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A68859 Holsome and catholyke doctryne concerninge the seuen Sacramentes of Chrystes Church expedient to be knowen of all men, set forth in maner of shorte sermons to bee made to the people, / by the reuerend father in God. Thomas byshop of Lincolne. Anno. 1558. Mense Februarij. Watson, Thomas, 1513-1584. 1558 (1558) STC 25112.5; ESTC S100033 209,288 398

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body For yf a man be iustelye excomunicate of hys owne iudge hauinge ordinarye or lawfull iurisdiction ouer hym he is a member cutte awaye from the bodye of Christes catholyke Churche which so long as he is in that state is dead not able to bringe forth good fruite and worthy nothinge but to be cast into eternal fyre and brente as beinge than a member of the Churche malignant He is accursed and separate from the companye and felowshippe not onelye of all faithfull people in this worlde but also of almightie God and his blessed aungels in the kingdome of heauen He is depryued of the influence of Goddes grace and the specyall protection of almightye God secluded from the spirituall communion of Christes Churche as not pertaker of the Sacramentes and of the prayers good woorkes and generall suffrages of the same and is to bee taken estemed of al good men as an Ethnicke and publicane and is also deliuered to Sathan the deuyll wherby the deuyl hath power by permission ouer him to afflicte him with al vexation and affliction corporall to thintent that by that meanes he perceiuinge the enormitie of hys lyuing may yeld and be reduced to penaunce that his soule may be saued in the day of our Lord. What christen harte can be so carelesse of hys own saluation as eyther by his wilfulnes to enter or by his obstinacy to continue in so damnable and daungerouse a state of lyuinge Whyche many men wilfully and headly fall into by disobeyinge Gods ministers and that power which is geuen vnto them by almighty God for the reformation of his people And althoughe sometimes men maye flatter them selues when they be excommunicate that they nede not to feare or regard such excommunicatiō for that they perswade theim selues in their owne opiniōs either the cause to be vniuste or the processe againste them to be vnlawful and therfore shall beginne not to regarde but to contempne the said sentēce of excōmunication pronounced againste them yet in the name of God I shall aduertise you al good people to beware of this poynt and not to be your owne iudges in these cases deceyuynge your selues lest by your so contemning the keies and authoritie of the Church ye runne in daunger of iust excōmunication otherwyse and shall thereby make that cause to bee iuste in the ende whiche perchaūce would haue appeared to haue been not so weyghty in the begynnyng Thus good people vnderstandyng that the Prelates and ministers of Christes Churche be ordeined of God to be the Phisicianes and surgyans of your soules your duetie is to loue and obeie them not onelye when they dooe apply the sweete medycines of Gods worde and his holye Sacramētes to the diseases of your soules but also when as good Surgeanes they bynde the parties that refuse to be cured and by the censures of the Churche and strayt d●scipline doe cut and serche their desperate and vncurable woundes executynge the offyce of almyghty GOD that sayde by his Prophete in this maner I shall feade my shepe and I shal seke and search● that is loste I shall bringe home againe that is caste awaye I shall bynde that is broken I shal saue and kepe that is fatte and stronge and I shall feade them in iudgement And lyke as I haue tolde you of your dueties towardes them in louinge and obeying them so oughte you also to honour theym as the holye Apostle Saint Paule teacheth sainge Those Priestes that execute their office and rule their people wel be worthye double honour specially those that labour in Gods worde and doctrine For the scripture sayeth Thou shalte not bynde vp the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth forth the corne and he that laboureth is worthy his wages or rewarde By whiche wordes wee vnderstande what is ment by this double honour not onelye to thinke well vpon theim to haue them in estimation to loue theim to reuerence and honour god in them for theyr woorke and offyce sake but also to succour and relieue them in their corporall lyuinge to minister vnto their necessary sustenaunce sufficientlye with a franke harte and a good wyll For who dothe goo a warrefare vpon his owne charges who feedeth a flocke and doth not eate of the milke of the same flocke They that minister vnto the people spirituall thynges as the word of God his holye Sacramentes and suche other oughte lykewise too receiue againe of the people carnall thinges For the scholer whyche is taughte and instructed in the woorde of GOD and the relygion of Chryste oughte to communycate and to make his mayster and instructour to be a partener with hym in all good thynges temporall whiche God hath lente vnto hym for almighty God hathe wylled and ordeyned that they whiche serue him in the preachyng and setting forth