc primuÌ„ in despectum concilij vellemus aut vna aut neutra nequaquaÌ„ vtraque potiri eos planè anathema habere quicuÌ„que talis coÌ„cilij auctoritate potirentur vtraque If in any case the councell would so ordeyne we would in no wise haue bothe the kyndes but euen then in dispite of the councell we would haue one kynde or neither of them and in no wise bothe and holde them for accurfed who so euer by auctoritie of such a councell would haue bothe These wordes declare what sprite Luther was of They shewe him lyke him selfe Who so euer readeth his bookes with indifferent iudgement shall fynde that sythens the Apostles tyme neuer wrote man so arrogaÌ„tly ne so dispitefully against the churche nor so contraryly to him selfe Which markes be so euident that who so euer will not see them but suffreth him selfe to be caried a waye in to errour hatred of the church and contempte of all godlynes either by him or by his scolers except he repent and retourne he is gyltie of his owne damnation vtterly ouerthrowen Tit. 3. and synneth inexcusably as one condemned by his owne iudgement But for excuse hereof in his booke of the captiuitie of Babylon he confesseth that he wrote thus not for that he thought so nor for that he iudged the vse of one kynde vnlawfull but because he was stirred by hatred and anger so to doo His wordes doo sounde so much plainely Prouocatus imò per vim raptus I wrote this sayeth he otherwise then I thought in my harte prouoked and by violence pulled to it whether I would or no. Here I doubte not but wise men will regarde more that Luther wrote when his minde was quiet and calme then when it was enraged with blustering stormes of naughty affections Now to put this matter that Luther iudged it a thing indifferent whether one receiue the sacrament vnder one kynde or bothe more out of doubte Philip MelaÌ„chthon his scoler and nearest of his counsell wryteth Sicut edere suillam aut abstinere a suilla In locis coÌ„munibus sic alterutra signi parte vti mediuÌ„ esse That as it is a thing indiffereÌ„t to eate swines fleshe or to forbeare swines fleshe so it is also to vse which parte of the signe a man lysteth By the word signe he meaneth the Sacrament lyking better that straunge word then the accustomed word of the churche leaste he might perhaps be thought of the brethren of his secte in some what to ioyne with the catholikes Bucer also is of the same opinion who in the conference that was had betwene the catholikes and protestantes for agreement in controuersies of Religion at Ratisbone confirmed and allowed this article by his full consent with these wordes Ad controuersiam quae est de vna aut vtraque specie tollendam cum primis conducturum vt sancta Ecclesia liberam faceret potestatem sacramentum hoc in vna vel in vtraque specie sumendi Ea tamen lege â—r nulli per hoc detur occasio quem vsum tantopere retinuit Ecclesia
temerê condemnandi aut inuicem iudicandi That the controuersie for the one or bothe kyndes may be taken awaye it shall be very well done that holy churche made it free to receiue this sacrament in one or bothe kyndes yet vnder suche condition as hereby no occasion be geuen to any bodye rashely to condēne the vse which the church hath so long tyme kepte nor to iudge one an other Soothly he which would haue it free and at libertie to receiue the sacrament vnder one or bothe kyndes and holdeth opinion that the olde custome of the one kynde onely is not to be condemned semeth plainely ynough to confesse that nothing hath ben instituted or commaunded of Christ touching this matter as necessarie to saluation Thus we may see playnely that they which haue diuided them selues from the mysticall bodye of Christ that is his churche who were of greatest learning and iudgement make it a matter indifferent as it is in dede of it selfe lefte to the libertie of the churche whether the sacrament be ministred vnder one kynde or bothe And this much hath ben cōfessed against M. Iuell and his secte not onely by the learned aduersaries of the churche in oure tyme but also by a learned man of Bohemia aboue six score yeres past His name is Iohn Przybxam of whose writinges some are set foorth in printe This learned man whereas he endeuoured to proue the vse of bothe kyndes of the wordes of Christ written by S. Iohn Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shal not haue lyfe in you at length vttereth these wordes according to the eloquence of his tyme. In libr. de professione fidei catholieae cap. 19. Veruntamen hic Deum timens mores impios aliorum praecauens fateor quòd quaslibet personas de ecclesia communion fidelium sub vtraque specie repugnantes damnare aut haereticare non intendo But here hauing the feare of god before myne eyes and being well ware I folowe not the wicked conditions of others I grawnt that what persones so euer of the churche repine against the communion of the faithfull people vnder bothe kyndes I entend not to condemne them nor to holde them for heretikes But if it be the commaundement of God that the Sacrament be receiued of all vnder bothe kyndes why shuld he be forbydden by the feare of God to cōdemne those that wythstād that order of communion Seeing that who so euer goeth against Gods commaundement is worthy to be cōdemned Therefore by his testimonie the vse of one or bothe kindes is indifferent Thus we are able to alleage Luther Melanchthon Bucer and that learned Bohemian for the Indifferencie of the communion to be minister either vnder one kynde or bothe Whereby I meane not that the vse of the sacramēt is so lefte to euery mannes libertie as he that listeth may require bothe kyndes and an other may content him selfe with one kynde not so euery man is bownde to folow the order of the churche but the churche is not bownde of necessitie by Gods commaundement to minister it vnder bothe kyndes to the laitie And whereas it was ministred in bothe kyndes at Corinth as it appeareth by S. Paul and in sundry other places Causes mouing the churche to cōmunicate vnder one kinde as we finde most euidently in the writinges of diuerse auncient fathers yet the churche hath ben moued by diuerse and weighty causes to take order that the people should receiue their cōmunion vnder one kynde not onely in the councell of Basile but also in that of Constāce and long before them aboue a thousand yeres in the first councell of Ephesus as many doo probably gather and mamely Vrbanus Regius a doctour of Luthers scoole confesseth in his booke De locis communibus One cause and not the leaste was that thereby the heresie of Nestorius might the rather be extinguished who emonges other errours held opinion that vnder the forme of bread in the Sacramēt is cōteined the body of Christ with out his bloude and vnder the forme of the wine his bloude onely without his bodye Many other causes moued those fathers to take that order for th'auoyding of many inconueniences dangers and offences which might happē in the vse of the cuppe as vnreuerence of so high a Sacrament whereof christen people at the beginning had a meruelouse care and regarde the lothsomnes of many that can not brooke the taste of wine the difficultie of getting and impossibilitie of keping wine from corruption in countries situated neare to the north Pole in that clime where is knowen to be great extremitie of colde besyde a number of the like So that it had ben beside reason to haue bounde all to the necessitie of bothe kyndes Now in very dede if we would graunt to oure aduersaries which in no wise we do not graunt that it hath ben commaunded of Christ the laye people should communicate vnder bothe kyndes by these wordes Drinke ye all of this yet this notwithstanding the exacte streightnes of gods ordināce may without synne in cases be omitted in such thinges which be not necessaryly to be obserued of them selues or of the prescripte of the lawe of nature so that great and weighty causes the rule of charitie exactely obserued require the same For euident proufe of this we haue exāples bothe of the olde and also of the newe testamēt Leuit. 