of his gospel should haue theyr liuinge of the gospel for the settinge forth of the same By these reasons and sayinges whyche I haue here rehersed vnto you good people out of the doctryne of the blessed Apostle S. Paule it appeareth plainelye that the payment of tythes or the tenth parte of all maner of fruites for so much as perteineth to the substaunce of thē the sustentation of Gods ministers to thintent they might holly applye them selues to gods ministerye vndiuided or without care of the worlde for their necessarye lyuinge is gods ordinaunce not onely by the instincte of nature it beinge mooste agreinge too naturall reason but also by Gods moral lawe who beynge the Lorde creator and geuer of al good thinges in token of his vniuersal dominiō as it were by a special title and prerogatiue hathe reserued the tenthe parte of the fruites of the earth to hym selfe and wyll be honoured with oure substaunce and ryches by the free oblation of those tythes to hym whyche he hathe wylled to bee geuen and conuerted to the vse sustentation of the ministers of his church For so wryteth the wyse man in all thy soule feare thy Lorde God and sanctyfye his priestes with al thy power loue him that made the and forsake not hys ministers honour God wyth all thy soule and also honour hys Priestes purge thy selfe with the free oblation of that thou hast gotten with the labour of thy handes geue vnto them as it is commaunded vnto the their portion of thy chiefe fruites and tythes Thus good people as we be debters to almighty God for his infynite and manyfold benefytes so by iust payinge of our tythes to hym we acknowledge oure imperfection his maiestie and vniuersall dominion our nede miserye his goodnes and bountyful liberalitie which is accordinge to our dueties a geuinge of thankes for the same and accepted of him as a payment of our debtes for his benefytes through the merytes of his onely sōne Iesus Christ our Lord. And thys honour in ministringe to the Priestes of Christes Church for theyr lyuinge as I haue saied before
store vp a good treasure in the nexte worlde to the attayninge of euerlastinge lyfe And by thys gyfte of counsell we bee armed not to leane to oure owne strength nor to the power of anye multitude nor to the obstinacie of minde but to the helpe of God and for the glorye of hys name So that thys gifte of fortytude woorketh the vertue of mercifulnesse whereby a man vseth the worlde not as the deuyll tempteth hym to fulfyll hys greedy appetite which like dropsye wyll neuer be satiate but to the reliefe of the poore the defence of the innocent the forgeuinge of the offendour and the mayntenaunce of the truthe For suche a man is happye and shall receyue greater mercie at Gods hand And therefore when we lacke this gifte or doe not vse it let vs fyrste forgeue them that haue offended vs and than pray that our debtes may likewise be forgeuen vnto vs and that is the verye practyse of thys gyfte of counsell and the direction of oure spirytuall strength and fortitude The syxte darte of the deuell is gluttonye for when he hathe mooued a man to take pleasure and ioye in these outwarde and worldlye thynges he tempteth hym speciallye to followe that pleasure that is most naturall to his fleshe and not to be content with that the necessitye of nature requireth but to lette pleasure haue hys wyll eyther in excedynge measure or in to much delicatenes and preparation for the same wherupon foloweth the decaye of healthe and subuersion of reason For commonly wher there is a full belly there is also a dull witte for that cause the holye Ghoste hath armed vs wyth the gift of vnderstandinge out of whiche procedeth the vertue of clennes of hart that our spirituall eyes maye be simple and refuse to be made dull with the stuffing of our bellies and our hartes maye be cleane and pure from the corruption of the flesh not loden with surfeting and dronkennes to thintent we might escape the sayde vyce of glotonie and be promoted to so greate happynes as to see God whiche no man can do except the mist of ignoraunce errour and vncleane lyuynge be taken from his eyes by faythe and the gift of vnderstanding And therfore least these tentations of the fleshe specially concerninge the nourishing and pamperinge of the same do hynder vs from true vnderstanding and the syghte of God which he hath promised to all them that be simple and cleane of hart let vs diligētly pray that he suffer vs not to be led into temptation Finally the last of the deuils dartes is lechery which is the vylest kind of sinne of al other the sonest is a man tempted vnto it if the deuil haue any enteraunce before eyther by ydlenesse couetousnesse or dronkennesse For as the prophet saythe the cause of the iniquitye of Sodome was pryde to muche eatinge wealth and ydlenesse And thys vyce blyndeth a mans soule taketh awaye his reason for a tyme and the consideration he shoulde haue of death and bringeth him into hatred of God and in mistruste or desperation of the life to come And for remedye againste this most beastlye vyce the holye Ghoste hath armed vs with his greatest gifte which is wysdome whereby a manne pulleth awaye hys mynde and pleasure from the corruption of hys fleshe and refuseth to be subiect to his vnnaturall sensualitie and to defile his bodye the temple of God and setteth his hole ioye felicitye and rest in his Lorde God hauinge his mynde occupyed in heauenly thoughtes where nothinge is that can displease And thys is the wysdome of God that commeth from aboue which is chaste peaceable gentle easie to be intreated agreable to goodnes full of mercy and good fruite Happye are they that haue thys wysedome oute of which springeth the vertue of making peace because the fruit of rightwisnes is sowen in peace to theym that be peacemakers to whome God hath promised that they shal be called his sonnes and children for which cause when we lacke this gift of wisdome or waxe slacke to vse it let vs pray to almighty god to deliuer vs from al euill whiche deliueraunce setteth vs at libertye and maketh vs freemen that is to saye the chyldren of god indued with his spirit of adoption wherby we may boldly call God our father And thus I haue declared vnto you the seuen giftes of the holy ghost geuen vnto vs in our cōfirmation which for lacke of our good and vertuous bringinge vp when wee were chyldren do not so muche appeare and shewe theimselues in oure deedes as it were expedient they should but yf we rayse theym vp againe by oure prayer and diligent exercise as I haue partly told you we shall be sure to ouercome our spirituall enemye and in the daye of oure Lorde receyue the crowne of glorye throughe the merites of our sauiour Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all glorye and prayse Amen ⸫ ¶ Of the reall presence of Christes bodye in the Sacrament of the Aultar Ser. vii AS a man by his carnall generatiō is not onely borne to temporal life but also in proces of tyme waxeth strong which life strength cā not be preserued withoute nouryshement and holsome meate euen so a man by his spirituall regeneration is not onely borne againe to a spirituall life in Christ by baptisme but also waxeth strong in Christ by receiuing the giftes of the holy ghost in Confirmation which spirituall lyfe and strength can not bee preserued and continued without spiritual nourishmēt and holsome meate For which purpose our sauiour Christ who loued vs so vehemently that to bringe vs to life was content to dye and for the pryce and ransome of the same lyfe vouchsafed to geue his own body to death doth styll vouchsafe to nouryshe vs so redemed and brought to life with the swete and holsom milke of his owne bloude and geueth vs his fleshe to eate and his bloud to drinke that we might be fed and nouryshed for the continuaunce of oure spirituall life wyth the same precious thynges that we were redemed withall before And because our soules be as yet ioyned with oure bodies therfore for the time of this life our Sauiour Christ geueth vnto vs his vnuisible graces in sensible Sacramentes And as in Baptisme by water whiche is a sensible thing is geuen to vs the inuisible grace of regeneration euen so in the Sacrament of the Aultare vnder the vysible formes of breade and wyne is geuen to vs the substaunce of all grace which is Chryst hym selfe that is to saye hys bodye and hys bloude which though they be corporall thinges in theyr own nature yet now being glorified they be spirituall and therefore not sensible but where it pleaseth oure Sauiour by miracle to haue them appeare Thys is than most certeynlye and constantly to be beleued of vs all vpon payne of dampnation that in thys blessed sacrament of the Aultar wherof I entreate
whiche diuersitie in degrees causeth great comelynesse and beautye to be in Christes Churche by reason of suche order as euery inferiour member keepeth to his superiour doynge his dutie in his owne place and not vsurpyng to dooe aboue his calling Therefore this Sacrament whereby suche degrees of authoritie and power be geuen to men is called Order whiche order of ministers maketh the Churche to bee buylded as a Cytie without confusion and to be terrible to her enemies as the fore front of an armie sette in good arave and is the very knot of the knowen Catholike Churche conteining both good and euil in it whereby it is preserued without scisme so longe as that order is kepte withoute breache whiche was institute by Christe vsed by his Apostles and from theim brought to vs by continuall succession This visible Order takinge his beginnynge from the authoritie geuen to one man is extended throughout the hoolle worlde in the church into a greate nomber and multitude of inferiour ministrations as it were many braunches proceedinge from one tree or many ryuers from one fountayne which all together take inwardly their increase from the fountayne of al grace and the onely suprime head of oure one churche Iesus Christe our Lorde For if Christ had not onely secretly by inspiration but also by his sensible commaundemēt and sacramēt sent his Apostles into the world saiyng as my father hath sent me so I sende you geuing them authoritie likewyse visibly to send other the churche of Christe shoulde neuer haue been without Scismes and diuisions made by them that runnynge by theyr owne