24. Dyd not God commaunde that none shuld eate of the shewebread but the priestes onely 1. Reg. 21. Dauid eate thereof and yet Christ cleareth him of all blame Mar. 2. The lawe of circuncisiō so streightly commaunded Genes 17. 34. was for the space of forty yeres by the people of Israel quite omitted whiles they passed from Egypte to the land of promesse and God fownde no faulte with them for it God gaue the law of keping holy the Saboth daye with out exception Exod. 20. 1. Mach. 1. The Machabés notwithstanding stickte not to arme them selues against Antiochus and to spende that daye in the fielde in theire defence hauing no scruple of conscience for breach of that law Many the like examples we fynde in the olde testament But let vs come to the newe testament and to the Sacraments of the tyme of grace In due cōsideration of which we may fynde that Christ hath scarcely commaunded any outward thing the moderation qualifying and ordering whereof he hath not lefte to his churche as according to the cōdition of the tyme it hath ben sene most expedient for the common prefermēt and edifying of the same So that notwithstanding there be no swaruing from the scope and principal intente and no creature defrauded of that good which by the outward thinges is to be atteined Touching the Sacrament of baptisme though nothing be sayde of the teaching of them that shuld be baptized neyther of the dipping of them in to the water Matt. 28. which Christes charge in
Innocētius Zosimus and other auncient fathers what better reason haue they to kepe the infantes from the cuppe then the Anabaptistes haue to kepe them from theire baptisme If they allege their impotencie of remembring our lordes death the Anabaptistes will lihewise allege their impotencie of receiuing and vnderstāding doctrine that Christes institution in this behalfe semeth to require Thus th' aduersaries of the churche them selues doo agnise that the vse of the cuppe in the Sacrament perteineth not to all of necessitie So haue they neither godly charitie to ioyne with the churche neither sufficient reason to impugne the churche And although herein we could be content infantes not to be spoken of yet it maye easely be proued that the communion vnder bothe kyndes hath not euer ben generall And as we doo not cōdemne it but confesse it might be restored agayne by th'auctoritie of the churche lawfully assembled in a generall councell vppon mature deliberation before had and a holesome remedie against the inconueniences thereof prouided euen so are we hable to shewe good auctoritie for the defence of the one kynde now vsed in the churche And because M. Iuell beareth the world in hand nothing can be brought for it of oure syde some places I will allege here that seme to me very euidently to proue that the vse of bothe kyndes hath not alwayes ben thought necessary to all persons and that the communion vnder one kynde hathe ben practised and holden for good within the six hundred yeres after Christ that he would so faine bynde vs vnto Proufes for communion vnder one kinde Here maye be alleaged first the example of our lord him selfe out of the 24. chapter of S. Luke which is spoken of before where it is declared that he gaue the Sacrament to the two disciples at Emaus vnder the forme of bread only which place ought to haue the more weight of auctoritie in a catholike mannes iudgement because it is brought by the councell of Constance and also by the councell of Basile for proufe of the communion vnder one kynde That it was the Sacrament the auncient doctours doo affirme it playnely and the wordes cōferred with the wordes of our lordes supper doo agree and that it is not nedeful of oure owne head to adde thereto the administration of the cuppe as oure aduersaries doo by their figure synecdoche it appeareth by that those two disciples declared to the twelue Apostles assembled together in Ierusalem how they knew our lorde in fractione panis in breakinge of the breade to them which can not be taken for the wine and as sone as they knewe him in breaking of the breade he vanished awaye from theire syght er that he tooke the cuppe in to his handes and blessed it and gaue it vnto them as it appeareth euidently ynough to S. Augustine to Bede and to all other that be not willfully opinatiue Agayne what nede is it to vse violence in this scripture and ioyne vnto it a patche of oure owne deuise by so simple a warrant of a figure sith that according to the minde of the learned fathers Christ gaue here to the two disciples not a piece of the sacrament but the whole Sacrament as it is proued by th'effecte of the same and th'effecte presupposeth the cause For saint Augustine confesseth by that Sacrament of breade so he calleth it De cōsensu Euangelistarū li. 3. ca. 25. Vnitate corporis participata remoueri impedimentum inimici vt Christus posset agnosci that thereby they were made partakers of the vnitie of Christes bodye that is to saye made one bodye with Christ and that all impediment or lette of the ennemie the deuil was taken awaye so as Christ might be acknowleged What more should they haue gotten if they had receiued the cuppe also Here might be alleaged the place of the Actes in the 2. chapter where mention is made of the communion of breakinge of the breade the cuppe not spoken of which the heretikes called Waldēses dyd confesse that it must be vnderstanded of the Sacrament in confessione ad Vladislaū and likewise the place of the twentith chapter and specially that of the seuen and twentith chapter of the Actes Where Chrysostome and other fathers vnderstād the breade that saint Paul in perile of shipwracke tooke gaue thankes ouer brake and eate to be the holy Sacrament It is not to be merueiled at albe it S. Paul deliuered to the Corinthians the institution of oure lordes supper vnder hothe kyndes that yet vppon occasion geuen and when condition of tyme so required he ministred the communion vnder one kynde sith that with out doubte he tooke that holy mystery vnder one kynde for the whole Sacrament as we perceiue by his wordes 2. Cor. 10. where he sayeth Vnus panis et vnum corpus multi sumus omnes qui de vno pane participamus One breade and one body we being many are all that doo participate of one breade Where he speaketh nothing of the cuppe And likewise by his wordes where he speaketh disiūctiuely as the greke and the true latine texte hath Quicunque manducauerit panem 1. Cor. 11. vel biberit calicem domini indignê reus erit corporis et sanguinis domini Who so euer eateth the bread or drynketh of the cuppe of our lord vnworthely he shall be gylty of the bodye and bloude of our lorde Whereon dependeth an argument of the contrary that who so euer either eateth this bread worthely or drinketh this cuppe worthely he eateth and drinketh righteousnes and lyfe For thys purpose we haue a notable place in the hebrew gospell of S. Matthew which S. Hierome sayeth he sawe in the librarie of Caesarea and translated it This place is cited by S. Hierome in his booke de ecclesiasticis scriptoribus in Iacobo fratre domini The wordes touching the communion that S. Hierome rehearseth agree thoroughly with those of S. Luke 24. chapter Matthaeus sic refert Dominus autem etc. Matthew reporteth thus When oure lorde had geuen his shrowde vnto the bishopes seruant he went to Iames and appeared vnto him for Iames had made an oth that he would not eate breade from that howre he dranke of the cuppe of our lorde vntill he saw him raysed from the dead It foloweth a litle after Afferte ait dominus mensam panem Statimque addit Tulit panem benedixit ac fregit dedit Iacobo iusto dixit ei frater comede panem tuum quia resurrexit filius hominis à dormientibus Bring the table and set on bread quoth our lorde and by and by it is added he tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it to Iames the iust and sayde vnto him my brother eate thy breade for the sonne of man is risen agayne from the dead No man can doubte but this was the Sacrament And wine was there none geuen for any thing that may be gathered For it is not likely that S. Iames had
byrdes doo For owselles popiniayes rauens and pyes and such the like byrdes oftetymes be taughte of men to sownde they knowe not what These wordes are to be taken of th'understanding of the sense not of the tonge which the Seruice is songe in For the people of Hippo where he was bishop vnderstoode the latine tonge meanely Which sense can not rightly and safely be atteined of the common people De ecclesiasticis diuersis capitulis Constitutione 123. Greg. Haloādro interprete Nā in veteri translatione nihil tale habetur but is better and more holesomly taughte by the preaching of the learned bishops and priestes The commaundement of Iustinian the Emperour which M. Iuell alleageth that bishops and priestes shuld celebrate the holy oblation or Sacrifice which we call the Masse not closely * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but with vtterāce and sownde of voice that they might be heard of the people maketh nothing for the Seruice to be had in the Englishe tong in the churche of England or in any other vulgare tonge in the churche of any other nation but requireth onely of the bishops and priestes open pronouncing Iustinianes ordinaunce truly declared vocall not mentall speaking not whispering with the breath onely in the celebration of the holy Sacrifice and other Seruice Wherein he agreeth with S. Augustine who in his booke de Magistro Cap. 1. sayeth that when we praye there is no nede of speaking onlesse perhappes we doo as priestes doo Who when they praye in publike assemble vse speaking for cause of signifying their mynde that is to shewe that they praye not to th'intēt God but menne maye heare and with a certaine consent through putting in mynde by sownde of voice maye be lyfted vp vnto God This much S. Augustine there And this is the right meaning of that Constitution And thus he ordeined for the greke churche onely and thereto only it is to be referred for that some thought the Sacrifice shuld be celebrated rather with silence after the maner of the churche of Rome specially at the consecration And as that constitution perteined to the Grekes and not to the Latines so was it not fownde in the Latine bookes vntill Gregorius Haloander of Germanie of late yeres translated the place And where M. Iuell alleageth this commaundement of Iustinian against the hauing of the Seruice in a learned tonge vnknowen to the common people it is to be noted how he demeaneth him selfe not vprightly but so as euery man may thereby knowe a scholer of Luther Caluine and Peter Martyr For whereas by th'allegation of that ordinance he might seme to bring somewhat that maketh for the blessed Sacrifice of the churche commonly named the Masse he dissembleth the worde of the sacrifice which Iustinian putteth expressely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est diuinam oblationem the diuine or holy oblation and termeth it other wise in his replyes by the name of common prayers and in his Sermon by the name of the wordes of the ministration refusing the worde of the churche no lesse then he refuseth to be a member of the churche Thus through fooysting and coggyng their dye and other false playe these newe perilouse teachers deceiue many poore soules and robbe them of the suer simplicitie of their faith And where was this commaundement geuen In Constantinople the chiefe citie of Grece where the greke tonge was commonly knowen That Emperour had dominion ouer some nations that vnderstoode not the greke commonly Yet no man can tell of any constitution that euer he made for Seruice there to be had in their vulgare and barbarous tonge So many nations hauing ben conuerted to the faith the common people whereof vnderstoode neither greke nor latine if the hauing of the Seruice in their vulgare tonge had bē thought necessary to their saluation the fathers that stickte not to bestowe their bloude for their flockes would not haue spared that small paine and trauaile to put their Seruice in vulgare tonges If it had ben necessary it had ben done if it had ben done it had ben mentioned by one or other Psal 104. Lib. 1 cōtra haeres haeresi 39. It appeareth by Arnobius vpon the Psalmes by Epiphanius writing against heresies and by S. Augustine in his bookes De Doctrina Christiana that by accompte of th'antiquitie there were 72. tonges in the worlde In Tuscul q. Cicero sayeth that they be in number infinite Of them all neither M. Iuell nor any one of his syde is able to shewe that the publike Seruice of the churche in any nation was euer for the space of syx hundred yeres after Christ in any other then in greke and latine For further answere to the auctoritie of Iustinianes ordinance we holde well with it Good men thinke it meete the Seruice be vttered now also with a distincte and audible voice that all sortes of people specially so many as vnderstand it may the more be stirred to deuocion and thereby the rather be moued to saye Amen and geue their assent to it through their obedience and credite they beare to the churche assuring them selues the same to be good and helthfulll and to the glory of God And for that purpose we haue commonly sene