authoritie vnsent woulde haue borne menne in hande that they were inuisibly sent and anointed of GOD whiche was nothynge so and so woulde haue drawen Gods people into sectes and false doctrine For whiche cause Saint Paule and Barnabas beyng inuisiblye sent of the holy Ghoste yet it was the wyll and pleasure of the same holy Ghoste that they should by a visible Sacrament of imposition of handes be visiblie sent in the authoritie of Apostles to the ministration of the churche and such as now say them selues they be sent inuisiblye of God ought not to bee beleued or receiued excepte they bee as Saynte Paule and Barnabas were visibly ordered and anoynted in the Churche by Catholyke Byshoppes suche as haue their succession from the Apostles Furthermore in this Sacrament of Order is geuen to them that be lawfully ordered the ecclesiasticall power of the Churche whiche is a power geuen not by the lawes of men or of nature but onely by Christe aboue nature and after a speciall sorte to his Apostles and disciples and their lawful successours to the worlds end for the edifiynge of the churche militant according to the lawes of the Gospell for the atteynyng of eternall lyfe And this power is called in scripture by the name of the keyes of the kingdome of heauen As a keye doeth open the doore to a man and bringeth him into the house so this ecclesiasticall power beynge vsed with knowledge and discretion by a lawefull minister openeth the doore of mannes harte to the knowledge of GOD and so in processe openeth to him the kingdome of heauen For it conteineth the ministration of all thinges whiche be necessary for vs synners to bee directed furthered and promoted to the atteining of the sayde kyngdome As to bynde and loose to remytte and reteyne synne and al other thinges that be requisite to the preseruation of Christes Churche in vnitie of faythe and charitie to the intent it might be partaker of the glory of God These keyes our Sauiour Christe did geue to his Churche in Saynte Peter or rather to Saynte Peter for the Churche saying to him To thee shall I geue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and what so euer thou shalt bynde vppon earthe shall bee also bounden in the heauens and what so euer thou shalt loose vpon earth shal be also loosed in the heauens And to the other his Apostles Disciples assembled together he said whose synnes you shall remitte bee remitted vnto them and whose synnes you retayne be retayned And to declare that this power is not inuented by man nor yet geuen by the authoritie of anye Prince or Communaltie our Sauiour sayde in the geuyng of it to his disciples take and receiue you the holye ghost Whereby we vnderstande that the power to bynde or loose or to remytte sinne or fynallye to gouerne the Churche is the woorke onelye of the holye Ghoste woorking by his Ministers that whiche is for the saluation of his Churche And where as the blessed Sacrament of the Aultare is the hiest and greatest Sacramente of al other because holle Christ both god man is conteyned in it Therefore is Priesthoode the hyest order wherein is geuen grace and power ouer Christes naturall bodye and bloud to consecrate it by the vertue of God assistyng his woorde and to make it present in the blessed Sacramente of the Aultare by the chaunge of the substaunces of Bread and Wyne and also to offer it beynge the verye Sacrifice of the newe Testament to God the father for the synnes and ignoraunces of his people and to delyuer and minister it to suche as by their faith and clennes of lyfe be woorthy to receyue it So this power ouer Christes natuall bodye oure Sauioure hym selfe gaue to his Disciples in hys laste Supper where after that he hadde consecrate offered and delyuered hys owne bodye to his Disciples he sayde to them Dooe this in remembraunce of me by whiche woorde he made them Priestes and gaue them authoritie and commaundement to dooe as he didde than not once but continuallye tyll his latter commynge And that the Priest maye woorthely and after due maner execute thys his chiefe office and function there be other inferiour orders ordeyned of God and his holye Churche to assiste the Priest as Deacon Subdeacon whose offices be to receyue the oblations of the people for the vse of the Sacrament to bring them to the Aultare to prepare all thinges necessarie for the cōsecration to giue consent to the Sacrifice made by the Priest beside other thynges whyche by holy scripture and the vniuersal tradicion of the church they be authorised to dooe A Priest also hath power geuen vnto him by this Sacramēt of order ouer Christes mistical body the church for the instruction the purgation and the perfection of the same churche and euerye member therof And first concerning the instructiō of it a Priest hath authoritie to preache Gods word by Gods speciall and visible sending Where our Sauiour Christ sayd to his disciples As my father hath sent me so likewyse I sende you And in an other place he said go ye into the holle worlde and preache the gospel to euery creature And also go your wayes and teache all people baptising thē in the name of the father and of the sonne and