the priest when he spedde him to saye his seruice to ring the Sawnce bell and speake out a lowde Pater noster By which token the people were commaunded silence reuerence and deuotion Now to saye somewhat touching the common prayers or Seruice of the curches of Aphrica where S Augustine preached in Latine as you saye and I denye not and thereof you seme to cōclude that the common people of that countrie vnderstoode and spake latine as their vulgare tonge That the Aphricane churches had their Seruice in Latine it is euident by sundry places of S. Augustine in his exposition of the Psalmes in his bookes De Doctrina Christiana and in his sermons and most plainely in an epistle that he wrote to S. Hierome in which he sheweth that the people of a citie in Aphrica was greatly moued and offended with their bishop for that in reciting the scriptures for parte of the seruice to them he read out of the fourth chapter of Ionas the Prophete not cucurbita after the olde texte which they had ben accustomed vnto but hedera after the newe translation of S. Hierome All people of the latine churche vnderstoode not the latine Seruice Lib. 3.2 belli punici Now as I graunt that some vnderstoode it so I haue cause to doubte whether some others vnderstoode it or no. Nay rather I haue great probabilitie to tkinke they vnderstoode it not For the bewraying of Hannibals Ambassadoures to the Romaines by their Punicall language whereof Titus Liuius writeth and likewise the cōference betwixte Sylla the noble man of Rome and Bocchus kinge of Numidia had by meane of interpreters adhibited of bothe parties as Saluste recordeth in bello Iugurthino declareth that the tonge of Aphrica was the
them safest of all And in an other place Ad Enodiū epist 102. Si propter eos solos Christus mortuus est qui certa intelligentia possunt ista discernere penè frustrà in Ecclesia laboramus If Christ sayeth he dyed onely for them which can with certaine or suer vnderstanding discerne these thinges concerning God then is the labour we take in the churche in maner in vayne God requyreth not so much of vs how much we vnderstād as how much we beleue and through belefe how much we loue And when we shall all appeare before Christ in that dredfull daye of iudgement whe shall not be requyred to geue an accompte of our vnderstanding but faith presupposed of our charitie Now though the people knowe not the Latine tonge and albeit it were better The benefite of prayer vttered in a tonge not vnderstāded they had the Seruice in their owne vulgare tonge for the better vnderstanding of it yet as it is for as muche as it cōsisteth in maner all together of the scriptures that great profite cometh bothe to the reader and to the hearer of it Origen sheweth at large in the twētith homilie vpon Iosue Because it were ouer long to bring all that he sayeth there to this purpose the summe of the whole may thus be abbridged First that the heauenly powers and angelles of God which be with vs haue great lyking in our vtterāce of the wordes of the scripture Though we vnderstād not the wordes we vtter with our mowth yet those powers sayeth he vnderstand them and thereby be inuited and that with delite to helpe vs. And speaking of the powers that be within vs to whom charge of our soules and bodies is committed he sayeth that if the scriptures be read of vs they haue pleasure therein and be made the stronger toward taking heede to vs yea and that if we speake with tonges and our spirite praye and our sense be with out fruite And there he alleageth to that purpose the cōmon place of S. Paul to the Corinthiās calling it merueilouse and in maner a mysterie shewing how the spirite prayeth the sense being with out fruite After this he declareth the euill powers and our ghostly ennemies the deuill by our reading and hearing of the scriptures to be dryuen from vs. As by enchauntements sayeth he snakes be stayed from doing hurte with their venyme so if there be in vs any serpent of contrary power or if any snake waite priuely to mischiefe vs by vertue of the holy scripture rehearsed so that for wearynesse thou tourne not awaye thy hearing he is put awaye S. Augustine confirmeth the same doctrine where he sayeth In prologo Psalmorum psalmus daemones fugat angelos in adiutorium inuitat The psalme read deuoutly or heard putteth deuilles to flight and prouoketh angels to helpe At lenght Origen shewing how by meate or drynke we fynde remedie for sore eyes though we feele no benefite forthwith in eating or drynking he concludeth his speciall parte of the comparison with these wordes In this wise we must beleue also of the holy scripture that it is profitable and doth good to the soule etiamsi sensus noster ad praesens intelligentiam non capit although presently our sense doo not atteine the meaning or vnderstanding because our good powers by these wordes be refreshed and fedde and the cōtrary that is our aduersarie powers are weakned and put to flight At lenght making obiection to him selfe on the behalfe of his hearers as though they shuld laye this doctrine to his charge for excuse of taking further paynes in preaching and expounding the scriptures to them therto he answereth and sayeth No no we haue not sayd these to you for that cause neither haue we vttered these thinges to you for excuse but to shewe you in Scripturis sanctis esse vim quandam quae legenti etiam sine explanatione sufficiat that in the holy scriptures there is a certaine power or strength which is sufficient for one that readeth it yea without any expounding of it This sufficiencie he referreth I thinke to the procuring of the good powers to helpe vs and to the dryuing awaye the malice of the euill powers our ghostly enemies that they hurte vs not I trust wise godly and stedfast men who be not caryed about with euery wynde of doctrine will be moued more with the auctoritie of Origen a man allwayes in the iudgemēt of all the christē worlde accōpted most excellētly learned thē with the scorning of Caluine who speaking of the auncient latine Seruice vsed in England and Fraunce sayeth In Institutionib ad Ecclesiā ex sono non intellecto nullus penitus fructus redit that of the sownde not vnderstanded no fruite at all retourneth to the churche vsing that word of dispite that might better be spoken by a mynstrell of his pype and taburrette then by a preacher of the diuine Seruice Neither hereof with any milder spirite speaketh his disciple and subminister Theodore Beza the hote minister of the deformed churches of Fraunce Confessionis ca. 4. Sectiōe 16 Quaecunque preces ab aliquo concipiuntur eo idiomate quod ipse non intelligat pro Dei ludibrio sunt habendae What prayers so euer be made sayeth he of any man in a tonge that he vnderstādeth not they be to be taken for a mockery of God Who so euer here alloweth Caluine and Beza condemned of the churche must condemne Origen for this point neuer reproued nor touched of any that haue not spared him where so euer they could charge him with any errour If all prayers made in an vnknowen tonge be a mocking of God as Beza sayeth then were the prayers vttered by miracle in the primitiue churche with tonges which the vtterers them selues vnderstoode not after the mynde of Chrysostome a mocking of god for I see nothing whereby they are excluded from his generall saying and vniuersall propositiō Verely this teaching of Beza is not sownde I wene if he were out of the protection of his deformed churches and cōuented before a catholike bishop to geue an accompte of this doctrine he would steppe backe and reuoke that rashe saying agayne For els he shuld seme to graunt that God gaue at the begynning of the church the gifte of tonges to be mokte withall which were very absurde and blasphemouse S. Paul wisheth that all the Corinthians spake with tonges but rather that they prophecied If our newe maisters condemne the Latine Seruice in the Latine churche for that the people vnderstand it not thereof must it folowe that the English seruice so much of it as consisteth of Dauides psalmes which is the most parte be also cōdemned The like may besayde of other nations For how many shall we fynde not of the people onely but also of the best learned mē that vnderstand the meaning of them in what tōge so euer they be set forth S. Hilarie cōpareth the booke of psalmes to a
occupied a place at the table visibly by his diuine power there he helde his body in his haÌ„des inuisibly In expositione psal 13. For as S. Augustine sayeth ferebatur manibê° suis he was borne in his owne haÌ„des where nature gaue place and his one body was in mo places then one Verely non est abbreuiata manus domini the hande of our lord is not shortened his power is as great as euer it was And therefore let vs not doubte but he is able to vse nature finite infinitely specially now the nature of his body being glorified after his resurrection from the dead And as the lyuing is not to be sought among the dead so the thinges that be done by the power of God aboue nature are not to be tryed by rules of nature And that all absurdities and carnall grosnes be seuered from our thoughtes where true christen people beleue Christes body to be in many places at once they vnderstaÌ„d it so to bee in a mysterie Being in a mysterie Now to be in a mysterie is not to be comprehended in a place but by the power of God to be made present in sorte and maner as him selfe knoweth verely so as no reason of man can atteine it and so as it may be shewed by no examples in nature Whereof that notable saying of S. Augustine may very well be reported Aug. epis ad VolusianuÌ„ IteÌ„ Ser. 159. de tempore O homo si rationem à me poscis non erit mirabile exemplum quaeritur non erit singulare that is O man if herein thou require reason it shall not be marueilouse seeke for the like example and then it shall not be singuler If Goddes working be comprehended by reason sayeth holy Gregorie it is not wonderouse neither faith hath meede Gregorius in homil whereto mannes reason geueth proufe Iuell Or that the priest did then holde vp the Sacrament ouer his head Of the Eleuation or lyfting vp of the Sacrament ARTICLE VII OF what weight this ceremonie is to be accompted catholike ChristeÌ„ men whom you call your aduersaries M. Iuell knowe no lesse then you Verely whereas it pleaseth you thus to ieste and like a Lucian to scoffe at the sacramentes of the church and the reuerent vse of the same calling all these articles in generall thâ—… highest mysteries and greatest keyes of our religion without which our doctrine can not be maineteined and stand vpright vnderstand you that this a sundry other articles which you denye and requyrâ—… proufe of is not such ne neuer was so estemed The priestes lifting vp or shewing of the Sacrament is not one of the highest mysteries or greatest keyes of our Religion and the doctrine of the catholike churche may right well be maineteined and stande without it But it appeareth you regarde not so much what you saye as how you saye somewhat for colour of defacing the churche which whiles you go about to doo you deface your selfe more then you seeme to be ware of and doo that thing whereby among good christen men specially the learned you may be a shamed to shewe your face For as you haue ouer rashely yea I maye saye wickedly affirmed the negatiue of sundry other articles and stowtely craked of your assurance thereof EleuatioÌ„ of the sacrament so you hauâ—… likewise of this For perusing the auncient father writinges we fynde record of this Ceremonie vsed euen from the Apostles tyme foreward Saint Dionyse that was S. Paules scholer sheweth that the priest at his tyme after the consecration was wont to holde vp the dredfull mysteries so as the people might beholde them His wordes be these according to the greke Ecclesias hierarch cap. 3. Pontifex diuina munera laude prosecutus sacrosancta augustissima mysteria conficit collaudata in conspectum agit per symbola sacrè proposita The bishop after that he hath done his seruice of praising the diuine giftes consecrateth the holy and most worthy mysteries and bringeth them so praysed in to the sighte of the people by the tokeÌ„s set forth for that holy purpose On which place the auncient greke writer of the scholies vpon that worke sayeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loquitur de vnius benedictionis nimirum panis diuini eleuatione quem Pontifex in sublime attollit dicens Sancta sanctis This father speaketh in this place of the lifting vp of the one blessing that is to saye of the one forme or kynde of the sacrament euen of that diuine breade which the bishop lifteth vp on high saying holy thinges for the holy In saint Basiles and Chrysostomes Masse we finde these wordes Sacerdos eleuans sacrum panem dicit Sancta Sanctis The priest holding vp that sacred bread sayeth Holy thinges for the holy In Saint Chrysostomes Masse we reade that as the people is kneeling downe after th' example of the priest and of the deacon the deacon seing the priest stretching forth his handes and taking vp that holy bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad sacram eleuationem peragendam palam edicit attendamus to doo the holy eleuation speaketh out a lowde let vs be attent and then the priest sayeth as he holdeth vp the sacrament holy thinges for the holy Amphilochius of whom mention is made afore in the lyfe of S. Basile speaking of his wonderouse celebrating the Masse among other thinges sayeth thus Et post finem orationum exaltauit panem sine intermissione orans dicens Respice domine Iesu Christe etc. And after that he had done the prayers of consecration he lyfted vp the bread without ceasing praying and saying Looke vpon vs lord Iesus Christ etc. The same saint Basile meant likewise of the Eleuation and holding vp of the sacrament after the custome of the OccideÌ„tall churche Cap 27. in his booke de Spiritu sancto where he sayeth thus Inuocationis verba dum ostenditur panis eucharistiae calix benedictionis quis sanctorum nobis scripto reliquit Which of the sainctes hath lefte vnto vs in writing the wordes of Inuocation whiles the bread of Eucharistia that is to witte the blessed sacrament in forme of bread and the consecrated chalice is shewed in sight He speaketh there of many thinges that be of great auctoritie and weight in the church which we haue by tradition onely and can not be auouched by holy scripture Of shewing the holy mysteries to them that be present in the sacrifice In epist ad Ephes Sermon 3. in moral the olde doctours make meÌ„tion not sildom S. Chrysostom declareth the maner of it saying that such as were accompted vnworthy and heynouse synners were put forth of the churche whiles the sacrifice was offered whiles Christ and that lambe of our lord was sacrificed Which being put out of the churche then were the vailes of the aulter taken awaie to th'entent the holy mysteries might be shewed in sight doubteles to styrre the people to more deuotion reuerence and to the
est corpore Christi etc. This is that we saye sayeth he which by all meanes we go about to proue that the Sacrifice of the church is made of two thinges and cōsisteth of two thinges of the visible shape of the elemētes which are breade and wine and the inuisible fleshe and bloude of our lord Iesus Christ of the Sacrament that is the outward signe and the thinge of the sacrament to witte of the body of Christ etc. By this we vnderstand that this word Sacrament is of the fathers two waies taken First for the whole substance of the Sacrament as it consisteth of the outward formes and also with all of the very body of Christ verely present as saint Augustine sayeth the Sacrifice of the Church to cōsist of these two Secondly it is taken so as it is distincte from that hydden and diuine thing of the Sacrament that is to saye for the outward formes onely which are the holy signe of Christes very body present vnder them conteined Hovv the fathers are to be vnderstāded callīg the Sacrament a figure signe token etc. Whereof we must gather that when so euer the fathers doo call this most excellent Sacrament a figure or a signe they would be vnderstanded to meane none otherwise then of those outward formes and not of Christes body it selfe which is there present not typically or figuratiuely but really and substātially onlesse perhaps respecte be had not to the body it selfe present but to the maner of presence as sometymes it happeneth So is Saint Basile to be vnderstanded in Liturgia calling the sacrament antitypon that is a sampler or à figure and that after cōsecration as the copies that be now abroade bee founde to haue So is Eustathius to be taken that great learned father of the Greke churche who so constantly defended the catholike faith against the Arians cited of Epiphanius in 7. Synodo Albe it concerning S. Basile E◠4. c. 14. in caput Matth. 26 Damascen and Euthymius likewise Epiphanius in the second Nicene councell actione 6. and Marcus Ephesius who was present at the councell of Florence would haue that place so to be taken before consecration As S. Ambrose also calling it a figure of our lordes body and bloud lib. 4. de sacram cap. 5. And if it appeare straunge to any man that S. Basile shuld call those holy mysteries antitypa after consecration let him vnderstand that this learned father thought good by that word to note the great secrete of that mysterie and to shewe a distincte condition of present thinges from thinges to come And this consideration the church semeth to haue had which in publike prayer after holy mysteries receiued maketh this humble petitiō vt quae nunc specie gerimus Sabbato 4. tēporū mēsis Septemb certae rerū veritate capiamus that in the lyfe to come we may take that in certaine truth of thinges which now we beare in shape or shewe Neither doo these wordes importe any preiudice against the truth of the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament but they signifie and vtter the most principall truth of the same when as all outward forme shape shewe figure sampler and coouer taken awaie we shall haue the fruitiō of God him selfe in sight face to face not as it were through a glasse but so as he is in truth of his Maiestie So this word antitypon thus taken in S. Basile furthereth nothing at all the Sacramentaries false doctrine against the truth of the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament And because our aduersaries doo much abuse the simplicitie of the vnlearned bearing thē in hand that after the iudgement and doctrine of th' auncient fathers the Sacrament is but a figure a signe a token or a badge and conteineth not the very body it selfe of Christ for proufe of the same alleaging certaine their sayinges vttered with the same termes I thinke good by the recitall of some the chiefe such places to shewe that they be vntruly reported and that touching the veritie of the presence in the Sacrament they taught in their dayes the same faith that is taught now in the catholike churche Holy Ephrem in a booke he wrote to those that will serch the nature of the sonne of God by mannes reason Cap. 4. sayeth thus Inspice diligenter quomodo sumēs in manibus panem benedicit ac frangit in figura immaculati corporis sui calicemque in figura pretiosi sanguinis sui benedicit tribuit discipulis suis Beholde sayeth he diligently how taking bread in his handes he blesseth it and breaketh it in the figure of his vnspotted body and blesseth the cuppe in the figure of his pretiouse bloude and geueth it to his disciples By these wordes he sheweth the partition deuision or breaking of the Sacramēt to be done no otherwise but in the outward formes which be the figure of Christes body present and vnder them conteined Which body now being gloriouse is no more broken nor parted but is indiuisible and subiect no more to any passion and after the Sacrament is broken it remaineth whole and perfite vnder eche portion Agayne by the same wordes he signifieth that outward breaking to be a certaine holy figure and representation of the crucifying of Christ and of his bloude shedding Which thing is with a more clearnes of wordes set forth by saint Augustine in Sententijs Prosperi Dum frangitur hostia De consecrat dist 2 can dum frangitur dum sanguis de calice in ora fidelium funditur quid aliud quám Dominici corporis in cruce immolatio eiusue sanguinis de latere effusio designatur Whiles the hoste is broken whiles the bloud is powred in to the mowthes of the faithfulles what other thing is thereby shewed and set forth then the sacrificing of Christes body on the crosse and the shedding of his bloud out of his syde And by so dooing the commaundement of Christ is fulfylled Doo this in my remembraunce That it may further appeare that these wordes figure signe image token and such other the like sometymes vsed in auncient writers doo not exclude the truth of thinges exhibited in the Sacrament but rather signifie the secrete maner of th'exhibiting amōgest all other the place of Tertullian in his fouerth booke contrâ Marcionem is not to be omitted specially being one of the chiefe and of most appearaunce that the Sacramentaries bring for proufe of their doctrine Tertullianes wordes be these Acceptum panem distributum discipulis suis corpus suum illum fecit hoc esse corpus meum dicēdo id est figura corporis mei The breade that he tooke and gaue to his disciples he made it his body in saying this is my body that is the figure of my body The double taking of the worde Sacrament afore mentioned remembred and consideration had how the sacramentes of the Newe testament comprehend two thinges the outward visible formes that be figures signes and tokens and
the Apostles them selues it doth right well appeare how so euer M. Iuell assureth him selfe of the contrary and what so euer the deuill hath wrought and by his ministers taught against the sacrifice of the Masse that priestes haue auctoritie to offer vp Christ vnto his father That Christ offered him selfe to his father in his last supper and that priestes by those wordes Doo this in my remembraunce haue not onely auctoritie but also a speciall commaundemēt to doo the same and that the figure of Melchisedech and the prophetie of Malachie perteineth to this sacrifice and maketh proufe of the same let vs see by the testimonies of the fathers what doctrine the Apostles haue lefte to the churche Eusebius Caesariensis hath these wordes De demōstrat Euāgeli lib. 1. cap. 10. Horrorem afferentia mensae Christi sacrificia supremo Deo offerre per eminentissimum omnium ipsius Pontificem edocti sumus We are taught sayeth he to offer vnto our supreme God the sacrifices of Christes table which cause vs to tremble and quake for feare by his bisshop highest of all Here he calleth Christ in respecte of his sacrifice Gods bishop highest of all bisshops the sacrifices of Christes table he calleth the body and bloud of Christ because at the table in his last supper he sacrificed and offered the same and for that it is his very body and very bloud imaginatiō onely phantasie and figure set aparte he termeth these sacrifices as cōmonly the auncient fathers doo horrible causing trembling and feare And where as he sayeth we haue ben taught to offer these sacrifices to God doubteles he meaneth by these wordes of Christ Doo this in my remembraunce this is my body which is geuen for you this is my bloud which is shedde for you Clement in his eight booke often cited speaking of the sacrifice offered by the Apostles commonly addeth these wordes secundum ipsius ordinationem or ipso ordinante Whereby he confesseth it to be Christes owne ordinance That Christ sacrificed him selfe at his supper Hesychius affirmeth with these wordes Quod Dominus iussit Leuit. 4. vt sacerdos vitulum pro peccato oblaturus ponat manum super caput eius iugulet eum coram Domino Christum significat quem nemo obtulit sed nec immolare poterat Ioan. 10. nisi semetipsum ipse ad patiendum tradidisset Propter quod non solum dicebat Potestatem habeo ponendi animam meam potestatem habeo iterū sumēdi eam sed praeueniens semetipsum in coena Apostolorū immolauit quod sciunt qui mysteriorum percipiunt virtutē That our lord commaunded sayeth he the priest which shuld offer a calfe for synne to put his hand vpon his hedde and to sticke him before our lord it signifieth Christ whom no man hath offered neither could any man sacrifice him excepte he had delyuered him selfe to suffer For the which he sayde not onely I haue power to laye downe my soule Ioan. 10. and I haue power to take it agayne But also preuenting it he offered vp him selfe in sacrifice in the supper of the Apostles which they knowe that receiue the vertue of the mysteries By these wordes of Hesychius we learne that Christ offered and sacrificed his body and bloud twise First in that holy supper vnbloudely when he tooke bread in his hādes and brake it etc. Without diuision of the sacrifice for it is but one and the same sacrifice And afterward on the crosse with shedding of his bloude and that is it he meaneth by the word preuenting And at the same very instant of tyme which is here further to be added as a necessary point of Christen doctrine whe must vnderstād that Christ offered hem selfe in heauen inuisibly as concerning man in the sight of his hauenly father and that frō that tyme foreward that oblation of Christ in heauen was neuer intermitted but continewed allwaies for our attonement with God and shall without ceasing endure vntill the ende of the worlde For as S. Paul sayeth Heb. 9. Iesus hath not entred into temples made with handes the samplers of the true temples but into heauē it selfe to appeare now to the cowntenance of God for vs. Now as this oblation and sacrifice of Christ endureth in heauen continually for as much as he is rysen from the dead and ascended in to heauen with that body which he gaue to Thomas to feele bringīg in thither his bloud as Hesychius sayeth and bearing the markes of his woondes and there appeareth before the face of God with that thorne prikte naileboared sperepearsed and other wise woonded rent and torne body for vs whereby we vnderstand the vertue of his oblation on the crosse euer enduring not the oblation it selfe with renewing of payne and sufferaunce continewed so we doo perpetually celebrate this oblation and sacrificing of Christes very body and bloud in the holy Masse in remembraunce of him commaunded so to doo vntill his comming Wherein our aduersaries so foolishly as wickedly scoffe at vs as though we sacrificed Christ agayne so as he was sacrificed on the crosse that is in bloudy maner But we doo not so offer or sacrifice Christ againe but that oblation of him in the supper and oures in the Masse is but one oblation the same sacrifice for this cause by his diuine ordinaunce lefte vnto vs that as the oblation once made on the crosse continually endureth and appeareth before the face of God in heauen for our behalfe continewed not by newe suffering but by perpetuall intercession for vs So the memorie of it may euer vntill his second comming be kepte amongest vs also in earth and that thereby we may apply and bring vnto vs through faith the great benefites which by that one oblation of him selfe on the crosse he hath for vs procured and daily doth procure Now for further proufe of the offering and sacrificing of Christ of those wordes of our lord Doo this in my remembraunce to recite some testimonies of the fathers First Dionysius Saint Paules scoler and bishop of Athenes writeth thus Ecclesias hierarch cap. 3. Quocirca reuerenter simul ex Pontificali officio post sacras diuinorum operum laudes quòd hostiam salutarem quae super ipsum est litet se excusat ad ipsum primò decenter exclamans Tu dixisti Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Wherefore the bishop sayeth he reuerently and according to his bishoply office after the holy prayses of Gods workes he excuseth him selfe that he taketh vpon him to offer that helthfull sacrifice which is aboue his degree and worthynes crying out first vnto him in seemely wise lord thou hast cōmaunded thus saying Doo this in my remembraūce By these wordes he confesseth that he could not be so hardy as to offer vp Christ vnto his father had not Christ him selfe so cōmaunded when he sayde Doo this in my remembraunce This is the doctrine touching this article that S. Paul taught his scolers which M.
the body and bloud of Christ for the people And willeth them to be more regarded then commonly they be now a dayes for this sacrifices sake though otherwise they be of lesse deserte Now for proufe of the sacrifice and oblation of Christ by the doctoures mynde vpon the figure of Melchisedech Lib. 2. epist 3. first S. Cyprian sayeth thus Qui magis sacerdos Dei summi quà m Dominus noster Iesus Christus qui sacrificium Deo patri obtulit et obtulit hoc idem quod Melchisedech id est panem vinum suum scilicet corpus sanguinem Who is more the priest of the highest God then our lord Iesus Christ who offered a sacrifice to God the father and offered the selfe same that Melchisedech dyd that is bread and wine that is to saye his owne body and bloud S. Hierome in an epistle that he wrote for the vertuouse women Paula and Eustochium to Marcella hath these wordes Recurre ad Genesim Melchisedech regem Salem Huius principem inuenies ciuitatis qui iam in typo Christi panem vinum obtulit mysterium christianum in Saluatoris sanguine corpore dedicauit Retourne to the booke of Genesis and to Melchisedech the king of Salem And thou shalt fynde the prince of that Citie who euen at that tyme in the figure of Christ offered bread and wine and dedicated the mysterie of Christians in the body and bloud of our Sauiour Here this learned father maketh a plaine distinction betwen th' oblation of the figure which was bread and wine and the oblation of the truth which is the mysterie of Christen people the bloud and the body of Christ our Sauiour Of this S. Augustine speaketh largely in his first sermon vpon the 33. Psalme and in the 17. booke de ciuitate Dei cap. 20. Of all other Oecumenius speaketh most plainely to this purpose vpon this place of S. Paul alleaged out of the Psalme Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum secundum â—rdinem Melchisedech Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech his wordes be these Significat sermo quòd non solum Christus obtulit incruentam hostiam siquidem suum ipsius corpus obtulit verum etiam qui ab ipso furgentur sacerdotio quorum Deus Pontifex esse dignatus est sine sanguinis effusione offerent Nam hoc significat in aeternum Neque enim de ea quae semel a Deo facta est oblatio et hostia dixisset in aeternum sed respicieÌ„s ad praesentes sacrificos per quos medios Christus sacrificat sacrificatur qui etiam in mystica coena modum illis tradidit huiusmodi sacrificij The meaning of this place is sayeth he that not onely Christ offered an vnbloudy sacrifice for he offered his owne body but also that they which after him shall doo the office of a priest whose bishop he vouchesaueth to be shall offer without shedding of bloud For that signifieth the word for euer For concerning that oblation and sacrifice which was once made by God he would neuer saye in aeternum for euer But he sayd so hauing an eye to those priestes that be now by the mediation of whom Christ sacrificeth and is sacrificed who also in his mysticall supper taught them by tradition the maner of such a sacrifice Concerning the prophecie of Malachie for proufe of this oblation though the place of Irenaeus aboue recited may stand in stede of many auctorities yet I will not lette to rehearse the sayinges of a father or two for confirmation of this Article Chrysostom sayeth very plainely In Psal 95 In omni loco sacrificium offertur nomini meo sacrificium purum Vide quâm luculenter quanque dilucide mysticam interpretatus est mensam quae est incruenta hostia In euery place a sacrifice shall be offered to my name and that a pure sacrifice See how plainely and clearely he interpreted the mysticall table which is the vnbloudy sacrifice Saint Augustine hath many euident sayinges touchig this matter in his workes One shall suffise for all which is in a litle treatise he made contra Iudaeos vttered in these wordes Cap. 9. Aperite oculos tandem aliquando videte ab Oriente sole vsque ad Occidentem non in vno loco vt vobis fuit constitutum sed in omni loco offerri sacrificium christianorum non cuilibet Deo sed ei qui ista praedixit Deo Israel Open your eyes at last you Iewes and see that from the rysing of the sunne to the setting not in one place as it was appointed to you but in euery place the sacrifice of the Christen people is offered not to euery God but to him that prophecied of these thinges before the God of Israel And euen so with that protestation which saint Augustine made to the Iewes I ende this tediouse matter consisting in maner altogether in allegations to M. Iuell Open open your eyes at last M. Iuell and see how all the holy and learned fathers that haue preached the faith of Christ from the rysing of the sunne to the setting haue taught this doctrine by word and writing lefte to the posteritie that they which vnder Christ doo vse the ofâ—â—ce of a priest after the order of Melchisedech haue not onely auctoritie but also expresse commaundement to offer vp Christ vnto his father The proufe of which doctrine although it depend of the weight of one place yet I haue thought good to fortifie it with some good number that it may the better appear to be a most vndoubted truth not moued greatly with the blame of tediousnes where no thankes are sought but onely defence of the catholike Religion is intended Or that the priest had then auctoritie to communicate and receiue the Sacrament for an other as they doo Iuell Of the priestes saying Masse for an other ARTICLE XVIII VVhat you would saye M. Iuell I wote not what you saye well I wote The priest receiueth not the SacrameÌ„t for an other Verely we do not communicate ne receiue the Sacrament for an other Neither hath it euer ben taught in the catholike churche that the priest receiue the Sacrament for an other We receiue not the Sacrament for an other no more then we receiue the Sacrament of Baptisme or the Sacrament of penaunce or the Sacrament of Matrimonie one for an other In dede the priest sayeth Masse for others where he receiueth that he hath offered and that is it you meane I gesse In which Masse being the externall sacrifice of the Newe testament according vnto Christes institution the thing that is offered is such as maketh our petitions and requestes acceptable to God as S. Cyprian sayeth In sermone de coena domini In huius corporis praesentia non superuacué mendicant lachrymae veniaÌ„ In the presence of this body teares craue not forgeuenes in vaine That the oblatioÌ„ of the Masse is done for others then for the priest alone